I can now say that the first time I voted it was for the man who won, and coincidentally, the first black president of the United States America.  Now that it's fairly apparent that you'll be taking President Bush's place in the Oval Office come January, I have just one request: Please don't screw up.

Because no matter what you do, you will be held to a higher standard.  A little mistake from you would be the equivalent of a major mistake from the other guy.  It's an unfortunate truth about our society.  Today we proved that we're better than the world expected of us for years.  So -

Dear America:

Let's keep it that way.  Let's prove that we've grown, developed and matured. 

Let's actually do something.

Let's actually care about our world image.

And this time, let's actually change something, and if the government fails to deliver it, let's demand it again until they get the picture.

50 Weird Favorites
 
01: Pattern: Polka-dots in mismatched sizes. And the little squiggles I make and connect on my notes. They're pretty much awesome.

02. Building: Generally the one with my bed in it, or Adam in it.

03. Period in time: I'd love to go to Iceland before the year 1000 and just have a nice long chat about the gods and goddesses... If I could also speak their language.

04. Ocean: The ocean scares me. How about Lake Erie?

05. Country: I've never been out of the US except to go to Niagara Falls. I really want to go to Italy though.

06. Necklace you own: I have a locket without a chain right now that I'd like to wear. Lockets are fun.

07. Pasta sauce: I prefer cheese to sauce.

08. Plant: Apple-Trees

09. Part of your bedroom: The part with the big squishy blankets.

010. Bathroom product: ... well ... I freak out if I don't have my face wash and toothpaste ... but I don't have super affectionate feelings for them

011. Hairstyle: Soft

012. Sleeping position: On my stomach. At some point I decided it would prevent my boobs from sagging as much as if I slept on my side. I have no clue if it's true, but now it's the only way I can sleep. I'll be awake the whole 9 months I'm pregnant (not to mention after that... yeesh)

013. King/Queen: I'm not really sure what this is referencing. I'd prefer to be a Queen, and sleep on a King. Take that however you want.

014. Survey site: There are survey sites?

015. Layout site: There are layout sites? For myspace or something? That's why I haven't used one.

016. Icon site: Seriously?

017. Mythical/fantasy creature: Creatures in the mirrors.  I spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to find folktales related to mirrors. I'm slightly writing a book with that as an element. I might be the only one who likes it, but I'm gonna love it

018. Song before the 90s: I could never choose my favorite classic rock song.

019. Family member: I would prefer not to answer that question.

020. Wild animal: My 3 year-old cousin squeals and jumps every time he sees a picture, even a cartoon or outline, of an elephant. I wish I had such passion.

021. Poptart: ...chocolate... and strawberry. But I never eat them.

022. Ice cream: Chocolate or peanut butter ice-cream with cookie-dough and kitkats or chocolate chips, depending on which ice-cream I went with.

023. Dream: My dreams are either absolutely vivid or just... dull and mundane. I enjoy trying to figure out what caused them.  There are too many to have a favorite. I remember some every morning.

024. Voice: I actually get excited when I can tell Morgan Freeman is narrating something, which he does often. I have no clue why.

025. Piercing: My ears are pieced, but I hardly wear any. Other than that, ouch.

026. Pair of socks: Again with the polka-dots.

027. Bar: Candy

028. Simpsons character: Maggie

029. Futurama character: Probably Fry, honestly.

030. Rugrats character: Um, Chuckie. And to Morgan for saying "ewww" I'm no longer your friend. The Rugrats were AMAZING... at age 3.

031. Friends character: Oi. I dunno.

032. Internet provider: As long as it runs and quickly, I'm happy.

033. Eyeshadow: The kind that's not super goopy or powdery. I know what I mean, and that's all that matters.

034. Comedy actor: :-\

035. Non fiction book: I just randomly bought this amazing biography once about a woman whose father lit her on fire for losing her virginity before marriage and fled the country - I cannot for the life of me remember the name. What's sad is it's in this room somewhere, and I don't feel like looking.

036. Writer: Changes.

037. Talent: Of mine? I can whip out an essay in record speed, and this book is actually something I'm slightly proud of, so maybe that.

038. Physical feature of yourself: My hair, when I choose to make it look nice, which isn't often, but it works.

039. Bra: Sheer with leopard print.

040. Piece of art: Stuff by Bosch is just fun and creepy. Perfect

041. Place to buy music: My brother's bedroom.

042. Name: I don't know. My children will likely not have names. It's sad.

043. Harry Potter character: Luna Lovegood.

044. Outdoor activity: Breathing.

045. Tree: Climbing

046. Age: I like to think they all have advantages

047. Childhood toy: Did I play with toys? ... I had a blanket with a hole in it that I wore as a cape sometimes. I had plenty of toys, but I like make-believe games.

048. Pet: I love my cat, Joey, but Ivy will always have a warm place in my heart.

049. Website: giantitp.com and flipsidecomics.com I'm a nerd. I like webcomics. And bloons tower defense.

050. Language: I'm gonna have to go English, because I'm pretty much a failure at learning other languages. I feel bad about it.

I wish I had someone to talk to about politics other than my boyfriend. Sure, they're always saying Ohio is a toss-up between a red-state and a blue-state (terms I hate), but in this area, it's all RED. I love my conservative friends, but my other friends tend to bury their heads at the subject.

It's not that I want to argue. I want to vent. I want to rant about how frustrating it is on both sides, and how watching the news lately makes me angry.

