I have never been more proud of my country than tonight

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

-Barack Obama

YES WE CAN.

It's Election Day!!

Finally! Two long years of political warfare are over and in less than 24 hours we should have a definite choice for our next President... A couple friends and I are waking up at 5:30am (yes, I do realize that's only in three hours... I'll have to pin my eyelids open) to grab some caffeine and get out to the polls early before the working morning crowd. I'm so excited to be voting for the first time in a Presidential Election-- a crucial and historical one at that. Missouri has determined the winning Presidential candidate for the past century, and so far polls are showing there's a 0.5% lead by McCain. The youth vote is one of the most important factors in this election. Whomever you support, please go to the polls and vote! It's your national right to practice your voice, so take advantage of it!

For you Obama supporters:
here's an easy way of determining results by the hour on Election Day via the ch!cktionary (via Nick Douglas).

1. When the polls close:

2. What states matter:

According to the prediction models at Fivethirtyeight.com, McCain absolutely can’t win without Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Indiana and Montana. He has less chance of winning without taking both Ohio and North Carolina than you do of wearing a condom and getting HIV.

3. What states matter in what order:

I distilled this from 538’s Nate Silver:

At 6 PM EST, most of Indiana’s polls close. An early call for McCain means hold onto your butts (because it indicates unpredicted McCain support); an early call for Obama means pop the champagne (for the inverse reason).

At 7, the rest of Indiana closes and a McCain win isn’t as meaningful. But at the same time Virginia, Georgia, and most of Florida close. If Virginia goes Obama, again, champagne. Same for Florida. If Obama wins his long-shot Georgia because of the record number of black early voters, then call a Republican and do your best Nelson “Ha ha!” because this whole map’s going blue.

At 7:30, Ohio and North Carolina close. Bad voter turnout here actually helps Obama, thanks to his huge lead in early votes. Either way, by now McCain probably has to win both or…finally…champagne.

At 8, Pennsylvania wraps up. But the projections may be off depending on which votes are counted first. Again, if you’re still holding onto your butts, keep a grip.

At 9, if Obama is still struggling, he’d better win Colorado. But not much chance it’ll come down to this.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
AT THIS TIME, IF OBAMA HASN’T SWEPT:
6 PM: McCain needs to not already lose Indiana.

7 PM: McCain needs Florida and Virginia.

7:30: McCain needs Ohio and North Carolina.

8: McCain probably needs Pennsylvania.

9: McCain needs Colorado.

Barack the vote!

-Kimberly('s mama's for Obama)

one for sorrow, two for joy, three for girls, four for boys

When everything’s over
And everything’s clear
When everyone’s older
No one is here
I try to remember
A girl on a wire
Tumbling and diving above Steven’s Green
Like a kite in the air

I've just started listening to the new (at least to me) Counting Crows album that came out in Spring this year, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings... It's worth a listen! Out of all the tracks, I personally like Los Angeles, On A Tuesday in Amsterdam Long Ago, Come Around, Cowboys and Washington Square.

This week in retrospect
A few things I've accomplished:
-waited in line for 5 long hours to see the next President of
the United States (definitely worth it!)
-crunched fall leaves beneath my feet
-taken more pictures than I can fathom
-quickly started to diminish the balance in my checking account
-skipped class...unwillingly
-carved an emo pumpkin
-created an entire costume solely from fabric, thread,
and polymer clay (hand-stitched, I might add!)
-dressed up as dinner (free burritos at Chipotle!)

my creation

A few things that have made me smile:
-Jimbo and Jackie recording a gangsta rap for PSP, an honors fraternity.
-this immaculately beautiful weather
-listening to JT and Culture Club's "Do You Really
Want to Hurt Me?" in drawing class
-renting The Darjeeling Limited and devouring
java chip ice cream with Carl
-jamming out to "Semi-Charmed Life" with Amanda and Lis
-Hanook's dance skills at India Night and
Clone High episodes at Paul's
-locking eyes with Obama
(totally exchanged numbers by blinking in morse code)
-Halloweenie festivities
-news that my sister and her boyfriend are now engaged! :)

A few habits I should break by next week:
-stumbling out of bed 10 minutes before class
-procrastination, procrastination, procrastination.
-unintentional but "harmless" flirtation.
-partaking in nostalgia through old mix cds
-insomnia that never falters until 3 or 4am

my beautiful Asian roommie, Jackie

my favorite syrup-loving-lumberjack, Scott

Are you sure you want to delete these items?

I receive more warnings from the System Administrator on my student email account than a juvenile delinquent. "Your mailbox is over its size limit." appears the subject line next to a slightly intimidating red exclamation point. It's a daily ritual: sorting through all the emails that I get from the Vet Med department, career info from the College of Biological Sciences, Barack Obama news, offers from aerie, and the occasional update from a professor. I log in every day with at least 10 new emails waiting for me to read and delete. There's a reason for such little space and why I am constantly deleting the handful of new emails I receive: you're hogging all my memory like a selfish child who doesn't want to share. Yes, you silly emails that take up precious megabytes! Unfortunately holding even more valuable pictures and stories and impressions that have been collected and invisibly labeled "past". These tokens, how wildly inaccurate they appear to be now, are the last good pieces I have of you. You, who has impacted me more than I'd like to admit. You, who has ruined certain songs forever. I wish it were as easy to delete these transatlantic letters as it is to write you off for your insincerity and your blatant cowardice. However, even with the passing of time-- falling leaves that playfully flaunt the truth that summer is long gone-- I still don't have the heart to do so.

I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you

Looks like I haven't made a mark on this for a while, and although a lot of things have happened since then, nothing seems like much worth writing about. That or for a better explanation, there hasn't been anything I've wanted to sit down and write about for other people to read... So let's talk about the present.

I find it wildly amusing that the second you stop attempting to look for someone to fill some ridiculous, sadly romantic void, four or five charming prospects seem to enter (or re-enter) your life... all. at. the. same. time. I mean, it would be pleasantly convenient for each one to be evenly distributed in time so that you would have some kind of affection or effort to devote, but alas my schedule determines otherwise. Not that I would ever want to juggle something like that because I don't think I could muster up the heart (or lack of) to do so.

I suppose another alibi would be that I just don't want to be tied down. It seriously feels like freshman year all over again, where you just want to experience new things and meet new people without holding back... I find myself increasingly enjoying all the alone time I can get, and I don't think I want to give that up for anyone just yet.

So, dear prospects:
Your secret playlist labeled "K" filled with only romantic songs, your love for living life in the past despite your current girlfriend, your family event invitations that play into my weakness for kids, your stark signs of change but late sincerity, or your year long attraction just recently revealed have each flattered me in different ways, others conveying more meaning than some. But until I have learned to stand on my two feet contently in my own skin, I would not and could not begin anything worthwhile to satisfy your intentions for us. I hope you will forgive me. More so I hope you will not forget me.

All the best,
Kimberly