Vegas Monday/Tuesday

This is David and I, showing off our McCain/Palin tees and busting out the "M" for McCain. Unfortunately, David doesn't know what an M looks like. Me hugging a palm tree, just like any Oregonian would do.

These fools didn't quite get the idea.....

A group of callers. They set us up outside in the beautiful Vegas sun. The guy with the hat's name is Stuart. He's a jew. He was a little creepy (not because he was a Jew) because he kind of what being too nice to the girls. But, we had some good discussions about religion. The lady in the red hat is from Arizona. Her name is Susan, she is LDS and her husband is a judge in Arizona. She is also cousins with Gordon Smith, the U.S. Senator from Oregon who just lost his seat to a Democrat.

After a long day of calling they let us go to the McCain rally. 11,000 people!

This is Doug. He is a developer in Las Vegas. He is a great guy. Not LDS, but really appreciates the LDS people and culture. He hooked Dave and I up with some pretty prime seats at the rally. Pretty much he thinks we are the shiz.

Me at the rally. That's good ol' John on stage. The camera makes it look like I was farther than I was. I could see his old man dimples! Joe Lieberman and a slew of other Capitol Hillists were with him. It was such an awesome experience.

After the rally. David, Me, Emily, and Greg. Greg is president of BYU College Republicans and a great guy. Emily is on the executive board with the rest of us. We were kind of the crew during the five day trip. We have this joke that David and Greg are gonna run against each other for public office and Emily and I are going to be their first ladies.... This is us practicing our presidential poses.

Our sweet ride.

This is where they sent us to knock on doors aka "walk precints" and get people to get out and vote. Lot's of folks out here, as you can see... P.S. this is Mesquite.

After realizing we had lost, we went up to gamble our blues away. Just kidding. But, we were at a results party at the Venetian. It was kind of cool. Aside from the whole losing part and everybody being in a bitter, grumbly mood.

The "In N Out Burger" of Las Vegas, right next to the strip. Pretty tastey. Right after taking this picture they told me I couldn't take pictures.....

My Kids

I was talking to this kid in my ward last night at ward prayer, he hadn't been in church earlier and said he had been back in his home ward. His family is from American Fork, which is like a jump, skip and a hop from here. His six-year-old brother had a primary program that day. I told him that I had a six-year-old brother too, and then, without thinking I said, "Yeah, it's rough." He asked, "It's rough?" And then I had to explain that everytime I leave home and come back everyone's grown another foot or two. And how I miss stuff like that all the time. So today, I miss "my kids" particularly much.

Black Tuesday

As most of you know, I was a John McCain fan. I worked for two months in campaigning, from making phone calls, to recruiting supporters, to organizing trips, and the culminating 5 day trip to Nevada to try and swing the state for McCain. I would've preferred he win on Tuesday last. Obviously, he didn't. While I admit that the country rising above our history and tradition of racism and prejudice to elect a half African American to be our President is historic and praiseworthy, I'm bitter.

Among many reasons why I'm frustrated with Obama's election is that I feel he will continue to foster the growing culture of entitlement that is spreading across America. If and when we get back to conservative values (like electing a Republican President) how will we reverse this frustrating, stunting ideology?

The great Mitt Romney once said, "Dependancy is death to intiative, to risk-taking and opportunity. Dependency is culture killing. It's a drug. It's time to stop the spread of government dependency and fight it like the poison it is."

Spreading the wealth, increased welfare, more and more socialist ideals....It gives me heartburn. Can't take it. But the worst is thinking about how many people today are growing up where they see nothing wrong with these values, these socialist values.

It really comes down to basic difference in morals and beliefs. How do you change someone's moral values? It's all very frustrating....

Kara and I call November 4th "Black Tuesday" because it was a disappointing, almost devastaing day for America. Obviously, people will think we are racist. But, I promise, race has nothing to do with it. The state of my political soul, is a better indicator of the name.

