Jay is 11 months old and walking! He's got that Frankenstein thing going on. Take a look...
Monday, November 10, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Presidential Park and Gardens
The Presidential Park here in Pearland, TX will feature larger than life statues of all of the United States presidents. The sculptures are the creation of internationally acclaimed artist David Adickes. As you can see in this picture, six presidents have already arrived. Even before the recent election, every time we would ride pass this, Janai would ask "Mommy, where's Barack Obama?" I had to keep reminding her that "Barack Obama is running for President - he is not the President". I can't wait for the ride to church tomorrow so that I can respond "His statue is coming!"
Hightower Football Week 8
The Hightower Hurricanes are the Fort Bend ISD District Champions! Last night, they beat the Travis Tigers 38-0 in the championship game. Their record is 8-0 as they enter the first round of the playoffs. As you can imagine, James is fired up...
O-BA-MA!
On the morning after the election, I woke Janai up and told her that I needed to show her something. I turned on the tv, where they were showing snippets of Barack's election night speech. Looking tired and confused, she wiped her eyes, and said "What Mommy?". I said "Janai, Barack Obama is the new President of the United States". She said "But mommy, I know that already, I voted for him on yesterday". How hilarious. The mock election in her class was a little skewed - Barack took it by a landslide with 95% of the vote. When I dropped her off at school, there were kids of all backgrounds chanting (unprovoked) "O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA!" Click below to take a look.
Yes, We Can!
So this post is obviously a few days late. But I must share my thoughts on this week's historic presidential election. For more than a year, I have followed every bit of election news. I could probably deliver the stump speeches myself! It has been a roller coaster ride - from Barack's huge win in the Iowa Caucuses to the disappointing loss in the New Hampshire primary... 22 debates (I watched them all and even hosted chat rooms for the Obama-McCain debates)... the Jeremiah Wright controversy... the questioning of Michelle Obama's patriotism... Bill Clinton's comments in South Carolina... the Palin Pick (need I say more?)... the economic crisis (and turning point)...the "That one?" comment... the Colin Powell endorsement...the list goes on!
On October 20th, two weeks before election day and the first day of early voting in Texas, I cast my vote for the Obama-Biden ticket. However, emotions and anxiety continued to run high - I carried a lingering heaviness in the back of my head. On November 4th, I was completely useless at work. I called or texted most of my friends and family in my red home state of Virginia to make sure that everyone who was eligible had cast their vote. Senator Obama had spent so much time and money in the state and had a chance to turn it in his favor. I was excited to get the reports of friends waiting in line for 4-5 hours.
Anyway, fast forward to election night. I was invited to several watch parties, but opted to sit at home alone and monitor the votes state by state. I had studied the electoral map insanely and knew that Obama had really changed the map, while John McCain had only a slim path to victory. At around 7:30pm CST, the heaviness in my head suddenly lifted and my soul rested when ABC and MSNBC declared Obama the winner in Pennsylvania. I was texting the information to a friend who was in Grant Park. They were getting the calls from CNN who was being very conservative (and slow) in their projections. She tells me that I have "mad street cred" with the folks that she was sitting with in Chicago that night.
Ohio was the next big call in Obama's favor. At that point I declared "Game Over". At 10:00pm CST, all major networks declared Obama the President-Elect of the United States. I expected to be overcome with emotion, but that didn't happen - at least not immediately. In my mind, there was no choice in this election. I only questioned whether the country was ready for a skinny kid with a funny name who looks likes me to be the President. I was cool until the new first family came on the stage. I was mildly distracted by Michelle Obama's dress, but I couldn't help but marvel at the fact the my candidate had been elected.
No contention. No recount.
Yes, we can!
Now if I can get Janai to stop calling Joe Biden John McCain, things will be great.
On October 20th, two weeks before election day and the first day of early voting in Texas, I cast my vote for the Obama-Biden ticket. However, emotions and anxiety continued to run high - I carried a lingering heaviness in the back of my head. On November 4th, I was completely useless at work. I called or texted most of my friends and family in my red home state of Virginia to make sure that everyone who was eligible had cast their vote. Senator Obama had spent so much time and money in the state and had a chance to turn it in his favor. I was excited to get the reports of friends waiting in line for 4-5 hours.
Anyway, fast forward to election night. I was invited to several watch parties, but opted to sit at home alone and monitor the votes state by state. I had studied the electoral map insanely and knew that Obama had really changed the map, while John McCain had only a slim path to victory. At around 7:30pm CST, the heaviness in my head suddenly lifted and my soul rested when ABC and MSNBC declared Obama the winner in Pennsylvania. I was texting the information to a friend who was in Grant Park. They were getting the calls from CNN who was being very conservative (and slow) in their projections. She tells me that I have "mad street cred" with the folks that she was sitting with in Chicago that night.
