No longer going. Originally, I was to go down early am, stand around (w/ticket) or go inside (great view), leave mid-afternoon, get home in an hour. Uh, the new plan of attack has been amended a few times and was quietly told to me as if it's sane. Spend the night in an undisclosed office on an air mattress, stand in the cold for 4 hours (hand warmers are not enough Santa!), or go inside for no view due to the press bleachers blocking the swearing in platform. Then, drive in traffic for 8 hours to get home.
The bridges are closing the night before, the radio blasts end-of-the-world-don't-use-metro ads...If you are in the city, you have no choice, basically. Otherwise, I say, watch the tele at a pub or at home.
Do they put up big screens? We just need to be like Europe - put up big screens, go to your pub or gather in a big coliseum, hell, let's go to RFK!
nummy - good luck if you go, if not, I'll see if I can coordinate something fun in the new year...
Relaxer - I say enjoy the day to yourself if you can avoid the perils of the traffic/crowd. Your wife may seem to have the easier choice to take off when she wants to, but a full day "vacation" is different than stopping early or running errands. I think everyone should take a day. I did recently. I read, hit the trail while my car got an oil change - man so much different than staying home a day sick.