I owe you responses to yesterday’s comments. Yesterday was all about voting and I needed to take a break from the blog for the rest of the day. I’ll get to them.
The hours for early voting yesterday were from 12 noon until 8 pm. And it was the one rainless day of the last few days (it’s raining again as I write this.) Let me be frank: In the time of COVID, does anyone else make decisions as to when to run an errand based on not wanting to have to use a public bathroom? We do. We both drink two big mugs of coffee every morning. Using my calculation of liquid consumed vs. my bladder, I quickly realized that Tuesday’s late start meant it would be a good day to go vote.
We got there early, around 11:20, and there was already a line of about 30 people. Everyone wore a mask, though I had to ask one woman to please cover her nose. She apologized and quickly did so. We had some nice conversations with the people around us in line. By the time we’d been in line for about 20 minutes, more and more cars had arrived and the line went all the way down to the street and beyond.
Once the doors opened at noon, things moved rather quickly. I was greatly impressed by the way it was handled. We walked in the door to the voting space, were directed to use hand sanitizer, then to don some gloves that were provided for us, then we signed in at the desk and went to another desk to get our ballot and pen – each ballot tailored for the town the voter lives in – and then we went to a desk where we filled out our ballot. (NY has ballots that are filled out by hand.) Then a quick walk to the machine that receives the ballots, where you can watch the ballot being accepted and recorded, then a final trip to dispose of gloves and another spritz of hand sanitizer. All in all, it took us about 7 or 8 minutes.
We were so happy to have voted!
By the way, I saw Grace Bonney (of Design Sponge fame) in line with her wife, Julia Turschen, as we exited the building. We are neighbors of a sort. I ran into her at our local bank last year and we had a nice chat. Our eyes met on the way out and I could tell she was thinking she knew me from somewhere – which is pretty good, considering I was masked.
We got home, took showers, had some lunch and collapsed. We realized we were letting go, knowing we had finally voted.
The dreaded S word is on the horizon for this Friday. Temperatures are going to plummet (porch plants will be brought inside) and we might get 1 – 3 inches of the white stuff. I don’t need to tell you my feelings about that forecast, you already know.
Today is a self-care day. No doctor’s appointments, or grocery buying, or voting. Maybe some texting later in the day – though it’s hard to grab new assignments sometimes as there are 50,000 volunteers text banking for Biden and every one of them is eager to do as much for the campaign as they can.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
i disagree … you don’t owe us a thing!
glad you and don could get out yesterday and vote, then took it easy.
hope today is easy for you both, too.
i get angry when i hear people say they don’t vote and then add some excuse like “it’s rigged … my one vote won’t make a difference … i’m tired”. people fought and died for our right to vote!!!! and there are other people now actively trying to suppress that right. and other people who live in countries that deny its citizens … other human beings … the rights of self-expression, self-determination, to vote. unbelievable! thanks for voting. thanks for caring.
sorry you might soon get snow (hope it’s not much), but enjoy the rain! as much as i love rain, walking and nature (a lot), i love that rain and snow give me permission that i don’t often give myself … to stay home and enjoy the weather from indoors, to enjoy the part of the world that is my home and putter, paint, nap ….
i have to use the facilities at work for being there eight, ten or more hours and drinking 40 ounces of water there each weekday. i am grateful that usually only two other employees use it, too (and angry when they let a stranger use it when there’s a public bathroom about twenty steps away). to answer your question, i do plan outings around the need to avoid using public facilities. did that before the pandemic, will do that for the rest of my life here on earth.
day three of vacation. i am staying inside. that injection in my throat didn’t go so well yesterday. between the doctor being inches from my face, him pressing on my throat and the little camera that went up my nose and down my throat, well, i couldn’t breathe and simultaneously felt like i was going to vomit. had to take a break. by the end of the appointment, the injection happened. will know if it helps in a week or so. and next time i will definitely need more numbing medicine to not feel that needle in my throat poking around trying to find the right spot for the medicine. l:(
okay. had my nice slow start to the day. now i need to get something done!
hope you and don have a good day. same to everyone who gathers here.
and stay safe.
kathy in iowa
I’m sorry about the difficult procedure. I hope you get some rest during your time off.
hej, nora mills. :)
thanks very much!
i try to very consciously balance (as much as that’s possible) hard things by doing something restorative, enjoyable, creative. that is what i am doing today and nothing more.
hope you are having an easy day, too, have what you need and stay safe.
kathy in iowa
Honestly, you don’t owe us a reply. You very generously share your life with us. I think that is plenty.
