Too much happened for me to give you a real idea of what it's been like to work so hard for the Obama campaign these past couple of months, and honestly, I worked with so many people who have been at this for FAR longer than I was, so really this victory is theirs, but I would like to try and tell you about last night...

You should have seen my house- it was a staging location for the last five days, and I was the Location Director.  Over that time period we had 50-60 people a DAY in and out volunteering to talk to people, hang door-hangers, knock on doors, drive people the polls, etc... At 6:45 we called all of our canvassers back and every time a group came through the door we had rounds of applause and cheers and hugs going around through the people crowding the family room, living room, and kitchen anxiously watching our tvs...  No matter what happened we knew we had put up the best fight possible, we had all made sacrifices and given everything we could-everyone here was a hero. 

We were flipping between CNN, BBCA, Comedy Central, and MSNBC, practically DYING to hear some news on returns as the polls closed on the east coast and across the nation.  There was definitely trepidation- we all watched nervously and reassured one another when McCain received the early lead (the only time that night it would turn out), but quickly we saw Obama pulling in state after state.  We still weren't certain, we weren't even confident, we were buffered by caffeine, carbohydrates and hope. We would cheer after every additional electoral vote gained, but still returned to near-silent angst as we kept our eyes on the states we knew would make or break the election. Then Pennsylvania went blue.  The cheers that erupted from the crowd were deafening, and as the stations increased Senator Obama's electoral count, we all saw very suddenly that the victory we'd been working so hard for was actually within reach.  One after the other the states began reporting numbers, and the votes began piling up faster than anyone could have anticipated.  Ohio went Blue, and it was all over.  There was screaming and jumping, hugs and lifting of people off the ground.  John McCain gave a gracious and elegant concession speech, reminding us of the proud, passionate American he is.  We had done it. There was no way Obama would fail to achieve the magic 270.  After the initial burst of excitement and flurry of phone calls and texts to loved-ones near and far, we settled again, anxious to hear just how many votes the new President-Elect would earn, waiting to see if what we had done here, the unprecedented effort we had put forth in Nevada, would amount to anything.  He didn't need those five electoral votes, but we did.  And we got them.  Nevada went blue with an overwhelming margin causing yet another eruption of cheers and elation, possibly louder than all the others.  The numbers kept climbing, states we never expected to win went to our candidate, and people cried, hugging each other tightly.  The crowd at my house began dispersing for the victory party.  As a few remaining volunteers who'd taken time off and driven here from San Francisco remained we toasted our friends, colleagues, and our new President with some homemade hard cider, and awaited his victory speech.  The speech, as I'm sure everyone will know and remember, was moving, it brought tears to my eyes, and those of the men surrounding me.  This great and proud Nation had chosen a new leader, and had not given to terror, fear, or prejudice.  

Afterwards, Russ and I attended the Victory Party at the Grand Sierra Resort, and I gave and received hugs from many people who I will likely never see again.  For me there is a bittersweetness to this victory- I am losing all those great and passionate people with whom I have spent so much time with over the past months, but I woke up today with a great sense of pride, and still hope, that we can once again prove our potential to be the greatest Nation on Earth.

Yes. We. Did.

Mind-set: accomplished What are Tags?: activism, awesomeness, barack obama, life, only in nevada, politics, victory!

So, I'm a staffer/GOTV Organizer/Intern, WHATEVER for the Barack Obama campaign.  That might explain why I've been off of the grid for WEEKS.  Plus I'm going to the gym 5 days a week and suck, and still working at the gym on weekend nights.


Right now I'm just fucking stoked to see my bestfriend Dwayne, who's been gone for months.  He's coming home in some 40 days, and I think I might have a small heart attack before then.  People have been asking me what we're doing for his coming home party, rather than ask him, which irked him a lot, because it's not like I'm his fucking filter, they're just as capable as I am of sending him an email... But of course none of them did- so I'm now planning a big party at a part or restaurant for friends, family, buddies, and co-workers for the weekend before Christmas of all times. LoL Oh well, it's nice to be so important and loved, so shouldn't complain.


Um... got a new job which starts the day after the election, so I'm quitting the gym, and purchasing an actual membership, and should finally rejoin the ranks of the living and social! GO me!    I'm so excited, and it is nearly the same pay as I was making before.  Boreal is also opening soon, and I've been rehired, so I'm so stoked on that.  I'll have a regular 8-5 job, my evenings back, and then weekends I'll be tearing up the slopes (in between picking up fat tourists!)  I could not be more excited, considering the virtual raping I received by 2008 so far this year... I'm still a little gun-shy over it all.

Russ is going out of town on Sunday-Friday, so I have to be home to do all the shit he's been taking care of during my time with the campaign- taking the dogs out, taking the trash out, cleaning the cat boxes, etc.  Things I normally have no problem taking over, but with how everything is ramping up for the final week, it feels a little overwhelming.  Plus, I'm going to have a staffer from Chicago living in my house the 31-5, PLUS my house/living room will be a staging area for the finals days of the campaign, so I have to clean house MAJORLY and get the room ready, etc.  Oh yeah, I'm working at 4:30am on Monday at the gym to cover a shift too. I kick ass.  Because I will get it all done.  I always do.  That's why people come to me, because I make shit happen. 

Yeah- probably not all and not adequate after MONTHS of not updating, but seriously, I can't even wrap my brains around the internet right now.  Oh yeah...

my article came out in the October issue of the Reno Passport www.renopassport.com, and I'll have another feature in the November issue.  Consider myself PIMPED!

Mind-set: exhausted What are Tags?: activism, awesomeness, barack obama, boreal, dorkiness, dwayne, dwayne/iraq, friends, good news, irony, my life, only in nevada, politics, russ, skiing, weightloss, work, writing