Thanks to Dooce, I am also on the cuteness bandwagon of the pygmy hippo, Monifa.

What a special creature.

Scott and I were outside the Obama Election Party location, waiting with a crown of supporters for 9pm to arrive. This is the reaction!

Today marks one of the most unforgettable days in my generations lives.

For the first time in America’s history, we have elected an African American President. We have come so far and tonight we saw the result of the journey this country has taken by electing Barack Obama as President.

Listening to Obama’s speech brought tears to my eyes and hope to my heart. He spoke passionately and everything he said resonated with me. He will bring the change we need and it is going to be an amazing ride.

This is exactly what America needs. Bush ruined this country in many ways and tonight we start the rebuilding process by showing the world that we do care and we do want change.

Well, the day has come and we have a new President. And that President is Barack Obama!! Democracy lives and the people have spoken. What a historic moment in history. Unbelievable and wondrous!!

Scott and I tried to go to the Obama Election Party after I got off work tonight at 8pm but we could barely get in the hotel lobby and forget trying to get upstairs. We happened to meet up with our good friend Sandy and outside and that is where we were when the election was called in Obama’s favor. It was pretty cool to be there, surrounded by Obama supporters as they counted down to 9pm and then to capture the response on video. Pretty cool!

As we walked back to our car, three blocks away, we could still hear the crown of supporters like they were right next to us.

Right now we are listening to Barack’s speech and it is powerful and full of hope and passion. I believe with all my heart he will direct this country down a path that can only make America better.

Go Obama! Yes we can!!

The Sun Devils looked like a football team for the most part last night. While in the end we lost, the effort put forth showed heart. We still have a lot to work on, namely scoring touchdowns in the red zone. But we had a lot of positives. Our run game looked good. Carpenter was very efficient and accurate. The o-line was better at giving Carpenter time. The last drive we had was pretty amazing. We almost tied it. I think that beating the spread by 13 points is a huge victory. Oregon State is not at all a pushover team and to come close to possible beating them is pretty good. If this had been last year, we would all be singing our praises. But because this was our 6th loss (the most since the 20s) people seem to have nothing positive to say and are now looking toward next season. There are still 4 games to play. Lets stick with our team and send the seniors out with style.

We are finally seeing some relief in the Phoenix area. Not so much during the day as at night. Once the sun sets, it is a comfortable, cool temperature that reminds up why we live here.

Scott and I have been taking advantage of the wonderful evenings by going for walks. Last night we walked for 2 miles, while discussing football among other topics. We had a great time and it felt good to get out and do something, especially since we had been cooped up all day doing household chores.

I am actually looking forward to nightly walks and maybe even get up to walking 4 miles a day.

I have had the opportunity to stay at two resorts since Scott has been employed with his new job.

Back in August he had a conference down in Tucson at the Westward Look resort. While he was in meetings I enjoyed the pool and poolside amenities. I had forgotten how much I enjoy relaxing in a pool and taking turns swimming and floating and laying out on a lounge chair. I also took advantage of the spa, and got a pedicure. The hotel room (room 144) was wonderful, with cool decor and fabulous tiling in the bathroom. The staff was extremely courteous and inviting, as out of all the staff I encountered there was only one who didn’t say some sort of greeting. Pretty impressive!

I had a fabulous time and can’t wait to get back the next time Scott has a business conference here.

Then in September Scott had another conference in Phoenix. While it was only at a resort down the street from our house, I accompanied Scott for an overnight stay at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs. We stayed in room 4063 and it was spectacular. Great setup, with a living room that was separated from the bedroom by an actually hallway (short but still a hallway). The color scheme was definitely our style and the bed was very comfortable. I took advantage of the pool here as well, but this time I forgot sunscreen and got very burned.

Overall, it was a nice experience and now I can say I stayed in a Hilton hotel.

So, thanks to Scott’s new job for providing opportunities for me to experience the pampered life and having these opportunities to stay at spectacular resorts.

In July, Congress passed the Higher Education Reauthorization and Opportunity Act. This is a huge feat and, being a social worker, very important to those of us who are in the social service field. Part of this Act will allow for student loan forgiveness up to $10,000 over 5 years for professionals in the mental health field.

I am very happy about this development and look forward to being able to take advantage of this opportunity. These loans are not going to pay themselves!

Finally!! Sun Devil football is here and I couldn’t be more excited. This season kicked off with a home game against NAU. And as expected we won. But it wasn’t all pretty. This game showed us that in no way are or backups ready to step in if our starters get hurt. That is a big “Uh oh.”

Scientists have found polar bears swimming 60 miles away from shore. This is not a good sign. These bears are not built to swim for such long distances but with the decrease in the landscape they are used to, this will happen more often. It makes me very sad. We need to do whatever we can to prevent these animals from becoming extinct.