The word of this twenty-sixth day: HOPE! On all fronts. Let me list several:

+ Last night, twenty six of us (23 students, 2 spouses, myself) sat around a table at Casa B late into the night and celebrated. Each, I dare say, had their own reason to celebrate, but let me tell you of a few:

* One turned 30 in the course of the day;
* All did excellent work on their first assignment. All.
* They work hard and party well: only three people ever skipped a single class the whole semester, and we meet everyday but Friday. No one skipped the party. All but one drank wine or beer. No one had to be escorted home. All were fun, funny, open-hearted and open-minded (yes, all political views are welcome!);
* Let me go on record here: I LOVE coming to class each day. I really do. And I say this not only because they all laugh loudly at my odd brand of humor.
* Note just a few photos below (they gave permission to be on the blog); you may recognize one of the students: when not in class, she patrols State Street. She came last night with her very own breathalyzer. Luckily no one was driving (I walked to my office, even though it was near midnight and the idea of working after a Magic Hand had been refilling my wine glass all night long was ludicrous).

+ A neighbor sent me an article off the AP wires with the following important news:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. John Kerry has taken a slim lead over President Bush, according to an Associated Press poll that shows the president's support slipping on personal qualities, the war in Iraq and the commander in chief's bedrock campaign issue -- national security.

Fewer voters than a month ago believe Bush is the best man to protect the country and fight the Iraq war.

The AP-Ipsos Public Affairs poll, completed on the eve of the second presidential debate, showed a reversal from early September, when the Republican incumbent had the momentum and a minuscule lead. With bloodshed increasing in Iraq, Kerry sharpened his attacks, and Bush stumbled in their initial debate.

Among 944 likely voters, the Kerry-Edwards ticket led Bush-Cheney 50 percent to 46 percent. The Oct. 4-6 survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. (Special Report: America Votes 2004, Poll Tracker)

The race was tied 47-47 percent among all registered voters, with a 2.5 point margin of error. Other polls show the race just as tight.

Eight of us are gathering to watch the debate tonight. One could not go through this evening alone. So much depends on it.

+ This morning, in the spirit of hope and fresh starts, I played around with the cable TV remote as I sipped my morning café au lait. My, my! All those channels! I can see myself every few days pushing a button, taking a peek. And the food channel! This was my first glimpse of it. Now I know what the chefs used to banter about when I was an on-line cook at the big L’E. And there's Comedy Central – maybe even tonight? The skies are cloudy, but I am SPINNING WITH HOPE!

(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)