Archive
red faced and wind blown
Life continues at a pretty fast pace. Been rolling hard since 5:00 am and its a Sunday. Feel good though and found time for some fun. I woke up bolt awake pretty early and didn’t fight it but just got up. Made my first batch of the new batch of coffees and started with a Light Roast Sumatran. It was pretty good but made it a little weak. I didn’t have much gave 1/2 the batch to Jane for coming to my house yesterday for another photo shoot. We did some torso shots and got some with me with the dog. We have plans for the dog photo but I want it to be a surprise. Jane also brought Ursula her Pyrenees 11 month old puppy and she plays good with Fido. He led her on a merry game of chase being his home turf and he practices his routes. He enjoyed that more then photos.
I did some busy work on the computer and emailing photos took a lot of time and effort because the file size was so large. Watched some Laurel and Hardy while I was doing that and This Week with George Stephanopolis. Bout the best thing on the handful of channels I get. Read the paper too but selectively, reading the whole thing cover to cover is a luxury I can no longer afford.
I also made stew so I would have food to eat this week. I took some stew meat and rolled it in whole wheat flour and browned in olive oil. Cooked a couple of local onions in the drippings and scraped all that in the slow cooker. Added a can of green enchilada sauce, maybe a 1/4 of jar of spaghetti sauce and the rinse water from the containers. Chunked in 3 russet potatoes, 4 smallish local turnips and 4 carrots plus some dried tomatoes I got from the Sellmeyers. Added 4 big cloves of Michigan garlic, going to be sad when that is gone. Its a ways until fresh garlic comes in. Added some Braggs, Worcestershire sauce, Oregano and fresh ground pepper and let that cook a few hours. Then I added a can of green beans and some frozen peas and corn. and let that cook while Ann and I hit some doors for a few hours.
I’ve been doing the Vanderveen neighborhood and finished that today. Its been interesting hitting a high poverty area. People just look really flattered that a politician would come and ask them about what they want in the city. Few of them have complaints or issues. I come back with that’s OK they were’nt planning on a pop quiz on their front porch and tell them a little about my approach of focusing on neighborhoods. Did two trailer parks, the projects and a former trailer park that was brought into the city. Found a number of folks who don’t speak English. They’re is a Rising Sun social club in the neighborhood and they must facilitate civic engagement. Seems worth reaching out to. There is also a Hindu Temple. I love Columbia.
Still struggling to find hosts for yard signs. Its hard to go from I’ve never heard of you to I’ll advertise for you in 5 minutes. Had a couple long conversations and still couldn’t win a yard sign commitment. The burly guy with no pants on I thought was a shoe in. I came in when he invited me but stayed close to the door. It was a trailer so I knew he didn’t have a cage in the basement. He had some issues though and seemed like a player in his neighborhood so it was worth taking the risk and the time to make a connection.
Anne was outside, started calling me after 5 minutes so I would have an excuse to step out but I didn’t notice. Finally gave up on vibrate and am going to learn to live with the phone ringing. Doesn’t do much good to have a cell phone if I never know when I get a call.
Worked hard to get maybe 80 doors. There is no concentration of April voters, a house here and a house there. Plus we took a break for stew and coffee. Made the damn coffee week again and gave the rest to Ann. I roasted a Rwandan this morning when I did laundry. Hung it out to dry even though the weather was calling for not getting above freezing. It was breezy and sunny and ended up being kind of nice. Though 2 days outside and my skin is dry and my face feels warm from being wind blown. I skipped a shower, starting to get dry skin. Will try to move to every other day showering but I’ve got appearances this week. Labor Club Meet and Greet, Valentine’s Date. At least two other meetings to go to possibly a third tomorrow.
Knocked off just a tad early, wasn’t worth going out to start a new neighborhood. Allowed me to get my clothes while it was still light. Then I did some follow up calls. Still back on last weeks. Gotta get caught up, maybe a 1/2 hour after the Labor Club, maybe I can get some in before that if I don’t have to go to the transit public meeting. Only got a half hour of calls in before I went over to Harry’s for dinner and The Walking Dead. The second part of season 2 is off to a strong start. Impressive stuff. It was nice to relax and do something like what I used to.
Peak Experience
Wrote this yesterday morning but it didn’t post so here it is now:
Looking at all that is going on in my life it has really been one of the most dynamic and positive periods that I’ve ever had. The campaign is going really well. Then next door I hit will be number 500 the days are getting longer and I have upped my goal from 2,000 to 3,000 which means I will knock on every door of every voter whose voted in any of the last four April elections. Fundraising is lagging but we put some energy towards that and got some hits. We’ll see if checks start appearing in the mail again.
