If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made A Choice...REPRISE 2024

 VOTE.  Please. 

Reprising my post from 2020. 

This is just some of my thinks and feels.  Some will understand, some won't.  Here's a rambling batch of words.  

I don't often share political memes and opinions or even FACTUAL posts on social media.  I may start posting factual things as we get closer to the election...likely the most important one yet.  And yes, that has been said of the last couple of elections, but since the insurrection on January 6, 2021, and the revelation of Project 2025, it's truer now more than ever.  I hope this is the last election we have to fear for the survival of our democracy.  

This post isn't even meant to be of a political nature, really.  But what it IS about is relationships.  Here's the thing... I have not and will not let politics affect my feelings toward our friends and family.  I have not unfriended (maybe unfollowed) anyone on social media simply because they feel the opposite way that I do about a candidate or political party.  I'm trying really hard to not start unfriending, but when I see people posting utter foolishness, misinformation, and just downright ugliness...it's hard y'all, but I will try not to do it.  

I WILL, however, delete you if you flagrantly disregard my request to NOT engage in political debate or start an argument with me on a rare political post I may make.  If you post or comment with anything that is downright hateful, nasty, vulgar or criminal sounding, I will likely go on ahead and block you.  You can always, just, you know, scroll on by; that's what I do.  (Can I just say how annoyed I've become about how social media has taken over so much of our lives and interactions with others?)

I appreciate that most times, our friends and family members know that politics (and religion) should be taboo at get-togethers.  Unfortunately, sometimes a friend of a friend or family member at a gathering will start in with silly political rhetoric, or a smart-ass comment aimed at getting a reaction.  It happened recently, actually.  It got zero reaction.  

A sidebar:  Recently, our town went through a major, 1,000-year flood due to Hurricane/TS Debbie parking right over us for 3 days.  I love how quickly our community sprang into action to help their affected neighbors.  So many volunteers helping with sandbags, helping people get out of the flooded neighborhoods with boats, delivering supplies on boats and kayaks.  They didn't hesitate.  I'm pretty sure no one stopped to see if they were working alongside or helping to assist a Republican or a Democrat.  Both sides were working hard, side by side, to help their fellow humans...their fellow Americans.

I wish that people could agree to not let political opinions divide, damage or estrange friends and especially family.  Blood is supposed to be thicker than politics.  

That being said, I may post some of my hopes for our political future on social media.  I may not.  I hope my friends list doesn't decrease in numbers as a result if I do.    

I understand that there are those who might disagree with their significant other's candidate of choice but aren't comfortable saying so.  Keep in mind, the voting booth is a private situation.  You can vote however you want.
You can choose free will.  Just sayin'.  

I hope everyone will get out and vote.  If you will be 18 by election day, go on ahead and register and then make your voice heard on November 5.

Voting feels wonderful.  I'm downright euphoric after I've seen my ballot counted.  And after we vote this year, early, we will likely celebrate that we can and have voted.  Please y'all, don't let your candidate lose to the couch.  

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.  
~Geddy Lee / Alex Lifeson / Neil Peart  

I'm Empty And Aching...

 And I don't know why.  

When I look back on the holidays last year, there was so much hope.  So much promise for 2020.  We rang in the new year with so much excitement.

September 2020

Now look.  Just look.  This year has been one major shitshow.  It was bad enough to have a pandemic.  But to also have an election year go so scary, crazy badly.  And losing RBG.  Bless her.  I know she hung in there as long as she could.  

Did you watch that first debate between Trump and Biden?  I did.  What a shitshow.  By the end of it I felt physically exhaused and emotionally empty. 

Not gonna lie.  I.  Am.  Terrified.  The way this election is going and the way this new Supreme Court Justice is going to get super-duper fasttracked on the Court.

Regardless of which side you are on politically, if you have any, and I do mean ANY preexisting condition in your health, you should be, at the very least, mildly frightened too.  Whether or not you are insured through the Affordable Care Act, or privately, or through your place of employment, coverage for those preexisting conditons is very likely to go bye-bye.  (The only work around would be if you developed a condition while insured and remain insured with no lapse of coverage.)

If you've had a COVID-19 diagnosis, you now have a preexisting condition.

I remember being privately insured during an era when preexisting conditions were not covered.  Any and everything to do with my thyroid was completely my responsibility.  It was expensive and it was awful.  I have enjoyed having my thyroid meds covered and anything that may arise regarding my cancer will also be covered.  For now, at least.  

Scary, scary times these be.  What in the world has happened to our country?  I don't even recognize it anymore.  Where is logic?  Where is decorum?  I'm being told to prepare.  Be ready for civil war.  Civil unrest.  

I know Mr. Trump keeps preaching that he will keep coverage for preexisting conditions.  While he's actively engaged in a lawsuit, as you read these words, to completely overturn the Affordable Care Act?  Believe him?  I've got some real estate here in my bag.  

I just can't even with this guy.

October kicks off the holidy season for us.  We have already mailed in our Absentee Ballots.  We will find ways to entertain ourselves, socially distanced, of course.  We will go out and find beauty to look at. 

I will still be entertained by the simplest of things.  I will still enjoy taking photos of food and flowers.  I will still run outside and look at the moon, stars and planets.  

I've gone to look for America.

**EDIT** It is now being reported that the President & First Lady are now positive for COVID-19.  My immediate thought was that it's not even true.  That it's just another distraction tactic to get out of another debate and/or to garner sympathy votes.  Isn't that a sad state of affairs, when we don't believe our President?

**EDIT #2**  It is now being reported that the president has been taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment of COVID-19. 

I Wear This ****ing Mask Because...

I didn't love my last haircut.  The stylist that did it is aware that I was, shall I say, less than happy.  My regular person wasn't available.  I was desperate.  My last haircut was near the end of January.  Had I known a pandemic was coming, I would have waited for my regular stylist.  Now, I'm growing out a cut that I don't love.  

Why?

June 2020

Because there's not enough mask wearing in my area.  Even though my salon has imposed some major COVID-19 restrictions and are wearing masks, I am still uncomfortable going inside anywhere for any extended period of time.  This includes nail salons, restaurants, grocery stores...  Pretty much anywhere I can't mask up and zip zap.  In and out.  

Anyway, people, please stop making mask wearing a political hot button.  I am SO tired of it.  I don't appreciate the major eye-rolling I get when a non mask wearing person sees me wearing one.  When they do that, they get the stink eye right back.  No, I don't glare at non mask wearers.  I just do my best to stay at least 6 feet away. 

But really people.  Wearing a mask shows that you care and respect your fellow human.  It's NOT an infringement on your rights.  It no more violates your rights than the requrement of wearing pants in public does.  Are you against seatbelts?  Are you against wearing a helmet on a motorcycle?  Why masks then?  

And now a rant.  To the person who wanted to stand way too close to my husband in a checkout line recently, ignoring the markers on the floor....  Imma need you to take 3 giant steps backward, so that you can get a good running start and take a giant leap into fucking yourself.  *ahem*

Sorry bout that.

I apologize if this offends you.  If so, you cannot handle me.  

Actually, no. I don't apologize.  Sorry not sorry. 

Just sayin'. 

Doesn't take a stable genius to figure this out.