Vote today! I think that I'll go early. No, it's too late for that, besides, I have to get dressed first. I should be able to vote right here, sitting at my keyboard. Maybe some day I can...

I feel atypically ambitious today, probably because I haven't started to move around yet. Karen woke me up at 07:00, telling me that JD had just gotten home and that I'd left Doggie out all night. I woke up for real at 08:30, read the paper, had a glass of Ovaltine and four pieces of toast, made some coffee and came in here and sat down to check my email. Some days I get lotsa email, other days I'm really disappointed. I only got a few today, but it was really nice email, so I'm OK. So far, I haven't gotten any flames. I'm still waiting for my first one...

Karen got home last night early and she still had Brian so we went to Lawrence to take him back and we stopped at Buffalo Bob's after we dropped Brian off because we were both famished. Lawrence's downtown is such a neat place, always busy but clean. We offered to take JD with us to Lawrence, but Lisa had called and JD and her got together last night (I think.. I haven't talked to JD yet). Anyway, we were seated in the smoking section of BB's, which is in a lower section. Kinda defies logic, since smoke goes up usually. Anyway, we were isolated from the ordinary people, which is the main idea. Good food anyway, and good service too.

I think that today is the day that I move the computer room downstairs. No, wait, that's a little bit too ambitious. I think I'll get dressed and go vote and then see how I feel about it.

Done voting. Did my citizenly duty. Disappointed, didn't get to vote against Dole yet. Gotta wait until November. As a registered Republican, I can only vote for/against republicans in the primaries. I'll be glad when Bob Dole gets elected, retires or dies, then I can become the "real" Doug Franklin, and register as a Democrat. Or maybe not, we'll see.

Local issues: Do we want to continue the 1/4% sales tax? The one that we were promised would only last four years? The one for the Expocentre? The one I voted against eight years ago? The one I voted against four years ago?I don't think so. Do we want to support the library for a mil levy increase? To build a three-story atrium? With my money, when we can't afford to keep my neighborhood school open? I don't think so. Actually, we could afford to keep the school open, but the racial balance was wobbly. Brown vs the Topeka Board of Education, you may have heard of it. We just can't afford the goddamn lawyers, is all.

Going fishing tonight with Doug, the local Lake Shawnee Wednesday Night Bass Tournament. Held on the first Tuesday of each month, Wednesdays the rest of the time. I don't know why. This will be my first one, I kinda want to win the money. Contrary to what you may have heard, I like money. Anyway, I always work Wednesdays, so I've never been able to participate before. It should be fun.

Karen and I made a decision on the Saab yesterday. We're going to get a good rebuilt transmission put in and drive it for the next five years. We'll sell the van and pay off part of her credit union loan. There is only one place is the U.S. of A. that rebuilds the trannys, and it takes a week to get it delivered, so hopefully Karen and I will be driving it when we go somewhere to celebrate our anniversary. I did have to get a loan from my CU to do it; luckily, I just got the last loan from them paid off last payday. *sigh* We still haven't done anything on the bankruptcy thing yet, just holdin'on. We're going to see the consumer counseling people next week. In the meantime, I'm going to work on getting a roll-over consolidation loan at a good interest rate from the CU, but it costs some money up front.

I'm going down to BC/BS to have lunch with my lover at noon, she was going to exercise but I talked her out of it. She is in an exceptionally good mood, she's gotten a lot of sleep lately and I think that's made the difference. Rather sickening, the more time I spend with her the more I love her. I got to spend the night with her last night and I still can't wait to see her today! Twelve years almost, going on infinity.

Looks stormy again today. Hot, though. Kinda like Kansas in August....

More later, after the tournament, and before I move everything downstairs. Actually, I'll be moving it tonight all night, since I've got to sleep tomorrow day before I do the 16-hour Wednesday thing. Hopefully I'll be able to write again Thursday morning. Tomorrow's entry will be about the trials and tribulations of moving an awful lot of junk from one room, down some stairs and putting it all back together. Or maybe that'll be Thursday's, if it doesn't all go back together properly. And, after all, how can I expect that to happen? I'm still Doug, after all! After all, after all... I over-use that phrase as much as ... ... What the hell, if something works, why change... I was going to end that with a question mark, but, after all, I decided against doing that...