In an effort to find some sort of motivation to actually go and vote next week (it will take a substantial effort, as I have to overcome both apathy and the anxiety of walking into and finding my way around a new polling place I’m not familiar with; I hate being a newbie), I was perusing the candidates for office where I live. It was rather depressing (though unsurprising) to see that many people are running unopposed. But then I got excited to see that one woman was running for town councillor (or something) on the Communist Party line! Well, shit, if I can help put a commie in office, that’s motivation enough for me. Sadly, upon further review, it turned out she was on the “Community Party” line. Oh, lysdexia, how can you be so cruel?

Some good news, though. One of the questions they put to candidates running for a judgeship was “would you preside over a gay marriage ceremony if asked?” There wasn’t one candidate who said, “no.” Most said the law’s the law, and they weren’t about to pick and choose the ones they’d follow. A couple of them said they were looking forward to it – and that marrying people was a lot more fun than putting them in prison (one might argue that that’s a rather fuzzy distinction). And a few “conservatives” said the law didn’t require them to perform any marriages, and, since they had better shit to do on weekends, they weren’t gonna perform marriages of any kind – gay, straight, or, um, whatever alternatives there are to gay and straight. I took these to be weasel words, so they won’t get my vote. If I vote. Still undecided on the whole thing.

I seem to have developed a new foot-related malady (who knew the feet would be the first to go – assuming you don’t count the knees, shoulders, and back). For the past couple of days, I’ve had a sore toe on my left foot. The “index” toe – if there is such a thing. Which makes wonder why they call your index finger the index finger. Is it the one they use when they index you? Or is it because it’s the one you use when you “thumb through” the index of a book? Which of course makes you wonder why they say “thumb through” a book. I don’t know about you, but I don’t use my thumb. Seems like using your thumb to turn pages would be kind of awkward. Except maybe to grab a stack of pages and use your thumb to regulate the “flow” rate. Like, say, using a flip book.

But anyway, the damn toe is sore for no apparent reason, but now the achilles tendon on my right foot hurts like hell. Again, no apparent reason for that. So I’m kind of walking around like Mr. Tudball.

Ah, the Golden Years. Gotta love ’em.