Don't say that later will be better.

[chestnutcurls]

Happy election day, fellow Americans! What an exciting day. I'm going to vote at lunchtime. This is only my second presidential election - I was seventeen in 1996 (which really irritated me!). Tonight Evan and Ryan and I are eating out as usual, and then I'll make a pumpkin pie for us to enjoy while we watch the results roll in. If there's another recount, I won't be one iota surprised. This morning on the radio they were explaining that in the event of a tie, it's possible that Bush will still be President, but Edwards will be VP. Isn't that weird? Anyway, Laura, I wish I was in Indiana so I could vote for Hostettler! I'm thinking of you today. :)

This past weekend was busy. On Friday night I went to the corn maze with a bunch of friends. At first it was fun, but toward the end we were lost, muddy, and tired...and suddenly I realized my cell phone wasn't in my pocket. I almost started crying right there among the costumed children and people with (fake) chain saws. Fortunately, Luke was with me and called the phone. Someone answered it and it wasn't far back from where we were. So that was a little miracle. :) Then we went to Chili's, and Myla and I had a great talk about politics that made me feel much more secure in my opinions. I have great friends.

Saturday was full of wedding stuff and then we went to Robin's Halloween party. I went as a butterfly, with blue posterboard wings that I had painted. Evan decided to be a butterfly, too, but his "costume" consisted of a T-shirt on which he had written, "I am a butterfly." Everyone liked his costume better. Talk about unfair! He was cuter, though. :) On Sunday I had some sort of physical breakdown. I haven't felt like myself for a few days - very run-down, achy, and overemotional - and in the middle of playing congregational music, I got really shaky and started feeling awful. I was so hungry. We met my parents for lunch at Olive Garden, which helped, and then I took a two-hour nap. It was a good thing, because later we went back to church to work at our church's Halloween alternative, the Festival of Melons and Gourds, and I spent an hour kneeling over and over to pick up little Frisbees. It was fun (and some of the kids were so cute!), but I was worn out all over again by the time we left. Evan worked the booth next to mine, and I loved watching him kneel down to help the little kids with their game. He's going to be a good dad someday. :) Anyway, I'm still not feeling so great. I have twenty-five days to get back to 100%.

God is really providing for us, and it looks like we'll be able to pay for Evan's spring semester of school without too much trouble. We keep getting checks in the mail and have no idea why: U of M apparently sent a check for $100 to me at my parents' house; Evan got some "back pay" from FedEx, which he left a year and a half ago; my church paid for the repairs that my flute needed. I feel very cared for. So he's going to go to community college this first semester back, and hopefully by then the FAFSA will have taken effect and we can get enough aid to send him to U of M. Maybe this will all work out after all. :) Yay God!

Comments

[lajea.livejournal.com]

I wish you were here, too! ;)

Wow, only 25 more days?! That's SO cool!!!!!

[chestnutcurls.livejournal.com]

I know! Let the freakout commence. :)

[stacye13.livejournal.com]

That's great about the money stuff working out! YEA!
I wish it would do the same for me. I'd check myself into an asylum, but I can't afford it!
If hubbys company doesnt reimburse his expenses paid soon, I don't know what I'm going to do. :( I can't keep paying for 2 sets of rent, 3 cars, living expenses, etc. It's making me insane!
Sorry, /rant. Maybe I'll win the Powerball.

[chestnutcurls.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have no idea how you're managing all that. I think the way his company treats him is so unfair. :(

[canticles.livejournal.com]

Again... we share a brain.

We're trying to do the same thing for Phillip. His job just isn't working out. They didn't train him adequately and now they expect him to "crap a rainbow" as my friend Amelia so eloquently put it. :P Hopefully we can send him back to school in the spring. We want to do FAFSA, but we think he might have some student loan problems. :P BLEH!

Sounds like your fall festival experience was better than mine. ;)

[chestnutcurls.livejournal.com]

ROTFL on the rainbow comment. :) We've never taken out loans before, so we'll probably be okay.

Oh, I got your wedding invitation yesterday! :D

[canticles.livejournal.com]

YAAAAAAY!

