Laundry mat

First off, thanks for all the reading suggestions. I will admit that I feel like I have cheated in the "Western" department. I shunned all of your suggestions and went for one of the shortest western novels I found in my neighborhood library -- thinking, if it was terrible, at least it was short. Well, it was short. I predicted the ending on page 7. I was correct. But I had to wade through the rest of the anti-Native American sentiment of the rest of the book before I could find that out. Oh well. Western. Check. Moving on. Thoroughly enjoying a biography on Rosa Parks right now. More on my reading in another post.

Meanwhile, our house seems to be falling apart at the seams. Washing machine's spin cycle stopped working. Shower stopped working. Ancient dishwasher really isn't washing dishes much anymore. Faucet still leaks.

So Saturday, we spent an afternoon at the laundry mat.

I used this entire row of washers. I only lost about $2.50 in machines that didn't work. Mostly I just carted wet laundry home (the dryer still works) because why pay for something you can do at home? I was surrounded by laundry basket of wet clothes all day. But at least they were clean.


We were reminded of Corduroy. Lauryn loved the colors, the action, the giant machines. She was happy to take part in the adventure.

Owen was happy to sit in a corner with his DS or favorite book.

I'll admit I had an "am I really this old" moment, when I was entirely disgusted by the couple (woman in her early 20s, man probably in his 30s) who felt it necessary to display their intense love to the rest of the laundry mat patrons. Nothing graphic, just hugging, kissing, cuddling, never getting more than 2 inches away from each other, even as they emptied their washing machines. I should have thought it was sweet. Instead I thought it was disgusting. My teenage self would think I am SO old and square right now.

So while we contemplate our repair options (pay for a service call, not knowing the price, or pay for the extended warranty that may be a waste of funds?) we at least have a house full of clean clothes (still stacked in laundry baskets), a bath that still works (who needs showers?) and a kitchen sink that will wash dishes, just fine.

I'm thankful for all we have.

Suggestions Needed!

I have decided to embark on a journey I have not experienced since college. I am going to read a book that I would never have picked out on my own. No more Harry Potter, Barbra Kingsolver, Toni Morrison. I'm looking for something totally NEW.

While at the library today (paying a far too large a fine -- why, or why, can I not remember to return the kids books on time?) I picked up the brochure for the adult winter reading contest. I've seen these things before, but never really made the effort.

I've decided to change that.

So, I am going to read what the beautiful folk at the library have requested of me, one of each of the following genres:

Biography
Romance
Western
Science Fiction or Fantasy
Mystery
Free Choice

I've already read 3 science fiction books this month, so I've got that category, and "free choice" taken care of. I know I won't have a hard time finding a Biography or Mystery. But those pesky Western and Romance categories have me worried. My personal reading habits have never included these two genres. I have NO idea where to start. I desperately do NOT want to read some sappy, over-the-top romantic garble... or some crappy guy-on-a-horse story.

So I need help. Have any westerns or romance novels to suggest? (Heck, I'll take suggestions for the other categories too.) I'm trying to break out of my mold , here. (And sure, I'll take the pizza cutter and the library bag that comes with the completed contest. There's even a grand prize drawing for a night at a local bed and breakfast, book store gift certificates, and movie tickets. {Is it weird that the prize for reading, is going to the movies?}) But I'm not in it for the prizes. Really. I do want to convince myself to read something out of my comfort zone.

So help -- Please! All suggestions welcome!

(And Nikki, if you're reading this, you better have some suggestions -- you're my ONLY librarian friend!)

Guess what we got to see!!!

Once a week, they bring in an animal expert, to show off some sort of beautiful beast on our noon news. Last week, it was a Golden Eagle.

My pictures do it NO justice, but here they are anyway. The segment was before Lauryn had to be at preschool, and Owen had one of those odd days, where they had lunch, an assembly, then "Jump Rope for Heart," so I felt I could take him out of school to get an up close look, and chat with an expert. (Hey, he was only out of school for a little over an hour, and it was educational.) The kids were mesmerized.

