Have car, will travel. I had been wishing we could afford a new car for me for some time. But, living with just David's car for a week has led me to realize that I LOVE MY CAR. It was like going outside when it's cold so you appreciate the warmth in the house more. Desdemona, David's black 1999 Mustang with all the curves, is a sexy, sexy car. She purrs. She has muscle power. She drinks gas like she's in a Speakeasy in the 1920's and there's about to be a raid. It takes upper arm strength to turn her, and she doesn't maneuver like my light little Belle (a 1999 Chevrolet Prism). I missed her. Oh how I missed her.
Also, I was incorrect: her rotors are intact. Stopping driving her when I did reduced the overall repair bill. Our thanks goes out to Matt, our house guest at the time, who was happy to hang around the house. You helped saved us hundreds of dollars on the repair bill.
Finally, the cow in the neighborhood has moved again. No, I'm not on drugs. There is a house near the end of the block with a miniature black and white heifer in the yard. It's a freaking adorable lawn ornament. What makes it more interesting is that they (or the kids on the block) move it around the yard. So you'll drive out to the lazy eyes watching you as you turn, and come back to face miniature artificial cow butt in the evening after work. Today, someone had posed the little cow peering around the edge of the house and staring at the front door. I can only imagine the inhabitants will find that just a tad creepy (if they weren't the ones who did it).
Where will the cow be tomorrow? Only time will tell.
To back up a little, let me just clarify my basic position: all relationships are irrational. The healthy ones strive for rationality and fairness. The unhealthy ones strive to make the irrationality accepted by all parties. But none of us are Vulcans or machines, so adding in the human equation, you're pretty much screwed: relationships will always start from a basis in irrationality.
A sign of a successful relationship (not necessarily a good one, because bad ones can be successful, too), is that both parties have come to accept and tolerate the irrationality and make the relationship work regardless of its presence.
I, personally, am the far more irrational one of myself and David. I get expectations and I have specific plans and ambitions and David has agreed to accept the role of the person who smooths my transitions and helps me through flexibility I might otherwise not manage. Its a thankless and unpleasant job, usually involves a lot of yelling and teasing, and we try, desperately, to hide it from all of you. This is not to say David doesn't have his irrationality. He does. It's just triggered less often. There's a lot less yelling. I tend to be aggressively irrational, David tends towards the passive aggressive irrational. Neither of us is a bad person for it.
We agreed when we decided to become a team--and that's basically what we decided when we wanted this relationship to move to the level of our current marriage, that we were a team and would face all comers together--that we would put up with these irrationalities. We're not saints. We do have limits. Each of us understands that. What makes us less irrational is that we try, even when we're not being logical and rational, to make it easier for the person who is being logical and rational. Because on that path lies the solution. No matter how crazy we get, we're always trying to find a better way, and we trust each other to do that, together. Further, we trust the fact that no matter how scared or upset we get, the other person is still working their way back to rational; still trying to make things better.
Because of that trust, we can talk. Feelings can be communicated. Acknowledgment of those feelings and validation can me made. Humans are not irrational for no reason (which seems silly if you go over that statement too long, but seriously, keep reading); it fits with our survival traits. Revealing concerns and fears and moving forward, anyway, allows the irrationality to drop by the side (until we find a new one, of course), and helps us to grow as a couple, and as people.
Being with someone--as a friend or a lover or a daughter or whatever--means agreeing to try to see that other person's perspective, even (and especially) when that perspective is flawed. Understanding and empathizing with irrationality is how it loses its power over us, and allows us to be happier and better people.
Anyway. Just my two cents for what it's worth, given that you do know I am the irrational one.
In conclusion, it was an excellent story. There weren't a lot of behaviors where they made you start for no reason at all; Raimi used normalcy and economy to make each scare important and useful. And, it was kinda gross in places, but those scenes didn't go on for long enough to put me off my popcorn more than a few minutes. All in all, a pretty good faring for my first in-theater horror movie.
In terms of my eating habits, I'm very tied to what I "should do" versus what would be potentially right for me/healthy for me. So I've been trying to play a little faster and looser (and it appears that my clothes are appreciating my efforts).
