– Ever tried to go seven days without spending any money at all? Well, one writer did just that – and lived to tell the (very amusing) tale.

– I tend to see the fuel light in my car as a gentle reminder that I might maybe want to think about putting gas in my car if at some point it’s convenient, which is why at least once a month my husband will crank my car, see the glowing fuel light, and say, “How long has this been on?” And I’ll say, “Oh, a couple of days.” And he will sigh in frustration.

So earlier today, when I ran across this site, I couldn’t help but giggle. I’VE FOUND ME A RESOURCE, PEOPLE!

You can even browse by make and model here. (source)

– Finally, Melanie has written a beautiful post about childhood over at All Access. You may need to take some tissue with you when you go.

– Oh, Mr. Seal. Your voice does thrill and delight me. Especially on tracks one and seven. COME ON, NOW.

(I mean, seriously, y’all. Nobody should sound as great as he does. But I can tell you one thing: Sister and I are taking a little road trip over Thanksgiving, and we will WEAR OUT this CD. Except it’ll be downloads. And you can’t really wear out downloads. But we will pretend that you can for the sake of my story, thank you.)

– 50,000 Pairs of Shoes in 50 Days? COULD TOTALLY HAPPEN WITH YOUR HELP.

– And finally, if you’re an SNL fan like I am, you’ll find this news mighty interesting.

– I am loving this song right now. It makes me want to sing. And scat. And whatnot.

– Have I told y’all that I find the oatmeal at Starbucks to be delicious? Granted, it’s because of the toppings (nuts, raisins, brown sugar), but it’s such a nice alternative to, say, a sausage biscuit. NOT THAT THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH A SAUSAGE BISCUIT.

– A new season of “Top Chef” starts tomorrow night. It’s one of my favorite TV shows, so SCORE. However, here’s to hoping that the contestants’ language is a little more family-friendly this go ’round. Or at the very least that they try some new adjectives.

I’ve posted this before, but for the last few days I haven’t been able to get it out of my head or off of my heart. For all sorts of reasons.

Please continue to pray for our friends in the Dominican Republic.

So some of us are happy today. Some of us are not-so-happy.

And with those deeply profound observations in place (OH, I AM SKILLED), here’s a post-election run-down from the eclectic hodge-podge of Stuff I Read:

– Early this morning I read an incredibly thought-provoking post written by a leading Christian educator. It beautifully outlines the opportunities before all Christians in the days, months and years to come. An absolute must-read.

– Last night, while my hubby and I were watching the returns, I wondered what my friend – and fellow Compassion Uganda traveler – David Kuo was thinking. Well, thanks to the magic of the interweb, now I know: he thinks today is a day to celebrate.

– Leonard Pitts is one of my favorite columnists because I absolutely adore his writing style. Even though I don’t always agree with his opinions, I so appreciate how he communicates them. And today? His way with words does not disappoint.

– Finally – all political news aside – if you’re not reading the Compassion Dominican Republic posts, you’re totally missing out.

– Watching two different news channels at once? Downloading so many political podcasts that you have to take a road trip just to have time to listen to them all? Well, you may be an election addict.

– It’s not “awesomeness” because I wrote it, oh my lands no, but I do think it’s awesome to encourage our bloggy friends. Which exactly what I aim to do today over at allaccess.

– And Bee’s perspective on the election is a great reminder to us all. Like her, I’m a little sick of all the coverage – and for the last couple of days I’ve felt flat-out burdened by the whole thing. But I’m grateful to live in a country where my voice – and your voice – matters. Amen.