21/1/13 – Good - Obama’s Inauguration. Bad - Knicks lose.

Inauguration of President Obama

What a day! What a day! Getting cold with snow due tonight at – 9 degrees and cold predicted for the rest of the week, but nonetheless we braved the weather and went to the gym to get some exercise. Is life not a little surreal when one watches the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America while on a stepper?

I must say that these Americans do pomp and ceremony almost as well as the Brits. And those Marines in their uniforms are starting to grow on me. I thoroughly enjoyed the morning’s ceremony and wish President Obama all the best in leaving his legacy, his lasting mark, on this country. I wonder which of his goals will constitute that legacy – reducing the deficit, reinvigorating the economy, gun control, reuniting immigrant families, health care, equality for gays, the science and mathematical revolution in education, sustainability,  not being at war, equal pay for equal work for women or perhaps it will just be getting the Republicans to work with him!  

We got home from the gym in time to prepare for the other big event on our schedule today – attending the NY Knicks v Brooklyn Nets (the NYC local derby) basketball game. All roads lead to Madison Square Garden this afternoon. Our seats were on the halfway line and the view was incredible. Loved the pre-game hype … and boy these guys sure are tall! The Knicks couldn’t buy a basket in the first half and in the end when there was only 22 secs and then 10 secs, then 2.5 secs this failure to

convert the points early made all the difference when they missed their final three point shot to draw the game. Carmello Anthony for the Knicks was hot but we all know that five guys on the court for Brooklyn will always beat one champion player.      

Got home to find Cameron had arrived back from Boston. Tomorrow he’ll be on his way back to Perth (and work) via Dubai. It has been fun seeing him in another city and we wish him all of the best until we see and touch him again. In one way we are sad to see him go … but in another we are glad … it will be comforting for us to know Alistair is not entirely alone in Perth once Cam returns.