Looking around at what else I ought to kick the "should" garbage can over, I have come to the conclusion that I fall into these patterns of behavior and it doesn't occur to me that I can escape them; there is nothing but me holding me to them. For example, for years I shaved my legs with shampoo. A boyfriend saw me doing this and actually purchased me shaving cream. It was like the sun came out of the clouds: I could purchase a product for something even if I had a cheaper substitute. I was ALLOWED.
The most recent "should" that has evaporated for a while is World of Warcraft. David and I love it, of course, but we haven't been playing as much. We have poked around the newer content, and they are keeping up with it, but it turns out that in the summer we actually would rather sit outside and play on computers or make glass or make jewelry. However, the ever present monthly payment of WoW made us feel like we "should" be playing WoW. So we have canceled WoW, at least for the summer, and are finding ourselves suddenly freer than we've been in a long while.
Last night I played on our Xbox for the first time in a really long time. I also read a good portion of a book. I pre-ordered Sims 3; there was no guilt I wouldn't get to the game with WoW hanging over my head. I even went out on a limb and purchased an expansion for Heroes of Might and Magic V, which I have played in ages. Turns out, I'm ALLOWED to do other stuff besides the patterns I'd set for myself.
So, I suggest to you on this fine, beautiful Friday: what "shoulds" are holding you back? Any insights into kicking them out of the way a while and walking on the wild side?
Prop 8 was a state-wide amendment to the CA state constitution, voted on by the people and won with a majority of the vote. As the state constitution had written in a lack of equal rights for all people, there was nothing in it that the state judicial board could overturn on STATE constitutional grounds.
The backlash from the initial passage and subsequent court cases from Prop 8 probably did more than just about anything else to help cause people against gay marriage to lose the overall war. Several states now allow it (some through vote, many through judicial means) and more are being petitioned daily.
As was the case with the black vote and the female vote, once a few states have started the process of recognizing inalienable human rights, the rest follow. Oh, they're surly and slow about it, and we may not see them all in our lifetime, but the damage is being done.
Am I happy the court upheld Prop 8? No. Do I see this as an irrevocable state of being? Also, no. Constitutional amendments can be made and broken (as all of you can tell by the fact that we're drinking alcohol again). Its now time for a grassroots movement in CA to take up the mantle and start the process again, this time, to unmake this travesty of inequality.
But keep in mind: there will be backlash for this, too. The pendulem never just swings one way. It rotates back and forth, attempting to get to the best beat for all the people. Like a good compromise, no one is ever happy with where the level of direction, intent, and "should be" is in the country, which is healthy; that way, that line is always moving, and there is always hope.
I'm pleased as punch that the people who put out Prop 8 are reaping what they had not intended to sew, and I can only hope that more states fall in line and make it legal, safe and happy to be a loving couple, no matter whom its comprised of.
All of these activities are free or cheap. I am taking him to a nice dinner on the night before, but we're not going away or doing something special (like a play or Burlesque show, or a trip to the spa) to conserve money while we make back up what we lost when I was laid off.
When we talked about it together, I realized that we were really, really, happy with these simple pleasures. An unmeasured day, lots of options, plans in case it rained, and each other.
So, I offer a place to you, my good friends: as you folks span the nation, share with me (and those who read this journal) your places for simple pleasures, and if, you like, why you enjoy them. Any state, any where, the preference is cheap or free (or priceless, if you think about it).
Ignoring reality for a moment (which is one of the things I do best!), doesn't this sound like an RPG where the heroes end up with a bunch of money they have to get rid of and cannot keep (for whatever reason) and so they sort of decide to "Get back" at whoever they stole it from by giving it to a group that was potentially mistreated by the villian of the peace? I mean, if the game involved stealing millions from say, the KKK, and it all went to the NAACP, it would sort of fit the model.
The problem is, if you look at my example and the KKK is X and the NAACP is Y, in the money-to-colleges case we really don't know much about X other than what Y can tell us. Which is kind of neat.
Yes, yes. There's all kinds of speculation, including people taking Odds on who the donor might be (I believe Oprah is the current favorite). As the requirement to receive the money is the institutions do not seek to find out who the donor is, my strong suspicion is that even the heavily investigative reporters are going to have a hard time (because colleges are going to be loathe to violate the terms of free money).
