What it's really like to work on a political campaign: Smoked!

The UniteHERE Reno campaign is all about door knocking. We're set up to talk with large numbers of voters, persuade them to support our candidates, -- U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Governor Steve Sisolak -- and get them out to vote.

But for the last week, wildfire smoke from the Mosquito fire has made the outdoors hazardous and, besides, who is going to open their door to talk to a stranger and let in the smoke?

So we've converted our office into a makeshift phone bank, everyone dialing on their own phones.

This site was a call center before we made it a campaign office, so it is somewhat suited. But all this dialing is very primitive for 2022 and not at all how intentional phone banks are organized. But it is the mark of a serious campaign that we figure out a way to keep doing the work despite obstacles.

For a little relief, we've gotten around to decorating the office which had been a barren shell.

Someone hung this affirmation across from my office. I doubt the attribution to Cesar Chavez. But I live among and honor the fierce determination of my co-workers every day.

And when the monotony of it all is too much, there's a stretch break.

The smoke has to clear someday soon. Maybe today? So far so good at dawn's early light.