I Can See Jupiter From My House

I can see Jupiter from my house. I think I am ready for Intergalactic Politics now.

On a more serious note... the single most irritating campaign tactic from Senator McCain supporters, is the use of advertisements questioning Senator Obama's administrative qualifications. "Who can you really trust filling this seat?"

True, senator Obama hasn't served as Mayor in a small town in Alaska, but he has served as a community organizer in Chicago's south side, working on projects to improve economic conditions in the impoverished area, preparing the economically disadvantage for higher education, and mobilizing citizens to fight for tenant rights. Senator Obama has worked as a civil rights attorney, and who better to represent people concerned about losing their constitutional rights... any of those rights.

It also irritates me that the McCain campaign tries to reduce Senator Obama to nothing more than "the most talented public orator of our time" - an insult intentionally thinly disguised as a complement to his character. Perhaps he is the most talented orator of our time, and so was King, and so was Lincoln. Does this claim mean to imply that those who passionately trust in the HOPE for CHANGE that he passionately BELIEVES in are a bunch of meek half-witted little lambs being led to slaughter?

Empty words? I think not.

What can any good man or woman really achieve without HOPE for something better for those who suffer, recognition that CHANGE is necessary to reduce reduce pain and to fight injustice, and the BELIEF that we as plain ol' ordinary and extraordinary people can be participants can shape the policies that govern our lives.

The Long Hard Road to Obama!

President, ehhem, I mean Senator Barack Obama came to my town, Terre Haute, Indiana yesterday for a townhall meeting. For me, getting there was a huge challege, but I made it happen.



I spent several hours on campus Thursday, between classes, collecting voter registration cards which I would turn in later that day to the Obama Headquarters downtown. I was hyped, I signed so many people up. I am very much an introvert, so I surprized myself in how many completed registrations and absentee converts (students who said they would vote back home) I got. Also on campus that day collecting voter registration cards was the League of Women Voters. I had worked with them on a previous campus event, so I didn't think twice about giving the completed cards to the group since they were heading to the Clerks office to turn them in. Bonehead move on my part. I didn't think that the Obama Headquarters would want those cards for their own data! Nor did I know that I had collected more than enough to earn me two VIP tickets to Saturday's event, a reward I had no idea would be coming. Bummer.

I cried. I cried like the time I cried when President William Jefferson Clinton (Billy Jeff) came to my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama in 11th grade and my government and economics class got to go see him. I'm not the most responsible cat. I forgot my driver's liscene at home that day, my cigarettes too, so as I boarded the bus, and our class was served with the reminder that we must have our ID. Bummer. I did get to work on the New York Times crossword with my history teacher though.

I cried. I cried like the time I arrived home from voting in 2004 and my brother-in-law said, "Boy you really can't complain about how difficult the voting machines are this time. You really have to be an idiot to screw that up!" and I was like, "hmmm...I thought it was overly complicated. Wait a minute!!!" So I didn't want to vote stright ticket,but I wanted to vote for the Dems that I was familiar with. So, I hit the button that lit up all the Democrats, and then I hit the button for the ones I like. So... basically I voted only for the people I didn't know, and essentially "unvoted" for the people I like. Bummer.

But fortunately, I heard on the news that tickets would be availiable to the 1000 people the next morning at the campaign office. Dern it. I was going to be the first person there, at six a.m. Well, my baby pooped and demanded an extra feeding, which was fine, but I got there at 8 am. On my way up to the line, I lucked into seeing on of the campaign managers, and she asked me if I would work the event, and I was like, "HECK YEAH!" I still stood in line and got two tickets, so everything was wonderful.

The next morning I went through my routine, with only one snafu. (Situation normal all f----- up) I just leared what that stood for. Anyway, I took my Trazadone, which I ocasionally take to sleep instead of my Celexa, my antidepressant. Both are little round white pills. Only problem is, I take a whole lot more Celexa than I do Trazadone, so within thirty minutes I was doing the Trazadone Shuffle - a hip little dance - - watch out ya'll.

Crap. "I should not drive. I should not drive. I am not going to miss Senator Obama. I'm driving!" I had a house guest parked behind me in the drive. I knew that I had room to manuever around, so I did not bother waking my guest to move his car. I stumble lethargically into my car, shifted my car into reverse, and backed STRAIGHT into his parked car. "Crap!" I ran out of my car to check for damage. On the way I steped on an unevern patch of lawn and twisted my ankle. I fell to the ground and gritted my teeth..."I will not cry. I will not cry.. I must see Obama!" There was no noticable damage so I hobbled and shuffled back to my car and hit the road. One ace bandage and three hours of parking cars later, I did it. I finally made it to see Barack Obama! It was worth all the sweat, all the tears, the hyper-tranquilized state, and a busted ankle to get there.

A Warning for New Mothers

Take heed this message. Beware! Beware! One cannot prepare enough for the drastic ways in which your life will change after the addition of such a needy little creature to your household. The whining...Ohhh... the whining. The pooping...always pooping. And then you have to feed it. Turns out, the more you feed it, the more it poops! And of course the food I have to offer isn't good enough. "More. More. Give me more. I need it." It farts. It snores. Smelly little wiggly twerp. And it expects me to play at all hours of the night. The smells...oh the smells! But in spite of it all..

I sure do love my Lucy!

Lucy, Lucy, Lucy Marie,

Cutest Darn Dog I Ever Did See!

Pics of Nic

Nan Linda, Cousin Jakes, and Baby Nic
Already a Beach Bum ! !
Happy to be Home
Sweet :)
So Tiny !
Heavy Eater
Jacob and Nicolas
Grandma Jess !
So Cute !
Proud Papa and his Future Super Hero !

Nicolas Robert born June 19, 2008

Here he is! After only eight short months, (except for the first four during which I worshiped the same white bowl every day), my perfect little boy has arrived. Man! Was it easy!

I hear so often of the difficulties of labor, but I have to say mine was great. It what a worried about most througout my pregnacy. Vaginal delivery - Owwww. Cesarean- Ewwww. Isn't there another way? Turns out - there was.

Not really. My water broke on a Monday, and I was sent to a high risk maternity unit, because I was not yet at 34 weeks. I sat in bed for about a week, feeling fine, without pain, begging to shower, (did anyway- shhh. don't tell), waiting for my labor to progress but noting happened. I was induced and one epidural and two hours later Nicolas Robert was born. I spent about 30 minutes in the delivery room. I pushed through only three contractions, and there he was, peeing on the doctor. That's my boy :)

We are so fortunate that Nic was born without health problems due to prematurity. He was born 5lds 5oz, and was feeding from a bottle the first night, and from my breast by day two. He was a bit jaundiced, so he was in the NICU for 6 days. Our family returned home on his Daddy's birthday, June 26.

It is amazing how intense my love for him is and has been since the first time we locked eyes in the delivery room. I am one lucky lady !!!