The landlord was pulling the filter out of the air intake for the heater. I told him I needed to retrieve something before he vacuumed it out. My nephew, Max, who was in town for almost a week in mid-September, had shot a toy projectile into this floor intake. It took just a second, like most of the preparations for fall. I pulled the little blue piece of plastic out and soon everything was clean and ready to heat the house--whenever we decided it was cold enough to actually turn the heater on. My landlord and I joked about the possibility these lower gas prices are just a political bribe to all Americans.

This being an election year (which is kind of misleading to say since there are elections every year), I've been trying not to watch the demonizing TV ads. Apparently zombies and vampires and Frankensteins are running for office this year. If it's negative, they are shown in black and white (as if they are actually from horror movies of yesteryear). If it is positive (and I have to say the only positive ones I've seen lately have been for Governor Richardson, who is running against an opponent only in theory--his competitor has not spent any money on TV ads), they are in color with children and flags and old people. Sometimes there are dogs, but usually the candidate is relating to humans.

I don't like either candidate running for the House of Representatives in my district. The incumbent is, basically, a Republican lapdog. The challenger is, basically...I don't know what she is, but I don't like the look or sound of her. Apparently the strategy for Democrats in New Mexico this year is to NOT have televised debates, so I doubt if I'll get a clear picture of who she really is. But I can't say I like either one. Which is sad, but predictable. I don't, for the most part, like politicians.

I do have to vote, though. And I encourage everyone to vote for the least offensive person--either physically or emotionally or based on their voting record. Whatever. It's easy, just make up a reason to vote for whoever and follow through.

Everyone says this is an important election, but they say this every two years. It's always an important election. If we say it's not, then we aren't doing our duty as the world's beacon of light for democracy.

But no matter what happens, we aren't leaving Iraq next year. We aren't digging out of that hole until Bush and everyone else politically related to him have stopped being in power. So I have little hope of this truly being an "important" election. My only prediction is that more U.S. troops will die in Iraq (and Afghanistan) before we vote. And more will die after we vote, too.

At least the weather is nice, right?

I don't know about where everyone else lives, but this is the best time of year in Albuquerque. It gets warm during the day (low 80s this next week, much like last week), but cools off at night (50s). I don't have to use a heater or an air conditioner. I walk around the neighborhood and hear the sounds of people fixing things around the house, getting ready for winter. It's a happy sound. I get the feeling everyone is in a pretty good mood in Albuquerque right now. Despite not being able to see the UNM football team play on TV.

And so, with this great weather, I am in denial of most of this stupid election bullshit.

It seems, according to Bob Woodward, the President is in denial as well. Not about the election, but about what his policies have done to the good Americans who half voted for him. I'm sure he doesn't care much about what the negative half say, but you'd think he'd care about the ones who were duped into voting for him again in 2004. But then, maybe it wasn't actually half. Maybe he doesn't have to care about them either because the deciding votes were cast by overzealous voting machines. This is how they will take over, you see. The machines will vote in--on their own--the worst people (in terms of policy) in the world. And we'll just chop each other up and leave the planet to the machines.

Did my vote count last time? It didn't seem to. I think every question and state constitutional amendment and person I voted for in 2004 lost. So maybe that's what I voted for: them to lose. And boy, did we lose.

But no! You won't catch me being too negative. I won't cast everyone in black and white. I want the fall colors to stand out. I want balloons to rise in the morning and leaves to fall in the afternoon. I will keep my TV on mute and lament the early demise of all of my football teams. But I will lament with a smile and this caveat: there is always next year.

There will always be another lovely autumn to enjoy.

Matt Worley plans to read all of Bob Woodward's books about the Bush Presidency when it all really is history, and he has a different Prez to make fun of.