Ah, the simple joys of the all-day, company-wide meeting. Is "strategy" different from "tactics"? Can we craft a catchy slogan that incorporates the words "leverage", "solution" and "dynamic" that hasn't already been taken? When is the pizza getting here anyway?

As fun as all of that was, the part of the day I had most been looking forward to was the metro ride. As expected, the city's inaugural guests could be found throughout the metro system, but especially at that perennial tourist attraction, the Left Side of the Escalator. Oh well -- a missed train and an extra half-mile walk due to the convention center stop being closed were the only real annoyances I can point to.

But while the day wasn't that annoying, it was kind of disappointing: there were tuxedos everywhere, but I spotted only one pair of cowboy boots! And NO ten-gallon hats! What can this mean? Have the Bush administration's hangers-on traded in their authentic aw-shucksisms for elite east coast trappings? Nah. More likely it's just that guests invited to the Black Tie & Boots Ball arrive via limo. Or horse.

Anyone have any inaugural stories to share? Aside from some eagle-appareled folks dutifully committing scenic Metro Center to videotape and a very unprofessional bomb-sniffing dog, I've got nothing. But then, I spent the day in a conference room. How was the triumphalism? Triumphant?