Daily Tweets

• 07:12 It's going to be a crazy day with up to 20 students and only 8 chairs in my classroom. #

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Daily Tweets

• 07:32 thinks it's going to be a long day - no students, rainy weather, want to be home taking care of Toby. Only seven hours to go! #
• 07:46 @zsmith52 very true, but it's still a long day sitting here witout anything to do! #

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To Resolve or Not to Resolve

Every time this year, people make a list of resolutions that they know they are going to follow and make their lives better. "I will lose 20 pounds" or "I will eat healthier" are common ones. I wish there were some statistics about how many people actually fulfill their resolutions. My guess is the percentage isn't high. Oh, it's easy in January - you are determined and excited about change. But what about June? Often by summer, I've forgotten what my resolutions even are.

So that said, I'm resolving to to make any resolutions this year. Instead, I have a couple goals that I intend to work toward. This way, if I don't make the goal by December, I can look back and at least see the progress I made toward that goal and see how far I've come.

• Drop another dress size (or two) by Mandy's wedding.
• Pray more.
• Try to keep in touch with my East Coast friends more regularly.
• Train to run a race (not a marathon or anything like that, but maybe a 5K)
• Continue to gather information on Certification/Doctorate programs
• Give more to charity.

That's a pretty good list. It hits most of the major areas of my life pretty well and all of them are doable. Now, let's just see how long I stick with it!

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I heard someone call it the least pressure filled of the holidays. Christmas is so tied up into commercialism and New Year's is all about who you are with and what party to go to. Thanksgiving is simple - family comes together to eat a great meal and appreciate each other and what they have. Plus, any holiday where pumpkin pie is a major part is good in my book, even if I am the one that makes it every year!

So, here's a list of what I'm thankful for, in no particular order:

• I'm thankful for my relative good health, my good job, a roof over my head, and food on my plate.
• I'm thankful for a loving family that, even though it has problems, manages to make it work out in the end.
• I'm thankful for my puppies who have provided so much love and happiness in our home this year.
• I'm thankful that my sister and Darren are FINALLY getting married this year.
• I'm thankful I have a job which I feel makes a difference every day and that I enjoy.
• I'm thankful that I live in a country that, while I don't agree with the government's position on a lot of issues, I am still proud of and excited about the direction it is about to take.
• I'm thankful for the little things that make life enjoyable: reading a good book, enjoying a glass of wine, taking the dogs for a walk, lazing in bed on a Saturday morning when it's raining outside.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Election Day is here at last

This has been the longest election season ever. I'm not exaggerating either - this whole thing started about 21 months ago, only a few short months after the last major federal election. It's been rough - the up and down Republican primaries, the fight to the finish Democratic primaries, the debates, the endless political ads. One would think that by the time Election Day arrived, no one would go vote because they'd all be so sick of it.

Fortunately, that isn't the case at all.

Reading this morning's headlines, the news is full of stories about huge lines, machine failures, ballots getting too damp because the voter had to stand in the rain. Christine Amanpour from CNN likened the lines to some of the elections she's seen around the world - Iraq, South Africa, Afganistan. And what floors me is how, instead of getting upset or frustrating, people are happy to be there. They taking this election so seriously that a 2 and a half hour wait, while mildly annoying, is something they are willing to undertake. It boggles my mind. After so many years of fighting to get people to the polls, they seem to have woken up this morning understand that this is their duty, their one big job in this democracy.

So, I have a renewed sense of hope in America this morning. And while I have my personal preferences as to who should win, I'm happy to know that no matter how this election turns out, the American people took their job seriously and came out to vote.

Welcome Toby!

Last week, we had a new puppy join our family. Meet Toby! He's Riley's half-brother (same dad, different mom). Riley and Toby get a long really well. They love to play with each other, which calms them both down. Toby is much mellower overall than Riley is. Here are some more pictures of my new boy and some with Riley too!

Election Parallels

Having no gainful employment, I find myself watching a lot of West Wing. I was given seasons 4-7 for Christmas last year and have finally gotten to season 7, the final season and the one in which a new president is elected. I am amazed that this show, released in 2005-06, so accurately predicted this year's presidential election. This is what I mean. . .

Arnold Vinick - a southwestern Republican Senator who is older than the average candidate. He tries to distance himself from his conservative base, but chooses a running mate that appeals to the Christian right and fundamentalists. John McCain anyone?

Matthew Santos - a Midwestern Democratic congressmen who is younger than the average candidate. He started behind in the polls, but overcame the frontrunners and energized the Democratic party and many independents. He chooses a party veteran for his running mate with significant foreign experience. Oh, and he's the first presidential candidate who is also a racial minority. Barack Obama?

I just find it fascinating that a full three years prior to this election, the West Wing writers so prefectly mirrored what is happening now. Now, let's just hope that the Chinese-Russian conflict that the White House has to deal with doesn't come true!