John Stuart is my refuge. I think I'll look up some videos online.

Women can so easily be divided into groups based on how they feel about chivalry, gentlemanliness, and the assortment of behaviors contradicting those.  Some women love to be doted upon and insist that chivalry is dead.  While I enjoy someone stronger than I offering to help me carry a particularly heavy item, I do not expect this of all men.  Somehow, the idea of needing a man to be chivalrous makes me feel lesser.  I don't need a man for anything (with the exception of my fiance, whom I need on an emotional level, but this is a different subject).  This is nit-picky, though.  It's the behaviors of men that are blatantly un-chivalrous that offend me more, because I find them blatantly rude, forget chivalry, I'm talking respect.

I told my mom about the first time I seriously flipped someone off.  I was 17, and had never felt it necessary to do so until I was driving with my window rolled down one day, and a man pulled up - quite illegally - next to me, rolled down his window, and whistled - loudly.  I responded with my middle finger, and by pulling away.

My mom's response: "I would have considered it a compliment."

I don't.  Maybe I'm wrong, but a man whistling at me is demeaning.  I have a mind capable of comprehending speech.  "Hey, baby, what's your sign?" is preferable to a whistle in my opinion, though I wonder how often men find it effective. 

I'm only thinking about this because today, once again, a man made a comment about my anatomy on campus today.  I wanted to stop and ask him "Really? Has that ever worked for you?" but he quickly diverted his attention to another girl, and I just got out of there as quickly as I could.

Moral of the story:  Don't whistle at me.  This girl gets pissed.  Try, I don't know, a polite conversation.  See where that gets you.

The short story: He asked, I said yes.

The long story:

I'd honestly been expecting it. He had told me that if he didn't propose by his birthday I could break up with him, and I told him I would hold him to it.  Then he got stuck: my brother and sister were leaving town right when he'd been hoping to pull off a big scheme, and he had one day to figure it out.  My poor boy tried to buy me a claddagh ring and ask my parents for permission in one day, so he could ask me for my hand before my siblings left.  He couldn't quite pull it off, and we're planning on ordering the claddagh ring online, with the engagement ring still undecided.

He did, however, ask my parents that day.  My mom made him agree to a long, written-out list of requirements.  I only know two - one was that he has to tell me I'm beautiful frequently.  I love my mother.

The next day he called from his break and asked if I wanted to go canoing that night.  I confess I got excited, jumped a bit, and ran off to buy a new outfit.  Heck, I even put on make-up.  By then, we'd already realized he wouldn't get off work in time to making it canoing, but I insisted we give my parents the evening to themselves since my brother and sister were gone, and we went out.  This is when he told me that my mom had said something along the lines of "you should ask tonight," and he was totally unprepared for that.  I was heartbroken.  Later I mentioned canoing.

"You wanted me to propose while we were in a boat? ... ... Oh, that would have been romantic."

Then he tricked me into paying for dinner.  "It can be my birthday dinner," he said.  I started to get sad.  I was afraid he really wouldn't ask, and I was a little peeved that I didn't think I could look as cute the next day

We shopped for a while, he bought me a sweet little purse from one of those global stores, and then we went to a park.  By now, I had a feeling.  He knew I wanted my proposal outdoors, and he mentioned my favorite park.  We ended up going somewhere else because it closed later, but park was what really mattered to me.  We walked a 1.2 mile path, and he said "hey, let's go back and sit on that bench."  We sat together for a minute.  He hardly spoke, breathed a bit deeply, then shifted down on one knee.

"Will you marry me?"

"I'm gonna need more than that."

He later told me "I was gonna say more, but I wasn't gonna say that and ruin the moment."

I wouldn't have had it any other way.  He babbled about a white picket-fence and wanting little girls who looked like me - "I'm ranting," he said.  I teased him a little, and said "tell me how much you love me."

"I can't possibly do that, because we would never leave this spot.  Every time I'm away from you I realize I love you more, and I don't ever want to not be with you.  Will you marry me?"

"Yes."

Later I made him get back down on one knee and switch the claddagh ring I have to my left hand (we want a new one that will fit a different finger, because right now it fits my ring finger, and an engagement ring/wedding ring will be taking their place there soon enough).

But that wasn't the sweetest part.  As we were walking back, we talked about how it seemed unreal.  We've been together three years.  We've talked about getting married for so long, that it almost seemed too easy.

"Was that okay?  Do you want me to do it again tomorrow?"

I laughed.  It was perfect.  The night was perfect.  I'm in love.  And I'm getting married in two years.



These letters were involved in his original plan for proposing, so we spread them out over my yard before my mom's family came over for a get-together.  I've never gotten so many hugs in my life.  One of the girls at work bought me a smoothie, my boss (very prematurely) offered to throw me a shower, and another girl I work with showed up on her day off with a bridal magazine for me.  My friends have been flooding me with texts and phone calls.  My family loves him.  Moe said that she told her mom about my engagement and her mom said if it had been any of her other friends, she would have been worried but that we "just work," I think was the phrase.  I've been smiling since she told me that.  I'm in heaven.  I feel like I did when we first started dating.  I can't wait to spend my life with him, living for these moments, and all of the other moments, good and bad.  He's worth the bad.  The next two years are going to crawl by, and probably fly by at the same time, but I intend upon enjoying every minute of our engagement.