Waiting For The Election

The last presidential election (in 2016) ended with a very bad result.  We are told, as citizens, that if we don't like our elected representatives then it is our right to replace them at the next election.  We've had to wait four long seemingly endless years for that opportunity and now it's right around the corner.  Just a few days away.

The waiting has been torturous.  To measure it, right after the 2016 election I installed a countdown clock in the right column of Mixed Meters.  It listed the number of years, months and days until we the people could turn Donald Trump into a loser.  Wouldn't that be nice.

As the election date loomed closer and closer, it has become clear that the counter widget is a few days off.  Hey, this is just a blog.  At Mixed Meters close is good enough.

Almost every day this year I've been obsessively reading news articles about the election.  If you're in the U.S. I think you know what those articles are about:

• Trump wants to suppress the vote, 
• Trump told a bunch of lies, 
• Trump has a chance of winning, 
• Trump might steal the election, 
• Trump will ruin the country even more in a second term.

By this time next week maybe we'll know who the winner is.  I sure hope we will.  The waiting might be over after four endless years.  I find it hard to stop thinking about it.

Today I needed an escape.  So I took my camera outside into our backyard and driveway and shot some pictures of whatever I happened to find out there.  It was sunny and warm, but not too sunny and not too warm.  Just right.

To start, here are some close-ups of a fence.

We built this fence 13 years ago when Chowderhead came to live with us.  It has deteriorated quite a bit.  Time does that.  

I took pictures of Leslie's carnivorous plants.

This fly actually flew into the pitcher plant while I watched it.  Pitcher plants are designed so flies can't escape from them.  It flew down about an inch before it realized the danger it was in.  "Holy shit," I heard it scream, "I better get the fuck out of this dangerous place." and it flew away.  Maybe it was actually talking about politics in the United States in the year 2020.

I took some pictures of plants which don't eat insects.

The last one - the curly cactus - is one of my favorites among all of Leslie's plants.

And I took some selfies.  You'd have done the same, I bet.  I kept seeing my reflection in windows.  I look pretty unhappy in the first one because I was thinking about Donald Trump.  It's hard not to think about Donald Trump these days.  Not thinking about him was the whole idea behind this post.  I'm not doing too well. 

The lines on my forehead are reflections from something inside the house - possibly our microwave.  Also, can you say 'double chin'?  I thought so.

The last three selfies also show more pitcher plants.   Leslie has a lot of them.

I even took one picture of Leslie looking out at me through a window.  Yes, I got her permission before I uploaded it.  Tomorrow is our 28th wedding anniversary.  Love you, honey.

There is one more shot.  Our two ceramic backyard icons, another happily married couple, Irving (he's on the left) and Happy.  We bought them in 2004 in Los Olivos so they've been together for 16 years.  Irving appeared in Mixed Meters previously here.

Only a couple days to go before the election.  Irving and Happy can't vote.  I hope you voted.  If not, do it now.  Right now.

If Donald Trump loses I will reset the counter to show the number of days until the inauguration on January 20, 2021.  After that Mixed Meters may not need a counter.  That will make me happy.

If the devil is victorious and Donald Trump gets re-elected, I will reset the counter until election day in 2024.  And we can all just cross our fingers that the nation survives until then.  Good luck, America.  We're gonna need it.

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Here are a links to political news sites which I have found useful this year:

Electoral Vote

What the Fuck Just Happened Today?

Political Wire