For Day 5 of NABLOPOMO I thought we should start a Cool Bloggers Election Support Group (inspired by poor Engie’s post yesterday.) You don’t have to be a blogger to join, but if you join, you’re automatically cool. The agenda for our first meeting is:
Are you planning to follow the election coverage tonight???
I kind of feel like I can’t bear to watch. But how can I NOT watch? I can’t just go to bed like nothing is happening! My first idea was that I could hide in bed, preferably with a book and a cat, and my sister could text me updates. But she would only be allowed to text me good news, and eventually she would just vaguely assure me that everything would be fine, and I should go to sleep.
Strangely, my sister wasn’t really down with this. So my next thought was to watch the coverage from start to finish, with a six pack of beer. If I wake up Wednesday feeling like crap, that’s okay! It’s my day off, so after I take my daughter to school I could just go back to bed.
This option is temping, and definitely a valid plan, but I probably won’t do it. My husband came up with a third option, which is to ignore the election coverage entirely and spend the evening watching Seinfeld reruns. Hmm.
Maybe we’ll do a combination. We’ll make pizzas and I’ll have ONE beer. We’ll start watching the coverage and go from there. Depending on how things are going, I can keep watching, have another beer, turn on Seinfeld, or go to bed.
What will you be doing tonight? Do you think we’ll have a result by Wednesday? By the end of the week? Are you freaking out, or glad the election is finally here so we can get it over with?
39 Responses
Sitting here, watching from afar, very perplexed at the shenanigans. I think your polls close during the day on Wednesday, so I will probably check in periodically to see what happens. I want Trump to go away!
“Perplexing” is a great word for this mess, Melissa!
Jenny, we don’t have cable, so I’ll be spared the play-by-play. I’ll be refreshing my social media, probably!
Maybe a drinking game? https://tomwark.substack.com/p/the-presidential-election-night-drinking-game
A friend of mine is holding a no-news meditation space online, and I may head over there for my sanity…
Ha ha, I love that drinking game! I mean seriously- it would be fun to make a game of it.
A meditation space sounds good. I’ve been listening to Julie Piatt (on Rich Roll’s podcast recently) before going to sleep at night, and it’s helped tremendously.
Well, I am not watching it while the polls come in but most definitely get the results.
My English/book Club peeps actually have an election covering zoom call. Sunday (which I missed) it was all about how America votes and what it currently looks like and tomorrow (Wednesday) its an election recap and celebrating – we are wishful thinking.
Celebrating… fingers crossed, Tobia!
I will read about the election coverage (via BBC news, my only source of news for years now), but likely won’t watch anything. Though I did watch it live the year Trump won; my husband was travelling for work in the US.
I really feel for all my family and friends in the US. This feels like a pivotal moment in American history and clearly has far-reaching impacts on the broader world. Thinking of you, Jenny <3 And love that you designed a Cool Bloggers group for solidarity. May the results be ever in your favour…
Thank you Elisabeth! No matter what happens, we’ll have our support group.
I don’t have cable so I won’t be watching live coverage, and I plan on going to bed at my usual grandma time, so I probably won’t find out any results until Wednesday. I’m anxious about it but I’m trying to remain calm and remind myself that I can only control what I have control over (which is voting, which I did!)
Yes, there’s nothing more we can do. Remaining calm is hard though.
I am reminding myself that four years ago, we didn’t know for sure until Saturday, so no good can come of keeping a close eye on things tonight. Of course, tell that to my upset stomach this morning! The election just had to be right after the time change, didn’t it, when I’m all out of sorts already.
My plan for tonight is to watch the Bruins game, with knitting in hand and NOT my phone, and try to resist the siren call of “just checking to see how it looks” all night. If I do pick up my phone, I commit to turning on a 5-minute timer and putting the phone down when it goes off.
I was wishing there were a football game tonight! That would be a good distraction. I keep thinking we’ll have an idea of how things are leaning tonight… but maybe I’m delusional. It could go on for weeks.
My ideal plan is to stay off social media and not check any news until tomorrow at the earliest, since I’m not even sure when we will know the results. But I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do that! I am so anxious and sometimes seeing other people being anxious on social media is comforting. I don’t think I’ll watch any news coverage, though. I’ll probably just open up my CNN app from time to time to see what’s happening. Ughhhhhhhhhhhh.
I know- I keep telling myself there’s no reason to check tonight- but then I don’t know if I’ll be able to help myself. It’s true that sharing anxiety with others can be comforting- I may have to text you.
It’s going to be OK no matter what the outcome! Hubs and I are going on a Hot Voting Date this afternoon, and I plan to pay minimal attention to the news until there is a final decision.
I know- I have to keep telling myself that. It’ll be okay. Hope your Hot Voting Date was fun!
