Poll?

Last night, caller id shows - Illinois Wesleyan. Chris grabs the phone quickly as there is a recruiter calling frequently from there. Nope - it is a college student doing a poll and needs the adult with the most recent birthday - and hands the phone to me.

Usually, I hang up on these people - but it's a college student and I imagined it was some class project that she dreaded anyway. So - I listen. Poll my fanny! It was a stinkin quiz! She asked about 50 questions about which candidate supported what - intermingled with personal questions (ex: do I watch the news regularly). I even told her that this was not a poll! She giggled - glad I could entertain. I was very frustrated with one question - which candidate asked a paraplegic to stand. I guessed McCain since I could not remember for the life of me and then asked her to tell me the right answer. She told me I had to wait until the end. It was Biden in case anyone was curious. I did get the pregnant daughter and the wardrobe questions right. I couldn't remember which was for school vouchers and wanted more nuclear power plants. Those were the questions that stuck out in my mind. She was just firing them at me!

It actually bothered me. I am a huge news person. I watch the nightly news with Brian - read msnbc over my lunch - and I love the Sunday morning political round tables. There were several answers that I had to guess at! Either I have no retention whatsoever or I am zoning out on the issues? Wow... I was surprised at myself - and even questioned how normal - non-newsy people know what is going on out there? Gossip? Husband's opinions? Church opinions? Boggles the mind thinking about it.

Another thought - when did I become my dad? He watched all of those Sunday shows - and it drove me crazy as a kid. How boring can TV be??? I love the news now - I like to keep on top of things - people ask me frequently about all sorts of topics... Right now, my favorite topic is the flooding in North Dakota - we have a lot of COUNTRY agent offices in ND, especially in Fargo & Morehead, MN (they are next door to each other for non-geography people) so it is fascinating to me. The worst flooding we have had is 3 inches in our basement when we had the monsoon rains a few years ago - I have a hard time relating to some 20 feet over floodstage - not inches but feet!

I try to have my kids watch at least the national news with me - Mellisa loves Brian Williams - that makes me feel good. At least one of my kids seems to care about the activity in the world!