We made Fox 13 News..

Kelly and I on Fox 13 News..you have to watch the first part on the inauguration, then it goes to local news and Kelly is the second interview, I'm the fourth. I sound so COUNTRY!!! 

We watched history

We watched history today at the Civil Rights Museum today. There was a watching party there, that opened at 10am.I got there around 10:15 and they were turning away people at the door. How could this be? I drove all the way down there and I wasn't going to get in? Several media people were walking right in as they were filled to capacity. I saw a group go around to the back, I followed them and walked right in. Most of the time if you act like you should be there, then people leave you alone. We were escorted in the theatre room. I stood in the back of the theatre room and remembered Kelly and her coworker Chris were coming to meet me. I sent her a quick text to just tell them they were with a Polish newspaper, just make up one I said..walk right in. Obviously Chris knows several newspapers in Poland and didn't need to make one up, as he is from there. It worked, they got in. We were the only 'white' people in that room. So that was a different feeling in a way, in a way not, we were all there for the same reason.  Everyone was gracious and clapped politely when President Bush came out, cheered loudly when Aretha Franklin came out and cheered and chanted and even screamed when they saw the Obamas. Also when the Chief of Ceremony told everyone at the Inauguration to rise, well everyone in Memphis rose as well. CNN and ABC were doing live feeds from there and at one point I could see Kelly and I on the screen during the ceremony. Very distant and in the back of the room, but stillcool nonetheless. The ceremony, the speech it all was wonderful to see. I really liked how the speech reached out to everyone, all races, all religions. As we were leaving Kelly and I got interviewed for the local Fox news station, maybe we will be on TV tonight..Now its time to watch the parade..I can't remove my eyes from CNN, I guess I'm not working out today...

Inauguration Watching..

Heading down to the National Civil Rights Museum.  It is snowing today and it just seems like an all around magical day! Lane and Lennox are running around in the snow now! 

Out with the...

OLD...And Silly..

AND IN WITH THE NEW.....

MLK and Hooter's

Happy MLK day to everyone..I just feel like I am trying to soak in as much of this history as I can. I would have LOVED to be in DC this weekend and tomorrow. I'm having to settle to be in the city where Martin Luther King was shot and killed. Memphis has made some major strides, but most of the city is still pretty segregated. Tony is usually the only black person most of the places we go. He never complains, but I really try to make sure we do lots of diverse things, that's how I have been my entire life anyway. We have the National Civil Rights Museum here and Tony, Kelly and I are going to meet and watch the swearing in and other inauguration activities. We watched one of the specials on HBO yesterday from the Lincoln Memorial with performances from Will I Am, Sheryl Crowe, Beyonce, Shakira, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, Usher, U2....Tiger Woods, Samuel L. Jackson, Steve Carrell, Jack Black, Jamie Foxx, Denzel Washington all spoke. It was amazing how happy everyone seems and the crowd was full and going wild. I just don't remember either watching or being into this with George W. 

We went to Hooter's yesterday to watch the NFC and AFC Championships. I'm excited about the Super Bowl matchup..Ok, since when do little girls under 10 years old, have their birthday parties at Hooter's? There were THREE parties all with cake, balloons and singing THREE times by the entire Hooter girl's staff. Now we are getting so desperate in finding places to watch games these days. I am a MAJOR TV snob, Tony is too! We have two HD Plasma and LCD TV's, one is a 52" and the other is a 42". Clear as they can be, you can almost see every blade of grass on the football field during the games and that's how I like it! We paid a lot for these TV's so sometimes we just like to stay home and watch the big games, but sometimes you gotta get out and socialize and watch the games. Well Mary Ruth has been talking about Hooter's for sometime now so we decided to join her last week, they have TONS of TV's and most in HD. Probably the best set up in our area, and a HUGE bonus, NONSMOKING! Very rare to find a nonsmoking sports bar with good TV's here in Memphis. So Hooter's I guess is taking on a family environment, hence the kiddie parties. I mean nothing is wrong with it I guess, but what little girl requests a party at Hooter's? I mean are they making invitations now with boobs popping out of a shirt or something? Or more kid friendly like with an owl or something..??...Oh and by the way, the girls look NOTHING like any on the website or in the calendars...but an upgrade from the Hooter's girls downtown on Beale. 

What an Election it was..

