The morning after the day before

I am thankful....

....that we live in a country where we can help select our leaders. That is a freedom and a blessing.

....that there was a clear-cut decision and this process isn't going to be drug out for weeks and weeks.

....that there was no violence or riots after the final results....That the Captain got to come home. And stay home.

....that I voted for my beliefs, not my pocketbook.

....that I am proud of my vote and I will not have voter's remorse at any time during the next four years.

....that I could turn off the TV when I saw Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey crying.

....that I was able to explain a little bit of the election process and the whole liberal/conservative thing to my kids.

....that Jordan was excited when she said, "Not the next election, but the NEXT election, I can vote!!!"

....that I didn't have to wear those stilleto-heeled boots that Anne Curry had on all night long. Ouch!

....that it's all just over.

....that regardless of how it has ended up, America is still the greatest country in the world.

....that more importantly, regardless of how it ended, God is still in control. Read Psalm 27.

OK, enough about that. The election is over. Time to embrace the change, support the new leader, and move on.

The Bloggie Doggie is still not feeling well. Not going to get into the details of it people, but let's just say it was a very long night. Very. Long. Night. He asked that I share a picture from the Bloggie Doggie archives this morning since he isn't looking his best today.

Happy Hump Day people. Peace out.

If you vote, Starbucks buys your coffee.

I heart Google

Who's it gonna' be?

Welcome Election Day. I'm so glad you are finally here. I don't know about you, but I'm so tired of constantly hearing about it on the news and watching all those obnoxious commercials. Let's just vote and be done with it. And tonight, hopefully, we will know who will be the next president.

While there may be focus groups and opinion polls and political pundits, there seem to be more accurate indicators of election results. Check out these time-tested predictors:

Halloween masks -- Sales figures for rubber masks of the candidates have foretold the winner of every election since 1980. This year, Obama masks have outsold McCain masks. But Palin masks outsold Biden masks.

Kids vote -- Since 1956, the Weekly Reader has polled students in grades 1 through 12 on their presidential preference. Apparently you can't kid a kid. They have correctly chosen the winner in 12 out of the last 13 elections. (My kids did this yesterday at school and they were so excited. They had little voter registration cards and everything. Jordan was even a poll worker....)

Washington Redskins -- In 18 out of the last 19 elections, when the Redskins have won their final home game prior to the election, the incumbent has held the White House. The one exception to the Redskins Rule was 2004, when the Green Bay Packers beat the Redskins, but John Kerry still went on to lose to President Bush. Last night, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Washington Redskins in a blowout, predicting a possible Obama landslide.

7-Eleven coffee -- For the last few weeks 7-Eleven has been giving coffee-drinking customers a taste of the November general election by offering them a choice between two coffee cups: blue for Obama or red for McCain. Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee drinkers alike have been weighing in on the presidential election via the coffee cup they choose. Results? Some 60% of the franchise chain's coffee drinkers nationwide have chosen the blue Barack Obama cup versus 40% who preferred the red John McCain.

Cookies -- For the last three presidential elections, the readers of Family Circle magazine have correctly predicted the winner in the Cookie Cook-Off. This year, Cindy McCain's oatmeal-butterscotch cookies received 54% of the vote and her winning recipe is in the November issue. Michelle Obama's shortbread cookies nabbed 44%.

The Bloggie Doggie is a little under the weather this morning. He is still very excited about the election, but glad he early voted.

Should be an interesting day people.

GO VOTE!!!

Rock the Vote People!

Have you voted people? If you didn't make it to early voting, I hope you are going to vote tomorrow. This is really a critical time for our country and I feel like liberalism is just hanging in the balance. I'm not going to go on a rant, because I sort of did that in an earlier post. So I'll just encourage you to VOTE.

Think your one little vote won't matter? Check this out....

1800 – ONE VOTE in the electoral college made Thomas Jefferson President over Aaron Burr.

1845 – ONE VOTE brought Texas into the Union.

1847 – ONE VOTE elected Whig candidate George G. Dunn over Democratic candidate David M. Dobson for the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana.

1948 – 87 VOTES elected Lyndon B. Johnson to the Senate.

1867 – ONE VOTE decided on the purchase of Alaskan territory.

1868 – ONE VOTE prevented President Andrew Johnson from being impeached.

