Thank You, America

Today feels like it has lasted approximately 47 hours already, and it’s barely 3:30. Probably because I got up at 5 a.m., dropped Tara off at the airport exactly one hour later, and then drove an hour+ to Spearfish for a 7.5-mile roundtrip hike to the top of Crow Peak and back. And then I drove home, but not before stopping at Safeway for our weekly grocery run. All of that, and I was back home just a little after noon.

I arrived at the trailhead at 7:15, figuring I’d be the only one there, but…nope. There were a few other hikers, all of whom must have realized, like I, that these 75-degree November days won’t last forever.

The hike was amazing; the weather on the way up perfect, though it was pretty warm by the time I headed back down. Windy near the summit, as you would expect, but this time of year there were no mosquitoes or flies. The trail was a nonstop steady incline the whole way, gaining 1,600′ in elevation. Well worth the effort though, because the views from the top? Spectacular.

I feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the country. The mountains and prairies make for endless vistas. It truly is the perfect place for an outdoors enthusiast like me.

On the way down, I got a text from Deb, my friend and former coworker. She was letting me know that Pennsylvania had gone to Biden, putting him over the top and ending days of speculation that really were nothing more than the lead-up to what I have long felt was a foregone conclusion. Seriously, I have spent months being a source of emotional support and positivity leading up to the election. I never had a single doubt that Biden would win; just ask Tara. I chalk it up to my unfailing optimism, but really, Trump was such a walking, talking disaster from day one that America had no choice but to repudiate him. I know he’s got a large base of supporters, but they were never in the majority (thank god). There was simply no way in my mind that the country as a whole would grant such a racist, egotistical moron another four years.

Thank you, America, for not letting me down. This time, anyway. We won’t talk about 2016. Now, let’s fix all that was broken these last four years and return this country to greatness!

Still not sure if I’m writing every day this month…

21 thoughts on “Thank You, America”

  1. That’s how I felt in 2016, the year of which we will not speak. I was so sure everyone could see how utterly corrupt and incompetent he was, and that Trump was only in it to loot the country. To say nothing of the racism and misogyny.

    And I was wrong. Too much voter suppression, FB misinformation, and stupid white people. And let us not forget the Electoral College, designed to keep the slave states in power.

    Don’t get me wrong, I am so psyched for today. But it was so much work, by so many, to combat an evil that should seem so obvious.

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    1. Yeah, I get it. I felt the same way. Didn’t think he’d last a year. But today, I want to focus on our bright new future. Lots of work to be done still, but we’re headed in the right direction!

      Don’t even get me started on the Electoral College…

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  2. Did your friend tell you that this afternoon the SCOTUS ordered Pennsylvania to separate the votes tallied before midnight, and those after midnight? The media does not decide who wins.

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  5. Normalcy is having more manufacturing jobs in our country. Normalcy is the ability to sell your home without being heavily taxed. Such may be the days, I hope not if you need to make a career move back to liberal Oregon. You might be taxed out of the wadzoo.

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    1. My idea of normalcy is uniting Americans instead of dividing them. Not just Americans…people. ALL people, including minorities, the disenfranchised, immigrants, foreign powers, etc. I’m not worried about the economy at all; it was on fire under Obama and I expect the same.

      Thank you for sharing your perspective. I think you’d agree the best thing moving forward is to heal our country and work together. Let’s hope that happens.

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  7. The economy is set to take a nose dive, so hold on for normalcy not to be there which is why employers are sending employees information about the market currently and the predictions. But yeah, we are all good….

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  8. I’m hugely relieved, but I’m also a little disappointed at how close the race was. Fortunately, I think that the last four years have illustrated what happens if you get too complacent about things like equality, diversity and unification, and it’s reignited the overall desire to keep fighting for the things that matter.

    Also, can we just take a moment to celebrate THE FIRST FEMAIL VICE PRESIDENT! Woot!

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