A sad day for many of us Americans...

Americans, how are you all doing? As for me here. Yesterday, I felt complete shock! Huge amounts of disgust. Anger! I felt like I wanted to puke. I felt such sorrow. Despair. Great sadness. Huge *huge* amounts of sadness. This morning? I am no longer shocked. That's the positive. The shock has definitely worn off. However, I'm still completely numb. On a serious note. I feel fear. Fear for American women period! Fear for the LGBT community. Fear for minorities. Fear for Muslims in America. And just fear for basically everyone in America period... regardless what age, race, income you have, etc you are. All I can say as an American citizen is...I'm sorry! I tried! I voted for Hillary and we lost! I did my part. I voted for the greater good. So while I know...I did everything in my power to do right. It just didn't turn out that way. And I wish like hell it would have turned out differently but it didn't.

For many of us. This was devastating.

On the bright side. Colorado voted for Hillary Clinton. When I saw the state of Colorado turn blue. I smiled and knew I did my part! Coloradoans wanted Hillary! I also saw, Oregon and Washington state also wanted Hillary Clinton too. So did Hawaii and California. And so did the state of Maine! So I know...so many many of us voted for the greater good. It just sadly...wasn't enough.

I hope for those of us, these 4 years go by fast. I hope these next 4 years World War 3 doesn't break out. I hope nothing major or catastrophic happens.

I am comforted to know that my son will be voting in the next election. Since Branden is 15 years old right now. That in 4 years we will have another American Democrat voting and hopefully we can get another Democrat in the White House in the next election, 4 years from now.

I pray for America, my country. I pray for us Americans, my people. And I pray for the entire world. That these next 4 years....he won't push the nuke button. And end the world as we know it. I will pray that we won't have World War 3 (yes I mentioned this twice, it's clearly on my mind and it's a genuine worry I have now). I just hope these next 4 years are uneventful. My love to those of you in the United States right now. Just remember love always wins. Love "trumps" hate every time. Here's hoping for a better tomorrow. A speedy 4 years. And I hope this is a wake up call for those who didn't vote.

Anyways, you guys today I won't be posting my TBT. I have had so many emails to me about the election. Asking my thoughts. That I think this is a bit more timely for today. : )  I will be posting something fun and nice tomorrow. So hopefully it can take our minds off this whole election nightmare business. Alrighty...talk with you all tomorrow.

Today's plan? I have observation day at Noah's school today.  And this Saturday, I along with all other 5th grade parents in our town have to go and collect trash. Hahaha. Oh dear! And at 8:30am nonetheless on a Saturday. @_@ Alrighty, I better go jump in the shower now. Have a great day you guys.: )

Americans in Japan, hope you all voted! I voted early, I voted October 21st. Tuesday November 8th is election day. The day we pick our new president...

Friday,October 21st, as soon as the kiddos went to school safe and sound. I... with a hot cup of hot coffee and some cinnamon cream, coffee creamer sat down at my computer and cast my vote for president of the United States. And I also had a whole bunch of Denver, Colorado specific amendments and issues to vote for too. If you see my voting online pic here, it is for Colorado voters. And then after I clicked this page it went to a more specific Denver voters page. Each city has different things to vote about. For example. The right to die, if you have a terminal illness (such as cancer) and you are suffering and in great pain, and your doctor gives the okay to give you a pill to take when you see fit. To terminate your life. So that was on the Denver, Colorado ballot this year too. That was for Colorado voters this year. And so, there were so many issues, that as an American voter I had to think about. And also some very very serious Denver, Colorado specific issues such as the "right to die" issue. I know Oregon has that law already in effect. And like I said in my last post regarding voting. I know some view voting as a super private "secret squirrel" type of thing. While others will proudly display their voting signs on their front lawn. And in my family we always stood by who we were voting for and our family always had a sign of who we were voting for too on our lawn. And so, I don't mind saying my opinions or who I vote for. I take voting very seriously. And I vote with a clear conscience. So, I stand by who I vote for. I with a great deal of thought...did vote to approve the "right to die" in Denver, Colorado. I feel if you are suffering and that's what you choose and what you have is terminal, meaning your life will certainly end and the end is quite near and you are in constant pain. Then it should be your choice and not some politicians choice. It is sad. And it is a very hot topic. But, I think we should respect somebody's choice. Nobody wants to die. But I also consider nobody wants to be in excruciating pain either. And again. It should be their choice. And up entirely to that person. So, I feel good about voting for that. I will be watching the Colorado elections closely and seeing and hoping that bill and/or amendment goes into effect. 

