Dos and Don'ts for Goodwill

I called Goodwill on Saginaw to see if they accept donations, and if so, what the drop-off hours were. I also asked if there was anything I couldn't donate. The response was "No knives, guns or tires." Knives and guns on the face I can understand. I can also understand tires when I think about it for a minute. But what an odd combination. And how about, "No drug paraphrenalia," or "No medications." Just an odd happening today.

Oh, the People-Watching

I worked the late shift at a charity poker tournament tonight. Not surprisingly, the people get more strange as the night wears on. This was no exception. A. and I were diligently selling and redeeming chips, when one person in particular came up to the counter. I had remarked earlier that I thought he was a bit creepy. Here's the conversation that ensued:
DG: How many kids you got?
Me: (no response...I was counting and logging, and didn't realize he was speaking to me)
DG: I said how many kids you got?
Me: I'm sorry...did you mean me?
DG: Yeah, how many kids you got?
Me: Eight. (dead-pan, by the way)
DG: (staring, shocked, for a few minutes) How many?
Me: (no response, aside from a gentle shrug)
DG: No, you don't got no kids!
Me: You're right, I don't.

A. looked at me - "Did that just happen?" Yep, it did. And yes, DG is code for Drunk Guy. I'm looking forward to working some more on Saturday...

I Wonder...

...will it be 150 years before we elect a gay person as president? How can we cheer that we've "come so far" by voting for a non-white man, yet seemingly be okay with the fact that we, as a society, continue to target other groups? The country wasn't ready to acknowledge blacks... and then women... then Japanese... now it's fighting against gays. When will we realize that we're doing the same damn thing over and over and continuing to bully groups of people we perceive as different? We think we've come so far, but have we really? Shouldn't actual change be seen in the fundamental way we treat people as a general rule? If so, we haven't learned a whole lot since the Emancipation Proclamation.

Very Cautiously Optimistic...

Or should I say realistic? I cast my vote earlier today. I've been anti-McCain for some time, and at times pro-Obama, but not entirely. I had flashes of Libertarianism throughout (particularly during / after the vice presidential debate). But I voted for the person I thought would do a better job; I voted for the one I thought would have more of a chance to build consensus and work to repair the horrific legacy they are being given. I sat watching returns tonight with Angela, Runs With Spatula and Corky (and the dog), and while I know Obama is the projected winner / winner, I couldn't help but feel a bit sad seeing the students at Spelman, the footage from Harlem, and the gathering in Chicago. I see so much hope and expectation, and such elation, which is overwhelming and pulls my heart strings in a way I can barely articulate. But I can't help but think that noone's life is going to change as drastically and dramatically as they may think in the timeframe that they would like. And it concerns me...

And on a ridiculous sidenote, I wonder how long before spell check recognizes "Obama."

The Big Vote

The great election is almost over in terms of polling times, at least in the Eastern Time Zone. I apparently had some visitors this weekend while I was in the Detroit area. Howard Pizzo stopped by - he's running for treasurer of the great township o' Delta. He left a brochure attached to my door knob. It's one of the few I actually read - it didn't bash his opponent, and spelled out his education and relevant work experience. What a concept! And someone from the RNC stopped by and dropped off brochures for Mark Walberg and McCain / Palin. They left them on my doormat, and I didn't bother to pick them up. There was certain satisfaction from stepping all over them for the last two days. However, when I returned home this evening, they were gone. And I was a little sad.

So, of course I must have a gripe about the election. Maybe not the election so much as people's response to the election. I read several articles online (LSJ, CNN, TPC, Freep, etc...), and so many people commented that they were excited to vote, as they voted every four years. When I got my ballot this morning, I was number 220. At 8:30 in the morning. I remember past non-presidential elections where the voter turnout seemed low. So, I checked the archives for Eaton County for the last election in May, for the Grand Ledge School Board. A whopping 128 people voted in the election from my precinct. A whole 8.96%. And I was not one of them. And neither were 91.04% of the rest of the registered voters in my precinct. And I think that's a horrible shame. Because to think about it, the local elections are very impactful - what's more important if you have kids than how they are educated (hence, school board elections)? Or, if you pay property taxes, how about those special elections containing millage and bond proposals? People like to complain about income taxes, but how about property taxes? How is it that the president has such a greater impact on my life than my locally-elected officials? I make it out for the big elections, and for some of the smaller ones, too. Now, my resolve is to vote in every election, regardless of how I think it it impacts me (or doesn't, being that I don't have kids or a home). And I resolve that I will research before voting. My voice still matters, and apparently it matters a lot when there's not a presidential election. And your voice matters, too. So, to all my friends who Baracked the Vote today, I'm expecting to see "I Voted" stickers on you after the NEXT election, too.

Ahhh...the Dakota Inn Rathskellar!

I've enjoyed the Dakota Inn before, and Saturday was no exception. It is a wonderful German bar / restaurant in the old German section of Detroit. The Dakota is located on John R, just north of 6 Mile...not such a nice area, but such a wonderful place visit. Danielle, Frank and I arrived at 5, a little while before her dad and step-mom. We were quickly seated and ordered the Cheese & Sausage board, which is simply gouda, summer sausage and pretzels. It sounds a bit boring, but it's fantastic - the cheese melts in your mouth, and the summer sausage is spiced just right. Add a few German beers and we were off to a great meal! Danielle and I are borderline obsessed with the potato pancakes - they seem like they are made of both mashed and shredded potatoes, and fried to perfection. I ordered a side of red kraut. This sounded funny to me the first time I had it, but it's fantastic - it's a sweeter version of traditional sauerkraut, and paired with the potato pancakes and a dollop of sour cream, you have heaven on a fork. We overate to be sure, but the food is just so good - I think there's much to be said for simplicity in comfort food.

I Found a Kindred Spirit!

At work a couple of weeks ago, we were answering questions from the "Would You Rather" page-a-day calendar. One referenced rickets, so we got into a discussion about vitamin deficiencies. This quickly led to a few Google Images searches for rickets, scabies and scurvy. This is one of the images I found regarding scurvy:I had to click on the link, and found this blog by Mandy in Bowling Green, KY. Some of her posts remind me so much of me and my friends (Mandy's scurvy post and blogging about random sights around town); others couldn't seem more foreign to me (strong belief in god and Christianity). It's interesting, really. I think the level our strengths in what we believe are similar, but we've obviously come to very different conclusions. Anyway, it's a blog I'm sure I'll be reading from time to time!