Beastie Boys, Santogold, and Sheryl Crow in Charlotte

DSC_0303, originally uploaded by Rock the Vote 2008.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Miles traveled today – 70 so far
Days left until election day – 8

8:08 p.m. – Three fans people! That’s right, not one, not two, but three people have now told me they read this blog. It’s a movement, a groundswell, an uprising of the people!

But wait, there’s more! Apart from the impossibly exciting news that at least three people are reading this blog, there’s the impossibly exciting news that we are traveling with the Beastie Boys for the next eight days, Sheryl Crow for the next four days, and Santogold for another day. They stopped in with us at Central Piedmont Community College in Charleston, North Carolina today and urged a swarm of young voters out to the polling place on campus to vote early.

And here’s something: you remember Simon? That pushy character who makes you do things like touch your nose or jump up and down. That jerk who is so insistent that he be in charge that if a statement isn’t preceded by ‘Simon says’ then he punishes you for doing it? Well, for anyone sick of that stuck up prig, try this new kids’ game: Santogold says. And what does Santogold say to North Carolina? This: “You’re in one of those states where you can early vote... so, you know... do that.”

***

Our crew has come a long way in the 45 days we have been on the road. And nowhere is it more measurable than in our waistlines. We have, to put it gently, become a touch portly. We are pleasantly rounded or festively plump. We have, in short, gained some weight. This isn’t surprising. With some few exceptions, we don’t really eat classy food. We usually stop in restaurants where you have to request silverware; the toast choice is between ‘white’ and ‘Texas;’ ranch dressing is served with your soup; and they would be happy to fry your salad.

Between stops, we keep ourselves well nourished with that classic combination of jerky, soda, snack chips, and candy that has turned long-haul drivers everywhere into such elite physical specimens. I have personally begun to consume Combos ‘Zesty Salsa’ brand snacks in diabetes-inducing quantities. At 840 calories a bag, this actually isn’t all that much. To mix things up, I’ll occasionally throw in an ice cream sandwich for some dairy.

To supplement this diet, we encourage a strict regimen of no exercise. I myself do not do pushups every morning and I know that my sister and the other members of the crew have made it a habit to get up every morning in order not to jog, bike, or swim. It’s difficult to maintain such total indolence with a schedule as full as ours, but somehow we manage.

There is a benefit to our steadily deteriorating health though. Because our husky new frames don’t deal as well with cardiovascular strain, we have managed to streamline all our physical labor. Where setting up our stage took forty minutes six weeks ago, we have managed, through increased efficiency/inability to lift, to reduce our set up time to a mere fifteen minutes.

And I am anticipating new advances. Soon my fingers may reach a level of corpulence where I can speed type by means of hitting multiple keys with a single fingertip. The potential is unlimited, as any of my three (3) readers can now attest.

--Nick Brown