Why didn’t I vote absentee?

November 04, 2008

Whitney McHugh

On NPR this morning, many of the stories were about long lines at the polls. There were brief interviews with voters and poll workers in every time zone. And everyone said there were long lines at the poll.

I drove to my polling place - Doug Tew Community Center - while listening to stories about long wait times. I hoped that by some miracle voting at Doug Tew would be like it always is - in and out in about five minutes.

No luck.

The line at 8 a.m. this morning stretched across the building back to the swimming pool. The parking lot was full. Cars were parked on the streets. There was no fast voting this morning.

I rolled my window down, took a couple photos of the line and headed to work. No time to wait this morning.

My mother talked to a poll worker yesterday to find out the best times to vote. Generally 10-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-3 p.m. are slow at the poll. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but with such high voter turnout there may not be any slow times.

Why didn’t I vote absentee?

Getting out to vote

Whitney McHugh

As I dropped my daughter off at elementary school this morning, one of the school’s staff members was encouraging parents to go vote.

She had already made one unsuccessful attempt to vote at Walton Park. The line was so long she was unable to cast a ballot before she had to be at work. She’s planning to try again at lunch. And if that doesn’t work, will head to the polls a third time once schools ends.

That says a lot about this election ... that someone would wait at the polls three times in order to vote.

Mr. and Mrs. Tim Rigsby

August 08, 2008

Debbie Ingram

Leaving out in the dark

Debbie Ingram

Our last day here took us to Deadwood, where we stood in as photographer, videographer and witnesses to the wedding of Sandi Sims and Tim Rigsby of Dothan. They exchanged vows shortly after 12:30 today—that’s 8-8-08—on the stairway of a beautiful old hotel in the historic downtown area.

The bride and groom wore black and gold Harley Davidson shirts, matching of course, and there were flowers and a veil from Wal-Mart. Afterwards we ate pizza at the Ugly Horse Pub and toasted to many happy years.

The four of us then went to Wild Bill Hickoc’s gravesite. Calamity Jane asked to be, and was, buried beside him. We rode back through Spearfish Canyon, which I found a very appropriate way to celebrate a wedding. The bride and groom had “Just Married” organge T’s stretched across the back seats of their bikes. Drinks were bought. Thumbs up were given.

We ended our day pretty early, dropped my scooter off at Richard and William’s place in Whitewood, and came home. The Rigsbys passed us on the interstate, heading back to Rapid City. We stopped at the Buffalo Chip for a T-shirt for Bill Perkins, only to find the vendor closed!!!

Back at camp, we had a shower and a discussion. The husband and I decided to go ahead and pack up and hit the road tonight. This trip can hardly be driven in two days, so we got a jump on the journey home.

Hooking and loading up, he only got mad at me once. Frequently, the husband gets mad cause he thinks I am mad. So, it goes like this….

“Why are you mad?“

“Because you’re mad!“

“I’m not mad. I was just mad because you’re mad.“

It is a ridiculous pattern for us.

It’s 9 p.m. as we head through Sturgis for the last time. A big dog barks from his iffy perch on the back of a motorcycle. We wave for the last time, hear the music for the last time, stop at 9 four-way stops for the last time.

“There’s one thing about it. There’s only one way in and one way out,“ the husband says.

Sturgis is a maze of bikers, vendors, lights and action as bikers know this party is almost over.

“Watch out!“ I say.

We can’t get used to people darting out in front of us. You know, in some parts of the world, pedestrians have the right away. We would be dead 20 times now in Dothan.

I ended up logging about 350 miles of Sturgis time on my bike—- which now has a mystery dent!!!!——but anyway, after taking these curves and hills and managing this crowd, I feel I am on the road to confidency driving the Circle. Big difference is, here folks are used to seeing bikes. They SEE bikes. Not so in Dothan, Alabama.

So, as we pull the trailer back through town for the last time, and I post for the last time (Password expiring; can’t change it.), let me say congrats to Tim and Sandi. Thanks for letting us share this with you! You’ve added to my first-year event.

Good-bye, Sturgis, South Dakota. I hope to see you next year.

Photos from Debbie

Whitney McHugh

Debbie’s husband, Mark, tries his luck at the slots in Deadwood, S.D.

Bear Butte overlooks Debbie’s campsite. Buffalo roam at the foot of the mountain.

The gravesite of Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood, S.D. Calamity Jane is buried beside him.