Seven Years on LJ / Garage Clean! / Voting Begins in Oregon
Today may seem like an ordinary day, but there are several observances: First off, happy Alaska Day! America purchased Alaska from Russia 141 years ago today. Or, if you celebrate some celebrity birthdays, hope you're enjoying Jean-Claude Van Damme's 48th! Today is also special because it's this journal's seventh birthday! That's right, seven years ago today, I began my descent into literary obscurity for the sake of personal identity and hobby! It's been a goofy-dumb ride and I'm sure things will continue for the foreseeable future... Unless someone tells me to stop or that my face is stupid. In which case, I will cower in a corner and tell everyone they suck. True story! My team is better than your team, anyway! Our jerseys are colored with the blood of our defeated enemies! WHERE DA HOOD AT? ZOMBIE CANCER!
... What? I'm not allowed to make no sense every once in a while? iturtle knows what I'm talkin' about.
Anyway, it's been a wonderfully boring week. We've just about finished cleaning the garage from top to bottom and I have to say, it's quite the transformation. I wish I had a "before" photograph to show that would make the "after" photos I have look even more striking. The garage before was a total mess. It wasn't garbage or anything, it was just stuff. Tools of every kind and no organization. We put in a row of cabinets when we first moved in which are gone now; replaced with shelving. We have tool chests now too so the thousands of loose socket sets and screwdrivers and wrenches all have homes. Gone are the dozens of random tools my folks were holding onto just in case. One such tool was a heavy duty pole post remover that we only ever used once and will never need again, but we held onto it anyway. It's amazing what a half dozen trips to Goodwill and the city dump can do! There's room out there now to actually accomplish things! Heck, I bet a car could even fit in the garage now. We haven't fit a car into that space in years. I wonder what my parents have in store next for a big home improvement project? Probably my mother's office, which is also a cluttered mess. I should shut up, though. The last time I predicted what project would be next, it came true...
I've been unusually quiet about one of the biggest events in American history that's happening right now. The 2008 presidential election between John McCain and Barack Obama is about 16 days away. For twenty months, we've been besieged with candidates coming and going and all vying to run the country. Finally, after all the nonsense, it comes down to these last two and a half weeks. It's almost over and the suspense is palpable. I've been mildly obsessed with all the political polling and news reports and all the wild antics of the whole process. It's been truly fascinating and entertaining. Most of all, I'm proud I'll be a part of this election. I've been a voter since I was 18, but it feels like this one is the one to end all elections. If we get this wrong, the world will be a worse place. It's going to be a wild ride all the way to the bitter end and, if the right man wins the election, it'll be a great four years ahead of us.
On that note, NEENER NEENER!! I GET TO VOTE BEFORE ALL YOU PUNKS! That's right, my preciouses, Oregon votes by mail, and my official ballot arrived in today's mail. This isn't an absentee ballot or an early voting ballot; this is the real deal. This is how Oregon does it. We're the only state that does not have any polling place for any election- Everything is done by mail, and it's sweet. I can sit down in my own time and fill out the ballot at my own pace and then simply drop it in the mailbox anytime between now and election day. Don't 'cha wish your election process was hot like ours? Don't 'cha? Don't 'cha?
But really, I do take all this election stuff very seriously. I've been paying attention to all the news stories and I've been trying to be as informed as possible. I believe I have a fair handle on the voting decisions I'm planning on making. To that end, it's really wild to finally have a ballot in front of me. The history-making impact of this simple document is amazing. I'm happy to say it's finally time to vote! I'll end this entry with a photo of my ballot to stir the emotion of civic pride!
... What? I'm not allowed to make no sense every once in a while? iturtle knows what I'm talkin' about.
Anyway, it's been a wonderfully boring week. We've just about finished cleaning the garage from top to bottom and I have to say, it's quite the transformation. I wish I had a "before" photograph to show that would make the "after" photos I have look even more striking. The garage before was a total mess. It wasn't garbage or anything, it was just stuff. Tools of every kind and no organization. We put in a row of cabinets when we first moved in which are gone now; replaced with shelving. We have tool chests now too so the thousands of loose socket sets and screwdrivers and wrenches all have homes. Gone are the dozens of random tools my folks were holding onto just in case. One such tool was a heavy duty pole post remover that we only ever used once and will never need again, but we held onto it anyway. It's amazing what a half dozen trips to Goodwill and the city dump can do! There's room out there now to actually accomplish things! Heck, I bet a car could even fit in the garage now. We haven't fit a car into that space in years. I wonder what my parents have in store next for a big home improvement project? Probably my mother's office, which is also a cluttered mess. I should shut up, though. The last time I predicted what project would be next, it came true...
I've been unusually quiet about one of the biggest events in American history that's happening right now. The 2008 presidential election between John McCain and Barack Obama is about 16 days away. For twenty months, we've been besieged with candidates coming and going and all vying to run the country. Finally, after all the nonsense, it comes down to these last two and a half weeks. It's almost over and the suspense is palpable. I've been mildly obsessed with all the political polling and news reports and all the wild antics of the whole process. It's been truly fascinating and entertaining. Most of all, I'm proud I'll be a part of this election. I've been a voter since I was 18, but it feels like this one is the one to end all elections. If we get this wrong, the world will be a worse place. It's going to be a wild ride all the way to the bitter end and, if the right man wins the election, it'll be a great four years ahead of us.
On that note, NEENER NEENER!! I GET TO VOTE BEFORE ALL YOU PUNKS! That's right, my preciouses, Oregon votes by mail, and my official ballot arrived in today's mail. This isn't an absentee ballot or an early voting ballot; this is the real deal. This is how Oregon does it. We're the only state that does not have any polling place for any election- Everything is done by mail, and it's sweet. I can sit down in my own time and fill out the ballot at my own pace and then simply drop it in the mailbox anytime between now and election day. Don't 'cha wish your election process was hot like ours? Don't 'cha? Don't 'cha?
But really, I do take all this election stuff very seriously. I've been paying attention to all the news stories and I've been trying to be as informed as possible. I believe I have a fair handle on the voting decisions I'm planning on making. To that end, it's really wild to finally have a ballot in front of me. The history-making impact of this simple document is amazing. I'm happy to say it's finally time to vote! I'll end this entry with a photo of my ballot to stir the emotion of civic pride!