Miscellaneous: The Good, The Weird, The Charming

/ Ally Bean

[I’m using the Block Editor for this post attempting to learn its features. Today I am putting images in the middle of my copy. *fingers crossed*]

THE GOOD: our absentee ballots came in the mail last week and we immediately voted. At home. With no lines or cranky poll workers to harsh my mellow. It was wonderful and calm.

Then we put double the required postage on the envelopes holding our ballots, drove to the post office and mailed them– like the good, moral, and conscientious American citizens that we are.

HAVE YOU VOTED YET?

~ ~ • ~ ~

THE WEIRD: a well dressed woman without a mask on came to our front door and rang the doorbell. I didn’t know her from Adam Eve, so I shouted to her through the door sidelights to back up and I’d open the door. She would not do so instead continuing to ring the bell, then using the knocker, and finally pounding with her fist on our front door.

I yelled “NO” to her, at which point she used the phone function on her Apple watch to call to someone named Ellen. I could hear the conversation through the door. She accused Ellen of not answering her door; eventually Ellen convinced this wacko woman that she was at the wrong house. The woman looked in at me and laughed, offered no apology, then went on her way.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?

~ ~ • ~ ~

THE CHARMING: out for a walk in our neighborhood I walked by a house where Little Sister, age 5, was playing by herself in the front yard. Her two older brothers, ages 7 & 9, were playing together in the driveway, loudly, competitively, locked in a battle for a ball.

Little Sister skipped over to see me as I walked by. I said “Hi! to which she replied, “I’m playing. I love me.” Then she skipped back up toward the house, about as happy and self-assured as a person could be.

NOW ISN’T THAT DELIGHTFUL?

~ ~ • ~ ~

168 thoughts on “Miscellaneous: The Good, The Weird, The Charming”

  1. You have to put postage on your ballot? Our ballot came with a postage paid envelope although we are thinking of dropping it off at a county ballot drop box. My vote will make the difference. I can feel it! I want to get off the crazy train.

    Liked by 5 people

    • Dorothy, that’s encouraging. I know I can learn it, just not sure why it exists.

      This is the only place I’ve ever lived where the poll workers are consistently surly. Once in a while there’s a nice one, but usually they glare at me like I’m an alien. Which, maybe to them, I am. Not being from here and all.

      Liked by 2 people

      • I think the workers at WordPress were really bored during covid and spent a lot of time complicating things. What was easy to use previously is now a hunt-and-find game that is so unnecessary! After hunting and finding, you need more clicks to do what you wanted to do, and so far I have not found a single advantage in this format. I still can’t find the spell check, and I’m annoyed that was can’t see the featured image while writing. Grouping and editing images is more complicated, and everything is just cumbersome. Not what I would call improvements! But, eventually, we’ll adapt!

        Liked by 3 people

        • Dorothy, you’re the second person to say that very thing! It does seem suspicious that a perfectly good editing system has been trashed during a period of time when we all are doing less. Perhaps whoever created it was bored?

          I agree with you; I’ve not found a single advantage to the blockhead system. Cumbersome is the perfect description. And during this long tedious year, learning the new system seems like work, work, work.

          Liked by 3 people

  5. I voted.
    Our sitting/standing/shouting/boorish president did NOT get my vote.

    What’s charming in a 5 year old is NOT charming in a 74 year old who obviously loves himself a bit too much . . . in a completely delusional and out-of-touch-with-reality sort of way. 😀

    Liked by 6 people

    • Nancy, good for you to have voted already. I, too, did not vote for the incumbent choosing instead to go with an adult. Why? Because I like responsible empathetic people better than delusional selfish ones.

      Liked by 4 people

    • Jill, until we moved here I’d always encountered friendly poll workers. It was a surprise the first time I voted here and found some unpleasant people between me and my right to vote. I don’t know what the deal is with them…

      Like

    • Marian, thank you for telling me that. I was hoping I’d sized the images correctly and that they’d be lined up.

      Interesting about the paid postage. At least, if nothing else, by putting a stamp or two on our envelopes we helped the USPS in the process of our voting.

      That woman at the door was bonkers, and not in a good way. Have you ever?

      Liked by 2 people

  8. You’re doing good on Block Editor Ally Bean! I started drafting a post yesterday and blow me down with a feather somehow a couple of photos were positioned NEXT to each other. (I wish I knew how I did this, it was a fluke). Still a bit to do on it and now that my son is back from being away for 3 weeks, I’ll ask his help to help me finish it, tomorrow. I dig that Venn diagram .. it says much! And that little 5 year old, too dear for speech.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Susan, thanks for your encouragement. I’m trying to learn the block editor bit by bit. I can still access the classic editor so I’m easing myself into the new system. Still don’t understand why WP made posting so difficult, but there you go. Here we are.

