for mel... i found out where you and your people reside

weasel court, fairbanks, alaska

for the first time

in my lifetime, i can say that this nation did something to be proud of... voted obama.

now i know he isn't perfect, but he is quite remarkable. and this is a symbolic and literal step in the right direction. who would have thought that in this U.S. - where racial and economic equity are dreams, but not reality - that an african american man could be one of two main nominees for prez.

i guess we are mostly still in shock. by we i mean the liberals and radicals. because i think a lot of radical liberals don't wanna vote for the two major parties. we are sick and tired. and constantly, constantly disappointed.

but here is this man, this smart, charismatic, and left leaning african american man, running for president. and not in the symbolic jessie jackson/ nader way. but for real.

and you know, people criticize him because he doesn't reach "working class" people, but i don't think that is accurate. i mean poor people of color, young people, women and men (except white middle-aged women), educated people all voted his way. People in states that are pretty damn working class and overwhelmingly white - he got 57% of the democratic vote in montana or 79% in idaho - like him enough to vote for him. which leaves North Eastern white working class people who don't like him. well... they may never. but i don't give a damn.


screw it. i'm ready to be excited. i may be a socialist with anarchist tendencies. but i'm ready to take a chance on this man.

i love big cheeks

wanna know why? they are so damn kissable

sleeping "like a baby"

i totally relate

this is my mom with my niece - not sure which is tired-er

it's my blog-y and i'll post what i want to... POST WHAT I WANT TO!

ha. jk actually. i do anyway.

i went to the russian river with a and company this weekend. two things worth mentioning:

1. i am perhaps past the point when i can use lame camping pads. i have a bad back (oh my aching back!) and the thin foam - read 2/5th of an inch - just doesn't cut it. why suffer? when mel and i go roadtrippin' this summer, i'm getting something good.



2. i like rafting. not white water rafting, which i also enjoyed a while back in montana... but takes A LOT of muscles. rather sitting on a floatie and going downstream in a bathing suit. even though one of the others told a story about the last time there was something smeared on him when he got out of the russian river and it was human poop. disgusting.

it looked somewhat like this - except the water was brown and i was wearing a bathing suit -

however the green floatie is pretty accurate.

i like camping and floating and would do it again.

faccia bella... i promise to stop being obsessed tomorrow.

does being an auntie make me old?

i am already an auntie to anjali (see previous posting) but now i am auntie numero uno to my step-sister's newborn allie reese falzone. she is f-ing adorable.

went to ny over the weekend and experienced my first hospital birth! is was pretty crazy - and there were times when i couldn't tell what time it was and didn't see the outdoors for 10 hrs. but all in all, i got a niece out of it. my mom was a year older than me when she had me... katie is only 3 yrs older than me. it makes me feel a little old. but in a good way.

here are some pics of the family and allie.

allie's grandpa eddie

alllie's great-gram louise

allie's mom, my step-sister, katie

wanna copy mel but i won't

so mel is doing this thing where she interviews her friends (gay) and then puts it up on her blog. and for the most part it is completely addictive (except one which was boring, but not her fault). i am jealous because i wanna know that kinda stuff from the people in my life.

once, about 3 years ago, i was at a bar in ny with my friend from high school, alyssa, and somehow we started talking about religion and spirituality. i knew from a convo we had in high school that the idea of infinity/nothingness/forever was super scary to her. so i wanted to know "what are your spiritual beliefs?". sadly i don't remember what she said that night. but we also called my friend alaleh (also from high school) and i asked her the same thing. it was the first time i had really asked my good friends this question! and again i don't remember her answer - dumb alcohol. but we were all excited and kind of shocked to be asked that question.

it was kinda like the first time i found out that girls touch themselves (i was 17!) and felt like "why didn't anyone tell me!". except more profound. maybe...

so maybe when mel is done, i can send out a call... what are your beliefs about god/spirituality/ whatever happens next? not to put on my blog. or maybe all at once. mostly just for myself. because i am interested.

or maybe i'll just wait long enough that no one will remember mel's blog and i can pretend it was my idea.