Best of Voting

It's almost over, it's almost oooooover. Ban-nan-uh-nan-nan-uh! It's almost OVER! IT'S ALMOST OOOOOOOOVER!!!

I made up this song this weekend, and if you're nice, I might sing it to you. Right now, Whitters in WINDIANA is the only one who has heard it, because I want to keep her motivated and working hard for THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, a certain Barack Obama.

I've been singing it in my head (and in my car or office if I'm alone) just to get through the days leading up to the election. And now it's down to ONE DAY.

I went to vote early on Friday morning with Grant at the Creek County Election Board, and there was a line. The doors opened at 8am, and at 9:30am, when we voted, I was number 250. Pretty damn cool. When we got back in the car, Henry had taken my seat (it is important to take your kids to the polls with you so they grow up thinking it is a normal activity - THAT IT'S JUST WHAT YOU DO), so we shared it on the way home. I told Grant that I had waited so long for that day, to get to vote, and he asked how long. FOUR YEARS, PEOPLE.

For four years, my daily life and work has directly or indirectly centered around this moment.

It's hard to work in a field where compensation does not even come close to equaling time and energy. It's hard to work in a field when you are expected to work during the regular work day, and then keep working when you can reach voters when they are at home, on nights and weekends and holidays. It's hard to work in a field that you are not supposed to talk about at the dinner table.

That last part is what drives me crazy. I work hard for something I believe in, but it is off limits for polite conversations. I'm trying to change at least my part of the world for the better, but I shouldn't talk about it. What the hell? Why is it, in America, that we can fervently support sports teams (Go Sooners!), wear shirts, paint our faces, put flags on our cars and our yards, and that is not crazy, but wearing a political shirt or having a yard sign or bumper sticker or wanting to talk to your friends, family and neighbors about something that actually affects them is?

It's not too late. Put out a yard sign. Let people know your views. You don't have to be afraid to be a Democrat anymore. Tell your family that you are voting for change. Make phone calls and tell complete strangers why they should, too. Knock on your neighbors' doors, or in a completely different part of town, and tell them to vote for Obama. Be a part of history. It's not too late.

But it's almost over.

I'm predicting an Obama win and hoping that dedication equals victory in House District 9 in Claremore USA (knock on wood, cross fingers, hope and pray). BUT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, WE GET A NEW PRESIDENT AND GEORGE W. BUSH IS OUTTA HERE!!!

(Ban-nan-uh-nan-nan-uh!)

Best of Posters

I just visited the cutest baby for Obama tonight. He is so tiny and so sweet and so good, but I will wait to write more about that incredible experience until I can link to some pictures from Tim (hint, hint, I mean I know you aren't busy at all with a newborn).

In other Obama news, my best friend sent me really cool posters that will soon be framed. And THEN, I just found this site, and I think I will stay sane through the election countdown (TWELVE DAYS!) by putting up a different one each day on my facebook.

I wanted to post this one here.


Vote hope, not fear. Vote OBAMA.

Best of Days

GET EXCITED! IT'S WHITTERS' BIRTHDAY!

While I'm in Oklahoma, trying to get caught up on sleep, my best friend is celebrating her 24th birthday by knocking doors in Indiana for Obama. Maybe not exactly how she thought she'd mark the day of her birth, but she's making a difference, like always. Whitney Marie Denton, I miss you like crazy! I wish you had been in Denver, getting to watch the shows (both the convention and the other one) and seeing firsthand what all your hard work is about. Thank you for letting me call you at crazy hours to tell you about my adventures during this week every August.

I wish you were here to party it up for Whit-A-Palooza, but we'll just do that in November (when we'll have TWO great things to celebrate).

Love you!

Best of Best Friends

Mine reads my blog. And then she takes the time to make these, even while she is working 7 days a week on a very important presidential campaign, and sends them to me. They made my day.

Best of Things Left in Pockets and Discovered Too Late in the Dryer

1) Change. This one is fun, though, when I do the laundry, because I take it ALL and put it in my change bank.
2) Bad quality paper towels. These tear apart in the washer like Kleenex, and little bits stick to every piece of clothing.
3) Kleenex.
4) Good quality paper towels (VIVA). These amaze me, and they act like cloth by not falling apart.
5) Cut up pieces of straw (Grant chews on them).
6) Whit's passport.
7) Gum.

Best of What I Forgot to Do Today

1) Brush my teeth. That's a bad one. (You wanna hang out later, and I'll talk real close to your face?)

2) Put on deodorant. Ewww, also bad. (When we hang out, I'll give you a BIG hug.)

3) Put on perfume. This is not so bad, but it sure would have helped with number 2.

I'm obviously distracted, but YOU WOULD BE TOO if your best friend were moving across the country. Good news: Whitters got a job working for Obama in Indiana. Bad news: she leaves TODAY. We're about to go have Indian food for lunch, maaaaaaybe get a pedicure, and probably cry a little bit.

