Vote! - Show Your American Pride!

Just Go Out and Vote!

I don't care whom you vote for -

Just  VOTE!!

VOTE Monday or Tuesday!

Today is a nice, relaxing Sunday...  Do whatever you normally do - go to church, watch football, visit family and friends, have a picnic, go for a walk or hike, even go for a drive (like my family used to do - let's see where this road goes...).  Relax and enjoy yourself.
   Monday, if you live in a state with early voting, go to the polls and cast your vote.  If you don't live in a state with early voting, go to your precinct and vote on Tuesday.
   Remember a few things:
1.  Your employer must allow you time off to vote.
2.  You can NOT vote by texting.  You must fill out a ballot in person.
3.  No one is allowed to intimidate you, inside, or outside, the precinct.  Report any threats or intimidation to your local police or sheriff's office, as well as your voting officials.
4.  Vote for YOUR choice.  Follow your heart and mind.  Do not allow another person to influence YOUR decision.
5.  Who you vote for is confidential - unless you tell someone how you voted.
6.  If you have any questions, call your local county or city elections office.  Non-partisan personnel will answer your questions regarding where to vote.
7.  If you are not yet registered to vote in this election, call the elections office and see if you can still register to do so.

Please vote!   Many people in many countries around the world are not even given a chance to vote for their leaders.  Americans have the right to vote for the leader they choose.  Use the right to vote as your  own secret weapon...  And remember all of the men and women, of all colors and religious faiths, who have given their lives to make your vote possible.

Americans, Please Vote in This Presidential Election!

Yes, I am a registered Democrat.  No, I positively do not want Donald Trump to win the Presidency in this election.  But I wish that every American who is able to cast a vote will do so.  Don't know if you're registered to vote?   Call your city, county, or state elections board.  You can also check on-line to see if you are currently on the voting rolls.  If you're not currently registered, most citizens have time to do so, before 8 November...  Check it out, and make sure your address is current, and that you are registered as an Independent, Democrat, or Republican.  Sign up, if not.
   Men, women and children have paid with their lives to make certain that Americans have the right to choose their leaders by open elections.  The earliest I can trace my family in what is now the United States is from one of the Mayflower members; and another part of the family arrived in the early 1630s in the state of Virginia.  My ancestors were some of the original settlers from England - some free, some bond servants; and, in a few generations, numbers of them were fighting the Native American tribes, but a few men married a local Native.  I am proud to be an American.
    People in my family have fought in every war that the American colonists, and then, American citizens, have participated in.  And the main reason for each fight was for freedom.  Freedom to elect our own representatives to tell the leaders of our country what we, the people, wanted.  That is why our governmental system was set up with a series of checks and balances - so that our government is fair.
    I am afraid that there will be an extremely low number of American citizens voting in this election.  I am afraid that a low number of voters will affect the outcome of this current election.  Besides the Presidential election next month, the vote will affect seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives; here, in Colorado, we have more than 30 items to vote on - city, county, and state laws; the appointment of Judges; and not only election of a new President, but representatives in a our state government, the local school board, city and county council members...
    Again, yes, I'm a liberal Democrat - but please register to vote, and then vote in this election for the candidate of your choice.

     If you are an American, VOTE in this election.   Tuesday, 8 November 2016

Jury Duty

I sat down and read my 5-page Jury Duty Summons this morning.  I had briefly run my eyes over it when it arrived, and just took in the fact that I am summoned to appear on Friday, 7 November - tomorrow.  I sat down today and carefully read every part of it, and filled out the page of information required.  Then I re-read the other instructions and found that I must call a certain number, after 6 p.m. tonight, and listen to a recording, to see if, and when, I must actually report.  What?  I cleared my calendar of work for tomorrow when I got the notice.  Then there's the small note that says to expect to serve as a juror, if selected, for one full day, but that most trials run for three days - and occasionally longer.  After one has been kept serving on a jury for 3 days, then one will be recompensed $50 per day for the fourth and any additional day.  OK.   I served once as a jury member in a civil case that lasted for 13 hours - all in one day.  I also served on the Grand Jury for six months, and saw 6 cases.  But both of these happened while I lived in Gainesville, Florida.  This is my first call for Jury Duty in the 10 years I've been a registered voter in Boulder County, so I really can't complain.
   What has amazed me is how many people have told me ways to "get out of jury duty" and "ways to get excused."  I guess I am showing that I was raised in another era, or by parents who wanted to do a service for their community.  Mom and Dad were happy and proud to be on a jury.  I am, too, when I'm chosen.  Why should I want to escape from jury duty?  We are guaranteed a right to trial by a jury of our peers in either a civil or criminal case.  This was written into the Constitution of the United States, and that was a carry-over from the Magna Carta - which King John was forced to sign in 1215 (by his leading land-owners, who were tired of not getting any trial, just a royal decision).  Why don't most of today's voters want to serve on a jury?  To me, it's a service that I owe other people of my city, county, state, and nation, for the right to vote - and I'm happy to make the pay-back.

