I went to PennDOT today to get my photo taken for my driver’s license.

Now, I know, and you know, that driver’s license photos are always unflattering, right? But PennDOT is kind and wise, or maybe just kinda wise. They let you see your photo before it is printed on your license. You can do it over if you don’t like it. As much as you want.

My first try was awful. I’d tried to smile, and it just looked like gas, or something, and WHOAH, HELLO DOUBLE CHIN! Yikes! I asked her to do it over.

The second try was better, but also looked bizarre. Who is that crazy lady, was my first thought. Then I remembered, oh yeah, that’s me. The smile was kind of rictus-looking, but the chins were a little less obvious. The hair looked okay for a crazy lady.

On the other hand, a few nights ago I went out to a party* with Drob, and I got all dressed up. I even put body makeup on my boobages. Glittery boobages! I borrowed a swanky sexy red dress and did my hair and put on makeup. I can’t believe there are people who actually do that every day! Ok, not the dress, but the rest of it. Everyone told me I looked great (hot, beautiful, pretty, awesome, etc.) That was nice. Should have gotten my driver’s license photo done that night. Of course, that isn’t possible, and there’s something wrong about getting your driver’s license photo taken when you are stumbling around, having had too many mojito’s.

Still, and anyway, it’s good to know that I can clean up nice from time to time. I had the worst headache ever the next morning, but I don’t regret it at all. It’s not like I made out with random strangers and puked on my shoes. THAT would be a crazy party.

*Fundraiser for school! Does that count? Yes, it does, because I got kinda drunk and danced around in a distinctly undignified way.

I sat down at my laptop just now and found this:

“Look, Santa put coal in my stocking!”

“I didn’t put antlers on my wish list.”

“This Examined Breakfast – Panncakes with Pann!”

We were nine at the table. Well, ten when Moonlight the cat jumped up. (Shoo!)

This morning we arrived at school promptly at 8:30 AM sharp, bookbags and lunches at the ready, gym shoes appropriately on the right feet. Great! Now let’s do that again tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow!

I am glad to be back into some form of structure. Right now I’m sitting at home alone (just me and the cats and the guinea pigs, that is) and I’m listening to music on Pandora.com. If you don’t know Pandora, and you like listening to music, then you should really check it out. It’s free to listen to music, you don’t download anything, and they have just about everything. .

I feel really good. I am delighted that the holidays are “done” and I feel really satisfied. I do wish D (my husband) were able to get a break like I had. Having two full weeks to reset my brain, focus on home, etc., was really nice. Yes, he was off for some of the time, too. But he seems really stressed out and not at all re-charged. This makes me sad.

I have no New Years Resolutions at this point. I mean, I could think of some things that I could just, well, ignore. I don’t know about lofty goals. I do wish I’d get the hang of being prompt to school and work Every Day. This kind of drudgery isn’t my thing, unfortunately. But I think if I make up new ways to think of it, new rewards, new systems, say every month or so… that might help.

I wish more people visited / read / commented here at This Examined Life. I could make it a goal to publicize my blog more in the new year. It is so lonely writing and not knowing if someone (besides D) is reading it. I wish I knew what creative and fun ways that other people tackle the everyday challenges of work and parenthood — well that is actually one of the reasons I enjoy reading other people’s blogs!

The next time I do a conceptual overhaul on my home/work routines, I’ll try to blog about it and share here what works, what doesn’t.

Happy New Year, Internet Buddies Far and Near!!!

Oh, and, here’s a picture from Christmas morn. Note the presents stacked all around the … guinea pig cage?!? We had the world’s smallest Christmas tree, a live baby tree in a pot, but up on a pedestal and it’s not in the picture!

The novel is coming along. I am still at my mom’s house, but things are somewhat less tense, and I’ve been doing a lot of writing and a lot of cooking.

I had a great time cooking. My favorite thing so far was pumpkin soup cooked and served in its own shell. Thanks, Barbara Kingsolver, for the wonderful recipe. Here’s a picture, and then I’m going back to the novel.

This morning my very sleepy family rousted ourselves out of our warm and cozy beds to head over to the voting booth and make history. Drob needed to get his voting accomplished before work, so the strategy we sought (along with about 100 other early birds) was to arrive shortly after the polls opened.

We got there about 7:15 AM. There was a long line that curled around the ramp and down the street. I snapped a few pictures of the people patiently waiting. I heard no grumbling.

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It was clear that we’d have quite a long wait, so the D and I decided that I should take the kids to WaWa for breakfast takeout (coffee, doughnuts) and come back. We get to WaWa and I realize, SHIT, I have no money on me– my wallet is at home. The kids and I head home, I can’t FIND my wallet, but I find a credit card and grab that. By the time we’ve gotten the breakfast, D finished voting, and there was no longer a line. The girls and I went ahead and voted.

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The girls and I all put our fingers on the green VOTE button together, counted to three, and pushed it to record our vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, along with a host of other Democratic candidates. I took a picture of the girls just before we voted, but of course I was holding the camera so my finger isn’t in the picture (below). There were also several city-related issues to vote on, and we had a fabulous time pushing the Yes or the No button, depending on the question.

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Upon leaving the polling place, the crowds truly were gone, and so I snapped some pictures admiring the strong Obama support here in my neck of the woods.

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STUFFIES FOR OBAMA!!!!

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Once we’d accomplished our voting, and snapped a few pictures for the sake of history, I dropped off my children at school. There I had an opportunity to vote a second time. This time, not for President but something a lot more fun. Our school is choosing a school mascot for our soccer team. The children came up with two candidates: Raccoon or Panther. The kids have been campaigning for about a week – and school is covered with cute kid drawings of Raccoons and of Panthers. They’ve been going around polling other kids and teachers to find out which mascot is leading in the polls. It seems that Panthers are the projected winner. Carla and Annie are both rabid Raccoon supporters, and I have to admit I let that sway my vote.

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From Carla’s campaign poster: “Who would want to be eaten by their mascot? I wouldn’t! VOTE RACCOON!”