Coffee, rain and caucuses

I think I've had too much caffeinated coffee today! It's after 4 and I'm WAY too chirpy. I've definitely had too much rain and also probably had enough caucusing to last me for a good long while.

To get to the newsy stuff first, in case you didn't know it, all eyes are on the state of Washington even as I write this, because the Democratic presidential race is neck-and-neck. Here in the hinterlands we use the caucus system to select delegates to the party nominating conventions in support of specific candidates --at least those of us who identify as "Ds" do. You can't just sit home and mark your ballot, or even toddle off around the corner to a church basement and punch a machine on a Tuesday morning. You've got to interrupt your Saturday, figure out where some middle school is, get cleaned up and drive over there in the middle of the afternoon, plow through the barely contained chaos of 200 people who've never done this and four who only do it every four years, and then sit down at a table with your neighbors and figure out how to do this thing. It's pretty cool when you get right down to it.

I think almost everyone came with their mind made up, but you do have the opportunity to talk about your candidate and to listen to others. You can even stay uncommitted or send uncommitted delegates to the next level. Fourteen people showed up for my precinct, which is sending 1 delegate for Clinton and 3 delegates for Obama to the county convention.

Aren't those numbers a scandal? I don't know how many registered voters there are in this particular precinct, or how many are D's, but for 14 people to decide on behalf of probably hundreds of people -- in a year when the electorate is far more engaged than usual -- that blows my mind. At least for once I can say I didn't take my privileges for granted.

Regarding coffee, what I want to say is, I have a new french press. OMG. Best. Coffee. Ever.

Oh, and about the weather? I looked at the ten-day forecast this morning: Five days of rain, followed by five days of showers. Heavy sigh. Must go check for moss between my toes .....