I’m glad to hear the voting process went so smoothly, and the woman you asked to pull up her mask did so. You never know what reaction you will get these days.
I don’t want to think about that S word. We do have the outside ready for winter though. Just waiting for the rest of the leaves to fall.
My 11 year old granddaughter has been learning about the election at school and watched the first Trump/Biden debate. I asked her what she thought and she rolled her eyes and said “he’s been married 3 times! and she’s 24 years younger! And he was so rude!” I don’t understand why so many adults can’t see him for what he is.
Have a good day, be safe.
hej, marilyn schmuker …
what a terrific granddaughter you have … and smarter than so many adults! maybe she will run for office some day!?! :)
enjoy your time together.
hope you, your granddaughter and family are safe and well.
kathy in iowa
Your granddaughter gets what so many adults refuse to see! Good for her.
Stay safe, Marilyn!
Oh…that sounds awful. Hope the shot works after all that. Stay safe! ;)
hej, donnamae! :)
thank you! yesterday afternoon was not easy, but it’s done for a few months and that’s good.
i am on vacation this week and am grateful. i’m just puttering around home, not doing much. should i read or paint? take a nap or maybe knit? hard questions today … haha!
hope you and your family are well, having an easy day and stay safe!
kathy in iowa
Kathy,
I am just cringing reading your description of the shot you received. I so hope that it will bring you some relief. Enjoy your down time and do things that make you smile.
~Donna
hej, donna. :)
thanks for your support. sorry if i was too detailed!
all things considered, doing okay. my neck hurts … not so much from the shot (which was in the front), but from trying to stay still while being stressed out … but i am okay. though i know it’s not a competition (because we all have stuff to deal with), lots of people have it much, much, much worse and now all i have to do is wait and see if the shot helps (i was told it could take a couple of weeks to know for sure) and hopefully it does. :)
hope you and your family are safe and well.
thanks again!
kathy in iowa
I’m so sorry the injection was troublesome, Kathy! How awful!
Stay safe and enjoy the rest of your time off.
Oh my word! snow already! I do remember that about living up north (I’m from PA). My husband and I voted early. Everybody had a mask and were wearing it properly. We stood 6 ft. behind another like-minded couple and had fun talking to them. When we got to the inside part of the line, an hour later, there were hand sanitizers that we could use. We were all handed our own pen, a gift from our county that said “I voted.” The pen was handed to us by a gloved person, straight from a box and was individually wrapped. We went in, were handed our appropriate ballot. We use paper ballots too. We were directed to a privacy desk that was sanitized before and after each use. We put our own ballots in the machine and then we left. It all seemed to be pretty sanitary. I was sure to thank all the workers there because I felt they were putting their health out there for a very important cause. Meanwhile, I am trying to spur my 3 adult children to go vote now!!!
I wonder if I could have kept my pen? I automatically returned it.
MAKE SURE YOUR CHILDREN VOTE! Oh my heavens, it’s essential!
Stay safe, Jane!
Oh, kathy, that sounds pretty awful!!! I do hope it works! keep us posted…
hej, chris k in wisconsin! :)
it was awful … but it’s done and i am home, relaxing so that’s good. will let you know how it goes. thanks for your support. :)
hope you are all staying safe in every way up there. i don’t understand that decision made by the wisconsin supreme court about not counting absentee votes postmarked by election day. seems to me like that decision should have been figured out ages ago, not days before a presidential election when absentee ballots could still be going out in the mail *to* voters. no offense meant to wisconsin … such a beautiful place with wonderful people like you and donnamae there … but iowa’s governor and coronavirus task force would sure fit right in with those judges … ugh. what a world we live in!
hope you get to see your granddaughter and other family members soon and stay safe!
kathy in iowa
It does feel amazing when we vote, doesn’t it? Most especially this year. I know I breathed a sigh of relief when we did so, also. yay!!
