New Mexico

Here are all the entries from when I was working for the DNC in New Mexico!!!!! I like life!!! I'm Oliver!!!!

October 08, 2004 01:55 PM

something that matters

So, for a long time I've felt compelled to do something that matters, and given the timing, the election always seemed like the right thing to be involved with. I put out feelers, set emails to campaign headquarters and did other various non-specific things. Since I have a house in a swing state, I felt like Michigan was where I was supposed to be. That didn't really work out, and it seemed like it might be really depressing to be there all alone, so I scrapped that plan.

I have a childhood friend who worked in politics for a whole bunch of years, so I hit him up for ideas & help. He's put me in touch with the New Mexico campaign (swing state) and a neat group called the Voter Protection Project. So, I'm going to go get on a plane to Albuquerque in a few days and go drive around the state, certifying voting machines.

WHEE!

October 11, 2004 04:25 PM

New Mexico Arrival

Hi!

I got to Albuquerque today, on very little sleep, ran around, found a nice Wild Oats market right near my host's house, which is very nice. Met the wife part of my hosts, and promptly drove off to the DNC party HQ.

Met my connection there (that sounds nefarious, doesn't it?), and the other two in our party, and the four of us ran off to look at the Bernalillo County voting machines!

Next step, I go back to the host house, get my stuff back, and then drive 5 hours to Silver City to verify all 33 of their machines tomorrow.

I'm going to stay here! hhehehe :)

October 13, 2004 11:22 PM

1,000 miles in 48 hours

Wow. I've been here just barely 48 hours and crossed the state twice, driving a thousand miles. I am fucking ehausted. It is less than 40 degrees out, and my car was pelted in a hail storm today. I will not be deterred!

I am working in New Mexico on the Voter Protection Program, helping to ensure a fair election in this swing state.

Tonight, as I drove the 365 miles from Gallup, NM (yes, the one in the song "Route 66"), to Raton, NM, I listened to the final Kerry / Bush Debate on the radio. It was old-tymey, radio style :)

Fuck, I want to tell you about all the crazy people (cowboy election officials, nice dreadlocked hippies, artisan coffeeshop-Outfoxed-showing-ladies), and all the great things (mountains, skies, driving, life in general), but I am too damned tired. Life is good, work is fulfilling, and here are some beautiful pictures. more here, and even more here.

Hi!

Good night!

October 17, 2004 12:09 PM

Back in Albuquerque

I made it back here from Santa Fe and parts north last night. It's nice here in this house with the parents that every liberal kid wished they had (lawyer dad represented Wen Ho Lee, and is now representing the Holy Land Foundation), big open spaces and a nice dog.

I've driven a really lot this week, and even daily morning yoga hasn't quite been enough to keep my body sane. I'm trying, but I'm *tired*. I drove to a movie theater last night, got there, parked my car, and then walked all the way to the box office before realizing (thanks Alicia!) that I was too exhausted to sit through a movie. I'm doing laundry now, and sitting in Walker's room (the son) listening to about the most diverse playlist I've ever heard. Jazz & classical are all that I haven't heard so far.

I am trying hard not to get caught up in planning my future, and looping around on myself too much, and the busy-ness of verifying election machines is helping with that. I just want everything to be ok. I'm tired of fighting. I just want to cuddle in bed and give love. I'm not needy today.

I should spend more time brain dumping about the work that i'm doing, but food summons, so here's pictures of the machines that I've been working on:

The AVC Advantage

The Shouptronic/ELECTronic 1242

October 23, 2004 06:46 PM

fun driving with le

I had some nice company for a few days of driving out here in New Mexico. elly flew out from San Francisco to drive around big New Mexico, and help out on the Kerry campaign. We saw many things! Here are some of them!

When elly flew into Albuquerque, I was very happy, and we drove up to Santa Fe to stay at a cute nice hotel. The start of our driving together was fun too!

This is currently my desktop image. elly & I drove across that massive valley below, and went to Sky City, the plateau in the distance. It was creepy when we got there, though.

On the way back, we drove offroad to this nice peaceful lake.

A few days later, elly & I had a really weird night in Truth or Consequences, NM. Then we went to the simple and basic solution, which made everything better. She read a nice book to me while I was in the bath, and it was the sweetest thing. I love so much being read to, and elly seems to love that. I am quite happy about that. In the morning, I woke up so early that I saw much of the sun rise. It was nice.

Behold, the sky, pregnant with rain.

elly took lots of pictures that you should look at, but I think that one best embodies the awe that we held at the VLA.

October 27, 2004 06:02 PM

poor grandpa

My automobile dealership-owning-union-hating Grandfather would roll over in his grave. I sure liked it though!

October 27, 2004 08:04 PM

Kerry rally

Last night, after getting a Teamsters' tee shirt, I went to a big John Kerry rally here in Albuquerque. He was late, and delivered the standard stump speech, but it was still fun to be there with all the supporters and nice people. I ate a bannana.

Lots of cheering supporters, with a cheesy rock band!

This is the blurriest picture I've ever taken. Kerry is there in the red tie, to the left of the Navajo Code Talker in the red jacket that blessed the Red Sox.

October 27, 2004 09:27 PM

What am I doing?

So, I'm working in New Mexico. At election day, I'll have been here for about three weeks, and have driven well over 3,000 miles throughout the state (some with elly). I'm volunteering with a group similar to the Election Protection Program also link, whose aims are to ensure a fair and unbiased election and reporting process. It turns out that my Aunt Donna in Nevada (whom I really respect), and my age-old-pal Anurima in New York are both working on the same thing!

My group is called "Voter Protection," and is an arm of the Democratic Party on New Mexico. I've been visiting voting machine certifications in about a dozen counties all over the state. What actually happens is that I show up in some random county in the middle of the night and crash at the nearest Holiday Inn (yes, I've tried many hotel chains, and these seem the most reliable here in New Mexico, but YMMV). The next morning, I seek out the County Clerk's office (some are really pretty like this), meet some nice person (usually an older woman), and go to the attic/jail/basement/warehouse to view their voting machines. I then stand around, or help out as the county clerk's employees install paper ballots, test out all of the lights, push the buttons, cast their votes, then compare a thermal tape print out with their expected vote tallies. If all goes well (eg: there are the right number of recorded votes on the print out), they seal the machine with tamper-proof seals, record the seal numbers, and we move on to the next one. It's really a pretty tedious process, but one that I really do feel is important to the overall Political Process to make sure that everything is above-board.

I said I wanted to come here to work without ego, to do whatever I could to help, that I would be an indian among many chiefs. Since I've gotten off the road, I have held true to that: doing such exciting work as emptying the trash, building tables out of found wood and boxes of envelopes, shredding dcouments, buying things at Office Max, and doing silly little things that have to get done by someone! I'll do it!

October 31, 2004 08:37 AM

2 days

Vote Jerry/Edwards on Thursday.

November 02, 2004 11:48 AM

Game Day

It's game day. If you haven't already voted, get to it! :) :)

I'm sure you're all looking at
electoral-vote, right?