Have you voted yet?

I love my town.  Mike and I have had this silly tradition of voting on election days first thing in the morning right when the polls open at 7:00 a.m.  We are about the first in line, if ever there IS a line.  Most elections, there is not.  The voting judges are usually just settling in, and we know them, they know us; it's kind of fun.  Plus, it is VERY quick.

Mike broke our tradition!  He voted early this election.  He yielded to peer pressure.  He just happened to be in the city offices one day, ran into an acquaintance who said, "Whatcha doin'?  Come vote!" So he did.

This morning I wanted to attend my "Sunrise Yoga" class.  Actually, I think it's called "Wake Up Yoga."  We discussed how early one would have to get up in the summer to teach an actual "sunrise" class.   Pretty dang early!! ha.  Anyway, it started at 7 and I really wanted to attend.  So I did and opted to vote later in the day.

I knew there would be lines.  It's a pretty hot election year!  I showed up at the polling place during the noon hour.  I was not alone.  But, I had an interesting thought cross my mind on the bicycle ride there.  I think I let my driver's license expire on Saturday!  Yikes.  Seems that we must show ID and that was what I was planning on using.  The sign specifically stated a "Valid" Driver's license.  Oops.  So I dug around in my planner and wallet and came up with two other options.

But about this town.  The line (which I waited in for 30 minutes) was full of co- workers from the college, friends and neighbors from my ward, neighbors in my ward who work at the college--just a good group.  I was visiting, etc. and having a nice, time.  I stepped out out line once with a request to the stranger behind me to, "Save my place, please, while I go chat briefly with my friend and neighbor just ahead of us in line?"  She agreed.  Then I came back, chatted with her a bit about my lack of license dilemma.  Then I saw another gal I needed to talk to and made the same request of her to "Save my spot! I'll be right back!" and ran to the exit door to have a very important and brief conversation with the girl I needed to talk to who was leaving.  Well, THAT time, I'd left my backpack sitting on the floor because I'd been digging out one more form of ID and I'd missed the gal finish voting and that's why I had to chase her to the door!

When I came back, my backpack was gone!  Yikes!  I had a brief heart attack. Was it stolen?  No way! Not with all these people around.  Did someone in security come and take it because it was a suspicious, abandoned bag?  Hardly.  There was no security around, for starters.  And all the people in line knew it wasn't abandoned.  I was only gone about 30 seconds.  Maybe 45 to 60.  Then I hear a voice from back in the line.  "You lost your place.  You have to go to the back of the line."

Really?  I was so stunned.  I saw my backpack sitting on the floor at the end of the line.  All alone.  Then I saw whose voice it was--my co-worker, Paula!! She's such a hoot.  And it WAS funny, once I realized it was a practical joke.  Later, at work, I told Paula how I'd had a brief heart attack thinking it was missing/stolen (It contained my planner/brain, AND a bunch of money for a change ).  I just didn't think it could have been taken so quickly.  And Paula confirmed my suspicions.  When she went up there to the front to get my pack, the people around me in the line said, "Oh, you can't do that!"  And Paula said, "It's OK--we know her! It'll be fine."

"No, really!  You shouldn't move it.  You can't do that!"  But she was persistent (and fast!) and pulled off a great joke on me!!

Happy Election Day.