      I’ve no source for the Venn diagram which bugs me. I like to give credit, but once I saw it floating around social media I knew I had to use it here.

      Little Sister made my day. Pure joy, no reservations– unlike her noisy brothers nearby.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Love this post! Congratulations on your Block editor triumph. You’re way ahead of me. My ballot has not arrived, but should be here by the end of the week and I will fill it out and drop it off. Colorado has blessedly had an all-mail system for years – AARP called us the “gold standard”. I used to be a poll worker and it was fun, but such a long hard day to get through. I don’t miss it.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Eilene, thank you! I’ll admit that I’m tickled that I was able to get these three images sized and placed in the post. How I did it, I’d be hard-pressed to explain, BUT I DID IT… this time.

      It sounds like CO has it going on. I didn’t know you were the gold standard, but in contrast I’d say OH is the rust standard. We have a long way to go. Until I lived here I’d always encountered pleasant poll workers, but for some reason the ones around here like to scowl. I’m quite happy to mail in my ballot because of it.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. First off, I sure hope potential voters follow your lead both in voting & who they vote for. I fear another 4 years of the current administration will be the absolute demise of our neighbours to the south.🥴

    What is with that woman at the door? Holy moly, maybe she caught wind you voted for Biden & was sent out to rattle you by the bulky that currently sits in the Whitehouse. Refer to first point.😂

    Lastly, we could all learn a valuable lesson from that sweet little girl. Loving ourselves can be tough for some but if we could all just give ourselves a wee bit of self love each day, I suspect we might all feel a little better.💕

    Liked by 2 people

  11. I mailed my ballot yesterday (no postage required). Voted straight Dem and hoping it matters. I signed up for the ballot tracker, so i should know when they have it. May we please be rid of that hideous narcissist and flip the Senate too!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Paula, I’ve never voted a straight ticket before, but this year it was a no brainer to do so. A first for everything, I guess. I figure all we can do now is wait to see exactly how dissatisfied Americans are with the Narcissist in Chief.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Donna, thank you. I fussed around with this post yesterday, then decided to hit publish even with my misgivings. Apparently I now know how to do this. The diagram is oddly perfect, as was Little Sister and her joy. Ever onward go I.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Kudos Ally Bean, on the whole block editor thing. I continue to refuse. Our ballots come in a few days and I have planned out my entire ballot to NOT include anyone or anything even remotely connected with Trump or a republican. I remember long ago a willingness to slightly consider candidates from the other side, thinking myself more an independent voter. That will likely never happen again in what’s left of my lifetime.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Deb, you and me both. I’ve always researched each candidate focusing on character, indifferent to party affiliation. Not this year. I will not vote for anyone in a party that supports tRump. As my polite late mother would have said, he is not a quality person. 😒

      Liked by 3 people

  14. I feel claustrophobic looking at that Venn diagram… but I must say the movie Brazil is one of my all time favourites!

    I might be able to help with the linking in an image – in my last post, using “classic blockhead” I added the photo of Radioactive man, along with a caption. Then I edited that caption and inserted a link to the word “source” in the caption. As for being able to click on the image and navigating directly to the source? That must be blockhead 201.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Maggie, ah ha! I see what you did there. Clever. I usually create a link to the source under the image so that a reader may click on the image and be taken to the source. But your way would work nicely.

      [I only wish I knew who made this Venn diagram to give him or her credit. But I don’t.]

      Like

    • pam, voting is good. Yay you!

      I’ve no idea who Ellen is but I agree with you. The woman pounding on the door scared me, truth be told. I wondered if she was mentally disturbed or drugged– or, as it turned out, not too bright.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Look at you, facing your fears and making a ‘block editor’ post happen. You will catch on and it will be second nature in a hot minute.
    We will vote in person, which I’ve never had an issue with, but it doesn’t matter to me when/how anyone votes as long as they do. Right?
    I love that sweet girl and her self loving-self.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Suz, I love that phrase “in a hot minute.” I haven’t heard that in years. Who’d of thunk that it’d take the block editor to bring the phrase back into my life!

      Agreed. Just vote, for the candidates of your choice, in a way that pleases you. In the end that’s all I ask.

      Little Sister made my day, my week actually. To see someone that carefree and confident was uplifting.

      Like

  17. The woman at the door? How nuts. Not even a ‘sorry, wrong house’ – what IS wrong with people? I love Little Sister. So funny. Mini and I had a hilarious conversation with a little boy who was out playing in his yard when we went for a walk during the lock-down. He wanted us to know his dog’s name and that his brother just learned to ride a bike, etc. He didn’t tell us that he loved himself, but he was pretty dang confident and friendly. So cute.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Ernie, I’ve no explanation of the wacko woman at the door. She kind of unnerved me with her ringing and pounding. Then to find out she was in the wrong and not apologize to me seemed rude. It’s a wonder she has any friends.

