Crating, up early, standing in line, etc.
I. Cat-astrophy
“Baby got crated?” Ms. S. asked when inquiring as to why kitty A was acting so serene. This morning, too early for ‘breakfast,’ a certain cat went out of her way to annoy me; she got a temporary time-out in the cat carrier.
We anthropomorphize too much.
She will not ‘learn’ from this experience, etc. And disciplining a cat? Come on …
As for her serenity: the wicker-seated spare chair in the office has become her resting place today and she’s been particularly well behaved.
Thus: she’s plotting something.
II. Ballet of Ballots
Ms. S. and I decided yesterday that when she returned from her night shift we’d both just go out and vote early; then she could return home and sleep. And so I got up earlier than I have been recently (though it’s my traditional wake-up time …), got in an early workout, and got ready. Over to the mall that’s falling apart — our polling location — and in we hurried, only to be met with already lengthy lines. Ms. S. was not amused. She was cranky from being tired, had not intention of standing in line an hour or two to vote, and — based on her theater management experience — appalled by the disorganization. So we left, drove home, etc. After my breakfast I ended up going back to the mall on my own.
There at 9:40. I was leaving at 11:10. They had lines divided by last names, A-C, D-H, I-M, N-S and T-Z … and I-M was four times as long as D-H. Thus the ~80 minute wait. One of the employees at the apartment complex was standing right behind me, so we spent a good amount of that time chatting as we sluggishly shuffled forward. It was, however, a good opportunity to practice proper posture. Several people wished they’d worn more sensible shoes. I would have / should have brought a book or ebook reader.
Once we got to the end it was smooth sailing and the actual voting process was trouble-free.
III. The Offal Truth
I shopped a bit on the way home and found reasonably-priced beef liver to cook up for lunch or dinner some afternoon or evening.
Mmmm …
Liver and onions.
I’ve always loved the combination. When I was a kid we raised a few head of cattle, tended to sell half the calf and keep the other, and so we always had plenty of good cuts, including liver, which my mother made every couple of months on average. I grew up liking it and never found it strange until I discovered that nearly all my peers despised the organ meat. And now I’ve not had it in some time, though once a couple years ago at some generic buffet they served liver and onions, I had a slice, and while it was neither a travesty nor a revelation, it was quite edible.
I guess I’ll soak it a bit in lemon water, and then fry it briefly in butter, perhaps dredged first in flour. Definitely served with onions, possibly or probably also with mushrooms. How could I turn down the flavor combination of mushrooms and butter, onions and butter, and then liver …?
This evening, though, Ms. S. and I have some sort of (post-)election party to attend, hosted by our political and economic elders and superiors. I used to live in a very politically active town and during major elections there were a number of parties friends threw, but I was never one for attending. Sometimes I’d stay home and watch the results on my own (see: 2008); other times I’d just check in periodically online or even the next day. Regardless of when I checked, the results would be the same.
We’re not talking about ‘Schrödinger’s ballot.’ (see also: poodle cat)
