Yes, I did manage to vote.

What a day! This morning I was out of coffee and everything that goes in it, so I had to drink tea without milk. By the time my eyes were beginning to focus, I heard an explosion and, in the distance, the beginning wail of fire engines. Somehow, I knew they were coming my way. A peek out the front window confirmed my suspicions that a house down the street was on fire and smoking out the rafters. I think the city sent every truck they have.

Then the owner of the burning house arrived--full throttle, as always, parked with a screech across the foot of my drive, screaming before she'd climbed out of her truck. I couldn't go anywhere all day. It became a neighbor event. The dog, freshly bathed just yesterday, had a boo boo and sat in it and now needs another bath. One neighbor thought he'd been frightened by an explosion. Once it even looked like fireworks for a few minutes and I could have sworn I didn't see a fireman move for five more.

The man coming to estimate replacing my windows called and said he couldn't get in. The City had barricaded the entire area so there was no entry or exit without permission. About 4:00 pm I finally was freed to go buy my coffee. I was convinced my day would not improve without at least one cup of real coffee. As I was climbing back in my car at Braum's, the window man called again and said he would meet me at my place. No coffee until later, I groaned.

By the time I could go to vote, it was getting late. I arrived to find a note on the window that said our polling place had moved, but provided no map. Luckily, I vaguely remembered the citizen's center where we'd had a water system meeting several years back and that it was off some side street near the Hwy and it has a long graveled entry. The sun had set by the time I found it. The notice I had received that said my voter registration was no good due to the change of the name of our street, was, luckily, untrue and I actually did get to vote. But I do have to change the address.

I never did get a cup of coffee.