Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

It's a good thing I got up earlier today. Part of that can be credited to the fact that The Gryphon and I got to bed fairly early the night before. He came over last night to comfort me after Kerry conceded.

I tried to tell myself, "Well, there's always next time." And, "Well, I'm really no worse off today than I was two days ago, right?"

If my job didn't involve watching so much cable news, it might be easier to get it out of my head.

But at any rate, I usually go back to sleep after The Gryphon goes off to work, but today I got up and threw on my exercise clothes, to head for the gym.

Now, I usually walk my dog, Una, first thing in the morning, but the last time we headed out the door right after The Gryphon left, we ended up running into him at the bus stop. We hung out with him until the bus came, but Una got very upset to see the bus taking him away. As we continued our walk, she kept turning around and trying to pull back to the bus stop, in the belief he'd be coming back.

So in order to avoid that situation, I decided it would be best if we hung out at the house a bit first. I was just about to start my kickboxing tape when Una started barking. She's usually the first indication someone is at the door. Most people, it seems, don't even knock loud enough for me to hear them.

I peered out and saw two men in blue uniforms with caps on which I could read the word "water" but little else from a distance. They seemed to be just leaving a flyer, but I decided to see what they wanted. I opened the door and said hello.

The explained they were there from the water company and were going to put in new meters they could read using radio frequencies, just by driving past the house. They seemed pretty official looking, but I'm aware that one of the most common scams for getting into a stranger's house is to claim you're somebody official.

So while they went back out to get more equipment, I closed the door and dialed the 800 number for the water company to find out if they were, in fact, sending people around to change meters. Turns out they were, so I let him back in and did my kickboxing tape while he worked in the basement.

Of course, I couldn't help thinking as I was doing my exercises, glancing around the apartment, that if I'd had more warning, I would have cleaned up a little. Papers and magazines tend to pile up, and I hadn't really sat down to go through that stuff in awhile. I've had other priorities on my mind.

It took only about 20 minutes to install the new meter: 10 inside and 10 inside. They were gone before I was even done with my kickboxing tape.

So Una and I took our walk, then. Many people still had their Halloween decorations up, and some still had their election signs up. Some people aren't ready to move on yet, I guess. Something tells me it will be Halloween here for a couple weeks.

I did notice that one neighbor who'd been displaying a Kerry sign took both it and their Halloween decorations down yesterday, substituting Thanksgiving decorations. Some people find it easier to move on than I do.

Speaking of Halloween, I learned that my Stepford Wife costume was apparently one of the scariest there, according to Lizzie Borden. She told The Gryphon when she saw him Tuesday that the costume really scared her, particularly the way I seemed so earnest when I was talking in character.

For example, when she mentioned her job, I said, "Women aren't supposed to have jobs. They're supposed to stay home and cook and clean for their men." Not that there's anything wrong with being a stay-at-home mom. My mom was one, and it's an honorable profession.

But the point is, my traditionalist views creeped her out. Which reminds me, one person that evening thought I was supposed to be Laura Bush.

I've felt a real need for comfort food the last two days for some strange reason that might have to do with the fate of this country. But the most I would allow myself was a tuna hoagie. What I really wanted was some chocolate, but aside from one chocolate pumpkin I bought this weekend, I didn't have any Halloween candy this time around. I've contented myself with chocolate Weight Watchers popsicles.

Speaking of Halloween candy, I found out the best way to attract trick-or-treaters is to not have candy. Two years ago, Halloween was during the week. On that night, I had my porch light on, with candy waiting. Nobody showed up. And then I wasn't there for a couple years, visiting my sister in State College.

This year I decided not to buy any candy because I wouldn't get any kids anyway and would just end up eating it. So sure enough, The Gryphon and I ordered some takeout. We're sitting there waiting for it with the light on, and three trick-or-treaters showed up on the porch. Fortunately, when The Gryphon told them we didn't have candy, none of them followed through on their threats of tricks.

I think they did all right: the next day, walking my dog around the neighborhood, I saw candy wrappers on the ground everywhere.

At the gym, I did some weight lifting and then hit one of the exercise machines. As I was working out, one of the regulars came in. He's a bent over old man with shocking white hair and a gravely voice. His regular exercise presumably is what keeps him mobile.

He shuffled up to a gray-haired man using the rowing machine next to me and said, loudly, "Well, all is well now. The country is back in George's hands. The best president ever. Won by a landslide."

The man on the rowing machine chuckled and shook his head.

The old man continued, "Not in my neighborhood. Can you believe this?" He leaned over and stage whispered, "He won by convincing them he was religious. God wanted their vote."

The man on the rowing machine continued to shake his head, in silent agreement. After he took his leave, another elderly man took his place at the rowing machine, exclaiming, "I demand a recount!"

The bent old man walked slowly on a nearby treadmill and carried on a conversation with the new occupant of the rowing machine. "All these people voted for George because they're pro-life," he said. "They want to protect the babies, but as soon as they're 18, they'll send them overseas to die. George has killed thousands of people." He shook his head, sadly.

"I've been thinking more about George than I have been about myself," he admitted. Amen, brother.

Copyright 2004 by Alyce Wilson

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