Ohio bound - If Only Kerry Would Channel His Young Self

We spent the rest of the nite at a Nevada rest stop that had a huge, near empty parking lot. Rae and I have made a comfy if tiny bed in the back of the truck. We sleep with the roll-up door open about 10" to try to capture the dropping temperatures. In the wee hours of the morning, I hear another vehicle pulling in next to us – as if there isn't a huge empty lot for him to park in! I can only see the back few feet of an open empty trailer protruding past the edge of my truck. Then I hear footsteps – someone is slowly walking from my passenger side around the back of the truck to the driver's side. I wait a moment and hear him retrace his heavy steps. I decide I better get up and investigate. He's paused between my passenger's side and his front door. I jump down from the back of my truck and walk around the side to see a tall, 40 something white man and a large pickup truck with an attached trailer.

I greet him: “Good morning.” He stands there and shyly motions with his thumb to the peace sign as he proffers his hand and asks me if he can give me some cash. Then he hops quickly into his truck and takes off. He has left $7.00 in my extended hand!! I'm able to go back to sleep for a few.

Now we’re in Elko, hot-as-hell Nevada, once again – but worse, I'm in a casino, and worse still, I'm at a Starbucks inside the casino! But best, we have high speed internet connection – so I get to blog! Thus far, Nevada has been overwhelmingly positive: we’ve ended up with 25 yeahs!, 4 no's and only 2 f.u.'s for the whole state!

An undecided white male voter approached me in the casino parking lot and I stretch to be able to talk about the reasons to support Kerry – starting with his courageous act as a young military officer and then avid peace activist (if only he will channel his young self…), to his platform of health care, job reform, minimum and living wage stance, etc. The man leaves saying he feels much better about deciding to vote for Kerry.

Another man, one of the few Black men I’ve seen in Nevada, silently approaches me and we talk about hope for our nation –  i.e. we agree that we all need to work HARD!

It's off to Utah - hot as hell, but on we go!