Yes as expected, I did vote for Hillary Clinton! Go democrats! Noboru and also my dad really liked Bernie Sanders.  

Also after I chose and hit the button for Hillary and it was selected and looked like this, it turned blue. Yep, those were my choices! The presidential vote took about 1 second, since I had decided who I was voting for a long time ago. Just click, but the Colorado things took a good 5-8 minutes. I took each vote...like I said very seriously.  And then I was done.

My ballot was successfully submitted to the Denver County clerk. I did allow 3 business days and did go and verify my vote. And I was just pretty happy that as an American citizen and a Denver, Colorado voter, I did my job! Granted, I didn't get a "I voted" sticker. Hahaha. But, I did vote! And I'm glad I did my part! : )  As Americans we will be deciding who becomes our next president Tuesday November 8th. Doesn't matter who you vote for, but please get out there and vote! And if you already voted? You rock! : )

By the way. Did any of you see the underhandedness of the FBI director...what's his face. Let me go and google his name real quick. James Comey. #1 he is a staunch Republican. He has donated 10-20 thousands of dollars to the Republican party for years. So he is most definitely BIASED. And so it came by complete surprise that 10 days before we elect our next president. He releases all sorts of crap about the Clinton's. Stuff that was sealed for like freaking 15 years plus ago! Charges that were dropped. And suspiciously 10 days before the whole country as a whole votes (besides us early voters)...he decides to release all this crapola right then?!!! Was that on purpose? Errr ummm you BETCHA! Duh! Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Low blow. And I think we need to get ourselves a new FBI director ASAP after this election. I hope this will not affect Hillary Clinton at all. But yep, if that wasn't the most shady thing to do to a presidential candidate, then I don't know what is. That James Comey made the FBI look so bad! That was so dirty. So underhanded. So unethical.

Also by the same token. Trump, who is very anti illegal immigrant and illegal working in the United States without proper documents. And then it turns out that his wife worked in the United States for 7 years illegally? Errr Umm. Hello? What about your wife Trump? How about her? Are you going to deport her? She did something you hatehatehate. She worked in the USA illegally! And don't even get me started how her profile says university graduate. But classmates and school officials flat out said...she was a college drop out after the first semester. @_@

Love how so many singers and musical artists are coming out and have come out all this weekend to urge voters to get out and vote. Adele performed to urge voters to get out and after she sang she told folks...she can't vote because she's a British citizen, but if she could vote...she'd vote for Hillary Clinton! I found that adorable of Adele! Her flat out quote said "Don't vote for him" meaning Trump.  I love Adele and loved watching her rap in the carpool karaoke this summer with James Corden! She is so funny and I love that she came out to urge folks to vote for Hillary! J Lo also gave a concert to voters urging folks to vote for Hillary. As did Jay Z. Katy Perry, Alicia Keys. And so many others.  Please let Hillary Clinton win! I know, I voted. Now all I can do is wait and watch the election along with everyone else. 

Preparing to cast my vote for the Presidential election for this November as an overseas American voter and holy crap was that an interesting debate between Clinton and Trump this week. Oh and fwiw, I’m most definitely with her!!!

