November 1

"Rabbit, rabbit," as Barbara would say.  We are Obama people, and hope fervently that this month brings an Obama victory.  I have been wrestling with partisanship, wanting not to be a nutjob on the left, but I do fear McCain/Palin.  I keep talking myself down: I survived 8 years of Ronald Reagan; I survived 8 years of George Bush; many people I admire admire John McCain; Obama is not perfect.  So we'll see.  Does the future of the nation ride on this election?  I believe so.  

It's been a strange week, and, as we 'fall back' into Eastern Daylight Time, it will continue to be off-schedule.  Ken and I head to Providence, RI, today for the Northeast Association for Institutional Research.  It should be fun, as neither of us have ever been to Providence, which is about 3.5 hours away.  Ken will go to New York on Sunday night via Amtrak, then will come back home on election day, which is when the conference ends.  Both of us voted absentee.  Along with my many other wishes is the hope that we have a winner declared by Wednesday morning.  

We were in Michigan last weekend to celebrate Karen's birthday and Midge's birthday.  It was fun being there in nice weather, as opposed to Christmas.  We saw Ray, Veda, Erica, Jess, Jennifer, Chelsea, Karen, Mike, Jody, Nicole and Eileen.  We saw Midge, Jay, a group of their friends at a Michigan-loses-again/birthday party, as well as Linda and her friend Richard, and Jean and Jim.  It was big fun and lightening quick.  We were in Livonia, Chelsea and Ann Arbor, which was  welcome, as we frequently also drive across the state to Grand Haven.  That trip is coming up at Christmas and for Ken's birthday in February.  

Thanksgiving will be quiet, as traveling on that holiday is so onerous.  We'll be home on the actual day, watching football and probably going to New World Home Cooking in Saugerties for dinner.  Randy and Jen and their girls come in from Utica for a day in NYC and a day in New Paltz.  

Happy November.  Peace.  Joy.  Good weather (i.e., no snow).