We had a goodbye party last night at the 632, and it involved a two year old's birthday, homemade pizza, the trampoline, HENRY, lots of family, baked cheese, cupcakes, beer pre-party and wine after. I'm pretty sure we did it up right.

INDIANA, YOU BETTER REPRESENT.

Best of Saturday Afternoons

Gavin and Brisket, his bulldog, came over for lunch today. I made roast beef sandwiches and asparagus, and they were delish. ous.

Currently, I'm reading Real Simple and enjoying an afternoon beer. We're having a lazy afternoon because we got up EARLY to go to the farmer's market on Cherry Street again. We got bread for our lunch sandwiches and tons of fresh produce. And cheese, because we love cheese.

Grant is taking a nap next to me on the couch. Every once and awhile he grins and lets out a little giggle. Someone is having some good dreams.

Whitters is getting ready to participate in a wedding this evening (Grant and I will be in attendance), and MAN IS SHE EXCITED TO BE IN IT. That's a yoke.

Best of Weekends

Why couldn't mine have just one more day?

I'm at work, looking at the rain fall on downtown Tulsa, and right now all I ever wanted was to be in my own bed, under the covers, reading a book, and drinking hot mint tea. I feel like I should have called in sick. I can't lie, but I'm in desperate need of a personal day, and I have cramps. Those are two reasons enough to escape the working world for a day.

One of the reasons I wanted my weekend to continue today is that I had such a good one! Friday night, Grant and I went on a date at Local Table in Brookside. The concept is cool - only serve what is in season and use local ingredients, but it kind of sucked, especially for the amount of the bill. The company was great, though, as per usual. It was Grant's idea to make sure we go on a real date every week, even though we live together, and I must say it has been a fabulous idea.

We got up early on Saturday morning to go to the Farmer's Market in Tulsa on Cherry Street, and it was worth not sleeping in. We found tons of fresh produce, and it's now a date for every Saturday morning. We had green beans with lemon and shallots for lunch, and felt like we had the entire day to conquer. I'm glad I found a way to make the weekend last just a little bit longer.

On Sunday, the brunch committee had planned an outing, but after a surprise 10 am phone call from AUDREY, those plans got changed. The Stillwater Ruarks showed up at our house about 10 minutes later, and Grant finally got to meet them. Audrey and Andrew met Henry, she jumped on the trampoline, Marla (with the help of Why Bother) discovered the true lyrics to Smack That, and we went to eat lunch at the riverwalk. And Audrey, Whitters and I were brave enough to run through the fountain. And then hug everyone else. After they left to go to Andrew's baseball game in Glenpool, I fell asleep with Henry in the hammock reading David Sedaris. Perfect.

And then raindrops hit me, so I headed inside.

Best of Roommates

I have three roommates.

This is my newest one, Henry:

Yes, he is THAT cute in person. You will have to meet him. He likes to sleep, eat and pee.

The other boy roommate likes to leave the toilet seat up. I have talked to him about it, and so has Whitters. He is rightfully afraid (but not scared enough to put the damn seat down) that whichever of us falls in first is going to freak out. I'm sure you'll hear about it when it happens.

I spent the past few days with my two human roommates, basically celebrating spring. We've gone to brunch* at Palace Cafe (great food, mediocre-to-bad service), shopped for plants, cleaned, hung pictures, drove with the top down, cooked, planted those plants and found our new roommate hanging out on the street. Sometimes we just look at the puppy. Just because he is that cute.

When I say "cooked", I mean COOKED... I've made fork-mashed purple potatoes, turkey meatloaf, homemade whole-wheat pasta with lemon, garlic & artichokes, tomato & mozzarella salad, roasted garlic for bread, homemade pasta with tomato sauce, and some pretty incredible apple cinnamon muffins. We've got leftovers if you want to swing by. Plus, there are plans for lemon poppyseed cake (I probably won't be eating) and chocolate chip cookies (just try to stop me).

Whitters is my sous chef (and the co-chair of the brunch committee and also the social chair - ask her about the Court-a-palooza birthday-redo that is occurring this Saturday at 632), and she cleans after all that cooking. Yup, I know I'm lucky.

Right now I'm enjoying a glass of wine after a great dinner with two of my favorite people in the entire world. I'm about to have tea with water from my new lemongrass green Le Creuset tea pot. Life is pretty good.

*Brunch committee (also co-chaired by Grant) meets every Sunday around noon-ish or later. We are searching for the perfect brunch location in Tulsa (so far committee members have tried McNellie's, the Chalkboard, and the Palace Cafe... and we're still looking for the best, inexpensive, tasty, and would-it-kill-them-to-have-a-good-bloody-mary? place).