I came

I saw

I VOTED!

I finally found a parking place in a parking lot that was jam packed and difficult to maneuver in my momivan.  I walked to the long line outside and someone came out asking for anyone that was L-Z so I followed that person to the second line.  There were a few people outside with McCain shirts on handing out literature.  The A-K line was out the door standing in the misty cold Virginia autumn day.  The L-Z line looked much shorter but actually snaked around inside in a way that made it possible for more people to fit inside.  I watched people and waited, watching for anything interesting to happen.  The guy in front of me was in the wrong line so a nice lady in the next line let him budge in front of her.  (“Budge” is an Indiana word for letting someone cut in front of you in a queue.)  The Poll worker looked at my hyphenated last name and looked really puzzled. She wanted to know which letter I’d be alphabetized under and so I told her the first letter of my last name.  I have had to explain this to every poll worker every time I have ever voted.  I cast my vote and slipped back outside.  As I left I saw friends of mine and said “hi!”  She asked me what I was doing there and I said I’d come for lunch.  (Why else would I be at the voting place?!)  I left work at 10:09 and was finished and home at 10:45, so I’m impressed with how quickly we got through in spite of the crowd.  It’s done.  I’m glad.  Now I really am curious to see how this plays out for the rest of the day.  And I hope it’s not a “hanging chad” situation where the outcome hangs in the balance for days and weeks!  I'd love to see this crazy drama come to an end.

And Tony is going to owe me a batch of cookies if my guy wins.  I'm a little uncertain about what might be in cookies that come from his kitchen right about how.  Would they be safe to eat?