Home alone and feeling drained. Shirley has flown off to Lisbon, Portugal for a long weekend away with the other nurses from her health centre.
Yesterday, I spent fifteen hours working as a poll clerk for the local elections. I was up at five thirty and at my assigned polling station by six fifteen. I didn't leave there until ten fifteen at night. The pay for this work is terrible but it is interesting to be part of the basic democratic process.
There was a list of the seven hundred and fifty electors who live in the electoral ward. Mostly the names were Anglo Saxon with a just a smattering of names from other cultures. There were a lot of things you could read into the list. There were houses of multiple occupancy inhabited by university students. There were widows and divorcees, nuclear families, affluent families and even a lord of the realm who had hurried back from London by train. The three hundred people who bothered to vote were generally polite and friendly and I got on very well with the other poll clerk - a chap called Andy. That made the day much more bearable.
He shared something awful. Sixteen years ago this month, his sixteen year old daughter was killed in a car accident. That has got to be an awful memory to live with. I guess it never really goes away.
Anyway, it was a very long day so perhaps it is no great surprise that I have felt washed out today. I have also got a sore throat and have had another attack of laptopitis - otherwise known as computer failure. This time I have had a new hard drive fitted for £90 so hopefully we will get far more than a week's extra service from the thing. I am typing on it right now.
I don't feel like going out. I might have a big glass of New Zealand wine while watching The World Snooker Championship semi-finals courtesy of the BBC. The event takes place each year at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield but in all the years I have lived here, I have never ventured down there to watch a live game. Maybe next year.
I am drained too. And I have to make our supper which is only going to be a salad but even with a salad, one does not snap their fingers and make the vegetables appear in the bowl, nicely chopped, arranged, and dressed.
ReplyDeleteI wish.
No. The death of a child is never gotten over, I would imagine.
Relax and enjoy your weekend. You have done your good deed indeed!
All that kitchen work when you could just phone up for a Taco Bell delivery! Or a KFC bucket.
DeleteSo 450 - over half of the listed people on the electoral roll - did not turn up to vote. Such a shame. Turn up and drop an unmarked ballot in the box.....turn up and make your view heard. Not turning up doesn't mean a thing except apathy, lack of interest and then a whole lot of whingeing about the result.
ReplyDeleteI agree Cathy. Participation is important. If you do not participate you do not have a licence to complain.
DeleteI wondered where you were. Sorry to hear that you're feeling under the weather and your laptop gave you some further trouble. Drink that glass of wine and get some rest! And good for you for working at the polls.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jennifer. I am not dead yet.
DeleteI don't think you ever get over the loss of a child. I had a patient a few years ago whose child had died probably fifty years ago and she still thinks of that child everyday.
ReplyDeleteIt's different when an old parent dies. That's Nature.
DeleteI've done elections and the term you use to tell how you're feeling is bang on. It's an interesting day but it's very long.
ReplyDeleteIt should be split into two shifts.
DeleteI hope your laptop problems are solved now. Ninety pounds is a bit more than last visit.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine how it would feel to lose a child of any age. I don't know how a person would manage to keep going. The "new normal" would be very hard indeed.
Three hundred of seven hundred fifty is 40% turnout - if you are describing what we call a municipal election here (local government as opposed to provincial or federal) you had slightly higher than our average turnout. It is a long day for sure. Take care of your throat. I'm quite sure you were talking too much and that's what went wrong!
You are a exprience of work.mathematical genius Jenny! I guess that comes from your number-centric
DeleteYour absence was duly noted...and you were missed!
ReplyDeleteThe loss of a child would be a loss that would never fade, in my opinion. Something as devastating as losing one's child would be a wound too deep.
How could you laugh again?
DeleteCongratulations for doing your civic duty and working at the polls. I have thought about volunteering to do that but so far the early hours and long day have kept me away. I hope you have enjoyed the Snooker Championship and wine. Have a restful weekend so you and Clint can have more adventures next week.
ReplyDeleteCould you fly over and keep me company while Shirley is away Bonnie? We won't tell anyone!
DeleteI wondered where you were......
ReplyDeleteWhat a selfless man you are, Mr pudding. A lot of people can't be bothered to vote, let alone spending 15 hours at the polling station.
Hope you enjoyed your glass of NZ wine. I love the sauvignion Blanco. Lidl do a fabulous one for around £7.
Have a rest this weekend.😀
Oh you are aa Lidl lass are you? My respect for you has just risen like a jumbo jet. We have also supped that sauvignon blanc.
DeleteOh brother! What is up with that computer?! I hope the problem is solved now. Maybe it's haunted.
ReplyDeleteIt's disappointing that fewer than half of your potential voters bothered to show up. I'm sure that's not unusual (nor would it be unusual in the states). I've never understood people who don't vote. I can't vote here in the UK (yet!) but I vote in every election in the states, even now.
I believe that there are certain elections that you COULD vote in Steve. I believe we had some foreign nationals voting at our polling station.
DeleteWhat would you say was the average age of the people who did bother to vote? We went along to vote and as I stood outside with the dog waiting for the OH to do the business inside, I only saw 2 couples come out...all of them well over 60 as are we ! I have never missed a voting opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThere were a lot of young voters at our polling station but I am sure that is not typical. Like you, I always vote.
DeleteForma few years now, I have been thinking about volunteering at the polls, but somfar, thinking is all I've done about it. Like you, Imfind it interesting (plus useful plus important) to be part of the whole process that goes into local,or wider government.
ReplyDeleteOK and I are drained today for different reasons: We have been busy with the village fete for 1st of May for the first half of the week and with OK's birthday for the second. There were 15 here at the tiny cottage yesterday, two more will pop in today, plus we're cleaning and washing in preparation for our week in the mountains which will start tomorrow. Phew'
Remember that you and OK are not as young as you used to be and don't forget to take your walking sticks to the mountains!
DeleteWhoa! Long, long day. No wonder you are so tired. Hope a tall glass of the NZ wine and a nice long rest restores you. Bravo for taking on the task in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI accept your praise with characteristic humility Mary!
DeleteA hot toddy would do you good. Shame you are not in Portugal too - our blimmin weather is to blame for feeling down, I'm sure. One minute baking hot, the next freezing cold.
ReplyDeleteI feel a bit better today after a good night's sleep but still not in my best fighting condition.
DeleteNice to read you're enjoying our kiwi wine. I don't drink it myself, hopefully tomorrow you will feel better.
ReplyDeleteIf it's sauvignon blanc then it has to be NZ Amy.
DeleteIs such a low participation in the local elections common, or was it lower than usual?
ReplyDeleteSlightly lower than normal but in local elections we never get even half of the electorate voting.
DeleteYou don't get paid to work the polls? Here it is (I believe) well paid and there is fierce competition for positions. You basically have to know someone and then wait for someone to die.
ReplyDeleteI know how draining it is to be on duty for many hours. It takes a good deal of recovery so wine and relaxation is a plan I approve of!
Yes. We do get paid but $280 (AUS) for fifteen hours work is paltry.
Delete