travelingidahogirl

Feeling Behind in a Day Ahead

I am a bit of an NPR junkie. Strange, because I used to just roll my eyes whenever my mother had it playing as I was growing up. I don’t really remember listening to it (except Garrison Keiller’s Lake Wobegon because I recognized the small-town vibe—and I was better than average); it was mostly background noise. But about the time (1995-96) of my first teaching job in north central Washington, I started switching it on every now and then. I don’t remember why—maybe it was one of the few stations I could get in my apartment. I remember being excited when I found NPR programs on the Armed Forces Network in Korea. By the time I moved to Alexandria, Virginia, just outside of D.C., it was about the only station I listened to in car. And then 9-11. When I was at work, I didn’t really understand what was happening. I couldn’t get the NPR station in my office, so I was just listening to some other station. And it was scary. After the Pentagon was hit, D.C. basically evacuated—all highway lanes were heading out. People were calling the radio show with all sorts of rumors of other places blowing up—FBI, bombs in trash cans. Someone called and said they saw a plane in the air, and someone else was practically yelling “Why don’t they shoot it down?! Shoot it down!” I didn’t go home until 6 or 7 that night (anyone with kids left as soon as they could). I had the TV and radio on all evening. When I was too tired to watch anymore, I still slept with the radio on all night—I did so for the next week. Since then, I’d say NPR is where I’ve gotten at least 90% of my news from.

We don’t have a National Public Radio station here—at least not a nation that speaks my language. Fortunately, I can listen to everything I want online, and I have almost 30 public radio podcasts on my iPod that I try to keep up with. Believe me, I am really grateful for this. Still, I feel a little behind. Morning Edition is not on when I wake up. It’s the middle of the night for Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne. So I try to start my day by listening to All Things Considered from the previous day. Even though I’m ahead, I feel behind.

Mostly, this really doesn’t matter. I don’t need up-to-the-minute updates on the economy, business, the wars (good thing, because they don’t get much coverage lately), entertainment, etc. But when it comes to the presidential election? It drives me crazy! I can’t stand listening to predictions about the upcoming debate, knowing full well it took place already. I’ve been waking up before T., coming to search the Internet for video, stories, analysis of the debates. I couldn’t even do that for the vice presidential debate—I was up at 3 am watching that one live. I wish I wasn’t this obsessed with it. It matters not if see it first thing or hear about it later. My vote has been cast for a month.

This week, I’ve been thinking “just one more week, just one more week.” But then I realize that I won’t know diddly on November 4! Polls won’t even be open on the east coast until, what? 1 pm over here? Arghhh! Of course, if I were still in Georgia, I wouldn’t know anything by that time either, but I would at least know people were voting that entire time. I’d be able to just stay awake with the TV on, watching as state by state turned blue or red (please, let it be more blue). As it is, I can’t see how I’ll be able to sleep the night through. I expect to be huddled in my bathrobe in front of the TV and clicking away on the computer at 2 am, 3:30 am, 4:00 am. I just hope we all have a definitive answer on November 5. And I hope that this constricted feeling in my chest gets the chance to release instead of get worse.

On a more joyous note, T pooped in the potty (finally, I know!) for the first time last night. Happy birthday to me.

posted by travelingidahogirl @ 10:15 AM