There was a raise on my paycheck I didn’t expect. Its not a lot but its the first since the economy went to crap. I am enjoying my new work in program development. Thursday was an especially cool day. I went from doing general research to a brainstorm session with the boss and a grant writer on speaker phone and we kicked around some ideas and something went from a thought I had to a program description with a budget by the end of the day. It might exist in the real world in September.
It was pay day and I like to get a paper check and go to the bank. Remember nothing is worth doing unless its worth doing like they did in the 19th Century. That inspired me to finish my paperwork and gather my documents for refinancing the house. Took a look at the numbers going to lower my payment by a buck fifty and take 10 years off the mortgage. I am well on my way to having the place paid off, easily in 10, possibly in 5 and then we’re talking serious financial freedom. Work one year in five. Write the great American novel. Finish the Appalachian Trail, whatever.
I also have a date tonight. Yesterday at work I was talking with a client about her follow up with a family doctor I had set up and she said she was supposed to quit smoking on account of her asthma. It hit me it was February 10 and I was two years cigarette free. I called my no smoking coach to thank her and left a message. She called me back last night and invited me to dinner, since I’d eaten, we made it for tonight. Things just continue to fall in place.
I read Marcus Aurelius every night to keep me level. This time will pass like all the other times that have passed. Stay in the now, listen closely, act with honor whatever your station. Don’t be afraid.
i heard there was a game on?
Getting up and getting a glass of tea and writing a blog post was a good move last night. Got those thoughts out of my head and I was tired by the end, holding off sleep for a good break in the narrative. Sharing the parts of the tale I didn’t want to forget. And then sleep. Grand total of 8 hours, first time in weeks and I felt good. Not the sleep deprived dangerous kind of good but well rested and normal kind of good. I might have a new strategy going.
I got up moving a little slow. The rain scheduled for today was cancelled so washed a couple of loads and got them on the line. Got some local grass fed ground beast out of the freezer so I would be obligated to cook, best day of the week to do so, even though still have leftovers back. Did some dishes and read the paper. Then I got a couple of phone calls and lost my window to call power brokers before having to get ready for the daily canvass.
Left a note on the front door to come on in and was in the shower when my driver arrived. Started in the most distant part of the neighborhood and what I thought would be the awkward to walk spots. Then I did this area I didn’t really know existed. Off the beaten path and this suburban wonderland of adequate infrastructure and comfortable homes. A beautiful day with lots of kids outside playing. Unknowingly hit the house of one of my clients, which hit home the wisdom of giving up my clinical load.
I’m getting faster and no one had issues. Got some houses of folks who had signed my petition. Arranged for more yard signs. Nice having consistent success with that pitch, I’ve been slack on it, not wanting to go from never heard of you to sure I’ll advertise for you in five minutes. Meeting people who know me from the paper. Someone from the dog park, big supporter, big hater of my opponent the “dog nazi” and she waffled on a sign, but came through.
My driver had a meeting so I came home dealt with emails and had some leftovers for lunch. I had made a big salad for breakfast (leaf lettuce, cucumber, with local spinach, broccoli, & fenugreek sprouts with swiss cheese, salami and my homemade mustard dressing). I also brought in the laundry as Fido wouldn’t go outside without me.
Still got out and got some doors, met people who were glad their neighbor was running, getting a lot of signs. It was nice being able to leave from my front door and getting comfortable off my usual rap since some I’d asked to sign my petition. Second to the last door, the guy with the antique firetruck who wasn’t on my list but I wanted to touch base said to get home to watch the game. Then I realized why that one house I skipped was having a party. Still stopped at my progressive friends and chatted some but they were expecting pizza and had the game on.
I would’ve watched it myself but its not on the one channel I get (gotta get some triple A batteries). Would have ordered pizza but my earlier self knew my weak willed self really wanted to cook dinner after a long and hard day of door knocking. Its ground round so I browned it in a little olive oil and added a big onion from the market and half a yellow pepper as well as some broccoli, spinach, and a couple of local roasted jalapenos out of the freezer and some garlic from the Monroe market. Added some spaghetti sauce as I am living largely can free thank you very much until they stop putting BPA in the liner. Then I added Mrs. Dash, fresh ground cumin and mustard seed, and a chipotle’ bullion cube. Thought about thickening it but didn’t. Ate it on toast with some of my homemade hot bread and butter pickles and some garlic olives. Pretty yummy.
