Primo: What do you think of this fundraising email? [That he is writing for his campaign]
Me: I think it's too long.
Primo: But I need to say all that!
Me: You need to get to the point.
Primo: I am a man of many words.
Me: I know.
Primo: What should I do?
Me: [All the copyediting and writing advice]
Primo: No!
Me: If only you knew someone who wrote for a living.
Primo: What?
Me: Like - what if my whole job were to figure out how to write about boring things in a way that would make people want to read the copy?
Primo: Oh yeah.
Me: What if I actually knew what I was talking about?
Later
Primo: I showed the email to [his communications guy]. He says it's too long.
Me: Huh. Who knew?
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Sunday, January 14, 2018
The Candidate's Wife: What makes a person a weirdo?
Me: Did you get a chance to email [that person who wants to volunteer] about going to that governors candidates' session on Tuesday?
Primo: I wrote one but haven't sent it.
Me: Why not?
Primo: Because I wrote it at 3:00 a.m.
Me: So?
Primo: I didn't want him to think I am some weirdo who writes emails at 3 a.m.!
Me: But - you are some weirdo who writes emails at 3 a.m.!
Primo: I wrote one but haven't sent it.
Me: Why not?
Primo: Because I wrote it at 3:00 a.m.
Me: So?
Primo: I didn't want him to think I am some weirdo who writes emails at 3 a.m.!
Me: But - you are some weirdo who writes emails at 3 a.m.!
Thursday, January 11, 2018
The Candidate's Wife: Primo discovers that the board of his group has a spy
Primo: Something bad happened!
Me: What? (Thinking - someone we know has died!)
Primo: It's BAD!
Me: Oh no! (My sister called him late at night to tell him my mom fell and broke her hip! Primo has cancer! The library burned down!)
Primo: We've discovered that Boris, on the board of ActivistsRUs, is an infiltrator!
Me: What do you mean?
Primo: I mean he's from the Other Side!
Me: But - he's in your group!
Primo: He's running for county supervisor against Natasha.
Me: Which is good, right?
Primo: I know you are not a fan of Natasha.
Me: She is not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Primo: I know.
Me: She said she didn't know why Arizona was worried about illegal immigrants from Mexico because it's not like Mexico and Arizona share a border.
Primo: We thought Boris was running to the left of Natasha.
Me: But he's not?
Primo: Turns out he ran in 2012 and he is not left!
Me: But - he is in your group!
Primo: We think he's a spy.
Me: But the alternative is Natasha.
Primo: I would rather have someone really dumb who agrees with me on positions than someone smart who is on the other side.
Me: What? (Thinking - someone we know has died!)
Primo: It's BAD!
Me: Oh no! (My sister called him late at night to tell him my mom fell and broke her hip! Primo has cancer! The library burned down!)
Primo: We've discovered that Boris, on the board of ActivistsRUs, is an infiltrator!
Me: What do you mean?
Primo: I mean he's from the Other Side!
Me: But - he's in your group!
Primo: He's running for county supervisor against Natasha.
Me: Which is good, right?
Primo: I know you are not a fan of Natasha.
Me: She is not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Primo: I know.
Me: She said she didn't know why Arizona was worried about illegal immigrants from Mexico because it's not like Mexico and Arizona share a border.
Primo: We thought Boris was running to the left of Natasha.
Me: But he's not?
Primo: Turns out he ran in 2012 and he is not left!
Me: But - he is in your group!
Primo: We think he's a spy.
Me: But the alternative is Natasha.
Primo: I would rather have someone really dumb who agrees with me on positions than someone smart who is on the other side.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Spam spam spam
You guys, I had no idea that comments were going to spam. All comments are sent to my hotmail. Any comment on a post older than two weeks goes to moderation (or something like that), but other than that, if I see it in hotmail, I assume it's been published. I never suspected that a system that would allow comments about how to get your boyfriend to beg to have you back would block comments from actual people who make thoughtful comments.
I am sorry about that! I do not block non-spam comments. I don't even block the comments of the readers who take Sly and Doris' side, mostly because I am so fascinated that such people exist.