Vote Today! - And Mail-In Ballots

I liked the idea of mail-in ballots when I moved here, 10 years ago, and I still like them - except for one thing: once you do vote, there is no way to stop the telephone calls, e-mails, and television advertisements urging one to vote for or against a certain measure or candidate.  I mailed my ballot in, and the County office received it on 22 October.  The national voting day is tomorrow, 4 November, and the ads, calls, e-mails and bombast will reach new heights until it's time for the polls to close.  I am very glad that we have major elections every two years only - I would not be able to put up with this mess year-in and year-out.  I receive 30 to 65 e-mails each day asking for campaign contributions; I receive, on average, 6 to 10 telephone calls each day, even though I am on the "National Do Not Call List;" and I can't watch any program on commercial television without being bombarded by campaign advertisements - "Vote for so-and-so,"  "Don't vote for so-and-so," "Vote for this measure," and "Don't vote for that measure."
   I read what people running for office have to say.  I watch debates and moderated question and answer sessions.  I listen to any political advertisement the first time I see it; and I watch local television stations subject these ads to "the truth test."  I read editorials regarding the candidates and their views, as well as editorials regarding amendments and proposals.  My county sends out a booklet to all registered voters, telling them what is on the ballot.  This booklet does not list candidates for office, but it does give one the text of proposals and amendments to laws, and also prints comments, both for and against, each item.
   I try to make an informed decision when I vote.  The information is out there for anyone who wants it - it is in newspapers, on television, and on many websites. Here in Boulder, people who cannot read have access to volunteers who will read to them; there are multiple stations set up around the city and county for people to either hand-in their ballots in person, to drop them into a lock-box, to go to a polling place, etc.  Boulder County tries to make it easy for any registered voter to be able to vote.
  Please use your right to vote today.  It's something that our forefathers died for; and it's something that many people around the world cannot do themselves.  Vote.

Please Vote Today

Today is the day most people in America will vote for their choice of candidates to represent them as the President of the United States. I saw an editorial the other day that asked if the act of voting was a gift or an obligation. I think that the ability of each citizen to vote is a combination of gift, obligation, right, and responsibility - and, if one is a citizen (in good standing), that voting should be a cause of pride. I currently reside in Colorado, which is considered a "swing" state; while of voting age, I have lived in Colorado, Virginia and Florida. All of these states are considered "swing" states, so I am used to being inundated with political advertisements and with the visits of candidates in an election year. My maternal family roots go back to the 1620s in Virginia and Maryland, and my paternal roots go back to the Mayflower and the 1640s in the Carolinas and Virginia. My family has seen a lot of history regarding the beginning of the British colonies, on through the American Revolution, the Civil War and the World Wars. A lot of family blood has been spilled in the past, and family members are still putting their lives on the line to ensure the freedom of the United States of America.

   I don't really care whom you choose to vote for. Just go out and express your feelings by casting your vote. Being able to vote for one's representatives in the government - at the city, county, state, and federal levels - is something that people have given their lives for throughout history. Maybe I'm just plain strange - but I get a little zing when I place my vote... I think of my umpteenth great-grandfather, who signed on as a bond servant in London, and who worked on a tobacco plantation in Maryland for seven years to become a free man in the colonies; I think of the hardships of the Massachusetts colonies; I think of my Quaker ancestors, including Hatevil Hall; and my Cleveland ancestors who arrived in England (and thence on to the USA) with William the Bastard (oops... William the Conqueror), and then emigrated to New England.

   I guess I feel the weight of history lift from my shoulders when I vote... that I am able to, can, and do express my feelings about how this country is run with my own unique vote.

A Pretty Monday

It looks glorious outside today - I've already been to the store (to pick up kitty crunchies) and was hit with the double whammies that my friend Brett, who works in the bakery, is being transferred back to the Iris store, and my friend Patrick is moving to Winter Park and leaving Starbucks. I'll still be able to see Brett, and Patrick thinks he'll come back to Boulder, but it's like having my sons move away... They are both great kids, though, and I wish them the best.

  Questing, the filly who didn't want to run in the Ladies Classic on Friday, checked out OK by the vets immediately following the race. However, two hours later, her left eye was swollen completely shut. Her connections don't know if she hit her eye in the starting gate, or if a large dirt clod from the track hit her in the eye in the early part of the race. Thank goodness it was nothing worse, and she'll be fine to race again. ... The folks around Wise Dan and Fort Larned say that both of these colts will return to the track, after having a 45- to 80- day long vacation. The colts' owners are happy to say that, barring accidents, their boys will carry their colors next year at the races.

  I'm getting ready to go walk Rosie and Remy, and to stop by various houses around the northerly neighborhood to just say "hello!" to the various critters I care for... and I will be at the Thore house for Thanksgiving, so I can bake brownies and cookies for the bus drivers. I have to admit was rather taken aback last week; I had told one of the drivers that I loved him/them, and, as the bus left the station, the driver turned on his outside PA microphone, and yelled, "We love you, too, Betty!" which was easily heard for 2 square blocks. (I was so embarrassed and pleased that I laughed 'til I cried...)