Anyway, it's keen someone is doing this, especially in these depressed economic times. And I prefer my thought: a group of heroes taking from the rich and powerful and giving to those in need (to make a new gen of rich and powerful).
Why let life be all prose when you can add your own poetry?
High brow type low brow compliments early in the morning are good for my ego.
Feel free to use the word as you will.
You won.
Let's examine that statement. Those kids who picked on you? They were making your lives miserable in an effort to feel better about themselves. You no longer feel miserable every moment of every day. You won. Flat out.
They're voices are often the voices in your head when you are trying on clothes or trying to determine how far you're going to go with something. As a head's up, here, those voices in your head are your voices. Which means, if you really think about it, the voices can stop being those old bullies and maybe sound like anything you want. Charlie Brown's parents? The priest (Peter Cook) from Princess Bride? A hog calling competition loser? The options are endless. And let me tell you, hearing negative things in the "MEEP MEEP" voice of the Road Runner usually takes a lot of sting out of 'em.
Let me repeat: you won. You grew up. You have your own life. Things that make you happy. Most likely, you didn't have to build them on the crushed dreams of others, which automatically puts you ahead of the evil doers that yes, shaped your past, but have no hold over you on the present.
Let me be the first to say that, if you are reading this, you rock. You won. You win. Smile for goodness sake. Victory feels great. I know, because I don't even think about it. It comes naturally these days.
I wish you all well.
In high school, she was dynamic, amazing, and I thought, beautiful. So it boggled the mind that she kept getting the "old people with lots of crappy make up" roles. In Oklahoma she was the grandmother. Part of her job was to fire a shotgun (with blanks) and then they'd start the main Oklahoma song and dance number.
During the show my parents went to see, someone had over packed the shotgun with powder. When my sister fired it, burning powder fell from the gun onto her vest. My father said he saw it and was trying to figure out the fastest way to get up to the stage to put her out when they broke into the song and dance. Without missing a beat, my sister stripped off the vest and danced all over it, smothering it while singing.
She said, after the show, she couldn't see my father in the blazing light beyond the stage, but no way was she going to ruin the show with him tearing up onto stage to put her out. With that fear in her heart, she didn't miss a beat, didn't burn, and they brought the house down with very few people to the wiser about what she'd done.
Now, of course, whenever I hear the song from Oklahoma, I think of my sister, dressed as an old woman (at 17 years old), stomping all over a brown, faux-suede vest. And it always makes me giggle.
When I woke him, the level of activity actually got louder/more prolonged. We talked about it a minute, and finally, I rapped, HARD on the wall, three times. All sounds stopped. A few seconds later they resumed, repeating the knock I had done, and then continuing with whatever bizarro sounds it felt like using.
David said he'd look into it. I am actually more afraid of woodpeckers than ghosts, so I'm kinda hoping its a ghost. But it sounded a lot like something trying to nest in the wall or the eaves. So I'm thinking bird, probably.
More updates on that as the situation warrants.
In other news, it turns out a shot of peppermint makes Starbuck's coco actually quite good (prior to this it always tasted really acidic/bitter at the end). I'm not sure if this discovery is a good or a bad thing, as I generally don't visit Starbuck's much, except that they have a little cafe here at MS that serves all Starbucks products.
It is also bagel Friday. There are bagels every Friday, which is why I like to time my days off the diet to Friday. Watching the pecking order acquire bagels, cut them, and put them in the toaster is a real treat; you have nothing else to do while your bagel is cooking, and it's fun to watch how people try to think of other people in a communal space where food is involved...and the occasional high powered exec may appear at any moment. Body language is really very telling--the people who are really very polite/worried about the comfort of others versus those who don't realize they should be or feel too important to worry about politeness. It's not like the people who aren't worried about politeness are shoving and pushing, but the behavior is very different about how they move through and own the space. Oh, and then there are the people who just pretend that they are very small and no one else is there.
Most people don't TALK during this process, and are often jarred when you do speak. However, I've discovered the easiest way for everyone to get what they want at the table is to suggest things that help both of you get what you want. Ie: I'm near the spreads and I want to be near the toaster, and they are near the toaster, but they need spreads. I've watched people lean across each other in weird circus-like behaviors in attempts to get what they need without speaking. I will say, "I see you need spreads, wanna change places?" People always look so relieved. It's actually quite entertaining.
