#GetOutTheVote

Happy Tuesday!

In case you weren't aware, today is election day in the U.S.

I hope everyone's planning on voting or already has voted!

Some part of me decided that I should wake up at like 5:30 am to go to my polling place right when it had just opened, so I was there before the sun had come out for the day. I cast my votes, then went home and went back to bed.

The election is officially out of my hands and in those of the people who still need to vote.

So, if you're reading this and you haven't already voted, please go vote. It's not hard, you can find your polling place with a simple google search. All you have to do is put your address in the box and it tells you where to vote.

Of course, you should probably also know what you're voting for, so if you don't know what offices and measures are going to be on your ballot, then check it out with another simple google search. 

Today was my fifth time voting in an election, and the first time I've voted in this district. I voted in my first election when I was 17 years old, actually, because I was registered for the general election, I was allowed to vote in the primary even though I wasn't 18 yet. Since Obama was incumbent in the 2012 primary, I voted in the Republican primary (in VA you don't have to be registered under a party to vote in that party's primary--you just tell them which ballot you want). I then voted in the 2012 presidential election (for Obama) and I also voted for marriage equality (I was voting in Maryland and that was one of the ballot measures that election). In 2014, I [absentee] voted Tim Kaine for VA Senator. In the primary this March, I [absentee] cast my vote for Bernie Sanders. And today, I cast my most well-prepared-for ballot, having done research on both of the ballot measures as well as the 5 separate offices I was voting on. 

Because voting isn't just about the presidential candidates.

So yes, vote for the presidential candidate you think is best suited for the job, but also look at what else is on your ballot.

I voted for the next mayor of Richmond City.
I voted for a Congressman.

I voted for a new City Council Representative for my District.

I voted for a new Richmond City Board of Education Representative for my District.

And I voted on two VA Constitutional Amendments: one regarding "right to work" in Virginia and one that, if passed, will allow localities to grant tax relief to those whose spouses lost their lives serving as police officers or fire fighters.

So, go. Vote. Do your patriotic duty.

If you don't, you don't get to complain about what happens.

xx,

Sienna

The Fierce Feminist

#OutInTheSunday and #SundayRunDay

Happy Sunday!

Today I'm getting out in the sun double (or more) my usual amount.

I started off the morning early, by waking up at 1:47 to use the toilet, then deciding to stay up to watch the clock go from 1:59 to 1:00 (something that I've always kind of wanted to do, but never wanted to stay up to do, so this was a super convenient coincidence--I can mark that one off my bucket list!)

But I didn't get up after that; I went back to sleep and slept until like 7:30 (which is the new 8:30) because I was behind on my sleep and this was the perfect opportunity to catch up a little bit.

Then I got up and went for a short run, because it was cold outside and the cold air always hurts my throat and lungs when I'm running (and thus breathing more) so I was only out for 20 minutes, but better 20 minutes than no minutes, right?

AND today I'm going apple picking! So that's gonna be a lot of fun and a great way to spend some quality time outside in the sun and with my mom and sister. I'm excited about it. I've been really digging apples lately, so this will be a nice way to get lots of exciting kinds of apples. But I'm definitely going to need to find some fun ways to use them other than just eating them because one can only eat but so many apples plain.

Anyway, those are my plans for the day! I hope everyone is looking forward to a great fall Sunday!

xx,

Sienna
The Fierce Feminist