Covid is truly awful here right now. The cases are increasing so quickly. It seems like we hear of one or two people we know of who are testing positive every day. And we haven’t seen most of them since last March. Thankfully we don’t go anywhere….. The UW has had to cancel their game (still don’t get why they are playing anyway) this coming Saturday due to 12 people testing positive. 6 staff and 6 students. Including the Head Coach and the starting QB & his back-up. It is all just beyond my comprehension. But the Idiot sure pushed hard to get the Big 10 to play! I guess he needed at least one accomplishment from his 4 years to campaign on.
We have had the “s” word already. Just traces, nothing that really stuck yet. Oh, how I dread it. But, again, since we don’t go anywhere, I guess there is no matter. My mind always goes to “this didn’t have to happen…..” VOTE, everyone!! (I know that is really preaching to the choir here, though) And be sure, if you are able, to assist someone else who still may need to plan their vote.
I know that COVID has spiked there – all over the country – and I’m so sorry!
Take care of yourself and stay safe, Chris.
I also experienced a huge release of tension when I slid my ballot into the box outside town hall. Altho I very much wanted to vote in person, my husband and I are in the high risk group, and my dang arthritic knee does not put up well with standing in line. I was finally able to find out that my ballot had been received. I sort of feel like I’ve done the one thing I could do that could possibly make the disappearance of this malign Republican Administration go away. Hope you can both rest a little easier now. The next week is going to continue to be challenging. I do wish the news would quit touting the polls–confuses people and can create a false sense of security. BTW, I was able to finally put a label on one of the boxes so I hope it gets there safely. I don’t know the condition of the item as I never opened the package. The second one will be on its way when I get another spurt of energy. I feel like a need wheaties just to get enough strength to write n address. Thank you again for your campaign work. Stay safe!
Don’t worry about when you sent the boxes – no rush at all.
Above all, take care of yourself, Nora.
Stay safe.
Of course I mean “the one thing I could do to make this Republican Administration go away. My brain is scrambled, like so many others.
xo
Sorry that people have to stand in line in this pandemic. We got our ballots in the mail, filled them out and my husband ran them over to the library, where they had a drop off box outside. Later on the vote people pick up the boxes by truck. and, voila, we have voted. That is how all our votes go these days. I used to vote in person and it took about 5 minutes. That is what happens in our democratic run area.
It doesn’t take five minutes nowadays. Not with COVID and all the precautions that must be taken, along with a lack of poll workers.
Stay safe, Jan.
Congrats on voting!! And in person even. It sounds like it went about as smoothly as it could in our 2020 reality. Colorado has done mailed ballots for several years, although there is usually also the option to vote in person, especially for “big” elections like this one. We filled out our ballots the day we received them, and then took them to the drop box at our local election commission office. Felt so good to get it done, although we still have to put up with ALL the stupid commercials.
Here in Colorado, we’ve already had two pretty major snowstorms – one right after Labor Day, and one this past Sunday. I don’t mind the snow, I mind that the high on Monday was 14. Ugh.
Happy Wednesday! Take care.
Oh, I know. The local election commercials are the worst! We immediately mute them.
Stay safe, Jayne!
I’m glad to hear today is a self-care day and that the voting went smoothly, professionally and without incident. It sounds like they have their act together. You picked a good day to vote — I think it would be so hard in the rain and/or snow for some, especially when the lines are so long.
Yes, lay low and chill. Or not chill — sounds like you’ll be getting enough of that when snow comes! Be cozy and enjoy!
It’s raining again today and I don’t envy those people standing in line!
Stay safe, Jeanie!
I was glad to hear your voting experience went well. My husband sent in his ballot weeks ago…he was able to track it, which was nice. Mine was put in a ballot box…I didn’t trust the mail.
I was surprised to see that you will be getting snow on Friday. We got just a dusting, but farther up north they got 4+ inches worth. It’s still too early as far as I’m concerned.
Stay safe and enjoy your day! ;)
We almost always get some snow in October. Like clockwork! Though it looks like it might just be a little – a wet covering over the grass. Fingers crossed!
Stay safe, Donna!