Also, watching people try to figure out which spread is which spread is a riot. Usually the first people at the bagels take off all the lids. Unless you're into the severely colored cream cheese, you're pretty much playing Russian roulette with your morning meal. For example, light pink = salmon, which is VERY different from dark pink = Berry.
Finally, it's end of quarter budget day. This is of interest because the lady who does all the budgets sits in this room. The parade of people and body language--entering "king of the mountain" and leaving "oops, I'm sorry I probably should have given you what you needed so I could get my money" is also quite fascinating.
I'm not dead ("I think I'll go for a walk..."). I'm not even on my death bed. Someday they're going to need a 75 year old space astronaut, and there's no reason it can't be me.
In the interim, if it is really bugging me, I'm scheduling that I shall do it.
Hats off to my best bud,
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
deirdremoon for her own musings in this area galvanizing me to action...or rather, in this case, inaction. It takes a lot of energy to feel bad, you see. With as much life as I have left to live--and lord, there's a lot of it--I need all the energy I can get.I shall end this with one of my favorite words, "Whee" because my other favorite word, "Thwart" doesn't really seem appropriate.
Wheeeeeeeeee!
I got laughed at a lot.
I was literally stoned by members of my 5th grade class, who chased me home and would not get out of our garage until my brother started calling the police. If they were willing to pelt me with fist sized rocks, I'm not sure what they would have done if they'd gotten their hands on me.
Revenge, to me, was making them pay. I got the best grades in class. I studied so hard that I broke the averages--no bell curve for them. It was, however, the impetus I needed to start taking school seriously (which has served me pretty well since then).
I found out in college when I went back to Concord (lived with my mom a year there), that I was still the brunt of post-high school jokes. That burned a little.
Eventually I realized that the people still make fun of a girl who was in their class one year in fifth grade (and never again), were not happy people by any stretch. Their great power trip happened when they were 11 or 12. For me, the power trip continues, if you will. Happy life. Good friends. And when I'm laughed at, its on purpose. I like to make people happy. It makes me happy.
Today my co-workers wouldn't leave the freaking office. A whole week of clearing out at 4:30, and tonight two of them had to stay until after 6. Finally I asked if I could start decorating, if it would bother them. They said no. So I put down the rug first.
And I got laughed at.
The girl closest to me giggled at my efforts. When I asked what was up, she quickly stopped and said "nothing" then resumed again as I got under the desk and painstakingly pulled the rug out. All I could think of was the boys and the rocks and being laughed at.
I finished, because I wasn't going to stop on account of her. Then I sat stiffly at my desk, powered up my computer and said nothing, did nothing for a long time. Finally, she decided to leave; I have no idea if the ice daggers coming from me were telepathically being transmitted or not, or if they had anything to do with her rapid and sudden departure.
Sighing, and fearing the rocks and the laughter, I got out the plastic wall covering and started applying it to the wall. The other lady was nice, conversational. She kind of liked it. Then she, too left, and I was finally, blissfully alone.
And it still stung.
I finished; I have a little oasis in a small space in the room. Comfy rug. Neat wall treatment. All the amenities I need to do my job, and some just to keep me happy.
And it still stings.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Yeah. Right. Words NEVER leave. The bruises from the stones are gone, but the words and the laughter are still there. And I'm still, it appears, REALLY angry at those fifth graders. And I turned that on my office mate, who probably had no idea what baggage of mine had just fallen on her.
She was worried about losing her job today. She was working unpaid overtime at a reduced rate to avoid losing that job. She's already admitted that she's jealous that I'm a vdash and don't have to take 100 days off. She had a lousy day. I made her laugh. She laughed at me. She made me angry. And now...now I'm slightly less angry. Slightly less stung. A little nervous about going into the office tomorrow.
But you know, I'm not in fifth grade anymore. I haven't thought about those kids in years. No since in giving ghosts power over me now. Especially when its likely those same ghosts grew up and did not have half as much adventure or love in their lives, if, when they were college-age they were still thinking of their fleeting power over me.
