Granny News

BOSTON OR BUST

( Very long with lots of photos so take your time)

With the weather a big factor in our getting to Boston it was touch and go for a while. We waited until Friday morning to leave hoping to hear the snow storm had abated but it had not. Everyone was so ready to get on the road we just thought heck lets take a chance. We left Asheville about 9 AM Friday morning, met Scanner Scott about 3 hours later in Charlotte and were off to the Rally.

Our fears of getting stranded in a snow or ice storm on the road were unfounded, we had a beautiful trip up, not a snow flake or rain drop on the entire trip.

With the sign on the back window for Chanel 16 ( Freedom Chanel) Chris and Scott talked non stop to the truckers for hours on end. Every time one of the truckers came on positively for Ron there was a loud cheer and high fives all around. These guys were pumped and ready to promote Ron and did a great job of it the whole trip up. AND BACK.

Every gas stop meant a new bunch of people to convert or supply with Ron Paul info. We handed out signs, slim jims and buttons at every stop plus many of the supporters wanted their names on the RV as well.

LADY LIBERTY (Dawn) finally remembered to sign the RV .

Coming into Boston was pretty hairy, snow and slush everywhere but the roads were fairly safe other than some icy patches. The Harbor was snowed in and in town everywhere were huge piles of snow where the plows had piled it up.

We found a motel with a large parking lot and signed in. We all needed a rest and hot bath after 23 hours of driving.

We found out the hard way, no signs allowed in Boston on the road ways etc.. But the Granny Gang is never to be out done.. Danger Dane warns

" DON'T EAT THE YELLOW SNOW"

Since no signs could be put on the roads what better idea than use the natural elements that are present everywhere and if caught..... when it melted so did the evidence. A few cans of spray paint and some inviting snow banks make perfect places for home made signs.. These started popping up all over the area, while the photos don't show up very well they were very very visible. Cars with snow on their rear windows became excellent targets also. Not with the spray paint but with using a finger to write a message.

Sunday morning was pretty rough, we woke up to a big new snow fall, the RV was effectively snowed in. Some yokel parked his truck right in front within 4 feet of the RV so we were pretty near blocked in by the truck plus the snow. The Granny Gang never at a loss just started shoveling and tracking down the snow plow. The truck driver had parked his car at the motel and taken off for a vacation in the Bahamas. So what better punishment than to take all the snow shoveled from in front of the RV and pack it under his truck to freeze tightly.. Let that joker try to move his truck for a while without some really hard shoveling from under his Truck.

After using the shovels and with the help of the plow Scott jockied this old RV back and forth, in and out till he finally cleared the truck and we were on the road. His Nascar experience sure came in handy. Problem was he thinks he is Earnhardt or someone and when asked "HOW FAST ARE WE GOING" it was always 58 or 62 mph.. yeah right, but, he is a excellent driver and even when sliding in the ice I felt fairly safe in his hands. Chris and Scott both have lead feet and keep that RV's engine whining and crying but they both are safe drivers and got us there and back without a scratch.

Above at the Samuel Adams Brewery. Yes they did go and had a ball there and even came home sober and wide awake at 2 AM..... No I didn't go. I was in bed with a warm blanket.

We arrived at the State House for the pre rally early and almost cried as there were only about 20 people there but it seemed like magic people just started showing up in all that rain, sleet and icy wind. Pretty soon there was a good crowd. I know there were at least 200 people as we gave out 2 boxes of signs to hold up to the people who came without one.

By the time it was time to start for Fanuiel Hall ( about 8 blocks away) there was a very good crowd. All bundled up and braving the nastiest weather I have seen in a long time. Strong winds blowing down between the buildings with sleet didn't even stall them. What a bunch of supporters these guys are.

We got to the road we had to turn on to get to our Permitted parking space and found it was impossible to get in there. Too much snow and ice plus the fellow who had been getting our permit actually forgot and we were told in no uncertain terms we had to leave. We finally managed to find a spot on a side street to park where quite a few people were going by. Dawn was on the phone with the "RonPaul Revolution Radio station" for hours standing out in the cold and broadcasting on the spot reports, talking with supporters and doing a grand job of it. Poor thing her hair was so wet and frozen I was afraid she would be getting sick but that didn't stop her.. I finally yelled enough she did put a kerchief on her head.? She was constantly in and out both on the computer to the Dailypaul site and the radio station.