I can't believe that Barack Obama won the election a week ago today. I was one of those viewers that fell asleep to the election coverage on CNN every night. I was a junkie to the coverage.  CNN was the best you know, most high tech, best commentaries.   I know so many people want to be politically correct and say something completely neutral but I can't. I didn't start out as an Obama supporter. I actually was behind Hillary Clinton in the primaries. I am a huge Clinton fan and really thought she deserved the win. But once she conceded and Barack Obama became the Democratic nomination I threw my support behind him. I didn't NOT like Obama, I just favored Clinton over him. Seeing him at the Democratic National Convention I became a supporter of him and his campaign. His speech was invigorating. It was hard living in the 'burbs of Memphis during the election. Most people didn't have the same political views as I did. I had a few good post- Jazzercise Coffee discussions with Randy, Diane and Linda. And who woulda thought all the dog walkers in my Wednesday group but 2 were voting for Obama. We even participated in the Flying Saucer's version onthe Election by buying beer in a glass with Barack Obama's Face on it. Of course in Cordova we were majorly outnumbered, although I will say we did buy 3 glasses to help the cause. I went to the local headquarters and got a yard sign and proudly displayed it. I ordered Tshirts and probably 40 buttons off the website. I had Dog Lover's for Obama, Tennessee for Obama, you name it, I got it. Tony and I voted early at the AgriCenter. We waited about an hour and a half to do so, but that was ok. I was so excited we had on our cute Tshirts, and then oops I forgot we had to cover them up, as the rules prohibit wearing anything of a candidates...We watched MNF at Mulligan's I cheered for the Steelers, so the incumbent party would loose. The next day was November 4, Election Day. Kelly and I agreed to meet at the DNC local  Headquarters, which is totally volunteer run by the way. We wanted to drive people to the polls but there really were not that many requests or need.  So instead of making calls to North Carolina, we decided to become Poll Watchers and Poll Workers. We looked up on the wall of all the polling places the 'most need' was in SouthWest Memphis, the Whitehaven Area. So off we were to Whitehaven. We learned that being a Poll Worker involved standing 100 feet from the polls and handing out Democratic Information. Poll Watching consisted of signing in with the poll workers as a representative of the Democratic National Committee. We each had badges of a multiply copied slips of paper.  Being a Poll Watcher was much more exciting than handing out info to people who pretty much already knew who they were voting for. Our initial job was to get the number of voters who came out to the poll and to make sure people stayed in line when they were long and didn't end up having problems when their turn came up to vote. Our first stop was Raineshaven Elementary. Walked up to the school. No line at all..met a great woman named Carolyn who promptly gave us our numbers-363.  I later found out that Tony's college freshman roommate and a good friend of ours Courtney Rogers attended Raineshaven. We didn't think there was much we could do there, so our new friend Carolyn directed us to Cumming Street Baptist Church. Same situation there, no line, already had their rush of voters. So we decided to hit all the polls in the area. Next we went to Pyramid Recovery Center and met an interesting lady who told us 7000 people had already been through there, but in reality there were 260.  We also saw a lady who was very elderly, partially deaf and blind getting assisted with voting. All she said over and over was, "I want to vote for him, I want to vote for him." We knew who 'him' was. It was touching to see her make her vote count.  Our next stop was Gaston Community Center with 257 voters, then to Riverview Community Center. This was the location that a young kid at the DNC offices warned us not to go bc Kansas Street was not a good area to be in. It was during the day and we felt safe. The man there let us go up to the polls themselves and count them off the machines.  Before we left we met a man who was probably in his 50's and had never voted. He was out to make his vote count as well.  From there we went to Riverview Junior High. Ooops, hit them right as the school bell rang..that was interesting...kids everywhere in the hallways. This was our last stop and the same thing, most everyone had been there when the polls