I'm guessing I can probably not shoot ice daggers at my co-worker tomorrow, if I can forgive kids throwing rocks at me. Of course, it took a long time for that forgiveness, so I'm sticking with not hating her on sight tomorrow, and we'll see where it goes from there.
Also. My desk rocks.
I got a great green rug at Bed Bath and Beyond for $15. It's 5x8 feet (the crappy economy is WAY good for the sales stuff), and it will stop the annoying jerking motion that happens when I get the chair caught in the destroyed carpeting (I hope). Basically, at MS, they take any conference room in disrepair, throw desks in, and put the contractors there. I've got a corner near the door, so my plan is to put down the carpet where the carpet is screwed up.
I also got a tropical wall treatment from the party store. It's basically thin plastic that goes up the wall showing beach, sea, and trees. This will take away from the ripped fabric on the walls. I'll be pinning it. I grabbed an old sarong from Hawaii that I will drape on the desk and fasten down (they have table cloth fasteners at the party store). I already had a toy treasure chest (when thinking, I like to manipulate things in my hands), and I picked up a larger one at Joann's yesterday that will hold cold meds, inhaler, and additional office supplies. I really cropped the toys down, as I'm not providing entertainment to an entire team, but just for myself. So I have little diamonds David gave me for Christmas, a bunch of plastic creatures with interchangeable heads (Octo-baby, woot!), a small glass heart from David, and of course, Sith Lord/Emperor Stitch.
I am currently taking my DVD of Saltwater Aquariums (with bonus Maui Shark Tank Track) and putting them on AVI files. Then I'll be adding an avi of an aquarium (or two) to the existing fireplace avi I have on my desktop digital frame. I bought some crepe paper to cover up torn edges in the wall treatment (wall treatment--large plastic stuff that tears easily) and to help me organize space on the wall for my work stuff (which, by necessity, needs to have a lot pinned up there for easy access). I picked up some clear packing tape to deal with wires, and my four usb hub (only two usb plugs to my laptop, and the desire to run two mice and a keyboard necessitate this). Lotion Kleenex and Clorox wet wipes for tidying the space and keeping me tidy once I'm in it. If the hub works, I may spend some extra cash on an "aquarium" usb hub, but we'll see.
Have my monitor and keyboard (with mouse) in the car. I took all the decorative pieces out of my plastic box (they are now in a separate bag that can be retrieved around five tomorrow, although I'm contemplating bringing in the sarong so I don't set up all the tech stuff, then have to take it down and set it up again), so I am contemplating putting my keyboard into the plastic box for tomorrow. I have my standard stuff in there--my pirate flag, my little castle stationary stand, my assortment of awesome pens, my two spikey ball flail. You know, the usual.
What I plan to do to my little corner of the room is very me--to nest in it, make it productive for me and decorative. It's also about to show my co-workers and fellow office dwellers (whether I like it or not) what I'm like and a little of who I am. I am honestly nervous about this.
Additionally, I work WAY better in an area where I've nested (my productivity pretty much doubles). However, it always makes me uneasy because its an investment in a place, when, at just about any time, I could be taken away (as evidenced by the number of layoffs I experienced last year...sigh).
Still. I'm going to go early tomorrow to get the tech stuff set up so I can be productive. Then I'm staying late so I can finish decorating. I'm excited, and nervous, and hoping that my sense of humor (and yeah, sense of style) is appreciated. If not, well, the joy of shopping out of my own stuff and the party store = it didn't cost much.
Ok. Off to get my nails done. Then lunch.
- sheets (twin or full, if possible--flannel would be best)
- pillows (camp pillows, not decorative, although if you want to go decorative, its not a problem)
- blankets (twin or full, to be used as a security blanket and/or covering for a bed)
- stuffed animals (the kind of thing kids would take away to camp)
- alternate light sources -- ABSOLUTELY NO FIRE. LED candles, flashlights, electric lanterns, etc. This is a keen game to do in the dark with alternate light, if we can do that.
- camp food (granola, premade smores--remember, no open flames--etc.)
Thanks, everyone. We're printing the game today. So far, so good. The printer gremlins have only attacked once (so far).
Meantime, I went with Plan B: Suggest the Geek Boutique.
