Life on the Campaign Trail: A Little Update

Greetings from a Hilton Garden Inn on Long Island, where this morning I ate half of a waffle.
The guy in the kitchen looked at me like I was crazy when I ordered half of a waffle, but I just explained to him that I've had two years of Hilton Garden Inn waffles and 2:00am Taco Bell runs, and my clothes barely fit.

This is going to be a very random update.

Last night was the 2nd Presidential Debate.
And it was feisty!
I watched from the media workspace, where I brewed my own coffee, tweeted, and worked on our story.

There is one more debate next week.
Then, there is the actual Election Day, three weeks from today.

We have worked so hard over the last two years covering this presidential race, and I feel like this campaign is 9 months pregnant.  It's just huge, and uncomfortable, and feels overdue.

Yesterday, on our Facebook page, I asked for advice and encouragement on finishing strong and you guys gave me some amazing Bible verses and quotes. Thank you SO much!

Today is an important day in Dana and Michael Ritter history.
It's the anniversary of the day we got engaged!
So glad we did that.
And that we followed through and got married.

More randomness...
Yesterday, at about 5:40am, as I was getting ready to go to the airport, it happened.
Michael's home health aide walked in while I was still home!
Oh, the horror!!

You guys may remember, I had major adjustment issues getting used to having help come in.
One of my key coping strategies has always been to GET OUT before they get there. I was in my bathroom, fixing my hair, and she walked in. I saw her walk by in the mirror. I was freaked!
I felt like I had been caught or something.

So, I finished getting ready, and snuck out.
I didn't say goodbye.
Michael texted me a little bit later, and we didn't even talk about it, so it's still kind of secretly like it didn't really happen (except that I'm writing about it right now.)

I don't know why this makes me feel so awkward. I've been going all Dr. Phil on myself, but I still haven't really drilled down and completely figured it out.  I didn't cry, or get mad though, so I think I'm making progress! I think.

One day we will have a house and it will have an upstairs and I will have my own little place to hide. Looking forward to that.

Anyway, it kind of wasn't a big deal, but it kind of was. I'm so weird. Whatever.

Friday is my birthday and I will actually be in town! We're hoping to go to a pumpkin patch on Saturday and get pumpkins and apples and apparently you can dig up your own potatoes and peanuts, so we're going to bring Brokaw! I'm so excited!

Oh - real quick - a Brokaw story.

It's not related to this photo, but that doesn't matter. Just look at his face!

Before the debate last night, Michael and I were Skyping. Brokaw was on the couch in the background, he heard my voice and so I said "hi" to him.  I was in the media workspace at the time, surrounded by reporters. I got more than a few strange looks when I was looking into my computer saying, "Brokaw! Brokaw? Hi Buddy! Are you being a pretty good little booger head?"

Brokaw has earned the nickname "Booger Head," or just "BH."
Sometimes I forget I named my dog after a broadcast media legend, and when I use his name in media circles, it gets some attention.