WE DID IT!!!!!

We voted this morning! I have never been so nervous when I voted in my life! I don't know what got into me. For the first time ever, I did my research on each and every person running for office here in Clark County that was on our ballot and I thoroughly checked out the five questions we were to vote on - doing all this before we left the house rather than hurriedly reading through the actual ballot at the polling place. It was a wonderful time saver and I felt enlightened that I knew who I wanted to vote in the other categories before I actually got to the place. I would also like to mention just to cover any unusual questions as to our identity we bought additional forms of identification plus the booklet that we receive from the election committee. We didn't know if we would encounter any problems with our voter registration.

Once we entered the building, I noticed there were a lot of people there but it was a well organized system . We were directed where to stand until directed to an open computer. Honestly, I behaved like I was a new bride I was so nervous and shaking and I wasn't even sure how to sign my name. The ladies were very helpful and patient. I was directed to find an open polling machine, and I almost goofed that one up too and was reprimanded for going the wrong way. I plugged my little card into the machine it wouldn't work right away, oh me, this wasn't going well, then to top it off, I couldn't find the stupid page that I had marked with our selections of the local individuals we wanted to vote for - oh, golly, what a pickle. As I was looking down and earnestly searching the booklet the lady who monitors the people and the machines had stopped before me several times. I didn't like the lack of privacy. The voting machines were arranged close together side by side. I have been at other voting places where the computer and voter are closed in by drapes with complete privacy. The only privacy today was the little doors on each voting machine and they weren't wide enough to prevent someone from checking out my list or how I was voting. I do admit, I think the people on both sides of me this morning were busy trying to figure out the machine and read their booklet to vote rather than pay any attention to anyone else.

I was so relieved after I finished and re-checked my choices, I wanted to celebrate with a drink. It would have been easy enough since right outside the doors of the library where we voted was another smaller room which was a coffee shop and the aroma was awesome. Bob and I settled on a visit to Chili's restaurant nearby and a wholesome lunch and no drink. I feel proud and I wore my "I voted" sticker on my blouse to Chili's and to Costco. I saw one other lady in Costco with her "I Voted" sticker too. God Bless America!

I don't know about you and what's happening in your part of the country - but Bob and I have noticed we have rarely seen any political bumper stickers this year. I noticed in both the library where the voting was held and in the Costco parking lot - there were no stickers. It is very curious and unusual. Always in the past, at least one out of every four or five vehicles will have a bumper sticker. In the course of the past month, I have seen only two McCain/Palin and two Obama. I have a McCain/Palin yard sign, but quite frankly, I haven't seen maybe one other yard sign and that was Obama in a neighborhood a couple miles from here. A neighbor from down the street stopped my husband out in our front yard the other evening. He was talking to Bob about our sign and said that he wouldn't put a McCain yard sign because he was afraid to, but he was going to vote for McCain. I have seen an advertisement online that someone was offering free pizzas for McCain signs - don't know where or who it was. I was browsing and didn't think much of it then.

Bob and I make a point of watching Neil Cavuto and then an hour later Brit Hume both on Fox Network. Today Neil and his guests were discussing how this election will affect the stock market and how bad it will be if Obama does raise taxes. They all admit that John McCain knows better and will do the right thing for the economy. That's all well and good, and we know that. But in retrospect, later on in the show Neil was showing a clip of Obama meeting with people in a neighborhood and you could tell this neighborhood wasn't very financially well off. It is a fact, those poor people don't care about the stock market, they worry about paying their rent and putting food on the table for their children. They are the ones Obama appeals to and they are the ones who adore him and there are a lot of poor people in this country today. His message is of salvation. How can you explain to those disadvantaged people that in order for them to have a job to put food on their table regardless of what the wage, there has to be a job to go to before there can be a wage and raising taxes on businesses just won't cut the mustard much less buy a bottle of catchup.

Things are getting even hairier out there - the constant maligning of Sarah Palin; Joe Biden's stupid remarks that are going unnoticed and then his "alarm" that the sky is going to fall after Obama is elected. Holy Macaroni! Neil Cavuto reported that McDonald's is selling more hamburgers than ever because people are really nervous and eating more especially hamburgers since the stock market is falling again.

"Hey, Bob! Can we go to McDonald's tonight for supper!"