granite bay - tickets for laura -to be continued

our last stop, doolittle's campaign headquarters - disappointment - only one car in almost an hour responds - LOTS of driveby traffic - in streetlights

no tickets available to get in tomorrow....

nevada city - to be continued

joined by several cp'ers, peace & justice folks - police drive by, both officers giving peace symbol. traffic going under bridge honks, even tho they can only see the backs of hot pink banners - they know we're standing for peace & to get out the vote.

newspaper and radio comes - hope to get good coverage -already on radio once!

as we begin packing up to head down to granite bay & doolittle's headquarters, police approach on foot. i hear officer saying 'good thing we're leaving' to cp'er. i challenge him. he informs me there is a city ordinance prohibiting shoes on the sidewalk.

i laugh with my eyes & face. he remains stolid. i ask him if he just pulled that one out of his hat or if he really knows there's such an ordinance. he gets red in the face & mumbles about obstructing the sidewalk. i laugh again and say of course, all protesters know about that ordinance -we're not obstructing the sidewalk. he is furious. he forces his card upon me as he announces i've been forwarned & i should let my supervisors know.

really a clown - i tell him i'm an independent operator, as are all feminists/womonists in this peace movement. he huffs off down the street.

old town truckee - to be continued

we set up in front of rows of businesses on main street old town truckee. store owners come out ot admonish us for selling shoes. we explain the action, invite them to read the tags. they retreat solemnly.

meter maid loves us; police have been called -she hears the call. she intervenes for us. police wait for a long time, on the opposite side of the street, before approaching only to confirm we are not selling shoes, not going to be there long. we direct their attention to study the shoes.

lots of pedestrians - the most thus far. at least 75% positive, the other 25% mostly indifferent, a couple hostile - especially tall, buff white male with short hair. as i recite mostly civilians, i can't say like you & me -but i say like me and us, sweeping my arm to include the other cp'ers and pedestrians. he gets it and leaves.

tahoe city bound - to be continued

Tahoe City – parking lot – about ½ hour before security asks us to leave – we’re doing it anyway because we’re off to Truckee – the schedule has been thwarted because of the frozen bio-diesel but we’re doing pretty well. We leave our mark – giant peace symbols and slogans in chalk in the parking lot. The security guy is disgusted –I tell him he should be thrilled and he should help us inform the public.

bio-diesel & 20 degree weather - to be continued

Biodiesel frozen – aaa fellow “I’m a republican” – standard line – so? I know lots of republicans that are voting bush out. He saw the shoes action, wants to know about it. When I inform him, ask him if he’ll vote for peace next week, he confesses his ‘ignorance’ and won’t vote.

I tell him I will inform him – I am not ignorant. I spend several hours a day perusing news sources on the internet and in the paper, as well as listening to the radio. I tell him to trust me, even though he doesn’t know me.

The 5 gallons of regular diesel he puts in enables the truck to start – and to limp 5 feet at a time before stalling. I’m now out on the busy road in front of the hotel heading the 100 yards to the gas station that thankfully has diesel. We limp along in the middle turn lane – he wants to follow us, making sure we make it.

I’m hoping he’s thinking about voting for peace.

We make it to the station, stop, start, coast, stop start coast. I fill up sadly & disgustingly with diesel. It works and off we go, late for Tahoe City, our next stop.