1955 – ONE VOTE elected the mayor of Huron, Ohio.

1916 – ONE VOTE in each California precinct re-elected Woodrow Wilson to the Presidency over Charles E. Hughes.

1960 – ONE VOTE per precinct made John F. Kennedy the President over contender Richard Nixon.

1962 – ONE VOTE per precinct determined the winners for Governor in the states of Maine, Rhode Island, and North Dakota.

1977 – ONE VOTE determined in a recount, decided that Robert Emond won the seat for Vermont State Representative over Sydney Nixon.

1984 – ONE VOTE elected a Monroe County, Florida commissioner.

1999 – ONE VOTE per precinct elected Leslie Byrne to the Virginia Senate.

2000 – 237 VOTES in Florida resulted in the election of George W. Bush to the Presidency.

2002 – 5 VOTES elected Dan Sparks to the Minnesota State Senate.

2004 – 129 VOTES declared Christine Gregoire the Governor of Washington in a third and final hand recount.

Thanks to my mom who found that great info.

The Bloggie Doggie reminds you that it's very American to vote. The right to choose our leaders is one of our greatest freedoms and blessings.

Happy Monday people! Go vote!

Issues

We are a week away from the presidential election. I don't know about you, but I am ready to be done with this. I'm kind of tired of hearing all about it. Let's just do it and elect a new president and be finished.

I'm not going to turn this into a political forum. But it's my blog, so I can say whatever I want. I won't get on my soapbox and rant and rave, but these are my brief thoughts.

1. This election is not based on race. It's not right to vote for one candidate or NOT one candidate because of the color of his skin.

2. This election is not based on sex. Ditto above just because a candidate is a female.

3. There are huge issues here. And major differences of "liberal and conservative opinion". And, as Connie said one day, when we get to heaven, God is not going to ask us if we voted for the candidate that we liked the best, or voted for a candidate just because we don't like the other candidate. He is not going to ask us if we voted for the candidate that helped increase the value of our stock portfolio or gave us a greater tax break. He is going to ask us if we voted for the candidate who supports views that are Biblical. He is going to ask us if we voted AGAINST the candidate that supports the things that are detestable to Him. And as Christians, we have a responsibility to vote the way that God wants us to vote. Whoa....I almost got up on my soapbox there, but those things needed to be said.

4. I admit, I don't really like any of the candidates. I've heard people say "I don't like Candidate A, so I'm voting for Candidate B."

5. The next President will appoint several Supreme Court justices....think about that one for awhile. Scary.

Anyhoo, first of all I just encourage you people to VOTE. That is a wonderful right that we have in America. You should at least vote.

Are you still undecided? This is a great website here chock full of info about the candidates and their views. This page gives an overall look at their specific views on the issues (it's a great page), but you can also click further and find detailed info on each candidate. And it's not just presidential candidates, there's info on the senate and house too. Definitely worth a look. If you've already voted, but know someone on the fence, you should send them the link to that site.
Want one more interesting - and kind of fun - site? Connie sent me this one today. You've got to check it out. It lets you choose between statements made by McCain and Obama and then shows you who you should vote for.

OK, I think I'm done people.

Down to a dozen

Good Morning People! Looks like a cold rainy day today. Guess soccer practice will be scrapped for this afternoon....

World Series Game 1: Phillies 3 -- Rays 2 Cole Hamels just did what he does and got it done for the Phillies. And looked good doing it.


I voted yesterday after work. The line looked long, but it moved very quickly. I think I was only in line for 20 minutes. Not bad. Especially considering it was right after work. I used to only vote on election day. I felt like it was just the right thing to do. But now, my life is busier and my time is not as flexible, so I take advantage of early voting. Apparently there is a good turn out for early voting. I read an article in the Commercial Appeal on Tuesday about this:

The early-voting numbers coming out of Shelby County suggest a record turnout for the Nov. 4 federal, state and local elections, with an unprecedented turnout of black voters driving potential record numbers.

Among all demographic groups, early and absentee voting is moving beyond historic patterns, with 76,154 votes cast through Monday. That averages out to 16,575 per weekday -- only 9,847 voted Saturday -- and if those trends continue, about 220,000 of Shelby County's 647,923 registered voters will participate in early voting, or 34 percent of all registered voters.

