Working at the Polls - September 18, 2012

So, I had my first experience working at the precinct. Since it was a special election to vote on an amendment to the Alabama constitution, I did not expect a high voter turnout and I was correct in my assessment. The total number of voters for the day was 330.  At 11:00 a.m. the count was 108. Although it was a slow day, it was a steady day as there was almost always one person voting. It seems like when one person left, another one would arrive.

I woke up at 5:00 a.m. which really wasn’t that much earlier than my normal wake-up time, although I did not have the privilege of hitting snooze. I took a shower, grabbed my things and headed out the door within the hour, arriving at the precinct at 6:00 a.m. I had baked some pumpkin muffins the night before and brought those in for everyone. The inspector for our place brought in some sausage biscuits and others brought snacks as well. We got everything set up and signed and got ourselves sworn in and then opened the polls at precisely 7:00 a.m.  We had one lady waiting on us to open the doors.

Overall the day went really well. The people that I worked with were all in their 70s and 80s and were nice, at times a little annoying but overall nice. My biggest peeve I think was that when they were in the middle of a conversation and a voter walked in they would just keep on talking. I was the only person to say hello to the voter coming in the door. Unless, of course, they knew the person and then they would talk so loud and wouldn’t quit talking which would make it frustrating for the next person to come in because they would be ready to vote but couldn’t get up to the table for all the fellowshipping taking place. 

I had been told by the inspector that we would be ordering Steak-Out for lunch which I was looking forward to since I really like Steak-Out. Then when it came time to order, the inspector suggested Mullins – a place I’m pretty sure he eats at every day. His wife passed away earlier this year and I guess it’s as close to home cooked as it gets for when, which is just terrible. I said I was going to order from Steak-Out because I am not the biggest fan of Mullins. It’s one of those greasy joints I have to be in the mood for. So, in the end everyone ended up ordering Steak-Out. 

My precinct is at Jackson Way Baptist Church and they have a day care there and a kitchen staff which I assume cooks for the daycare. At any rate, one of the kitchen workers, Ruby, brought us some ice cream cake for dessert; it was quite yummy. 

The afternoon seemed to go by a bit faster as there were more voters coming in, especially when people started to get off work. We didn’t have too many crazy situations for which I was thankful. We did have one guy vote who we were all pretty sure was drunk – yes, drunk Americans can vote as long as they have proper ID! We had three ballots that had to be spoiled, or thrown out, because people messed up on their voting. We had a few people on the inactive voters list and had to ask them to update their information – all of whom said they had voted within the past year. That inactive voters list is kind of convoluted.

When the polls closed at 7:00 p.m. we took down the signs and started putting everything together. In general, it should have been an easy process but at times it was so frustrating I thought I might lose my patience. All of the people I worked with have worked an election before and it should have been simple for them. To say I had to take over more than once is an understatement. We finally got everything sealed up and in the trunk of the inspector’s car and off to the courthouse. 

Here are some observations from my day:

• An ID is required to vote in Alabama and while the majority of people come with ID in hand, you would be amazed at how many people walk up and then pull out their ID – which always takes a LONG time.
• It is annoying when people point to their name on the voter registration page – patience please! The lady working the pages is older and the pages kind of stick together.
• A lot of people have no idea where to put there ballot once they walk up to the machine
• Some people don’t know how to draw a line on their ballot to vote.
• A lot of people have complained about the fact that we are having a special election– spending too much money – and that the amendment vote should have been on the ballot in November.
• I became increasingly frustrated at my co-workers who would, instead of making a simple phone call to the board of registrars, would instead hash out a situation for about five minutes – loudly!
• Some of the workers left to go let their dogs out or check on the house or pick up the paper, all of which are not allowed. I’m 100% sure you are supposed to stay at your polling location throughout the entire time the polls are open.

As mentioned, it was a good day and it provided a nice break from the norm. I’m really looking forward to working in November because I have no doubt there will be a big turnout and that should provide for lots of interesting blogging material.