      Your neighbor little boy needs to meet Little Sister. They sound like a match made in heaven. Kids like that give me hope for the future. How could they not?

      Like

  18. Our ballots arrived and will be filled out today. And while I’m comfortable with absentee voting, I do worry about those who squawk it’s a fraudulent election if all the votes aren’t in on election night.
    As for the Ellen seeker, I have no answer other than people be crazy.

    Liked by 3 people

  19. I love your graphics (esp the Venn diagram) and they are positioned right where you wanted them. The block editor is a royal pain and I resort to using the “classic block” option within it if all else fails.
    I also have that magnet on my refrigerator :). My Question of the Year has consistently been “What is WRONG with people?” – every day brings one more rung in the ridiculous/bizarre/other-worldly ladder of craziness that continues to explode around me. That woman at your door is a perfect example. I can’t wait for the election and will be voting in person, holding my breath & wearing a double mask if necessary. I have to believe change is coming. That’s what I hold on to.

    Liked by 3 people

    • oneletterup, I’m glad that you’re seeing the images where I wanted them to go. It’s odd for me to have been blogging for so long, and now back to being a newbie. Still, I’m getting there with the blockhead editor.

      I like your fridge magnet. It is THE question that goes through my mind daily. I like a little absurdity but every day this year we’ve devolved into craziness and hatred and pointlessness. And, like you mention, it all seems explosive. Me not like.

      Stay safe while you vote. If we want anything good to come from this election we all have to make the effort to remain sane and vote. Change for the better is my hope, too.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Ours didn’t include postage either but we do have a drop off ballot box option at our in-person early voting polling place that begins next week in case we don’t trust the post office. I guess it’s a toss up at this point. We are going to go see how long the lines are next week and weigh our options at that point. Do you have a moment of, “is this really our country” or is that just me? It feels surreal every single day.

    I would say “I can’t believe that stupid woman” but then I can believe it. I see so much stupidity regularly. We all do. But I do wonder how the stupid people don’t know that they are indeed stupid.

    That sweet little girl. Stay like you are, sweet child.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Kari, we have one drop off ballot box per county. Ours is in a small town nowhere near to where we live, so we decided to use the USPS. I agree that every day seems more surreal than the previous one. It’s tiring for those of us who are sane.

      The wacko woman at the door was a first. She could see me, so she had to know I wasn’t Ellen, but she kept on making noise. Like I was holding Ellen hostage inside the house, I guess. Or she was just stupid.

      Little Sister was a nice contrast to the rest of my life. I hope she never loses her sense of joy.

      Liked by 1 person

  23. I don’t have my ballot yet, but will vote as soon as I get it, then put it in a drop box at my local library. I’m also Ridin’ with Biden. People can be so weird and manners seem to have gone by the wayside. I love the openness and innocence of children. It is indeed charming and a balm to the soul.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Margaret, we were happy to see our ballots and couldn’t wait to vote. I’m done listening to all sides of the issue, my vote is cast. I don’t know what to make of the wacko woman at the door. It’s not like it’s a normal thing to have someone pounding on the front door. And I’m all about normal at this point. The little girl was a delight. She made my day a little better.

      Like

  24. I have the ballot, but we’re having an issue with fake GOP drop boxes in the state. Shocker, I know. There’s also the worry that mail-in ballots might be counted later, leading some to declare a GOP victory early.

    I’ll probably put on my mask and walk across the street to the school where I always vote.

    Liked by 2 people

    • AutumnAshbough, I’ve read about the fake drop boxes. That is awful– and desperate. Mail-in ballots are legitimate, of course. And if people have to wait a few days for the final count so be it. Our polling place isn’t too far away but I don’t have the patience to deal with all that will unfold there. This is a very conservative area and I can guess there’ll be lots of yahoos with guns & flags hanging around, trying to look tough. Not in the mood for that crap.

      Liked by 1 person

  25. Well done with the pictures! We’ve got our absentee ballots and will be dropping them off at the ballot box at the town hall tomorrow. Ridin’ with Biden here, too.

    Unbelievable how rude that weird woman at your door was! I have no idea what is wrong with some people, but there sure are a lot of them!

    Little Sister sounds delightful indeed. My granddaughter was five when I last saw her, and I wistfully watched her turn six on a video-chat. I miss those little bits of wisdom she comes out with. Hoping I get to see her in person before she turns seven.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Barbara, I’m pleased that I got the pictures to show up where I wanted them to be. A small victory.

      I liked voting absentee this time. Less hassle works for me. Am hoping that the whole country will be Ridin’ with Biden, but I know better. Still…

      The woman at the door was a strange experience. I don’t know where she was supposed to be, but not here. Ever.

      I hope you get to see your granddaughter in person before she turns 7. Girls at that age have it going on, no doubts about themselves at all. Very refreshing

      Liked by 1 person

    • L. Marie, the new blockhead editor is labor intensive; that’s my take on it. Instead of writing quickly, editing, then hitting publish there are obstacles along the path. I can get used to them, but I don’t see how I’ll ever be able to write quickly with it.