Several TV reporters came by but only one actually used their footage that we saw. Some may have used them on the local stations which we were not aware of but CNN did do a small piece on the Granny Warriors and the Rally and a pretty fair piece too. http://youtube.com/watch?v=3KCrvxZAsO8 The Grannys are at the end of the piece. Good Lord I had no idea of how countrified I sound or how old I got so quick...

Everyone kept the computer going constantly updating people and letting our supporters know what was going on first hand.

It was a long long day and everyone was pretty tired when we finally hit the road home. Catching a snooze was easy to do even while being pushed around by the high winds and nasty weather.

One mishap I forgot. It snowed so much that the roof of the RV was about a foot deep until we started driving and the snow started melting. The weight of the snow sprung a seam in the roof and water started dripping down the TV antenna control in the roof. What to do???? The Granny Gang figured it out asap.. Duct Tape and a big bowl..

Chris was at the wheel starting home and the winds were so strong it was a struggle to stay in our lane but he managed to navagate the traffic and not slide into anyone. Good Job Chris... That RV is like a sail in the wind especially when the roads are wet and icy. Surely someone up there is watching over this RV.

We made a stop at the National Headquarters. What a disapointment. the sign in the window is the only one on the building. It is invisible in the day time as the windows are tinted. The $65,000.00 office is on the second floor of a Dry Cleaning store. The stair way is dark and uninviting, the only sign is a yard sign on the door with Ron Paul. There is no way a disabled person could even visit the office. But.... that seems to be the point they do not encourage walk in visits.

When first entering you are asked to sign in with your name, address, phone, age and reason for being there? There is no material to hand out to walkins, and you are told at once..."NO CAMERAS" as you see someone didn't listen. I didn't sign their damned register either. When asked why there were no signs on the building or even bumper stickers on their cars? One answer was they didn't want to become targets. the other was they didn't own the building and couldn't put signs up there? The neighborhood is not the best to say the least. I was also told I would have to take the RV out of the parking lot as they didn't own it. Jessie Benton was the bearer of that message. As you see someone didn't listen to that either. When asked why no photos we were told by Doug, the new "IT" guy that the photos might get online and people would know where everything is and could steal from them? When asked what was there to steal there was no answer. He also stated he was trying to make the people more paranoid to avoid any problems? The more popular Ron becomes the more likely they will be targets.. I asked him what he thought we were riding in a RV with his name all over it but we weren't scared and we weren't even getting paid. He just shrugged. He also did not want his photo taken and put up a coffee cup to hide his face but we managed to get a photo of him anyway. Kent Snyder and Justine Lam did not show up. They were all hung over from a big celebration they had had the night before celebrating their good work in raising the $6,000,000.00 for Ron... As you can tell I am not impressed with the office or the staff. The Campaign needs to bring its headquarters to Texas where there are devoted supporters to man the phones in a civil manner and take care of people who want to walk in and get information. Plus it wouldn't cost such a outrageous price for rent. I think of the work Amanda Moore has done in SC with those offices, what a difference.. SC is clean, neat and well managed with friendly faces to greet people coming in off the street and you can bet there are signs everywhere letting people know that it is a campaign office for Ron Paul.

After Arlington we made a side trip to Washington DC and toured the city with the PA system going with the old Frank Sinatra song of NEW YORK ( changed to Ron Paul ) going full blast. I mean Scott took us around the city several times.. We got a lot of looks and quite a few thumbs up. It was a fun time. We did the same in Richmond Va. also. People cannot miss this RV and the song gets stuck in your head trust me I am still humming it.

This has been a terrific week. I am worn out and satisfied we did a top notch job of promoting our man. The kids are all in constant motion, their minds working overtime and coming up with solutions to problems as quick as they appear. This has been a learning experience for me and one that makes me appreciate our young people so much more. They are working now on setting up a radio station in the RV to broadcast on our trips.

This Trip has been so expensive but so worth while. If you all are not too upset with me for my critizm of the headquarters please remember we do this on donations. I cannot afford to foot the bill alone any longer. I appreciate all of your support in the past and hopefully in the future. We have a big job of getting people aware of who Ron is and what he stands for. There are still hundreds of people a day who ask us " Who is Ron Paul" it is up to all of us to answer that question politely and happily.

" Granny Gang "

Dawn (Liberty lady), Dane )dangerdane), Scott(Scanner Scott) Chris and Jeremy

Thank you guys for a wonderful trip. Looking forward to the next one.