2004-10-20 - 5:23 p.m. - My vote is on its way...

I just dropped off my absentee ballot at the place which provides DHL service. My ballot arrived last week, and I filled it out immediately while rocking out to Tom Petty's "American Girl". I felt it was an appropriate tune (at least from the selection I have on my iPod) to listen to while making my selections. I was really excited about it...I don't know if it's because I'm out of the country and yet can still participate in the election process, or that I'm working on that visualization of welcoming in a new President come next January.

Originally my ballot was going to be deposited into the US mail via a courier service since the postal service here would not have had it reach the US until the 2008 election, but I found out that it might not make it in time. Since it could take 10 days before reaching its destination in the US and wouldnīt leave the courier service until this Friday, I felt I might be cutting it too close. So I forked over about $21.00 to mail it via DHL so it would arrive there by this Monday. And to think that some people in the US on November 2nd will not get off their lazy asses to participate in the democratic process. Granted, you might say you don't like either candidate and that our system needs an overhaul to give the people better options, but work with what we've got people....get out and VOTE. And remember, CHANGE can be a GOOD thing. :)

I was dropped off by the school van to the place that services DHL, so I was on my own to make my way home. It was the first time I had to hail a taxi by myself and say in my pathetic Spanish where I wanted to go. I know I paid the gringo fare, but given that the guy understood where I wanted my destination to be, I didn't haggle over the price. It would have only made the difference of about 35 cents anyway. When he dropped me off, I paid him and said, "muchas gracias, seņor". He replied "you're welcome", and I just laughed...he spoke some English after all! When I said "ciao", he said "good-bye" and we both laughed as he departed.

Having done that little exercise of hailing a cab on my own, I feel quite independent right now, and it feels good.

30-something - 2005-03-01
the holding back the the flow of tears - 2005-02-20
song survey - 2005-02-15
song for the day...or perhaps the year... - 2005-01-25
something new - 2005-01-24
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