Thursday, November 5th, 1996

Well, I cast my ballot today -- for Bill Clinton, the Libertarian running against Strom Thurmond and the rest -- where I didn't know the candidates I voted for women and Democrats.  Kim and I got briefly into it on the way to the polling place.  I was giving my -- admittedly somewhat annoying -- speech about what a great privilege it is to be allowed to vote.  Kim's idea was that it's not a privilege but a responsibility -- something to get over with.  This was her first time voting and she said she did it because she feels guilty about not voting before and she doesn't want to feel guilty again.  Guilt is one of Kim's primary motivators.
Then we dropped Kim off at the chiropractor while Dylan and I searched unsuccessfully for a Mr. Pibb for her.  That drink was always hard to find but now it's disappearing from the few places that I could count on having it, and I wouldn't be surprised if Coca-Cola had decided to stop making the Dr. Pepper clone.
Speaking of Coca-Cola this was my first day without any caffeine whatsoever -- I had another BC powder yesterday -- and it went all right.  I look forward to being an ex-drug-addict -- Chapstick's not a drug, is it?
Then we picked up the girls from Jimmy's house and went to Quincy's for lunch -- actually we went to K and W first but Kim decided she didn't want to eat there after she found out they had no shrimp -- she and the kids snuck out a side door while I had to wheel the baby stroller apparatus past all the patrons.
After lunch we went to a thrift store and bought some tennis rackets -- we've been talking about taking up tennis as an exercise and maybe one lone thing we could have in common.  Then Kim and the girls went to see "Harriet the Spy" while Dylan and I came home and hung out for a while.  I didn't go to the movie cuz I didn't feel like chasing Dylan up and down the aisle.  Actually I didn't feel good period.  I think it was one too many yeast rolls at Quincy's.  I'm fine now but I'm still thinking about calling in sick tomorrow -- just cuz I'm sick of that job.  Every weekend I cure my depression / anxiety thing and then it starts back up when I go to work.

I don't think we ever swung those tennis rackets once.  I don't drink soda, but I'm still a caffeine addict -- all tea now.  Oh, and chocolate. 

Monday, November 4th, 1996

The girls are out of school and spending the night at Jimmy's house.  Kim and I took Dylan out for an ice cream cone.  He squalled when it -- inevitably broke.  I fixed it but when he dropped the thing on the floor I knew it was time to go.  He and I have spent the whole day together.  We went out for a while.  I wanted to find a present for Momberly but couldn't find what I had in mind -- so all we got accomplished was the eating of pretzels and the purchasing of some things at the health food store -Ipsab for one thing.  The gums on my upper left side of my face are receding all the way into my forehead, and I'm hoping to put the brakes on their exodus.  I also got some pasta made with stuff other than wheat -- quinoa and spelt.  I read that a lot of carbohydrates, particularly wheat, can aggravate depression and I eat a lot of it so I'm thinking about cutting it out - or at least cutting it down for a while.  I'm also thinking of going vegan.  What I want to do, I think, is narrow my choices so I'll eat a lot more vegetables.
I haven't had any Diet Coke for the last tow days, aren't you proud of me?  Yesterday I had a caffeine-free Diet Coke and a BC powder -- I guess I could have dissolved the BC into the beverage and made my own Diet Coke, but today I've had nothing bubbly but seltzer and Ginseng Rush -- oh, and a BC powder.  Tomorrow I think the headache will be gone and I can tell the BC to take a powder.  I hope I'll remember how bad those headaches are if I ever decide to become a caffeine addict again.
Sgt. Mullings called me at work yesterday cuz he was upset about that note I left him about the communications in our department being bad.  He's such a company man -- trying to sell me on what a great guy Ott is -- but I told him there was no other word but bad for the communication in our department.  I also told him that morale was at an all-time low but he basically called me a liar.