Pictures cannot do it justice. She was amazing. And HUGE, when she opened her wings. (6 foot wingspan) Wow. So why is she in the care of this guy, and not out in the wild? (Get your tissues, Bri.) Gun shot wound to the wing, a few years back. Horrified, I asked the man, naively, "do they know if it was accidental?" He just looked at me. "How do you accidentally shoot an eagle? When you aim at this guy, you know what you're shooting at." Terrible, just terrible. But thankfully she's now, being taken care of.
I was cautious in my photography -- not wanting to upset this beautiful bird (she got a bit loud and excited several times, all on her own), get too close, use a flash in the dark studio, or stray too far from my kids. So my pictures aren't much. But here's a great photo -- taken by a friend of mine at work, and photo-shopped. SOOooo much more impressive than mine.

Beautiful, the wonder of nature, and all of the creatures in it.

No, I'm not dead.

Yeah, I know, I know. It's been a while. And the pressure is mounting: "It's been 2 months since my last post. The first one back has to cover so much... so many things have happened, holidays, birthdays, inaugurations (okay, just one of those), momentous elements of our lives, news, rantings on current events, the books I've fallen in love with, the leaps and bounds of my children's developmental skills, the life lessons, the quiet afternoons, the funny links... how can I ever live up to the pressure!!"

Okay. Relax.

My loyal readers (all 5 of you) will forgive me, I know. The truth is, I've been obsessing for roughly the past month and a half. There have been different focuses of my obsessions: work, kids, our new President, catching up on sooo-ho-ooo many things I must do. I've just been bouncing from one obsession to the next, focusing all of my time and energies on that element that I have (rationally, I'm sure) decided must. get. done. now.

Among them:
Following my husband's lead in the cleaning and organizing of the house. Seriously. He's done a lot. And my guilt won't let me sit back and let him do it all. (Or maybe its my control-freakish-ness...) He's a good motivator, so I capitalize on his energy, when I can.

(He started by organizing every game/card/puzzle we own. Wow. Why don't we play games more? Its not for a lack of options.)

(I followed with work in the kitchen. Bricks, boards and oddly-made shelves followed. The realization that I am related to my mother is comforting. )

The next obsession: the changes coming to my workplace. Nothing is final yet, but I see my role (and so many others I work with daily) changing. I think the changes will all be for the best. I will probably end up moving off the vampire shift, eventually. Eventually. And in my obsession regarding that new element, I realized that if my schedules change, my cooking duties at home must as well. So I obsessed on making freezer-ready food. Lots. And Lots. And Lots. It gives me such satisfaction to see so many chicken noodle casseroles in the freezer.

Then there's been the books. This will sound dumb, yes I know, but sometimes I forget that I like to read. It always seems like an effort to start a new book -- getting past the first few chapters, and reaching the "must-keep-reading-now-at-the-expense-of-all-else-in-my-life" point in the book, sometimes takes forever. It hasn't lately.

Again, Brad has been the motivator -- he's been reading A LOT lately, and organizing our books (and hitting up the 25 cent book sale at the DAV) in the process. He's decided we need a new house with room for a library. Yeah. I think so too. I'll let you know when that one happens. I've decided to re-read some of my favorite childhood books, as I encourage Owen to read them. Wow. I forgot how much I love Madeline L'Engle. I'm now searching for every book of hers I haven't read. There's quite the list.

We kept busy celebrating our new president (can I get an "Amen!?") . We cleaned up a park when he asked for our service, and spent a quiet morning at home, cuddling on the couch (no school that day) when he took his oath of office (I don't care if it was bungled, it was still pretty amazing.)

The amazement was not lost on my children, not even my 5 year old. She could tell in her mommy's eyes that this was a really important day.

And even though there were only 4 people in our house at the time, we know we didn't experience it alone:

And yes, in between all of those obsessions there were Christmas and New Year celebrations with family we rarely get to see (everytime Lauryn burps, she now says "was that as loud as Bri?!?" with a thoroughly excited look on her face) and phone conversations with others, too far away to visit. We celebrated 2 birthdays -- momentous ones for Owen and myself. He turned an age that now includes two digits. I turned an age that left me finding gray hair 4 days later. We made valentines, had a visit from one of our closest friends, enjoyed 70 degree days, and the frigid normal winter days that followed. We've gone to school, to work, to the grocery store, to the park, to the museum, to the zoo, to grandparents' homes. Its been good.

And I promise to work on my blog more. Really. Now that the initial one is out of the way, the pressure's off. Whew! What a sigh of relief!

Before I go -- a happy kid picture. Because no one can get enough of those!

Cheers!

