My job isn't just my job. It's my mission in life. So sometimes I get wrapped up in the craziness of work and forget to take care of myself. Yesterday that all caught up with me. We had a heat advisory in the area. It was 94 degrees with a heat index of 107. Our Des Moines headquarters told us not to send the canvassers out so I didn't (my boss took the day off so I was in charge). However stupid Luke wanted to get his numbers up so he went out for an hour in the blistering heat to knock doors. I knocked about 25 doors before I was exhausted, dripping with sweat I trudged the 8 blocks back to my car for the ride back to the office. I hadn't eaten food at that point so I decided to do the really smart thing and have McDonalds for lunch. I got back to the office and started making political calls when I started feeling not so great. The boys left about an hour after I got back and not 15 minutes after they left I booted. Fail. I'm operating on 5-6 hours of sleep. Eating horrible food non stop. Stressing out more than I ever have. Going from a freezing office to the blistering outdoors many times a day. Smoking a pack of ciggs a day. And missing my friends and family back home. I don't know how much I weight I've gained but I took a look in a full length mirror this morning and it shows that I've been treating my body like crap. Yesterday's boot was a combination of all these factors and probably a few more.
Well I've always been one to through a fantastic pity party but not today. Today I regain control of my health. I'm going to begin with a one week cleanse. Only fruits and veggies, whole grains, no meats, minimal booze, and no soda. I'm also going to get more sleep, I normally go back to my supporter's house after work and watch t.v. for a few hours or so. Not anymore, when I get home my head is going to hit that damn pillow. Next I'm going to join a gym. There is an Anytime fitness about 4 block from my house so I'll join it, and when I move back to the 'Loo I'm going to have no excuse to work out with you Jackie. Hell Yeah! I'm also going to try and cut back on the smokes. I was doing great before I came here, Ashley you really did help me get down to about a pack every 3 days but now that's out the window. I'm going to cut down to a pack every other day god help me.
I've never been one to ask for a ton of help but I need your's now ladies. Call me when you can, text me, just keep in touch. I miss you all. Ash I'm so stoked for your visit, and JHo you should stop by too. Katie is coming at the end of Aug and McConnell might come too. Just sayin.
Until next time. All the best,
Lucas
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Building Momentum
Hi All,
It been a busy week in la vida de Luke. Things in Council Bluffs are going well, I'm hitting my stride and beginning to hit my goals for my job. Today I'm stoked because my friend Sue Dvorsky is stopping by the office. She's the new chair of the Iowa Democratic Party and is basically like a campaign mom to me.
So I was canvassing the other day and I had another deer encounter. I saw a total of 5 deer in various neighborhoods and 1 of them tried to throw down with me. Thank god I was close to my car. Bambi may seem cute on the movie but when you're in the field and standing 20 feet away from a pissed of deer you get scared shitless.
Ebay is my new obsession. A few days ago I bought the 1985 film Clue based on the board game. I love it, it's hysterical. I watched it with my host here in CB and we couldn't stop cracking up! I'm buying Serial Mom next. It's a John Water's film with Kathleen Turner, Sam Waterston (from Law and Order) and a teenage Ricki Lake. Kathleen plays a typical suburban housewife who happens to be a serial killer. It's sooooo funny.
That's all I got for now but I'll keep you updated if anything crazy happens in the next couple of days.
Until next time. All the best,
Lucas
It been a busy week in la vida de Luke. Things in Council Bluffs are going well, I'm hitting my stride and beginning to hit my goals for my job. Today I'm stoked because my friend Sue Dvorsky is stopping by the office. She's the new chair of the Iowa Democratic Party and is basically like a campaign mom to me.
So I was canvassing the other day and I had another deer encounter. I saw a total of 5 deer in various neighborhoods and 1 of them tried to throw down with me. Thank god I was close to my car. Bambi may seem cute on the movie but when you're in the field and standing 20 feet away from a pissed of deer you get scared shitless.
