It's D-Day, my friends.

This election cycle has been exhausting. The stress has reached a nearly unbearable level. There has been no way to switch off the relentless noise. Even if you're not on social media, it's around you every waking moment: the endless TV attack ads, the robocalls, newspapers and magazines, yard signs, bumper stickers. We've all been "opinioned" to death. I don't know a single person who hasn't been heartily sick of it all for months. Even my friends in other countries are burned out. As for me, I'm dead tired of this shit show (pardon my language, but that's truly what it has been: a shit show), especially because I voted more than a week ago. As long as I can remember, for every presidential election I've ever participated in I cast my ballot on the big day, but this time around I have a feeling that there'll be very long lines and possibly some ugly or even violent behavior, so I took care of it on October 27th. I've never in my life given my personal safety a second thought when voting. This was a first, and I don't like it. (IMPORTANT: if you are experiencing any form of voter intimidation, go to THIS site for help.)

Onward and upward! I sincerely hope that whatever the country decides, we all accept it graciously and peacefully, agree to move on, and begin to work together. We cannot continue as a nation when we are as incredibly at odds as we have been the last year and a half. It's time to put our differences aside, understand that compromise is not a dirty word, and learn to respect one another again.

Now get out there and vote! Happy election day, people! Our long national nightmare is nearly over -- that's something to celebrate!

(BTW, if you're curious, these are real street names in Colorado Springs. Clinton Way is near Patty Jewett/Bonnie Park and Trump Avenue is on Knob Hill.)