You all knew it was coming...

Just in case the department stores and TV haven't reminded you, Christmas is only a month away. Thirty-six days from this post, to be exact. And we all know how much I love making lists. This is the one time a year I'm joined, supported, and encouraged, even, in my [wish]listmaking addiction. So, Santa, if you're out there...here's this year's

Christmas List:

oh and btw, the things i received have been retroactively marked in all red.

• MONEY or gift cards work too (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Gap, Victoria's Secret...)

• In honor of my new school, UT gear!

• This lumberjack-ette necklace:

   

• A pet hedgehog (they are SO CUTE)!

• One of two ADORABLE aprons from Carolyn's Kitchen: 

The Dorothy apron or the Marilyn apron/bandeau set, both of which are cutest in red :)

                                

• Down With Love and Thank You For Smoking (I used to own both, the really nice cardboard box sets, but somehow during my first year at college, they disappeared)

• Pretty cupcake wrappers!

• This supercute UO scarf shirt

    

• The sweetest, softest robe ever from Bath and Body Works

            

• One (or both) of these cardio mixes, for working out:

 hits remixed 9, booty bump

• Any of the things on my Fredflare wishlist 

(View A Friend’s Wishlist: betsyblackard@gmail.com)

• Anything from my Perpetual Kid wishlist, which even lists how badly I want each item

• Even any of the things on my Victoria's Secret wishlist

• The complete discographies of the following artists:

Girl Talk

Rilo Kiley

Chris Brown

Eminem

Ludacris

Rihanna

Kanye West

Eminem

Justin Timberlake (solo career)

Jay-Z

Lupe Fiasco

Vanessa Carlton (minus harmonium)

Duffy

Kina Grannis

Beyoncé

• The complete first season of Flight of the Conchords

                     

• All four seasons of The OC on DVD
             

• Basically anything Marc by Marc Jacobs, Betsey Johnson, or PINK

• JK Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard

• The world's most awesome sofa/bed/whatever

• The Prince Caspian soundtrack. And Disney's Hercules soundtrack. Ooh, and the one for The Little Mermaid. OK, pretty much any Disney soundtrack...except Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, which I already have :)

• I think Trivial Pursuit would be an awesome game for my family. We usually pick one to obsess over each holiday, and this one has something for everybody!

                                     

• And finally...any or all of my Mills ladies to visit me in Texas! Please guys?

Whoooo

I am in an AWESOME mood today. I have no idea why. I have tons hanging over my head, I'm crazy sleep deprived, and miss all of my best friends (non-Mills) like crazy. I should be freaking out, logically. But maybe its because of all the stress that I've finally cracked. I think I'm going to go to bed at like, 8pm tonight. No lie. Then wake up early and go DO something, take an adventure. I'll probably only be in the Bay Area for a short while longer, might as well take advantage of it, right? 

Maybe I'll take the BART train as far south as it can go, get off, and explore! Who knows what's over there anyway? I'll bring a book and enjoy myself. Until nighttime, when we have plans to see The Dark Knight for like, $3 in Berkeley. Then heaps more to do this weekend -- Rae's swim meet, the A Cappella showcase in Berkeley, T's play. Not to mention my online course with a paper due on Sunday...better get going!

Generation O

Lately, it seems, my blog has taken a ridiculously political turn. In that spirit, this will probably be the last one for a while, so bear with me. On election night, since I couldn't be with everyone I love, we were texting/chatting/calling like crazy. Here is a lovely sample of some of the awesome texts I received that day:

During the day:

Caitlin: "I'm cold, I have cramps, am depressed and only got 3 hours of sleep. A tiny man with no arms keeps staring at me and it creeps me out but dammit, i'm voting for Obama"

Ben: "He's going to be crowned the king of the universe in a matter of hours! That's the position he's running for isn't it?"

Alison: "If Obama really wins I am going to high five everything"

When the poll results started coming in:

Shannon: "Are you glued to the TV like I am? Nothing's better than beer and election night"

Colleen: "I'm drinking every time a state turns blue"

Lorin: "Dallas County went democrat!" (now THAT was a surprise)

When things started looking good for our man Barack:

Shannon: "Obamanation"

Shannon: "It's like...I have faith back in America"

Lorin: "Fuck yes!"

When he won:

Ben: "omg president Obama!"