Special Amendment Vote

Hey Alabama - Don't forget to vote in today's special amendment election!

A Slow September Weekend

So, I'm thinking of quitting the blog....okay, not really; but, seriously the comments have been a barren wasteland as of late which isn't very motivating to keep on writing. If it weren't for Erika, I probably would quit. She was out sick recently and there were no comments at all which was very discouraging. So, please leave a comment if you have a chance. I read them all and I am very thankful when you all take the time to say hello or comment on what is or isn't going on in my life.

As far as the month of September is concerned, this past weekend was rather relaxing. I got the yard work done on Thursday night and am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be the last time of the season, even though I know in my heart of hearts that it won't be.

Friday night I went out to the MA game with my dad and brother and it ended up being quite boring as the Mustangs won 55-0. We left early because I think we were all bored. It was homecoming and my cousin Bennett was on the homecoming court. Sadly, he didn't win king, although I don't think he cared one way or the other. My brother enjoyed his first Friday night of freedom by contemplating what to buy at the concession stand and making sure he got the most value for his money. He was holding out for the fourth quarter call of half price hot dogs, but we left before any half priced food was served, if it was at all. He did enjoy an order and a half (my half) of nachos.

Saturday morning the company I work for held a 5K walk/run. I'm sure I've mentioned it before but we have a program at work where we accumulate points for wellness exams and physical activities, etc. and then receive a discount on the amount we pay for insurance. So, this 5K was worth 250 points and there were a lot of people there - well, at least a lot more than I expected to see. I walked because my running days are far behind me thanks to bad knees and shin splints. My friend Matt ran the course and then came back to walk with me. Wasn't that nice? He tried to get me to run the rest but I really had to pee (just being honest here people) and so that was not going to happen. Guess I shouldn't have made a Starbucks run before the race.

After the race I stopped by the mall as I had some reward dollars to spend at one of the stores and am in desperate need of a new pair of khaki pants. Sadly, the store had no khaki pants; but, I did get a new pair of black pants (also needed), two shirts, a pair of leggings, a pair of sunglasses and a lip glass all for $58. I originally was planning on just getting the pants and two shirts as I thought they would total $100 and I needed to spend $100 in order to use my 50 reward dollars. The pants ended up being on sale and then so did everything else, I just kept adding things until my total reached $100. Turns out I got a lot more than I bargained for!

Saturday afternoon The Tide and I headed over to my parents house to watch the Alabama-Arkansas game and when we arrived the cable was out. It was only working on the one TV in my dad's office. He managed to hook up the TV in the den to the cable box in his office and that's how we were able to watch the game. My brother cooked some chicken wings which were really good and I hope to try and replicate myself someday soon; after the game burgers were grilled and I left with a full belly which is always a good thing.

Sunday was the usual, church, lunch with Jackie and her family, a trip to Publix, a nap, and evening church service. I did manage to get a little cleaning in as well. Jackie and I are headed to Atlanta this weekend coming up and so Sunday night I was looking up directions to the hotel when I started reading a lot of bad reviews about the hotel I had booked and started panicking. I ended up booking another hotel and cancelling my original reservation. The new reservation is at the Holiday Inn and the room is a little more expensive, but after reading all the terrible reviews about the first place, I think we are going to be a lot better off. I don't know how I missed all the bad reviews when I originally booked our room back in May.

So, here we are at Monday and tonight brings with it another Zumba and Goga outing with Jackie and Jan. I am really looking forward to it! Tomorrow I will have the day off from my regular job and will be working at my voting precinct for the special election. I'm sure that experience will bring something of interest to tell you about!

The Cheap Seats Were The Best In The House

As mentioned in yesterday's post, Jackie and I enjoyed a night on the town Wednesday when we went out for sushi and a show, in this case, an Elton John concert. It was a fun, fun night!

