The Chris Cardé Experience

Davis is a funny place. Perhaps this is neither unique nor uncommon, but I still hold a special place in my heart for the town, no matter how anal the town is towards the students -- especially in spite of, or perhaps because of the brilliant mix of yuppie + militant NIMBY activism pursued by the town residents.

The title of this post has nothing to do with the contents. I just felt compelled to share it with the world. You've been warned -- and, I hope, are happy to hear that you're not embarking on a reading adventure about my hair. I mean, gel IS keeping my hair down, so the analogy fits. It's just not really blog-worthy.

Two good friends from college, Rona and Wayland, tied the knot in the East Bay a few weeks ago... It was a great wedding -- intimate, personable, fun, and -- enhanced by the presence of a bunch of college friends who I just don't see enough of these days. The ceremony itself was in Union City, followed by a Chinese banquet in Oakland's Chinatown. I wish that I had been more of the party in a box that I know I can be.... but to be fair, I basically stepped off of the flight home from Germany, dropped a suitcase at my house, and went to the rehearsal dinner. Jetlag's a bitch. I must be getting old!

Jetlag consumed any photographic ambitions I had for the rehearsal dinner, but I was rip-roarin' to go the next morning! Following are some of the highlights:

Lauren helping Wayland (the groom, of course) achieve penultimate levels of spiffiness before the ceremony

Post-coffee, pre-ceremony waiting around... With camera, of course!

More below the fold. Click Read More to continue!

Wednesday saw my return to San Francisco from Corpus Christi, Texas, where I had joined the Obama for America campaign's final sprint to the Texas Two-Step as a volunteer. Long story made short: it was an amazing experience. The spirit, determination, energy, and intelligence of the people working and volunteering for the campaign are nothing short of breathtaking. Frankly, I'm addicted, and can't see any other reasonable option but to rejoin the ground operation in Pennsylvania in advance of their April 22nd primary.

Fellow volunteers -- two of whom also hail from the S.F. Bay Area.

I'm writing this with my laptop on the hood of my rental car, parked outside the campaign office in Corpus Christi a few minutes before they open for today -- the final day before Texas gets out to vote and caucus. I'd meant to post an update before leaving, but as tends to happen, life got busy and the days all ran together. I'm out in Texas working as a part of the Barack Obama campaign's ground operation, trying to deliver that knockout punch they need on Tuesday to secure the nomination. No time to write about the details (and we've been asked not to blog about this stuff) but suffice it to say that this is as exciting, fulfilling, and fun a thing I've done in quite some time. The energy on the ground and the enthusiasm from the campaign staff and volunteers is palpable.

That’s right! Another blog entry brimming with the subconscious swell of dissatisfaction at my not managing to punch out more than one entry per month. If only daydreams lead to blog entries; I find myself shuttling around by plane, train, and automobile dreaming up the most engaging (if I do say so myself, thank you!) rants and narratives. Some day I’ll figure out how to capture them in written form.

So, what have I been up to lately? Let’s take it point by point…

...literally! Believe it or not, I’m more than a little pumped to be back on the bike commute, as of today. That’s right, baby… Caught the 6:11am limited express to Palo Alto. Ah, it feels good to be a faux European in SF.

I’d be dishonest to suggest that the deck was anything less than stacked in my favor:

1. I’m 18 hours off of a flight from Germany. Thanks to the wondrous properties of jetlag, this 6am train feels like mid-afternoon.
2. My car is not presently in my possession (the Chrius is Nick’s chariot this week).
3. Just dropped $280 on a major bike overhaul and tune-up. My bike has been sitting in the corner with a gleaming new drivetrain, screaming “ride me!”
4. The weather this weekend is supposed to be beautiful!

“I had to leave Germany for legal reasons” was my favorite December conversation starter. Little-known fact: A German-American tax treaty allows US Citizens who pay tax in the United States to be in Germany for up to 182 days without also owing taxes to the German government. The same part of me that believes you’re wasting time if they’re not calling your name on the PA when you walk up to a gate at the airport has allowed me to cut this deadline very close.