When I can stay up late enough...

... this guy really cracks me up!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Sarah Palin Will Be Missed
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Tasers

John Stewart had a pretty heart-felt goodbye to Sarah, as well.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Quitter - Leave Sarah Palin Alone
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Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day

Can I get one of those Sarah Palin heart t-shirts??

My Wild and Crazy College Days

I'm blogging from home tonight and have all my old photos here on discs. I thought I would go through some of them and see if I could find anything ya'll might fight interesting.

Here is a glimpse of my younger self who could pack up at a moment's notice and go wherever the cause called me.

Here is me with my car in my homemade shirt before we left to meet the bus.

And the bus... before we picked up some Auburn students in Montgomery

Candice and I - nasty and sweaty after a long day of canvassing

And then Kerry got us pumped up for that day's activity....

Protesting outside of a Bush speech...

Four things to tell you about this:

1. They vetted everyone who attended the rally. They were made to sign a pledge of their support to W just to enter. Hmmmmm..........


2. Protesting really was thrilling. I was secretly hoping that Bush would have us all thrown in jail for daring to defy his power and his evilness would be revealed.


3. Showing us your flip flops really wasn't that creative.


4. You people who were showing your children how to flip us off were really quite ignorant. Are those the same hands you teach them how to pray with???
   

Sorry I had to get all political on you but I saw these pics and knew I just h ad to share my former life with you!

P.S. After Kerry lost he became a raging lunatic. I still love him but I just delete every email I get from him!

P.P.S. Hair cut tomorrow!! Hopefully I'll have some good results to show you!

Whatever happened to THOU SHALT NOT STEAL?

See this nice shiny car magnetic? I donated to Obama's campaign and got this little gem. It stayed on my car through the campaign season. I decided to keep it on there to show my support for our president.

Well, some grubby handed jerk decided he would take it. Being that I live in Alabama - I am pretty sure this was a person from the other party who doesn't like seeing Obama on another car.

You know what? I looked at those obnoxious "W" stickers for eight years. EIGHT!!! It annoyed the heck out of me to see that people still supported him so blindly. But I NEVER would touch someone else's property. NEVER! I was raised better than that. I am a smart, intelligent woman. I do not need to deface someone's property to prove my point.

Obviously this is not how others see it. I am so upset. My blood was boiling yesterday. I have calmed down in the light of a new day but am still disappointed that our society breeds such despicable people.

Come on, people. Grow up.

A Celebratory Day

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The inauguration of our President couldn't come at a better time. This year, we can celebrate not only the accomplishments of Dr. King but also the progress we've made thus far.

I also have a few more reasons to celebrate today.

(I realize this is tomorrow but today is the
last full day of his term so I'm celebrating today!)

And... Today is Rafa's 1st Birthday.

Happy Birthday, Rafa!
Mommy loves you!

(We are going to celebrate this weekend.)

To top off this wonderful day, my boss just let us off for the rest of the day! Yippeee! I'll be back tomorrow to tell you all about my wonderful weekend. And I've still got one more Colombia post up my sleeves.

Are you kidding me, Hobby Lobby?

I had to run into Hobby Lobby after work yesterday to get some supplies for a little project I did last night (I'll show you later but first I have to get this off my chest). I'm going to the back when I pass something on the end of the aisle, and I'm like 'Hold up! Is that really what I think it is?' Sure enough.......
Need a closer look?

For real?!?!? Ladies, do you really want to hang this in your house? I mean - her name is even on it like she is someone whose quotes I'd want hanging around my house. Are you kidding me? I'm sorely disappointed. BUT - for those of you who are interested they are half price at Hobby Lobby (I'm sure it won't take too long for them to be reduced a lot more... her 15 minutes is up). Please go buy them so I can shop in peace.

P.S. Why is "Hockey Mom" in quotes within quotes? That makes about as much since as selling Sarah Palin quotes to hang on your wall.

P.P.S. I sure am glad I carry my camera with me for moments just like this. You just never know when you'll find some morsel of bloggy goodness! :)

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

Straight from the turkey's mouth ;)

Yea.... That's Me and Our Future President

I know I've posted this picture before, but while on the tennis trip this weekend one of my friends inquired about how I met him and what we talked about. It wasn't until that moment that I had actually thought back in time to that conversation that we had and realized I had spoken with our future president. Wow! It just makes it all the more surreal. I do think it was such a unique opportunity I had that I should share this with you.