I will check in periodically and see what is going on, but I am definitely not going to be glued to the TV. I have voted and the result will be what it will be, so me worrying about it is not going to help anything. I will find out when I find out. Anyway, enjoy your beers!
Thanks Kyria! I have now had one beer (it’s 7:40 pm) and I already feel tipsy. I guess I won’t be drinking a six pack!
As your northern neighbour living up here, in Canada, I can tell you we’ll all be watching closely, though I know for Americans, this is going to be a roller coaster ride. I can’t imagine how it’s going to go, but for all our sakes, meaning the entire planet, I hope it goes only one way …
Alexandra, I wish I could watch from a different country! But as you said, the outcome could affect the planet. Ack.
Sendig comforting hugs to you, Engie & all of us. Can’t help with the voting but I keep hoping for peace and a female president for you guys. It is time!
Thank you so much Hanna! I want a female president so much. It’s definitely time.
Results willl start to come in this afternoon (Wednesday afternoon Australian time), so I’ll be at work but will check the online news intermittently. Tonight my husband and I will be watching it on our news channel (unless it’s too depressing, in which case Seinfeld re-runs sound like a great plan!).
Once again, I wish I could be watching this from the other side of the world! Right now I am watching the early results… but I have to take a break for a while.
Once the boys are in bed, I think we will be watching. It’s kind of like a train wreck – I just can’t look away. I have what I call a “dad crush” on John Dickerson and election night is one of his nights to shine so we will be watching CBS so I can get my fill on his commentary. He’s just so smart and has the nicest personality. He is very calming for me for some reason.
All that said, at work we look at odds of when the election will be final and polls indicate that a 20% chance that we will know by midnight tonight. So I’m prepared for a whole lot of uncertainty this week but am trying to remain hopeful. The election comes up in every client conversation at work and I just say that because I have young children, I have to believe that our democracy will survive. I also can only control the fact that I voted – everything else is out of my hands but dear God, let Trump go away.
And I am off work tomorrow, too. I might drink a THC beverage while watching the election coverage. Ha. I could use some calming vibes. 🙂
What a day to be off- let’s not spend it glued to the TV watching the coverage!!! Wait, a THC beverage? I need one.
My plan is to be all cozy in bed by 9pm EST and join in the Pantsuit Politics podcast subscriber chat until I fall asleep. It’s a tough day for sure!
That sounds like a GREAT plan. It’s past 9 pm now and I’m still up… sigh.
I don’t know what we’re going to do tonight. Watch? Just wait for texts to come in? Go to a movie and leave our phones at home? I feel like this is one of those things that should be in the adulting manual someone needs to write.
I wish I had Birchie’s optimism, but some outcomes mean it definitively is NOT going to be okay.
Oh, going to a movie would have been a good idea! I’m sitting here watching, all alone- my husband went to bed. I hate this.
I do not plan to follow the election results. The whole thing is hard to take and I’ve been trying to tune it out. I’m SO excited that the political ads will cease. For now. I voted and now I’m moving on. We’ll know soon enough. There’s only so much one can control. I got a chuckle at your sister not being on board with your initial plan.
Yes, that’s one good thing no matter what happens- NO MORE ADS. No more texts and phone calls, PHEW.
I am not sure I can stomach the suspense but my 13 year old is sitting next to me hitting refresh on the election news constantly. So I don’t think we can avoid it. We are invited to an election party but the last time we went there was in 2016. Just the possibility of a repeat freaks me out. Back then one of the kids threw up in the car on the way home. It felt very fitting. I am crossing my fingers for a Harris/Walz win. Would it not be awesome to finally have a female president?
Meiki, it would be so awesome. That’s actually a funny about your 2016 experience. I think if Kamala doesn’t win, I might throw up this time.
I love this support group, thank you! I don’t know what we’re going to do. I bought some wine, and I’m making soup, and hoping for the best. I know I won’t stay up late if it’s not looking good, I’ll go to bed and stress out there and try to sleep. My husband has a cold and is feeling crummy, so maybe it will just be an early night anyway.
BUT! If things go well, it would be really nice to see it announced!
At least you’re getting some extra hours- it’s 9:30 here and I just have to get some sleep. If possible.
Watching the results come in for a while, really not sure how to think about what’s happening so far, but you guys are right, we may not know for sure for a while yet so might as well get some sleep and see what the next day or two give us.
My best friend played the role of your sister, and I went to bed. Until I woke up at 10 when Jack came home AND DID NOT GO BACK TO SLEEP because I am so stressed and worried. Neato.
I am obviously commenting on this very late, but I am totally down for a Cool Bloggers Election Support Group – now that we know the outcome of this election more than ever. I was away at a work conference and (maybe luckily) had evening socializing commitments, so I wasn’t glued to the TV… but at the same time, I couldn’t believe the news I came back to when I turned on the TV when I got back to my hotel room. Ugh. I definitely need support right now (and the next four years!).