Random Musings

A month ago a family from my home town lost their only two boys in a fishing/boating accident. It was two weeks before they found the body of the youngest, and another week before they recovered the body of the oldest. The oldest leaves behind a young wife. The weekend of their memorial service, a classmate of my brother-in-law died in a boating accident, leaving behind a husband and four small children. Yesterday I spent a few hours with a dear friend whose husband is slowly dying with a brain tumor. They had to make the gut-wrenching decision of a nursing home or hospice. Not exactly how you want to celebrate Easter. And this morning I was greeted by a Facebook message from a college friend, saying that another classmate who has fought for her only child the last year and a half (the baby was born with half a heart and more than once the doctors wanted to just let her die because of the cost), whose daughter contracted a stomach bug over the weekend and was doing remarkably bet...

Several weeks ago I had an ad on my Facebook newsfeed suggesting a company that several of my friends were suggesting. I went to the website, and actually purchased a few things. Four days later I received an e-mail confirmation, saying that shipping and tracking information would be coming soon, and I would receive my package within 25 days. That last part raised my eyebrows. So I waited the suggested 24-48 hours to receive the e-mail. It came, but the tracking information, while to a real company, was not a real tracking number. So I went back to the site, sent an e-mail to customer service, and received the same tracking number but the link to a different packaging company - same scenario. The next day I received my credit card statement...and I've already been charged...from the day I ordered, not from the day it supposedly shipped. Meanwhile, the account info on the website says the item is "in transit". I've contacted my bank, and we're waiting and watchin...

The classroom where I sometimes teach on Sunday mornings is a multi-purpose room. Which means more often than not, even if I set up for the next week's class after church, I'll have to do it again the next Sunday morning before church starts. Since we know how that is and I'm thankful our church actually uses it's facility, I'm okay with that. There's a small group of kids who always come into the classroom on Sunday morning during my prep time who want to help. Sometimes you can tell by the look on their faces that they really don't want to help but are just being polite. Their bodies relax and they break into a smile if I say "No, I think I got it today, but I greatly appreciate you offering." And then there's the tiniest two of that group, who a few years ago were too small to stack/move chairs, but would do their best to do so if the others were. Sometimes if I don't have a job for them, they'll stick and around chat. Those chats ...

One of the things I love about working the elections is that it really does restore my love for people (and my husband would laughingly say I don't have a lot of that to begin with!). On election day, you meet people from all walks of life. Some sign up to be poll workers because they're bored. Others sign up because they believe in the electoral process and think it's important enough to spend time and energy on it. Some actually use vacation time from work to work, though most businesses will grant it (training, set-up time, and election day) as community service days. But early voting is a different ballgame. Because of the length of time and the hours required, it's usually retirees, housewives (with older or no children), people recently laid off, and quite a few widows/widowers. Their backgrounds are diverse, but their passion and dedication are unsurpassed. This year I was asked to train/work as a site supervisor, and I was more than a little nervous about it...

Many years ago North Carolina purchased machines that will mark a ballot of voters who are unable to do so. I think they had blind voters in mind when they purchased it, but it also works for voters with limited or no finger dexterity, like my husband. It's called the automark. I love it because it gives him freedom at the polls. He's not dependent on me nor anyone else to mark his ballot for him. It's not widely promoted, but it's available in every single precinct. Poll workers are often frustrated because people assume it's the tabulator that counts their ballots, so the place where ballots are inserted may be folded up or in the lock position to prevent that from happening over and over and over all day. As I was showing Bobby these pics from the site where I'll be working this next week, he exclaimed "Why is there a chair in front of my voting booth?" It made me laugh. North Carolina does have wheelchair voting booths, and the auto mark tabl...

Trainers training for elections began in January. And then it was changed. And changed again. And our classes that we were supposed to teach in mid-January were pushed back into February. And even on my last day of class last week, we suddenly dropped a slide and changed some information because we finally had official word from the State Board of Elections via the courts about the elimination of May run-offs and a definitive yes to a June 7 election for congressional districts (because they had to be redrawn and are now in the approval process). So phase one of the election cycle, which I almost always enjoy (was a little more challenging this round with hospital and dr visits interspersed with class times) is officially over. Tonight beings phase two: early voting.  I'll be a supervisor-in-training this go around at "The Hut".  It's a small building in Fuquay-Varina located in Falcon Hut Park. I'm mostly excited about it, and am hoping for both good weather and ...

My oldest niece is getting married in May, so my family will be coming up for the wedding and staying with us. So my goal for this year was to get a lot of deep cleaning done before they come. January's project (which is still only half done) was to wash all the light fixtures in the house. I was shocked at the difference. If you can't tell, the one on the left is the clean one. The one on the right, from the same light fixture has not yet been washed. Even Bobby was amazed at the difference. So maybe once the election is over and Bobby's heart is back in rhythm, I can get back caught up on my cleaning schedule. And if not, it won't be the first time my family has seen my house in a less than pristine condition.