Estimates based on past elections assume that early and absentee ballots will account for 40 to 50 percent of final voting turnout, which means Shelby County could be looking at 440,000 to 460,000 votes and final turnout at about 70 percent. That would be close to the 73 percent turnout seen in the 1992 presidential election.

So, how about you? Do you plan to vote early?

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The Bloggie Doggie thinks it's just too early to do anything!





We only have twelve days until the election. Can you believe that?

VOTE PEOPLE!

Add the Veeps

To add to your presidential candidate collection, they have now added the vice presidential candidate finger puppets. Hooray!

I hope you plan to vote. I'm not going to plug any specific candidate here, although I do have my opinions. But it is important to JUST VOTE. I saw these stats yesterday:

• 293.6 million people in America
• 177.3 citizens registered to vote
• 113.9 citizens voted in last election

That's pitiful people.

Make your finger puppets. And get ready to VOTE.

Debate Debaucle

Having some internet connection issues this morning at home. Apparently my modem, which is 11+ years old?, has bit the dust. So it's off to ol' Comcast today to swap it out. The lack of a computer this morning further demonstrated that I am completely addicted to very dependent on my email and the internet. I thought I was going to have a complete panic attack see the importance of being able to communicate with others and use the internet as a valued source of information.

Let's debate about the debate...Should we have it? Should we not? There's some poor event planner in Oxford who is about to throw himself in front of a bus. Isn't this the exact time we should hear from the candidates about how they will fix the economy? Does this make Obama look stupid for continuing to want to have the debate? Is McCain really serious or is this a brilliant calculated PR move for him? I've heard mixed opinions about McCain's balking. What do you think people?

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In the meantime, want to learn more about the candidates? Here's some interesting information about the personal lifestyles of the candidates. This little slideshow has info on their homes, cars, hobbies and more. Worth a look. Thanks to my mom who sent me this little jewel.

The Bloggie Doggie thinks the whole presidential election and the impending collapse of the economy is a big puzzle and almost impossible to solve.
Hope you are all having a great day people!

Fell, Falling, Fall

The Yankees were officially eliminated from the playoffs last night with a loss to the Blue Jays. First time in 13 years that they won't be headed to the playoffs. It's the first time in Derek Jeter's career that he won't be making a post season appearance. No October for Mr. November. Speaking of appearance, he apparently has a new girlfriend who was with him Sunday night. She's some girl from the TV show Friday Night Lights. I'm devastated. *Sniff*

Look at these cute acorns, little apples and little pears I got at the dollar section at Target. Aren't they cute? I heart those acorns.

The Bloggie Doggie is ready to tune in to the Presidential Debate. How about you? Are you going to watch it?

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It's Hump Day people. Get over it. Ciao!

If only it were this simple...

During dinner tonight (the Captain was at work and Jordan was at volleyball practice), Cooper and I had a nice little discussion about the upcoming election.

What are the names of the people running for president?
He couldn't come up with their names on his own, but picked both Obama and McCain's last names from a list of choices. He came up with McCain's first name on his own. And thought Obama's first name was O. Then Rock. Rock O. Bama. He knew McCain was "light skin" and he knew Obama was "light dark skin".

Why would you vote for McCain?
McCain is cool. He can run fast which is important since he will be fighting in the wars. He is awesome.

How about Obama?
Obama is handsome and polite.

What about the people running with them for vice president?
McCain's running mate is a girl. Her first name is Charlotte.

Obama doesn't have a running mate. Then he thought about it and said her name was Michelle.

What does the president do?
Sit in the White House and read the paper. They drink coffee. They ride in the helicopter. They have puppies to play with. They run in a chariot with a horse.

What does the vice president do?
Runs the Mothers Club at the schools. Gets the president coffee. Feeds the president's puppies. Takes care of the country while the president is riding in the chariot.

What does the president's wife do?
Gets juice for the president. Kisses him. Gets the mail for the White House.

What kind of decisions does the president have to make?
Who is going to drive the helicopter.

What kind of person should a president be?
Smart, nice, and careful (since they are in a war)

What should Obama do if he doesn't become president?
Work in a gold mine.

What about McCain?
He should be president anyway.

What is your message for the people out there?
People. Look on Mom's blog and prepare to be amazed with your eyes. Pick John MCain. Or I will toot on you.