Congrats on a smooth voting situation. I’m putting my completed ballot in the official box at City Hall’s front door tomorrow. We did a thorough job of checking it out; it’s absolutely tamper-proof; you slide the ballot thru the smallest slit. The box itself is anchored to the spot. My husband did the dry run with his ballot yesterday. We’re late; we meant to get them in the box some ten days ago; I bunged up my shoulder and it derailed a lot of things. My husband got a call this morning from someone who’s very upset to be advised (all the news stations last night) that it is too late to MAIL the ballot via the USPS now; not their fault, but the post office is just too bogged down. I sent a cheer-up card to my fave postal employees; I know they’re doing their best at my local post office.
I hope, when I submit my ballot, that I’ll feel the relief I’m not feeling right now.
First of all, from today’s headlines and more Woodward tapes, I’ll say what I was feeling long before this: Jared Kushner is evil.
On the homefront, our mail run today was problematic because we waited too long to retrieve the mail at the post office. Too much political stuff and holiday catalogs overflowing our p.o. boxes; I had parcels and apparently one can’t fit in the larger parcel lockers, so then went into a big discussion between me and the clerks by phone and how my husband and I can avoid going into the public lobby to the customer-service counter for the stupid box which just does NOT warrant the ridiculous, too-big packaging. Sigh. We’ve managed to stay out of the small public lobby there since end of February; I don’t want to start now; you can’t ‘distance’ in that space.
I stay in the car and watch my husband fumble with the mail totes, dropping the outgoing envelopes and try not to shudder; I will be so glad when I take back control of this task although I try to remind myself I’m very lucky that somebody else is doing it for me in the middle of a giant and deadly enemy virus. When he’s trying to do the speedy retrieval, get-in/get-out before they open the doors to the counter customers (and we always are pushing it on getting there before they ‘open’) but then he has to key-in to too many lockers, I’m just so afraid he’s going to forget a key or leave something on a table, because for some reason he does tend to lose keys. So, I’m nail-biting the whole time. Then worrying if he missed any steps; a simple errand, but he’s still just not used to doing the things I always used to do.
We thought a drive would help the tension; had planned it. Didn’t work. I was surprised at the amount of annoying traffic on the freeways; disheartened by the large numbers of people at the beach as if it were July. Who out there is working and going to school? All I see are people, young and old, surfing and strolling, and that was at three different beaches. Or biking. Can’t find any of our favorite parking spots free of humans; humans everywhere. (I’m one of those who doesn’t prefer crowds of people.) Found one substitute spot but there were so many people on bikes, none wearing masks … okay, they’re exercising, it’s outdoors but absolutely NO masks because I was fixated on it … who’d then turn their heads and cough or sneeze right into my car window, so we had to move away from bike lanes and finally just gave up and came home. It’s sure easy to see why we couldn’t rent a motorhome for anything (in our case to quarantine had my husband worked the polls for VERY long hours in one closed-in space, over days), because it would seem any motorhome/trailer rental is at … the beach!
I tried to appreciate the smokeless sky; the flat ocean so blue. But too much distraction. I need that forest bathing I recently read about: No cars, no people; just trees and birds. We tried to think, for a future day, of anywhere else we could spend a few hours at the shore either north or south of us, but it’ll be the same everywhere because it’s a way for people to get out of their houses and have containment within the motorhome although, wow, the way they’re crammed into the rental spaces like sardines, side by side, it’s not much privacy and, to me, a challenge to human-distance. (Not everybody goes down to the water; the Pacific is cold ocean; they just sit in their chairs outside the rig. I’ve decided it’s not my cup of tea.)
Started feeling sorry for myself on the short trip home. I’m grumbly because my arm is killing me; I know I’ll get some answers from the doctor tomorrow. But it wears on me and affects my attitude which, at present, is one of being resentful that we’re all relegated to this mess. Can’t live normally. Can’t enjoy the small pleasures we once had. My husband and I would park, feed the beach squirrels in the rocks; have our occasional treat of takeout, eating in the parked car (picnic). Soaking in the gull sounds, the soft breeze, the salty air, our eyes soothed by the blue landscape before us; sometimes throwing off shoes and toe-hugging the sand. Feeling warmed by the sun. Can still do it, just with a hundred people in one spot; not! I don’t want to hear music from their phones; I don’t want to hear their conversations. I selfishly want the beach all to myself for its singular quiet of waves, wind. Oh well; will be awhile before THAT ever happens again. My problem for not adapting well to the changes. Need to knock off that chip of entitlement.