We met at our favorite sushi spot, I Love Sushi at 6:30 p.m. Thankfully, I had arrived about 15 minutes early (because I'm weird like that) and was able to get us on a list for a table. Apparently a lot of people had the same plan in mind for the evening because one couple that was at the restaurant sat just one section over from us at the show. The sushi was as delicious as ever, although the service, for the first time wasn't so swell. I think the girl that waited on us was slammed as she had a large section of tables and they probably weren't expecting such a large crowd on a weekday night.

After dinner, we dropped off my car at my house and then I got in the car with Jackie and we headed to the parking garage where Jackie works and parked there. That way we didn't have to pay for parking and it was only a short walk on a nice evening to the VBC. the show was slated for an 8:00 p.m. start and we walked into the arena about 15 minutes or so before. I was extremely thirsty so I got a Diet Coke and Jackie got a more sensible water and then we found our seats for the evening.

Y'all Jackie did such a great job getting our tickets for this show! We were in the cheap seats in the upper portion of the arena, but the seats were perfect and I'm here to tell you I would prefer our seats over any other seat in the house, even the floor. The stage was set up on one end of the arena and the piano was on the left hand side of the stage. Our seats were to the right hand side of the stage and we had a perfect view of Sir Elton playing the piano and singing his songs. Not only that, but we were able to people watch and laugh like there was no tomorrow.

Right at 8:00 two guys came out and played the cello and I swear I could listen to them all night long and look at them too because those were two nice looking dudes! Those guys rocked the cello like nobody's business and got the crowd quite fired up. It was pretty amazing. They were part of Elton's band but maybe they will strike out on their own one day because I think they would do well. Seriously - they were great! Did I mention they were handsome as well? They were from Croatia which apparently rears beautiful men.

Not too long after the cellists played for the crowd, Elton came on stage opening up with Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting. He was wearing a purple shirt with purple pants and purple shoes and a bedazzled knee-length purple jacket which we think said Elton John on the back, but we couldn't tell for sure. Elton went on to sing for two and a half hours and it was a really enjoyable show. He played all the songs we wanted to hear (Levon, Tiny Dancer, Your Song) and some we didn't (Crocodile Rock). This was my third time and Jackie's firs to see Elton live and as always, the show was wonderful.He introduced the band and his old back-up singers. The back-up singers were four black women, three of whom had to be in their 60s or 70s and one was probably in her 30s or 40s - I think her mother was one of the other women. Also the drummer was one of the original members of Elton's band and has been with Elton since 1969. That was kind of cool.

Not only did we have a great view of the stage, but we also had a great view of the people on the front row who kept us more than entertained throughout the evening. One presumably gay man on the front row had some dance moves that made me laugh all through the night. He looked like he would be a fun person to have as a friend. There was also a couple of the front row who sang along to every song and sometimes to each other and were constantly fist pumping and pointing and just having the time of their lives. At the last song or two, they let the people storm the stage, or at least stand up close to the stage, and the dancing man then began playing air piano on the stage. There was also a lady that appeared from some where and was dancing very similar to Elaine in the infamous Seinfeld episode, which I'm not knocking her for because Lord knows I have no rhythm and have in fact danced like Elaine on more than one occasion.

After the last song, Elton came back out for an encore and for about five minutes or maybe more signed autographs for those folks in the front who were waving their belongs in front of him. Jackie and I both thought this was very cool as we have never seen any other performer be so kind as to sign autographs during a show. Elton seemed really grateful that so many people had come out especially when economic times are as tough as they are now.  The show was over a little before 11:00 p.m. and we walked back to the car, Jackie dropped me off at home and then headed home herself.

There were a ton of people there. I don't think I've ever seen the VBC so packed. We didn't see too many outlandish outfits although we did see one guy in red shorts a dress shirt and bowtie and a blazer and if I remember correctly the blazer was polka dots or something bizarre like that. I saw a few people that I knew at the show and the ones I talked to the next day said they also enjoyed it. Here's a link to the al.com article about the show if you are interested in reading that.

 A view from our seats.

