The Day
I did laundry that didn't need to be done. I cleaned and polished the kitchen counters. I Wet Swiffered the floors. I cooked myself a hot breakfast. That got me through to 9am.
Big Cuter called for a video chat, wearing his pink pussy hat from years ago. JannyLou called for sympathy and optimism; I asked if she read yesterday's post (where I swore to worry to the bitter end). I got nuttin' for ya, honey was all I said before we both dissolved into semi-hysterical laughter and hung up.
I started making olla balls for Grandma's Garden because I couldn't listen to the talking heads who knew nothing but kept on blathering. We ate a late lunch.
Little Cuter wasn't nauseously optimistic. Instead, after voting she brought 50 donut holes to work. How many did you eat? We laughed that same laugh when she admitted that she had long ago lost count.
I went back to the ollas. I folded laundry. I solved some problems for TBG. Now it's 4:28pm and the first polls are about to close. I think a bath is necessary to face the night... and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.
*****
The Night
Steve Kornacki's manic energy just added to my angst. Fifteen people in Upper Utopia changed their minds and he wrote the percentage, illegibly, in green ink on a screen covered with numbers that made me even more anxious.
We watched the very early returns, then gave ourselves a breather with TMC's latest film noir which TBG recorded for just this moment. Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster and Lizabeth Scott kept us distracted for 20 minute intervals before we were pulled back into the blather-sphere.
Big Cuter forwarded Jen O'Malley Dillon's calming message to the campaign. Then he called to be sure I was okay. I loved the effort, futile though it was.
I, too, knew it would be a long slog. I, too, knew not to put too much reliance on the early numbers trending red. That the beating heart of the project said we expected this so don't freak out right now should have been a big help.
More numbers on the screen, more interviews with politicians who have nothing to say that I haven't heard already, mind numbing videos of large rooms behind locked doors.... we went back to the DVR and Star Trek.
*****
The Late Night
As the numbers showed Kamala under-performing Joe Biden's 2020 numbers, TBG shook his head in disgust. Americans don't seem to care about January 6th.
Sister's Senate candidate won his race; she then sent me a text announcing New Jersey's rightward swing. Sometimes she needs to say I told you so.
I'm not getting any happier. I don't think it will be called tonight. We're going to sleep. You may know more than I do when you read this in the morning. Only call me if it's news I want to hear.
I saw a fellow retired teacher and current church member at the credit union Tuesday morning. We discussed voting for a moment and I voiced my concern for the aftermath, fearing the crazy guy would cause a mass shooting or something. She became offended and said she was one of his "crazies" and that wasn't going to happen. She said January 6 was all made up. It didn't happen.
ReplyDeleteA woman, older than me, who spent her entire career in the classroom, dependent now on medicare, social security, other government failsafes and she is voting for this crazy. Disbelieving what actually happened. I was astonished. I had to turn and walk away. However, it appears that my concern for what would happen if the crazies lost is not to come to fruition.
There is, at least, that.
Deletea/b
To carry on from dkzody, I guess we can be happy that the MAGAs won't try to burn down the White House.
ReplyDeleteThat woman is an example of how few read, watch, or listen to real news anymore. My sister too believes all of the lies and not much that is factual.
Anyway, I'm just MAD! I think I'll stay the way for a while.
Me, too.
Deleteab
A friend sent me something very uplifting that Venus Williams posted somewhere - it talks about how we have to "continue to do the good work" etc. I told my friend that I was most definitely NOT interested in embracing a positive message quite yet.
ReplyDeleteMe, either!
Deletea/b
Like so many people I am in shocked disbelief. I will never understand how or why a majority of my fellow citizens would make the choice they did yesterday. I truly believed that she would win. That man has been a criminal and a con man all of his life and I just can't believe that so many people ignored the signs and trusted him. I grieve for this country, and especially for the women that will lose access to health care because of that monster.
ReplyDeleteA felon in the White House, about to pardon all the other felons. UGH
Deletea/b
I am also in shock and disbelief. But I think the real problem is not that people vote for him "anyway" but that most of his voters get their information from unreliable online sources that we should have gone after years ago to prevent them from disseminating false information. Young people who voted "against" Harris because they don't think Biden did enough about Gaza. Well, wait until they see what Trump does "for" Gaza, and Ukraine.
ReplyDeleteNina