Change can happen?!

HIYA folks!!! HAPPY ELECTION DAY! Or POST election day by the time this gets posted/read :)


Now, I know I often seem to lack a bit of pride in my country. I've confessed that I often wish I were a Canadian ,or European citizen instead.
Even though I am often not completely satisfied with many things about my country- I DO have a bit of pride in it(though perhaps small), a tiny bit of hope for it ...and yes, some love.

Election day has been a hot topic at our home,lately - and for many in recent months. Ri used our sample ballot- did loads of research on every issue we would vote on,and made us a cheat sheet( we discussed it all- for the most part,we pretty much agree on all political issues).

Monday -we went and got me a spiffy new ID card- and though I was assured my out of date card, with an incorrect address would still work at the polling station-,my paranoia about the importance of my vote made me want to get a new one, JUST in case.
( though, I am a bit sad about losing the st.auggy addy off of my card. I will miss their locals discount - and that last shred of evidence I might not be a Putnam countian).

Ri made some YUMMY lentil loaf& homemade bread for dinner-and Rory stayed up insanely late(or early). It was dawn by the time I headed for bed,halfway pondering if it would be best if I went to vote before sleep...
I was nervous. About lines,waits, about messing up somehow,about how Rory would be.. just nervy- but excited.
Ri woke up long before me or the kid. His local friend(Harvey) had called and asked him if he'd go with him- but Ri figured I would want him to go with me.( I DID!) .Harvey said his mother had went at dawn and waited two hours- but when Harvey went that afternoon -there was no wait at all.

RI woke me up, and we got dressed and headed out. Rory was really excited to go vote for president. I tried to explain she was too young to vote- but she could help. The polling center is only a couple blocks away, so we walked there.



When we got there - there were ONLY poll workers. No line, no wait AT ALL..- I didn't even see other voters come in until we started to leave.
They asked Rory if she was" learning to vote". She wasn't even being very shy. She just nodded.
I had her doodle on the cheat sheet while I filled out the ballot- yeah, we still have the old school bubble filling ballots.
I overheard one poll worker say that 200 people locally had early voted,so they weren't expecting too many people-even WITH a huge voter turn out.Its a SMALL town.

Rory got her sticker , and one of the volunteers even gave her a stick of gum--(which she liked even though it was peppermint).

I asked her as we walked home if she liked voting.She said, "Yeah, I voted" -and realized she really thought/thinks she voted-
so we asked who she voted for for president- without hesitation she said
"Brock Obahma" (it is seriously cute how she says it)


I wish I would have thought to video tape it instead of take a pic.. the cutest thing I have ever heard- I am not even sure where she got it from- surprised she didn't say Hannah Montana.
She still thinks she voted-and she DID help me vote. So I am going to let her have it. Rory voted for Obama.

I came home and hoped in bed for a nap,while Ri and Rory played video games in the living room. Woke up and started searching the interwebs for election coverage. Refreshing over ,and over, to see which way each place went.

I know that polls,and predictions- suggested Obama had it in the bag, but I was afraid to believe it.
Well Hey, I still have post traumatic stress from from the last elections
- I remember watching Al Gore celebrate his win-- followed the next day by his concession to Bush,
And I remember my home state being to blame.ugh.
In the words of Ani Difranco :

"under the thumb of some blue blood royal son
who stole the oval office and that phony election
i mean
it don't take a weatherman
to look around and see the weather
jeb said he'd deliver florida, folks
and boy did he ever "

Even as I F5ed the results multiple times seeing state ,after state go blue..even after precinct, after precinct , came in (my county did go red tho)
- I contained celebration,or excitement. I feared.Even after MSN-and fox declared Florida-and other battleground east coast states , I was afraid of some shocker- some turn around,some thing.

Somewhere between the declaration of the next president based on projections-(which I wasn't ready to trust) and the upcoming speeches- I watched the local elections-
Then votes came in for another hot issue in Florida.
Amendment 2.
I know you have heard of PROP 8 in Cali. Amendment2 is similar.
the worst part is the horrible wording- which leaves the average voted not even sure to vote yes, or no -
"This amendment protects marriage as the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and provides that no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized."
The amendment not only effects the rights of same sex couples- it effects ANYONE with a civil union to be discriminated against.


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...It is completely disgusting and hateful. It takes away rights in the name of "protecting marriage"- it doesn't protect my marriage from anything-how could it? My rights aren't lost by other people having the same rights..instead it makes me really angry at Floridians.
It passed..62%
Prop 8 passed(is it "passed"?- is that the right term for realizing even liberal ass California is full of bigots).
It was almost enough bring me down from the high that followed.


Mccain CONCEDED! If there was anything that take away my insecuirty that something would turn the whole thing into a nightmare it was that.His concession speech was also very classy,and respectful-whoulda thunk?
Then I started to get really happy. TO beleive it. Hope, change.really?
I googled around until I could find live coverage and found live coverage to
Watch Obama's victory speech

Rory curled up in my lap for a few segments of it. She was happy to see that the president she voted for won,and really happy to hear his daughters are getting a puppy- but disappointed to not see the puppy.

Also How NIFTY! is it that more women voted than men - and more of those women voted for Obama!





Anyway. I am just soo happy and excited I could cry- and I have a little.


And even if you were rooting for the other guy- You can at least celebrate moving forward:


see Sarah Palin pictures







see Sarah Palin pictures


- and goodnight
BABYHELLFIRE