Thanks to the Cosmic Avenger for bringing this to my attention.
I am sorry about that! I do not block non-spam comments. I don't even block the comments of the readers who take Sly and Doris' side, mostly because I am so fascinated that such people exist.
Thanks to the Cosmic Avenger for bringing this to my attention.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
The Candidate's Wife: Ted's email to Primo is not as awful as I thought it would be but then even a stopped clock is right twice a day, but he is not staying at our house, no matter how nice his email is
Ted sent this email and it actually reads like the email of a nice person who has never
1. Screamed at Primo
2. Implied that Primo is dishonest and/or stupid
3. Screamed at Primo
4. Tried to get Primo to reimburse him for the expense he incurred attending his own father's funeral.*
So it's a nice note and I am suspicious.
Because there is nothing in my history with Ted that indicates that he is a nice person.
I really am torn. This is a lovely note. I cannot deny that.
But.
But.
But.
There is nothing in history to indicate that Ted will not turn into a jerk in a second. That he will not scream at Primo or send him nasty emails or make demands.
I do not trust him.
However.
If he wants to help Primo from afar, that is fine. If he wants to ask his friends to send money to Primo, that is fine.
But. He is not invited to stay at our house. LordHaveMercy, that would stress Primo out so much and by extension would stress me out. Plus it would also stress me out without Primo's stress.
Reasons for stress if Ted visited
1. Primo would have to clean out the guest room, which is actually a good thing. My philosophy is that a man who has an entire bedroom of a house dedicated as his office and who has boxes and boxes of crap in the basement does not need to also have his stuff strewn all over the guest room. Or the landing. Or the stairs. Or the hall. So for that reason - a cleaned guest room, it might be worth it to have Ted visit.
Hahahaha! I was joking! As much as I hate having Primo's crap strewn all over the guest room, I hate the idea of having Ted in my house - of ever seeing him again - even more.
2. Primo would have to pick Ted up from the airport. He would be late picking him up but you know what? I don't care about that.
3. Someone would have to feed Ted. Someone would have to plan meals.
That someone would not be me.
4. I believe Ted is a drinker and I am not interested in being around Ted when he is sober, much less when he is drunk.
5. Primo would be cranky about someone using the guest bathroom, which, in normal times, is just his bathroom.
6. Primo is already stressed out about just answering Ted's email. Seriously. He has mentioned it several times in the past few days - that he has to answer Ted's email ("No you don't" I tell him) and he doesn't know what to say ("Tell him to tell his friends to send money and thanks and that's it").
He is ignoring my advice and is just being stressed. If there's this much stress about answering an email, imagine the stress of having a visit.
Conclusion
Ted cannot visit us. It would cause too much drama.
However, it is very nice and very unusual to get an email from him where he is not being a jerk. So we will take that.
* Although I still have mixed feelings about this one. If my father had abandoned to an alcoholic mother when I was four years old, then moved away, then tried to get out of paying child support for me, and then said he was not going to pay for my college but paid for my younger brother's college, I, too, would have mixed feelings about attending his funeral. If it were I, I would go only to make sure he was dead.
Oh wait. That was me. And that is the only reason I attended Sly's funeral. That and because it was important to Primo, whom I love.
1. Screamed at Primo
2. Implied that Primo is dishonest and/or stupid
3. Screamed at Primo
4. Tried to get Primo to reimburse him for the expense he incurred attending his own father's funeral.*
So it's a nice note and I am suspicious.
Because there is nothing in my history with Ted that indicates that he is a nice person.
Delightful note you sent and I hope to help with more than a small unsolicited contribution!
Shall dispense with small talk for now but please note very proud of you and I like reading about your “productive fundraising.”
A few ideas:
1. Depending on circumstances (my mom’s health, status of work commitments), I would be eager to pop by at or near election time on my dime and work in the trenches for you. Give that some thought. Our local politician/acquaintance impressed me a few years ago when I went to volunteer because his (out-of-state) brother was manning the volunteer shop and walking people through the top-line talking points, etc. Obvious considerations would be keeping me on point and preserving your wine cellar in the evenings.
