We Decide

As my alarm rang at 5:30, I felt like a four-year-old waking up to presents on Christmas morning. Normally I can't get out of bed until 6:15, after slamming snooze on my alarm a dozen times, but today was different. A wave of giddiness drove me to rise and rally my butt to my local PS 154 voting station.

It's been a long, exciting day in the newsroom and I'm about to shut down for the night. I'm one of the fortunate (unfortunate?) ones on the early shift. I'm leaving my caffeine and sugar-soaked co-workers behind for an election watch party downtown. While I'm eager to take part in the revelry, part of me wishes I could stay while the voting numbers start trickling in. Four years ago I sat in a control room on the morning after Election Day. I alerted my senior producers that John Kerry had conceded to Bush and it was all "Breaking News Alerts" from there. If voting goes relatively glitch-free tonight, I will be merely learning of a concession on my Blackberry. Not quite the same.

I was hoping to compile a list of spots New Yorkers could ring in the new year of presidential rule with and I came across Cityfile's. If you're flailing with friends, or more surprisingly, clicking here this late on a school night, check out this great list.

Have fun tonight, everyone. Be safe. Be ready. Change, in red or blue, is afoot.