Last weekend, I went to Kennett, Missouri to volunteer for the Obama campaign. As you can see from the picture, Kennett is the hometown of Sheryl Crow. It has eleven thousand people in it and is surrounded by cotton fields.
Then I arrived at the Democratic party/Obama headquarters in Kennett. Look it’s a cute little house.
I, along with 7 other people from Arkansas who I had not met before, were sent on the streets to canvass (knock on doors of strangers and speak to them personally).
We each got a list of addresses and a map of our “turf” and away we go. We went in groups of two and one person got the even numbered houses on the turf streets and the other person got the odd numbered houses on the same streets. If you did it right, both of would be walking on the same street with one person on the right side and the other person on the left side.
That night when it was too late to knock on stranger’s doors without getting shot, we went out to eat at Porky’s Rib Ranch and Pizza place.
Yes kids. It is one restaurant. Oh it is a dive but complete with pig memorabilia everywhere. This place the usual BBQ and the usual pizza with a “BBQ” pizza added for good measure but one of most intriguing things on the menu was something called the “Omar salad”
Of course, one of my companions (and salad lover) had to ask what was in this salad. The answer, as I recall, is lettuce, bacon, onion, cucumbers, pineapple, mandarin oranges, and maybe chicken and tomatoes.
I have no idea why it is called an “Omar salad” either.
The next day, we went to a neighboring town called “Senath” and canvassed that area as well. They are really into Breast Cancer awareness. This town was tiny.
Then it was done. Canvassing completed.
I then took the opportunity to meet up with my friend Kevin who lives across the line in Tennessee. Kevin is the bees knees. He has some stories to tell. We went to this Mexican place that was very tasty and whose name I have forgotten. Oops. Then we went to bar having karaoke Sunday. OH the drama. As I was leaving, I was kidding him about his constant mentioning of Applebee’s when we were making plans on the phone. He said “well it was the only place that I knew served beer.” See when I emailed him when I knew I was going to be in the area, I wrote “do you want to grab a beer” Obviously, he took my request very seriously and was busting his hump trying to make sure I received a beer. Y’all I was touched. TOUCHED. *sniff*
Yay! I’ve been to Kennett for dinner, actually. My parents lived in Rector, Ark. for a while and this spring when I was helping them pack up the house we decided to drive on over to Kennett for some of the big city food (compared to Rector, it actually is). We ended up eating at a catfish restaurant, I think, that was much like Porky’s, but with fish.
How was the canvassing? How did people receive you? I wanted to drive up to Missouri and do it, but couldn’t work it out. I’m glad I know someone who did.
OH yeah I am aware of the catfish place but I hate catfish with the intensity of a thousand suns. Okay that is a slight exaggeration. I will eat it if I have to. Emphasis on HAVE TO!
People receiving me. Well by this time, those poor Missouri folks have had so many phone calls and whatnot that some purposefully didn’t answer the door. The question was simple, Do you know who you are going to vote for? It was “yes, no, or I don’t know yet” so it wasn’t too intensive.