Thursday, November 09, 2006

I had my parents over last night to celebrate the election. I made a sweet little chicken dish that involves rolling up chicken cutlets with basil, dipping them in a mustard/yogurt concoction and dipping that in a combination of Japanese breadcrumbs and coarsely grated Parmesan cheese. Then you just roast it in the oven for 25 minutes and presto you have a very fancy looking chicken dish. I paired that with a pan of twice cooked potatoes. You boil them in milk and water with some herbs and an onion thrown in. Then you mash them up and bake them in the oven until the top is crispy. It's light and really yummy. I made a simple green salad with sheeps milk feta from Trader Joes and followed with homemade brownies.

It was a dinner worthy of Election 2006. I feel a little guilty. I did not donate money. I did not participate in calling the voters. I've been so discouraged the last few years that I decided to do nothing. The fact that I now have two small children played a lot into it too. Having small kids means being "on" all the time, day and night. I simply did not have the bandwidth to get emotionally involved in this election. It's just been too heartbreaking in the past.

Perhaps the key is for me to not get involved? For the last six years I've voted for every losing candidate. I was beginning to think I was part of the problem. But the curse has been lifted. People are opening their eyes. Congress will no longer rubber-stamp every harebrained scheme the Current Occupant comes up with. Hopefully senate hearings for confirmations will no longer be love fests between interviewers and interviewees. I hope the minute the appointees start squirming around saying that they can't answer hypothetical questions the senators will say. "If you can't answer these questions this process is finished. Either answer them or this process is meaningless and you will not be confirmed. You will go on record with the answers to these difficult questions and you will be accountable to them."

Oh well. Perhaps that may be a little far fetched. But a girl and dream.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

I stopped sleeping on election nights in 2000. I kept waking up every half hour to check the vote counts in Florida. In 2002, I couldn't sleep because I was so disgusted that Romney got elected. In 2004, I kept waking up to see what happened in Ohio.

But last night, I went to bed before the Republicans lost congress. Just seeing that Deval Patrick got elected was enough. I would have probably slept through the night, but Kaylee needed to have a little nurse-a-thon that began at 11:00. So, another day after an election I'm completely exhausted, but instead of feeling a terrible stress behind the back of my head, I feel hopeful. It's like going on anti-depressants after a very long spell of not being able to get out of bed. Suddenly there's a crack in the gloom that lets you know that things are going to get better.

I know that the Dems taking congress won't make any huge changes, but I think it's a great start.

I'm a little bummed about not being able to pick up a nice chablis to go with dinner at Stop and Shop. But whatever. I liked Deval Patrick. I think he'll do a good job.

Still checking the internet about senate races in Montana and Virginia.

But I'm just enjoying the feel of the tides turning again.