2. Doubt I can do much here here with my erstwhile political networks, outside of begging a few friends to donate a little money.
3. This is my Big Thought (and related to my core experience): I suggest that you make several short-form “pitches” about you, primarily, and your platform, second. With a tiny bit of inexpensive production savvy (which I’m happy to provide from afar at no cost), I believe that you can get across to multi-generational voters with what used to be expensive political commercials. You run these on your website and FB, obviously, but I’m thinking that other outlets—traditional and new—would be receptive to running :10, :15, :30, and maybe even 1:00 and 1:30 spots in rotation. Need to noodle on this a bit more.
Key point, Primo, about #3, is to emphasize you and your dedication to constituents. In today’s ideology-heavy society, I still feel a glimmer of hope for good, strong, positive politicians who are genuine. You fit the bill.
love big bro
I really am torn. This is a lovely note. I cannot deny that.
But.
But.
But.
There is nothing in history to indicate that Ted will not turn into a jerk in a second. That he will not scream at Primo or send him nasty emails or make demands.
I do not trust him.
However.
If he wants to help Primo from afar, that is fine. If he wants to ask his friends to send money to Primo, that is fine.
But. He is not invited to stay at our house. LordHaveMercy, that would stress Primo out so much and by extension would stress me out. Plus it would also stress me out without Primo's stress.
Reasons for stress if Ted visited
1. Primo would have to clean out the guest room, which is actually a good thing. My philosophy is that a man who has an entire bedroom of a house dedicated as his office and who has boxes and boxes of crap in the basement does not need to also have his stuff strewn all over the guest room. Or the landing. Or the stairs. Or the hall. So for that reason - a cleaned guest room, it might be worth it to have Ted visit.
Hahahaha! I was joking! As much as I hate having Primo's crap strewn all over the guest room, I hate the idea of having Ted in my house - of ever seeing him again - even more.
2. Primo would have to pick Ted up from the airport. He would be late picking him up but you know what? I don't care about that.
3. Someone would have to feed Ted. Someone would have to plan meals.
That someone would not be me.
4. I believe Ted is a drinker and I am not interested in being around Ted when he is sober, much less when he is drunk.
5. Primo would be cranky about someone using the guest bathroom, which, in normal times, is just his bathroom.
6. Primo is already stressed out about just answering Ted's email. Seriously. He has mentioned it several times in the past few days - that he has to answer Ted's email ("No you don't" I tell him) and he doesn't know what to say ("Tell him to tell his friends to send money and thanks and that's it").
He is ignoring my advice and is just being stressed. If there's this much stress about answering an email, imagine the stress of having a visit.
Conclusion
Ted cannot visit us. It would cause too much drama.
However, it is very nice and very unusual to get an email from him where he is not being a jerk. So we will take that.
* Although I still have mixed feelings about this one. If my father had abandoned to an alcoholic mother when I was four years old, then moved away, then tried to get out of paying child support for me, and then said he was not going to pay for my college but paid for my younger brother's college, I, too, would have mixed feelings about attending his funeral. If it were I, I would go only to make sure he was dead.
Oh wait. That was me. And that is the only reason I attended Sly's funeral. That and because it was important to Primo, whom I love.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
The Candidate's Wife: A neighbor is upset about changes to the hunting rules and wants to take Primo hunting, which Primo thinks would be pandering but I think would be fabulous
One of our neighbors and his wife have helped with Primo's previous campaigns. They are very nice people - they even did the phone bank with us in the first election.
If you don't know what a phone bank is, let me tell you.
It is an awful horrible thing where you call people and ask them to vote for your candidate and if you
1. Hate talking to strangers
2. Hate talking about politics
3. Hate talking on the phone
4. Hate talking to anyone about anything
then a phone bank is your worst nightmare.
For hours, all you are doing is talking to people who probably hate talking on the phone as much as you do and now you have interrupted them in the middle of the Batters episode of The Great British Baking Show when they are doing the churros and everyone wants to see how the churros will turn out. Everyone.
You do not generate goodwill with people by interrupting them during a TV show they like.
So our neighbors even helped with the phone bank, which makes the pretty exceptional if you ask me.