A blur

It feels like the last few weeks (and the few before that) have been a blur of activity.

And before the next frenzy of Christmas celebrations begins, I want to remember what we've been up to:
Birthday celebrations, big piles of leaves and big smiles -- before we had even had a thought of hospital waiting rooms.

Long drives home at night, after exhausting days, siblings quiet, curled up, sharing their space and their rest.

Boisterous days. Lots of smiles.

Cold nights, warm blankets. Books.

Rare celestial sights that we won't see again for decades.

Appreciation that even my point-and-shoot camera can capture some of the intensity of Venus:

The joy of watching raw ingredients combine...


to create overflowing mounds of potential.


The knowledge that the end product, no matter how tasty, is never as important as the process, the lesson, the time together, the memories made.

December traditions.
The payoff for many after-school music practices.

Precise care taken with every ornament.

Not stepping in, even once, to replace a decoration. Thinking the tree has never looked more beautiful.

As the next blur of gatherings, food, cold and travel come upon us, may we remember not to lose focus on the memories that define us.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Operation: Lessons Learned

'Tis the season of holiday food drives. Of course the need is year round, but there's something about the bitter cold to remind me that someone else doesn't have a coat, or sleeps outside every night; the huge feasts help me recall that many don't have enough on a regular basis; and the extravagant toy shopping helps me to realize that just one of the gifts under the tree would be a dream come true for many kids.

So this year, we did something a little bit different for one of the local charities, Operation Holiday. While we usually raid the shelves/pantry for the food drives at school, or go searching for old, but good coats in our closets, this year we took a much more direct approach to the giving season. My mom was the catalyst: she had taken the kids shopping last year, to let them pick out food to give to the food pantry. This year, she would be busy helping dad recover from his bypass, but wanted them to have a similar experience. So she gave the kids $20 each, and a few days later the kids and I headed to the grocery store.

Owen grasped the concept easily:

Lauryn was entirely sure she'd rather keep her "dollar" for herself.
(She was hiding it behind her back in this photo.)

Once inside though, it became a game to pick out our favorite meals and snacks. The kids walked through the aisles, carefully deciding what items were too expensive, what would be tasty for kids, what kinds of meals they could make with each purchase. Owen kept a running total, and as we inched closer to the $40, their choices were much more calculated.

The purpose of staying within the $40 wasn't that we couldn't afford more; it was about the kids realizing how far the money could go, how much it cost to feed a family, how much their favorites cost each day.

Here was the total:

$46.83

I had agreed, from the beginning, to pay the tax, for ease of calculating. Tax= $2.78

46.83-2.78 = $44.05

I had agreed they could each pick out a snack for themselves (because it was already 4:45, they were hungry, and I forgot to put the lasagna into the oven before we left, so it was going to be at least an hour, after we returned home, before supper was ready.) They picked out Yogurt Raisins ($1.69) and Muffins ($2.29)

So $44.05-2.29-1.69 = $40.03

They spent exactly $40.03, before tax.

And here's what it bought:

Once we spread it out on the kitchen table, Owen was thoroughly amazed that for the price of one new video game, he could buy all this food. I'll admit I too, was impressed with the purchases. Of course we couldn't buy all the expensive perishables: meat, milk, cheese, butter, bread etc., but still we did get quite a lot for our $40. It has forced me to take a closer look at my own grocery habits.

The kids and I made a list of what we bought. If one family of four were to receive all that we gave, what could they make? Realizing that we couldn't buy the perishables, and expecting that the family would have certain basics at home, here is what we calculated:

4 suppers of spaghetti, sauce, veggie and fruit
4 lunches of mac and cheese with fruit
2 lunches of soup, veggie and fruit
2 tuna casseroles
2 tuna sandwiches
12 breakfasts
5 weeks worth of PB&J for school lunches
3 loafs of bread
1 batch of cookies
2 months + of Rice
2 weeks worth of afternoon snacks.
Enough popcorn for 12 movie nights

Operation Holiday is now $40 richer in food. Another family will have enough to eat this month. And the kids learned a valuable lesson. (I think I did too.) 'Tis the season!

