Voting in your underwear...

Mary from Austin reminded me that we get to vote in a state where our vote can actually make a difference, while she gets to cast her vote "into the McCain/Palen abyss". Yeah! for a vote that counts! Now if we can just get the college kids to turn in their ballots...

One of the odd things about life in Orygun is voting by mail. We receive a ballot by mail, and then we can return it by mail or in person to boxes in a number of places. So, one could easily vote in ones birthday suit. That would be a good slogan: VOTE NAKED!

However, voting in private makes me long for the South Austin voting experience. We always ran into friends and neighbors (often, friends and neighbors were the same people!) and chatted while coming, going, and waiting in line. The Democratic poll worker was often a neighbor and got to chat up lots of familiar people, while the Republican poll worker appeared to rival the Maytag repairman in popularity. The Republican table was a solemn affair, while the Democrats partied at the polls (even though we usually lost the big races in a red state). One recent election, I guess it was the last presidential election, the line was almost a block long, and I got to chat with people I didn't know. People of varying political persuasions: an older Republican lady who was friends with LadyBird, and a more libertarian leaning young man in law enforcement who worked at the state capital. Everyone was nice and polite while we discussed issues that the politicians tend to skirt, and we trod carefully around each others differences.

Coho Halloween party

We had an afternoon Halloween party for the kids here yesterday. I had hoped to do a more organized dance activity with the kids, but it didn't feel quite right in the space, so we had a parade around the circle in front of the common house. I got to dance with a few of the hard core dancers near the end of the party. I haven't quite figured out the ins and outs of dancing with 3 year olds. Mostly we just dance and twirl (they are heavily into Duncan Dance), sometimes they pile on me (kid contact improv?). My fairy/butterfly wings were such a big hit that a couple of cute kitties (see photo) asked me to go trick or treating with them. I felt honored. I have not been trick or treating in years. The kitty in front, Smudge, is fashioned after a kitten of the same name who was part of a litter that was fostered by one of our neighbors. Susan likes to take in foster kitties for the Humane Society. The kittens were a big hit, they got a LOT of kid and adult visitors over the 7 or eight weeks they were here, so Susan could truthfully claim that the kittens were well socialized. They all found homes. Mama is still awaiting adoption.