Tuesday, November 4, 2008

What To Do While Waiting

1) Do not check polls on any number of web sites. This is much akin to diagnosing a cold with a google search. You will log out with the plague or colitis.


2) Consider reorganizing a coat closet. An attic. The pantry.

3) Call old friends, yawn, sigh and say "So.... what's going on? Anything new with you?"

4) Pick through left-over Halloween candy. Arrange Skittles in a colorful row. Add M&Ms. Then Dots. Invent new art form.

5) Windex the inside of your car's windows. Because you can. Because, why not?

6) Let your children vote on what to have for dinner, exercise your veto powers, and finish with a hearty "and that my little friends is a beautiful thing called Checks and Balances!"

7) Catalog your catalogs. Fill up the recycling bin. Feel good about doing your part. 

8) One word: solitaire.

9) Ponder the number nine. If you say nine nine times, it sounds weird. Try it.

10) Type type type. 

Repeat 1 through 9 (minus #6, because that would be, um, dumb and involve lots of cooking), throw in a 11) cocktail and breathe. It's a pretty awesome day to be American, yo.

19commentsBrilliant Person Wrote...

for a different kind of girl said...

I've done at least half of these. I didn't even give #9 a chance because I had dinner planned already this morning. However, I still have flown through news channels, waiting for something.

I guess until 9 p.m., I'll plan to do #4 after my version of #9.

patty said...

It's 1 a.m. where I am. In a hotel room. With very few of the options you listed available to me.

The wait is KILLING ME.

Susan said...

What? But how can I pace when I'm doing all those other things? How will the polls come in if I'm not pacing? Also, kids had a civics lesson when they tried to vote on dinner. Trout Towers is a benevolent dictatorship.

graham's mom said...

I've always had a big ol' dose of magical thinking, so I feel like I do when I am watching a Red Sox game - if I am in the room and they are winning, I must stay; if they are losing, I have to leave the room or I will continue to jinx it. Gah! Vermont = stay! Kentucky = leave! Indiana = back and forth to the kitchen until I gain 5 lbs.

graham's mom said...

I've always had a big ol' dose of magical thinking, so I feel like I do when I am watching a Red Sox game - if I am in the room and they are winning, I must stay; if they are losing, I have to leave the room or I will continue to jinx it. Gah! Vermont = stay! Kentucky = leave! Indiana = back and forth to the kitchen until I gain 5 lbs.

Deeples said...

I simply can not believe that I have to get through this night without drinking!

WHAT WAS I THINKING GETTING PREGNANT BEFORE THE SINGLE MOST HISTORIC, EPIC AND IMPORTANT POLITICAL EVENT OF MY LIFETIME?!!!

::: pant, pant :::

I guess I'll go back to Plan A, which is pick off all my mascara and my fingernail polish, slam Diet Caffeine-Free Cokes and stuff my face with Fritos scoops.

Unknown said...

I'll go with 'type, type, type.' It always works.

Jen W said...

Totally on my 3rd #11...

Heather said...

I am just exhausted. We went blue here.

Anonymous said...

My husband--the Mary Matalin of this marriage--is groaning as he watches Fox News. Now he knows how the last eight years have felt for me...I am planning on logging on to CNN until I get that 270. Chances are I'll have the bubonic plague by the time the polls close.

Anonymous said...

I chose #10 and did some liveblogging. Can't believe it's done. Very proud of my homeland today.

Anonymous said...

OBAMA!

formerly fun said...

This was for me, the democratic process at it's finest, high voter turnout, real discussion and a mandate for a different road than we've travelled for a while. People feeling that their vote was important, many voters gaining a sense of efficacy they had not had before. I am proud that our country has crossed a bridge with regard to racial equity.

This is momentous. I am full of optimism for what it must mean to the millions of African American youth that have another very positive role model to build upon and for what it means to my own children to live in a country where opportunity isn't reserved for a select few.

I am overwhelmed. I am encouraged. I am relieved. Quite frankly, I am also a little jubilant about being on the winning team for the first time in eight years.

I respect both President elect Barack Obama and John McCain and I earnestly respect the process.

unmitigated me said...

Why did I not try number 6, like, ten years ago!?

Carolyn...Online said...

Yo indeed, Ms. Picket.

Carolyn...Online said...

Yo indeed, Ms. Picket.

Samantha said...

I was a wreck all day yesterday. I could barely enjoy my 21st because I was so stressed over the polls!!!

Leslie said...

Or, after having sat outside in the wind for 13.5 straight hours, take a shower, settle in to watch the returns and pass out, only to be awakened by a crowd cheering as the President-elect takes the podium to give a speech! I highly recommend this method. No stress involved in the waiting at all.

Aimee said...

My election day madness. Vote, pick kids up from school. Visit Obama workers twice. Bring them rocks so their stuff doesn't fly away. Grab a six pack...Grab the kids Jones Soda...cuz if they can't drink they can at least pretend to right? I'm such a good Mom.
And then I headed out with Aaron. People kept buying me blue state shots...kept screaming to my friend T, "Did you think this day would ever happen.
Danced in the streets with strangers.
Beer helped the whole process.
Sorry to deeples who is knocked up. It would have been hard if I had to be sober.