But... No Sticker

Yesterday actually started at 7:45 PM the night before with a reminder to Steve that we both had 15 minutes to get in our last meal of the day. His doctor, which is also mine, wanted a fasting blood sugar level from both of us. That meant 12 hours NPO.

In the morning it began with hitting the heat on setting on the hallway thermostat on the way to the bathroom. I've been avoiding using the furnace as much as possible, but a couple recent nights dipping into the 30's have reluctantly ended that. At least the last couple mornings all I do is keep the house shut up tight and only flip it on just before my shower,  off before I leave, letting the sum warm it the rest of the day. It reads 70 before I hit the switch, but right now that's too cold. 72 feels much better. Even though the AC has been running this summer, the first time the furnace goes on it stinks with that "I'm burning off all the dust" smell.

Steve and I were in and out of the lab in no time. It took longer to check in than get stabbed and released. Usually they moan and groan about the condition of my arms, both sporting lumps of scar tissue from being a 10 gallon blood donor plus about a year at the "stab lab" selling plasma way back in the really lean years. Not this tech. She swabbed, poked with the fingernail, and slipped that needle in so smoothly I could hardly tell she'd done anything.

Note to Doctor: Keep this one!!!!!!!

Then a quick trip to the drive-thru Mickey D's: coffee for me for the morning pills, milk and his favorite sandwich for Steve. We ate in the parking lot, since I thought it unwise to choke down all those pills while behind the wheel. I mix my own sugar-free mocha, and much prefer tasting it to wearing it.

Next stop was the county court house, to the auditor's office. It was time to vote! Ballots have been ready since middle of last week. Minnesota allows early absentee voting for those who will not be at the polls on the day - not that they actually check up on you. We'll be in sunny Arizona by then. In person voting is much easier than by mail since there's less to fill out and you don't have to be so particular in how the envelopes get filled out since there's only one. I learned by watching the Franken recount how easy it is to get your absentee ballot thrown out by doing the envelopes improperly. All the single envelope needs is my name and the last four of my SS#. That gets compared against the application to vote absentee that I just filled out. We both got a table and chair for the whole process and were offered privacy screens which we both turned down.

Here's the skivvy: I used to be an independent. John Anderson was once my presidential choice. But modern Republicans have turned me determinedly Democratic, and if anybody cares, I voted straight ticket. Plus "NO" on both ballot questions. I liked both incumbents on the city council ballot, and nobody else after the first couple judges had competition so I mostly didn't bother. Steve told me how he was planning on voting, but if he wants you to know, it's for him to say.

We weren't done with the morning errands yet. Next stop was city hall. Lynn, the city clerk, is also a notary. Her becoming one was paid for by the city, and those services are free to city residents. Occasionally I take advantage of them. Yesterday was to make a minor change to the Warranty Deed on the Sun City house. Steve will now be a part owner and can partake freely of the perks of being in Sun City without paying an extra yearly fee.

I almost thought that wasn't going to happen. We contacted a paralegal referred to us, sent her the info she requested plus a check, and waited for her return email with the document(s) needing to be dated, signed and notarized. She, in turn, played email tag. First it was to confirm our marital statuses. Then another question and another. I've been dealing with a cold and not checking in on the computer daily, so it really dragged out. She couldn't have asked all the questions at once? I mean really? She does this stuff regularly since the person referring us was the one we worked with from the title company.

Finally I was ready to drop Steve at home, hit the mail box with the notarized paperwork, fill the tank, and log on to work. Everything on the to-do list accomplished. Still, I noted with some disappointment as I drove off, I wasn't sporting a little red "I Voted" sticker.

Dang!