A midterm this morning and a midterm tomorrow, but I voted, darn it.

[icarus]

I voted.

There was no line here in Seattle. People stood around in a line-like formation, but that turned out to be a coincidence. I eventually realized it wasn't moving and there were booths open. I believe the statistics are that 60% of Seattle voters who are clearly smarter than me vote absentee ballot (something I'm doing next election. Uh... mmm... of course that's what I said last election).

They moved my polling place to a different location (thank you, heidi8, for the election info that turned into a "Oh, wait--" last night) which happened to be the performance hall at my old college. Much bigger than the usual church ... but then a trickle of signs led away from a hall to a room much smaller than the church. The poll workers weren't very busy -- they have time to contemplate -- but managed to look harried nonetheless.

It's the duty of a poll worker to look harried.

They were extremely helpful and earnest, grateful, even, for a problem to solve. I had a few a pen squiggles on my ballot and this was of great moment. A supervisor was called over. After a three person pow-wow we determined that the squiggles should not interfere with the ballot being read, but if they did, the reader would reject it and they'd give me a new ballot. The supervisor looked me firmly in the eye to make sure I understood that I might have to fill out two ballots. I nodded very seriously, like the point in a soap opera where we learn -- gasp! -- Alex has terminal cancer. I was very brave.

Filled out the ballot, distracted from my civic duty by fantasies of jettisoning the cell phone of the guy next to me.

We are voting. It's a sacred moment. Get off the damned phone. Also, your ring tone sucks. If I had a cellphone, you know what the ring would sound like? A phone. Ringtones are as idiotic as those "creative" answering machine messages back in the 80s, you know, where some tone-deaf jerk would sing the lyrics to an Air Supply song and then tell you how to leave a message. Tortured everyone who called yet somehow the perpetrator always thought he was clever. We've merely revised the strategy to target innocent bystanders.

Where was I? Oh yeah. Voting.

I had a midterm this morning, and a midterm tomorrow, but I voted, and have the sticker to prove it. Now I'm going to go to Babes in Toyland to pick up my free vibrator.

What?

Comments

[ursula]

They're going all-absentee for the next election.

My cellphone ring sounds like a phone, but I find this has disadvantages: either it's muffled in a crowd, or I try to answer my phone when someone else's rings. glasseye's ringtone is bananaphone, and he never misses his calls!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

They're going all-absentee for the next election.

This made me chuckle. A warm sort of deeply amused chuckle. At least I won't have to remember to sign up for absentee next year.

My cellphone ring sounds like a phone, but I find this has disadvantages: either it's muffled in a crowd, or I try to answer my phone when someone else's rings.

I'd pick an old fashioned phone sound, like from a 1940s movie. Wait, I forgot, I hate cellphones and refuse to carry one. I want to be out of reach. Never mind, the point is moot. However, if you want a clever idea....

Just listened to bananaphone. LOL. *chucks it out the bus window*

[bramble-rose.livejournal.com]

Huh. In Texas, voters may not use cell phones while in the polling location. *huzzah!!*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

*changes the guy's voter registration to Texas, retroactively*

Two separate phone calls in the space of ten minutes.

[nemesina77.livejournal.com]

How did I not know about the free vibrator thing? That's genius! Much better than Starbucks, Ben & Jerry's or Krispy Kreme (and how great is is that one's called a Maverick?).

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I heard from bookshop. I'm waiting till WG gets home so we can make our selection together. ;)

[lherelenfeline.livejournal.com]

Toys in babeland is doing free vibrators!? ARGGH! I have no sticker!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Did a roommate get a sticker? Will they believe you if you swear you voted?

I believe their giving away something similar to the Fleshlight for guys and their silver bullet vibe.

(WG doesn't have a sticker either because he does absentee ballot.)

[reedfem.livejournal.com]

Virginia has a no cell phone rule too. There was someone at the door reminding us of that fact.

Virginia has also probably banned Babes in Toyland.

[wyomingnot.livejournal.com]

All I get for free here is a ice cream cone at Sonic. :(

Meanwhile, my cellphone's ringtone sounds like an old fashioned phone. It's the only ringtone that's freakin' *audible*.

(I do not have a home phone, only the cell. Switched four years ago. Thinking about getting a landline again, if only to save the stair-climbing)

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Yay!

I'm very proud of you for being so brave and making it through the squiggles.

I love polling booth officials! They seem to be the same the world over!

[seticat.livejournal.com]

I knew I loved 'Babes', but now even more

Another reason to be sad I don't live up 'on the Hill' any more - even if it's been over 20 years.

But I just had the 'mental movie' playing on the back of my eyelids of what the facial expressions of the two prez candidates might be if they heard about this promotion.

Priceless! :}

[pi]

I love Seattle. Congrats on voting!

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Ah, Babeland, one of my favorite stores. You mean--I got my free election coffee and my free election donut, but I missed my free election vibrator?