 opened. We stopped back by Raineshaven and Cummings Street. No action there either..time to head back to the Headquarters.  Once getting there Daniel our 'poll watcher location director' had another desperate assignment, to stop by another Elementary School nearby that the name slips my mind. Not much of a problem, just that a group of individuals didn't want to leave the voting area and the lady in charge, who wasn't that nice if you ask me wanted them outta there. Not really our problem.  I think they were Obama supporters anyway. I was so tired at this point and after reporting these numbers, I was ready to head home and watch some of the returns. I get home and Tony has just gotten in from a day of traveling and felt like relaxing and watching the returns on the couch. When I walked in the door Tony shouted, he's loosing. I thought, what@? But only the first two states were in and it was like 8 to 3. Nothing to worry about.  We jumped around from channel to channel going back everytime to old faithful CNN. States kept turning blue and once Obama got Pennsylvania I decided that I had to go out to the official party at Stop 345 with Kelly. I couldn't miss being in the middle of all the excitement. I left my sweetheart of a boyfriend on the couch with Lennox and Lane and headed to Midtown. We got there in time to grab a Barackarita and watch McCain concede.  The excitement was incredible, Stop 345 it was great to see such a racially diverse crowd and in Memphis at that! The only problem I had with the party was their 2 big screens were tuned to MSNBC, my least favorite channel, if it were not for Harold Ford Jr. giving his commentary..I would have pulled my hair out that I couldn't change the channel if I wanted to. People were clearing out and since Obama had it clinched I wanted to be home to watch his historic speech on one of my HD TV's not to mention share that moment with my family Tony, Lennox and Lane. I dropped Kelly off and got home right in time to see the new First family walk out onto the stage. What a speech, what a night! I'm so glad I got to volunteer that historic day and feel even more a part of it. 

Yes We Did

Today is the day...

I'm about to go work out, then go help out at Obama Headquarters with Kelly...I've cleared my schedule today..every little bit helps...

GO OBAMA! 

Tonight on Dancing with the Stars..

Go Browns! Go Barack!

Senator Obama came over to watch football with us and the cheer on his favorite player. He needs votes in Ohio! VOTE!

Palin's NO Pit Bull

I'm not trying to go overboard here, but I'm disgusted at Sarah Palin's comparison of herself as a 'Hockey Mom' with lipstick to a Pit Bull. Why must everyone constantly use a comparison to this wonderful breed? Now if she were referring to loyalty, devotion and uncommitted love to people then I understand, but I have a feeling after the extreme negativeness of her comments on Barack Obama; I don't think that's where she was going. I'll give credit to McCain's speech writer whom has admitted writing most of her speech (and before the VP nominee was even known) and not to her on that comment, but I guess since the truth is not all in the open at the RNC then we will never know who actually wrote that punch at my favorite breed. All the work we do to get people do have a positive view of Pit Bulls and someone to throw some crap out there in the national spotlight is extremely aggravating! Google Palin Pit Bull and see what you find..

"Beneath the lip stick Palin is a Pit Bull waiting to attack", and "Palin unmasks her 'pit bull persona" Sydney Morning Herald

"Pit Bull Palin sinks teeth into Obama", Chicago Sun Times

"Clearly in Palin, McCain found the political attack dog that every good vice presidential candidate is expected to be." Salt Lake Tribune

The comments and stories with comparison to Pit Bulls in a negative light now go on and on thanks to that comment that created a roar of cheers and laughter from the Republican party. 

 I am obviously a Barack Obama supporter, but if he or any other Democrat made a comment such as this I would be equally as upset. Well here you go Sarah Palin, new darling of the Republican Party that I hadn't heard of a week ago, here's my big boy in a 'Hockey Mom' bra, its as good at it gets considering dogs don't even have lips to wear lipstick!! 

32....

I am 32 today. Wow...32! I guess it should feel different..but I really don't. Although 32 is more 'into my 30's' than 31. But I'm inspired. Hillary's speech last night at the DNC was amazing. I really admire people like her that can really get a crowd going. But the speeches before her were a little on the BORING side. There are those that should speak to a crowd and those who shouldn't. I was talking to the dogs while Tony was finishing up some work. I looked over at Lennox and said "Do you want to vote for Barack Obama??" He lifted up his head and perked up his ears. I was thinking, wow, he's really been listening to all this hype. I looked over at Lane, who was doing his best John McCain impression, white(pale), wrinkled, asleep on the couch. Said the same to him, he didn't move. So I said it again to Lennox, "Do you wanna vote for Barack Obama?". He then jumped up off the couch and ran to the door. "Tony, watch Lennox, he is really political this year!!" Tony then squashes my "dog is the smartest dog ever'" moment, "It sounds similar to "Do you want to go for a walk". Lennox loves walks and is majorly overdue for one!! Yes, I hear it now..Barack=Walk. Oops..well I still think my dogs are the best ever! 

I'll be spending my afternoon with some other wonderful dogs at the Humane Society today. I'm bringing them lots and lots of treats that Shannon and Andrea have given me to donate. This should be fun...then Tony and I are out on the town this evening..