Wednesday Mutterings

 

To mutter or not to mutter, that is the question.

My mind is filled with a lot of thoughts this morning, but many of those thoughts are better left unsaid. 

It's kinda how it gets around this time of election season.  

I think of things I'd like to say and then I think of the days after the election. 

And, then I think it's best left unsaid. 

We have our individual right to vote for whomever we choose or not. 

I did fill out my mail-in ballot last week and left a couple of "or not's." 

It seemed like a wise thing to do since I could not bring myself to fill in those boxes. 

So, quietly and secretly, I protested.  

I won't vote for someone just because they are the only one on the ballot.  If they're a good choice, their box will get filled in.  I'll take extra care to not leave any white spots in the box, lest the election judges think I really didn't mean what I said with my pen. 

Plus, a fully blackened or blue box, in my mind, is an emphatic "yes, I want this person to win." 

If the only candidate on the ballot is a bad choice in my mind, I'm more than happy to leave all the white space possible.

 So, I will not allow my ink pen to get anywhere near that box. 

In both cases, I view my actions as speaking louder than words.  

That's kinda how it ought to be, I think.  

Let your ballot do the talking and leave the other out of the mix. That way you have no regrets.

I will say this morning, however, that I'll be tuned in to KRFY Radio 88.5 at 8 a.m. to listen to my dear friend Christine Moon promote Proposition 1.  

Since no personalities are involved in this important ballot issue, I have no problem encouraging voters to fill in the YES box. Thanks.   

***** 

In other news, I took Bridie to the vet for an annual check up yesterday.  

Bridie is just like her mother when it comes to visiting doctor's offices. In Mom's case, the blood pressure sky rockets. 

Unlike Bridie, I don't wear a leash and a collar to make sure that I stay in the waiting room.  I just let my blood pressure do the protesting. 

Bridie was okay about the waiting room and even sidled up to another tri-colored Aussie named Blaze and its owner. 

Her shaking stopped and she seemed happily distracted. 

When it was time to go to the exam room, all that changed.  When I reached the exam room with leash in hand, I looked back and saw no Bridie. 

Her collar slips off fairly easily, and she had vamoosed to the door leading to the parking lot. 

She actually did that twice before a tech grabbed another hospital leash designed to stay on her neck. 

When Bridie reached the exam room, she leaped on a bench and slid so fast the pad flew off to the floor. 

It was pretty wild, but she eventually settled down. 

"Too many pounds," the doctor said----another similarity to her mom. 

Except for excess weight, Bridie seems to be doing okay.  So, we have some strategies about our dog feeding routine that will be enacted in hopes of her dropping at least seven pounds.

Yesterday I had a fun time visiting with my friend Maureen, a longtime and popular server at Sweet Lou's. 

I first met Maureen when her son was a student in my junior English class. Since then, every time I've seen her, I ask about Shawn whose passion is snow boarding.  He also knows how to build things, like his dad. 

A small-town aspect entered our conversation yesterday when I learned---after all these years---that Maureen's mom is a lady I've known for years but never made the connection. 

Peggy Fogarty used to volunteer with us as an usher for the Festival at Sandpoint. 

It was really surprising and neat to find out that our friend Peggy was my friend Maureen's mom. 

Guess we always have something to learn about the genealogy in our small town. 

With election season almost over, we have a much better season coming up:  ZAGS basketball. 

A lot less ugliness!

No robo calls several times a day to tell us to vote for the ZAGS or how awful each of their opponents happen to be.  

And, when the final buzzer buzzes with each game, it will be over and we'll all accept the score, pretty much like what should happen with any contest. 

Of course, I'll be the first to admit that I have no problem or fear of shooting off my mouth about how much I love the ZAGS. 

Tonight the Bulldogs will face off in the Kennel against Warner Pacific Knights from Portland in an exhibition game, and, happily, it's not Pay Per View. 

BTW:  ZAG player Ben Gregg's father Matt serves as athletic director at Warner Pacific. 

Tonight's game will be telecast on KHQ-Root at 6 p.m. PDT. 

GO, ZAGS.