Solid, Solid As Barack

So, when you're nervous about the upcoming election results...it's usually a pretty good idea to get together with friends and family!
Jess was frying up chicken when I arrived at Mic's & Mike's.

Maura and I set to work peeling potatoes...I was in charge of mashed potatoes - one of my specialties!

Micaela stewed up a wicked good crock pot full of green chili.
COMFORT FOOD - for when you just don't know which way it's all going to go!

Anna & Doug brought some hot dishes!

And Baby S accompanied me to the party and gifted me an AMAZING Election 2008 mixed cd with a lovely version of This Charming Man by The Smiths which we sang together on the way over.

Tristan - committed t-shirt wearer!

Auntie Laura brought the munchkins and her partner Angel - all of them in spirited Obama gear!

We had a good feeling, but none of us could deny that we were a little worried.
But just a little.

Seeing the faces of the people at Grant Park in Chicago, IL was inspiring.
All different kinds of faces!

Tristan had worked out some celebratory Obama moves that he broke out for the occasion.

We were together...for better or worse and it felt awesome!

There was singing in the kitchen, cocktail making, and look - Even Sheena was there looking gorgeous!

And just for record, I kept Wholesome November in full effect! Hot cocoa and water were my drinks of choice!

Sheena even brought her beau Adam! Those nuts just added a pig to their animal menagerie!

Soul food!

Mike came rolling in from work...he fixed himself a tall one and commenced hanging!

Transfixed...

Cutest supporters!

And then the Comfort Food Election Buffet 2008 powered up!
Audrey helped Kiandra with a plate...

Fried chicken, salad, mashed potatoes, green chili, mac & cheese, breads, antipasto, strudel...
It was a ridic!

We all fared pretty well, I have to admit!

As we ate, we talked and laughed. We are lucky to live in this country!

We are blessed to know and have each other to lean on.

We had all kinds of faces too! Lovely Audrey faces!



Although this may appear to be a spirited political debate, I believe Micaela was pontificating on how crappy the new Knight Rider is.

After you eat and talk - you start to wonder again...What direction will our country take?
You look at all the fine faces around you and you wonder...are we going to be okay...?

Essentially, we all have the same concerns...
We care about our families, our friends, our jobs, our homes, our safety, our happiness, our freedom.
It doesn't matter if you're a PhD student, a 5 year old boy...it doesn't matter if you work in publishing or insurance or finance...it doesn't matter if you're male, female, straight, gay, white, Latino, or a mix of all of it!

What matters is that you care. Period.

This matters.

And when we heard, through cell phone calls, texts, and reports on the radio that "they" called it for Obama...we felt relieved.
And not only did I feel relieved, but I felt proud...proud and patriotic for the first time in my life.
My mom reported that she cried over the phone, I saw salty drips leaking out of my friends' eyes, and even I got a little misty.

When I got home, I sat on my bed and watched the celebrations all over our country. I fielded text messages from friends that cheered with me over Colorado going from red to blue! And I reflected on the words that Obama conveyed to us...

"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment."

And I, like Tristan, answered another call...
The call of my pajamas.
I went to bed with the prospects of waking up in a country I'm proud of.
I woke up today in a country that has a new President - the first African American President of the United States.

How could I not be patriotic!