Clean Up on Aisle Nine

As if I needed any more proof that my mom is the Queen of Conversation, she talked both her daughters hoarse last night and could have kept going. The great thing is, it's not gossip or criticism or unwanted advice, it's family news and fun and her endless curiosity and optimism.

Oh, the vote, the vote. You could've knocked me over with a feather this morning when she handed me that one flimsy cardstock sheet with all that Greek on it. All that fuss, for this? All those ads, the debates, the slogans and logos, the mud slinging and the apocalyptic ruin of Dan Rather, and you're handing me an oversized Scantron sheet? Talk about a letdown. I felt a little guilty about the local and state propositions, too; I didn't research the issues enough and tried to eke an opinion out of the little descriptions, but it's like they were designed to confuse, confound. I flatter myself that I have a decent vocabulary, but I'm not a legal secretary, so, alas, much good it did me. Also there were distracting, invisible guilt goblins climbing up my pantlegs from the Clark School gymnasium floor; I remember grade school as a tragic series of guilt-inducing lessons that focused on the negative consequences of all my actions, not empowerment and positive choices. I sincerely hope things have changed. Anyhow, I voted for Bush/Cheney for reasons previously discussed, and hopefully helped send 'Uncle' Bruce Barnard to the State level, even though we'd miss him around here. It's like karma that we always end up at the Wal at the same time. Bruce is a thoughtful, clever man with a soft voice and quick smile, and I like him. He's gently persuasive and tends to look at both sides. (The Wal = Super WalMart, the closest thing to a mall for 45 miles. Get it? Aren't we clever? And yes, it put local businesses out of business when it arrived in all its tacky glory, and yes, I try to avoid shopping there, but where else can you get spray paint, tampons, and romaine lettuce all at the same place at midnight on Tuesday? Sometime I'll blog about the Main Street theory and preservation, which is another one of my 'things.')

I'm not going to the parties tonight, I'm too tired and I'm aware that there's nothing really to celebrate. It'll be like a surprise in the morning, but I have to tell you something. As much as I like secrets, I generally dislike surprises, unless they're brought about by someone who knows me well enough to truly understand what a good surprise is in my book, and there are only a few of those people out there. If you knew the nickname I use for my truck before I blogged about it, count yourself in.