Let's call them Scott and Zelda.
Scott emailed Primo last week about some changes to the hunting laws. He is not in favor of these changes. I am not going to copy his email here because I respect the privacy of people who have always been gracious with me.
Cross me, though, and I will publicize your jerkiness.
But Scott's email has nothing jerky in it - nothing like that - it's just that he wrote it for Primo's eyes, not anyone else's, and I want to honor that.
He suggested that he take Primo hunting so Primo could see for himself.
Primo is a city boy.
My grandfather took me fishing. He taught me to wean a calf and to ride a horse and let me sit in his lap when he drove the tractor.
Primo's grandfather taught him to play pool.
We come from very different backgrounds.
My family is almost all hunters; I don't even know what Primo's uncles do because I have never met them and Primo sees them once every 20 years at funerals. Wait. At their own funerals.
So Primo is all, "I can't do that! I'm not a hunter! It would look like I was trying to suck up to voters!" to which I said, "Hello you are in politics now what about this surprises you? That's what politicians do - they pander and they suck up!"
But then I said, "The voters here are hunters. Don't you think you should try to understand what it's all about so you would be better informed and more prepared to understand them and to represent their interests?"
To which he admitted that yes, I was right. (I relish hearing that so, so much.)(It happens so rarely. Not that he won't admit it - he will - it's just that he is right so much more often than I am.)(Of course, he cares a lot more about being right.)
He wrote back to Scott,
If you don't know what a phone bank is, let me tell you.
It is an awful horrible thing where you call people and ask them to vote for your candidate and if you
1. Hate talking to strangers
2. Hate talking about politics
3. Hate talking on the phone
4. Hate talking to anyone about anything
then a phone bank is your worst nightmare.
For hours, all you are doing is talking to people who probably hate talking on the phone as much as you do and now you have interrupted them in the middle of the Batters episode of The Great British Baking Show when they are doing the churros and everyone wants to see how the churros will turn out. Everyone.
You do not generate goodwill with people by interrupting them during a TV show they like.
So our neighbors even helped with the phone bank, which makes the pretty exceptional if you ask me.
Let's call them Scott and Zelda.
Scott emailed Primo last week about some changes to the hunting laws. He is not in favor of these changes. I am not going to copy his email here because I respect the privacy of people who have always been gracious with me.
Cross me, though, and I will publicize your jerkiness.
But Scott's email has nothing jerky in it - nothing like that - it's just that he wrote it for Primo's eyes, not anyone else's, and I want to honor that.
He suggested that he take Primo hunting so Primo could see for himself.
Primo is a city boy.
My grandfather took me fishing. He taught me to wean a calf and to ride a horse and let me sit in his lap when he drove the tractor.
Primo's grandfather taught him to play pool.
We come from very different backgrounds.
My family is almost all hunters; I don't even know what Primo's uncles do because I have never met them and Primo sees them once every 20 years at funerals. Wait. At their own funerals.
So Primo is all, "I can't do that! I'm not a hunter! It would look like I was trying to suck up to voters!" to which I said, "Hello you are in politics now what about this surprises you? That's what politicians do - they pander and they suck up!"
But then I said, "The voters here are hunters. Don't you think you should try to understand what it's all about so you would be better informed and more prepared to understand them and to represent their interests?"
To which he admitted that yes, I was right. (I relish hearing that so, so much.)(It happens so rarely. Not that he won't admit it - he will - it's just that he is right so much more often than I am.)(Of course, he cares a lot more about being right.)
He wrote back to Scott,
Your proposal to take me hunting is very interesting. I've never had a personal desire to hunt or to own a gun, although I have no problem with responsible hunting or responsible gun ownership. (I have done some target shooting, several times with a .22 rifle and once with a friend's Colt .45; after that experience, I can say that I definitely don't have any desire to fire a handgun again.) Goldie and I do eat venison, both from her family's deer processing plant and from a friend who hunts every year.
My initial reaction was that it seemed silly to go hunting just so that I can claim to be a hunter during my campaign, but I talked to Goldie about it and she suggested that it may be something I should experience if I want to represent hunters in the Legislature. I think she may be right! It would be good to be able to say that I have gone hunting, even if I don't choose to identify myself as a hunter on my campaign literature after going hunting just once.