My Brother, Israel, and Elton

Well, here we are. It's another day which should bring with it another post. Once again I have nothing specific to write about so I'll just see what pops out of my head today and we'll go with that. How's that sound?

So, my brother has once again re-joined society a she was released from prison on Monday. I had dinner with him and my parents and granddad Bill on Tuesday night. It was the first time I had seen his face since January. I thought he looked really good and am cautiously optimistic that this time he will stay sober and do great things with his life. I gave him his Christmas presents from 2011 and meant to take some photos, but didn't because I'm a loser. He got a pair of jeans which thankfully fit and a book on the 20-year history of Pearl Jam. My parents hooked Justin up with some new clothes and shoes and so he will be stylin' and profilin' the next time you may happen to run into him. I'm glad he's a free man again and pray he will do well this time around.

I also gave him a $10 check which came in the mail for him which normally wouldn't be worth mentioning, but there is a funny story of sorts behind this $10 check. You see, back in July I got some mail addressed to him which I opened and inside found two brand new $1 bills. The letter was from one of the radio rating companies wanting him (me) to write down in a book what he (or I) listened to on the radio for one week. I sent in the form saying he (or I) would do it and they sent back the book with $5 cash. Have I already told this story? I feel like I have; but, maybe that's because I typed this whole story out in a letter to my brother a few weeks ago. Anyway, I did the survey and turned it in on time so as to receive another $10 for my, I mean "Justin's" work. Well, lo and behold one day I got an envelope from the ratings company and when I opened it up, there was no cash but a check, written to Justin. So, the joke was on me. I got the cash (about $8) and he got the check for $10.

Also while I was at my parents' house, my dad told me that he had decided we would not be going to Israel in December. I haven't written much about this because in all honesty, I wasn't confident it was going to happen - and clearly, it's not. We were going to go on December 30 with a group of folks that we know, but both of us have had unexpected expenses with our dogs and vehicles and medical expenses and what have you and it just (in my opinion anyway) felt like the odds were stacked against us. Not to mention that I have to take off seven days next quarter - mandated by the company. I suppose this is in place of laying people off and while I'd rather not be mandated to take time off, I think I will choose to keep a job and take time off than have no job and every day off. (Hopefully that sentence made sense.) Anyway, it just seemed like Israel wasn't in the cards for us this year; but, hopefully we will be able to go sometime in the future because my dad has always wanted to go and I think it would be an interesting trip as well. Instead, we will be taking a trip in the spring of 2013, probably to California - a place which I have never been. It's not as exotic as Israel, but I'm sure it will be just as fun.

I think this is all I have today. Jackie and I are going to the Elton John concert tonight (Wednesday) at the Von Braun Center and I'm sure we will see lots of interesting people and I will have lots of colorful things to tell you about in my next post. Until then...

Zumba and Goga

For a few weeks now, Jackie and her mom Jan have been attending a Zumba class at Whitesburg Baptist Church on Monday nights. Jackie had invited me to come along once I got over my latest sinus infection and I made plans to do so. The first Monday I felt well enough to join them was Ladies' Night Out for my church group so I couldn't go then and on that particular Monday (August 27), the girls not only went to Zumba, but they also went to Goga and as soon as Jackie told me about it, I knew I had to try it. The next Monday was Labor Day and Jackie's birthday so there was no Zumba or Goga that night. Finally, this week, I was able to join the girls for this night of fun.

The Zumba class is held in the Whitesburg Baptist Church annex building (or whatever they call it) which is down the street from the actual church building. The annex building is really nice and has a gym (among other things) where we had our Zumba class. A couple of other ladies we knew came along as well. I got there a few minutes before Jan and Jackie and shortly after they arrived it was time for class to start. It has been a while since I've done a Zumba class and I enjoyed dancing around and acting like a fool. I'm terrible at dancing and so most of the time I just kind of did my own thing. I will say, this was the easiest Zumba class I've ever done. The ones I have participated in at the gym were non-stop dancing and really high energy. This class had breaks between each song and was for people of all dance abilities and wasn't as high intensity as I had expected. There was even a lady in a wheelchair there who did all the arm movements. I did break a sweat and had a fun time.

