crafty_packrat

I went to my voting precinct set up at the local civic building and voted. It took me about two minutes of waiting to get through check-in, and then I breezed through the process. My state uses touch-screen machines that print your ballot (so you check the ballot, and so they have a hard-copy if there is a recount) but there were enough of them that I didn't have to wait at any step after check-in.

I did get stopped by a news reporter -- possibly from one of the foreign or at least non-English language stations, judging by the fact that his microphone had letters that looked like a blocky Kufic script -- who wanted to ask what my priority for choosing a presidential contender was. If I wind up as a sound bite on some international newsprogram, I wonder what the viewers will make of me; I was wearing a square-necked below-the-knee dress with striped over-the-knee socks, a mask with steampunk octopus print, a scarf, and wide-brimmed hat, but also a navy blue cardigan patterned with orange bats. I think the general impression was 'cheerful modern witch', but who knows. One of my neighbors told me I looked cute when I passed her on the sidewalk outside our buildings, so there is that.

Yesterday I finally went to a grocery -- I hadn't been since March 23rd. I was careful to make a list so I that I didn't get distracted from necessities that I can't get at the local farmer's market like ginger root, cream, bananas and parchment paper, all of which I was out of.

I went about a half hour after noon, so it wasn't too busy. They were surprisingly out of almost all bar soap -- just a package of Irish Spring, a package of dial, and few individual bars of a fancy coconut oil soap left on the shelves. Dish soap and dishwasher detergent weren't quite as stripped bare, but they weren't much better

Also they were out spray-oil, having only Pam with flour and a toasted sesame oil left. I would have liked to get some, as it makes oiling a bowl for bread to rise in easier, but neither of those would do.

The canned beans were pretty ravaged, and also the mac-and-cheese aisle. There wasn't much sugar left, though there was some. They did have restaurant-labeled bags of flour, but I don't need 25 lbs of flour; that's definitely overkill for a one-person kitchen.

Most people were good about masks, though there were a few who had them pulled down to expose their noses, so yeah.

Next time I'll bring my shopping cart. It will make carrying things easier and I'll be able to judge how much I'm buying better.

I went with greenygal to see the Looney Tunes short series at the AFI this morning -- $5 for 45 minutes of classic WB cartoons. They were

• CAT'S PAW (1959)


• A WITCH'S TANGLED HARE (1959)


• THE PIED PIPER OF GUADALUPE (1961)


• WET HARE (1962)


• OFTEN AN ORPHAN (1949)


• HOMELESS HARE (1950

Afterwards, we had lunch at the local Potbelly, and then headed down to Eastern Market and went wandering. At Labryinth Puzzles and Games, I picked up Cogs and Commisars -- The Revolution Will Be Mechanized! Our next games night will be interesting.

We stopped for a while at Bourbon Coffee, which was nicely quiet and had good wifi. They were sold out of their chai blend, so I had a matcha smoothie.

Then we stopped in at East City Books with is delight and I need to make an effort to patronize more often. I picked up George Takei's They Called Us Enemy and Nnedi Okorafor'sLaGuardia.

Last, we went to Belga Cafe to meet A. Pseudonym for Restaurant Week and I had the chevre creme brulee, hanger steak with green vegetables and frites, and strawberry waffle.

It had been a very long day, but I had fun.