It’s November the 4rth

Today marks the fourth month since my beloved’s last out.

I voted yesterday for the first time in 12 years without The Amazing Bob. Yes, we were together 30 years but he didn’t vote in the first 18 years of our union. Why not? After Nixon won that second time around, TAB was one very disappointed, disheartened Viet Nam vet.

In 2004 I begged him to step up to the voting plate, have a little hope and vote with me. King George II, Shrub, was running for a second go ‘round of destroying America. Sadly, tragically, Dumbo won again BUT my man TAB was now back in the voting ranks for good.

Voting together was a fun thing. We’d drive over to St Thomas Aquinas Hall, the local school’s gymnasium and stroll in, holding hands all the while. We’d check in, get our ballots, color in all the appropriate ovals, check out with the lovely white haired poll workers and submit our votes. With TAB, it all felt so majestic and special. Afterward, we’d saunter over to the always present bake sale table. There'd be tasty cookies and brownies made by the kiddles (or their parents) being sold in support of new band uniforms or some such. We’d load up, knowing that between casting our vote and supporting the wee ones (by purchasing COOKIES) we’d done good.

Then, hand in hand, we’d head back to the car and home. Valhalla.

Why else did I vote early? Ya know, besides not wanting to weepingly wander through the Hall, reminded at every turn of TAB’s absence?

Well, because:
A) I could
B) I’m actually nervous about crazy, gunned-up Trump supporters:

Neo-Nazi leader Andrew Anglin plans to muster thousands of poll watchers across all 50 states. His partners at the alt-right website “the Right Stuff” are touting plans to set up hidden cameras at polling places (Ed. note: cameras and video equipment at the polls is illegal in most states. Just FYI and shit) Philadelphia and hand out liquor and marijuana in the city’s “ghetto” on Election Day to induce residents to stay home. The National Socialist Movement, various factions of the Ku Klux Klan and the white nationalist American Freedom Party all are deploying members to watch polls, either “informally” or, they say, through the Trump campaign.

The Oath Keepers, a group of former law enforcement and military members that often shows up in public heavily armed, is advising members to go undercover and conduct “intelligence-gathering” at polling places, and Donald Trump ally Roger Stone is  a candidate or political partyorganizing his own exit polling, aiming to monitor thousands of precincts across the country. (source) (emphases mine)

I only mention it BUT if someone's willing to take booze and weed as a payoff for not voting, don'cha think there might be the tiniest of chances that this person wasn't going to vote anyway? Or, possibly, they're gonna take your bribe and then go out and vote anyway. These neo-nazi dipshits are so full of Trump inflated idiocy and prejudice that they're, to be generous, not quite logically thinking through their plan.

A poll watcher, by the by, is a person whose job is to observe the election day procedures within a precinct. Poll managers determine where the watchers, who are not allowed to interfere with voting doin’s, are to stand. Since all they’re permitted to do is witness the happenings, they’ve got NO authority, all they can do is report whether anyone’s been turned away – not allowed to vote.

Trump’s Klan’s intentions seem obvs to me – bullying intimidation.

As it is, in order to get into the Hall, I’ve had to run a gauntlet of signing toting fools.

Massachusetts law prohibits these folk from coming within 150 feet of the joint

…no person shall solicit votes for or against, or otherwise promote or oppose, any person or political party or position on a ballot question, to be voted on at the current election. No campaign material intended to influence the vote of a voter in the ongoing election, including campaign literature, buttons, signs, and ballot stickers, may be posted, exhibited, circulated, or distributed in the polling place, in the building where it is located, on the building walls, on the premises where the building stands, or within 150 feet of an entrance door to the building. ( 950 CMR 53.03(18); 54.04.22))

TAB would be so proud of me.

 150 feet is either not as big as I imagine OR these folk are really pushing it. This is very blue Massachusetts – it’s not the Dems blocking the sidewalk.

While I’ve never had a big prob with the Republican/Tea Party yahoos before (with TAB by my side, I ignored and pushed past them), I just didn’t feel like dealing with the extra hassle this time. I feel delicate/fragile right now. Of course I do. Historically when I'm feeling vulnerable and am challenged, I’m ultra quick to the mean, nasty, usually creative obscene takedown. Might be amusing to observers but I always feel guilty for my lapsed diplomacy.

Yeah guilt – my superpower. I’d feel bad for verbally eviscerating one of these bullies. OK – truth – no, I wouldn’t BUT I’ve voted early nonetheless.

Yea me.