Proud Mama

This post was supposed to begin with the reasons why I was posting the video of Owen's piano recital. Here they are:

Because:
I'm a proud mama;
Dad (who is recovering well, but slowly) couldn't handle a drive, long night, cold, germs and exhaustion;
Mom was needed at home to take care of dad;
I have several more family members who live at a considerable distance;
I like to brag;
Here is Owen's piano recital. He started taking lessons this past spring. We are very proud of him. He loves it. And most of the time doesn't complain about practicing. Most of the time.

(Of course since you don't see a video here, it means I was one-upped by technology again. Help! Other blogger users, explain to me why my videos never post.I think I have figured out that this video was too large, but when I try to post others, I can't make them work either. They are saved in MVI format. (What does that mean!?) and what kind of format do they need to be in?)

Moving on...

So no photos of Owen's recital, because I was rolling on video the whole time. Just trust me. He did very well. He enjoyed it.

Lauryn entertained herself by listening (but not really), coloring every spare inch of the program, and making many funny faces into the camera.

We love our piano teacher -- and we never would have found her, if not for one of Owen's best friends:

The site was a beautiful old treasure of our city that I had never been in before. It was gorgeous, decorated for the holidays. I had images of the grand parties that must have been thrown here 100 years ago.

They had pictures of all of the ladies (yes, all ladies) who have been "in charge" of this social establishment, dating back to the late 1800s. Such history. (Such hairstyles.)

Afterwards, a much more modern tradition: ice cream cones and a drive around downtown to see the extravagant light displays with the grandparents.

It was a fun night!

(Minus the video we'll just have to offer a personal recital for all of our readers. Next time you're in our neighborhood, stop by and ask!)

My last 2 weeks

It is a beautiful and cold Wednesday morning. I got 7 and a half hours of sleep (at night) last night. I woke to a husband already awake and getting the house ready for the day. I fed Owen french toast, bananas and hot chocolate before school. I've done the dishes, started a load of wash, and taken a hot bath with a hot cup of tea. Lauryn slept in.

The calm of this morning is almost surreal compared to the whirlwind of the past 2 weeks. It is welcome. It is time. It is needed.

Two weeks ago today, my dad found out he would need a double bypass. Let me just skip to the end, before I go any further. He's okay. The surgery went well and he's now resting and recuperating at home. But two weeks ago today we had no idea what we were about to go through.

I think open-heart surgery is a little like a house fire. In my newsroom, we only cover house fires if they're big -- if the video is good and there's smoke and flames. We don't cover the "little fires" because there's not much to say about them. "Everyone got out alright, damage is estimated at __ dollars, the cause is under investigation." But for the family who just lost their family pictures, their grandmother's wedding dress, their children's favorite stuffed animal -- that "little house fire" was huge. They lost nearly everything. And we in the news don't blink an eye at it.

Its the same with a major surgery. I know that more than 500,000 bypass surgeries are performed in the U.S, each year. (I looked it up.) I know that they are well-tested and safe. I know that when most people hear "double bypass" they say: "oh. wow. well, I hope he's okay, I'm sure he is." But for the family going through it, it is somewhat more emotional.

It was about 2 months ago that dad had a check-up. Mom had insisted. And due to her semi-retirement, she was able to go with him to the appointment. Most everything checked out well, but mom insisted "He's so tired. He's just so tired all the time." It would have been easy for the doctors, or our family, to push that aside: "Of course he's tired, he works very hard, he travels all the time, he is getting older, you know." But the doc didn't do any of that. He instead sent my dad for a stress test and an EKG. After that, a trip to the cardiologist was scheduled. He said we'd have to do a heart catheter. 2 weeks ago, my sister took a day off work, drove down, and we sat in the waiting room with mom while dad did the procedure. We had anticipated a stint, but not what they told us: double bypass. They admitted dad to the hospital and scheduled the surgery in 2 days. My other sister flew in from the other side of the country. I won't give you the entire details of dad's 10 day stay in the hospital. It was all routine for the doctors and nurses, but to us every set-back was frightening, every step forward, a milestone. The nurses were amazing. The staff was great. Even the woman at the lunchroom counter had that calm even tone that meant: "everything's going to be alright" when she said "your change is $2.31."

We spent my dad's 64th birthday in the hospital.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with cafeteria turkey and mashed potatoes in his room. (And it was really good, by the way.)

Brad, and my in laws were great about making sure the kids were taken care of, since they couldn't be at the hospital for much of the time.