      Yay for voting. 🇺🇸

      Like

  27. Congrats Ally! Your pictures are great! I know you’ll figure out the link thing. It’s there because I’ve used it. I do agree they could have made things easier. We got our ballots the other day and are going to fill them out and then I’ll drop them in the box at City Hall. It is close so no big deal. Thinking as positively as I can.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Janet, next time I use the block editor to write a post, I’ll try the link thingie. Like LA suggested, I’m learning one feature with each post thereby not stressing myself.

      Our ballot drop box is a good 45 minute drive [each way] away from us so we used the USPS. Am hoping our ballots get to where they need to be and that they help the good guy win!

      Liked by 1 person

  28. Have the ballot, voting and delivery to City Hall is on my this week list. Ellen’s friend should be more aware in this day and age about that much pounding on a door. 🙂 Bless the little girl and may she have great success in life. 👏🏻 for using the Blockhead. I’m still using Classic until I can’t. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Judy, there’s a certain victory in getting a ballot even before you vote. I don’t know what was that woman’s problem, but I am not Ellen as my face should have proven– not to mention our street address. The little girl was a refreshing moment in time.

      I’m learning the block editor one feature at a time. I’m using it for every other post until I feel comfortable with it. Still prefer the Classic Editor though. Always will.

      Like

  29. Too bad Ms. Brash and Bossy couldn’t meet that little girl and compare herself. I think, IF B&B could grasp the concept of that little girl’s self-love, she might possible be ashamed of her own ugly ways. But maybe not. Entitled and stupid is the standard of the day (sadly). Our mail-in ballots are due in the mail today. With the mail service in my tiny town, I’m not holding out hope that it’ll get here in a timely manner. If it doesn’t, I’ll don a mask and head to an early in-person vote and then hope that doesn’t get lost too (we have dim wits for Postal Workers up here). I LOVED that meme about “here’s you”. Ain’t that the terrifying awful truth though?

    Liked by 2 people

    • Melanie, you’ve a good idea about the wacko woman meeting/learning from Little Sister. You said it with: Entitled and stupid is the standard of the day (sadly).

      Our post office here has improved dramatically over the years. As the community has grown it has upped its game so I have faith our ballots will get to the right place. Hope yours does, too.

      And yes, that Venn diagram says it all. I don’t know that I’ve felt so surrounded by craziness and chaos in a long time. Everywhere I turn there is something or someone that doesn’t make sense.

      Liked by 1 person

  30. I think that intersection of all the circles in the Venn diagram should be labeled “2020”. I have not voted yet. We asked for mail-in ballots, then left for a trip to visit our Colorado son and his family. By the time we get home, it will be too late to mail them in, so I will have to take our ballots to the one drop box in our county. I live in a swing state. I am not taking any chances with my vote not getting counted!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Laurie, you’re right. The Venn diagram is 2020. Hadn’t thought of that. Wish I knew who made it so I could give credit where it’s due.

      We only have one drop box in our county, too. I’m learning that in some states there are multiple ones. It’s good of you to be conscientious with your vote. I want everyone’s vote counted, then I never want to hear about this election again.

      Like

  31. Other than the Republicans installing fake ballot boxes (how is this not punishable by prison?) here-and-there, I am happy to live in a state that actually makes it easy to vote. Not only did we all receive mail-in ballots, they don’t require postage and there are many, many places to drop them off, including most, if not all, libraries. What does it say about a political party that knows its only chance of winning is gerrymandering and voter suppression? Hubby and I dropped our ballots off yesterday and will be crossing our fingers until every last ballot is counted.

    Good job adding those pictures! Once you know what to do, it really isn’t that hard,

    Liked by 3 people

    • Janis, you ask a good question about the fake ballot boxes. Sending anyone who did that to prison works for me. Voting in Ohio is tricky. If you choose not to wait in lines to vote in person, you have to request absentee ballots using official forms, then wait until the magic day when the ballots are sent out.

      After that if you can get to the one drop off box per county, great. If not, you mail in your ballot. There has to be a better more reliable way to handle voting.

      Yes, now that I know how to get my images plopped down into my post, I’m good to go. Next up will be adding links and figuring out how to add color to my text. I do like to make things pretty.