  And, one last thing: if you are registered to vote in the Presidential election, please do so. I really don't care whom you choose to vote for. Just, please, exercise the right that over a million people have died fighting for. If you have already voted early, in person, or by a mail-in ballot, I thank you. If you haven't yet voted, please go to your polling place tomorrow and place your own, unique vote. That is what makes America America. Thanks.

Vote! - Pets - Wildfire - Horse Racing

Today you'll receive a deluge of bits and pieces: little things that I haven't included in the past few weeks. Today is my last day of vacation, and I'm going to watch the Redskins game, followed by the Jets game, and then I have to do laundry. I'll walk Rosie and Remy tomorrow morning, and tomorrow afternoon, I move in with Aiko and Yoshi. I sent a note to the boys' owner, asking her to have the boys' coats available, as the weather folks are calling for rain and snow Thursday and snow on Friday. The boys had a short clip last month, and I don't want them to catch cold while in my care. Our high yesterday was 78; they say the high Friday might be 35...

   Frankel is being retired, having raced 14 times and being undefeated (including 10 Grade I races), at the age of 4. His last start was Saturday, and he was left standing in the gate, but was in fourth position by the half-mile. He left a great and lasting impression at Ascot. Meanwhile, Camelot, the previously undefeated hopeful for the British Triple Crown, placed seventh in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and had colic surgery that night. Camelot's return to racing is questionable.

   With temperatures being warmer, and with the wind cropping up, the Fern Lake wildfire in Rocky Mountain National Park is producing a lot of smoke and haze along the Front Range. The fire is 30% contained, but is now at about 700 acres; sleet and rain last week had helped the fire die down. Today is the 13th day of the fire, and certain hiking trails and roads are closed because of it. One can easily see and smell the smoke here in Boulder. Trail Ridge Road, which crosses the Continental Divide, was closed last week due to snow blocking the road.

   I put my Presidential ballot in the out-going mail box this morning. I used to dread voting day because I hated standing in line and slowly inching forward... I have never missed casting my vote in any election, but I hated the waiting in line. With the mail-in ballots we have in Colorado, I'm very happy. You don't have to stand in line; you don't have to worry about the weather while you're standing in line; you can take your own sweet time in marking your ballot; you can verify that the Clerk of Court's office has received your ballot; and, somehow, I usually ended up having a nasty headache, verging on a migraine, on voting days - no worry about that now. ... And, now that I have actually voted, I wish the Presidential debate tomorrow night was over, and that all of the negative campaign ads (against every single candidate) were gone from TV, and no longer something that I have to watch through November 6th. I have to admit that I turn the volume off during all political ads right now, and make up my own very silly, and, sometimes, downright rude commentary.

   Lovey has been very vocal the last few days, while Nedi has not wanted to come back inside when I want him to. He used to come at a run when I called him, but I think that the fall air, the leaves, and the birds and squirrels have enchanted him. Once we have a couple of days of snow, he'll not want to go out, except to confirm that the white stuff is cold and wet... And I thoroughly enjoyed my two college games yesterday - the Gators did me proud!

Voting in Colorado

More than 48% of registered voters in Boulder County cast their ballots yesterday in the state primary. I sort of laughed at my ballot; there were 15 races to vote on, and only 17 choices. The two races that had two contenders were for the US Senate seat, and for the county surveyor. The news was that the Tea Party Republican candidate, Dan Maes, won over US Representative Scott McInnis for the Governor nomination; and that Ken Buck beat incumbent Jane Norton. Ken Buck raised a lot of hackles (mine included) when he replied to a question with,"Why should you vote for me? You should vote for me because I don't wear high heels. I wear cowboy boots, and they're covered with Weld County bullshit." Michael Bennett, who was appointed to Ken Salazar's Senate seat, defeated Andrew Romanoff in the Democratic vote, even though Romanoff had the support of Bill Clinton. ... And if you live in Alachua County, Florida, I recommend the election of Carol Oyenarte for the School Board in District 5; she is a wonderful and smart person, and would make an excellent member of the School Board!
Rosie and Remy are visiting the groomers this morning, so I'll be taking them for a stroll this afternoon/evening. The kits are puzzled by the fact that I haven't gone anywhere this morning, other than taking out the trash and kitty litter clumps. Lovey is currently stretched out across my desk top, and I have my keyboard in my lap. Neddy has discovered an old rubber ball that neither Lovey nor Banichi were interested in - it's just the right size for him, and being made of soft rubber, he can hook his claws into it. It's been keeping him busy for hours. I'm defrosting the refrigerator/freezer this morning (it's over 20 years old), and will soon go down the hall and toss a couple of loads into the washing machines in the laundry. I didn't get the curtains done yesterday; that's the first load I'll carry down. Enjoy hump day!