the ups and downs of an election year

i spent election night in chicago. not by choice, but duty (aka. work) calls. so last night, i checked into my hotel and decided, rather than ordering some so-so room service for a ridiculous price, i'd venture out to see what i could find. i stumbled upon the mambo grill and had the most pleasant evening. see, i wasn't intending to have a wonderful evening. i was incredibly sad to be away from home on election night. it's usually an evening spent cuddling on the couch, watching the polls close, discussing the future of our country. last night, i was stuck away from home and i didn't expect that it would be more than mediocre.

so i find the mambo grill. i sat at the bar, a practice picked up from the bff. and what do you know...the bartender and i had a nice two hour conversation that included politics (of course we were both pro-kerry and pro-obama), history (specifically WWI, Vietnam and a bit of irish history...this was strectching my knowledge, but i think i held my own), religion (he grew up catholic in salt lake city), relationships (i tried not to gloat in my relationship bliss, but i can't really help being happy and i think that gives people hope...not hatred), art (too many museums in Chicago not to talk about art), writing (he writes poetry, i write short stories) and the cute girl who seemed to be hitting on him (she'd come in to pick up her take out order). and of course, i had two mojitos, which were very good. add to that three shots of tequila which we did with the take out girl and i was feeling warm and happy when i walked back across the street to my hotel.

so i pulled out my cell phone to get an update on the election coverage. from the tone of his voice, i knew it wasn't good. and it wasn't. and as quickly as i floated up, i sunk back down.

please let those provisional ballots be good ones. please let some act of god put kerry in the white house. and if not, please don't let george bush continue to run the country as if he has a mandate (from the country or from god). crap!