I think this sums up everyday....
A relaxing walk through glistening jungle-gardens to an immense buffet. The call of flamingos and parrots and peacocks in our ears, saturated colors and earthy smells. Little waves on the shore, Spanish music, smiles behind masks, massages, minty mojitos, great company and conversation.
Lots of gratitude.
It took 5 days to call Pennsylvania and, in turn, the Presidency.
The short story is that President-Elect Joe Biden and his glass-ceiling shattering running mate, Kamala Harris were victorious and gave eloquent, compassionate and humble acceptance speeches on the evening of November 7th.
The part of the story that no-one really cares about, is how I fared last week. Did I give myself an ulcer or palpitations? Yes. Yes, I did.
But at the end of the day, it could have been a lot worse and apparently the counting of ballots could have gone on longer. Oh wait... it's still going on!!!
Georgia has been sitting at >99.0% tallied votes for days and still won't call it for Biden. Sure, it's close but in the history of all recounts, has any state EVER found 10,000+ missing or mis-counted ballots? Ah... no. They have not. So while we all understand a recount in an acceptable request when the difference is .2% between candidate, we all also know it's not going to change the outcome. Let's go ahead and call this one "denial".
And finally, if you read my last post and giggled at my confession of having absconded with a resort cat (AKA emotional support cat) then you'll get a good belly laugh out of my "new and improved confession":
I actually needed TWO emotional support cats to get me through the week!
We timed this "relaxation" trip to Cozumel, Mexico specifically to coincide with a decrease in work commitments, a friend's urgent need to temporarily escape unpleasant circumstances and the US Presidential election.
The goal was simple. To decrease stress and increase sanity. The plan, also simple, involved food, drink, great company, warm weather and diving for those so inclined. Their happy place being under the sea, while mine is under a palapa.
The resort has been uber COVID-19 careful and clean. The flights were the same. If it hasn't been for 2 things, I'd call it perfect.
1. Hurricane Eta wreaking a boatload of destruction in Central America, sent bands of warm rain our way. To be honest, after the hottest, driest, smokiest season in Colorado history, feeling "damp" was pretty welcome. Chance of fire in Cozumel - 0%!!!
2. The election. Well it was never going to be an amicable time for the incredibly polarized American people. Almost half of the country STILL seemed to approve of the lyin' bully who occupies the White House. Yep, even the people of color, immigrants, women, nature-lovers, those with impending Trump-related health insurance woes and COVID-mismanagement related unemployment!
I fall into the other category. As do most people who are educated, value truth and fact, science, the planet and the humans who occupy it. (I don't think we have many of the conspiracy theorists in our camp!)
So... It's November 5th. The election was 2 days ago and "counting" has been underway ever since. Every state has a way of doing it and good reasons for that way. But owing to COVID-19, the number total ballots and mail-in ballots has been literally, overwhelming this year. The side effect being slowness related to collection, verification, tallying and reporting. But doing it right the first time and accurately reporting numbers, has been more critical than ever and that holds true no matter who you voted for.
IMHO Trump is currently dying a death of 1000 paper cuts.
To be fair, about the only thing that Trump and I found common ground on was we both didn't want him to die quickly at the polls.
He preferred to call the election for himself before the polls closed. (Trump calls them Poles... but us educated folks know, the Polish people have nothing to do with this.)
Me, I just wanted to watch him die slowly, painfully, with every swing state killing his chances a tiny bit every hour, for the next week.
Educated folks also know what role stress plays on an immune system and there is still hope that the guy who believes COVID-19 will just "go away" and doesn't believe in science, could have some sort of resurgence of virus that renders him unable to open his ignorant, rude, distasteful, pouty mouth. If not... then we may be in for another of his rambling, selfish and whiny speeches when he finally concedes.
Karma is a bitch and I know no matter what happens today, Trump is squirming. He is already doing what Trump does when he can't get his own way... Tweeting in ALL CAPS. Acting like a victim, becoming increasingly unhinged, calling his plethora of permanently retained lawyers and convincing them to act towards stopping ballot counting, reversing those counted and suing people in charge of votes counted against him etc etc etc. Nothing new or unexpected here.
Meanwhile, Biden is preparing to address Americans and talk about what Trump cannot - because he apparently hasn't attended COVID briefings for months! Yesterday we had our worst COVID new cases numbers yet.
This is why I'm closeting myself in Cozumel this week. I love that right now a parrot is screeching "hola" at me and my temporary emotional support cat is excelling at his job.
And when my emotional roller coaster is too much for one cat to calm, I drink.
Vino blanco, por favor!
Mojito, por favor!
...Una mas
... gracias!
And by the time I get back to the USA, this shit-show will be over and President Pussy-grabber will be one step closer to the grave he has dug for himself.
Sending him thoughts and prayers, seems appropriate. Each to their own in deciding what to pray for and the exact language of those thoughts! Our constitutional rights, after all.