So maybe we'll get Primo out in blaze orange. On verra.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
The Candidate's Wife: Ted offers to help with the campaign and I laugh because Ted? Helping? C'est rire
Primo: Ted emailed me to thank me for the note I wrote to thank him for his contribution.
Me: Great. That's exactly why I wrote snail mail letters to your mom - I didn't want her to be able to email my right back. At least with letters, there was a lag time.
Primo: He wants to help with my campaign.
Me: Uh huh.
Primo: He does.
Me: Yes.
Primo: He could be sincere.
Me: Uh. Huh.
Primo: He could.
Me: You mean like last time when he put you in touch with his friend who spent half an hour telling you to advertise on facebook?
Primo: That was really useful.
Me: He wants to help?
Primo: That's what he says.
Me: He probably just wants to call you and tell you his opinion on things and have you tell him how wonderful he is.
Primo: Yep.
Me: Tell him to send money and to have his rich friends send money. That's the best kind of help.
Me: Great. That's exactly why I wrote snail mail letters to your mom - I didn't want her to be able to email my right back. At least with letters, there was a lag time.
Primo: He wants to help with my campaign.
Me: Uh huh.
Primo: He does.
Me: Yes.
Primo: He could be sincere.
Me: Uh. Huh.
Primo: He could.
Me: You mean like last time when he put you in touch with his friend who spent half an hour telling you to advertise on facebook?
Primo: That was really useful.
Me: He wants to help?
Primo: That's what he says.
Me: He probably just wants to call you and tell you his opinion on things and have you tell him how wonderful he is.
Primo: Yep.
Me: Tell him to send money and to have his rich friends send money. That's the best kind of help.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
The Candidate's Wife: The Other Woman meets with the guy on Primo's side who does want to file for the senate seat
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| This image goes with the end of the story. |
And let's name the Other Woman Mata Hari or Cleopatra or something like that.
Wait. No. Miss Havisham. Not implying anything - it's the only woman character who comes to mind right now.
(Were there that many women in Dickens? I can't remember. Now I need to know. No. Now I need to write this post.)
OK. So Miss Havisham set up a meeting with Sydney.
I know Sydney because he has long been a member of a city board of which I was a member for a few years. He is also a city councilman and a federal prosecutor. I have always found him to be gracious, sincere, and polite, with the best interests of our city at heart.
For a while, Primo and I were worried that the party powers would ask Sydney to run. He is far more well known in our district than Primo is and honestly, he would be an excellent representative.
So would Primo.
Wouldn't it be nice to have to choose between two good candidates for once? Instead of holding your nose and voting for the one who disgusts you less?
Well anyway.
So Miss Havisham set up a meeting with Sydney because someone told her that it was rumored that Sydney might be planning to run for that state senate seat.
Sydney has not filed, but even if he had filed already, there is no rule against multiple persons filing to run.
Primo got the gossip back.
Miss Havisham told Sydney, who has always, as far as I know, acted with the greatest of integrity and in the interests of our city, that she was running and he should not run because there were already - and I quote - "too many white men in office."
I am not going to debate the merits of what she said - although I will say she is probably right, but - he has decades of experience in local government (a position that pays about $300 a month for countless hours of work, which means it is really a volunteer position, which is fine with me - I don't think politics should be a paid career, although then you knock out people who aren't rich so this issue is not as binary as I would like it to be) and Miss Havisham is a life coach with no political experience whatsoever.
She can primary him. I have no problems with that. I don't think any candidate should ever run unopposed by someone from the other side and I don't even have problems with primaries, except I don't want Primo to be primaried because that would suck up what little campaign money we do have.
I do have a problem with someone being that rude to Sydney's face.
I mean - that was downright rude.
And Sydney, whom I saw maintain his calm through hours of public hearings where The Public was pretty much accusing us of strangling kittens so we could feed them to sharks,
walked out.
Yes.
He walked out of the meeting.
I do not blame him.
