Clever Escape

I had a couple of students coming in booing the election and stating that they “hated Obama” and that McCain should have won.

Oh really?

I do not, ever, share my political opinon with students.

I do, however, correct them when necessary.

I walked over and asked them why they would make such a statement about our President Elect. They really had no reason to give me. They mumbled something about taxes and the war, but had no idea what they were talking about. Basically sounded like they were repeating what their parents had told them.

Then they said that they had gotten a text that it was a “black out day” to symbolize the death of America as we know it.

I heard later that other texts going around called for a black out day that symbolized support for Obama.

Hrm.

Anyhow, I explained the election process to them, and told them exactly what others had told me when Bush was elected.

Sweet, sweet day to be able to say this from the other side…

If you are going to be an American, and believe in the election process, you have to be willing to lose. You have to be willing to support the candidate that does win, even if it is not the candidate you wanted. That is the beauty of America. Because Obama was elected, by the majority of Americans, then we all must support him as the President. Just as Obamas’s supporters would have had to support McCain were he to have won. That is how the system works.

I distinctly remember being told that every time that Bush “won” (if you can call it winning). And I tried my damndest to support him. But he sure made it hard.

The girls got all nervous, and started saying that they didn’t participate in the black out day and didn’t think anyone should do that.

I pointed out that they were both wearing black, but that hopefully they would remember this in the coming days.

Hopefully.

I got up at 4:30 in the morning yesterday. Threw my hair in a pony tail and got a hoodie out, then drove down the street to my polling location at a nearby retirement “resort”. I was one of about twenty people who arrived by quarter to five.

Within the next thirty minutes, another two hundred or so joined us.

By six, when the polls opened? Another hundred on top of that.

After they broke us up into separate lines by precinct, I ended up being fifth in line between two other women. One younger, blonde and excited to be able to go home and tell her daughter all about the experience, who was turning 18 in fourteen days and sorely disappointed she wasn’t able to vote.

The other was older than me, and dressed head to toe in red. Bright red. That obnoxious red that screams Republican.

I spoke to the younger woman about her daughter, and the excitement that my students are experiencing in following the election and getting to vote for the first time.

She said that she was very excited to be participating in such a history making election.

I told her that I really hoped that it would be history making.

The red lady straightened up in her chair and looked away, audibly sucking in a breath and frowning.

HA!

I wonder if she didn’t realize that no matter which way my vote went, it would be history in the making? Either the first female vice president or the first African American president?

Apparently not because she refused to speak to me for the rest of the time we were in line.

Oh well!

Anyhow, I got up early, then stayed up late. I was passing out during the speeches, but it was so, so worth it. How exciting was yesterday!?! How inspiring!?!

I am SO EXCITED that CHANGE is here! After the last eight years, what more could we ask for than an election like this one? Just look at the comments coming in from around the world to hear how our horrible reputation is already coming back up out of the dregs…and with good reason.

Woo hoo!

So.

Yeah.

My husband just tried to call Sunshine’s mother to ok flight times for Thanksgiving. We have to call her father’s phone in order to talk to her.

GPA: Hello?

MH: Hey, is [Sunshine's mom] there?]

GPA: No, she’s not here right now.

MH: Well, can you have her give me a call when she gets back?

GPA: Yeah, but she’s not going to be back for a few days. She’s in the hospital.

MH: Really? Why?

GPA: Oh, she just had a baby.

MH: Oh did she. Ok then. Have her give me a call when she gets back then.

GPA: Ok.

Uh. Okay then.

So she was pregnant?

Sunshine never said anything, and neither did she. Though this kind of explains why she hasn’t been working. Assuming she knew she was pregnant this time. Last time she didn’t. She went to the hospital with cramps and popped out a baby.

Why is it that bitches like this can pop out babies without even trying, but I can’t when I am trying?

Now she’s never going to go back to work!

Sunshine arrived in slightly better condition than usual. Her pants weren’t four inches too short - which is awesome because that has never happened before. She usually shows up in jeans that we had bought her the year before and are near death. Sometimes I think that this is a request from her mother for new jeans, which we usually accomodate, but then I remember that she really doesn’t give a shit.

As usual, a desperate need for a haircut, a cheap tshirt that was two sizes too big, and sneakers we had bought her the year before that are now a size too small. We are still refusing to purchase her sneakers, so thank goodness we live in paradise and she could wear sandals the whole time she was here.

But I am trying my damndest to be positive, so good things…her hair was brushed at some point that day. She had showered that morning. Her pants were neither too short nor falling off of her. She had a jacket on. She brought Helen (her American Girl doll, first official return after her first official trip to her mother’s) and Helen was dressed in what we sent her in, and all of her body parts were unmarked and her hair was still in good condition. She had grown so she must be eating.

She got to spend the majority of her time here at home with her daddy. That is something that doesn’t usually happen, since he can’t take time off work as easily as I can, and she usually comes here when I’m on break from school so I end up taking care of her by default. He did all the things that make daddies nervous - took her to get a haircut, sorted through her clothes to see what was too small, trimmed and painted her nails. Very cute. And then they did other things like took a trip to the bookstore, the science museum and the park.

She ended up making a million friends in our complex that first day she was here. This never happens. She constantly laments her lack of friends here, and the last time she visited she spent a wish on wanting to have friends here. She made one right before she left, then she came back and promptly met the neighbor girls, then all of their friends, then the group was so big they collected even more.

I swear there were fifteen little girls playing out front of our apartment that day. She was so excited!

Ever since she left those little girls have come over

Every.

Single.

Day.

to find out if she is back.

Every. Day.

Several times a day, even.

I finally had them write her a letter.

They wrote her about seven and brought them over one by one.

And then brought more over the next day, and asked for more paper.

They have yet to show up today, but after a five day streak I would be surprised if they didn’t show up soon. Yesterday they came over three times to tell us that our steak was still on the grill.

You know, cooking.

Yep. We know…lol.

I mailed her the letter yesterday, she should get it today or tomorrow. I’m so happy she made friends! It is so much easier to occupy her when they are around pounding on the door all the time!

Check out this ridiculousness that I received from a McCain fan in the family so I can’t say anything nasty back:

Dollars and Cents - Sense!

For the bean counters…From a financial perspective..

A President’s pension currently is $191,300.00 per year, until he is 80 years old.

Assuming the next president lives to age 80, Sen.  McCain would receive ZERO pension as he would reach 80 at the end of two terms as president.

Sen. Obama would be retired for 26 years after two terms and would receive $4,973,800,000.00 in pension. (read it carefully as it is $4 Billion)

Therefore, it would certainly make  economic sense to elect  McCain in November.

How’s that for  non-partisan thinking?????

Now here is the problem with this.

191,300 x 26 = 4,973,800

That would be 4.9 MILLION dollars. Not BILLION. Big difference there.

And besides that, when we are looking at a national debt created by Bush that is now in the trillions of dollars, and a bailout plan created and necessitated by the Bush administration in the billions of dollars, why the hell are we worried about a potential president’s pension that is in the millions of dollars?

And when you get down to it, how much will Bush be receiving for his pension, on top of all the money we now owe?

Whoever has the balls to get in there and do something about all this mess deserves more than the 5 million in pension anyway.