Just gotta hang on; next week, everything will change. Note to self: Must quit being a big, spoiled baby.
Hang in there, Vicki. I hope your shoulder soon heals. Trying to be positive in the midst of pain is almost impossible. Give yourself a break.
Stay safe.
When I deposited my ballot on Thurs, it was later in the day and it was weird because my husband and I are NEVER out ‘in the world’ except for mornings since Covid (if at all possible). It felt so good to vote; such a relief. My husband went with it and started heading for the beach again. He said, “What happened with us and the beach Weds just can’t happen again; it’s your thing; if we don’t go back for awhile, that bad time can’t be your last memory.” Still, was ‘way too crowded on the coast highway (I just don’t appreciate rap music from the parked cars when I’m trying to listen to wind and sea), so we went back down south to the marina, outside of the jetties, where the waves come in almost violently in the late afternoon and, what can I say, HEAVEN. Hardly anybody there; the wind comes up cold off the sea and the daytrippers go home. The lifeguards or Coast Guard (park rangers?) haven’t yet locked off the public beach for the night. Beautiful setting sun on water; soft pebbles in the wet, hard-packed sand. You never see a shell; it’s not a gentle ocean. I almost hyperventilated breathing in great draughts of sea air. Was somehow soothing to see the big moon low in the east sky, but rising. Like some kind of reaffirmation that all will be well.
As we got back into town, was fun to see how people decorate their homes for Halloween, all lit up in the night. Lots of skeletons, big-eyed owls, pink-purple and orange twinkle lights, tombstones and ghosts and witches on brooms; jack ‘o lanterns aplenty. So much effort in the decorating (where do they store all that stuff?!!) but must be so great for kids! Again, for us, just SO weird to be out at dusk/night, like another world after eight long months.
So glad you finally got to the beach! It was good for your soul, Vicki.
xo
Thank you Claudia for all that you are doing to help. I am glad voting went well for you and Don yesterday. We have been dealing with wildfires here in OC. On Monday we had to gather our things as we were on voluntary evacuation with the fire just a couple of miles away. I have some scary video of the billows of smoke in our backyard. Thankfully the winds turned and we were clear of danger last night. However, the fire is still raging and others are now in evacuation zones.
There is a text bank for Biden in Texas. There are plenty of slots available if you are interested:
https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343457/
Stay safe! Hugs, Christy
Christy, glad you’re okay. I’m north of you and of course was very focused on the wildfires in (literally) your backyard. My aunt & uncle used to live in Yorba Linda; another uncle in Costa Mesa; friends in Irvine; a former boss in Chino Hills. So, clearly concerned for all of you. Very scary. I went thru what you did in the Dec-2017 fires; packing up the car in the dark of night, no electricity, choking smoke, and the weather was cold; fierce wind. Waiting, waiting; were we going to get the order to leave. Seeing the orange glow to the black of sky. You just never forget it. That year, we were lucky with the wind, too; it pushed the fire northwest instead of southeast or we’d have been in its direct path. Some 35 people (in just my own small realm) in adjacent cities, who I knew personally (or knew of), lost their homes (along with hundreds of other folks). It was the saddest Christmas ever. And we went weeks without seeing the sun. Looks like we’ll get another Santa Ana event on Monday; back to a hot day. Fingers crossed for you and me both.
I’ve been reading about those fires, Christy. Very frightening! Stay safe!
No, I’ve been trained in a certain way via the national campaign’s software, so that’s where I’m staying. There are plenty of texters out there who will quickly fill in those available slots.
xo
I felt relief after I voted also. Now just waiting and praying. My energy is low this week so I’m doing lots of self care.
Praying constantly. “Please, God, please.” Over and over.
Take care of yourself and stay safe!
After I sealed my ballot, I kissed it and said the same prayer. I said it on the beach. I said it in the car. I said it under that moon.
Strength in prayer; strength in numbers.
I’m saying it over an over again. I’ve also added “Love wins. Love wins. Love wins.”
Claudia, that’s beautiful!
Thank you!