Barack Obama visited Huntsville in July of 2007 for a quick fund raising stop before heading to a high dollar event in Birmingham. So for lunch, my boss took my coworker and I to a private club down the street where Barack Obama would speak to maybe 75 or 100 people. Before the lunch, we had an opportunity to go to the private meet and greet upstairs. How amazing! The mayor was there and presented him with a key to the city.

Then he made his way around the room and spoke with each person in the room. Sometimes it was a quick handshake and hello and sometimes it was a full blown conversation. I was lucky enough to land somewhere in the middle of that range and we spoke for probably about 1 or 2 minutes.

When he finally got around to where I was standing he turned to me and said (roughly people ~ I was in a daze I don't remember exactly what he said), "Hello, Ashley. Pleasure to meet you." (you see... I had a name tag on.... clever fellow)

And I responded....... in the most seductive voice possible...... "The pleasure is all mine. How bout you and me skip this joint. I know a real nice spot on the edge of town the secret service boys can drive us to......"

Haha! Okay, not really.

I told him it was an honor to meet him and that I had... just a month or so earlier... driven to Atlanta to see him at a student rally... but hadn't gotten near enough to actually meet him, as there were thousands upon thousands of people there. I told him that it was an amazing experience to be a part of that crowd.

Here are a few pics of that event.....

way zoomed in so it looks like we were actually close....... we weren't

He recalled the rally and asked if I was a student. I told him I graduated just that past December from our local university. He asked for my major and gave me a big smile when I told him one was Political Science.

He asked if I had a job and I told him I had interned with an economic development company during my last semester of school and was offered a full-time job within the company when I graduated. He seemed genuinely happy that things had gone so smoothly for me. He placed his hand on my back and told me how thrilled he was to see young people succeed.


And then I asked if he would mind taking a picture with me....
And that is how I met - yes, actually met - our future president!

Somebody please tell me.....

why this woman is so excited to be taking away other peoples' rights?

AP Photo - Proposition 8 legalizes a ban on gay marriage in California

More on the election to come, but I just saw this photo on the front page of my local Alabama newspaper's website and thought 'you have got to be kidding me'.

Also, how is that religious freedom? Sounds more like religious infringement.

Vote

VOTE!!! I don't care who it is for, just do it!
Our democracy is a gift! Don't take it for granted!

Happy Hall - O - Ween!

Get it? O..... Obama. Yea, I am definitely more excited about pumpkin carving after finding these.


There are Republican stencils, too, if you so choose to desecrate a pumpkin.

Hehe! Just kidding.... sorta!

A Dead End Road

or two, or three, or thirty.

I'm helping out my local Congressional candidate and agreed to put out yard signs for voters who requested a sign. I got a list of 38 houses, recruited my friend Brandon, and off we went across this great county city putting out yard signs.

The first sign - end of a dead end road.

Second sign - end of a dead end road.

I kid you not.

You people living on dead end streets are very politically active. Thank you for your support. Do you really think you need a sign in your yard that only you will see?

Let's play a game. Can you spot this political sign (or any other soul who might see it)?

Is that a house or hay bale?

Is that a sign I see?

Ahh.... there it is. Next to the lone driveway.

This was one of the first few houses. We thought it was too funny and snapped a few pictures to commemorate the moment. Well the night just got more comical. I swear - at least 30 out of the 38 houses were on dead end streets, most being the actual last house on the street.

So how else should we end the night but on the deadest end of all dead ends. (Did that make sense?)


There is a house back there....... I think. No kidding - there are apparently three houses back there. And this is in a subdivision. Yea! Nice houses, nice street, you get to the end of the street and off to the side runs this long gravel alley way that leads to a couple more houses. OMG! I am not going any further down this creepy gravel road. We stuck a sign at the end of the drive and called it a night.

Is this some opponent strategy that I'm not aware of - make campaigns waste valuable signs and make poor volunteers waste their gas for little or no exposure? I really wouldn't doubt it. Alas, I think I just drew the short end of the stick with my list.

Thanks, Brandon, for staying out until 10:30 at night putting out yard signs. 5 hours of work = dinner at McDonalds. That's about right. Ha!

It Obviously Didn't Work!

"Free her from the witch craft, JEE - SUS!"
What a nutcase!!

September's Desktop Calendar

As those of you who've been with me for a while may know, each month I use a new desktop calendar from Shabby Princess Scrapbooking. Also, as you may have noticed the first of September came and went with no desktop update. That is why it is now the 19th of September and my computer desktop still has an August calendar up. Work is crazy! But don't worry, I couldn't even see the calendar because it was covered up with files (I know that is really bad to keep saving things to my desktop but it just happens overnight and I have to do a cleanup every other week or so - but there has been no time). Anyway, so I'm finally getting around to changing the desktop. Now, SP has a really cute calendar. Check it out:
BUT - this is my desktop for the month of September and most likely through mid-November at least. (Aww, heck - probably all of December to celebrate)!