      Liked by 1 person

  32. I’m skipping all the comments because I’m avoiding as much politics as possible. Suffice it to say that a) you seem to have done fine with the evil editor, b) we also have absentee ballots and may drop them off at the post office or even at wherever the voting is held, and c) yeah, avoiding any political statements or comments. Love ya and glad you’re getting a handle on this WP thing. 🙂

    janet

    Liked by 2 people

  33. We were supposed to get our ballots 30 days before election day – and then our county decided at the last moment to ‘outsource’ distribution of already applied for absentee/mail in ballots…when we called about not recieving them, we were told to call again if we hadn’t gotten them by the ***last*** week in October…So we figured, we better plan on going on election day in person regardless of the risks. GRRRR
    Anyway, I mention this because even in my small corner of the world, efforts at hindering voters from voting is strong. (I’d dare say it’s ‘systemic’ in this part of the country for all segments of its population) 😦
    AND I mention this in order to announce we just got our ballots in today’s mail! Yay! Late? Yes, but we will be hand delivering them to the polling center tomorrow. That has always been the plan – make sure they get to where they need to be.

    Liked by 2 people

  34. That little girl’s game was so cute, the weird woman was…well, weird!

    I vote by absentee ballet but I took my to city hall. The woman before me took a photo of herself dropping it in the box and I wondered if she was a blogger or just wanted proof that she mailed it. Here, we can track our ballets on line, Now that is pretty cool.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Jean R, Little Sister, whose real name is Rachel but I call her LS, made my day. Especially after the wacko woman pounding on our door. That was odd…

      After we mailed our completed ballots I thought of taking a photo of them. Not before, so *duh* on me. Some other commenters have mentioned that they have the ability to track their ballots online. That is cool, but to my knowledge not available in this state.

      Like

    • Joni, thank you. You’ve nailed exactly what I was trying to do with this post. When I saw that Venn diagram with the movies/books, I knew it was the truth. Not thrilled that it’s the truth, mind you. Welcome to the world, indeed. 😳

      Liked by 1 person

  36. You appear to have the blockhead system cracked Ms Bean! And I agree, it does seem like there are more clicks to -erm – click in order to get where one click got before. Maybe – one day – we’ll find out why WPress (and Wix) both felt it necessary to enforce change on their blogs.

    Fabulous Venn Diagram btw & delightful young lady. As much as you attract the weird, you do exceptionally well in attracting the utterly lovely too 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Deb, thank you. I’m learning one feature a week, instead of overwhelming myself with techie-ness. Normally I’d have jumped in but this year I’m too tired, in general, to enjoy learning new [unwanted] things.

      Good point about the balance between the wacko woman and Little Sister. Both were interesting, one being better than the other. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      • I thought of you this morning when I uncovered a problem with my professional Wix site hosted. It took A LOT of backing and forthing before I was finally able to solve the small problem I’d encountered. I cannot say I’m thrilled at the prospect of having to make any major changes to the site in the future. Clearly I will have to try your system of learning one feature at a time in order to prepare myself. As still in the middle of learning how to use Scrivener, it may be a while …

        Liked by 1 person

        • I’ve never tried Scrivener so good on you for learning it. The biggest thing I’m finding with the blockhead editor is that it takes more time to do that which I whipped off before. There’s a learning curve, but even when I’ve learned it there’ll be more steps involved to accomplish what I want to do. I’m not surprised to read about your experience. Makes me tired, makes me sad. It’s THE theme for 2020.

          Like

  37. I am voting in person – it starts next week in my city and I can’t wait to vote BLUE! I am Ellen but I do not have any loony friends that would pound on your door so rudely like that! Plus I don’t think we live near each other!! Some people, tho!!??!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Ellen D, it’s been interesting to learn about how differently we all vote in this country. I am happy for you to go Ridin’ with Biden.

      As for the wacko woman pounding on the door, I feel sorry for her friend Ellen. Or maybe they’re two peas in a pod? I don’t quite know what to make of that experience, but I am hoping it doesn’t happen again.

      Like

    • Marian, Little Sister was pure joy and I couldn’t be happier for her. The wacko woman could see me through the glass in the sidelights of the door, but maybe not hear me. Still, go away lady! And yes, we are big Penzey spice fans. Using them liberally [pun intended]. 😉

      Liked by 2 people

  39. Look at your nice blog post! All sorts of interesting things added. Well done. Cute story about the little girl and 100% wacko door story. Makes me glad to live literally in the middle of nowhere. I also will be voting by mail in my provincial election — so easy. I don’t understand why it’s fraught with issues in the States.

    Liked by 2 people

    • bernieLynne, thank you. I crossed my fingers and hit publish. I’m getting the hang of the blockhead editor, but it is more time consuming to use it which I do not find an improvement.

      Little Sister was a delightful chance encounter while the wacko woman at the door was nuts. And she didn’t even apologize for her obvious mistake.

      I cannot explain why the United States cannot get it together when it comes to voting. All we have to do is look north and follow your lead. Still, I play the game because I want to vote.

      Like

  40. Yay for voting!!! And yay for Little Sister. That IS delightful. I hope she holds on to that self love forever and ever.

