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Getting Through

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There was absolutely nothing useful I could think of to say today – my stomach has been roiling for days.  Despite Linda’s exhortations, I did not get around to voting early so I’m expecting I will be in line for a while this morning.   My plan is to go early and have a good book.  And if the forecast is correct, an umbrella.

My to-do list for the rest of the day is to take it easy.  Some time in my studio.  Some tv, but not coverage.  Make some waffles.  Read, but something very light.  Go to bed early as possible.  

What are you doing today?  Any good way to keep our minds from blowing up? 

35 thoughts on “Getting Through”

  1. Well, the first of my fears is allayed. I’m here at my polling place and there is no line. I was actually a little worried about that. The door appears to be open so maybe they’ll let me wait inside rather than wait in the car.

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  3. Today, I count absentee ballots in a room at City Hall. Last week on Monday, I was on a team in the same building that counted votes in a windowless room. Between the Monday team and the Tuesday team, all the absentee ballots received before October 25 were counted. What we’ll do today is finish up what has arrived since then, plus all that come in until the drop box closes at 8PM. We hope to be finished by midnight.

    Last week on Weds, Thurs & Fri I worked at one of the County’s early voting sites. On those 3 days, at this one center, we greeted and helped 3,700 voters. I mainly worked with people waiting in the line, which never got more than an hour long. I live in a “blue spot surrounded by a red sea”, so I’m guessing that the folks I met were a real mix. Nonetheless, everyone respected everyone else. That respect gives me hope.

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  6. I really like voting early or absentee ballot. I’ve never had to wait in a long line to vote, but I think there are a lot of people voting these days – many of whom never bothered to vote in previous elections.

    I’m going to St. Paul for a voice therapy appointment today, after which I’ll return to Northfield and work out at FiftyNorth. I have a Healthy U class at 5. When I get home at about 6:30, I plan to work on crocheting hats for my friend with breast cancer. No tv.

    May there be only polite, civil behavior at all the polling places today. May we continue to have elections with the proper decorum, courtesy, and respect far into the future.

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  7. I am going going to work as usual, and will vote after lunch at our local mall. We may have freezing rain later today and this evening, so we will be at home listening to MPR Classical Stream.

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  8. My calendar is clear today, so I’ll run some errands, do some prep work for a Wednesday Board meeting. And some stuff around the house – maybe try out a new recipe (!), finally change to flannel sheets…

    We voted early, and I think I heard that maybe 1/4 of usual # of voters (not sure if local or statewide) had voted early, so maybe that’s part of why you didn’t find a line, VS. We need to find where I put those red “I Voted” stickers, though…

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    1. I think I didn’t find a line because it was a few minutes before 6 AM. By 7 AM there was a significant line winding all the way up the steps from the basement of the church to the front entrance.

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  9. Rise and Shine, Baboons,

    Today Lou has a PCA, so the day is mine. I have one appointment at 11am, then I will take me out to lunch. I have a bunch of office work to do, including setting up some filing. I dislike this so much, but it must be done. Our family room downstairs is a big mess while the project awaits my self-discipline.

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  10. Today I will be binging on House Of Cards while playing Civilization 6. The game has a spy feature. I will be making use of mine to sow chaos throughout my pretend world.

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  11. Just got back from voting. We’re lucky in that we’ve never waited in a line longer than 2-3 people.

    Please remember to not stress out too much, folks. Remember that all news is designed to get your attention, so only the “bad” or “spectacular” news gets aired. I have no doubt that 99.99% of voters will vote peacefully and safely and treat other voters with all the respect that we patriots are due. Bbecause patriots are people who not only care for their country, but do it in a civil manner.

    Today will be a normal day for me. Write, exercise, eat dinner. Life will go on pretty much the same after today other than what happens in politics. But I fear we are sliding more and more toward politics running our lives, when politicians are the worst qualified people to run anyone’s life.

