I Voted Today

I stood in line for an hour and a half to vote in Precinct 38 this morning. It was my first time to vote for President actually in Nebraska--the other three times I voted absentee. I could have voted early, by mail or by going to the commissioner's, but I wanted to do it in person, at the polling place, I wanted to stand in line. When I left, there were still as many people waiting to vote as there were when I got in line--I estimate 60. At 9:45 am, I was the 89th person to vote , and at the last election, at my precinct, a grand total of 160 people voted. For some reason, Precinct 34, which also votes at the AV Sorensen Center in Dundee, had a very short list of registered voters and no line whatsoever.When I get in the booth, I always get nervous that I'll accidentally vote for the wrong person. I'm pretty sure I didn't.

The folks behind me--a mixed race couple and their voting-age son--provided an enjoyable eavesdrop, until they realized that they were in Precinct 34 and could skip to the front of the line. The mother, who was white, was exhorting her companions about how important it was to vote, and how she had seen on tv that Bush had stolen the past two elections and she wasn't going to let that happen again. The woman's son kept warning her that she should be quiet, because the Republicans might "jump" her, a possibility she viewed with enthusiasm. When the son said that he wanted to go home and have a bowl of cereal, or at least go sit in the car and wait, his mom told him that too many people had died for him to get the vote, and besides, "Can't nobody come get you when it's time."

I think the mother, along with several other people in line, distrusted the election officials. The guy who kept coming along and inviting Precinct 34 people to jump the line was met with skepticism. At least one person told him he was perfectly happy to wait in line. And the first time the guy came along, the son behind me asked his mother if she knew where they were supposed to vote (hoping that they were 34 folks)--she bridled in response and said, "Of course I know where we're supposed to vote! Right here!" It was only the second time that the guy came by with his Precinct 34 speech that she got her card out to check.

All very exciting. I don't know how I'll concentrate today.

Folks waiting to vote, view from inside the polling place.

. . .

you tell me.

How's a person supposed to live in a city without an afghani or an ethiopian restaurant, hm? how?
. . .

o! ma! ha!

Well, folks, I like it here in Omaha. It is a nice combination of midwesterly chilled-outness and big-city options. One thing I liked about Lincoln that just didn't happen in New York was that it was easy to see people and we can and do at the last minute. Omaha shares that quality. Like New York (and unlike North Platte), Omaha has some really good restaurants and cultural events (although it obviously can't match NYC in depth or breadth). And while my Lincoln social scene has been pretty stagnant for the last ten years, and NP had no social scene to offer at all, young, interesting folks in Omaha are new to me, plentiful, relaxed, and easy to meet. In NYC, the friend options were actually too plentiful--it required a ridiculous amount of extra effort to see people again that I liked but had met only once, plus most people there already feel like they have so many people to see that they don't have time to make new friends. Things were a little different at the beginning of law school, but it quickly fell into that pattern. In Omaha, especially if people are from Omaha, they seem to appreciate new faces. I like it.

And yeah, work's fine, good people, challenging, what-have-you. My place is nice. I need a roommate though. And Lulu and I have been going to obedience class. Obedience is still elusive, but it's worth 6 thursdays to try to catch it.

I'll try to post a little more often here. I've been really excited about the per-dag blogs recently, but I do have a bunch of photos that didn't make the EPD cut that still merit a look (I think, anyway).
. . .

April 4, 2008 held much for my camera. I think the sun, warmth, easy trip to Lincoln, and the blooming weekend all combined into a happy, photorific day.

Oh for an apostrophe. This place marks my turning spot on Dodge.


I love old mail shafts. The one in my new office building's got this handy reminder on it. I infer from Mr. Zip's pigmentation that it's patriotic to be red. Alcoholics and Native Americans rejoice!


Some views from my parking garage:

buildings:


buildings, including handy dandy Douglas County state courthouse:


buildings, including handy dandy federal courthouse (boring building at lower left):


Male pattern building:


Various street circles:



Leaving the garage, this is the view on my back porch, all ready for three little kittens. It's hard to imagine who else might sit there so primly, all in a row:



A sign that could serve many purposes:


A sign with maybe fewer purposes:


More signs, I guess. These, pizza related:




The Future Farmers of America were in Lincoln last weekend, I surmise. I find this amusing but I can't really say why:


Some stripey jeans, passing by:



And a flock of funnily lit bar photos.