"I Have Did My Duty"

I was voter number 169 on the optic scan. The voting was well organized and took about ten minutes. We have a secret ballot but I am unafraid to say I did not vote a single incumbent above the state government level. The working definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. It is also no secret that I have been unhappy about the last 8 years- not all of them but when the invasion of Iraq started I turned sour. Not that my vote will change much in solidly Republican Wyoming. But they do not deserve my approval. Beyond party politics entirely-if they screw things up-vote them out. Add it up. They have screwed things up royally. Imagine my surprise when the Casper Star Tribune endorsed Obama for President. The Editor, Chad Baldwin, graduated from RHS while I was Principal, is a staunch Mormon, from a very conservative family. It took courage personally and publicly.

Afterward I took the hounds for a burger in Lander. We went to Dairyland and the service was terrible-long wait. I am sorry I went in. The place is dirty. I didn't tarry. I did see Veronica and her younger son there but she was busy texting so I did notvisit much with them.

I fell asleep in the chair after the dogs went out this morning and woke up with a wry neck. I have spent the day with a scarf wrapped around it. Dinner seems to have helped more than Aleve, massage, and wrapping it. I needed somebody to pull hard and long on both ends of the scarf.

In response to my yesterday birthday greeting, my much older brother responded: "Thank you for the pretty picture and kind thoughts. God, 70 years old. Who'd a thunk it!! Well, were happy, will get through retirement, feel good, and are still in love. Have a lot of friends and laugh a lot. Blessed to live in this country. Can you come this way when you snow bird south?" That is nice to hear and I will see about stopping. I am contemplating a trip along the Lincoln Highway (old U.S. 30) after seeing a show on PBS. I have already driven long chunks of it. It will depend on the weather. I may be lucky with the gas prices this year. I am sure that is an unintended consequence of Bush driving the economy into the ditch.