    And finally, yeah for Penzey’s spices and block editor. I’ve had a couple issues with the editor recently with it but I think it’s my outdated theme.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Katie, I want Little Sister to hold onto her positive sense of self, too. She was one cool chick. We adore Penzey spices and use them often.

      I’m trying to love the new editor, not snarling as I use it. Now that you mention it though, I wonder if my old template is slowing me down. Interesting thought.

      Like

  41. Your post looks great, so you did it! I’m glad you were able to get voting out of the way, I’m going to have to go stand in line on the 3rd and deal with cranky people. My friend voted by mail in ballot last week. The day after she sent her ballot in, she received another ballot in the mail. She called the local election officials and told the about it, but it did make her wonder.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ann, a friend got two ballots in the mail? Well that is fascinating, but not in a good way. I wasn’t up to dealing with the lines and our poll workers who have a history of being less than cheerful. I hope my ballot makes it to the right place, but who knows, eh? I wish you the best of luck when you go to vote on the 3rd.

      Liked by 1 person

      • My daughter in another state got 2 ballots a day apart. (Insert frown face here) They are supposed to double check signatures in cases like that, but having been a victim of someone voting in my name by mail in ballots – for over 9 years, I’m not real comfortable. (They did catch her finally. I got to be on frequent speaking terms with the state AG and local election officials in 2 counties. It finally stopped when the state AG mandated that on voter roll beside my name it says “Must show voter ID”. She promised to not do it again…it’s a felony…but she promised….
        Fingers crossed
        (YEA! you did well on the bloc editor…I’ve fiddled around with it and have no doubt I can do it, but so far old routines are so comfortable)

        Liked by 1 person

        • philmouse, you were the victim of someone voting in your name? Now that’s disturbing, but fascinating. What a wild thing to happen. We always have to show our ID when we go to the polls btw. I hope that your *double* has learned her lesson and that you can move beyond your *friendship* with the AG. If it’s not one stupid thing it’s another anymore.

          You said it about the block editor. I enjoy my old routine/classic editor and until I’m given a reason about how this new editor benefits me, I’m going to mutter about it from time to time.

          Liked by 1 person

          • Yep – during state, local, and previous 2 presidential elections. A long saga I’ve written about before. Sooo, when certain people declare “voter fraud doesn’t exist”, I beg to differ…with actual knowledge…and I discovered I wasn’t the only one. Really disturbing. Dead people voting is less disturbing. HAHA
            Heard yesterday that voting authorities here were telling people, if you got more than one ballot, to throw one away. How organized is that? Geesch.
            New editor seems to benefit business and sellers much more than plain bloggers…sort of what happened to FB.
            We’ll see how it goes. I do like to try new things which is good as before you know it the comfortable easy system will grow quirkier and quirkier until not supported at all.
            Oh, well, change happens…get out the ice flow HAHA

            Liked by 1 person

  42. Congrats on successfully navigating through the block editor! See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?

    Our ballots also require postage, but we just dropped them off in the collection box at the county treasurer’s office. Voting is DONE. Go, Biden/Harris!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Swinged Cat, thanks for your help in understanding the blockhead editor. I know who to insert photos because of your guidance.

      I wish we could have dropped our ballots off, but there is one ballot drop box per county and it’s a good 45 min drive each way to get there. So I have put my faith in the USPS. [Did I just write that sentence? 😯]

      Liked by 1 person

    • Markus + Micah, Little Sister made my day. She was joy personified. I wish I knew what the deal was with the wacko woman at the front door BUT I also never want to see her again. Yep, you said it. If nothing changes for the positive after this election, we will be way beyond ridiculous. *sigh*

      Like

  45. Love that Venn Diagram.

    Kids say the funniest things. I was having a Google Meet lesson with some of my ESL 4th graders the other day. When I asked one of my students why her twin sister wasn’t on the meet, she said, “She’s brooming.” It took me a sec, then I figured out what she meant. I said, “Do you mean ‘sweeping’? She did. I got a good chuckle outta that. (And of course, the next time I saw the sister, I told her that class comes before cleaning. 🙂 )

    Liked by 1 person

    • The Travel Architect, the reality of the message in the Venn diagram is disturbing, but true.

      I love the “she’s brooming.” In a way it makes more sense than saying sweeping; after all we say we’re vacuuming when we use a vacuum cleaner, so why not say we’re brooming when we use a broom?