Ohio was the next big call in Obama's favor. At that point I declared "Game Over". At 10:00pm CST, all major networks declared Obama the President-Elect of the United States. I expected to be overcome with emotion, but that didn't happen - at least not immediately. In my mind, there was no choice in this election. I only questioned whether the country was ready for a skinny kid with a funny name who looks likes me to be the President. I was cool until the new first family came on the stage. I was mildly distracted by Michelle Obama's dress, but I couldn't help but marvel at the fact the my candidate had been elected.
No contention. No recount.
Yes, we can!
Now if I can get Janai to stop calling Joe Biden John McCain, things will be great.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Hightower Football Week 7
Another one in the "W" column. Final score 41-0. District championship game this Friday.
I Didn't Vote for Obama
Scared ya, didn't I? This is shamelessly stolen from a friend's blog. Thought I'd share:
I Didn't Vote for Obama.
I'm a middle-class white guy living in Jacksonville, Florida. I've got a wife and two kids. Because the kids had no school today, I took a vacation day from work, and took the kids downtown to vote early. Fifty-nine minutes later, two smiling children and I proudly sported "I Voted" stickers. But I didn't vote for Obama. I voted for my ancestors, who believed in the promise of this country and came with nothing as immigrants. I voted for my parents, who taught in the public schools for decades. I voted for Steve, an acquaintance of mine from Kentucky. (Killed by an IED two years ago in Iraq ). I voted for Shawn, another who's been to Iraq twice, and Afghanistan once, and who'll be going back to Afghanistan again soon -- and whose family earned eleven bucks a month too much to qualify for food stamps when the war started.
I voted for April, the only African-American girl in my high school -- it was years before it occurred to me how different her experience of our school must have been. I voted for my college friends who are Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and yes -- Muslim. I voted for my grandfathers, who worked hard in factories and died too young.I voted for the plumber who worked on my house, because I want him to get a REAL tax break.I voted for four little angels from Birmingham. I voted for a bunch of dead white men who, although personally flawed, were willing to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor, and used a time of great crisis to expand freedom rather than suspend it. I voted for all those people and more, and I voted for all of you, too.
But mostly, I voted selfishly. I voted for two little kids, one who has ballet in an hour, and one who has baseball practice at the same time. I voted for a world where they can be confident that their government will represent the best that is in this country, and that will in turn demand the best of them. I voted for a government that will be respected in the world. I voted for an economy that will reward work above guile.I voted for everything I believe in. Sure, I filled in the circle next to the name Obama, but it wasn't him I was voting for -- it was every single one of us, and those I love most of all. Who else is there to vote for? Vote like it's about a better America. Because it is.
I Didn't Vote for Obama.
I'm a middle-class white guy living in Jacksonville, Florida. I've got a wife and two kids. Because the kids had no school today, I took a vacation day from work, and took the kids downtown to vote early. Fifty-nine minutes later, two smiling children and I proudly sported "I Voted" stickers. But I didn't vote for Obama. I voted for my ancestors, who believed in the promise of this country and came with nothing as immigrants. I voted for my parents, who taught in the public schools for decades. I voted for Steve, an acquaintance of mine from Kentucky. (Killed by an IED two years ago in Iraq ). I voted for Shawn, another who's been to Iraq twice, and Afghanistan once, and who'll be going back to Afghanistan again soon -- and whose family earned eleven bucks a month too much to qualify for food stamps when the war started.
I voted for April, the only African-American girl in my high school -- it was years before it occurred to me how different her experience of our school must have been. I voted for my college friends who are Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and yes -- Muslim. I voted for my grandfathers, who worked hard in factories and died too young.I voted for the plumber who worked on my house, because I want him to get a REAL tax break.I voted for four little angels from Birmingham. I voted for a bunch of dead white men who, although personally flawed, were willing to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor, and used a time of great crisis to expand freedom rather than suspend it. I voted for all those people and more, and I voted for all of you, too.
But mostly, I voted selfishly. I voted for two little kids, one who has ballet in an hour, and one who has baseball practice at the same time. I voted for a world where they can be confident that their government will represent the best that is in this country, and that will in turn demand the best of them. I voted for a government that will be respected in the world. I voted for an economy that will reward work above guile.I voted for everything I believe in. Sure, I filled in the circle next to the name Obama, but it wasn't him I was voting for -- it was every single one of us, and those I love most of all. Who else is there to vote for? Vote like it's about a better America. Because it is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)