Then I took Fido for a walk because he was acting like a spaz all evening. Today was his off day but tomorrow is a nightmare day (for him) of work, door knocking, dinner with Trevor, City Council meeting. I would have had to gotten his walk in before work to stay on schedule and I can’t count on waking bolt awake at five every morning, or four or three as the case may be. Some day all this will feel normal and I will just sleep like a normal person. right?
and then earlier
Was tired last night and went to bed early, 9:00 pm. Probably a mistake because instead of waking at 3 I woke at 2. I forced myself to do some progressive relaxation. Cleared my mind but didn’t help me go back to sleep. I’m done with that stuff. 5 hours is the new normal. On the plus side it’ll add hours to my day but there are down sides. Once things slow at work and that should be Tuesday unless I truly am a workaholic (I think not, I think I just care about people and believe in working hard) will make a doctor’s appointment for that trazodone I’ve been fantasizing about.
I think the real deal is that my brain is in overload with swallowing all the changes in my life, new information pouring in, new challenges, new activities, tons of new people. No time to process it all. I am one to take things a little slower. Takes time to ruminate, look at it from a more relaxed and creative space. That’s why my thoughts seem intrusive at night and sleep is elusive. Maybe blogging will help. At least I am not bogged down with doubt or second guessing. There are a lot of political calculations that go into even a local race and I am able to see some errors but I am doing a lot of things right as well.
There is a local guy who aggregates local news and writes some columns. He declared me the winner in my race, “thoughtful and eloquent”. I had a narrow lead on the online poll in spite of not voting for myself or gaming the system. I’m not above pointing out a poll to some friends, created some votes for Confederacy of Dunces in the library One Read program. (Next year I will create more. They don’t respect the intellectual capacity of the common person and that will not stand.) But you have to be an online subscriber and I am a read an actual piece of paper kind of guy. I tried to buy the online subscription but couldn’t figure out how to add it on to my subscription. I will have to call their subscription desk I guess. I have an outlet that stopped working too. I checked the fuses and they were cool, the outside light on the same switch works so it can’t be that. Its hard to be poor and helpless. My broken step needs attention, scares the house guests. Think I’ll pop over to gmail and start dealing with that one right now. Done.
Let out a big yawn, maybe getting up in the middle of the night and blogging was not a bad idea. I might have zoned out in front of the TV but only one channel comes in and it was an infomercial. I also drank some ice tea that has some of that Organic Nighty Night, powerful stuff.
Hit a lot of doors, did a lot of walking. Walked Fido early and no one was at the park so we took a lap around a pond and then a woman with her standard poodle came and they played a bit and I chatted her up and gave her a card. Sarah came over and laid out my turf and we finished my first precinct. She drove, kept me organized and walked with me. It made it fun on a cold and drizzly, to outright rain that could have been miserable. We had Korean for lunch (they stopped doing the Be Bim Bop in a stone bowl, won’t be eating there again any time soon).
I went out again and got more doors. Doing my own precinct now. Did my street and found less support then I’d hoped. It would be nice to generate more signs. Missed a couple of houses including one I’d hoped to hit up for some money. Don’t have very many friends, or neighbors for that matter, with dollars. But I had forgotten the West was off their address so they were in a different place. Had to change my patter being I had hit most of them up for signatures to get on the ballot and after a long day in the rain I wasn’t as shiny as I would have liked. Got back on my rhythm (big word for no vowels) but by then to late for my street.
Called a couple of sitting councilpersons. Had long talks so didn’t have to arrange meetings. Both very supportive and encouraging with some good tidbits. Mostly keep doing what you’re doing, talking to voters, steering clear of trouble. Finished my follow up calls and ready to go to bed early and sleep the sleep of the just. Feel ready to give it another try now. thanks for reading faithful reader, looking forward to bringing the blog back public soon and mixing it up. Using it more for therapy these days. Let these rampant thoughts out, decompress. sleep.
up early again
Woke up about 3:00, forced myself to stay in bed until 5:00. Had a long and strange dream. I had gone back to Amsterdam but it seemed more like Austin. I was following up on some mystery from my last visit but it was more like a detective show then the actual mysteries I encountered in my eventful Amsterdam trip. There was political intrigue. I remember being in the situation where I knew I couldn’t remember most of what had happened in the last trip so people knew me but I didn’t know them. I remember someone taking my car. Eventually I encounter these business guys who did it and they think it is a pretty funny bit of hazing and I remember grabbing this heavyset bald guy in a suit and telling him that he just committed a felony and that if this shit doesn’t end right now I am having him prosecuted. I remember walking around with people I know through long tenement type apartment buildings and walking through people’s apartments and introducing ourselves. Flea markets with a big radio station promotion.
