Now blogging at www.fiftymoreplease.blogspot.com

Today one dancer tried to make the world a better place knocking on one door at a time.

Bellagio with Addie.

Today was not as good a day as yesterday.  It started and ended beautifully, but in between I saw a whole lot of ugly.  One of our first stops was with a  woman from the Philipenes who just became a citizen last year.  She was very happy to be voting in her first presidential election and wasn't sure who she wanted to vote for yet because she took voting very seriously and didn't want to make a mistake.  After speaking to her for awhile it was obvious she was leaning Obama.  I was inspired and reminded what a privilege it is to be able to vote.  Next came the whole lot of ugly.  White people ugly who seem to favor pit bulls.  It took us half a day yesterday to realize that "undecided" usually is thinly disguised racism.  Today we were lucky enough to encounter pretty obvious racism as in, "I will not vote for a black man."  coming from a  life long democrat, but I must say not very bright (or attractive, but that shouldn't matter) woman.  She told us she wasn't going to be voting to which I replied, "Good".  Then RoseMary said, "Thank you for your honesty." and dragged me away from the door.

We ended on a great note speaking with a young woman also voting in her first election.  She was very excited to talk with us and had many very educated questions.  Her mother was quietly folding laundry and listening.  She was beaming with pride at her daughter and as well she should have been,

So with a few houses to go back in the pit bull neighborhood we decided to skip those and end on a high note.  When I got back to the hotel I slapped on some lipstick and fake hair and Addie and I headed over to the Bellagio to see the garden and Chanel (Happy 4th AA birthday to me).  Addie, Sofie and Andrew are why I am here.  I feel there is a shift in the wind.  A change coming.  Even if, God forbid Obama loses this election a spark has been fanned and we can not go back.  I will stay out here going door to door to make sure my children have as great a country to grow up in as I did as long as it takes.  Pardon the party line, but YES WE CAN!!

What a day.  Long,  hot ,at times irritating, but if we got a few more votes all with it.  Thank God I was with my co Team Fred member RoseMary.  She is great and we really worked well together.  We knocked on 79 doors and only had 4 people tell us they were for "the other guy".  One man who was afraid we would take his guns thinks Sarah Palin is "real sharp and quite a looker".  For God's sake.  We had quite a few undecided which after talking to people you come to realize actually means racist.  One elderly woman told us Barack was mocking the bible and that he was a muslim.  She said she always voted democrat, but just wasn't sure this time.  We spoke with her along time....who knows.

All in all I am so happy I am here doing this.  Thanks Don for holding down the fort at home.

Addie spent the day with her babysitter Miss Sandy who I am pretty sure is Harvey Firestein in drag.  They had a grand time and Addie had donuts, cookies, and ice cream and candy.  What happens in Vegas......

The Debate

Exploring Hotel

Nachos

The Mad Greek

Addie and I left today for Las Vegas to campaign for Barack Obama.  After stopping for coffee we made it all the way to Glendale (5 miles) before we had to exit and fix the headphones for the DVD player.  It took 15 minutes, but it was either that or listen to Nihao Kailin for 4 hours.  I have so many memories of  driving to Vegas.  We went to Wyoming every summer and Vegas was our first pit stop.  I remember when I was ten we stopped at Calico Ghost Town.  Who would even look up there for silver?  It is out in the middle of no where.  We stayed at the campground overnight and the generator went out on the Winnebego so no air conditioning in July in the desert.  Mom let us have a pepsi in the middle of the night to cool off.  It was fun.

Addie napped and then we stopped for lunch at The Mad Greek in Baker.  I was beginning to regret my decision to wear my Obama t-shirt. I know you can't tell by looking (always)  but it looked pretty Republican.  I assured them we were just "passing through".

Our tradition when arriving in Vegas is to get nachos and diet coke at the Forum Shops.  Then Addie got to pick out a lot of toys at FAO Schwartz because mom is leaving her with a babysitter for a long time tomorrow.  I am going into the sun and talking to strangers which are probably the two thinks I dislike the most.  I must really love Obama.

Addie loved the debate.  She is so into politics.  I'm not sure who won, but McCain has that Republican smug smirk down to a science.  Ew.

So, it has been two years since my last post.  In a nutshell:

Addie is 3

Sofie is 11

Andrew is 20

More in 2010.

This is Addie and big brother Andrew getting ready for the prom. She was a big help. I can not believe Andrew is going to graduate in just a few weeks. Last night after the Spring Arts Show I couldn't stop crying. When I finally got a hold of myself I thought about how old I would be when Addie graduates from high school and then I really cried hard. My mother was younger than I am now when her children were out of the house. When she was about my age she met my step father and I though it was wonderful she found love so late in life. It was sweet to see old people so happy. Oh well, I eat well and I still go to ballet, and lifting the stroller in and out of the car is a big work out. Maybe I can manage to still be upright when Addie goes off to college. Besides, I love what I'm doing . Happiness will keep you younger than anything, right?

We have been home six weeks and been through three different illnesses. My favorite was the diarrhea. My idea of a fun evening is changing someone's diaper NINE times between 7:00 and 8:00 pm. The delight of this was then topped off by the dog knocking over the diaper pail to eat the contents and scatter the diapers all over the room. The dog even had a special stash under the crib it took me a few hours to discover. When I finally got everything cleaned up and Addie to sleep I went downstairs to find that the dog had thrown up all over the living room. I was quite pale and shaken by this time and the only thing that could revive me was a decaf latte.

So, how is it at home with the new baby? Actually, fecal matter in the carpet aside we are doing very well. Addie is adapting splendidly and our new family of five is getting along well. I love our new routine because it is so focused. I can't run around volunteering to do a million things. I just take care of the kids and the house and I am loving it. If you had told me this when I was a 25 year old dancer and I was "treading the boards" I would have killed myself. It is funny where life takes you. Lately life has been taking Addie and I to the mall because it has been raining so much. It had better get sunny soon because I'm running out of ready cash.

I even have fond memories of China now. I have a few suggestions for those still to travel. First, do not even consider leaving the country without a tube of Benefits Ooh La Lift under eye de-puffer. If the good people at Benefit would be so kind as to package it in vats I would bathe in the stuff. This is a must have item. Second, pack your bags and then remove half of the things you packed. I should have known that four Louis Vittan steamer trunks were over kill. My last jewel of wisdom is to take along some sort of stain stick for your laundry. Otherwise all those cute little baby outfits you bought will come back from the laundry with stains. That is all I have to offer.

Addie turned one on the 28th. When she got us she could not roll over or crawl. ( Actually pretty convenient for us in the hotel.) Now, a mere seven weeks later she can flip over both ways, army crawl so fast you'd think George Bush was after her, pull herself to standing and say Da, dog, and cat. She is brilliant!!! I am so in love. I am absolutely certain we were all meant to be together and I am so happy I can't stand it.