The Obamathon Ba-rocked... Good lucky

Washington, DC is definitely an odd place. I could (and probably should) devote an entire entry to all the oddities that make up the District (chief among them Johnny DC)... BUT on November 4th DC served up one of the greatest parties I have ever seen.

10:00am: I vote.

10:00am-9:30pm: Long process of collecting my Voting Prizes... Flu shots, free coffee, Krispy Kreme donuts, Ben & Jerry's ice cream... I can't even remember if the 4th was a work day.

9:30pm: Arrive at Stetsons Bar. We decide the downstairs is too packed, so we fight our way to the second floor. Temperature exceeds 200 degrees... retreat. We fight our way into the center of the bar and as I'm shifting some girl out of the way, I realize it's my friend Sarah Breul... good deal.

9:45pm: I realize my collection of post-it notes with all the poll closing info, possible winning models for both candidates, and electoral vote numbers is totally useless because Obama has basically already won. I literally spent about an hour writing all that blasted information down.

11:00pm: CNN calls the election. Turns out everyone in the bar is routing for Obama as the place erupts... oh wait.

11:20pm: McCain's concession speech impresses everyone and silences the bar.

11:30pm: Half the people filter out of the bar with the specific intention of running around in the streets.

12:00am: I'm back at my apartment and in bed, when I get a phone call from my roommate's little brother instructing us to get back out into the streets.

12:10-1:00am: Jon, Josh and I dance in the street with a huge crowd at 16th and U Street NW... the same place where the DC riots started after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Also the same place where I voted.

1:00am: We hear the White House is happening, so we lamely attempt to spread the word and get everyone to march down with us... no surprise... it does not happen. We walk down alone, but on the way get a ride from an Iraq vet driving his family down to the white house and run the rest of the way.

1:45am: We dance around the White House for a good long while. People are alternatively singing "Move Bush, get out the way. Get out the way, Bush, get out the way!" and the National Anthem. The best way I can think to describe the crowd is that it reminded me of a news brief detailing a coup in the developing world. Think tons of people running around screaming and shaking flags in the air.

2:00am: I see Michael Earls and his girlfriend, Victoria. I hug them both and congratulate Victoria, but then she reminds me she is Canadian. Oh well. They suggest we walk down to the Lincoln Memorial.

2:45am: We arrive at the Lincoln Memorial. I read both inscriptions and have a good feeling about tomorrow.

3:00am: While on the way back to the apartment, in a cab, I get a text from a friend of mine in Mali. He does not speak English but somehow gets someone to translate his sentiments...

AMERICA IS FANTASTIC CONTINENT NOW ALL AFRICA WISH GOOD LUCKY TO AMERICA AND OBAMA!