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  46. Kids give the best reason to smile.
    Please let Biden and Harris not be infected. Gads 2020
    Voting was so easy – we drove by one location at noon on the first day and NOBODY was in the parking lot, so we dove in. (We had driven past 2 other voting locations on the way to get the car inspected) There must have been 30 voting machines set up, a long bank of voting registrars waiting to check people in and only 4 other people voting. So fast and quick we were stunned and all in time to go back to pick up the inspected car. No waiting either place.
    I guess it’s the fact that there’s so many places to early vote here until Oct 30. Open 7 to 7. Webites to check to tell you wait time of the polling places. Free rides by so many groups, Can you believe 24 hr drive-up voting? They bring the laptop to your car. No stamps required for mail in ballots. And the standard drop off your completed ballot box. There was even a voting parade lead by the mayor the first day in Houston – with bands and baton twirlers. But due to COVID, nobody was handing out homemade cookies this year…hopefully a return of that tradition next year!
    Onward ( and stay well)

    Liked by 1 person

    • philmouse, you live where they know how to vote! It’s impressive. Your process sounds like it’s one that the rest of the nation could/should follow. Heaven knows voting is nothing like that here. It’s a game with rules that are shifting under you while you try to figure out how to vote AND stay healthy. 🙄

      Little Sister was a chance encounter but one that’ll stay with me for a long time. Her positive attitude and her ability to communicate her ideas clearly are in sharp contrast to the political gibberish I hear day in and out. She gives me hope.

      Liked by 1 person

      • One of the cutest get out the vote ideas was “Prom Vote” targeting the graduating seniors who didn’t get to have prom or graduation. The deal was to dress up in prom/grad gown to go to the polls then snap a selfie of yourself aat the booth after voting – sounded cute until voting authorities reminded everyone that no cameras/picture taking are allowed inside polling areas – to keep it sane, serious, and private as according to law. They can take pictures outside but not within a certain perimeter around voting areas/machines.
        It was a cute idea. The virus has certainly brought some creativity out.
        The kids give us all hope

        Liked by 1 person

    • DrJunieper, thanks. I’m glad that what I attempted to publish was what I published. With this new system I’m never sure.

      I cannot explain the wacko woman at the door. She could see me, but she continued to pound on the door. I’ve lived in far worse neighborhoods and never had anything like this happen. Just happy she left to go find Ellen.

      Like

    • Pam, I’m glad you liked this. When I hit publish I wasn’t sure what was going to show up. [Well, I knew my words would, but those images were a challenge.] I agree about the little girl, she was awesome– and cute as the bee’s knees.

      Like

  49. You’ve already mastered the Block Editor Ally – good for you! Multiple pictures on top of it. My first few posts were pretty simple – less stress that way. I can’t vote as I’m not a citizen but I’d be ridin’ with Biden too and it’s not just the snazzy Corvette and shades that are the lure. 🙂 How nice to have all that self-confidence at a young age … she was channeling the late Helen Reddy’s “I am woman, hear me roar!” The door episode was a little too weird. I look through the peephole and never open the door; in fact, it’s been years since I opened the door to a stranger, even with the storm door locked. I don’t pass out candy on Halloween, but none of the neighbors do either. The neighborhood the last decade has me jittery when the sun goes down.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda, I’m getting there with the block editor. I’ve a few more things I want to be able to do with it, but getting words and pics on the virtual page is good. And I only muttered a little bit as I did it.

      The wacko woman at the door was a new one for me. This is a nice neighborhood and she was well dressed, better than me. I’d have helped her find her way if she had on a mask, but I wasn’t [literally] risking my health to talk with her. We won’t be doing Halloween this year. It’ll be the first time we’ll not participate, but strangers at the door has suddenly gotten to be unhealthy. And weird.

      Liked by 1 person

      • That’s good Ally. I write my posts in Word and copy-and-paste them into a post. However, there are more steps now if I want to have a justified right margin, which requires transferring my narrative into Notepad, then over from Notepad to WordPress. It is a formatting bug they said. In the Classic Editor, I loaded more pics at a time then populated the post and dragged them around to fit the narrative. I can’t do that with the Block Editor. So it takes me longer to assemble a post now.

        I only know my neighbors on either side – there was a time we knew the neighborhood kids and longstanding neighbors would bring their grandkids to the door. You’d know that in advance and make up little bags of goodies … that seems like such a long time ago. I am glad I have a sensor pole light and side sensor light. This lights up the yard well, but the Facebook City Crime Forums leave me jittery.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I’m finding the block editor to be more labor intensive, too. When I have the time I use it, but if I just want to get my post out there I’m using the classic editor [for as long as it’s around].

          I don’t know our neighbors either. Everyone I knew has sold and moved on. The new people are less outgoing– and of course the pandemic doesn’t help when it comes to meeting the new neighbors. I’m glad you have the lights that you do. They can only help you, especially if you live somewhere that makes you feel jittery. Stay safe

          Liked by 1 person

          • The Block Editor is not great for slideshows, so stick to the Classic Editor for that feature or you will end up with black dots alongside each picture.

            Things change in the neighborhood and not for the good. A neighbor at the end of the block next to an alley had her detached garage burned to the ground about six weeks ago. The neighbor died a year ago, the house is vacant and up for sale and it is a nice house. I am surprised it is still on the market. The alley is not junky – it is behind two businesses and it is a short alley, wide open, no trash, etc. Apparently that was the second garage torching that night. My car is in an attached garage thankfully. I don’t go out except in daylight and I think about coming home on the bus and walking to/from the bus stop in the Winter months when it was pitch dark which I did for years. I was mindful of my surroundings, but not worried … I would not do that now and am glad to work from home. Thank you.