“Are you awake now?” I ask myself lying in bed allowing the details of the dream to come back in my mind. Dreams are cool and well worth cultivating. They’re just thoughts that we experience differently. The visual acuity, the sense of emotion, the heavy emotive content and lack of logic and social norms. The overall feeling (really the only thing that matters in dream interpretation) was one of discovery and adventure. A challenged sense of purpose that bounces back strong. Only a touch of confusion and that tempered by acceptance. I must be in a good place. Fido too, he slept in his own room last night.
Might take him for a walk even though I just did yesterday. I’ve got the time. All the house really needs is dishes done. Too rainy for laundry and it will force me to delve into my second tier dress clothes. All the walking and Marcus Aurelius is getting me more fit and trim. Wouldn’t mind growing down into some of my older dress shirts for example. My brown pants are fitting nice where I used to not be able to wear them with a shirt tucked in and they had fallen into the only to be worn in a pinch category.
Glad to have a tough week behind me at work. Closing or transferring all my cases has been grueling. A lot of details and good documentation essential for the hand off. Saying goodbye. “Mike, sorry I missed our appt. can I reschedule” “Well actually no you can’t, sorry I didn’t get to see you…good luck with the next guy”. I’m the only one who really meets people where they’re at all the time without exception. Some clients need that, everyone likes it. Everyone gets a step down in service.
The advantage of being a human being who talks to other human beings instead of the dis-empowering counselor to client relationship is they all care about me as a person too. Even though it sucks for them, none of them like people stepping out of their lives, they are happy for me and want me to be happy. They are proud to see me looking good and stepping into the spotlight. They know what I can do and can imagine that in the City Council. But its sad nonetheless.
I had a driver for my doors last night. Ann is a pilot and an interesting character who had some good tips and some things I hadn’t thought about. We hit the scattered houses in the precinct in the brand new neighborhood. All this generic America development. It was rainy and we saw the construction sites running with water mud pouring into the feeder creeks. In one site we saw the barrier material still in its rolls while the red mud pours into the creek. Everyone has a security system. The few people at home are content with the city. My picture and quotations are in that days paper and no one knows who I am.
Sarah is driving me today, might try her hand at door knocking. I am afraid its a little early for a surrogate. It definitely bombed when I tried having some help with signature gathering. If Sarah wants to do it we’ll give it a shot. Mostly she wants to hang out and be supportive which I appreciate. I got caught up on my follow up calls but it seemed late to be calling my assigned political contacts I need to reach out to. That’ll be today, Lord Willing and the creek don’t rise. Its supposed to be a rainy one. Need to figure out better plastic for my clipboard. Tried a comicbook bag cut in half which has the right size but was to flimsy.
The garage is flooded. I’ll need to get the subpump outflow extension back on track I suspect. Should have left well enough alone when I was messing in there. Dad usually had a reason for doing stuff. I miss him this morning. His wisdom, his unabashed self interest, which I always seem to run a little short on and causes me trouble.
Ordered beans yesterday. Will run short and probably have to pick up half a pound. Don’t even know if Z-Best is still at the market been roasting my own for so long. I’ll chat ’em up if they’re there. I hope the bread lady has some sliced. I ate the last of Jeff’s last night. I’d make myself some eggs but no bread. Eggs have been around awhile and will probably hard boil them. That or get the bacon out of the freezer. A pound of bacon is a big commitment for a household of one. (Sorry Fido no salt and nitrates for you buddy, I want you to live to be 20 so you’ll stay on dog cereal.)
Guess I’ll get my second cup of coffee, made it stronger today as this Guat is not that flavorful, hope the next is better. Got a Guat, Sumatran, Ethiopian and a Rwandan for the next round. Was going to treat myself to a pound of Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain, damn the expense but they’re both out of season.
its all downhill from here
Good morning faithful reader. At least for now that’s all that gets to see these words as we travel down the campaign road largely in privateblogstealthmode. I had the Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t as prepared I would have liked. I got my intro and closing written but didn’t put together any notes to refer to in the general questions section. All in all it wasn’t terrible. If I picked a winner I would have said Bill Pauls. He seemed pretty comfortable, hit on his experience and came off as an affable insider with majority views. In the newspaper coverage I got tagged for supporting the hotel tax increase to expand the airport. A candidate in the other race got the line about bringing in partners which I was advised to take.