NObama and NOvember

Here it is November....It was November 4th, and I thought, "It can't really be November. It doesn't feel like November. I'm still living in October." I was in Vegas. When I left my real life (because I guess life in Vegas wasn't real) it was still October. The temperature outside -- in the 70s -- told me it was not November. Don't worry, reality slapped me in the face, when the election results rolled in (most dampening to the spirits was the call of Ohio to Obama) and when we walked off the bus in Provo to snow flurries.

We have a President-Elect Obama, not quite my choice. I have lots of pictures, and will post the quality ones for you here soon. As for right now I need to make some grub and catch some Grey's. I just wanted to let you know that pictures are on their way, and give you a little sneak peak....

GOTV Day 1

Today was Day One of the Get Out the Vote trip to Vegas. We rolled in around 9:30. There was about an hour of chaos. I ended up in my own very sweet room, with a huge king bed, a huge bathroom, a big TV, my own fridge and microwave, and safe to put my valuables in.

I keep forgetting it is Halloween. Lots of little (teenage) girls were going out to the strip tonight. But I am so exhausted from getting everything done to get here, and my lack of sleep, that I'm staying in tonight. I'll go out to the strip tomorrow night.

We've got a 24 hour pool and spa. Free wireless. Complimentary USA Today. Huge complimentary breakfast in the morning. Anyway, I better get to bed. We have a lot of walking to do tomorrow.

Oh, and I ran three straight miles yesterday, non-stop. Took me 32 minutes. But, I was excited.

Peace Out from the campaign trail.....

The end of October...

Well October is near it's end, and I can't figure out where it went!

Not too much to say. This week I'm wrapping up some midterms that I have before heading off to Las Vegas on Friday. In case you don't know, I am going to Vegas with a group of College Republicans from across Utah and even some from Idaho. We are going to be working for the McCain/Palin team, knocking on doors and getting people out to vote. Should be a really great time, lots of work, but lots of fun. They are paying for everything, hotel, food, transportation, and even giving us 20 bucks to pay for whatever on the way there and back. It's a sweet package. And the hotel they are putting us in is brandnew.... It is the Wingate Hotel.You can check it out at http://www.wingatelasvegas.com/html/photogallery.html.

I'm putting my ballot in the mail this morning on my way to the gym! It's my first time being eligible to vote in a Presidential Election. I'm pretty excited about it. I also voted in some other key competitions. I feel so patriotic!

Last week I wrote an editorial for The Daily Universe, BYU's newspaper. Every week they have someone from College Democrats and someone from College Republicans write an aritcle about a topic. My topic was on taxes. Sadly, the newspaper made some edits that took away from my article, but it was still fun none the less.

Saturday I went to my first football game of the season! Student tickets were sold out for the season before I could buy them, but a guy in one of my journalism classes had three friends who weren't using theirs. So I scalped one and watched a close game between the Cougs and UNLV. It was a beautiful autumn day. Prime for watching football. Though, looking around classes on Monday, lots of people got sunburned. I got a little sun, but then held a paper up the last half of the game to keep from getting scorched. We won 42-35 in a nailbiting last few minutes. I love football!

Yesterday Mclain came up and helped me change my rear left turn signal light. What a gem he was! I had made some homemade chicken noodle soup for sick little Kara, and made sure Mac had two bowls of it! Poor kid. We visited for a while after, and made plans to go to church with him sometime in November so he can meet some good people. It was a good weekend, though fairly unproductive when it came to school stuff.

Oh, something of little consequence. Went on a blind date Saturday night. Kara's old boyfriend Brenton, is on a mission in New Mexico, and one of his companions just got home. Jordan Davis was his name. Totally awkward, totally someone I wouldn't be attracted to, but he was really nice. We just got hot cocoa at Barnes & Noble, looked a magazines, chatted, then met up with my roommates to go to a "masquerade" themed dance party. It went down hill from there. It was just so awkward, and he had to be so close to me.... Sometimes I'm so over single life.