I was involved with the Ami Bera for Congress campaign a couple of years ago when he ran against Dan Lungren. Unfortunately, he lost but he didn't lose by much and since the 3rd congressional district was redrawn, it is now about evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. I figured heck, why not help the guy out a second time. Can't hurt and it might be a good experience knocking on doors.
I left the house at around 8:45 AM. The meeting time was 10 AM at 5750 Grant Ave, Carmichael, CA. In other words, Carmichael Park. I really had 2 routes to choose from. Either go up Banister and then east on the north side of the river or follow the bike trail and cross over at William Pond Recreation area. I really didn't want to deal with exhaust pipes so I decided on the southern route. Actually, that route, although more scenic, is longer. And yes, I did have to put up with a few "on your left" call outs from the pro riders but it wasn't altogether that bad. The really unpleasant leg of the trip was having to ride up Fair Oaks Blvd heading east and north to Manzanita. There is practically no room for bicycles and cars zoom by at close to 50 mph.
After huffing and puffing for about an hour, I arrived at the park. A table was setup in the middle of the park behind the library with Ami Bera's name prominently displayed. I was apparently the second to arrive. The first was an older man who probably had Parkinsons because his whole body trembled as he spoke. About 6 others arrived after me and then the orientation started.
Zach was the representative from the campaign headquarters and he was in charge of giving us the orientation and handing out the clipboards with all the signature sheets, list of names and addresses and a couple of google maps. The task was pretty simple. Knock on doors and ask if they would sign a petition to get Ami Bera's name on the June 5th primary ballot. There was also a list of codes to check off depending on the outcome, i.e. not home, refused, deceased, etc.
Zach handed me a clipboard with about 80 names and addresses clustered in a neighborhood about 5 minutes away. I thanked him, shoved the clipboard into my backpack and hopped on my bike for the quick ride over. I have to admit, this project was well thought out. Two google maps with all the addresses listed in numerical ascending order, a sample script and the petitions themselves.
I have never done this kind of work before so I wasn't sure what to expect. Looking at the names, I could see a definite pattern. This was an older crowd. Average age was probably around 55. Most weren't home or were home but decided to hide from the stranger knocking on their door. No way to know for sure. This was an older, established neighborhood. Many of the houses were at least 40 years old and looked worn out, as did quite a few of the people I met as well. For the most part they were friendly. A few seemed suspicious when I called out their name. Most of those that agreed to sign were more than happy to see Dan Lungren retired. The common refrain I heard was that he has been in there too long and it is time for him to go.
It took me almost 4 hours to go through all the names and when I was done, I was ready to eat a horse. Okay, not quite a horse but my stomach was growling loudly. There are some restaurants on Fair Oaks Blvd but nothing that really caught my eye and I could feel a Mexican urge coming on strong.
I decided to hold on a bit longer and try out
Gina's Taqueria on Folsom Blvd in Rancho Cordova. That was at least a 1/2 hour ride but I was determined to eat there since I had passed by there a few times over the past couple of years.
From what I have read about this place, it is a little unique since one of the owners is from Mexico and the other is from El Salvador. The place was pretty empty but I expected that to be the case since I arrived there at around 2:30 PM. A young man about 18 or 19 took my order from the counter. I wanted to order a pupusa because a few Yelpers had given it high recommendations. Unfortunately, they were out. Crap. I looked at the menu again and decided for the next exotic sounding item which was a Salvadorenean Tamal. I had no idea what that was but the description seemed tasty. I added a chicken torta and a jamaica to the order and figured that should fill me up for at least the next 6 hours, if not more. Total cost was around $11.00 for the whole meal.
I sat down with a Spanish newspaper and waited. The wait was a little long considering I was the only one ordering but I am not one to complain. As my eyes wandered around the room, I saw the friendly waitress I had met earlier carrying a large tub of fresh tortillas to the salsa bar. Oh yes, fresh tortilla chips.
I loaded up a basket with a pile of tortilla chips and scooped out some salsa into a plastic cup. By the time I arrived back at my table, I had completely forgotten about the long wait and was focused on fresh tortillas dipped in salsa.
Finally the waitress brought out the torta followed by the tamal. The torta was humongous. It was stuffed at least 2 inches high with a thick layer of chicken, lettuce, tomato and perhaps a dollop of bean paste somewhere hidden inside. The waitress also left a bowl of what looked like apple sauce but a little darker and a bowl of sliced cabbage. "Was that for the tamal or the torta?", I thought to myself. I looked at the torta. It looked pretty complete the way it was. The tamal, however was a round saucer shaped fried 3d tortilla that looked like it could use something on top. I tested some of the apple sauce. Hmm, this was interesting. It was definitely apple sauce but with a tinge of chili. The cabbage was really sour. It was drenched in vinegar. I spread some of the apple paste on the tamal and dug in. I could see and taste how well the two complemented each other. The cabbage, however, was just too sour to complement anything. A few bites later and the tamal was gone.
The torta and I looked at each other. Could I finish this monster? It was worth a try. I peeled back some foil and opened my mouth as wide as it could go without unhinging my jaw and took a bite. The chicken was grilled well, no fat or grease that I could detect and the lettuce and tomato happily joined in the celebration. Just for kicks I spread a little of the apple sauce on. Not too bad but still not as good as spoonful of salsa before each bite.
I gorged and gorged some more while listening to some banda musica on the tv overhead. When I finished, I could swear I felt at least a few pounds heavier. So all in all, this was a good choice.
