Voting Day

Tuesday my friend and I had breakfast and then went to vote. We went to my polling place first. It is in a church down the street from my house and the polling people were friendly and happy to engage in silliness with me. I like to be silly when I'm with my friend because we both enjoy it and have fun and meet interesting people. I was in and out in four minutes. From there we drove to another church where my friend's polling place was located. It was in a huge Catholic church in an area that I had not driven down before.

SueG:  "Two churches in one day is a record."
Me:  "I probably shouldn't stand too close to you in case you get struck."

As we hiked from the enormous parking lot to find the door to the voting machines, I passed by this shrub, or tree, or plant that was waist high and quite beautiful. I stopped to smell the flowers.

As I was talking about how beautiful the plant was and that I should take a picture, I noticed that the plant had bunches of berries growing on it as well as these little soy nut pieces. I had never seen anything like that. Plus, I've started playing Farmville 2 on my mobile device and all plants and berries remind me of farming and they catch my eye.

We continued around the corner and ran into a polling worker who was manning the door. She welcomed us and told us sternly to turn off our cell phones before we entered. We did so, decided to forget silliness with her, and continued on into the polling place which served four different precincts. These workers were not as chatty or happy-go-lucky as my place. While my friend signed in two different workers at the same table sitting elbow to elbow asked at different times if they could help me. I thought about asking where I could get a burger and fries. I mean really I had a I Voted sticker on my shirt and they saw me enter with my friend. But I smiled nicely and said I was with her and then I moseyed on over to a chair at the table where the stickers were sitting. That worker manning that desk was quite nice and she and I had a nice chat while my friend voted. I asked her about the bush outside and whether she thought the berries were safe for eating. She had no idea what I was talking about, but gave her opinion that perhaps I should't eat them, and then she handed me an application for becoming a poll worker.

My friend finished voting and we headed back out the door. We encountered the cell phone hater and I asked her about the bush and the berries. She replied that she had, "no idea." At that moment a gentleman coming to vote walked up.

Him: "What do you need to know? I know everything!"
Me: "I want to know if I can eat the berries that are growing on that beautiful tree, bush, or plant over there."
Him: "Absolutely!"
Me: "Really? Seriously?"
Him: "Of course you can eat them. They might kill you, but you can eat them!"
Me: "You should be voting at my polling place because you are too funny for this one."

And off he went to vote and off we went to get a Starbucks.