I still feel like spending my time talking to voters, getting organized and mounting a serious door to door to effort is better then the meeting with city officials and working on your sound bites approach of the other candidates which seem to be some of the other candidates approach. I suspect I won more votes in my 1/2 hour of furious door knocking then anyone did in the Chamber Forum or the newspaper coverage after. We shall see in April.
I am getting better at this being furiously busy. Was up a little early so made dinner in the crock pot before work. I took a pork loin and rolled in whole wheat flour and browned in a little olive oil. Rubbed it down in the spice mix my sister Betty made for Christmas presents and threw in with some black eyed peas I’d soaked, a couple carrots, garlic, a green and a yellow bell pepper, and some onion powder (my last onion was rotten). Put in a pint of water (less would have been better, I thought the beans would absorb more) and some “better then bullion”. It was good in my post door knocking rest break.
After that I went to a Legislative Forum by the League of Women Voters. Met a few folks and renewed relationships with some Democrats I had chatted up at the Chili Supper. Took grief for my muted tie from the same guy who gave me grief for my loud tie at the Chili Supper. I told him at least I bought this one new. How long before people notice I really only have one nice dress shirt? I’ve got a number of short sleeves but my Anarchist “A” on my forearm might give some of the electorate pause.
The forum was pretty fun. We have a funny and smart state house legislative delegation. I even like the Republican Kurt Schafer and Chris Kelly our house guy is really hilarious. They cross the aisle and get shit done which I appreciate why Stills and Weber make the lonely good fight in near supermajority Republican state which I also appreciate.
Came home and slept the sleep of the just. Continuing to read some Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, my political hero. Was considering using a piece of his for my final Ed Group this morning. Its been hitting me hard and challenging me to be less of a slave to passion. I am working on new piece based on his ideas, let me see if I remember the opening stanza I wrote yesterday morning. Living alone gives the great pleasure of being able to walk around house singing nonsense to yourself. If you haven’t tried it, please do.
“Anything done without intention
Can do damage to the soul
From the harsh word said when you are angry
To eating a doughnut when you’re full”
Tough words to live by, but the promise is freedom and serenity. Well worth having bouncing around my head. Might keep me from swinging through the Taco Bell drive through when I feel entitled.
rocked on through the weekend
Its Sunday night at 9:22. I’m pretty tired but mind is spinning a bit. I made a jar of sun tea and put in one pack of the Organic Nighty Night tea that was snowing me. I also put in a ginger and a couple of chai. Thought it might be good at night. Thinking about a doctor’s appt. on the insomnia. There is a sleeping pill called Trazodone, a tricyclic anti-depressant they mostly use as a sleeper these days. It builds up a level in your system so it doesn’t have the problem of tolerance and dependence that goes along with all the other sleepers and why I even use the tea sparingly.
I’m tired though and expect to sleep well. Got a load of laundry done and another on the line and pretty much caught up on that front. I don’t have a large array of dress clothes. This week the big night will be Thursday with the Chamber candidate forum and a Legislator forum where I will have to try to meet people at the Library. It will also allow me to see what to expect when I do mine with the League of Women Voters.
I knocked on about fifty doors today. It was sunny and in the 50s I think. I was in a jacket some, in a sweater some, and put both on for the final push. Didn’t win a lot of commitments but had lots of positive interactions and only one “We’re not interested” before I got half way up the driveway. I think they thought I was a Jehovah’s Witness or something.
I’m a little congested and feel like I fought off a cold or the flue. Tomorrow I have a site visit at work with the Missouri Institute of Mental Health so I need to go in a little early and pull some charts and do a quick walk through. It’ll at least be a day off the grind. Monday night is big night, doors if I can swing it, phone calls to local power brokers, follow up calls to the weekend doors, and need to write my intro and closing.
I got up early today and made bean soup. Its vegetarian and a little bland. It seemed better at lunch. Jeff brought homemade bread that was just incredible, better then Uprise, and Vicki made an apple pie from scratch. Trevor and Lisa made a nice salad so it was the deluxe spread. Long meeting afterward. Think I used up all my focus up.
wow, what a day
I didn’t post yesterday. I hit a wall, stymied by trying to complete a campaign ethics report online and then navigating through establishing online banking for the campaign account. Ate up my day light and I didn’t get to talk to any voters. It was a stressful day at work, with a tight frenetic pace and no longer have the option to just work a little longer to wrap it all up. But if going the extra mile were easy it wouldn’t be a commandment and everyone would do it.
