major victories for the USA

 Last night's election outcome was quite wonderful with lots of big and small (all important) wins because the anti-Trump movement is gaining momentum and I am feeling relief this morning. 

election day 2024

 Thanks to my neighbor, Heidi, for this poem. Yes, we are all on pins, needles, chads.

Alison Luterman

HOLDING VIGIL

My cousin asks if I can describe this moment,

the heaviness of it, like sitting outside

the operating room while someone you love 

is in surgery and you’re on those awful plastic chairs

eating flaming Doritos from the vending machine

which is the only thing that seems appealing to you, dinner-wise,

waiting for the moment when the doctor will come out 

in her scrubs and face-mask, which she’ll pull down

to tell you whether your beloved will live or not. That’s how it feels

as the hours tick by, and everyone I care about

is texting me with the same cold lump of dread in their throat

asking if I’m okay, telling me how scared they are.

I suppose in that way this is a moment of unity,

the fact that we are all waiting in the same 

hospital corridor, for the same patient, who is on life support,

and we’re asking each other, Will he wake up?

Will she be herself? And we’re taking turns holding vigil,

as families do, and bringing each other coffee

from the cafeteria, and some of us think she’s gonna make it

while others are already planning what they’ll wear to the funeral,

which is also what happens at times like these,

and I tell my cousin I don’t think I can describe this moment,

heavier than plutonium, but on the other hand,

in the grand scheme of things, I mean the whole sweep

of human history, a soap bubble, because empires

are always rising and falling, and whole civilizations

die, they do, they get wiped out, this happens

all the time, it’s just a shock when it happens to your civilization,

your country, when it’s someone from your family on the respirator, 

and I don’t ask her how she’s sleeping, or what she thinks about

when she wakes at three in the morning,

cause she’s got two daughters, and that’s the thing,

it’s not just us older people, forget about us, we had our day

and we burned right through it, gasoline, fast food, 

cheap clothing, but right now I’m talking about the babies,

and not just the human ones, but also the turtles and owls

and white tigers, the Redwoods, the ozone layer, 

the icebergs for the love of God—every single 

blessed being on the face of this earth

is holding its breath in this moment, 

and if you’re asking, can I describe that, Cousin, 

then I’ve gotta say no, no one could describe it

we all just have to live through it, 

holding each other’s hands.

  

meeting the voters

 I meet Jack at 8am (or maybe 8:15) on Saturday mornings now. A routine that I won't really miss after the election is over. But for now I think it is important for me to try to help Mayor London Breed. Also I am learning to appreciate the Noe Valley Farmers' Market, a scene I used to avoid with my usual "I dislike crowds" kind of attitude. 

finally ~ to the Fillmore

 I volunteered at the big re-election kick-off rally yesterday morning at the world famous Fillmore Auditorium. I don't think I had ever been there in my feckless youth. The place was packed and I exited before the speeches since it was SRO. Mayor Breed is far from perfect but I admire her and do not like the rich white guys who are running against her. My fellow volunteers? Impressive!

no red wave!

 

This political junkie started watching the results early last night filled with trepidation. Then, and then...maybe the tRump nightmare is fading? It was a far better mid-term election than many of us expected and President Biden is also breathing a sigh of relief. Whoosh.

to the polls, you sons of freedom

 And daughters. And vote-by-mail. One day the citizens will vote on their iPhones, but until then I have grown to appreciate the mail-in early option and now I will worry about the results, of course. We live in perilous times ~ funny, I remember my parents thinking that too. 

one glorious Saturday in November

The grand daughter, Ceci, and I celebrated with fake champagne yesterday after the election was finally and officially called for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the morning. There were people out in the streets all over America ~ delighted that tRump would be gone in 2021. I watched a lot of TV, bathing in this feeling of hope. Finally I got a walk in and the Walgreen's cashier told me that everyone was in such a good mood and of course that makes her job easier too. 

still waiting

Perhaps today we will know who our next President will be. We don't need to see the gun-toting Trump supporters at vote counting places in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia. But I did sleep last night ~ hooray!

exhausting night

I had such hope that Americans would repudiate tRump and his dictator dreams. I really don't think I can listen to four more years of this hate mongering and all of the lies. Come on Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania ~ do the right thing. Patience.

board 'em up

SF is preparing for a messy election. I hate seeing all the boarded up stores and restaurants, but I do understand. If tRump loses (please god) his tough ass rifle toting followers might descend upon our city to do battle. Wake me when it's over...

calming thought

 The Power We Have 

LODRO RINZLER 

The person we elect has tremendous power. But they have zero power over 

how we show up for others and offer love. 

