Pleasant greetings.

Can it get any more exciting in life than it is right now?

Come on, boys and girls.

As if college football, college soccer, high school homecomings, dog fashion shows, Apple Day, contradancing, holiday bazaars, Audubon trips, and costume balls are not enough, it is election time too!

In just a few days, the recent daze of my post office box haze will be over. The trash bins at area post offices will be back to junk mail without political spam.

No more duplicate and triplicate candidate endorsements.

No more multi-colored giant postcard size cryptic explanations of propositions, initiatives and House joint resolutions with silly numbers like 4223.

Alas, boys and girls, after Election Night, we will have no more fun arguing about politics, parties and pressure groups until next summer’s primary.

With this is mind, I have been about my neighborhood assisting those who find little joy in voting for or against confusing initiatives, negatory candidates or unopposed non-partisans.

Can it get any more boring than voting for an unopposed candidate?

Is this why our forefathers fought for our foremothers’ voting rights?

What kind of fore score is this?

Eight of the 17 offices listed on our mail order ballot are unopposed candidates. Almost half or 47.05882 percent.

So, my advice to all un-enthused voters is to take advantage of our opportunity to write-in the names and political parties of our family and friends in lieu of voting for the guy or gal who is going to win anyway.

Have fun with your vote!

We contacted the office of the unopposed incumbent county auditor Suzanne Sinclair to ascertain any restrictions on the write-in process.

“Hi, I am voting for several write-in candidates today and was wondering if it matters if I am wrong about their political party. I see that we are required to add that information.”

“If the write-in for whom you are voting has not been certified by the state or county, you must add his or her political party designation. If the candidate is certified, we already know the political affiliation and this information need not be added. Of course, you have the right to not vote for an office or an initiative as stated in the code.”

“Thanks very much. You have a fascinating job.”

So, make sure that you add the political party of your write-in candidate.

For example, if you were to do as I have, and I am not saying that you should because I am motivated by fun in voting, not function, consider a write-in of Judge Peter Strow (R) on the line below his son Chris Strow (R), unopposed candidate incumbent in the office of State Representative District 10.

Of course, I know Chris and have always voted for him in the past when he was opposed by something other than a blank space.

Why not write-in a vote for his Dad for the fun of it?

Write-in for Peter Strow twice, once against his son and once against himself.

Note that Judge Strow is designated NP or non-partisan in his judicial race.

However, placing an NP by his name as a fun write-in against son Chris could disqualify a vote for Dad Strow as State Rep. since NP is not deemed a political party like D, R, G, L, P or I.

Vanna, can we buy another vowel and solve the puzzle?

Not knowing if Judge Strow is an R or a D or an L or a G or a P or an I, I went with R. After all, the Judge has 2 R’s already in his name.

To satisfy the Washington code, I did write Judge Peter H. Strow (R) on the write-in line below his name Peter H. Strow (NP) in his judicial race.

Because I am unsure how the auditor’s office will count that vote, I filled in the square to the left of Peter H. Strow (NP) in blue ink and the square to the left of my handwritten Peter H. Strow (R) in black ink.

Although I preferred using ink that

was orange and black, the school colors of Princeton where Judge Strow matriculated, I wanted to honor the county auditor’s official ballot request to “Please use a black or blue ink pen to mark your choices on the ballot.”

Other write-ins who enhanced my voting pleasure include Soroptimist President Lynn Tippery (R) for Island County Sheriff, Tom Kennedy (D) for County Coroner, Laura Blankenship (I) for State Representative District 10 Position 2, Verlaine Gabelein (R) for U.S. Representative District 2, and Yvonne (G) of Freeland Café for State Supreme Court Justice.

I almost wrote-in Margaret (H) from Neil’s, but I did not want to slight Peggy, another great veteran at Neil’s who can wield a gavel with the best of them.

Whether you are marking your mail-order ballot while drinking a Grey Goosefoot martini in the den or a Bud Light in the kitchen or a Vernor’s Ginger Soda in the garage, kick back and relax and enjoy the moment.

Maybe kick back is the wrong term.

Our voting adventure is freedom in action.

We can now vote by mail, when we want, where we want and dressed in whatever Halloween costume we care to share.

For me, it was a no-brainer.

Before marking my ballot, I cross-dressed like the pioneer heroes of women’s rights — Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia Mott.

I put on a nice plaid cotton dress with a high collar, some pointed high-heels and a “Vote for Reece Rose” button.

My hair was in a bun while I sat on mine.

I played Sousa marches while voting for our state offices and resolutions, then switched to the best of Spike Jones and the City Slickers in honor of our county officials.

While signing my voter’s affidavit, solemnly swearing under my breath and under penalty of perjury, I played Peggy Lee’s “Is That All There Is?”

You gotta love this country.

Where else on the planet can you have this much fun in your own kitchen?

Remember — Don’t forget to vote!

It’s the write on thing to do.