If you're American and you are living overseas do you vote? I do! When I was a little girl, I would go with my parents to the voting/polling place in Denver, stand in line with them and wait along the side as they cast their very private vote behind the curtain. And I was always told "Gina when you're 18, you will be able to vote. Always vote. Make your vote count." Clearly my family was big on voting. : ) And so when I turned 18, I voted. I would stand in line with my family and I'd give the polling folks my name and show them my Colorado drivers license and they'd check and mark that I was there and was about to cast my vote. I guess it was just a privilege and right, I always greatly respected. So, I have *always* voted. Just always. It was important for my family, so it was important to me. And so, it's just ingrained in me, I guess. : )  I tell my sons, Branden and Noah the same thing. "Kids make sure you vote" Make sure you vote for whoever you want, but make your vote count!" Some folks are very secret squirrel about which party they belong to or who they vote for" And cool if that's you, then be you! As for me. I have no shame in who I vote for. And I don't mind taking ownership of that. I'm a democrat. I'm a liberal. And I've always voted democrat and always will. I voted for Bill Clinton twice and I voted for Obama twice as well. I think Obama was the best president we've ever had.  Before we went to Denver for our summer vacation. I made sure I was already registered as a Denver, Colorado absentee voter. So, I mailed my downloaded forms off. And I'm sure they were in Denver, Colorado by the time we were there this summer. : ) I will be voting via online. And this is wonderful for us Americans to be able to vote this way.  As you know, I don't really "talk politics" on my blog. And I'm not about to start. Whichever way you vote. Just vote! And if you're living overseas like Japan. Don't just think...it's too complicated to vote. It's not! It's super easy to vote if you're living overseas. Believe me, I do it! : ) It's not complicated at all. Anyways, I'm making my vote count, that's for sure! : )

This election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton is a huge topic in Japan. Every week either Branden comes home from JHS or Noah comes home from elementary school. And they say, "our teacher was talking about the presidential election in America", today at school. So there is a lot of chatter at the schools. Conversations are started in both my kids classes and kids have opinions. Their teachers have opinions too. And so when the debate came on this week. It aired in the day time in Guam Live... but it also repeated in the evening, so my kids and I watched it in the evening together. We had just finished supper and I asked them if they'd like to listen and watch and make up their own minds.

Hillary Clinton during the debate brought up the fact that in the 70's Trump was sued because he had told all his apartment managers not to rent any of his apartments to black people. And he didn't disagree that was true or deny it. He just said but a lot of people were also sued. @_@ Truly saddened by that. Branden said, "so he doesn't want to rent to minorities, what about Japanese people?" I said, probably not to Japanese either since they're minorities too. He was a bit blown away. Then she said you haven't paid your taxes in about 20 years and Trump didn't deny that either. He said "that makes me smart" The kids were again surprised. They said, "he doesn't pay taxes?" The kids couldn't wait to get to school the next day and discuss the debate they saw on TV the night before.

Anyway, it shouldn't matter if you agree with who I am voting for or I agree with who you are voting for. The most important thing is voting period. Use your vote, don't waste it. And the one thing I know we can agree on is...the worst thing is to be a "Monday morning quarterback" with regards to voting. And while I think all Americans know what a "Monday morning quarterback" means. If you don't...please look it up. What it basically is...is a person who sits on the couch watching the football game and come Monday at work or at the watercooler or at school" they suddenly become an expert on the football game they saw on Sunday. They start criticizing what the real people did. With remarks like. "Oh they didn't have enough defense" or that player didn't run fast enough" or they should have did this. And more of that. When in fact the reality is...the "Monday morning quarterback" couldn't last 5 seconds on the field themselves. probably one of my biggest pet peeves is "Monday morning quarterback people" ...Those Denver Broncos shouldn't have blown that game..they should have...this and that-ed" That always annoys and aggravates me so much. Makes me wish THEY"D strap on some shoulder pads and get on the field and try it! Otherwise shut up! And same with voting. The last 4 years, you know...you hear folks criticizing Obama. And while I voted. I stay quiet and listen. To the "Monday morning quarterback" talk all about politics and how Obama is screwing this up or that up" And I finally ask..."did you personally vote in that election?" And they always say..."ugh ugh no I didn't...because well I'm living in Japan and it's too hard/complicated for me to vote" And I always say calmly...really? Because I live in Japan too and I voted no problem. They usually don't know what to say after that. Again...to me..if you're not going to vote...please don't even bitch about who wins! And certainly don't bitch to high heavens about it for the next 4 years. If you REALLY care. Vote. Then you can at least bitch about it...with a clear conscience knowing you at least voted. Anyway, I am all registered and ready to cast my vote!

* Monday morning quarterback meaning..."One who criticizes or passes judgment from a position of hindsight"..."A person who, after the event, offers advise or criticism concerning decisions made by others; one who second guesses"..."Someone who is always criticizing and saying how he would have done something better or differently after the event has passed.