(See, I cleaned up just for you!)

You can get yours at barackobama.com.

Also, there are ringtones. I find that interesting. I may check it out.

Look Who's In Town

Whe!

*in my best imitation of John Stewart imitating Dick Cheney*

Well, we were supposed to have W and now we have Cheney. I think I honestly would have rather had W. I'm a little creeped out knowing this guy is right down the street from me. Don't worry, I won't be attending ($1000) or having my picture made ($10000) - or talking on my phone for that matter (damn wire-tapping sonofa..... oops, better keep it at least pg13).

Attention Droves of Conservative Mommy Bloggers Out There

This one is for you (especially you, Vicky, since you made me spout out Hannity nonsense)!

Yes We Can!

I haven't commented on Obama's acceptance speech yet. Let me just say, it was good. Real good. And did you see the passion in that stadium?



Republican or Democrat, I urge you to watch this moment in history. One day I'll tell my children about sitting on the couch with their father, eating ice cream, and watching history in the making.

And I'll try to keep the political blogs to a minimum for a while (except to say this).

Oh, who am I kidding? I'm sure there'll be more!

Walk the Dog

Yesterday when I got home Lucas decided we should do something fun to cheer me up (yes, he's a good husband). So we went on a walk with Rafa! Usually we just do a circle around the block but Lucas suggested we take a long walk so we walked all the way to other end of our neighborhood and back (probably close to 2 miles or a little more total). Rafa stopped to smell a hydrant and I thought it was so cute.

But when we got close to the end (still had to turn around and walk back) Rafa started getting a little tired. He would stop to smell something or roll in the grass and would just lay there.
Aww, poor guy! But he made it. He was nice and rested so Lucas and I could go eat Mexican! Yum! Bonus, I had a margarita and Lucas had a beer!

Then we came home and watched Bill Clinton and Joe Biden speak at the DNC. I knew a little about Joe before but had never really heard him give a major speech and boy was he good! I can see why Barack picked him. I'm excited to see what the future holds for the Democratic party.

Blue Dog

The Democratic National Convention began last night and boy was it good! I was glued to APT (Alabama Public Television) all night. Maybe that's why Lucas fell asleep about 8:00. It's a good thing, too, because he definitely would have made fun of me crying at the t.v. over speeches. But, in my defense, they were pretty darn good speeches.

So Teddy was first. Now, I do honor and respect Ted Kennedy but he also has a shaky past that I've never quite gotten past (can you say 'Chappaquiddick'?). But to see him back, giving such a great speech, so invigorated given all that he has been going through was really quite awe-inspiring and made me inch my way toward the Obama train (as some of you might recall I was aboard the Hillary train when we crashed in burning flames).

Well if I wasn't aboard the O Train I sure am now after listening to Michelle Obama. What an amazing woman she is! I love their family. Why was I crying during her speech? I don't know. But it was a nice moment I had on the couch by myself, Lucas in the chair next to me asleep, and the t.v. glowing in the dark family room. I loved hearing her gush about her husband and about how he drove 5 mph home from the hospital when their first girl was born. They really are just parents - caring for their children and doing whatever it takes to provide for them. Just like their parents, just like my parents, and just like the parent I hope to be and many of you probably had or are to your children now. Does that make sense? Anyway, Michelle said her focus is on the country, the world that her children will grow up in and she needs to make the best decision for their future. With Barack Obama at our lead I feel confident that we can restore the American spirit and dream and my children will have a bright future.



So there you have it - I'm an Obama girl now! And this is just the first day of the convention. My girl Hillary is tonight. I hope she doesn't screw this up too bad.

I did have Rafa there watching the convention with me. And he was wearing the brand new bandanna I bought for him and playing with his new toy.




See, I told you yesterday his new treats were more for me than him. I have been scoping out this Democratic dog gear at Pet Smart for quite some time but just couldn't bring myself to pay $6 for a chew toy. When we went in on Saturday they had all of their Halloween dog toys out and the patriotic dog toys on sale.... for $1.97 each. Yay! (Big Surprise - they were out of all the elephants, not that I would've bought one. I wonder why so many Democratic toys were left in Alabama? Haha! Rhetorical question.) So Rafa got new gear just in time for the political season! I'm sure he loves it! :)