Today was a good day. I went to bed early last night not even finishing my absinthe, served classically. Thanks John for the absinthe spoon, a rarely used but much appreciated kitchen gadget. If you don’t know you serve absinthe by pouring the shot over a sugar cube which rests on a slotted spoon that has a little bump to go over the edge of the glass. It clouds the water in a particular way and hard on the liver I hear so I drink sparingly. Last night I had the barest sip before deciding to hit the hay and let the glass sit on the counter. Left the house smelling like licorice and I finished it tonight after canvassing.
Woke at 4:00 and felt pretty good but lay in bed and pretended to sleep until 6:30. I got dressed, business casual, that’s probably reason enough for my work to be proud I’m running, finally dressing like your supposed to. Creates a hurdle to engage with folks who are more ghetto for lack of a better word. Poor people make assumptions about people in ties, usually correct ones. Now people are surprised when I talk about my sister who is addicted to crack (3 years clean though, so no shame there, nothing wrong with being an addict just doing drugs. some of the best people I know are addicts.) They used to take it as a given, I was more like them.
April 4th I go back to being me.
Today I put on slacks (long johns underneath for canvassing), dress shoes, dress shirt and cardigan. Debated the tie and realized it was Saturday. I made the call as all the city staffers and managers were dressed in their business casual/fancy casual except the deputy manager of a department who was filling in for his boss. He had a suit cuz he didn’t know. The Ward 6 candidate was in a tie, he didn’t know either. I sat next to him and we related as candidates.
His opposition is closer to me politically. It was nice meeting her and getting her perspective. I also introduced myself to the conservative council person who came even though he’s not up for re-election this year. He told a funny story about goofy constituent calls where someone complained about the parking enforcement double parking while they wrote him a parking ticket. The councilman brought up the beer trucks that block the street willy nilly servicing the bars downtown. “Well I like beer trucks”.
I heard presentations on city government by the city manager, and all the department heads and the municipal court judge. It was really informative and I am largely impressed with how the city is run. Columbia is the best governed place I’ve ever lived (with apologies to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place Monroe, Michigan; Berkeley, California, and Toledo, Ohio. Honorable mention to Rossford, Ohio because I didn’t know enough to follow local politics in my 19-20 years).
I learned that at our current funding for street repair we will repave the streets every 57 years. Streets last 30 years. We also have big pension underfunding issues, a storm water situation that is not getting the resources it needs and revenue is flat to down. We’re going to have to be really smart with what we do with our little dollars.
I was most impressed with the city manager who is personable, smart and a good leader. Seems like he is taking the city in a good direction. I am also impressed that we have maintained good reserves which has cushioned us through the tough times except for transit which is going to need some additional revenue or major cuts to services.
Neither of my opponents showed up. In a way it was cool, allowed me to relax and be treated as the heir apparent. I also learned one of my opponents had voted against GetAboutColumbia a $4.3 million (this year) Federal grant for non-motorized transportation as a Parks and Rec Commission guy because some people don’t like it. Its controversial, blow back by motorists who feels bicyclists are getting uppity or something but damn, that’s got to be a majority issue, even if you hate trails that’s a lot of jobs to be against.
I got interviewed so imagine I’ll be in the paper. Hope my professional head shot got in to the paper in time, although I like the unflattering float trip pic. they pulled off Facebook for the first story. Keeps me humble being a homely mug with a giant melon. Canvassing and staying on my dog walking schedule is going to have me looking good by April. I’ll have to come up with a scheme to keep it up.
After the interview I grabbed some Indian food, delicious downtown and hit the streets to canvass. The new flyer is out and looks a lot better with the new photo. Tomorrow I need to schedule another photo shoot, get the dog in the picture. I let him out and then canvassed until dark. I had a brief hiatus to wait for flyers but some down time was appreciated.
Had some good houses today. Met an anti-obesity community organizer and talked quite a bit. I went to one house and no one came to the door even though only the storm door was closed. A kid came up with a scooter and I gave her a flyer and asked her to give it to her parents. She said, “I don’t have parents, just a mom. I had two moms but one moved out.” I was thinking I was sorry I missed her as with a story like that it has to be someone I know and sure enough I heard Mike, Mike shouted down the block and got caught up with an old friend.