Ebay is my new obsession. A few days ago I bought the 1985 film Clue based on the board game. I love it, it's hysterical. I watched it with my host here in CB and we couldn't stop cracking up! I'm buying Serial Mom next. It's a John Water's film with Kathleen Turner, Sam Waterston (from Law and Order) and a teenage Ricki Lake. Kathleen plays a typical suburban housewife who happens to be a serial killer. It's sooooo funny.
That's all I got for now but I'll keep you updated if anything crazy happens in the next couple of days.
Until next time. All the best,
Lucas
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Yes We Can!
Hey Ash, Jackie, and all other randoms who come across this blog.
So I got back Monday from my trip to Colorado. We got into town around 6am Saturday morning, slept for an hour and started getting ready for the memorial service which started at 10:30. The service was Catholic and it's been awhile since my last Catholic service, so I forgot how much exercise my quads were going to get with all the standing, sitting, and kneeling. After the service we went to Kathy's mom's place where everyone started to get drunk and eat homemade Mexican food. After eating real Latin food I don't know if I can go back to Carlos O'Kelly's and not bitch slap you all (I think I had like 3 plates of food). After we left Gloria's (Kathy's Mom) we went back to my Grandparents place for a power nap before we drove 2 block's away to visit our good friend Luke Burger...great name right! We got to Luke's and chilled for a bit, his brother just got a 73 inch HD TV and the Rocky's game was on so I was basically in hog heaven. This is where the story gets interesting.
So my old boss and good friend from the Biden Campaign Holly Savage lives in Denver and I gave her a heads up I'd be out there. She comes and picks me up from my Grandparents' place at around 7pm and we go straight to her and her boyfriends' favorite neighborhood bar. It's a total dive bar that would make the Library feel classy but that's my scene and I loved it. We did shots galore, watched some fireworks on the roof of the adjacent parking garage, went to the park next door and drank in front of the Denver Police, went back to the bar (check out my facebook pirate photo), drove to a house party (I think this might have been where I drunk dialed Menke), and took a cab back to Holly's Boyfriends place where we crashed at like 5pm for a few hours of sleep. It was a crazy night!
The next morning we woke up figured out the car situation and Holly and I went out for Breakfast Burritos at the most amazing hole in the wall Mexican Restaurant I've ever been to. You know it's great when you can't understand the waitress even though you know broken Spanish! She dropped me off at my Grandparents where my entire extended family was getting together (talk about a walk of shame). I had no time to nap too because after my family left, my sisters wanted to go to the mall and I sure as hell wasn't going to be stuck talking to my Grandparents (god love them) for 4 hours. The mall was cool, it's called Flat Irons and it's part indoor and part out door. I got some gifts for my volunteers and boss and then went to go grab my mom and get the hell out of there. She was shopping at Cold Water Creek and apparently went outside for a second to make a call, when she put down her bag down and went back in to buy a sweatshirt. By the time she remembered the bag it had been stolen. Her, I, and the bitchy sales lady from CWC looked up and down the store for 30 minutes trying to find it but finally Mom gave up and I bought her a pair of earrings because I felt bad. We went back to my Grandparents saw some more friends, crashed and got up at 6pm for the drive home which was uneventful yet tense because we were all sleep deprived and bitchy.
I got back to work Monday and have had a great 2 days of campaigning. My intern is great and I'm getting more volunteers everyday. Wish you both were here and can't wait until you guys can come out to visit! I'll fill you more tomorrow! Love you both.
Until next time. All the best.
Lucas
So I got back Monday from my trip to Colorado. We got into town around 6am Saturday morning, slept for an hour and started getting ready for the memorial service which started at 10:30. The service was Catholic and it's been awhile since my last Catholic service, so I forgot how much exercise my quads were going to get with all the standing, sitting, and kneeling. After the service we went to Kathy's mom's place where everyone started to get drunk and eat homemade Mexican food. After eating real Latin food I don't know if I can go back to Carlos O'Kelly's and not bitch slap you all (I think I had like 3 plates of food). After we left Gloria's (Kathy's Mom) we went back to my Grandparents place for a power nap before we drove 2 block's away to visit our good friend Luke Burger...great name right! We got to Luke's and chilled for a bit, his brother just got a 73 inch HD TV and the Rocky's game was on so I was basically in hog heaven. This is where the story gets interesting.
