Really sad

When people find out I'm from the South, they often ask if racism is alive and well. This question, while expected, always rattles me a bit. I say that the racism isn't necessarily blatant, and then explain that racism exists everywhere, in various forms and degrees. Here is living proof that it doesn't matter where you live--ignorance is everywhere.

The map

This is huge. This is huger than huge. No Republican presidential candidate has ever won without Ohio, and it was just called for Obama.
The northeast is solid blue. Huge shock. The south is solid red (except for MS, which they haven't called yet, but HELLO!!). Huge shock. There are some pleasant (and fortunate) quasi-surprises (PA and OH).
Overall, huge voter turnout. For both Democrats and Republicans, this is a fantastic day for America. More people than ever have stepped up to cast their ballot and show their patriotism. Hooray for representative democracy!On a night like tonight, I sure miss Tim Russert and his white-boards.

Don't even go there...

Sadly, but not unexpectedly, Barack Obama's grandma died this morning. Rotten timing, huh? Maybe I'm a cynic, but I'm just waiting for one of the McCain-ninites to say "oh, what perfect timing... they've probably had her on ice for the past few weeks and wanted to wait and spread the news the day before the election!"
Yeah, I am so sure.
Let's all say a little prayer for tomorrow... That every voter is treated with dignity and respect and that every ballot cast by a legitimate/registered voter is counted. For info about where to cast your ballot, what to bring to the polling place, etc, check out the League of Women Voters website--it has a wealth of (nonpartisan!) information.
Hey, don't think your vote doesn't count. It does-- as long as every vote is counted.

Boo to you!

W had a great Halloween. I made his costume; he was The Cat in the Hat. I used a pair of black sweatpants and black t-shirt and safety-pinned the white fur and red bow on the shirt. I pinned a long black tail made of felt and stuffed with batting on the back of the pants. I made the hat, which turned out to be more difficult than I anticipated. But in the end, it turned out pretty cute--don't you think??
The whiskers/nose didn't stay on very well...Ta-da!!Here's one side of Maggie's costume......and here's the other side! There's a glare--it says "I'm really a Chihuahua"Here are some of our pumpkins. Mike said that our front yard looked like a pumpkin patch because we had five carved pumpkins and two that weren't carved. I got a little crazy with pumpkins this year because I really like roasting the seeds...
Today we drove to the Howell Living History Farm, which is about 20 minutes north of us. It's run by the county and has lots of animals. Today included a demonstration of how bacon, sausage, and scrapple are made. We saw the initial preparation for all that, but didn't stick around for the full demo. W enjoyed seeing the animals. I think the chickens were his favorite, though I don't really know why...
He laughed and "talked" with the chickens...
He thought the sheep were okay...
Here's Jesse the Horse taking a sniff of W and his daddy... They only have male horses right now, and they are all serious work horses. They are incredibly large and powerful-looking animals--one can see where the term "horsepower" comes from! The farm also has some incredible oxen, but they weren't there this weekend--they were at a conference. No kidding.When we got to the pig pen, the pigs were all the way on the other end. I called, "Here, pig pig pig!" and they all came running over. There were four piglets. They were stinky, but pretty cute. Here they are nosing around in their slop trough. W thought they were pretty funny and wanted to reach in and touch him, but Mike and I vetoed that idea. Can you blame us??

Where did October go?