Brett/Matt: "Yes...we can!"

Katie: "we won"

Little Ben: "Smiley face to the max"

Little Ben: "President Obama sounds like change"

Colleen: "Yes we can! Ahhh we won!"

Lorin: "Yes!!!"

The Barack Campaign: "We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion to this campaign. All of this happened because of you. Thanks, Barack"

And the next day:

Shannon: "There's an Obama dance party going on in my school. Cardboard cutouts and techno music"

Alison: "I can't focus at all today. President Obama is my new god"

And some random facts I learned that night:

-This was the highest voter turnout since women got the vote in 1920

-Also the highest youth voter turnout since the voting age was lowered to 18, in 1971

-A record-setting 70 million-plus viewers watched the news for election returns Tuesday night

-Obama is the first democrat to take Virginia in 44 years (and is coincidentally the 44th prez)

-Obama is the first Senator to be elected president since JFK

-Obama is the first democrat to receive more than 50% of the vote since Jimmy Carter

-Obama is the first minority president in any of the first-world countries

whew. what a great day.

Something I realized

This was the very first presidential election I was old enough to vote in. It was so exciting being able to cast that vote for a man I knew would be an historic president, for more reasons than just his skin color. I can't wait to tell my kids and grandkids that I voted for him, and what election night was like.

I think the best, and most unexpected, outcome of this election for me has been the role it served in my view of myself. For the first time in a long time, I am proud to say that I am American.

For little less than half of my life, patriotism and pride in my country had been equated to mindless support of an incompetent leader and a pointless war. The Bush administration had commandeered these things to the point that when I saw red, white, and blue, or heard someone extolling the virtues of our country, I felt not pride, but shame. I didn't feel like I was a part of America, the America we had become. I felt like an unsupportive, unpatriotic outsider in my own country.

Then, during the election process, Obama changed all of that. What I realized last night is that throughout this election, he had been talking of justice and equality, and patriotism. And I was able to stand behind the things he said in support of not only him, but the values my country was truly founded on. I could call myself a patriot, and it no longer meant that I supported everything my country did just because my country did it. Suddenly, fighting the status quo became American, and I was able once more to identify with, and have pride in, the country where I was born and raised. 

I am American, and I love my country.

And the 44th President is...

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!

Ahhhh! This is probably one of the greatest days of my life, so far. I cannot wait to tell my kids, and grandkids, that I voted for Barack Obama. And he became president of the United States of America.

I am watching the results in the student center with plenty of other Mills Women, and for the first time in 44 years, a democrat just took Virginia. Which meant that as soon as California went to Obama, which was a sure thing, we had enough electoral votes for Obama to be the next president! The whole room counted down together as the western coast polls closed and...

I want to remember this forever: Allie was sitting in front of me. Alysson right next to me. CNN on the screen, "BARACK OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT--CNN Projected Results."

The room went crazy. Alysson and I looked at each other, and then I jumped up to hug Allie. It was in the bag! Not long after, McCain made his concession speech, with much booing from the conservative crowd at any congratulations to Obama or mentions of he or Biden's qualifications. Then again, I can't say with confidence that the liberal crowd would have been any better had we lost...again.

I still keep getting the shivers. I can't believe it--we won! we did it! Yes, we did!

Now I'm just waiting for Obama's speech. I know it will be legendary...

P.S. For a full transcript of Obama's victory speech in Grant Park, click here.

"In the unlikely story that is America,"

"...there has never been anything false about our hope."

Today, Nov. 4, 2008, is election day in the United States of America. The air at my very liberal, all-women's college is thick with anticipation and nerves. I know people who are cutting class today to hold up signs about California's Proposition 8 (No on prop 8--equal marriage rights for all!) and people whose classes are canceled because even the professor knows she won't be able to handle a lecture on this most historic of evenings. I voted last week, and could not have been more excited. 

No matter what people are doing today, all across the nation there is a widespread feeling of anticipation, apprehension. I'm biting my nails and listening to the will.i.am "Yes, We Can" song on repeat. So today, while the world holds its breath, I just keep remembering these words:

we are not as divided as our politics suggest.
we are one people
we are one nation
and together, we will begin the next great chapter of the american story
with 3 words that will ring from coast to coast, from sea to shining sea:

yes, we can.

♥