Things I've Done Today + US Presidential Election 2008.

[bluebellrock]

Things I've Done Today

1. Gardening, but only on the back deck here. Still, my fingernails have embedded soil underneath them. I repotted a plant I love. I wish I knew what it was called. (Although, the other day I realised that if I was stuck on a deserted island I'd have to come up with my own nomenclature, so I don't suppose it really matters how things are classified really, or what they're called.)
   
2. Reflected on the survival instincts of Goldie Hawn and Dolly Parton for far too long. (Saw both on different episodes of Parkinson early this morning.)
   
3. Nailed a wooden Swedish moose hook to the wall near the front door and taught Kenji it's a "HOOK" and that that's where the "LEASH" will now hang. He thought we were going for a walk but at the same time seemed to suspect foul play. His leash has always been dumped near his toy box before. I don't know why I say "leash" and not "lead". I try not to use American words in place of Aussie words but that one's just more satisfying on the tongue, so I guess I do know why.
   
4. Spoke to a guy from the Nielsen TV Ratings place on the phone. Our meter box had a hiccup at their end last night. Did I neglect to mention that T. and I are a Nielsen Family, one of only 700 in all of Sydney (or all of NSW)? A dream fulfilled.
5. Chatted with neighbour over the fence about our marauding cats who have all been fighting in the Territory Wars this spring. Apparently there's a tom invading their queendoms and they are not amused. Elsie (ours) and Izzy (hers) have both had fur shaved at the vet's to let fang marks heal.
6. Put fresh gum tree branches in the aviary. Felt weirded out by the loss of three of the eight budgies a couple of days ago when we took them to the vet and had them put down. They all had tumours. Poor Bob, poor grey one, poor budgie-my-favourite.
7. Spent hours on Wikipedia.
8. Verified T's claim that black beans and (white) rice in Cuba is known colloquially as Moors and Christians. Soooo cute! (And I just discovered that the Moors were who we now call Muslims. I had never made the connection.)
9. Spent a good hour-and-a-half cleaning up the kitchen from the maelstrom of the last couple of days, our weekend. (Our weekends are Wednesdays + Thursdays.)
10. Decided I'd better start cooking Grandma Vallejo's Chicken + Rice before The Daily Show starts at 6:30pm. Tonight will be the one about the 3rd debate - YES!

US Presidential Election 2008

1. Filled out a survey about america.gov. Second website survey I've been roped into doing in two days.
2. Looked for info on how T. can vote from Australia even though his ballot still hasn't arrived.
3. Got a text from T. saying he's got a .pdf file  for a provisional ballot he can send in but not until it's two weeks before the election. I think it's 17 days away right now.
4. Answered an American quiz (1/1) on the definition of a 'battleground state' correctly. So proud.
5. Appreciated the fact that I have two Aussie mates who were as keen as me to watch the presidential debates live too. (Watched the VP debate here at my house with one of them on a boiling hot day. We drank lemon, lime and bitters, and ate natural corn chips with baba ganouj. Perfect.)
6. Opened my email this afternoon to silent gales of laughter, thanks to husbo:
   
7. Didn't think once about an America (read: Western World, Third World, and every other part of the world) governed by John McClown. OK, I did once.
8. Wished I could vote.
9. Regretted (again) catching only 10 minutes' worth of the final debate thanks to my first appointment with a new psychologist.
10. I'm really stretching it trying to come up with a tenth thing. Um, I dared T. to vote independently this time round (as in, I 'threatened' him not to, only I didn't really threaten him at all!)?