After Zumba, it was on to the even I had been looking forward to for two weeks - GOGA! First of all, let me say that one of the things I love most about Jackie and her mom are that they try the craziest things and I usually end up joining in at some point. If it weren't for them, for example, I wouldn't have Jean, my rapid eye technician therapist, whom I love, love, love! They are always finding some kind of New Age remedy and I always end up loving it and this time was no different. There are two goga studios in Huntsville, one is in Hampton Cove and the other is at the corner of Whitesburg and Airport Road in the same shopping center as Baskin Robbins and Cheeburger Cheeburger, which is the one we visited. As mentioned, Jackie had told me about it a couple of weeks before so I kind of knew what to expect, but not really. She had told me that you stand on a machine for 10 minutes that it shakes you nealry to death, you drink some water and take a teaspoon of some salty concoction, get in a sauna for 15 minutes and then stand on a machine and shake for another 10 minutes. Yes, you read all of that correctly.

Jackie had mentioned that the first (and until this week only) time she went there was a large black lady there that had been doing Goga for about a week and had already lost two inches! When you sign up for a month of Goga, they measure you and then you can see how far you have progressed after shaking and sweating for a month. The same black lady, Mrs. P. was there last night and as soon as I walked in the door I figured she was who Jackie had mentioned to me because she had a large backside and it was shaking like there was no tomorrow. I got on the machine and started laughing immediately. We chatted with the girl who was working and she told us about a whole slew of clients who have been Goga-ing for a month or two and have lost inches and inches. It was amazing to hear about it all. Mrs. P also told me and Jackie that her husband had noticed that her cellulite was disappearing (which is one of the many benefits of Goga). He told her that "those bumps around your booty are gone." When she told us this we laughed and laughed. She said she didn't know how many inches she had lost because she had not been measured again, but that she can tell a difference in the way her clothes felt.

So, as you can imagine, after hearing all of these success stories and asking everyone who came in how they felt about the Goga, I have decided that I want to do it too. I'm not going to do it right away though because I want to go one solid month without interruption and see how it works out, and , since my September is jam packed with activities, I'm going to start on October 1. Plus, you get five free sessions so I will use those free sessions until I pay for a month, which, by the way, is $49.


The girl working there told us that a few people have obtained prescriptions from their doctor to come and so the insurance pays for their membership (I need to know the name of that doctor) and another lady's insurance company paid for her to obtain her own machine! That lady had rheumatoid arthritis and Goga is good for that as well as a plethora of other illnesses and issues with joints, muscles, etc.

Here are a list of the health benefits mentioned in the Goga brochure:
Muscle Strengthening
Accelerated Weight Loss
Firming and Toning
Improved Circulation
Improved Bone Density
Prevents Age Related Muscle Loss
Massage and Relaxation Benefits
Overall feeling of Well-Being
Reduced Effects of Stress
Increased Blood Flow
Improved Flexibility
Muscle Endurance
Greater Overall Agility

You can also purchase one of the machines. The large machine is around $1700 (if I remember correctly). I told Jackie we should just go in together and buy one. Actually, I think we should open our own franchise - anyone have $100K they want to lend us? 

If you would like to read up on Goga, you can visit the website here. I have no idea who came up with Goga or anything or the sort but am interested in finding out. Once October rolls around and I sign up for a month, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will track my progress and keep you all posted on all the gory details including any inches lost, etc. Until then, let me know if you stop by for a free session and what you think about it.

Alabama vs. Western Kentucky

This past Saturday, Jackie, the kids and I went down to Tuscaloosa for Alabama's game against Western Kentucky. Jackie's boss was kind enough to hook us up with tickets in the skybox so we were able to live it up in style.

