Poverty Is Not an Accident

Poverty Is Not an Accident
Nelson Mandela

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

can I vote today?

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

I've gotten no propoganda. I haven't received a sample ballot. Candidates haven't sent me stuff.

I just surfed around and found out where I vote over here.

I have the voter registration receipt they sent me. I'll have to remember to take that. I really doubt I'm eligible to vote today. Not through any fault of my own, mind you, but there seems to be a problem, if I've received NO voting information!

It's pretty strange.

It's getting on day light out there. I didn't shower yesterday; I was too weak. So I must do that soon.

My little yard looks quite nice, thank you. I managed to pick up the clutter out in the "empty" lot before dark last night.

I have at least 4 loads of laundry to finish, before I can use the space in which I'm storing the laundry baskets.

My work out there actually made the yard wider, somehow. There are mats on the ground, in front of my 8 foot-long table. When food's prepared, that table top will be empty, to process foods for cooking, for making salads, etc.

Now, I need to find another refrigerator.

The cats love having the lawn furniture inside the small yard. It's shady there, and very close to their window and the front door. The lawn chairs all have pads on them, which makes them quite comfy. I went out there, yesterday afternoon, and found cats on all 3 chairs and Mugwart on the table.

I can't believe I got so much done, all in one day.

I know my washing machine will be a lot happier, standing on a level surface. And I'll be a lot happier, too. I won't have to constantly check the washer, to make sure everything's loaded perfectly evenly, or to hang onto the washer so it won't shut itself off while spinning. That was bad! I finally gave up on spinning some of my heavier towels, for instance. They'd get so saturated, they were very heavy. There was no way to spin a load if a big towel was in it. So, towels got hung up, dripping wet, to dry. That made them stiff and scratchy, since I couldn't get all the soap out of them.

I have about 3 blankets, some sheets, and a good collection of clothing to wash still. If I do a load or two every day, I should have them done and put up before Sunday.

Now, I'll need to clean up the kitchen. We will need my stove. And we'll need the sink to wash dishes, until I build an outdoor sink. I have an ice chest, with a drain spigot on the bottom, which could be an outdoor sink. It wouldn't hurt. We'd have to pour hot water into five gallon buckets and haul it out there for now, until I can buy an adaptor for my shower, to which we could attach a garden hose.

I'd prefer that, anyway. I hate sneaking out front to attach my hose to the faucet where my "neighbors" can see me. That freakish cow in the basement used to turn off the spigot, while I was laundering, and disconnect the hose. She's nasty and I want no contact with her. They're all nasty. They throw trash, scream, etc., all the time. And Raoul's criminal buddies were urinating outside my kitchen window. I planted stuff in the flower bed out there. I'm constantly picking litter out of it. Filthy people.

So, some of the middle class FNB kids will turn their noses up at my little yard, no matter what I do. They won't like working outside, even in the shade. I'm sure they'll be critical.

But it's a good space. We can do a lot out there. And the compost can go directly into my garden.

I'm feeling pretty good about what I got done.

Now, if I can just VOTE today!

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