1. Our vet, Dr. Cook, called me today with the results of Copper's bloodwork. His white blood cell count was up a little, not an alarming amount, and everything else including his thyroid, kidneys, liver, and more looked great. I'll take Copper to Dr. Cook in about a month to recheck the white blood cell count and see how it looks.
That her labs looked so solid confirms my impression of Copper. Yes, he is losing weight and, at the same time, he goes through each day with vitality, his eyes look bright and alive, and he has no problem jumping up on and down off the bed. In these ways, he seems in good shape -- that said, I know he's an older cat and I've been several cats whose old age caught up with them suddenly and they passed away.
For example, the air went out of Copper's deceased pal Luna's sails suddenly and within a week or ten days, she literally expired.
2. I am all but certain that the last time I walked to voting place and cast a ballot was in 1996, the year Robert Dole ran against Bill Clinton for the presidency.
In 1998, thanks to a citizen initiative, voting by mail became a law in Oregon. Once it was established, I missed walking or driving to a physical polling place, mostly out of nostalgia.
I came to enjoy, however, the experience of sitting at a table or desk at home with my ballot and being able to leisurely think through my decisions and the convenience of mailing the ballot or dropping it in a ballot receptacle.
But, then, in 2016, living in Maryland, I voted at a physical site, the Beltsville-Laurel Senior Center and voted on the first day of early voting. I felt a surge of joy when I arrived, and all the parking spots were taken. Scores of people were voting that day. Before long, a voter vacated a spot and I could park the Sube and my sense of patriotism and belonging grew when I walked inside the Senior Center and the lines were long. The voting place was well-staffed and it wasn't long before a volunteer handed me a ballot and I secretly cast my votes.
This afternoon, I voted in Kellogg. I immediately found a parking spot. I didn't stand in a line. This polling place was also sufficiently staffed, but there was no wait.
I once again felt patriotic and that I belonged in my home town while casting my votes on questions that will have, I think, lasting impacts on the quality of life in our town and our county.
I had four decisions to make. The most prominent questions involved levies for the school district and the sheriff's department.
3. I then coasted down to the Yoke's Pharmacy. The transplant team gave me the green light to get a flu shot.
A student finishing her pharmacy degree at Idaho State University and getting on the job training and experience in the field, as part of her degree work, administered the shot.
Before going to ISU, she had been a student at Willamette University in Salem and we had fun talking about living in Oregon and the natural beauty of the Willamette Valley, the Pacific Ocean, and the Cascade Mountains.
Our light and friendly conversation made the experience of being vaccinated pleasant and I found myself thinking that she will a superb pharmacist, coupling her scientific knowledge with an easy and outgoing manner.
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