OK, feeling a little anxious. Haven't heard from S. and my usual phone-card snooping has revealed that there was a phone call (can only be international) between last night and today, but the server is down and I can't see to whom (could be friends in Switz, friends in England, or Swiss Miss).

Am remaining calm and away from the phone.

I just got back from voting, which was a nerve-wracking experience. First, the machine's explanation of how to do a write-in vote was confusing (we have a dark-horse candidate who is wonderful for state assembly, and it's important, as we're having a huge flap over building a huge stadium in MY NEIGHBORHOOD!).

So I had to call in the voter lady, a dithery old woman with a flower in her hat. She didn't know, and so another voting lady (another of the same ilk) came in. Meanwhile, my curtains were flapping in the wind for all the world to see my choices. Second voter lady showed me how to do it (the instrux were VERY confusing and in the end, incorrect - GREAT!) and I was alone again, curtains protecting me.

Then when I finished, I couldn't get the lever to move back, which records my vote. It was stuck (and I'm a strong woman). In comes the first voter lady. In comes the second voter lady. Curtains flapping.

So third voter lady bustles in, grabs the lever, snaps "Get out of the way," and pulls it right over! We're all crowded into my booth, and attracting no small amount of attention from waiting voters (not to mention a VERY cute guy who smiled at me and raised his eyebrows ). The whole time, the second voter lady kept repeating, "Oh, Jesus. Oh, Lord. Ohhhhhh, Jesus!"

Comedy, yes, but I was a little rattled.

shameless plug for my NEWEST thread