Each time I get on the computer, I think to myself, "Self, you ought to really update your blog." But I don't ever get around to it. It's not because I don't have anything to say; it's just that I don't really have the energy these days to say it. By the time I have quiet time in the evenings, I'm exhausted and just want to cross-stitch or read. Seriously, I'm around toddlers all day. Who can blame me for wanting some SILENT adult time?
Most of what I would have written about over the past month concerns the election. If you're not absolutely outraged and disgusted about the way in which McCain has run his campaign, you have NOT been paying attention. He and his "running mate" take every opportunity to slander Obama and spread lies and half-truths about him. Oh, and notice the use of "air quotes" for "running mate"; Senator McCain LOVES the "air quotes" (see Exhibit A), and I can't think of a more appropriate use of them than when describing his choice for VP.
Other election-related topics floating around in my grey-matter as of late-----
Sarah Palin's Makeover
C'mon, Kids! Get your new Caribou Barbie! Complete with custom Jimmy Choo--oops, we mean Johnny Choo--Eskimo-inspired Mukluks! Style her hair, do her makeup! She's a great choice for VP and way more fun to make-over than Mitt or Rudy would have been! And all for the bargain price of $150K!
John McCain's (latest) Senior Moment
To date, his most obvious (and embarrassing) bout with forgetfulness came on Sunday's Meet the Press with Tom Brokaw. McCain was trying to minimize the importance of Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama by naming the five former-secretaries of state that have endorsed him. Problem was, he couldn't remember all of them. Oops. Shoulda practiced that one.
Tying Obama to Islam
Okay, can I just say that I am really really really tired of this sthick, for the following reasons:

1. Obama is NOT Muslim...
2. ... and even if he were Muslim, so what? Saying that all Muslims are bad because of the evil deeds of a few people who happen to be Muslim is just like saying all Germans are bad because of what the Nazis did. Hello?!
3. I would rather have a devout Muslim who practices the five pillars of Islam in the Oval Office than a lacksidasical Christian who doesn't practice what s/he preaches. And before anyone gets all "devout Muslims support jihad against the US"--NO THEY DON'T, just ask one. For further commentary on this topic, see #2, above.
4. And as for suggesting that Obama would appease Iran's Ahmadinejad, well, that's just silly, because Ahmadinejad isn't even the one who's in charge of Iran. The Ayatollah is the one who pulls the strings. Besides, meeting with Ahmadinejad would just give the world another opportunity to witness just how crazy the man really is. Case in point. Yes, he's a despicable person. But how can we learn how to deal with him and the nation of Iran without hearing what he has to say? Meeting with a nation's representative is not the same as condoning that nation's stance on international and domestic issues. There are plenty of nations who don't agree with everything the US does, but do they shut us out?

Colin Powell is Awesome
First of all, I have always been a closet-fan of Colin Powell. I think his service to the US is admirable and I have great respect for him. That said, I've also always been a little annoyed with him for his alliance with the Republican Party. After the Bushies threw him under the proverbial bus back during Bush II's first term, Colin Powell had every right to be angry and bitter. But he didn't show it. No, instead he gracefully stepped aside and let the Bushies continue their misplaced war. Now that I think about it, why didn't he make more of a stink back then?? Well, he's redeemed himself, in my book, and it's not just because he threw his support behind Obama. His comments a few weeks ago on MTP were so eloquent and so dead-on... Well, just see for yourself.
So there you have it. Probably a lot more than you bargained for, but I had a lot to catch up on.

Last night's performance

Mad props to Joe Biden for keeping his cool last night. He's known for his temper and tendency to say things that, while often true, can be inappropriate. It was entirely within the realm of possibility for him to tell Sarah Palin to go back to the Barbie Arctic Dream House. Each time she winked, I threw up in my mouth a little.
Here's a flow chart of Sarah Palin's debate strategy, courtesy of adennak.com, via huffingtonpost.com.
On another note, work is going really well. I'm enjoying it a lot, and W seems to really like school. Each morning, when we pull into the parking lot, he gets all excited and claps his hands and squeals. He really seems to be adapting well to this big change. He is also really interested in the toilet. He isn't ready to be toileted (the Montessori term for "potty training"--we train dogs, not children!) but he is definitely interested in it. We got him a little potty for his birthday and he's been sitting on it each night before his bath. Well, for the past four nights, when he's sat on it, he's peed. He is so proud of himself, and we are really happy for him, too. A step in the right direction!
It's definitely becoming fall here. The trees are changing to beautiful autumn colors. That's one of the things that I definitely prefer here in New Jersey as opposed to Mississippi--SEASONS!

Filed under "D"...

... for "DUH"!!!!!I guess Clay Aiken was the last to get this news...