The trick with progress is working out when it's occurring
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Unfortunately, elections are rarely a good indicator and today's state poll doesn't offer much hope.
Still, we have to vote because it's illegal not to, and who doesn't love a good hung Parliament.
Not that I'm complacent about democracy.
Winston Churchill was right when he said it's the worst form of government, except for all the others.
And who wants to get shot, right?
Riding to work lately I notice the sun is sitting lower in the sky and the days are getting shorter.
Winter is coming, just like the final series of Game of Thrones, and if you believe the pundits a chilly fate awaits the Berejiklian government too. Or the people of NSW, depending on how you look at it.
And when you do, you get a real squint peering ahead.
Trying to work out where we're heading.
On my bike, I mean. And with this election too.
It's been easy to lose focus because of all the carnage coming out of Canberra.
Sco Mo, Big Mac, Big Barnaby and even bigger George Christenson - banging on about coal and how hard it can be to maintain a marriage. Blame it Paris.
No one seemed to notice the state election until the state pollies started begging the federal pollies to shut up.
It's snuck up and feels like we'll have to set the alarm to vote. Or maybe just be alarmed.
It seems like only yesterday we voted out one of the most scandalous Labor Party governments in memory.
Eddie Obeid, Joe Tripodi and the gang.
Handing out jobs for the boys and keeping the snout outrageously jammed in the trough.
It's all well and good to keep the bastards honest, but gees they made it tough.
Out they went, though, and in came Gladys.
Well actually it was Mike Baird, with Luke Foley leading the opposition.
Both of them soon fell by the wayside. Baird deciding to take time out to be with his family and become a banker. Foley in the wake of sexual harrassment allegations.
It can be hard keeping up but now it's game on again.
Will the voters of NSW inform Gladys and her government to get on their bike?
Or her tram, or supercar or slip out of the port her government leased to the Chinese.
I'm sure Newcastle voters will have a view on that.
Not that it will affect what happens in the Hunter.
It'll be Labor all the way, just like every other state election, except for that funny one that ended with the brown paper bag.
On the off chance Labor opposition leader Michael Daley does win government, you doubt he'll undo any changes, because as they say in politics, that's progress.
Hard to recognise in the moment, even harder after an election.