Post-election thoughts

Like everyone else, when I pulled up Google's election results on Tuesday evening, my jaw literally dropped. They told us Hillary would win! I thought, This can't be happening.

As I said last week, Trump was the worst possible candidate. I've said he would go down in history as the worst president of the US. Worse than James Buchanan. Worse than Warren G. Harding. He only got this far because he was famous. The only celebrity I can think of who would be a worse president would be Kanye West. (*shuddering at the thought*)

With this viewpoint, I was disappointed as I watched the results come in. And once California, Oregon, and Washington all came in blue and Hillary was still behind, I lost all hope. I was shocked. I was really looking forward to our first woman president. But nope.

Yet when I woke up the next day, I was filled with a surprising amount of optimism. Optimism that all his horrendous, outlandish comments were just that, just comments. (I mean, don't we all make hyperbolic statements we don't really mean, like when I say people should be dipped in boiling oil?) Optimism that even if he does try to enact horrible discriminatory laws, our governmental system of checks and balances will prevent them from happening. (I do worry a bit now that our president, and the House, and the Senate, are all Republicans. We need balance.) Optimism that now that he is actually the president-elect, he will tone it down and be diplomatic. Optimism that switching from a Democrat to a Republican will provide a fresh perspective for the country. (We've switched parties for president over the past decade, and I think it's a good idea, because no party has all the answers. Too bad it had to happen this way this time.) Optimistic that third-party candidates will be taken more seriously from now on. Optimistic that love and support will result among We the People. (I know that it should be "Us the People" because it's the object of a preposition, but that's not what the Preamble says.)

I've been disappointed with people who have been protesting. You might not like it, but it's not an injustice. He was duly elected. There are pluses and minuses of the electoral college, but that's how we have it set up. The same process that elected Trump is the same process that elected Obama. And when people are out yelling "**** Donald Trump!," doesn't that seem like the very thing we dislike about Trump?! Just as I lost respect for Trump supporters, I lose respect for Trump protesters. (Let me clarify: I don't lose all respect, just some respect.)

Of course, they will tell me my opinion doesn't matter in this regard, because I'm a white privileged male.

I voted for McMullin (which I explained last week), but if Utah's votes for Hillary and McMullin were combined, they beat Trump. Does that mean McMullin secured Trump's win? Well, I doubt that all the McMullin supporters would have voted for Clinton, so I don't think so. I would have preferred Clinton to Trump.

I am disappointed that so many Mormons turned to the dark side by voting for Trump. I was walking downtown on Wednesday when Brian Mullahy from Channel 2 stopped me. I told him he had a familiar face, and he said, "Well, thanks for watching, at least some of the time." But I don't remember the last time I watched Channel 2. (Maybe it was August? Regardless, it is very rare.) He said, "We're doing a story on LDS people who voted for Trump. Is that you?" When I said I didn't vote for him, that was all they had to say to me. I've always dreamed of getting interviewed randomly for the news, and the one time it happens, I don't get interviewed because of who I voted for. But I'm still glad I didn't vote for him.

But, let's face it. Are our lives affected that much by who's in the White House? I mean, from Obama, I had insurance until I was 26 and then had to navigate the nightmare of the Healthcare Marketplace. But regardless of who is president, I will still be doing the things I did this week, making Thanksgiving pillowcases and running 8.5 miles in North Canyon.

This was the twelfth time I've been up North Canyon in 2016. Eight of those times have been since September. November is the ugliest I've seen it, but it's still amazing.

I think the year 2000 was the last time I've seen one of these in the wild.

Almost all the wildflowers are gone. Richardson's geraniums (the leaves turning red) have lost their white flowers, and they're one of the last remaining green things.

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Pumpkinundation roundup continues this week. I tried not to buy as much this week and instead consumed things I already had.

 I tried these Brach's Pumpkin Peanut Caramel Clusters last week but forgot to include them. They're chocolate and peanuts with pumpkin-flavored caramel and pumpkin chips (like chocolate chips). I don't even know what pumpkin-flavored caramel is, and pumpkin chips are fairly rare themselves. What a weird candy! It's not a very pumpkiny candy, but it's tasty regardless. 4/5.

 I had a Kneaders pumpkin spice steamer. I was more impressed with it this year than I was last year, probably because I had low expectations this year. It's spicy but not necessarily pumpkiny. 3.5/5.

 This Candy-Ville Harvest Pecan Pie Pop was only slightly better than the pumpkin one from last week. At least this one had a real pecan on it. But it still has that weird melty candy flavor. 2/5.

 I've had Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts every year since 2013 because they're so good. They're like the cinnamon and brown sugar ones but better. They're made with real pumpkin. I think I prefer them toasted, which isn't always the case. 5/5.

 This Franz Pumpkin Spice Bread is better than the Franz pumpkin bagels and English muffins, which only tasted like clove. This one is sweet and pumpkiny. I like making sandwiches with it. 4/5.

 The Thomas Pumpkin Spice English Muffins are better than the Franz brand. They are soft, and they have little bursts of pumpkin in them. Unfortunately, they're a little too bland to eat plain, and when you put something on them, you can't taste the pumpkin. 3.5/5.

 I spent a lot of money and a lot of calories (1000+) on this Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake. I loved their pumpkin cheesecake, and pecan pie is my favorite Thanksgiving food, so this should have been better. The pecan layer wasn't as good as a typical pecan pie, and it distracted from the fantastic pumpkin cheesecake layer. 4/5.

Apple Pie Larabars are available year round, but now it's apple pie season. I like these better than the pumpkin pie ones. They're sweet, but they have no sugar added. I still prefer Clif Bars, though. 3.5/5.

 I used a slow cooker cookbook to make this pumpkin black-bean turkey chili. I've had better chilis, and the pumpkin doesn't shine through the other ingredients, but it was still good. 4/5.

Brach's Autumn Mix, which includes candy corn, cocoa Indian corn, and mellowcreme pumpkins, tastes like Thanksgiving, because I always buy it on clearance after Halloween. I think Brach's has the best candy corn, although not the cutest. I'm disappointed that Brach's doesn't put the white tip on their Indian corn like other brands do, but that's a minor complaint. Candy corn is good in small doses. 4/5.