So my old boss and good friend from the Biden Campaign Holly Savage lives in Denver and I gave her a heads up I'd be out there. She comes and picks me up from my Grandparents' place at around 7pm and we go straight to her and her boyfriends' favorite neighborhood bar. It's a total dive bar that would make the Library feel classy but that's my scene and I loved it. We did shots galore, watched some fireworks on the roof of the adjacent parking garage, went to the park next door and drank in front of the Denver Police, went back to the bar (check out my facebook pirate photo), drove to a house party (I think this might have been where I drunk dialed Menke), and took a cab back to Holly's Boyfriends place where we crashed at like 5pm for a few hours of sleep. It was a crazy night!
The next morning we woke up figured out the car situation and Holly and I went out for Breakfast Burritos at the most amazing hole in the wall Mexican Restaurant I've ever been to. You know it's great when you can't understand the waitress even though you know broken Spanish! She dropped me off at my Grandparents where my entire extended family was getting together (talk about a walk of shame). I had no time to nap too because after my family left, my sisters wanted to go to the mall and I sure as hell wasn't going to be stuck talking to my Grandparents (god love them) for 4 hours. The mall was cool, it's called Flat Irons and it's part indoor and part out door. I got some gifts for my volunteers and boss and then went to go grab my mom and get the hell out of there. She was shopping at Cold Water Creek and apparently went outside for a second to make a call, when she put down her bag down and went back in to buy a sweatshirt. By the time she remembered the bag it had been stolen. Her, I, and the bitchy sales lady from CWC looked up and down the store for 30 minutes trying to find it but finally Mom gave up and I bought her a pair of earrings because I felt bad. We went back to my Grandparents saw some more friends, crashed and got up at 6pm for the drive home which was uneventful yet tense because we were all sleep deprived and bitchy.
I got back to work Monday and have had a great 2 days of campaigning. My intern is great and I'm getting more volunteers everyday. Wish you both were here and can't wait until you guys can come out to visit! I'll fill you more tomorrow! Love you both.
Until next time. All the best.
Lucas
Friday, July 2, 2010
Tough Times
Yesterday was a tough day. Campaign staffers are give nightly and weekly goals we try to achieve. And yesterday I was sucking it up. I'm resigned to the fact that like in life I'm going to have some good days and some not so good days but that doesn't diminish the blow. I aim to win, not just to perform mediocre or at par, but to blow the competition out of the water. Never the less I picked myself up and got ready for another day. Pissed at myself as I was yesterday I've been feeling a little down this whole week. I found out two days ago a close family friend passed away. Her name was Kathy Cravens. She passed away from ALS commonly known as Lou Gherigs Disease. She lived for almost 5 years with a debilitating condition that attacked her body and speech yet left her mind intact. We knew this day would come but It doesn't soften the loss. If I wasn't an atheist I would certainly think that Kathy was an angel on Earth because I have yet to meet someone so fun, loving, funny, and caring as she was.
As I was going to sleep last night I couldn't help but think about how my profession bleeds into my personal life. I'm a Liberal Democrat. Letting science exist and evolve unscrutinized is a fundamental cause I champion. Especially at a time when some members of Congress believe the Earth is 6000 years old, and Evolution is a trick sent here by Satan to confuse the innocent. President Obama lifted the ban on the use of stem cells in scientific research and I am so thankful he did. I just wish it was done many years ago, maybe then I wouldn't be writing of the loss of a dear friend and an extraordinary human being. Rest Peacefully Kathy. If anyone deserves it you do.
On a slightly less Debbie Downer note. I had a few interesting encounters over the past two days.
1. While gassing up yesterday afternoon, I saw a woman digging through the cigarette butt disposal to try and find a smoke. Let me state for the record I'm a smoker but if I ever reach that point please feel free to put me out of my misery.
