Voting in Seattle

Seattle, WA is a pretty awesome city and state to live in. I used to hate election season. Other places I've lived, it seemed like everyone always felt outnumbered and attacked no matter what their political position, and each election cycle was several months of hell. Moving to a progressive State (and turning off the TV in favor of the internet) has done wonders for my blood pressure and peace of mind. As it would happen, this election day I was terribly ill. I had contracted strep throat a few days before, followed quickly by an insane viral complication that felt like some Bond villain was keeping their prize school of man-eating piranha in my mouth. Three trips to the urgent care center down the street just prior to the election had me on a four different medicines and I was instructed to avoid all contact with other humans for two weeks. Luckily, we vote by mail here in Washington state. Instead of standing in some stupid line contracting and spreading god knows what, I was able to vote from my sofa. I could take my time, web-search every candidate and initiative via the iPad, and not worry that my illness (or impatience / forgetfulness / ignorance) was causing me to make some foolish decision. Plus, thanks to our lovely open primary and run-off system, I'd already done my research on these candidates two months ago, so for 80% of the races I could just check my notes from back then. It made for a really laid-back voting experience, no pressure or confusion, and with me being so damn sick I really appreciated that. As to how I voted: mostly Democrat, plus Greens where-ever possible. No big surprise there. We did have some pretty weighty issues on the local ballot initiatives this year, and I think that's definitely the most important part of voting this time around. If you'll indulge me whilst I ride this high horse up onto the soapbox... I'm a bleeding heart liberal and I look like a hippy, but those who truly know me will acknowledge I'm kind of a square. I have maybe 10 alcoholic drinks in an entire year. I have never ever done a recreational drug. Despite that notable degree of stick-in-the-mud-itude, I voted this year to legalize pot, and am really glad it passed. From my outsiders perspective, pot certainly seems no more harmful than booze. I've been threatened and even attacked by drunks before, but never by stoners. You just can't put enough weight on that, even if there are other reasons to be pro-legalization. Washington has no income tax, and I expect the extra money from regulated pot sales are probably going to really help keep our various liberal programs and infrastructure projects well-funded. Raking in the dough, instead of spending it to lock up generally harmless stoners. Legalized pot will hopefully take the wind out of the sails of the cartels, in much the same way that ending prohibition deflated the US mafia. Not that cartel influence is felt that much up here in the Pacific NorthWest, but it is a legitimate concern on the national level. Pot's status as a "gateway drug" is because most people think it's no big deal, and yet you have to break the law to do it, which pretty much trains people to think it's no big deal to break the law. Legalization seems to me like a huge win for sanity, all around. I also got to vote in favor of marriage equality, and am thrilled it passed as well. I'm about to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of my marriage to the most amazing woman I have ever met. Prior to meeting her, I experienced a miserable failed marriage and divorce. Gay people getting married is certainly no more threatening to the institution of marriage than stupid people who don't understand commitment getting married is. Don't take that out of context, there. I'm not saying gay people are stupid, I'm saying as long as idiots such as myself (particularly at the time of my first marriage) are allowed to get married, anyone ought to be allowed. Happiness, peace of mind, legal protection, soul-stripping emotionally vulnerability -- there's nothing about marriage that shouldn't be just as available for any two loving adults to partake in regardless of their genders or orientation. I'm dumbfounded by just how alarmed some of my fellow heterosexuals get over the notion that two guys somewhere might have a ceremony and sign a financial / legal document. If you think some stranger's marriage (or bedroom practices) is a threat to your way of life, you have a outrageously flawed sense of perspective.

Double Death-Defying Day

On Monday, I was nearly run over by a truck and ended up in the Emergency Room. But surprisingly, not in that order.

At 2 AM Monday morning, I awoke with massive abdominal pain. The only time I'd ever felt worse pain in my life was during recovery from major surgery about 8 years ago. Given the intensity, I thought for sure my appendix was about to rupture. So I woke up my wife and we headed down to the ER.

After a several hours of blood tests and CT scans, they ruled out all the possible causes that would have required cutting me open to solve. The diagnosis they finally landed on is just a case of Epiploic Appendigitis (that "g" is not a typo). Horribly painful to be sure, but it's self-limiting and I should recover in 5 to 10 days.

Cranky but relieved, I headed for home, certain that I'd just dodged the only bullet of the day.

As my wife and I were crossing the street near the hospital, a jerk in a big truck ran a red light and nearly plowed us over. Due to my illness, I really couldn't run or jump. So I just shoved my wife towards safety. Thankfully, she had the same instinct and grabbed my arm and pulled me towards safety. It was all kind of a blur, with each of us feeling our quick thinking had just saved the other (and so I guess we were both right). The truck slammed on its breaks and stopped several feet past the crosswalk where we just were, passing within a foot of me in the process.

A guy in another vehicle waiting at the stoplight shouted out to us "today's your lucky day!" He didn't know the half of it.

I'm sick of washing my hands!

I'm reading this article on the swine flu, and it says:

Q: How easy is it to catch this virus?

A: Scientists don't yet know if it takes fairly close or prolonged contact with someone who's sick, or if it's more easily spread. But in general, flu viruses spread through uncovered coughs and sneezes or — and this is important — by touching your mouth or nose with unwashed hands. Flu viruses can live on surfaces for several hours, like a doorknob just touched by someone who sneezed into his hand.

I was considering having some lunch, so I decide I should go wash my hands.

As I'm finishing washing them, I realize that I kinda have to pee. I do that, and then I wash my hands again.

As I'm leaving the bathroom, the doorbell buzzes. UPS has a package for my wife. I take it inside, and notice it was shipped from southern California, which is adjacent to Mexico, where the flu pandemic started, so I wash my hands again.

About that point, I realize how silly this is, so when I get done washing up, I go back to the living room and blog my outrage. In the process, I touch the keyboard that I'd been touching all morning/afternoon before I washed my hands. And I'm still haven't had lunch, so I guess I'll have to go wash my hands again.

Freaking hand-washing meme's got me wrapped around its' sudsy little finger!