Zero. 

L O D R O R I N Z L E R ' S most recent book is How to Love Yourself 

and Other People): Spiritual Advice for Modern Relationships. 

you are safe with me

Yesterday Husbando and I had lunch at Barzotto, a new pasta place on
Valencia and 24th. The two women sitting next to us were wearing safety
pins and I later learned that this started in England as a way to signify
to immigrants, gays and minorities that not every citizen there is a hater
after that dismal Brexit vote. I will wear a safety pin until Trump is
impeached.

I also sent money to ACLU because they will have to defend our constitution.
Today I will donate to Planned Parenthood. Freedom can get expensive,
but the fight has begun.

a day of hope

Tuesday at John's Grill. My friend Marsha in the bottom left hand corner
with a couple of her admirers. Someday Gavin will be President, on
that we can all agree. We were filled with optimism on Tuesday and
many good things did happen in the election. More gun control for one
thing and Big Liquor will suffer when marijuana is legal here in Calif.

Yesterday was a day of grieving and acceptance. I was heartened to see
the spontaneous protests in cities across America last night. We marched
through the Nixon Era and we will fight the bigots with new determination.
Lunch out with Doug and Barb at the Mission Rock Resort helped
us as we found a few other things to talk about out on the beautiful Bay.

shell shocked

President Trump. There I said it. Today we will mourn and try
to get our strength back. I take heart from the Huffington Post
this morning:

If Trump can reverse the economic inequality he decried 
during his campaign, bring back manufacturing jobs, 
find a way to give people better healthcare for less 
money, invest in infrastructure to stimulate the 
economy and otherwise make the country great, 
we’ll cheer him on. We’ll find out.

Nothing will be helped if I remain bitter and angry, 
but it's OK just for today, isn't it?

birds, rabbits and oh, please...

two birds from Linda

two rabbits at the SPCA

The oh, please is for some positive election results tonight. We want an
early landslide for Hillary, but that might not be possible. I'll be meeting
my friend Marsha at John's Grill today where ex-Mayor Willie Brown
is hosting the entire city and since I don't "do" crowds very well, I
won't be staying too long. Let's hope for the HRC red/white/blue logo
in tomorrow's post and for America's future.

how l-o-n-g until November?

This is the nastiest and worst presidential campaign ever. Everyone knows
that this blog loves HRC and I don't know how she can withstand the
absurd attacks from numb nuts Trump. I just want to go hide until my
ballot arrives in the mail, but of course I keep watching and reading and
getting all pissed off every single day. Grrrrrrrrrrrr. Be brave, Hillary...

oh, what a night

Yes, we felt hope and pride last night. I loved the two VPs (Biden and Kaine) and
POTUS was at his very best when he said that Hillary was more ready to be
President than either he or Bill had been. So generous and loving.

front row seats

Well, I did NOT want to spend my first full retirement week watching the
DNC folks squabble and babble in Philadelphia. The Bernie people are wet
and weepy, but at least their voices weren't squished like dissidents at the
RNC last week. I didn't expect to be impressed last night, we've been
through a few of these before, but I was. thanks to: Sarah Silverman,
Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Michelle Obama (!) and Bernie Sanders.

possible?

I couldn't get enough of HRC and Elizabeth Warren as they took Ohio by
storm yesterday. A big, blue storm. I don't think the country is ready for an
all-women ticket, I mean we are only half of the population. But we can
dream, can't we? And, man, they sure looked and sounded great together.

part-time robin

IN THE NEWS (the prompt)

Must I listen

to this asshole Trump

every single day until the

November election?

I can’t bear it ~

the lies, the hate and god,

he is such a 

complete buffoon.

Americans should be

embarrassed by this

crude and dangerous

excuse for a man.

Is there a possibility

that he could be elected?

My stomach turns at

the very thought.

05/24/16