Sunday, December 24, 2017
The Candidate's Wife: Primo's friends talk to the Other Woman and suggest that she run for state senate, a seat for which nobody in Primo's party has filed
Through this elaborate grapevine of back door/back alley/what is the right back? politics, through many people, through Primo's many political connections, Someone talked to Someone who talked to Someone Else and finally, Someone talked to The Other Woman and suggested that she run for state senate instead of state house and she said yeah, that's a great idea!
So. Whew.
So. Whew.
Thursday, December 21, 2017
The Candidate's Wife: Primo's best friend also thinks Ted is full of it and cannot be trusted
We go to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving to visit our friends. Sam and Primo have known each other since our first week of college. Sam knew Sly way before I did and agrees with me that Sly was a jerk and we don't know how Primo turned out as nice as he did given his raising and his genes.
Primo: Ted sent me money.
Sam: He wants something.
Primo: No. He could be changing.
Sam: He wants something.
Primo: Maybe he wants a better relationship with me.
Sam: He wants something from you. People like that do not change.
Primo: Ted sent me money.
Sam: He wants something.
Primo: No. He could be changing.
Sam: He wants something.
Primo: Maybe he wants a better relationship with me.
Sam: He wants something from you. People like that do not change.
Monday, December 18, 2017
The Candidate's Wife: Ted sends Primo $50 as a campaign contribution and Primo thinks that hell is freezing over and I say Mon ami les léopards ne changent pas leurs taches
Primo: Wow. Ted donated $50 to my campaign.
Me: What? He wants something.
Primo: No. He could change.
Me: Uh huh.
Primo: Maybe he's different now.
Me: Has he apologized for being a jerk before?
Primo: No.
Me: When someone changes, that's how you know he is sincere. He acknowledges his past wrongdoings, he asks for forgiveness, and he promises not to repeat the behavior.
Primo: That's not how it's done in my family.
Me: That's because your family doesn't do it at all.
Primo: Maybe.
Me: If Ted had truly experienced a Damascus moment, he would say, "Primo, I have been a real jerk to you. I yelled at you and have been nasty and mean to you. You did not deserve it. I was wrong. I am sorry. I hope you can forgive me. I promise not to act that way anymore."
Primo: He didn't do that.
Me: I am shocked.
Primo: But he did send me money.
Me: OK. Take it. But don't trust him.
Primo: Maybe he's changed.
Me: What? He wants something.
Primo: No. He could change.
Me: Uh huh.
Primo: Maybe he's different now.
Me: Has he apologized for being a jerk before?
Primo: No.
Me: When someone changes, that's how you know he is sincere. He acknowledges his past wrongdoings, he asks for forgiveness, and he promises not to repeat the behavior.
Primo: That's not how it's done in my family.
Me: That's because your family doesn't do it at all.
Primo: Maybe.
Me: If Ted had truly experienced a Damascus moment, he would say, "Primo, I have been a real jerk to you. I yelled at you and have been nasty and mean to you. You did not deserve it. I was wrong. I am sorry. I hope you can forgive me. I promise not to act that way anymore."
Primo: He didn't do that.
Me: I am shocked.
Primo: But he did send me money.
Me: OK. Take it. But don't trust him.
Primo: Maybe he's changed.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
The Candidate's Wife: The morality of being On Time (Hint: It is wrong to be late)
Primo: I have a meeting tonight. The new chair has decided we will have a consensus-based agenda.
Me: What's that?
Primo: We are supposed to read the materials before the meeting so we don't spend time at the meeting reading them.
Me: That's the right way to do it.
Primo: We have also agreed that the meeting starts at 6:00.
Me: Good.
Primo: Whether people are there or not!
Me: That's the right way to do it!
Primo: But last time, only half the members were there at 6:00.
Me: So? Why should the people who are on time be punished?
Primo: But it's stressful for me!
Me: So your time is more valuable than mine?
Primo: Even the theatre starts at five minutes past four! The tickets say the show is at 4:00!
Me: It is extraordinarily rude to make other people wait because you can't be on time.
Me: What's that?
Primo: We are supposed to read the materials before the meeting so we don't spend time at the meeting reading them.
