Everyone’s feeling kind of happy and giddy. Last night we went to an “ice cream social” at Obama headquarters downtown for volunteers. It was nice. The building they’ve been in used to house Tortilla Flats, but then (Steve tells me) they sold their liquor license and later lost all their business and gave up. So the Obama folks took over the building, and now it is going to be destroyed next week. They had paint and markers and were drawing and writing on the walls. Celie and Iris really liked that — made a bunch of heart people and flowers, and wrote their names.
We ran into someone we know, a retired prof, who has been volunteering for the campaign since the summer of 2007! It was cool to reflect that Indiana went blue because of all the people like him. We found out that a number of other people we knew were also canvassing in Bedford on Tuesday. Maybe it made a difference.
Let’s see, what else to say. Iris and Celie were most interested in Obama’s line about Malia and Sasha having “earned that puppy.” Possibly they are trying to figure out how they too can earn a puppy. (Focus on earning the two kittens you already have, is my advice.) I missed this, but apparently Sarah was watching Obama’s acceptance speech on tape with the girls and Iris cried: “because he’s just so good,” she said, overcome by all the emotion.
In a way, thinking about Malia and Sasha in the White House is one of the most surreal things. So amazing that they will be the first children of the country. I hope they can manage to enjoy it.
Ivan Kreilkamp 