Now, dad's home, slowly recovering, but doing well. And, according to all of the other people who have come forward to tell about their bypasses -- he's going to feel like a new man in a few months. And now, it's all really starting to sink in. One of our family members, a retired nursing instructor, made it all real when she found out where the blockage had been. She pointed to the diagram of the heart: "when the blockage is here, we call them 'widow makers.' The blockage was at an even more severe place than that." My dad had been a heart attack waiting to happen. And we didn't know it. I won't get into the "what-ifs" -- I'm not even ready to think about those. But I know those doctors and nurses saved my dad's life. Literally. Mom's insistence. Dad's willingness to go to the doctor. The family doc's willingness to listen. The expertise of so many people to know what needed to happen next. And yes, some divine intervention. Without just one of those actions, who knows what I would be typing right now.

I could go on and on with emotions, memories and tears. But I won't. If nothing else, please just take this post as a reminder to be vigilant about your health. Dad was very healthy... appeared to be very healthy. We could have all missed the signs. Now, as I sit here -- a relatively young woman with high cholesterol and 15 pounds to lose, I'm taking a closer look at my own health. Please consider doing the same.

I love you dad.

one-upped by technology

After what seems like a long time without a post, without a personal post, without pictures of my beautiful children and their wonderful experiences, and when I finally feel like posting parts of life i don't want to forget, technology comes in and gives me a swift kick in the butt.

I've always put my pictures on my computer by taking out the memory card, and putting it in the slot on the computer. Today, when i do that, nothing happens. Happened yesterday too. I know that i should have installed the junk that came with my computer, and plugged in the cord long ago... but I didn't. And now the cord seems to be the one thing that is missing out of my computer box (the receipt, the software, the instruction manuals are all there, but that cord...)

Sigh.

I would ask my more-technologically-minded-than-me husband to help, but he's in in bed with a 102 fever this morning, complaining of a sore throat. Another sigh. Is it possible he got Owen's strep throat from 2 weeks ago? My children are playing so quietly, so intently, so thoughtfully in Owen's room. I hear little hands pawing through a Lego box, looking for the perfect piece, and a little voice asking big brother for help. It is the perfect time for me to steal a moment of computer time... a third sigh.

In the absence of pictures, a quick rundown:

*we have finished another season of soccer -- it was great. And cold. I'm thankful to have my Saturday mornings back.
*we have been learning with leaps and bounds lately -- it has once again hit me that my little ones are growing up faster than I had noticed.
*i have been slowly weaning myself from my political addiction. I must remind myself every time I turn on the cable news shows... he got elected, we're going to be okay, Fox news can't hurt us now...
*now that the elections are over, personnel has been changed, and the newness of other modifications are wearing off, work is evening out, and once again becoming routine and comfortable.
*Lauryn and I have been spending many hours at the YMCA. I enjoy the exercise while listening to NPR, she loves an hour to play with new friends, color in a new coloring book and climb through their really cool indoor jungle gym.
*I am incredibly anxious for the holidays. I will actually be afforded some time off work, and get to see most of my family in that time. Soon, I will bake an obscene amount of cinnamon rolls, and begin getting out the Christmas decorations. Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year.

More later. Eventually. I'm sure I'll figure out this picture problem. E V E N T U A L L Y.

349

I have much more to say about this election.

But while I work off the headache/political hangover from my 13-hour night at work, I must at least say this:

349

At least.

The numbers may sway a bit, but this is no close race.

This is history on so many levels. I'm exhausted, relieved and enthused.

Is it too early to start chanting "four more years!" ??

Your chance

You all know who I support in the election. This isn't another campaign blog. Instead this is just a reminder: a reminder of what today is.

Consider a few facts (and I hope I have them all correct, I know a history teacher is reading this):
~88 Years ago, women did NOT have the right to vote.
~Although African American men have had the right to vote since 1870, as recent as 1964, those trying to register black voters were intimidated and kept away from the polls. Many never attempted it before 1964.
~Even today, there are a lot of Americans who cannot legally vote because of a felony conviction, even for something as small as a minor drug possession conviction.
~In the last Presidential election (2004) 55% of eligible voters cast a vote.
~In the last Mid-term election (2006) 41% of eligible voters cast a vote.

