The U.S. general election is two weeks away.  What better way to spend the night of November 4th than watching the results come in?  If you are in the East, you'll be up quite late.  On the west coast and beyond, results will start coming in early in the evening.

If you plan to have a party, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Invite people who, even if they don't share political viewpoints, can be civil.  You do not want to have to call the police to break up a fight.
• You'll want at least one tv and one computer on so that folks can get up to the minute info.
• If folks are going to be up late, make sure there's plenty of caffeine and double-check alertness before you let anyone drive home.
• If you are particularly ambitious, a dry-erase board for an electoral vote count or a map wall chart you can color code make nice accessories.

For food, try things related to the candidates:  Chicago hot dogs or deep dish pizza, kielbasa and pierogis, cactus candies, smoked salmon, and, of course, six packs and lattes.  (As a note, you can buy Alaska game meats online and have them flown in.  Search it.  I will not point you toward them because most sell reindeer meat and Rudolph would never forgive me.)

A fun thing to do is to make a batch of cupcakes (mix is fine) and leave them unfrosted.  Mix up a batch of white icing and put small amounts into two bowls.  Using regular food coloring, dye one small bowl blue and one red.  Allow your guests to frost with the party of their choice!  (You can hold the extra frosting to refill bowls as they run out.)