( Here's the letter I sent to Chris and Roderick. )
If they do allow us to do this, this year, then I will need help with a person on the door to monitor badges/fire safety, and probably some good bossy people to help with vendor set-up. David and I don't both need to be a the table, and our partners in crime--Eli and Lydia--probably also don't both need to be there the entire time, so I have at least two people who can do these things (although, let's face it, of the four of us I am the most bossy). I will definitely need help from all vendors to get out on time and to get the room set up if they let us do this.
My expectation is that this is unlikely to be allowed for this year. They do know David and me and that we're reliable and good people, but this is really close to con time and the resources have probably already been allocated. Also, given that you have to insure such an event, you're unlikely to feel comfortable taking the word of someone working outside of it that they will comply with safety and con requirements when they haven't been to a single pre-con meeting.
My thought is that if they turn this down in a formal, con sponsored way, I will then turn around and let them know we're doing an informal version. David and I will likely make our rooms available for a Geek Boutique on Sunday (obviously drawing a smaller crowd than we would if we were con-sponsored), but making this good faith effort should reduce their ability to quash our desire to do it/have the hotel shut us down. If we do end up arranging something within rooms, I'll talk to folks on my list who have already evinced an interest, and we'll look at the best way of displaying our geekery in the available space, and I'll beg Devon for help with fliers.
Meantime, folks from Kubla and Conquest, do you think this is a good idea to sell to those cons? I mean, Kubla is going up against Bay Con, so it might not be a good idea, but Conquest is always hungering for more cash, and crafters are almost always prodigious in the amount of stuff we create.
David and I have been looking forward to DDC as a place where we can get back some of the money we've sunk into the business.
I was thinking that if we cannot get those tables, however, I may pitch the idea of a Geek Boutique to the con folks; we'd need a seminar room say, starting at 8 am on Sunday morning. An hour for set up, doors open at 9 am, doors close at 1 pm, 1 hour for tearing down. The con could charge $10-25/contributor, and folks could take their hand made goodies and sell them for four hours on Sunday, the day most people are in the mood to shop and are resting up for the evening/afternoon RPG's. There are a lot of folks who do etsy-style crafts (you can see them wandering around with knitting needles as prolific as the dice to be rolled) and it would be a good way for folks to empty out their craft stashes for cold, hard, cash. There are a lot of chicks into gaming these days, and dude, we make stuff. Why not provide additional dosh to the con and attract more female gamers?
(As an aside, I have thoroughly stolen "dosh" from
britgeekgrrl and I hope that she forgives me for it).I can't imagine it hasn't been done before, so I fully expect Joe or someone to comment and tell me why its a horrific idea.
Anyhow, I really hope we do get the table. Part of my "workday" has included making jewelry (you can't apply for jobs all day, you run out of jobs), and I've sort of lost my taste for it if I am not going to be able to sell it off pretty soon. We do meet with the Gargoyle shop Friday, and she'll take some stock, but we need to start expanding our operations.
Incidentally, if there is anything that you like that we have up on our etsy store (Moonblush.etsy.com), that you like, we can bring it with us and save shipping when we're in the Bay Area. We also do commissions through the esty site.
We have some stuff David hasn't put up yet that I am in love with; he got this new type of treatment for glass that is beautiful. I just hope the camera can do it justice.
Now to the serious work. How do we get everyone on the same side?
Yes, many of us really hated the last eight years, but a lot of us also didn't hate them. The doctrine created by the minds behind the Bush Administration indicated that they did not need to win the hearts and minds of all Americans, just 51% of them. Well, at least 50% was won, twice. About half our country was ok with what was being done. They may not have understood, or agreed, but they felt good about the previous administration. I am betting a lot of them are greeting this new president with some of the trepidation we had for the old one.
The divide had been coming for sometime. Polarized, by both us and them in the last eight years, its just as in dire need of repair as it was when it started. A good compromise makes everyone unhappy. It seems to me that the work of the new administration is to make us--those that pulled for him, sweated for him and prayed for him--a little unhappy, in order to reach out to the people who were afraid of him, fought against him, and despised him, slightly less unhappy than they are now.
