The Monday that wasn't and the Tuesday that is still going
So I don't know my Monday from my Tuesday. On Monday I got up nice and early for my breakfast. I dressed up and went down to the hotel to meet Mr. Important. I was there a little early, but no one showed up. At 8:15, I made my third call to his cell phone with no answer and re-read my notes. There, clear as day, was the word Tuesday. I was a day early and calling Mr. Important at 5:30 a.m. his time. I was lucky he didn't answer.I returned home ashamed that I can't read and made a few phone calls. However, I basically sat around in my self-pity watching 9 hours of CNBC.
So today I woke up and repeated my Monday morning procedure. This time, I was there on the right day and sat down for breakfast (3 egg ham and cheese omelette) with Mr. Important. He had me tell him a little about our DC operation and a little about myself. He asked what kind of involvement I would like this week and I told him that I was free whenever and where ever I was needed. We talked a little about the upcoming week and I was given a copy of the confidential schedule. He then handed me 20 bucks and told me that I needed to go "do the advance" on the hotel and report back to him at 1:30. I had to ask what exactly "doing the advance" was and after explaining that I was to get all the important contact information, see the room, etc, I was better prepared.
So at 9:00 a.m. this morning I went to the fanciest hotel in DC and asked to see their manager and their VIP suites. All I had was a yellow legal tablet and a fax (without my name on it) and I was able to get the information and see the room. It's a nice room. I returned home, put together a 1-page briefing sheet for Mr. Important and finalized some of the other grassroots stuff we are doing for visibility for the media.
I met Mr. Important at 1:30 back at his hotel and gave him the briefing sheet. I was then off to a building where the Governor will be giving an important speech about how to deal with Iran. We did the "advance walkthrough" which is that we literal walked through everything the Governor would be doing the next day. From arrival through the back VIP entrance to where he could access a bathroom and what kind of refreshment would be available (diet soda and water).
Then I was given a list of 17 names and a badge and told "make 17 badges like this one, make sure they are laminated and have a clip on them for pockets and put them in my hand this afternoon". With that Mr. Important pulled out $60 and sent me off to Kinkos. In just under 2 hours and $70 later (I didn't spend all the cab money from the morning, so we are even), I made 17 badges for the VIPs for the debate.
I then called Mr. Important and he told me to deliver them to his hotel and that I was done for the day. Not bad, I had helped and it was 4:30ish, so I could knock off at a reasonable time. I went home and stripped out of my soaking shirt and Dockers and climbed into a pair of shorts. See today was 95 with 80% humidity. Downright horrible.
Mrs. Expat Teacher got home and we had a nice evening meal. As she was headed out to her writer's group, Mr. Important called me up and said, "I need you at Union Station in 10 minutes." On went the sticky clothes and out the door I went. There I learned that my job tomorrow after the speech will be to be the assistant to the body woman for the First Lady of New Mexico, Barbara Richardson. As the schedule turns out, I'll be the body person for her for a few hours. That means I'm her personal assistant and will get her everything she needs during the afternoon. I should be done tomorrow at 5:30 when I turn over my duties to someone else.
However, my Tuesday isn't even over yet. That bag of badges I dropped off at the hotel went missing. Mr. Important called me and told me to take care of it. I was standing in my shorts (again!) in my living room. What on Earth was I going to do? I called the Front Desk Manager and after hearing it from Mr. Important, she wasn't in the mood to hear it from me. Luckily through my description of EXACTLY what happened and the bag in question, it was finally found. It had been delivered to the wrong room. My work day ended at 11:00 p.m. tonight
And I Loved Every Moment Of It!
I'm off to bed now because at 9:30 a.m., I have to be at the Governor's hotel to get the keys and make sure the room is ready for him and Mrs. Richardson. I'll try to blog tomorrow or Thursday, but if I can't, check back on Saturday for a week in review.
I know that some readers of Page 132 don't think Richardson has a chance, but check out the June poll numbers on Richardson: 3rd in Iowa over Obama and (some campaign inside scoop, internals have him at 3rd in New Hampshire over Edwards.) Why not get on the train before it becomes a runaway?
posted by Expat Teacher @ 12:02 AM
