Cold, Rainy Day

The cold front moved in yesterday evening strong and blustery. The last of the leaves are pretty much down now. There's been some snow -- not the sort that stays; the sort that flurries around in the air a bit. A tiny bit. Enough to let you know that winter will indeed be arriving soon.

Yesterday the Join the Impact: Pittsburgh demonstration was well attended (especially for a rainy day). I got to Schenley park, and discovered hundreds of people standing under a large tent. We milled around and greeted friends and made favorable comments on signs (my favorite sign so far is "Can I Vote on Your Marriage Now?"). It was like a giant cocktail party without beverages or snacks.

Finally the Rainbow Chorus sang; then there were moving words from a woman married in California; then one of the organizers started calling out the names of groups, to see who was there (LARGE shout out for Pitt. LARGE shout out for Carnegie Mellon. We waited for "Duquesne" and then shouted VERY loudly, cause really, doncha know, we weren't actually taking up that much space); then we were told that we were allowed to walk on the grass (which nobody was walking on because of the signs that said not to), and that we could all go mill around and then walk around Oakland so as to get the point across. Which we then did. And I went home.

Pittsburgh. It's so cute. I'm not good at estimating numbers, but I figure that there were several hundred people there -- not at all like the numbers I expect from my days in San Francisco, but I'm working on blooming where I'm planted. And it was a gathering of great good will and politeness.

Whilst marching, and chanting (I hate chanting. I've always hated chanting. Now that I am all old and curmudgeonly, I simply walk along channelling energy and grinning. But I don't chant anymore. Cause I hate it. I don't mind signs, though; next time I'll bring one), we were careful to cross the streets WITH the lights, and not block anybody on the sidewalk.

Cause in Pittsburgh, we're polite whilst protesting. It's so darling.