Sunday, October 29, 2006

My best Halloween costumes




No Halloween parties this year. But as an adult, I've celebrated dressed as:

Harpo Marx. My favorite costume because I got to see myself as a blonde, and as a bonus, annoy everyone with my bike horn.

Edie Sedgewick.
I had a nice ass back then. I don't have the nerve to attempt this one now. Unfortunately everyone thought I was Twiggy or a generic "hippie chick."

Bruce Springsteen. Forgot about the party until the last minute, and made do by wearing white t-shirt, blue jeans, and slipping a Cincinnati Reds cap in my back pocket.

Here's hoping there's a flat screen TV in Heaven

My late father loved the Chicago Bears. They didn't bring him joy, but that's OK. Neither did the Cubs. Nor did my mom, my sisters, nor me. He had no hobbies, other than watching sports on TV, and he hated his job. Nothing much made him happy in this life. He was a very angry man whose glass was always half empty.

I believe in Heaven, and I hope that with the peace and the wisdom one gets upon entering, he is able to ENJOY watching his 7-0 Bears kick ass.

It still hurts


Oh, it hurts less. But it still hurts. November 2, 2004, I mean.

I worked very hard for Senator John F. Kerry, and I'm prouder of that than just about anything else I've ever done with my life. We ran a clean campaign, even after we were "swift boated." We were scrupulous about reporting our campaign contributions. Both of those points seem to loom very large as we approach another election day, where negative commercials and fiscal scandals seem to be the order of the day.

War hero. District attorney. United States Senator with a sterling environmental record and a clear understanding of the role we should be playing in the world. And real supporter of women's issues. He has not only consistently supported our reproductive rights, he's also long been a serious advocate in the battle against sexual assault and domestic violence, dating all the way back to his days as prosecutor.

I felt completely alive when I was working the phones, canvassing, writing letters, and (that campaign tradition) stuffing envelopes. We believed we were going to change the world. Really make a profound and lasting difference. There's an adrenaline rush that comes along with that, one that's stronger than anything found in a can of Red Bull. I wonder if I'll ever do anything as important again.

When I think of how different Iraq would be today if only ... or how different Abu Gharib and Gitmo would have been if only ... or how different New Orleans would be today if only ... my heart weighs a ton. I often wonder how the Senator is doing, how he feels about coming so close and being proven so right by time and events.

I did my best, but I'm still sorry I didn't do more and didn't do better for my country and my candidate. He's a completely honorable man, dedicated to public service, and we would be better had things turned out differently in Ohio on November 2, 2004.

Give me strength


I bought my Halloween candy today. It's sitting on my kitchen counter. I have promised myself that my reward for self-restraint will be that I can devour whatever is left on November 1. We'll see how strong my will is.