            Liked by 1 person

  50. Congratulations, Ally. You did it, both navigating the voting and the block editor.
    I had some weird, disturbing and freaky experiences this week that made me construct a post titled Has the world gone completely mad? Decided not to publish it.
    Well done on the voting. Am more disturbed by the errors in the voting system over there. Two ballots, using others names – that is wild. In Australia, a land of compulsory voting, we show I D to vote. About five years ago we only had to say our name and get crossed off a list.
    Ironically, I will be participating in Halloween this year, my first ever. (We have 2 Covid cases in the entire state).

    Liked by 1 person

    • Amanda, thank you. I’m learning the blockhead system but I still resent needing to do so this year, of all the years! However I shall attempt to be positive as I learn it.

      I’m sure I’d agree with what you wrote in your unpublished post about the world going mad. Some days I cannot wrap my head around how wacko people are behaving. The stress of the pandemic + the insanity of tRump are too much I guess.

      And yes, I don’t condone anyone getting more than one ballot, but it is happening. The US could learn how to better handle elections from your country’s example.

      Enjoy your Halloween. Around here it’s usually the friendliest night of the year with the kids and adults all having fun. But not this year. No trick or treating allowed.

      Like

  51. As a Canadian, I can’t tell you how pleased I am that you are voting Biden. Please, please, please, all of you, spare us another four years of Trump. (I’m begging here.)
    I love that you changed Adam to Eve. Excellent choice.
    And, there’s hope for the future with girls like that in the neighbourhood.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Arlene, I’m doing what I can to influence people to vote blue. That being said, I realize I have little influence but I’m trying. [For me the bottom line is that at this point if someone is hedging about who they’re voting for, I know that it isn’t for Biden. And I shall remember.]

      You’re right about how there’s hope for the future. With Little Sister running around in this world how could there not be?

      Liked by 1 person

  52. That little girl’s comment was just priceless. I hope that she always gets to maintain that love for herself. How wonderful!! It looks like you got the hang of the block editor. I’ve been using it for a while. Sometimes it frustrates me (like when I’d like to copy and paste “multiple blocks”) but mostly I haven’t had any issues with it. I plan to early vote and also have two young adults whose first chance it will be to exercise their right to vote in a presidential election.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Amy, Little Sister was a happy moment in my day. She had it going on despite her brothers arguing in the background. I’m getting the hang of the blockhead editor but it takes longer for me to write posts than it does/did with the classic editor– and that’s a negative against it.

      How exciting that you have two young adults who’ll be voting in their first presidential election. Considering how this particular election is unique in so many ways, I’d guess they’ll never forget the experience.

      Liked by 1 person

  53. Your post looks nice. I haven’t yet made the leap to the block editor. I tried it 2 or 3 times, and the formatting looked awful. I suppose that I’ll have to get the hang of it someday.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Sheryl, thank you. I’m bouncing back and forth between the two editing systems now. If I have the time to deal with the block editor I do it, but if I want to get my post written and published quickly I use the classic editor. So far this approach has worked for me

      Like

  55. Thank you for voting! We have voted already, but we live in California, so I feel like our top of the ticket votes don’t really mean much. You’re in a swing state, so YAY YOU! We looked on our county website, and it told us all of the official drop boxes. I went to the most convenient one and dropped off our ballots. We have voted by mail many times in the past, it is easy and convenient. The only worry I would have about it is ballots not getting there in time, and you have voted early enough that it should not be any kind of issue.

    Liked by 1 person

    • J, we only have one drop box per county here. Our one is a small town with a history for tRump-inspired violence, so mailing our ballots seemed prudent. Since I wrote this we’ve checked online and our ballots have been received and “are accepted for counting.” So we are good to go… Joe!

      Liked by 1 person

  56. Oh my goodness! What a weird experience with that woman showing up like that! She should be thankful she arrived at the home of polite people and not someone who might have answered the door with a gun in response to her rudeness.

    I hope to drop my ballot off.

    Like

    • L. Marie, I hadn’t thought of that. You’re right, someone could have answered the door with a gun pointed at her. She was nuts.

      Glad to read that you’re dropping off your ballot. For me it was a positive moment filled with relief to have done so.

      Like

  60. The story of your unknown caller looking for Ellen reminded me of when we were woken just after midnight by someone frantically ringing the intercom at our gate. Our son went to answer it and the woman at the gate said that our dog’s incessant barking was keeping her and her husband awake. When my son told her that we didn’t have a dog, she just huffed and didn’t even apologize for waking us. 😳

    Liked by 1 person

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