I got up at 5:30 this morning to a phone call from Greg Rec. The immediate anger of being awake that early subsided when he told me we had a cab on the way at 6 a.m.

A cab fight and some haggling with another driver later, the team was on its way to Union Station. And from there, that was where the madness began. People were already flooding the streets, choking traffic on streets not yet closed off.

En route to the checkpoint I'm certain I passed NBC's Matt Lauer being raced to what was likely a warm media tent somewhere.

As for the lines and the checkpoints, things went surprisingly smoothly, to the point that I was at the last checkpoint before reaching the Capitol before it opened at 8 a.m.

It's 8:45 a.m. now and most likely around the freezing point as I write this.
But , the flip side is I am just a few rows away from the podium where Barack Obama will be sworn in just after noon.

The left and right of the stage is flanked by risers for video and still photographers, while on the ground below is an area that looks like it's ready for a band.

Behind me is a literal sea of humanity on the national mall, from beyond the Capitol reflecting pool to what looks like as far back as the Washington Monument.

I'll be back with more later. Pray my fingers stay warm.

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