Things That Annoyed Me Today

It's only 9 am, but I've already been annoyed many, many times.  However,  I woke up at 5:30 to stand in line to go vote (polls opened at 6 am in VA), so I've had plenty of time to have things annoy me.  And surpisingly, I was not annoyed by the lines.  But let me go back to the start.

I actually jumped out of bed easily, so the alarm was not annoying.  Nor was the weather, since it was a good 10 degrees warmer this morning than it has been at the same time over the past week.  What DID annoy me was the following:

• The people outside of the polls (supposedly 40 ft from the polling center).  They were no 40 ft away.  They were maybe 10 ft away from the doors and you couldn't get to the doors, without having someone yell at you to vote for "X" candidate.  And no, I don't need a sample ballot of one side's candidates.  Hopefully for anyone voting today, you already have done your research and don't need propoganda.
  
• Loud talkers.  It is still early in the morning at 5:30 am.  No need to be yelling in my ear about who you are voting for or even about the sad Redskins game last night.  It is too early for that and I don't want to hear it.
• Disrespect for the paper ballots.  I am guilty of this as well, so I'm annoyed at myself too.  Once you checked in with your voter registration, you had the option of voting by the computer on the touch screen or by paper ballot.  There was no line to vote by paper, but about 25 people were in line to vote by touch screen.  Why didn't anyone want to vote by paper, when they both will be counted the same way?  I don't know, but I chose to wait as well.  Lines probably would have moved a bit faster if people split the lines between voting by paper and by computer.
• Door knob hangy things with political propoganda on it.  I don't care what political side it represents, but I have had 4 door knob hangy things (all from the same side) on my door knob within the past 2 days.  On Saturday, in a matter of 1 hour, I had 2 put on.  Not only is it annoying to keep having to take them off, but what a waste of paper!  It has little to no information on it, other than the candidate's name, so I'm not really sure what its purpose is, other than infuriate people who have to constantly check their door knobs to see if a new one has made an appearance.  I checked to see if it was from recycled paper, but alas, it was not.  So a big thumbs down on their part.

(Update:  It is less than an hour since my post and the total is now 5 door knob hangy things.  Ugh.  Not to mention, each time I have been here when they show up, they ask if "so and so" lives here.  "So and so" is a name I've never heard before.  I have lived in my condo for 3 years.  The person before me, not named "So and so", lived here for about 5 years before me.  not sure where this campaign is getting their info, but it is flat out wrong and is really annoying.  What are the odds that when I come home from work, I'll have another door hangy thing.)

I think that is about it.  It only took me about an hour of waiting.  I brought a magazine and by the time I got to the last page, I was next in line to vote.  By the time I left the polling station, there was a 3+ hour wait.  Glad I went when I did.  

Oh, and I stopped by Starbucks on the way back, because you get a free tall coffee if you show them your "I voted" sticker.  I've also heard you can get a free taco at California Tortilla, ice cream at Ben and Jerrys, and donuts at Krispy Kreme with that sticker (at least in the DC area).

Maybe this voting thing isn't so bad afterall?