Tuesday, November 4, 2008

I rocked the vote—did you?

When you've had a sick kid at home who wakes up every two hours throughout the night, getting up early to head to the polls isn't easy. Coffee is a necessity—especially when you are running on just a couple of hours of sleep.

6:30 a.m. (oh how I loathe thee)

Want to see what a 32 year old woman looks like moments after she has stumbled out of bed (and well before her coffee)?

I'm not pissed. I just can't open my eyes all the way yet.

After the coffee was made and I had thrown on some clothes and brushed my hair and teeth I woke up JQ and G-tot. They weren't too thrilled. Within twenty minutes of my feet first hitting the hardwood floors we were piling in the car and heading down the street to our local polling place.

G-tot stayed in his pjs.
I'm guessing that I would have gotten some odd looks if I had done the same.

We vote at a small church just a couple of minutes from our house. When we got there the parking lot was so packed people were just making their own spots along the curbs and on the grass. We were lucky enough to get a real spot without having to circle or wait for anyone to leave.


I don't know what the protocol is for taking pictures inside the polling locations so this is the only shot I took inside. No flash and trying to be inconspicuous (although I doubt my giant camera went unnoticed).

It's still early people. Give me a break

The lines were long inside but we were in and out within a half an hour. Not too bad considering many early voters waited in line for over two hours. G-tot was an angel despite being woken up and dragged out of the nice warm bed so early.

While I was casting my ballot one of the sweet poll working women gave G-tot a chocolate chip cookie pop. I love that the poll workers are so nice at our place—despite having been there since 5 a.m. and knowing they'll be there for another 12 or so hours. I always thank them and tell them to have a nice day when we leave.

What I want to know is, where's my cookie?

Amazingly it is going to be a beautiful day here in Toledo. I swear every time there is an election it rains. Or it's freezing. Or snowing. Not today. It's going to be 70° and sunny. Perfect.

How can you not feel good after doing your civic duty and walking out to this?

I know I felt great.

I love getting my sticker.

For the past several days this read, "I can vote".
As soon as I got home I changed the verb tense.

I voted. Did you?

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

heading out to the polls in half an hour!

Unknown said...

I voted!!!!!

Naynayfazz said...

I am going later on. I thought I wasn't going to be able to because I never changed my last name but I can do a ballot on paper and it will count. I am going before I go out to dinner.

I am making pumpkin soup and have a harvest candle burning and thinking of you. You got me in the mood a few posts ago when you were talking about fall.

Sweet post by the way. I love how you all went as a family. That is awesome.

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

lori—Hope you had short lines!

cindy mom—Yay!

naynay—That's so sweet that the fall scents reminded you of me! Thanks for the kind words about the post. We always vote as a family. It's one of our things. :)

Anonymous said...

I was going to wait for Shaun, but I don't think I can wait, it's going to take HOURS to get in.

YAY FOR YOU VOTING!!

Glad you came by random and odd!!!

Bob said...

the weather here is awesome as well. I just wish I knew why we need a special election is just six weeks for a bond issue, instead of voting on it today (for the 5th time).

Anonymous said...

HI! I just popped in from Random and Odd.

I am from Napoleon! Small word to stumble upon you here in the BIG WWW!

I voted today too! :o)

christina ina said...

I voted absentee for the first time (this is only the 2nd presidential election I've been old enough to vote in) and so I don't get an "I Voted" sticker... which sucks because if I did I could get free coffee/ice cream/etc. around town with it!

I posted a picture too.

Unknown said...

haha! great photos!

Happy voting day :)

Christina said...

We voted this morning. The lines were long but it was totally worth it and everyone's spirits were high. Now we just have to wait and see the outcome...

You guys are so cute voting as a family!

Liza said...

yay for voting!! i also have a sick little boy :( hope your little one feels better soon!

Anonymous said...

I voted two weeks ago. What a relief!

But I did not get a sticker, NOR did I get a paper receipt of my votes.

Texas treats its voters lousy.

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

random & odd—I came your way via Fantastagirl. Thanks for clicking through!

nobody—Don't they know we've had enough of the voting process for a few months?

shana—Welcome! It is such a small world…crazy.

christina ina—The Starbucks around here is giving away coffee on the "honor" system. I wonder how that will work out for them?

christie—Thanks.

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

christina—Did Chase go with you?

liza—Nothing worse than a sick little kid. Thanks for stopping by!

shades—We never get a paper receipt. Is that normal?

Tim said...

I'd vote twice if they gave me a chocolate chip pop.

Anonymous said...

Yep. 7 AM. I was outraged to have to wait for 10 minutes! ;)

Fantastagirl said...

I voted!

Lisa Armsweat said...

I voted, too! And the lines were quick. I got a sticker... and here, we all do it by paper ballot; drawing the black line to connect the two other black lines. I remember using a machine back in NJ, and I admit I kind of miss that. Something about the clicking mechanisms made voting seem SOOO cool when I was a kid! I was easily impressed, I guess. :)

Anyway, so happy you had a great day out there. We had a high of 77 today so it was gorgeous here, too, for once! (Not hot as hell) Isn't voting so much fun? Seriously, I get such a dorky little high as I am walking out of there. I love it.

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

tim—It was really tough when the line passed by the poll workers snack table. How dare they?

tf—I haven't heard many horror stories about the voting experience today. Well, except the Black Panther party "guarding" the polls and intimidating little old ladies in PA.

fantastagirl—Go us!

cruel shoes—No, I know exactly what you mean. I felt really good getting my vote in this morning. I hope the positive outweighs the negative for most people this year.

KC said...

Great voting day post.. Love all the pictures.. I was shock to find I didn't have a wait at all when I went to vote today at 11am.. then I went back when my DH got home from work thinking he would have a long wait and I thought I would wait with him only there was no line at all he walked right up not even one person infront of him and that was at 6:30pm

Anonymous said...

I voted for the FIRST TIME EVER today.

And I'm 24 years old. I loved it.

I played SPF :]
http://singingwithmyheart.blogspot.com/2008/11/spf-tuesday-rockin-vote.html

Cupcake Blonde said...

I voted early two weeks ago and I am happy to report my husband also voted for the first time ever. And our votes paid off tonight!

Naynayfazz said...

Ohio kicked ass in the elections. It must've been JQ and your votes, of course! And yay, Obama won! :)

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

kc—That's awesome. No wait when so many expected there to be—so cool.

heather—How exciting that your first voting experience is part of history!

vp—Yay for Charming! What was it like for him? Does he wish he could have had the election day experience on the 4th?

naynay—Well, my vote went to Obama and JQ's went to one of the "third party" candidates, so yeah—we rock! It's exciting to live in a state that was so influential in the win—especially after the embarrassment of living in the city where the Joe the Plumber debacle began.