A Wandering Eyre

Today, the family Rochester is heading to the polls. I even registered the Wee Bairn as Mickey Mouse, but I am not sure they will actually let him cast a ballot. We do not have a picture ID, you see.

I have not been this excited about voting since my first time after turning 18. It was the second election with Bill Clinton on the ticket.

I recently visited a friend of mine in Dallas who was my roommate while I was in grad school. We are wonderful friends though we are very different people, especially when it comes to politics. We do discuss politics occasionally and she said something to me over lunch to which I, at the time, had no response. When I asked her what she thought of the campaigns so far, she said the idea of Obama as President scared her. I did not know what to say about that, then.

Fear should never be the thing that decides your vote. I should have replied with, “Now, you know how I felt in 2000 and then I was even more afraid in 2004.” In 2000, I was shock and in 2004, I was crushed that my fears about my fellow citizens were confirmed.

The world, however, went on after that and one could argue about if we are better off or not depending on your views.

I just want my friend to know that, regardless of the outcome, the world will not come crashing down and we will sally forth in this democracy in the only way we know how, with determination. Only Tuesday will tell which of us will be licking our wounds.

–Jane, is voting for change

Beer

Originally uploaded by Wandering Eyre

Wishing you all safe travel. I miss you. Have a drink for me and try not to get kicked out of the Crown and Anchor (or the alley for that matter).

–Jane, slainte

Dear, lovely, readers, it has been a sad, sad past few weeks for Jane. I have been without the Internet and Cable since the hurricane. This would normally be a trial, but since I also stay home full time, I feel like I have been stranded on some hellish island in which I only have access to local news and NPR in the morning. For the record, I love NPR and hate local news.

I never realized how much I love my DVR and hate commercials. I do not even know when shows come on anymore because my DVR has made me so incredibly lazy.

Last night, Mr. Rochester worked a miracle of Moses proportions and we are now connected to the rest of the world. Thank God for smart husbands who refuse to stop looking at every possible avenue when I have long since given up in despair.

I know, as librarians, many of you are thinking that I should have just gone to the library or a friend’s house to pilfer their tubes. Yes, excellent idea, but it is hard to slog through 3 weeks of email with a squirmy 5 month old on your lap. The few times I was able to get online it was for emergency and triage purposes only.

If you have been waiting for an email from me, please give me a couple days to catch my breath. I feel like an addict who has been denied their drug of choice too long and I can scarcely decide what to do first. Vacation photos? A post here? A family update? Shopping? Research? Reading? Porn? (because you know the Internet is only for porn)

I think I need lunch before diving completely in.

–Jane, so happy to be back to normal