After all the hoo-ha made about what Michelle Obama wore on Election Night (yes, I’m talking about you, Germaine Greer), I decided to make a point of ignoring what she wore on Inauguration Day. Which wasn’t hard, considering I had to drag myself out of bed at 3am (Australian Eastern Standard Time) and watch history being made through eyes that felt like they had a thick layer of vaseline smeared across them.
Despite instructions to my husband to wake me up mere seconds before the new President was sworn in so as to miss all the preamble, I found myself sitting through the Inauguration equivalent of the Red Carpet Special. Except the carpet was blue and a distinctly more interesting place without Richard Wilkins standing by with a microphone in hand and his trademark brand of Bland. In any case, I certainly perked up when I saw the accessibility issues with stairs down to the stage and the chance that someone might try and get Dick Cheney down them using the back wheels of his wheelchair, much like I do with the Valco Mobile Home just to leave the house each morning. But there must be just a bit more planning behind these things than my last-minute dashes on the school run, because he emerged – as if by magic – on the stage a few minutes later via some secret alternate route. Either that or Secret Service carried him down the stairs when the cameras weren’t on them.
Other NDM Inauguration highlights included: Vice President Elect Joe “Joey from Friends” Biden emerging at the top of the stairs with a Tribiani-esque “Ehhhh!”; Aretha Franklin making up her own words to “God save the Queen” (was it my imagination or did she throw in some lyrics from “Who’s zoomin’ who?”); and that sweet poet finishing her recital to a polite smattering of applause as poetry so often inspires – which was quite a feat considering the two million-strong crowd.
And since I was watching our home-grown Australian coverage, it was all with Barry Cassidy muttering incessantly like some annoying drunk uncle talking in the middle of a movie you really want to watch.
But of course the shining star was President Obama himself. Personally, I liked that he fluffed his lines when taking the presidential oath – anyone who has ever repeated wedding vows in front of a crowd or been sworn in as an Ordinary Committee Member for the university’s drama club (like I have) will know how nerve-wracking these things can be. Anyway, it made him look – for a moment – like the humble son of a migrant about to accept the most important job in the world and I loved him all the more for it.
And in any case, he then stepped up to the plate and deliver one hell of a speech. Despite his tendency to rock from side to side with all the excitement (much like our own Prime Minister Uncle Kev and that lovable syndicated garbage can, R2D2), that man certainly knows how to address and inspire a large crowd. Even an NDM watching on the other side of world in the early hours of the morning without the aid of caffeine was able to crawl back into bed just before 5am with the feeling that the world might just be in safe hands for a change. Of course I was woken up half an hour later by Tiddles McGee on a pre-dawn rampage, but that feeling prevailed – and continues to prevail, especially now that I’m adequately caffeinated.
Anyway, I don’t know about anyone else but, from this day forth, I’m planning to do the washing up like this…
![michelletribute michelletribute](https://notdrowning.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/michelletribute.jpg?w=300&h=225)
The NDM salutes Michelle Obama's outfit...
![michellewaving ... just as the new First Lady no doubt salutes the NDM.](https://notdrowning.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/michellewaving.jpg?w=300&h=262)
... and the new First Lady no doubt salutes the NDM's.
Very gracious and inspiring washing up outfit, NDM. I didnt watch the ceremony, but I’m going to scour the internet for snaps of Michelle and her salute to the NDM’s of the world.
Love the outfit! But won’t you get tired of donning a special outfit every time you do the dishes?
Just to let you know, that while you lacked sleep to watch the ceremonies; I missed them completely as I, as always, was the cock-block and decided that someone should watch the kids rather than yell at them as they attempted to try and play with their parents.
Well, Nellie – I’ve decided to help you and the other SLACKERS who evidently have no dress-sense of occasion (i.e. the sane people who were sleeping peacefully while my husband and I got all silly and took photos of me in my hastily-put-together Michelle O outfit before 5am) by adding a photo of La Obama to my post. You see, I’m nice like that.
Very stylish. All you need now is an orange vest.
Thanks for the post, I missed the Inauguration (someone has to mind the store) but I suspect you captured the essence of it well. I wonder if CNN, NBC or any of the other big networks will compare Obama to “that lovable syndicated garbage can, R2D2.” I’m guessing, no. Too bad. It’s apt – and funny.
Upside down plastic bling tiara as neckpiece! Sensational NDM, trés TRéS chic! …and all before 5am – you truly are an inspiration to us all.
I look forward to your guide on how to maintain uber style within the confines of one’s home – that extra mummy ‘wow’ factor that even makes the kids gasp… “Green rubber gloves Mum? Who would have thought something so crazy would just finish it all off so darn well!”
are they pyjamas underneath?
fantastic stuff and a beautiful precis of events. we watched from a pub in herne hill, london and made a beer toast. history in rubber gloves.
NDM – love you, love your work. I too loved that he ‘fluffed’ his lines, only, it turns out he didn’t, it was the chief justice who got it wrong. Obama merely waited for him to put the word ‘faithfully’ back in the right place.
You know that Care Bear will always be one of your faithful followers!
Do not loose faith in yourself, oh Great One!!
Wow that shade of puce/algae is so flattering NDM? And yet more good use of the tiara…I’m impressed