    And I also believe that the MOST IMPORTANT elections you vote in are the ones for your LOCAL government. Why? Because local government laws, policies, and leaders are what most affects your life.
    Federal government should be less important than local and state. But it has become a monolith. Why? Because that’s where the money is, folks. The feeding trough. The easy money made with backroom deals, lobbyists, bribes, paid lawyers writing laws to favor the rich. It’s where the power is for all those egos to be stroked. And we’re seeing the inevitable result of money controlling government. The fat cats don’t care about you. All they care about is getting more of your money without you complaining about it.

    *End of rant* Sorry, but it’s election day, so I indulged myself. 😉

    Chris in Owatonna

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  14. I voted in an empty store at the mall, which was nice because we could be indoors as we waited in line I observed a somewhat disturbing incident of a very angry, short, fat, bearded guy in his late 50’s dressed in jeans, sweatshirt and stocking cap cussing at the election workers as they verified his address, then filling out the ballot, handing in his ballot, storming out the exit that was in the back of the room, then storming through the waiting line right in front of me and flipping off the workers as he walked past. No idea what he was so upset about.

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  15. We plan to treat ourselves and eat well tonight with Chicken Waterzooi we have in the freezer, and sheetpan gnocchi with asparagus, peas, and leeks.

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      1. PS my step daughter tells me the turnout in AZ is massive. It is about the reproductive rights issue. It is interesting, I do not do much with social media, but today on Insta and Threads women all over the world are wishing American women well. It is wonderful to see that.

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        1. Women can’t take control of government soon enough. It’s long overdue because men have made a gigantic mess of things for the better part of 5000 years. Good luck to all the women running for office.

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    2. Instead of waffles, I found a frozen pizza in the basement freezer (I decided for some reason that this freezer needed to be “sorted”). It wasn’t that good – I won’t do that again. But I did counter that experience with some of my skeleton skull pumpkin bites slathered with some buttercream.

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  17. i voted early with no line
    car issues cost me a day
    took mom to movie early so we could watch returns at 700 or so
    took her home at 930
    now im waiting for my final news
    hopeful and concerned
    what are the 50% on the other side thinking
    scary

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  18. It was a long day in ward 2 precinct 9. People were generally patient. There was a guy who snarled about having to provide confirmation of his address, which he was evidently unprepared to do. He said something about how “you let everybody vote but I’m a U.S. citizen so why are you asking ME for this?” Certain people get very up in arms about this,because the laws require that, as election judges, we don’t have to insist people present proof of citizenship – only that they attest they are citizens – but we do have to insist that have some proof of where they actually live. That’s the law. For anyone who has a mindset that immigrants are voting illegally, that’s sort of incendiary. They feel we are challenging the wrong people. But we’re just following the rules.

    The guy eventually did get the needed documentation, and was able to vote, and calmed down a little.

    I have to get in another pitch, though – I wish people would just vote before election day and not make us go through this last minute crush every time there’s a presidential election. It makes our elections look unecessarily messy and hectic. The building where my precinct votes isn’t actually big enough to move people through efficiently. The county’s choice of polling location has not kept up with the population growth in our neighborhood, which has added three or four huge apartment complexes in the last five years. Centralized early voting locations are more spacious, better staffed, and more prepared. I wish more people would use them. Of course rules vary by state, so I’m mainly talking about Minnesota here, and my experience is in the metro area. Your mileage may vary.

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    1. Thanks, Linda, for all of the volunteering you do for our community.

      As I watch the election results coming in, I’m disheartened that so many Americans, women and men alike, seem to be more comfortable voting for an indecent, convicted felon than for an arguably better qualified black woman. I also can’t help but reflect on the fact most denizens of the trail are privileged enough in so many ways (age, skin color, education, sexual orientation, financial resources, to name a few) that we won’t be personally affected by the outcome of this election, at least not in a major way. If we don’t pull out a win, I shudder for the consequence for those who don’t have those privileges.

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