Not Bush

5 years ago I was at a John Kerry rally. 5 years ago two of my girlfriends and I were strongly supporting "Not Bush" I was a huge fan at the time of "Not Bush." I'm a huge "I support the President" person, but I live in a country where I can freely go to rallies or protests or whatever political interest group is cool that day. So anyway...5 years ago I was at John Kerry rally...that is not the point of my rambling....

2 weeks...and 5 years ago. I started talking to this guy. Mostly online. He was a friend of my roommates. I sent him a picture, he sent me a picture. It took a long time to load because HELLO it was 2004 and we didn't have stellar Internet in my ghetto apartment building at that time. We talked and talked and decided we should definitely meet. He said he would drive to Cleveland (where he was originally from) from Chicago (where he was going to school) and he would take me out Saturday night. A few days before he was heading home he was in a minor traffic accident...said he couldn't/shouldn't drive his truck back to Cleveland. This was either A) a way to avoid meeting me or B) the honest truth. I'd like to think it was B.

After hearing this...I decide to do the only irrational thing I've done in my life...to this day...I bought a plane ticket...and flew out to meet this guy. I spent 3 days in Chicago with a guy I'd never met. I went from "we can go out Saturday night" to "lets spend the weekend hanging out." I was naive enough to think that I would actually get along with this guy so well that I planned to spend 3 days with him. Good night. I met this guy...on September 4th...after the John Kerry rally.

Flash forward to today...aaaand I'm married...to him.....we have a kid....she's cute and loud...and we have cats...that pee on our couch....and in corners...and I'm pretty happy...about everything but the cat pee. I could pretty much do with out that.

But to the guy who made me sausage this morning...and packed my lunch...and is currently fixing the water softener and mowing the lawn and taking care of all of us...well...I'm happy I've known you for 5 whole years. I also think you're rather cute.

Happy Birthday Ben Franklin You Polymath-ic Renaissance Man!

1777 Jean-Baptiste Greuze portrait of Franklin.

Could I be any weirder?

Vich is my friend, vich is yours?

In full procrastination to wash baby bottles clean up toys and work out....a blessing to you all: more rambling. Bebes went to sleep early because by golly the screaming was nonstop. Poor kid has one more jumbo tooth coming in. That will bring the total to 4 top teeth in less than a week. What a joy for us all. She does look freakishly cute though with her mouth full of razor sharp death. Overwhelmed with cuteness I am. Also I speak like Yoda. My coolness level just increased.

I had two well written paragraphs here about Rod Blagojevich and Sarah Palin...even a horrendous Lindsay Lohan reference. Honestly folks I don't have the willpower or the maturity level today to tackle those with the respect and horrific sarcasm they deserve. Well not so much Sarah Palin because I mostly just have a word or two about her but those other two....man you're lucky I'm feelin irresponsible, foot loose and fancy free.

I close today with a special thought about Coke Zero and my adoration for it.

Its dark soda goodness overwhelms me with tastiness. It's zero calories and hidden evil qualities make me question its loyalty to my health. I drink with blind faith.

Good talk friends.

The last few days I've been so preoccupied on my drive to work that I haven't heard a thing on NPR.  I've listened because the radio is on and my ears receive the signal but I haven't really heard anything going on in the world.  I'm not really sure why I'm so preoccupied.  I thankfully have very little going on in my life this week its been almost relaxing.  Maybe I'm too relaxed?  I'm not blissful so it's not like I'm on a cloud of euphoric happiness and love.  I'm just mellow.  

The only thing I can remember happening in the world is Obama appointing Clinton and the big 3 didn't fly their cooperate jets to Washington to ask for money.  Did anything else happen this week?  I mean it is only Wednesday so I guess the week is only half full and we have a few more days left in it but I really am in a blur.  Life is fuzzy but not like last week when I had old contacts in...like truly fuzzy.  

I've used truly a lot today (outside of my blog world).  I should be writing my essay(s) for my grad school application or writing thank you notes to AD and Dave's Aunt Bobbi.  Instead I'm sitting here rambling on about how I have nothing to ramble on about.  Man I can work myself up into quite a blog can't I.  Sad....and Impressive.  

Last night we put the Christmas tree decor up.  That's something of interest and note.  It's the bebes first Christmas and its our first Christmas in our new home with our first Christmas tree.  I'm not painting a very lovely picture here but I can't focus on a monkey's butt today let alone be creative in my writing.  Is monkey's butt creative?  Can we not quote me on that?  Yikes.

I was thinking the other day about having some structure in my blog.  Maybe like having a 'Monday thing' or a 'Saturday something.'  I know that's worked out really well huh?  I'm not sure what my thing or something would even be so maybe someday we'll get there but today...today is not the day.  I can't even structure my day/week let alone my thoughts.  I am however working on a list of goals for the next year and life in general that I hope to post soon in an effort to put it out there cosmically into the world and hope that because its out there...and my 1.5 readers can see it...maaaaybe I'll stick to it and accomplish a few of the things that are important to me.  

I think...possible I've run out of ramble.  It's about time to buck up and write an essay on Facilitating Adult Learning and Literacy.  Fascinating I know.  I sure hope this is what I want to be when I grow up.  Does anyone have a timetable on that?  I need some perspective.

