It’s bitter cold in Washington, D.C. today — about 20 degrees below normal. As of this writing, the plan is for Donald Trump to fake . . . er, take . . . the oath of office as President of the United States indoors, in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

Compare: January 20, 1961. It had snowed . . . and snowed . . . and snowed the day before. One of the worst blizzards in D.C. memory. Cars were buried; the plows couldn’t keep up with the deluge; Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol had to be scraped to the pavement for the inaugural parade; the city was teeming with the political and social elite from out of town who had been invited to attend the festivities; and it took me until 10:00 p.m. to get home from work — a distance of less than five miles.

But did Jack Kennedy move his inaugural ceremony indoors? Hell, no, he didn’t. A native Bostonian, he braved the elements and took his oath outdoors, in front of God and country, with wife Jackie by his side in a beautiful wool — not fur — coat and signature pillbox hat. They were a hardy young couple who were about to set a new standard for the country.

And their like has not been seen since.

But enough reminiscing; those days are gone, and no amount of wishing is going to bring them back. So, while I studiously avoid watching today’s events, I’ve thought of a few things I can do to pass the time on this national holiday.

Right! You almost forgot, didn’t you? It’s also Martin Luther King Day, so a lot of people are enjoying a long weekend. Well, here’s my plan for the extra day of leisure:

Do My Taxes: Both of my 1099 forms arrived in Saturday’s mail, so I can now sit down, tap the numbers into my computer, and let H&R Block do the rest. I know the IRS won’t start accepting returns for another week, but I figure if I get mine into the system early, perhaps I’ll be near the head of the line to get my refund early as well.

Have a Mani-Pedi: No, not a visit to a salon; I do my own. But the toenails definitely are due for a clipping, and while it’s not an exciting or glamorous way to pay homage to MLK Jr., it is at least productive.

Attack Those Closets: I have two that desperately need cleaning out: clothes I haven’t worn in a couple of years that could go to some people who have lost everything to fire, flood, or whatever; and stuff on the top shelves that I can’t even identify any longer. (Anyone need a bunch of yarn that never got made into a sweater?)

Clear Out the Refrigerator: I have no idea what leaked into the vegetable drawer, but it definitely needs to be scrubbed. Yuck!

Scrub the Bathroom: No, forget it. Enough cleaning for one day. It is supposed to be a holiday, after all. Maybe tomorrow.

Take the Cookie Cure: Bake, inhale the fragrance, then chow down. Preferably chocolate chip, followed by a tall glass of ice-cold milk. If that doesn’t make me happy, nothing will.

Work On To-Do List: Not just for today or this week, but a sort of bucket list for the next four years . . . to keep busy while trying not to focus on what’s happening in the world around us. Hallucinogens might be helpful here.

Take A Nice Long Nap: On the assumption that none of the above will actually get done — remember the “road to hell” and “good intentions” syndrome? — there’s always the option to block the whole day out of your mind, grab a fuzzy blanket, settle into a favorite chair or sofa, and snooze the hours away.

We do, after all, have a lot to block out these days.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/20/25