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this morning i went to vote. not that i knew anything about the candidates or what they were running for. i've always heard that it's my civic duty to do so, and since i am such a boy scout, and since i like to use that fact to gloat over others who aren't as community-minded as myself, i voted this morning. it also helps that the voting station - the basement of an elementary school - is right around the corner from where i live.

there were groups of supporters outside the school with picket signs for their candidates; everyone tried to make eye-contact with me, hoping to garner some last-minute votes. i went into the school and to the basement. after i signed in by telling them my address and name, i picked up my ballots and walked inside one of many voting booths, nothing separating me from the other voters other than a curtain and some plastic-walled partitions. if i wanted to i could've easily leaned into my fold-up table tray and brought several other booths down, but that wasn't what i was here to do, i was here to vote!

the ballots were confusing. instead of one vote for a candidate for a particular position, the way it worked was by a series of numbers: you vote for your first choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, etc. i had no idea who the candidates were, so it was hard enough for me to find a first choice, let alone a second. a few names i recognized from posters that'd been adorning the city for months, but i've always like the underdog, the candidate who has no money for PR but still willing to run.

for city council, i picked bob la trémouille. why? because late last night i think i saw him throw a flyer into my mailslot while i was watching television, and that kind of last minute spunk really touch me here (pointing to heart). plus, after looking over his flyer, it seems like he's some sort of environmentalist, so that got my vote. as for my other city council choices, i went down the list based on their address, how close they lived to me, or whether or not i recognized the street.

for school committee, there was no helpful late-night flyer to guide my decision. instead i voted based on proximity again, and selected luc schuster, who i was surprised lives right across the street from me (which would explain all the luc banners). finished, i signed out, then inserted my ballots into a voting machine.

as i left the voting station back to my house, i saw a ticket on my parents' SUV that i'm borrowing. since i parked on a private way, i had a feeling it wasn't a real ticket, and sure enough, it's one of those "save the earth" flyers. if only i could explain! nobody loves protecting the environment more than me! and normally during the warmer seasons i'd be riding a motorcycle, which gets better mileage than a hybrid car! nothing like some irony to spice up the morning.

unfortunately irony can't help me with all the work i have to do, and as soon as i came back, i was on the computer again, ready to put in another 10-12 hours of serious coding. my father came by in the afternoon with a food delivery and to pick up some gear for his trip. i stopped working around 6pm, no more fuel left in the old brain tank. julie came by in the evening and made some tom yum soup. tonight's television itinerary: america's top model, my name is earl, the office, and law & order: svu.