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Last night was one of the most perfect nights I've ever seen. I spent the entire day at the Obama Austin Headquarters downtown volunteering. I called Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Nevada and Alaska. I made over 800 phone calls (on my cell phone) reminding people to vote and telling them where their polling place was. They brought food and drinks and snacks in all day long. I met Lucy Baines Johnson after she spoke to the crowd giving words of encouragement. I shook her hand after she handed out water to those of us that needed to wet our lips a little and right before she got on the phones herself. She said that helping with Obama's campaign was the equivalent of working on her dad's campaign. She said she couldn't think of a better thing to do with her time yesterday. I couldn't think of a better thing to do with mine either. There were about 250 of us there at that time.
I drank over 7 bottles of water. My lips were still chapped and my voice was hoarse.
I had to recharge my phone three times yesterday. 800 phone calls is a lot! Thank goodness for free long distance.
Old people in Pennsylvania can be exceptionally mean. Let me tell you, MEAN. I was cussed out by a 97 year old woman named Estelle. Not even kidding.
At five thirty, Ben picked me up, we grabbed a quick beer downtown and watched the first few returns come in. Then we sped home and I grabbed a quick shower and went back downtown. I got back to the headquarters at 7:30 and got back on the phones, calling Nevada. They were MUCH nicer. I called Nevada until five minutes before their polls closed and then moved on to Alaska, interrupting the calls only to scream and cry when they announced Ohio. The roof nearly came off when Ohio was announced.
There was about 150 of us there when Nevada's polls closed and they announced Ohio.
After I finished about 100 calls to Alaska, I sat on one of the couches and drank a beer (paid for by the Obama campaign) and ate some peanut butter crackers. I'd been keeping to myself mostly, not much time to socialize when there is change to be made. I sat on the couch next to a woman for about five minutes, talking idly about the campaign and some of the reporters on cnn. Then they announced it.
And the roof did come off.
You could hear the screaming for miles.
You could hear the screaming coming from the streets. You could hear cheers from downtown.
I jumped into the air, landing about 10 feet in front of where i'd been standing. When i landed, I was crying. We yelled, cried, screamed and jumped into the air for what seemed like forever. I can still hear it echo. I've never felt such electricity in a room before and never experienced spontaneous contagious emotion.
I turned around and the woman I'd been sitting next to was standing very still, looking very calm with tears streaming down her face as well. We hugged each other and just let go this world of emotions. I'm convinced that if we hadn't been holding on to each other we'd have both been in the floor.
I found out later her name was Jennifer.
After things called down a little, and i'd had another cigarette and beer, I went back to the phones. There is always more work to be done.
I walked back up to the front and made my way to the big screen in time to watch McCain's concession speech. There were no more chairs so I knelt in the floor, the big screen in front of me, behind it, an open door and the view of the Capitol building. I hugged my knees and cried some more. I've never been more proud, if ever proud at all, to be an American. The man sitting in the chair next to me put his hand on my back and said very softly, "its over now. We did it. We don't have to worry about it anymore."
There were close to 200 people in the building when McCain spoke.
I realized that if McCain was giving his concession then Obama would be speaking soon. I packed up as fast as I could and drove 80 mph up I-35 to Pflugerville.
I made it home last night in time to watch Obama take the stage with his family. I woke Rowan up and brought her downstairs to watch it with me. I sat in the floor in front of Miia and next to Rowan and let the tears stream down my face as I watched history walk out of fiction, onto the stage of the American Presidency.
And there is more work to be done. Here we go!
I drank over 7 bottles of water. My lips were still chapped and my voice was hoarse.
I had to recharge my phone three times yesterday. 800 phone calls is a lot! Thank goodness for free long distance.
Old people in Pennsylvania can be exceptionally mean. Let me tell you, MEAN. I was cussed out by a 97 year old woman named Estelle. Not even kidding.
At five thirty, Ben picked me up, we grabbed a quick beer downtown and watched the first few returns come in. Then we sped home and I grabbed a quick shower and went back downtown. I got back to the headquarters at 7:30 and got back on the phones, calling Nevada. They were MUCH nicer. I called Nevada until five minutes before their polls closed and then moved on to Alaska, interrupting the calls only to scream and cry when they announced Ohio. The roof nearly came off when Ohio was announced.
There was about 150 of us there when Nevada's polls closed and they announced Ohio.
After I finished about 100 calls to Alaska, I sat on one of the couches and drank a beer (paid for by the Obama campaign) and ate some peanut butter crackers. I'd been keeping to myself mostly, not much time to socialize when there is change to be made. I sat on the couch next to a woman for about five minutes, talking idly about the campaign and some of the reporters on cnn. Then they announced it.
And the roof did come off.
You could hear the screaming for miles.
You could hear the screaming coming from the streets. You could hear cheers from downtown.
I jumped into the air, landing about 10 feet in front of where i'd been standing. When i landed, I was crying. We yelled, cried, screamed and jumped into the air for what seemed like forever. I can still hear it echo. I've never felt such electricity in a room before and never experienced spontaneous contagious emotion.
I turned around and the woman I'd been sitting next to was standing very still, looking very calm with tears streaming down her face as well. We hugged each other and just let go this world of emotions. I'm convinced that if we hadn't been holding on to each other we'd have both been in the floor.
I found out later her name was Jennifer.
After things called down a little, and i'd had another cigarette and beer, I went back to the phones. There is always more work to be done.
I walked back up to the front and made my way to the big screen in time to watch McCain's concession speech. There were no more chairs so I knelt in the floor, the big screen in front of me, behind it, an open door and the view of the Capitol building. I hugged my knees and cried some more. I've never been more proud, if ever proud at all, to be an American. The man sitting in the chair next to me put his hand on my back and said very softly, "its over now. We did it. We don't have to worry about it anymore."
There were close to 200 people in the building when McCain spoke.
I realized that if McCain was giving his concession then Obama would be speaking soon. I packed up as fast as I could and drove 80 mph up I-35 to Pflugerville.
I made it home last night in time to watch Obama take the stage with his family. I woke Rowan up and brought her downstairs to watch it with me. I sat in the floor in front of Miia and next to Rowan and let the tears stream down my face as I watched history walk out of fiction, onto the stage of the American Presidency.
And there is more work to be done. Here we go!
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