Jackie and the kids got to my house a little bit before 9:30; and, after eating some sausage crescent rolls, we piled in the car and headed south. Both of the kids had been at a lock-in at church the night before so they were probably a little more tired than usual and both ended up sleeping some on the way down. We made a brief pit stop in Northport for Ashlyn and then headed on in to the campus. Jackie's boss also hooked us up with a parking pass which was such a blessing because I usually park at least a mile (not exaggerating) from the stadium and this spot was about 50 feet away from the stadium entrance. the closer we got to the parking lot the more people there were and I almost hit at least two, probably more, of them. Jackie had told me the parking pass was for Tutwiler and so that's where I headed. As it turns out, we were to park in a lot across the street from Tutwiler so we had to make a U-turn out of the Tutwiler lot and head on over to the correct one. We finally managed to get parked and I was thrilled at how little we would have to walk to get to the stadium.

After we brushed out hair, straightened our clothes and smiled for a few photos we were on our way. The first stop was the Kappa Alpha Theta house because no trip to Tuscaloosa is complete without me stopping by my home. We made a pit stop there and also picked up some beverages and Troy grabbed a banana. On our way to the Theta house, we passed a group of fraternity boys dressed in their traditional blue blazers and khaki pants who were walking towards the stadium with their dates. Troy made the comment, "There goes the popular squad". Y'all I thought I might die laughing. It was unprompted and so spot on. It was one of my favorite moments from the day.

We then went over to the Champions Walk (I think is what they call it) to see if the team had arrived. When we realized they had already made their way inside, we walked by the coaches' statutes and then made our way to the Quad. The weather wasn't too bad as it was overcast and there was a little breeze blowing. When we arrived at the Quad, however, the humidity and body heat from the masses set in and we all started sweating. It was not, however, as dreadful as it was when we went down for the Penn State game a couple of years ago and I thought I might die from heat stroke.

We watched the band warm up and play the fight song and some cheers on the steps of my former employer, the Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library and then we headed towards the stadium to claim our seats and let the sweat dry off. We made it to the skybox around 2:00 - kickoff was at 2:39 - and everyone settled in for some free food and drink. There was fried chicken, friend catfish, cheese dip and chips, Greek dip and pita chips, brownies and cookies, biscuits, deviled eggs, cheese, fruit and vegetables, and of course all the free ice cream a kid could ever hope for. I had a piece of catfish and a couple of hush-puppies to hold me over until halftime which is when the stadium dogs were scheduled to arrive. Troy, who apparently must be going through a growth spurt, ate from the moment we arrived until the moment we left and then when we got in the car to go home wanted to know where we were going for dinner.

The four of us sat in the back row of seats for the first half and Alabama was up 21-0 at halftime. Troy, who doesn't much care for sports was having a blast and wanted to know if Jackie could get the same seats for the next game. We told the kids, don't get used to it, this is a treat. The stadium dogs came at halftime and I enjoyed two. Oh, man how I love those stadium dogs. I wish I had one right now! Man, they are so good! Another lady asked Jackie if they could sit in our seats for the second half and she said yes. I stood up most of the third quarter and watched another game on TV. I wanted to stretch my legs for a while since I had been sitting most of the day and still had a lot of sitting to do on the way home. The fourth quarter we sat in some seats closer to the front of the skybox and actually decided to leave with about 8:00 left in the game so we could try to beat some of the traffic.

Getting out of that sweet parking lot was a lot easier than I expected and I contribute that to my superior driving skills (you can stop laughing now). I managed to maneuver us through the traffic and onto the highway in a matter of no time and soon we were out of Tuscaloosa with two sleeping kids in the backseat. We were back in Huntsville in about two and a half hours - I walked through my front door at exactly 8:00 p.m. The Tide was surprisingly calm which I think I can contribute to my kind neighbor Jeff. He was sweet enough to walk over and let her outside a couple of times while we were gone.

It was a really fun day and I'm so glad I got to experience Troy and Ashlyn's first game with them. A big thanks to Jackie's boss for hooking us up with the tickets and to Jackie for inviting me along for all the fun. Can't wait to do it again!