...heaven...

...a perpetual Christmas, or (if you prefer) New Year's Party: soft lighting; Michael Buble and similar good-feeling, warm, cheery music filling the evening; endless wine (shiraz & shiraz/cab blends...mmm!), champagne, hot buttered rums and other delicious drinks; family; old friends; new friendly faces; delectable finger foods and desserts...that's what MY heaven would like look...

How I live my life:

• I buy cookies and candy bars from Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, always. Pay it forward and all that, plus it's win-win: helping kids out AND getting something delicious! I WAS a Girl Scout, so they're the sentimental favorites, but I give everyone an equal chance, plus my brother was a Boy Scout. But I steer clear of those crazy Campfire kids...they're crazy.
• I care about politics. I'm hopeless: I can't help getting passionate and active. Today, for instance, I canvassed around Corvallis for Barack Obama, MY candidate for the pres. 2008.
• I drink wine. Even if I'm by myself, just trying to relax and not think about taxes.
• I read. There's a lot of good stuff out there. I have so far to go!
  

Barack and roll!

Friday night: saw Barack Obama speak some amazing words with some treasured friends, both new and old. A. MAZING! He lives up to all the hype: eloquent, electrifying, energized, and right on on so many points and levels. I made a book, which I may publish up here, in which I had some friends, some random people write their thoughts, on Barack or anything at all. It was amazing because it got me engaged in conversation with some really neat people. Well, I went to see BARACK OBAMA speak, so it was a given that I would be surrounded by some pretty neat people! Two things were confirmed: I love people, and Barack is my candidate.

The next day my mom and I picked my brother up from the airport! It's always awesome to see him. We drove to Bend and that night I went out to a bar with my little bro for the first time ever! Happy 21 a little late Miles! The next day (yesterday) he was looking pretty sharp in his Class A uniform, even though everybody else in his friend's wedding party were wearing tuxes or (I hate to say it) hideous bridesmaid's dresses. Cherie was gorgeous though.

BEST DAY EVER!!!!!! slash Horrible Hook-ups: Phone Calls That Should Never Be Made

One. I've been making plans all day for the trip to Eugene tomorrow to see BARACK OBAMA speak! It's going to be off the chizzain. 4-7 people I LOVE and me waiting for hours to see the most eloquent man of our time speak LIVE! I'm peeing myself at the moment!!!!

Two. My brother calls at exactly 6:01pm to inform me that he indeed WILL be coming home the DAY AFTER TOMORROW!!!! This after we were all excited that he would be coming home only to find out that his leave had been denied. SHIT! I started crying in front of clients. It was weird/bad news bears/awesome! Another reason I'm peeing myself and better start mopping up soon!

Three. AS IF THAT WEREN'T ENOUGH! Luke's party (in homage to Nicholas' horrible hair...: I hope someone burned that shit by now!) happened. HAPPENED! Oh shit was that shit happenin'! LOVE to Luke, Michael, Rocky, Tanzi, Phil the Shit, Scotty, Sophia, Chelsea, Ingrid, Tristen, Alisha, Nnamdi, Bisola, Monte, Matt, Dau, Shawn and ALL the hotties on the dancefloor tonight!

LOVE is spelled L-G-B-T. Truth is what I speak right now.

And finally, a final thought: when walking home drunk and lonesomeish by oneself at night (only because you're "one," and no one else is with you, not because you're particularly lonely or lonesome), don't, repeat DON'T call anyone you have any slight inkling to call. It was a horrible hook-up you're only thinking back to at the moment because it actually HAPPENED, and not because it was particularly good or wonderful, and so in all circumstances and cases SHOULDN'T be called. Pride yourself in going it alone, your own way, without crutches. Pride yourself in forging ahead, proudly and strongly and bravely alone. Pride yourself,...and don't under ANY circumstances, call ANYONE who isn't related or "related" to you. 'Nuff said.

Write, write, always write. Goo d night.

Sweet Home Alabama? Obama's coming to my home!

I may be going to Alabama in a month. With my mom to visit my brother. That's one good thing about my brother being in the army; for him I'm going to fabulous locales like Oklahoma and Alabama and discovering a side of America I never knew...(or ever needed to, really)...

Honestly, though, I would welcome the experience. I've never been to the South, and I always relish the opportunity to get out of my "blue state, 5th-smartest-city-in-the-country, college campus, very liberal" environment and point of view to see how other Americans are living and thinking the way they do (if at all...some blog comments I've been seeing lately lead me to believe that many 'Mericans don't have a brain to speak of). And meeting other people in the Army and their families is always interesting. I guess it's really happening then: my brother is going to Iraq.

Today is the 5 year anniversary of the war in Iraq. My brother enlisting has really forced me to identify my stance on the whole thing. I support the soldiers and their families, but I would never call this a "just" cause, or attempt to justify the reasons we are over there. I DON'T stand by the current president or administration at all, but that is no reason to take it out on the soldiers. Some of them were driven to the armed forces as their only option because of forces out of their control (lagging economy, little opportunity or education, etc.). Even the ones who do want to "kill, kill, kill;" they didn't make the authorizing decision to be over there in the first place. so until they do something stupid to actually upset me, I've got no beef with them.

In other news I'm going to see Sen. Barack Obama speak the day after tomorrow in Eugene!!!! I'm so excited! An historic moment, whoever turns out to be the Democratic nominee, whoever is elected president. Barack out with your caucus out, baby!

Here we go!

TODAY: I decided I'm voting for Barack Obama, in the primaries and the general elections. For multiple reasons, the first being: he has good experience, gives off good vibes, and therefore is who I have judged to be the best candidate. I don't want my fabulously-feminist family members to interpret this as a betrayal. I mean, don't we want our first woman president to make it there on her own, and not use her husband (e.g. "wife-of-the-president" status as official experience) to get there? This isn't about identity politics here, this is about who has the most change potential. But would I vote for Hillary if she gets the nomination? Hell yes! Democrats who say they'll vote for McCain (or not at all) over Hillary are crazy stupid.
TOMORROW: I'm getting my thesis printed.
FRIDAY: I'm graduating!
THE NEXT DAY: The world.