Wow, what a night. They call it a historic election and they are right. Here is why: I wound up having to take an Ambien.
I have not taken an Ambien in I do not know how long!
I think it has been two years. That was when I had sleep problems and had to go to the sleep doctor because things got to the point where it was as if I flew to Europe three times a week. Heavens, that sentence! Perhaps the Ambien has still not worn off.
The sleep doctor did not give me the Ambien. The sleep doc works without drugs. But the doctor before him did. And I still have a few left kicking around. I had not thought of them in forever. But lastnight, I did.
A place for everything and everything in its place, is my motto, so I was easily able to find the Ambien on the lazy Susan in the kitchen, stashed among the baking powder, baking soda, allspice and vanilla extract. I made my own vanilla extract, with vodka and a vanilla bean from the Broadway Market. I am proud of myself.
Half an Ambien, and boom. As soon as you swallow the thing you can feel something is off in your head. I mean, you feel that within two seconds. I walked up the stairs going "La, la, la, la, la..."
I have not even told Howard this, but I was dreaming about Barack Obama and in my dreams he was the greatest guy. We were out partying somewhere and the only trouble was that he left his gloves in the trunk of my car and I was not sure how I was going to get them to him.
That is my way of wishing Obama the best and I wholeheartedly hope he succeeds as president, because what is good for his presidency is good for the country. That attitude is more than I saw from any liberals when Bush was elected four years ago, by the way. No liberals wished him the best. They just began immediately to hate him and rip him apart. But me, I am taking the high road!
Having slept I can see the bright side of things:
No. 1, I was not in love with John McCain anyway. If I had really loved the Republican candidate that would have been one thing. But this is another.
No. 2, with the election over and the die cast, I can now not feel guilty for thinking about Leonard Pennario round the clock.
We've listened to it a million times, but how 'bout Pennario, in that Ravel Toccata?
I think I will take a few minutes and just sit and listen.
6 comments:
I heard Obama has Leonard Pennario on his iPod.
Oh, and it's unfair and untrue to say that liberals didn't wish Bush fils the best-- everyone I knew hoped that he would govern moderately, and with respect for the fact that the majority of the country didn't vote for him. We see now how that worked out-- there has not been a worse period in American history since the Civil War, and it has come about because Bush was allowed essentially unfettered rein to govern as he wished. The Bush Administration stands as a monument to the intellectual bankruptcy and incompetence of the Republican Party, and we are all the poorer for it.
Wow Bill. I guess you dems are just as gracious in victory as you are in defeat. At least you are consistent.
On another topic, a sincere wish for a successful presidency for Obama and a spirit of cooperation between the 2 parties and all Americans. Thanks MKG for taking the first step. Well, actually McCain did in his gracious concession speech and his call for Americans to come together and back our new president. I for one plan to do just that.
I certainly do not wish to appear ungracious. I'm not able to think of anything that has gone well in the political realm in this country since the 2000 election, but maybe I'm just a glass-half empty kinda guy. So fill me in. What are you going to miss? What do you think is going to chnage for the worse? If history is any guide, the next administration will govern from the middle. (Clinton did, you will recall. So did Carter, and so did LBJ.) I'll be happy if, at the end of four years I can keep my shoes on when I go to the airport.
UGH. Bush-bashing...so yesterday......I respect your wish to do it, but I have NO wish to rehash what my thoughts about what has gone right or wrong politically in the last 4/8/20 years in the history of the US. I know from what you have said so far that we are NOT going to agree. And that is OK with me. I still respect your opinion and what you have to say. I could jump in and bash Clinton and Pelosi like a CHAMP. Those days are over for me............ at least until there is something to be gained by it. I have thoughts that could go on all day but what would that accomplish?
Rather than reflect on all of that and argue about all of that, which we have all had PLENTY of time to do, and HAVE done, throughout the election and before, and will undoubtedly will do again before the next election, is there ANY chance that we could enjoy the fact that the election is over and make every attempt to pull together and support our new president? Bashing past and current presidents are not going to put anyone in the mood for unity and coming together as a country. All around the country you will find Republicans throwing their support behind our new president who they did not vote for because we love this country and because it is the right thing to do. President-elect Obama and John McCain asked to do this and I for one am doing my best.
We can agree, I think, that it is important for the country to move forward. I'm not interested in discussing politics on the level of personalities. What is supposed to be about, and what we should be discussing, are the ideas that will form the basis of good governance. I can't speak for anyone other than myself on this, but that is what informed my ballot yesterday. We have seen the results of poorly thought-through ideas. Now it is time to do things differently. I could go on all day about George W. Bush personally, just as others could about Nancy Pelosi, or Bill Clinton, but that's the wrong frame for the discussion-- that sort of People Magazine analysis is too superficial for serious people, and doesn't advance the conversation. I hope you are correct when you predict that people who did not vote for Obama will throw their support behind them, and I am so sincere in that hope that I am resisting snark with all my might. I think Obama has the potential to be a unifying force if the people that didn't vote for him approach his term in good faith.
This time I'm going to use my real name. Mary, thanks for the Ravel link. I really appreciate your musical postings. As far as politics, I like the story about Truman after he beat Dewey against all odds. He told his staff, "No gloating! We licked 'em, now let's make 'em like it." I hope all of this has a healing effect on America. My wife and I have talked to some African American friends, all in their 70s and 80s and they all have talked about the same thing: how much this would have meant to their parents and grandparents, who were people who lived their entire lives in a Jim Crow society. (I don't know if this is a good sentence, but anyway...)
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