on wet leaves and matty g

November 30, 2003
11.22p

what i did today was walk around with aaron in the cold cold rain in the outer mission, precinct 3918, and hang literature on people's doors for the matt gonzalez campaign. then we went out to safeway at ocean beach and stood in the cold cold rain in the parking lot for a couple of hours, handing out fliers. i expected a more hostile reception out in conservative homeownerland but a good number said "i'm already voting for him!"

maybe four or five people told me "no, i'm voting for newsom" and to them i said "okay, but did you know he supported george bush for president?" to the one grandfatherly gentleman who said "that's fine, i voted for bush too," i smiled and said "thank you, have a good day."

tonight i went to a show at the great american, a benefit for matt. okay okay, too much matt for one day, i know. but jonathan richman! how can you not love jonathan richman? so my roommate and i drove over because it was still so cold and wet, and when we got to my car it was covered, buried, in these beautiful red and yellowed maple leaves, they fell all over it. i figured they would blow off when i drove but i guess it was wet enough that most of them stuck and i couldn't see anything. so i parked in a parking garage which i hate but you know, still with the cold and the rainy, and after i parked i spent a minute brushing off some of the leaves so i could see on the way home.

went to the show, then back to my car to go home and i found this note on my windshield:

"your car w/ the leaves on it & on the ground--are marvelous! insta-art car. you've brightened my night! thank you."

sometimes people are so great.

also, at the great american music hall i stood five feet from matt as he talked, got all giddy fan girl because DAMNIT it is so nice for a change to see people with positive energy about something political. this is something different than protesting against bush, against the war, people are getting passionate FOR something and it is beautiful.