WE'RE ALL IN TRANSITION - by Sybil Adelman Sage

John McCain, despite other psychological demons, has accepted defeat with grace, responding to Jay Leno’s question about the likelihood of his running again with, “I wouldn’t think so, my friend, it’s been a great experience, and we’re going to have another generation of leaders.”

Sarah Palin? Still in campaign mode, she's preparing moose chili for Greta Van Susteren and a fish casserole for Matt Lauer. If I were wearing a tasteful suit near the stove and my husband were stretched out on a nearby couch ala The First Dude, he'd jump up to holler, “You’re going to ruin your clothes. Put on an apron!” Sarah, either trying to maintain a national political presence or out to replace Martha Stewart, is showing she can prepare dinner while making statements that reveal she never diagrammed a sentence, such as, “I would have loved more opportunities to speak to the American people about what I’d like to see of – happen there with our country.” Perhaps in Alaska English is taught as a second language? (Note to Keith Olbermann: if Sarah invites you to dinner, bring a food taster).

Michelle and Barack Obama? Showing no signs of campaign fatigue, they're planning inaugural events, being briefed on upcoming duties, making cabinet appointments and arranging the move. It’s been announced that Michelle’s mother will likely join them in The White House, squelching any doubts about Barack's truly having a cool disposition. This man is taking on the American presidency at one of the hardest times in history and inviting his mother-in-law to live under the same roof! (Note to the mother-in-law: offer no suggestions and wait awhile before making moose chili).

George Bush? Asked to assess his performance, he listed his regrets as not having clarified that the Mission Accomplished banner was a statement about the ship and not a representation that the Iraq war was over and about having said, "Dead or alive." (Note to W: Given these few mistakes, it must be hard to grasp having such low approval ratings).

The rest of us are in a bi-polar state, moving back and forth between the euphoria of the election and the crises facing us. Thomas Friedman, whose new book is getting him almost as much air time as Sarah Palin, is to the world what a full scan is to the human body, detecting trouble areas and giving alarming prognoses. Friedman's motivation is more honorable than Bill O’Reilly's, who’s simply rooting for Obama to fail, pushing guests to agree that it’s impossible to do all our next president has promised. O'Reilly, whom Keith Olbermann continually dubs, "the worst person in the world," attributed a leak about the meeting between Bush and Obama as surely coming “from the other side.” (Note to O’Reilly: Americans are now reuniting in support of our new administration. See McCain's quote above and remember Obama saying, "I'm your President too?")

Joe Lieberman? Davening in No Man's Land between parties.

Elizabeth and John Edwards? Marital difficulties seem to have re-surfaced.

Bill and Hillary Clinton? Conspicuously quiet. Maybe Sarah Palin will invite Hillary to Alaska to bake chocolate chip cookies with her.

(Note to self: turn off the TV and move on).