[radiojedi.livejournal.com]

In 1996 I turned 18 on election day! It was so cool :)

[mrszoid.livejournal.com]

How would the Bush/Edwards thing work?

[aardwolf.livejournal.com]

See my comment...

[aardwolf.livejournal.com]

Well, if there is an electoral vote tie, then the House of Representatives picks the President (currently waaaaay in Bush's favor, but the House people that vote will be the new ones sworn in this January.) The senate picks the Vice President, but the president of the Senate (aka Dick Cheney) gets to vote in the case of a 50-50 tie. I wonder who Dick Cheney would elect for Vice President... :P

[mrszoid.livejournal.com]

aha - thank you.

[chestnutcurls.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't know. I didn't quite get it - I just knew that's what they said might happen.

[anulyra.livejournal.com]

Ahh the mysterious gravy train - checks from unexpected places. I LOVE it when that happens! We got one last week!

[chestnutcurls.livejournal.com]

Yay! :D

[my-everafter.livejournal.com]

I can so relate to the money for school thing! We're doing our best with Steven's tuition at UTC. When will Evan graduate? Is he doing graduate or undergraduate work?

[chestnutcurls.livejournal.com]

He's still undergrad. I think he's technically a junior at this point. He has one more semester of gen ed and then his degree stuff, so we're estimating a couple of years. We were in school together, but he dropped out to take a job and never went back till now. Well, he did take a couple of classes here and there, but not much. Is Steven in grad school?

[keepsmiling74.livejournal.com]

That's great about the money and school. I know it'll all work out for you two.

Oh, and I can relate to the Evan story w/the kids. Remind me to tell you sometime. :)

Feel better! *hug*

[chestnutcurls.livejournal.com]

Thanks Lori! :) I still need to answer your email...I'm just busy and feeling lazy with email these days. But I'll get to it!

[carries.livejournal.com]

Why is Halloween such a big thing in the states? When I was driving to church and back on Sunday night I only saw 2 people out guising (trick or treating). It is a total no-no in most church circles.

[chestnutcurls.livejournal.com]

I don't know why people go nuts over it here. I didn't realize it WASN'T a big deal there! :)

[rawee1.livejournal.com]

We really follow the Irish Sowen's rituals more closely than any All Saint's Day or anything like that.

Americans are fat, therefore we love candy.
Americans are insecure, therefore we love costumes.
Americans are gluttonous consumers, therefore we love shopping for decorations, candy, and costumes.

Truly there's not much Christian or un-Christian about it anymore. Nobody believes that dressing like a Disney princess will get you into hell. It's more a history and tradition thing now than ever.

[zonneschijn.livejournal.com]

I voted by absentee ballot before we left for Spain. Voting the same, two elections in a row. ^_^

I pray you get back to 100%! *big hugs*

God is GOOD!!!

[brittuhknee.livejournal.com]

God's so awesome!

[rawee1.livejournal.com]

Yay God indeed! You guys looked great- both excellent butterflies (see the link to my photos).

Tonight while we watch the election results I think I may have leftover candy and martinis for dinner, so that win or lose, I'll feel no pain.
At least we still have a republican congress!!! YAY GOD AGAIN! Even if Kerry does get in, nothing he wants will ever get past congress.

[chestnutcurls.livejournal.com]

Good philosophy. Feel free to come by if you want some pie to go with your candy. :) I hope we'll still have a Republican Congress!

[rawee1.livejournal.com]

Hooray... WE DO Have a republican congress! Kerry would have been helpless!

[admael.livejournal.com]

Now you're stuck in a moment, and you can't get out of it. (Yay for U2.)

[mzspearz.livejournal.com]

I was 17 during the last election, too, grr! So we're in the same boat, only this is my first :)

*giggles at Evan's costume*
Too funny.

& *YAY* God! That's all VERY good news...& exciting to hear. I just got a check for $120 myself...lol, I've been worried about money for Christas gifts. Course, I'm insanely tempted to go buy some perfume because I had another $100 check come in & I think I'l be getting more money soon. Money's so difficult! :P

[laraemily.livejournal.com]

I so wanted to go to a corn maze this year, but I could never find any information on the one that is SUPPOSEDLY around these parts. :-\