He captured the minds and hearts of a little under 2/3rds of Americans. No president will ever command the hearts and minds of a 100% of the population, but this one must try harder than any president that came before to do so, because the work ahead requires everyone beating and thinking in the same direction (though not always beating in the same rhythm nor thinking the same exact thing).
I am optimistic and a little afraid of the next four years. One president alone cannot fix the real estate market, the stock market, Wall street, and two wars. I think in four years the work will be, at best, half done. But I am hoping that, in four years, he causes the American people to feel sufficient hope, that they elect him (or someone equally worthy) who will do their damnedest to make one nation Under God, or if you prefer, under dog.
starrynytes4me -- I went with "Obsidian Falls Summer Camp."1) Don't wear anything affiliating you with either party or selection. Poll workers can (and should) turn you away, by law.
2) Bring a piece of photo ID. Just in case.
3) If you have questions or concerns, ask them. You may improve the voting experience for someone who comes after you by doing so.
4) Print yourself a voter's guide that you make tonight (or have already made). Do not encounter your voting options for the first time in the booth. You may know that you want "No" on Prop 8 in California and you want Mickey Mouse for president, but there are a lot of other issues, some as important, on the ballots throughout the country that require more thought. Think about it before you get to the poll, and bring a guide for yourself to help you make those decisions onsite. Check with Poll workers to make sure you can take your guide into the polls with you. At a loss for where to get resources on these issues? Pick your favorite news paper, periodical, etc. Or Google it. Or follow the blogs of any of a number of awesome people on my friends list who have done extensive review of policies in their respective areas, and span political backgrounds from Republican, to Libertarian, to Democratic, to Green Party (and more). You owe it to yourself not just to vote, but to be informed when you are voting.
5) Help people, without being creepy or illegal. Democrats and Republicans are in it to win it. Either side may have propaganda to confuse people. If people are confused, get a poll worker to answer their questions. If someone needs help getting through a door or crossing a street, please help them. If someone is being intimidated when they're trying to get into line to vote, grab a poll worker to help. If there are people in the parking lot advising people to come back tomorrow or taking down licenses numbers, or photographing voters with intent to intimidate, call the police. Basically, stand up to dirty tricks from ANYONE, and be a decent human being where you can.
If you are an absentee voter in WA, drop off your ballots in a box in your area. Doesn't even need postage. Some states may vary that the post date for election day is ok (if absentee ballots are received after a specified time), and some say its not. Check. Most places allow you to turn in absentee ballots at a polling location in your district if you're worried about the vote counting because of mailing dates.
Tomorrow is going to be a stressful day for the nation as a whole; likely, its going to be the beginning of a few stressful days as votes are counted, each side involved with the process spouts nonsense and riles people up, and the world and the nation wait with bated breath to determine who will be our next president.
So, let's do our civic duties out there. And let's try to be kind, good citizens while we're doing it.
http://www.wizards.com/magic/
This is what I've been sweating about during the last few weeks. I am so ready for Con now!!!
Now with monsters.
As you may have guessed, I made the cake out of polymer clay to look like the cake from Portal. I think I did an OK job.
A!@#$%^&!
Sigh.
I will now spend the evening digging through old emails and going through my paper book of directions reloading it...well, as soon as it finishes, of course.
http://suspectunusual.livejournal.com/5
Level Lotty (LOTI - Laughing on the Inside) - Feel free to ship it, maybe they won't notice
Level SF (Straight Face) - We're trying to hold a straight face. Release completely to their QA and do not answer phone.
Level Snicker - We have a hand over our mouth to cover the laughter, feel free to show it to them but don't ship.
Level Giggle - It's laughable to think about letting them even see the product.
Level Guffaw - We're laughing because otherwise we'd be crying. Note I didn't mention the customer seeing the product, as even mentioning that they shouldn't is considered optimistic.
Level Panic - Humor is not appropriate. Something is definitely wrong. Possibly of the hearing voices variety. QA can see, but only in short bursts and with therapy.
Level Hysteria - Engineers are not amused. All the chocolate's gone. Even John Lennon can't find something cheerful; which is just as well, because dead men trying to cheer you up is the least of your problems. Unit testing is considered, but really, you haven't the energy.
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- There is no cure for curiosity.
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