3 Years!

So to say Will and I have been a little busy in the last few months would be putting it mildly.....because things have been a little crazy around here. Between new jobs, new internships, elections, visitors and trips, graduate school and many other things, we've been on our toes. That doesn't mean we didn't set some time aside to celebrate a special day for us: October 27, our 3 year anniversary!

In September I signed us up for a ballroom dancing class, which started in mid-October, and runs for about 8 weeks. We had talked about that, as well as a nice dinner and movie date, being the bulk of our anniversary festivities.  Because of this, I was very surprised when Will texted me one day a week and a half before our anniversary, and asked if we wouldn't like to have dinner....in NYC. Although I knew we shouldn't spend that kind of money so close to Christmas, practicality runs out the window when someone mentions my most favorite city in the whole world....so of course I said yes!

We found amazing prices on airfare, and got a really really nice *bed bug free* room in a beautiful hotel, for a great price! It came together so nicely!!

We made plans to go to the Comedy Cellar for Will, and to see a show for me. The Comedy Cellar on Friday night was actually really awesome, and we saw some note-worthy celebrities. Among them, the least of my favorite Comedians: Dave Attell....Oh well, Will was on Cloud 9. For the show on Saturday night, we got great seats to the revival of Anything Goes! I've been singing that music my whole life, and was so excited to actually get to see it in NYC, finally! On top of this, Sutton Foster, my favorite, was starring. This marked the second time I've seen her in the lead role of a show! Joel Grey was unfortunately out the night we saw it, so I was a little bummed to miss out on that legendary star....but it was so incredible. I did the obligatory autographs and pictures afterward, and then we had a really nice dinner.

Sunday was really special for me, because we went to Zuccotti Park to see Occupy Wall Street. I've been a little involved with Occupy Maine, so to visit the place where it all started was so incredibly moving. The energy was incredible, and there were soooooo many people. I kept telling Will how "beautiful" it all was, because it really really is. There were musicians playing, booths set up with tables and tables of information, lots of creative signs, tons of police, and a feeling of solidarity that you only get when you're involved in something like that. People from all walks of life were there, and it just makes you feel the change that's coming.

After doing that, and a few other things around the city, we met up with one of my oldest friends who recently moved to NYC. It was great to introduce him to Will, and to meet his boyfriend, and see their apartment. It was a lovely way to end our perfect weekend.

I'm undoubtedly a lucky girl. Will and I survived a 900 mile move, our first year of cohabitation, my first year of grad school, and his first year of searching for a job. Throughout it all I haven't doubted us (seriously at least ;)....moving WAS hard haha), at all. I love you babe!

Sorry for that mushy part....Now for your viewing pleasure, just a few of our pictures from our 2nd trip to NYC together:

 We had just a "little" bad weather on Saturday, but it was still beautiful, and we made do!

 We did have room service instead of going out on Saturday though!

 Anything Goes!!!!! 

 She's my favorite :). 

Will remembers way back when, when he thought I used to accost these poor people in a poorly lit alley....

 No big deal...........Ok, yes it is :). 

 See....it is beautiful!!

 "I was looking up. It was the closet thing to heaven." <--- <3

I vote for NYC every year on our anniversary :). 

"Not the last vote of 2011, but the first of 2012!"

Since September I've been working on the 'Yes on 1' campaign. Maine People's Alliance has been the lead organization running the campaign, and it's been a wonderful experience. I've met some incredible people, and learned so much.

'Yes on 1' was an important question on the ballot, regarding same-day voter registration. Maine has had same-day registration for the last 38 years, and is proud to boast of having one of the highest voter participation rates in the country.  It's especially helpful in a state where many people have to work 2 or 3 jobs, and have a very difficult time getting to their town clerk during business hours to register to vote. On top of this, many town clerks in the less populated regions are only open a few days a week, for a few hours. It makes registering before-hand very difficult.  Without any of these logistical reasons for having same day registration, though, why should we make it more difficult for people to practice their democratic right? It's hard enough getting people to vote in an election as it is...why make it more difficult? Maine's system has always worked....Period.  Last spring, however, our incredibly popular governor signed a bill to do away with this right. Among one of the cited reasons for this was voter fraud. After a thorough investigation it was determined, like many suspected, that there are actually zero cases of fraud related to same-day registration. 0. What it really boils down to is that the Republicans are trying to disenfranchise several populations of voters who are more likely to utilize same-day registration: College students, and working-class families. Both populations which are statistically more likely to vote for Democrats. Coincidence? Nope. Maine was just one of many states across the country that is trying to pass voter suppression laws, but the people here have said they will not stand for it.

This past summer Maine People's Alliance led a People's Veto on the subject, and collected more than 71,000 valid signatures. This effectively got the issue on the ballot...which brings us to the next chapter:

All the hard work of so many people came to a head this past Friday, as we started our GOTV (Get Out The Vote) phase of the campaign. For those of you who haven't worked on an election before - this phase is crunch time. I can't even speculate the number of phone calls made, or doors I hit, but it was all worth it. Last night the results came in: we won! Maine said "NO" to Governor LePage, and to people like him, who will try to suppress our democratic right to vote.

Here's a clip from Rachel Maddow, one of my very favorite people, about the issue. This explains things better than I can:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908//vp/45216800#45216800

Other big news: Yesterday the hard work of Equality Maine paid off, as they collected all their necessary signatures for the Marriage Equality initiative. We'll be seeing that on the 2012 ballot. This is so exciting!!

I'd also like to congratulate the voters of Ohio and Mississippi, who did the right thing yesterday. In Ohio, the important collective bargaining rights of the unions were restored. In Mississippi, voters agreed you cannot call a fetus a "person". Initiatives to take away a woman's right to choose are happening everywhere, but yesterday, lawmakers in Mississippi failed.

Change is coming folks. The time to get involved is now.

Part 2. Enjoy.

A W&M-ECA Exclusive

Here is part 1 of one of my latest as well my longest set to date.  There is quite a bit of new material here for all the non-Mainers reading that I hope you will enjoy.  Stay tuned for part 2 as well.  It should be up in a day or two.