Me: That's the right way to do it.
Primo: We have also agreed that the meeting starts at 6:00.
Me: Good.
Primo: Whether people are there or not!
Me: That's the right way to do it!
Primo: But last time, only half the members were there at 6:00.
Me: So? Why should the people who are on time be punished?
Primo: But it's stressful for me!
Me: So your time is more valuable than mine?
Primo: Even the theatre starts at five minutes past four! The tickets say the show is at 4:00!
Me: It is extraordinarily rude to make other people wait because you can't be on time.
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
The Candidate's Wife: Primo sort of asks his best friend for money for the campaign
There was a reunion event Saturday night. Primo's best friend, BF, had donated $500 to the event. Undergraduates and recent graduates - that is, people paying off school loans - were going to be attending and it was a nice way for BF to help pay for some of them.
Primo: You guys bought a table?
(Technically, there were no tables, but you get the concept.)
BF: Yes.
Primo: How much?
(You can ask this kind of question of your best friend.)
BF: Five hundred dollars.
Primo: You bought $500 worth of food and drinks?
BF: Yes. It seemed like the right thing to do. Rice did a lot for me.
Primo: Would you like to buy $1,000 worth of campaign for [our state] legislature?
Primo: You guys bought a table?
(Technically, there were no tables, but you get the concept.)
BF: Yes.
Primo: How much?
(You can ask this kind of question of your best friend.)
BF: Five hundred dollars.
Primo: You bought $500 worth of food and drinks?
BF: Yes. It seemed like the right thing to do. Rice did a lot for me.
Primo: Would you like to buy $1,000 worth of campaign for [our state] legislature?
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
The Candidate's Wife: We go to a class reunion in Houston and discover other classmates running for office
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| The pathetically small crowd at the Rice football game. At least when the Southwest Conference existed, we could fill the stadium, even if it was with UT or A&M people. It was a lot more fun. |
We love going to Houston.
Wait. We love going to our class reunions. Houston? It's gotten a little bit crazy. But still - it was warm and sunny and beautiful. I texted a photo of the quad, with green grass and sun, to my boss and he texted me a photo of the parking lot at work covered in snow.
I miss Texas. I miss it so much. It's not cold there!
But we couldn't get away from politics.
My friend Ruthie ran a campaign for a school district candidate and won against an incumbent. She had great campaigning advice.
Our friend Robin introduced us to a friend of hers who is running for Congress in north Texas. I asked Jana Lynne how she was raising money.
"I spend seven hours a day on calls," she said. "But only five on Fridays."
Let me translate that for you in case you don't speak the political lingo.
She spends seven hours a day calling people to ask them for money.
This is the part of running for office - of politics - that everyone hates.
This is why rich people run our country. They have their own money to spend and they know rich people who want influence.
If you are an ordinary person running for office, you don't know the rich people and if you are Primo, you want to be the person who represents all the people, not just the rich ones, so you don't want to be beholden to anyone.
All the People? They don't have money to give to politicians. Every dollar is precious and hard earned. That's why
1. It's so hard to ask people to give their money away
2. We are so, so grateful to everyone who makes any contribution to Primo's campaign. We know that every dollar someone gives to him is a dollar they can't spend on eating out or on something fun. (I hope nobody would give to a campaign rather than pay the electric bill!)
Monday, December 11, 2017
The Candidate's Wife Bakes - that's Primo's idea for my new blog
Verdict: Bottom crust nicely done, but cleanup of melted butter on frying pan too much of a hassle. I need a pizza stone.
Apples collapsed: The Serious Eats strategy of poaching them ten minutes in boiling water is not enough. I will return to Bon Appetit's 45-minute pre-pie baking.
Crust: AWESOME AS ALWAYS. BraveTart's crust strategy is excellent and easy. Can you see how amazingly flaky that crust is?
Apples collapsed: The Serious Eats strategy of poaching them ten minutes in boiling water is not enough. I will return to Bon Appetit's 45-minute pre-pie baking.
Crust: AWESOME AS ALWAYS. BraveTart's crust strategy is excellent and easy. Can you see how amazingly flaky that crust is?
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