I am a nothing - politically speaking, that is.

Today, Primary Day, I am not able to fully participate in our electoral process since I am not enrolled in a political party.

That wasn't always the case.

Back when I was a senior at Keveny Memorial Academy in Cohoes, one of my proudest moments was the day my Urban Affairs teacher, Sister Alethea Connolly, took a group of us to the Albany County Board of Elections to register to vote. Sister Alethea was a terrific teacher who instilled a passion for the political process in her students. While we were at the Board of Elections, she urged all of us to consider enrolling in the political party of our choice so we could fully participate in the process.

To be honest, I wanted to be able to vote in primaries, but I wasn't sure in which party to enroll. In the end, I chose the Democratic party, and, over the next few years, I enjoyed voting in the various primaries and general elections.

As the years went by and I moved into leadership roles at The Record, I decided it was inappropriate for me to be enrolled in a political party if I was going to be directing local news coverage so I dropped my party enrollment.

I knew it was the correct decision, but when primary days rolled around, I found myself remembering how much I enjoyed participating fully in our electoral process.

When I took a buyout at the end of June after 39 years at The Record, I had a lot of things on my plate and it slipped my mind that I was now free to join a political party and vote once again on Primary Day. Oh well, there's always next year.

Today, there are many competitive races on the ballot throughout our region, and I can't wait to find out who wins.

In Cohoes, my hometown, Dianne Rigney Nolin and Shawn Morse are vying for the Democratic nod to become the city's next mayor since incumbent Mayor George Primeau decided against seeking re-election. I've known Dianne for a lot of years since we were classmates at Keveny; I met Shawn many years ago, too, through my job at The Record. Both candidates deserve praise for wanting to serve their fellow citizens and help keep the Spindle City moving forward.

In Troy, my longtime professional hometown, all eyes are on the Democratic primary for mayor. Incumbent Mayor Lou Rosamilia decided not to seek a second term, and political newcomer Ernest Everett Jr., TRIP executive director Patrick Madden and City Council President Rodney Wiltshire are seeking the backing of the city's Democratic voters to go up against Republican Jim Gordon in November with the winner becoming the next mayor of the Collar City.

There are also several Green Party, Working Families Party and Independence Party primaries on the ballot in Troy today for various city positions as well as a Republican Party primary for Rensselaer County Sheriff with Pat Russo and Scott Ryan vying for the GOP nod.

And that's just a quick look at a few of the contests on the ballot today.

Voter turnout for primaries is normally notoriously low and experts are already predicting today's results will be more of the same. Do me a favor: If you are enrolled in a party with a primary on today's ballot, please get out and vote. Defy the "experts," and don't be a political nothing like me.

P.S. Since I took a buyout from The Record, I've been asked many times if I miss my job. For the most part, I honestly don't. Yes, I miss my coworkers and the people I worked with in the community over the years, but I had a terrific career for 39 years and I sincerely was ready for a new challenge. Days like today, however, I find myself a bit envious of my successor, Charlie Kraebel, who gets to plan the Primary Day coverage and work with our wonderfully talented reporters. Or maybe I'm just missing that pizza we always ordered for the newsroom on voting days. I don't think so!

Last week, I took a day off from work and journeyed west — all 302 miles in four hours and 20 minutes to be precise! — to my alma mater, St. Bonaventure University in Olean.

The purpose of my trip was to pick up my niece Elizabeth and a good chunk of her worldly possessions —  at least it seemed that way when I was going up and down three flights of stairs in her dorm — and bring her home for the summer. Elizabeth, an Averill Park High School graduate, just completed her sophomore year at the Franciscan university.

Uncle Sam statue in Troy

As I drove through downtown Olean, waiting for her to finish up her last final, I realized something was missing from my life.

I think it was all those darn squirrels placed around town as part of the Woodland in the City project that did it to me.

And what's missing from my life?

It's those Uncle Sam statues that were placed around downtown Troy until they were auctioned off in an online bidding process last  December. I loved driving through the Collar City, eyeing those patriotic gents on the various street corners always made my day.

Seeing those painted 4-foot tall, fiberglass squirrels in Olean made me nostalgic for all those Uncle Sams so I made a few stops to take some photos. While they' no Uncle Sam, some of them are cute and some of them are "interesting."

Check out two of my squirrel photos below:

Lady Justice in Olean

Ronald McSquirrel in Olean

Apparently this worldwide public art craze for over-sized fiberglass statues start in 1999 with cows in Chicago, moved on to guitars in Cleveland and Labrador retrievers in Aspen, Colorado. Buffalo soon was bedecked with buffaloes and Erie, Pennsylvania put up frogs.

Oh well, if I can't see Uncle Sam, I can still take delight in those fiberglass statues when I go up to Saratoga Springs twice a week to work. If you look closely on the busy main streets of the Spa City, you can still find a horse or two or a ballet slipper en pointe.

A horse at the Saratoga City Center

A ballet shoe near Stewart's in Saratoga.

The horses have decorated downtown Saratoga since 2002, while the ballet shoe sculptures joined the local arts scene last year as part of a project called Saratoga En Pointe! As any local dance enthusiast knows, the Spa City is home to the annual Dance Flurry Festival and the National Museum of Dance and features performances by the New York City Ballet each summer.

I guess there are enough statues still around to help me stop missing Uncle Sam!

My late mother, Nancy Whalen Robert, used to tell me that I was born three days late and I've been late ever since.

With that thought in mind, I am late — but I am sincere — in offering congratulations to Marla Ortega of the Illium Café on Broadway in Troy.

In case you didn't hear, Marla won $18,000 for her culinary talents and grocery shopping skills on the Food Network's "Guy’s Grocery Games," hosted by TV personality Guy Fieri. Four chef moms went head-to-head on national television in a special Mother’s Day episode of the game show for the chance to win a maximum of $20,000.

The Ilium is one of the many fine restaurants Troy has to offer diners. I love going there for lunch; Marla has a knack for making the ordinary into the extraordinary by adding the nicest touches to her meals.

For the complete account on Marla's accomplishment, read reporter Lauren Halligan's story at http://bit.ly/1g3SSO9

Also, check out the rebroadcast of the competition on the Food Network at 7 p.m. Saturday, May. 17.