Days 2 & 3
Yesterday morning we did a little bit of paperwork and phone calls in the office, then headed over to Pembroke for the rally. We spent a lot of time standing around and looking important, then Jersey Mike and I were dragged off by Other Mike in an hour-long expedition to buy him a new phone. We got back just as a knot of Kerry supporters arrived with a sign advertising a chili dinner with the man. They had chili, and we had Michael Moore. Yeah, me neither. We chased them about a mile down the highway, they came back a couple of blocks and stayed put. The rest of the afternoon before the event began was spent heckling the opposition volunteers who came to our rally to get attention because their own candidates can't get a crowd or camera time. Nick and Jersey Mike and I got a good spot in a tiny triangle of space between the press bleachers and the VIP seats to watch the whole shebang. Pictures to follow, and video, if possible. Turns out the guy I was standing next to was the creator of one of the Bush in 30 Second ads that won the MoveOn contest. We talked politics and television for awhile. There were some Clark staffers, the Enron whistle lady, Mary Beth Whatsername, John Dalton, a couple senators, Ted Sorensen, and other notables. The rally rocked. Right when I was reaching out to shake Michael Moore's hand, a camera lens fell on my head.
I brought 'Bus back to the Dover office with me for a few hours, and we did canvassing packets until the crazies left and it was just us and JP. We talked shop, web surfed, and drank, then headed out to the middle of nowhere (we didn't find out until we saw the "Welcome to New Hampshire" sign the next morning that we'd actually gone to Maine) to spend the night at this huge farmhouse with this crazy old lady. She didn't precisely know we were coming, and we got into a bit of a Mexican standoff with her dog. Good times. Discovered a family tree stuffed in a corner for the Morses, dating back to 1653 in Newbury, Mass. Stayed up late, got up later to our first snow. The weather was actually quite balmy - 28 degrees and snowing, which felt alarmingly pleasant after the last couple of days. We dug our cars out and headed in. I was packed off straightaway to Strafford with my new host mommy. The place was a lot farther away than Charlie said it was gonna be - it took us about 50 min to get there - but is was bad weather, and I made it back in about 35. The house is totally gonna be worth it. I'm staying with this couple, R_____ and J__, and their 11-year-old daughter, 2 dogs, and cat. They're ex-Marines, and felt bad about living too far away to get in the middle of things much, so they're compensating by lavishing me with love, which I totally dig. I have my own bedroom and bathroom with an internet connection, and they're insisting on feeding me and doing my laundry as well. R_____ even showed me where they keep the booze. ;) I'm really going to love it there - it's a shame I'll only be there till the 28th. I hope I have this much luck in other places. When I finally made it back, Nick and JP and I went out canvassing, then Nick and I made fast tracks to Boston since the weather was turning yucky. We stopped off at his grandmother's house in Bedford to watch the end of the football game (THE COLTS LOST AND THE GODDAMN PATRIOTS AND PANTHERS ARE PLAYING IN THE SUPER BOWL - PTB, SEE ME!!!!!), and we're both sleepy, so we're crashing here for the night. This house is 300+ years old and jammed full of stuff and bedrooms. Nick and I are sleeping in his Dad's old room (I think) in cherry twin beds about 4 feet off the ground.
Highlights:
P.S. Day 1 post up under OFFICER ON DECK post. Do not miss this fine nugget of comedy funk.