Celebrate Good Times Oh Yea!

I am very happy with the results of the presidential election. I had planned to head over to my polling place at 3 after I got off work. I knew I would have a bit of a wait but I really wanted The Phi to be there with me. We walked into the little conference room at the Lutheran Church down the street from our house. It smelled like B.O. Like bad. Like discreetly holding my nose bad. They checked me in and The Phi eyed the stickers that a man had laid out on the table. I was given the choice of an electronic ballot or a paper ballot. I quickly envisioned the ballot box full of paper ballots falling off a truck, being run over by a semi-truck and then bursting into flames, so i opted for the electronic ballot. Of course there was a wait for the 1 electronic ballot box. So we settled in and the I guess we got use to the smell. But damn it was hot in there. And it was a cold day yesterday, but it was a sweat lodge at my polling place. The Phi made friends with a lady who was sitting next to her. The lady was really nice but literally dripping sweat onto her sample ballot. (gross) We waited for about an hour.

The Phi Waiting

It was finally our turn. We walked up to the booth and The Phi stood in front of me as we put the card in and the screen lit up and our ballot came up. I always have a slight panic that I am going to push the wrong button. I was using that double eraser pencil thingie and I squeezed The Phi's hand as I clicked on the box next to the name Barack Obama. This was a vote for a better world for her. One of the reasons that I voted for Obama was because he is a Dad. A Father to young daughters and this will always be on the back of his mind in every decision he makes as president. He will want to leave a better country for his girls. And I want a better country for The Phi. It felt good to make my vote and voice heard with my daughters hand in mine. Then of course we were rewarded with our own "I Voted" stickers.

We got home and I turned on the TV and started watching vote results. It was making me anxious and instead I switched over to my DVR and watched some mindless programming like Jon & Kate Plus 8 and LA Ink. Dinner, shower and The Phi was put to bed and I switched over to election coverage just in time to hear the news. Obama was the projected winner and McCain had already called to concede. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. He did it. He really did it. I listened to McCain's speech and was disturbed at the reaction of the crowd. It was childish and immature. Then it was time for Obama's speech and it was amazing. The crowd in Chicago was silent as he spoke of change and hope and the long road ahead. He brought tears to my eyes with the idea of a better tomorrow and unification within the parties.

This morning while The Phi sat at the dining room table, with her hair all crazy and 2 crooked braids in wearing pink footie pajamas I told her that the race was over and that Obama had won and was going to be our next President. She replied....

"Obama won? That's good Momma"

Yes The Phi that is very good.