Presidential Candidate Finger Puppets

Just can't wait for the election? Want to have your own debate? Then download, print and fold your own presidential candidate right here. Missing Hillary? You can print her too. Absolutely hilarious.

Loved her

Did you tune in last night to watch Sarah Palin? What did you think? Did she prove herself? Did she change your mind about your vote? Did she make it that much clearer - either way? I thought she was fabulous. Spunky, fresh, well spoken. Loved that she wore a skirt and that her hair was down. Can't believe that she is just a few years older than me and is running for Vice President!! The Captain thought she was a little too cutesy. I thought she came out swinging. Overall, we both liked her a lot.

I love this little thing too.

Totally adorable. She was so cute waving to the crowd.

But, by far, my favorite part of the whole night, was this moment that can only happen on live TV. LOVE it!!


I slept in a little bit this morning (yeah, I heard Gustav pitter pattering on my window and reset that alarm) and skipped Pilates. But I did get up at knock out Week 5/Day 2 of the pushup challenge. (15, 14, 12, 10, 30) A slight step down after Day 1 (30, 24, 22, 20, 20). But 30 pushups is hard people. At this point, I'm thinking I'm not ready for 100 pushups in two more weeks, but we'll see.

Gustav is still hanging around and right now it is raining its rear end off here at my house. Lots of weather happenings to keep up with. There's Hanna (who can't decide what she wants to do) and Ike (who thinks he will just turn into a category 4 hurricane while nobody is looking) and Josephine (who is minding her own business and will probably just go out to sea).

The Bloggie Doggie thinks today is a great day to find a Law & Order marathon....He loves that show.

Excuse me, Miss Photographer, this is my best side....

Stay dry today people and be happy!!

Under the spotlight

Once you throw your hat in the proverbial ring, all closets are open and nothing is sacred. We've found out in a very short time that Sarah Palin's husband was arrested 20 years ago for DUI, that she was fined for fishing without a license (personally, I think this is laughable), and that her 17 year old daughter is pregnant. Her youngest baby has special needs. She has challenges and issues going on in her family life. Don't we all? She's probably no different than many people in America. But as of last Friday, she became very UNLIKE many people in America. She could be the next Vice President - or even President - of the United States.

What do you think people?

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Intrigued by the Veep

I must admit I am very fascinated by John McCain's running mate. Sarah Palin is the governor of Alaska. Have you read anything about her? I found this info on Wikipedia....

In 1984, Palin was second-place in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant

Her husband, Todd, is a Native Yup'ik Eskimo. Outside the fishing season, Todd works for BP at an oil field on the North Slope and is a champion snowmobiler, winning the 2000-mile "Iron Dog" race four times. The two eloped shortly after Palin graduated college; when they learned they needed witnesses for the civil ceremony, they recruited two residents from the old-age home down the street.

She briefly worked as a sports reporter for local Anchorage television stations while also working as a commercial fisherman with her husband, Todd, her high school sweetheart. One summer when she was working on Todd's fishing boat, the boat collided with a tender while she was holding onto the railing; Palin broke several fingers.

On September 11, 2007, the Palins' son Track joined the Army. Eighteen years old at the time, he is the eldest of Palin's five children. Track now serves in an infantry brigade and will be deployed to Iraq in September. She also has three daughters: Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7. On April 18, 2008, Palin gave birth to her second son, Trig Paxson Van Palin, who has Down syndrome. She returned to the office three days after giving birth.Palin refused to let the results of prenatal genetic testing change her decision to have the baby.

She hunts, eats moose hamburger, ice fishes, rides snowmobiles, runs, and owns a float plane. Palin holds a lifetime membership with the National Rifle Association. She admits that she used marijuana when it was legal in Alaska, but says that she did not like it.



I personally think her election puts a new spin on the election. What do you think? (A reminder from the Me and My Good Life Poll Department: Lest you feel uncomfortable about making a possible political statement, the polls on this blog are completely anonymous. )

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PS - Am I the only one who thinks Joe Biden looks like Bob Barker?

Be an informed voter

In order to make the most educated decision in the upcoming presidential election, I am sharing this valuable info with you, my beloved blogophiles. It is my civic duty to do so.

25 things you may not know about Barack Obama

25 things you may not know about John McCain


Do your homework people.

Ready to vote?

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