HOT DAMN!!

I cannot believe it! Obama is our next President. WOW! We are so thrilled and just overwhelmed with the whole thing. As the numbers started rolling in last night and it was looking good, I was just crying with joy, overcome with the relief that it looked like things were finally going to turn around in this country. It was very exciting for Vermont to be the first state to be officially called in Obama's favor.

Tiredness overcame us before the final numbers were in and the celebrations began. When we went to bed, Obama was leading by about 100 electoral votes. I wish we had been able to stay up late into the night to celebrate, but it just wasn't feasible. We woke up, giddy with anticipation, turned on the TV and saw the amazing news. We tried to get Jordan and Taylor to say Obama, but it was a no-go. Jordan was too busy saying uh-oh and Taylor was too busy eating toast.

A few thoughts:

I am so proud of Florida for turning blue this election. What a difference 4 years makes, ey? My mom lives in Florida, so it was a state I was watching, especially given the history there.

Voting in VT was so, so freakin' easy! No lines for me when I voted in the morning and no lines for Penny when she voted in the evening after work. What a difference voting in a rural state makes! In CA, we always waited in pretty long lines and had to strategically plan when we were able to take enough time away from work to go and vote.

Vermont is a blue state, elected Obama for President by a margin of about 55% to 44 % for McCain, and yet our Republican Governor was re-elected, despite two pretty good Democratic and Independent candidates. This is odd to me, but Douglas is a good speaker, so I guess people went with who they knew and felt comfortable with in that office.

I can't believe we have someone other than a white man moving into the Whiet House. It is a day that I never thought I would see in my lifetime and yet, here it is! Well, it's not January yet, but you know what I mean. We have elected a black man to be our President. This is so so awesome and I can only hope that it means our country is moving in the right direction.

However, I am disappointed to see that many (perhaps all, once the final numbers are all in) of the propositions and amendments regarding gay and lesbian rights came down on the side of bigotry and discrimination. We have come a long way, but we have a long way to go. Maybe someday Jordan and Taylor will live in a world where their family is validated as 100% equal in the eyes of the law. I am grateful that we live in VT, where their moms can have a civil union (not equal to marriage, but it is better than nothing!) and can both be seen as their legal parents through a second parent adoption. Here's to seeing the day when same sex parents can be married in all states and have it be federally recognized and not have to "adopt" their own children.