And consider this (you may have heard it before): My grandmothers were not born with the right to vote. When my parents began voting, segregation was still alive and well in this country. And now, I have the opportunity to vote for a ticket with an African American man or a woman in the top 2 spots. Someday that won't be a big deal. But today it is. I know one day, my grandkids will look up at me with confused faces and say "What do you mean we never had a woman/black/Latino/gay/Asian/Muslim/Jewish etc. president? That's just weird." Yes, one day it will be. I hope and I pray. But today it is not. Today is a historic election. Don't tell your future (or current) grandkids you didn't take part. Go out. Be there. Vote.

Not sure where to vote? Go to this link, click on your state, and it will take you to your local election office that will have everything you need to know.

(And if I'm preaching to the choir here, pass on the facts above to someone, anyone, who might need a little bit of motivation to brave the lines today.)

Yea Democracy! Let's not waste it.

I voted

I'm done. I did it. I voted. (A week ago).
We had a beautiful October day that felt like late August. We had the setting of a serene park

for an exhilarating rally.

Owen received many compliments on his sign (that he made for the caucus on Super Tuesday.)

We got to meet the Governor.

Lauryn loved the music and the excitement of the rally.


Afterwards we took a break to play at the park.

Then to the courthouse, to cast our ballots.

I'm done. I did it. I cast my ballot. For the president, the senator, the congressman, the local school bond issue, the D.A. and the Sheriff -- they're all important.

I've gushed about Obama before. I've ranted about the opposition. I'm not going to today. I just feel grateful for the right to vote for the person I believe in; the person who can turn our country around.
And I'm struck at how far we've come. I read an exhilarating blog about the huge rally in KC. I'm sure it was amazing. Now that I think about it, our family was really lucky to get to see Obama in such a small setting - a gym filled with about 3,000 people. We sat about 10 rows from the front. Wow. What an experience. That was back in January -- when Obama was still a long shot for the democratic nomination.

In February, we caucused with the kids in a snowstorm, waiting 90 minutes to vote in a huge line that snaked around several tight hallways. Back then, I watched the results and wondered -- could this really be happening? Could he really be pulling ahead?

And now. Here we are. One day to go. One day until the results come in. One day before we know the direction our country will be going.
One day.

I wrote a blog, back on January 18, 2007, the day Obama announced his candidacy. That was nearly two years ago, and everything, EVERYTHING, I wrote about that man I believe even more vehemently now. I promised then, that I would eat my words if Obama turned out to be another sleazy politician. Yes, he could still turn out to be one. No, I'm not hanging the entire future of the universe on this one man. But I still believe in him and I still believe in what we can accomplish together:

"I write today with the promise of a new hope, a new way, a new beginning for our country. Normally, I am a very realistic, if not cynical, person, when it comes to my perspective on the outside world. I don't trust very easily, I tend to see things with an air of negativity. War, politics, poverty, global warming, injustice, genocide -- they are realities of life ...

But today, I have to put my negativity aside, to just believe, trust and hope that a new beginning has begun... Its not just about the way the man talks (but he can provoke emotion with his words) its not just about the words he says (but damn, its nice to hear the words) its not just the way he handles himself or how he answers questions (Q: "did you inhale? A: "Wasn't that the point?") or the legislation he gets behind. He just has a new way of being, a new way of leading, a new charisma that our country has not seen in years. Maybe all those things are the quintessential politician. Maybe I am just naive. But I see in Barack Obama something new, something genuine, something worth getting excited for.

What Barack has, is a charisma that the country needs to get behind. Not everyone can be a leader. While it takes many, many people to make change in the country, many who are faceless, nameless, and small, it also takes a leader who has what it takes to rally the troops. Imagine the civil rights movement without Martin Luther King Jr. -- while it took many, many others to bring real change, MLK, was a name, a picture, a face that inspired hope, that brought emotion and truth. The country needed him. And once again I think the country needs a new face, a new leader, a new hope. "

I said I wouldn't gush. This was really meant to be a photo-driven blog. I guess its just hard for me to contain myself. If nothing, I know I won't be alone tomorrow night, watching the returns come in. (Actually, I'll be far from alone, I'll be in a crowded newsroom, yelling results across the room and taking frantic phone calls.) In a larger sense, though, I'll be together with a global community of people who want to see change. I'm praying for the outcome. And whether you want to pray, or go door-to-door, or help get someone to the polls tomorrow -- do whatever you gotta do to make this happen. VOTE. We don't get a second chance at this one.