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NPR: Trump stays at Mar A Lago v. Mandatory Evacuation Orders (...I did ballot harvesting!) [1]
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Date: 2022-11-09
Amn't I worth a Rec?? (nothing below is about trump, just a trip to 'harvest' ballots)
Enjoying the basking sunset of a blue wave after election day, I tuned up NPR. Lede was that 45 will stay in Mar a Lago. My first thoughts were, ‘thoughts and prayers’ but I’m a vindictive bitch feeling my oats after an election triumph with the following story as to how I gave a bit to it.
I live in a mountain community that was expecting showers and some heavy rain on Election Tuesday but we got a bit more than that. Having promised to collect, then deliver the absentee ballots of a few elderly persons, I’d made plans for about 2 pm to drive my hybrid out backcountry to fulfill that pledge. When I left, it had been raining at my place for a couple of hours, was getting cold but the skies to the east of me were looking better.
About 30 minutes into my drive, the skies were darkening, and the outside air temp dropping rapidly, I kicked up the heat and windshield defrost. Getting to a bridge under construction, I waited patiently for the green light for about 12 minutes during which time the heavy rain commenced. I drove up a steep four-mile grade experiencing some buffet and visibility of around 20 feet so it took considerable time to get to the country turnoff for the last five miles of the journey.
The final three miles of road leading to the ranches is a power company utility road that had recently been maintained so the surface was expected to be dirt with recent gravel deposited. It went as expected until the cattle gate where a utility truck blocked me for a few minutes and the driver said the road below was not passable. Therefore, with an increasing amount of rain, I geared up with my heavy boots and trekked onward.
Ten minutes into the hike downhill the hail began, followed by sharp wind gusts intermittently punctuated by lightning a few miles off to the east. I began a comfortable trot and the rain became drenching, then turned to snow. I ran the last mile slip-sliding to the residence gate where I shouted, was greeted with dogs barking then finally a cranky acquaintance who had not prepared the ballot.
When that was done, the snow went back to heavy rain & thunder downpours and I ran all the back to the car where I took off my all-weather boots and poured out the water. (no fish). The ballot tucked into my jacket was slightly wet so it was placed on the dash to dry.
The second ranch up the road a spell was not as cordial and again I ran into the canyon to the house below about 2 miles, retrieved the waiting ballots, and lumbered back uphill, too raw and too tired to run. (Stevie Ray Vaugn ran thru my head) From thereon I’d have no cell reception, so I phoned ahead and was lucky to get an answer.
The final stop was a relative picnic and the four ballots fully prepped were handed over with a plate of hot cookies and a mug of coffee to go. As a lover of peanut butter cookies, they were gone by the time I got out to the ‘highway’ 20 minutes later, which was covered in sleet that was still falling. The car has new tires and it plugged along dutifully without slipping until back at the crossroads stop sign, there was a line of cars going up the hill crawling through an inch of snow and icy mush. I joined the crawl.
It took 20 minutes to go about two miles uphill and when the last car was clear, I started downhill in the snow, going a bit too fast but thrilled with the ride. (nothing bad is going to happen)
A mile down, the road gets twisty and just for grins, the sky began tossing lighting bolts every few seconds in front and to the left of me. The time from the flash to the bang was about a two-second average. This trek which would normally be about 10 minutes, took another 20. I arrived at the northbound highway which would take me to the voter dropoff point... when it began to hail marble-sized pings against the car. A few left impressions. Again, all uphill, I arrived without incident at a crowded church parking lot.
I got the ballots together and was getting out of the car when someone went past and said, “they’re closed”. Undeterred, I went around to three doors and after banging on a third went looking for a fourth when a voice behind me called. The door had been inadvertently locked after someone left. I checked in, had the ballots inspected and confirmed, and was back on my way to my car when a man about 7 feet tall asked me where I got all the ballots. I replied and received a skeptical scornful look but that was all.
Been stretching my hamstrings and humming along with election results, thinking: “It’s all worth it.” And ‘The Donald’ is going to try his luck at defying the weather! Boy, damn, howdy! I’m sure in a fine mood. Do the poll dance below!
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/11/9/2134948/-NPR-Trump-stays-at-Mar-A-Lago-v-Mandatory-Evacuation-Orders-I-did-ballot-harvesting
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