I’ve hit 126 doors. Not to shabby though I am off pace. It may not be realistic. I am going to try to recruit a driver to speed the process. I made my follow up calls. I talked at length with an older couple about the state of the neighborhood and they are going to talk to some neighbors and may gather a group to meet me. They live in the same block as the sweet old lady I talked to at length about not knowing her neighbors when she didn’t come to the door. When I left a message for one she had specifically mentioned she did not know I mentioned the possibility of a meeting.
I have this dream where the older folks meet the newer folks and everyone feels a little safer and a little more neighborly. To rekindle our cross-generational interactions. It might start on Garden Drive. I’ve been praying for that little old lady. After that did some business and looking to wind down and get some shut eye. Tomorrow morning is my own, you can’t canvass before noon on Sunday as you are supposed to be in church. If its at all nice I will walk Fido to the dog park and try to chat up some dog people. Fido has been getting his walks but its been after dark and he needs to see more dogs to have as much life satisfaction as i would like him to have. John was sweet enough to remind me that even with being busy Fido has a better life then most.
I know that. I got no room for guilt. I’ve been working hard all day, every day and get to sleep the sleep of the just. Its a good thing to work hard and try to help. There’s a lot of mess out there but there’s a lot of room for growth if you’ve got a little hustle and a lot of compassion.
an experiment in selective visibility
Hello friends, I am assuming the only immediate readers of this blog will be my subscribers as I have made the blog private for a few months. So for now, thank you for reading. I am honored that someone would take the time to subscribe or find what I have to say interesting enough to read regularly. Or at least appear in a folder to be considered reading. I’m assuming this will still go out in notifications. If you would like to be added as a user so you can use links or look at old stuff send me an email or make a comment and I will add you.
If you haven’t heard I am running for city council in my town and I don’t want to make my worthy opponents’ opposition research to easy. Of all the things I have done for the campaign thus far including devoting all my waking hours, giving less attention to my dog, asking strangers for money, asking my friends for money, getting a haircut, giving up tennis shoes and t-shirts, showering and dressing up every day, shutting down my Facebook account, neglecting my yard, cutting back on cooking, eating more fast food, driving more, and the stress and troubled sleep, giving up my blog is the hardest thing I’ve had to do.
This seems like a nice compromise. I can still pour out my experiences and some day they will go back out to the wild world. I’m just hoping to lay low for a while and not get tarred for having had an interesting life and daring to share my adventures with the wide world. If it all comes out it won’t be terrible. I would defend any thing on here but we are trying to shape a campaign message around majority issues to shape a consensus to improve our neighborhoods.
I feel I owe it to the folks helping me to not take prudent steps to reduce the chance of causing unnecessary distractions from the issues that will help us win and make the city a better place. And I got a cell phone. Shewww, I must love Columbia. I’ve been cell phone free for 3 years and I like it. Occasionally inconvenient but mostly I don’t want to talk on the phone when I’m not home or at work. Plus beaming EMF radiation through your ear whole is a dubious past time when no one really knows the long term effects of that behavior.
I need it for fundraising calls. People want to reach me too. I guess I can deal for a few months but then its back. I don’t feel like cell phone people are ever totally with you. I notice this in session. They all have to look and see who it is. I always say “go ahead and take it, its alright”. People are quick. Most cell phone calls are “where you at?” “I am here?” Like a dog barking “I exist, I exist!” If you don’t tell people to take calls then the person calls back in 8 seconds. And then again.
Everyone who drives by me at a high rate of speed inches from my shoulder when I am walking is talking on a cell phone. Well that’s not true, some of them are texting. My throat is scratchy. I am trying to ward of sickness through positive thought and drinking fluids. Maybe I’ll take Nyquil tonight. Two bad nights sleep in a row. Got some hard sleep late but was still tired. Not much at all the night before.
Will try to wind down a little earlier tonight. Calling in sick and laying around all day wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. I am committed to doing some campaign banking and canvassing unless I am sorely laid low.
Been thinking about my mom. Jane who did the photo shoot, thanks Jane said my mom must be proud. I bet she is. I was talking to John tonight about that and if she were alive she would like the haircut and dressing up and being in the paper but until I was on TV looking competent she would be wondering if it was all a fool’s errand.