2. Council Bluffs is home to Iowa's School for the Deaf and has a large deaf community. Today while in the office a deaf man came in. He could read my lips but I can't sign and he was very difficult to understand. I could decipher the following though, he is an avid star watcher, he likes to grow heirloom tomatoes, he can't stand Chuck Grassley, and he draws a hell of a unicorn. He made me smile during a tough time and I am grateful to him for that.
Until next time. All the best.
Lucas
As I was going to sleep last night I couldn't help but think about how my profession bleeds into my personal life. I'm a Liberal Democrat. Letting science exist and evolve unscrutinized is a fundamental cause I champion. Especially at a time when some members of Congress believe the Earth is 6000 years old, and Evolution is a trick sent here by Satan to confuse the innocent. President Obama lifted the ban on the use of stem cells in scientific research and I am so thankful he did. I just wish it was done many years ago, maybe then I wouldn't be writing of the loss of a dear friend and an extraordinary human being. Rest Peacefully Kathy. If anyone deserves it you do.
On a slightly less Debbie Downer note. I had a few interesting encounters over the past two days.
1. While gassing up yesterday afternoon, I saw a woman digging through the cigarette butt disposal to try and find a smoke. Let me state for the record I'm a smoker but if I ever reach that point please feel free to put me out of my misery.
2. Council Bluffs is home to Iowa's School for the Deaf and has a large deaf community. Today while in the office a deaf man came in. He could read my lips but I can't sign and he was very difficult to understand. I could decipher the following though, he is an avid star watcher, he likes to grow heirloom tomatoes, he can't stand Chuck Grassley, and he draws a hell of a unicorn. He made me smile during a tough time and I am grateful to him for that.
Until next time. All the best.
Lucas
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Ashley Rogers
One of my best friends in the world Ashley Rogers started a blog after her boyfriend did so I thought I would jump on the bandwaggon and start one as well. I guess I'll use this blog as a supplement to facebook so my friends and family can have a better idea of how my life is going. Almost two weeks ago I moved to Council Bluffs, IA to work on the 2010 midterm election for the Democratic Party. I'm a field organizer which means I spend most of my day bugging the hell out of voters to see who they're voting for. It's not glamorous work but it's damn important. Here are a few of the highlights from my short time on the ground.
1. I got lost in Omaha Nebraska after getting lunch for the office from a restaurant named Barleys. It took me almost an hour to get back to HQ when I could have gone to their other location 2 minutes away from me. Epic Fail!
2. While canvassing (going door to door to see who people are voting for) I saw 3 deer just chilling in someone's yard. We became friends.
3. I have an intern who is great. She may or may not have been a guest on the Ellen Degeneres show, I'm still investigating.
4. I called Farrah's mom from MTV's Teen Mom. She's a registered Democrat but doesn't realize it and hung up on me!
5. I talked to a homeless guy outside our office this morning who had a bag of soda cans and was drinking a Busch Light at 8:30 in the morning. He was homeless most likely and kept drooling on himself. It would have been humorous if it wasn't so incredibly sad.
That's all I have for now. I'll keep everyone in the loop. Until next time. All the best.
Lucas
1. I got lost in Omaha Nebraska after getting lunch for the office from a restaurant named Barleys. It took me almost an hour to get back to HQ when I could have gone to their other location 2 minutes away from me. Epic Fail!
2. While canvassing (going door to door to see who people are voting for) I saw 3 deer just chilling in someone's yard. We became friends.
3. I have an intern who is great. She may or may not have been a guest on the Ellen Degeneres show, I'm still investigating.
4. I called Farrah's mom from MTV's Teen Mom. She's a registered Democrat but doesn't realize it and hung up on me!
5. I talked to a homeless guy outside our office this morning who had a bag of soda cans and was drinking a Busch Light at 8:30 in the morning. He was homeless most likely and kept drooling on himself. It would have been humorous if it wasn't so incredibly sad.
That's all I have for now. I'll keep everyone in the loop. Until next time. All the best.
Lucas
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