The day after election

I hate the stress and agony of an election, but it's worth it on the relatively rare occasion that they turn out well, like this one. We awoke at 2:00 a.m. Clay got up and watched the results on television. I stayed in bed, hoping for the best but I had long since given up expecting it. We're obviously elated, but also realistic. Until Trump himself is removed and replaced with a human being, along with his Supreme Court toadies, I'm not convinced that a lot will change. I also doubt that America can follow up this victory with a comparable one in another two years and every election cycle thereafter until Trump and every living elected enabler of his is removed, tried for their crimes, and replaced. 

Still, the results brought a smile or two to my very tired face today. Elon Musk wasting over 470 million dollars on this election gave me a good laugh, much like watching a SpaceX rocket explode. Susan Collins finally being taken out with the trash was very satisfying, as was winning Miss Lindsey Graham's seat from South Carolina. There were many bright spots, all deserving celebration. As one post put it: "I'm just sorry Mitch McConnell didn't live to see it." 

I'm happy for friends in the U.S., and for the world as a whole, but it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience from over here. France has its own right wing party for sure and they are taking whole pages from Trump's playbook in demonizing immigrants. I just hope that they will be compared to the universally hated Trump in the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile, we passed a major bureaucratic milestone in France today by getting our "carte de sejour." It's a one year residence permit that replaced the one year visitor visa we got when we first arrived. It's renewable annually. Under current rules, after five annual renewals it would be replaced by a 10 year permit, although they are talking about changing that. It's not a path to citizenship, although we'd take it if one was available. All of this to say that although we're happy with yesterday's election, it doesn't change our decision to relocate. 

Fall is in full swing. 

Bailey and Aslan at the dog park. We are entering into husky season but it doesn't get that cold or snowy here.

These are pics from the final days of October Rose, the breast cancer awareness month. Christmas lights are up on many streets but not yet lit. They are beginning to build the Christmas market just down the street from us.

Pictures of the Porte de Paris, from yesterday's afternoon walk. It is a triumphal arch built in the late 17th century to celebrate the victories of Louis XIV. Dream on, Donald. 

The old city wall is long gone, but several of the old gates remain. This is the largest and fanciest of them.

Today's bureaucratic task of picking up our carte de sejour had an unexpected historical element to it. The prefecture (government building) incorporates a restored remnant of one Lille's many canals. This area was originally all marshland and building could only take place on a few raised areas. In a process that I still don't really understand, the land was drained and canals were established. Eventually most of the canals were filled it because it was cheaper than maintaining them and they became less necessary for commerce. I would love to meet an English speaking historian who is also a hydraulic engineer to explain this all to me.

I ran across this Venn diagram online today and instantly grabbed it for my collection. It's a concise explanation of my relationship with Bailey.