I met someone like that, nothing like my mom this guy was a dismissive jerk but the same kind of respect for the tube. “Ah I’m not into that” after I give my opening spiel. I offer a flyer not entirely sure what he means by “that” since I know he is an April voter, a political elite in modern America. He says “I don’t want that. Why aren’t you on TV?” I started to argue, I was nonplussed by this arrogant passivity. I felt like I was defending Democracy. “That takes a lot of money, I don’t have that.” “You could go to Council Meetings”.
True dat. Next one I will.
long week
Wow what a week. I have been on the go in a way that I wouldn’t have imagined was possible. I have made pervasive changes to my life and moved into a, if not frenetic, a one thing after another from rise until bed kind of being. I have certainly been this way before but not for a long time. Feels good in some ways, put a pep in my step, but had a hard hard week at work and its left me a little rung out.
I’m tired, which is good. When you don’t sleep and your not tired, that way madness lays. Fido misses me. He was acting out, chewing leaves off the kiefer lime tree. Yesterday I walked him to the dog park and spent a fair amount of time there for a cold day. There were the regulars and I am getting much better at introducing myself to strangers and chatting people up. People like to be listened to and everyone has ideas about how things ought to be better.
Chris, a guy with a Great Pyrenees named Harry (he had another Chester but he passed on recently) had tried to walk an older lady down the side of the ravine but she couldn’t hop across the icy rocks to get across Bear Creek. I asked if he was heading back that way if I could walk with him always wondering if there was a back way in. Gave us a good chance to talk and he told me about the history of the park. It used to be all an off leash areas. The city at one time wanted to fill in all the wetlands and put in soccer fields but the neighbors organized and stopped it. But eventually they rounded the dogs up into a smallish fenced in area. Probably good for the water fowl and such but we could use more space and some solar lights perhaps.
The trail was pretty cool, snakes through the woods leaving the dog park following the creek. The river crossing was a little hairy with one rock completely covered in ice so a little leap was involved. Probably wear my water proof shoes next time and I won’t be so nervous. When John and I were kids we would go down to “the creek” [actually a drainage ditch to my adult eyes, memory is a funny thing, or maybe kids just see better] and play on the ice. We often stayed until one of us broke through and we got “a soaker” and we would have to wrap it up. It was always a cold walk back to the house with one or two wet shoes in the winter. Now there’s goretex.
This morning I went to a legislative update with 3 state reps. I introduced myself to Chris Kelly who is my favorite Missouri politician. He was a judge and I was in his court a number of time with clients and he was always funny and fair. He used to be in the state legislature and when term limits devastated wiped out the population of experienced legislature he came out of retirement to show the kids how to pass law. He’s a democrat in a state with a Republican super-majority and he still got a committee chair. He’s the master of the political compromise. They just passed a cap on spending bill so that if revenues go up again the extra goes into rainy day and school funds so we get out of this boom or bust cycle. He got some nice concessions from the Republicans and was the only Democrat to support it. He’s that kind of guy.
In his speech he railed against the Governator (Nixon of all people, Missouri’s funny) for his 12% cut to higher ed this year even though Nixon’s a Democrat. He praised the Republicans in charge and then raised the question why he’s not a Republican. Then he said “the crazy train” is leaving the station and they will pass laws about prayer, guns and bullets even though no one is threatening those so they can hide the fact they’re selling out the state to big corporations. None of the Republicans countered it. It was amusing.
I also introduced myself to Joe Bechtold of “Truck Stop Missouri”. I told him I was a fan before he had a reality show and told him about Dad being a truck driver and we would visit there and sometimes stay in his hotel, go the restaurant and bar and make a weekend of it. He seemed touched even though he carries himself like a bit of a rock star.
After work I went out for a happy hour at Ragtag with Trevor and an improbable assemblage of former Peace Corps Zambia folks (five, would have been six if Lisa wasn’t baby sitting). I had a Schlafely barley wine which was really good. Since I probably only slept a couple hours last night I was spun on a glass. We had good conversation and I chatted some people up. Got word on a possible housemate. An artist and hipster gal I think highly of. Might to a full or partial labor swap and see if I can advance some projects. Might not, you never know and Fido and I are pretty content.
Well Fido’s not. He just pulled the squeaky out of his cheap ass donkey I got him for Christmas. Its been leaking stuffing all week. Gonna have to take him toy shopping soon. I have had two offers to hang out with him. I should brush him. I have a photo shoot tomorrow and I am going to take him to see if he will play with the photographer’s Newfoundland puppy. Maybe he’ll get his picture taken.
Multiconstruct 
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