It's Been One of THOSE Days

If you read Little Merry Sunshine regularly, and you should, you'll remember what an incredible day I had yesterday - standing on the ledge of the Sears Tower, meeting Ben Bradley, and then dinner at Coco Pazzo after my work conference.

I don't say that to brag, it's simply a fact. On a scale of 1 to 10, yesterday was a 12.

And then today began.

After kind of a fitful night of sleep that resulted in a migraine this morning, I woke up about 6am to discover this tweet from Ben Bradley. Seriously, how incredibly gracious is he?!

Honestly, how in the world could my day improve after that tweet? I was certain that today had peaked at 5:15, before I was even awake. Because of the migraine, I decided to go back to sleep for a couple of hours.

I got to work about 9:10, still on Cloud 9 from yesterday's awesomeness and the early morning tweet, and a number of my coworkers wanted to hear all about it, so I got to relive it all again.

Fast forward to 2:30 when I took a call resulted in the achievement of a 4 1/2 year dream and goal (New Experience #???). I can't tell you what it is just yet, but all will be revealed on Sunday, November 17th, so mark your calendars now.

I've shared the big news with a select group of friends, so if you know, please don't spill the beans. I'm trusting you. And please don't guess in the comments or on Facebook. Just trust me, this is big.

Finally, tonight, I achieved another goal when I became a Deputy Voter Registrar (New Experience #131). So if you or anyone you know wishes to get registered to vote, you live in Illinois, and you're a U.S. Citizen, let's talk.

This is the Deputy Voter Registrar Oath I took and signed tonight.

That means today, I had two more New Experiences and I've now got just 27 to go to meet my new goal date of December 31st. And on a scale of 1 to 10, today was a 15.

Your Vote is Your Voice, Your Vote is Our Future

I know I made many of you cry and otherwise breakdown yesterday, but that message was important and sometimes we must be shocked into action. I'm sorry.

To make up for yesterday's horror and to continue the theme of Vote for Change, here's a more fun video from Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson.

Our National Nightmare & How to Avoid It

I know it's Monday morning, but there's something serious we need to discuss and it may cause the Fruitloops you had for breakfast to suddenly appear all over your desk. In fact, this isn't just serious, it's a looming nightmare. And no, it's not the economy . . . . we have another possible nightmare we must discuss.

You've been warned, I'm about to say it . . .

John McCain could win on November 4th.

Really.

Don't believe me? Watch this video and think about what your personal reaction will be if this is what we see that night.



If the embedded video doesn't work, click here (really, you MUST see this) and watch it.

I made you cry? I'm truly sorry about that. Blood came spurting out of your eyes? Imagine what will happen if that becomes reality.

The thing is that we can avoid this nightmare. We have 36 days left.

Are you registered to vote? Are all your neighbors and family and friends? Double check at Vote For Change. If you're not, in Illinois, you've got until October 7th to remedy that situation.

Dirty tricks are already happening. They are desperate to win this election, just like they were desperate to win in 2000 and 2004. But this time, the stakes are higher. This time, they've put together a ticket that represents the smallest minority of our society and vehemently offends the vast majority. The lies they are telling this year make the swift boating in 2004 look tame. And the hijinks they are trying to pull make Karl Rove proud.

We cannot let them win again.

Early voting (aka absentee voting) starts very shortly in all states. If you want to avoid the lines on Election Day, take advantage of it. However, if you receive an absentee ballot in the mail and didn't ask your local government for it, be wary and place a call before you mail it back in. Confirm the real address to return the ballot. Here's another story about invalid absentee ballots.

Put a sign in your yard to show your support for Obama. You taking a stand may make it easier for your neighbor who isn't sure he can vote for a black man just do it.

Who will you drive to the polls on Election Day?

Can you take Election Day off and be a poll watcher or Election Judge? Being an Election Judge pays, but you have to take a simple class first. Poll watchers just sit in the background and make sure nothing funny is going on. Contact your local Democratic party or a campaign in your area to find out how to do either of these jobs.

Can you walk precincts now or make some phone calls?

We have an opportunity avoid our nightmare. We must take it. We will vote for change.