Paula Poundstone today on NPR:

People still seem full of hope after the historic election of Barack Obama. This is America, though, it can't last. Pleased and proud as we are, Obama hasn't been on American Idol, so we're bound to lose interest soon.

That's why President-elect Obama needs to waste no time in harnessing this feeling and ask something of us. We'll spend. We'll save. We'll do laps. We'll wear sweaters.

My parents are a part of the "Greatest Generation." They pulled our nation through the Depression and World War II, and when they heard the call, they collected rubber.

My generation rode out the Beanie Baby crash, ran up both credit card debt and the nation's weight, and brought us reality TV and the SUV, but it's not all we can do. We've grown up collecting box tops and shoes. We've earned free doughnuts by getting our cards punched with every dozen purchased. We're the "a-thon" generation. We've jogged, walked and pedaled thousands of miles because someone said it would cure cancer.

It's our turn now. Just ask us. We've adopted freeways and been up all night with night feedings. We'll bring an unwrapped gift. We'll bring canned goods. We'll collect flip-tops. Yes, we will.

What do you need us to do, President-elect Obama? We could form a bucket brigade to bail out the banks. We could collect Band-Aids, not the useless little ones, for the health care system. We could take shifts forming human pyramids to hold up our crumbling bridges.

The entire country could hold a progressive dinner party to feed the homeless. We could all commit to wearing the same clothes two days in a row to save water, energy and time. I'll go three, because I care more than the others. We can carry road-mending materials in our cars and fill pot holes during traffic jams. We can put a wishing well on Wall Street.

Our leadership has told us that we have a long, hard climb before us, which I would welcome, because I love the outdoors, and I could use the weight loss, but I have a bad feeling it has nothing to do with climbing.

I'm waiting. I'm punching my glove. It's oiled and ready. Pitch it in here, sir.

Tid bits of yesterday I enjoyed:

**Sarah Palin voting in Alaska in a Carhartt jacket and jeans.  

This woman has stayed true to herself the entire campaign.  She and her family remained a unified cohesive group from the very moment she was chosen as John McCain's running mate.  Her unending persistence to help people, run government and make changes for Alaska and our country cannot be overlooked.  I don't share the same political beliefs as Sarah Palin but her spirit is inspiring and she was very close yesterday to becoming the first woman to take the office of Vice President of the United States of America.  As a country that is something to be proud of.  We've come a long way.  

The reason I noted her voting apparel was simply this....John McCain, Barrack Obama, The Clinton's, John Kerry every stinkin politician was in a suit yesterday to cast their ballots.  Seriously folks don't you get a little tired of that power suit and necktie.  It was nice to see Sarah Palin comfortable and being herself.

**John McCains concession speech

This man who I also do not agree with on political matters gave a dignified concession speech noting that while he and Barrack Obama still remain divided in there politics they are both Americans and as such need to work together to fix our country and the problems we all face.  McCain stayed true to himself (even in his power suit) and showed a great deal of respect for Obama and congratulating his supports for a hard campaign.  

I realize that politicians always have to have their game face on but McCain could have really been sour last night.  Not because he was beaten but because his battle was so hard.  President Bush's approval ratings are extremely low and McCain fought an uphill battle from day one.  I'm not sure if I had lost that race last night if I would have remained so cool and collected.  Had the problems with our current system not been present I think last nights race would have been much closer.  I think McCain should be proud of his campaign, he worked harder than most to fight a battle that looking back many would say was un-win-able.  

I really enjoyed the elections yesterday.  I have this really idealistic belief that our country runs on this magical political system of honor and respect and I don't necessarily want that belief shattered.  I will continue looking for the best in people and hoping that all the changes they promise will in some shape come to fruition.  

"Democracy is...the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people."

~Harry Emerson Fosdick in Harper's Monthly Magazine (November 1925)

I'm not an obnoxious 'Patriot'...I'm not the guy who wears the American Flag t-shirt but I am very proud to live in America and I'm very proud that I have the privilege to vote.  I'm lucky to be able to sit here and say whatever I want about the current administration and the upcoming administration without retribution.  I can agree or disagree with anything my government says. 

I vote because my voice is heard.  I vote because it's part of what makes living in this country so wonderful.  I vote because in the next 4-8 years my daughter will visit the Dr. at least 100 times.  Her health care is on the ballot.  She will enter school.  Her school funding is on the ballot.  I vote because I care how my country is run.  I choose to take a part in my future.

People who don't have an opinion on our country and choose not to vote because they are ignorant or lazy make me sick.  People who are selfish and care only for themselves and let others make decisions that effect all of us make me sad.  I cannot understand how a person can sit by passively and let others make decisions for them.  

That being said.  I'm a Democrat.  I do not vote down party lines I look at each individual person and make a decision based on the issues and how they pertain to my own life.  In the past I have voted for both Democrats and Republicans.  Every vote counts regardless of who or what it supports.  I support voters not Democrats not Republicans....voters.  We have the power to change anything.

On a related but separate note:

Obama is not a Muslim.  To defend this point I don't feel the need to tell you that he is Christian what I would like to say is: What is wrong with being Muslim?  Nothing.  Muslims are not terrorists.  Terrorists are terrorists.  Stop being ignorant.  Study learn and grow.  Know your facts.