Procrastination (But I Digress)

Saturday, February 26, 2005

A star is probably ignored

Well I watched CNN nonstop for two hours, but I did see my commercial at about 10 minutes to 11 p.m. I didn't have the tape set up and then I taped an hour of lifetime, but it wasn't on then. My commercial was uninspiring to say the least. Of course I loved my part and I wrote it so I knew what they were saying, but it seemed pretty lost in the 30 second spot and the graphics were pitiful. I was pretty disappointed.

This morning I stopped into a local flower shop that I worked with for Hoover Tour of Homes and asked if she would put my sign up. She's Armenian, but she said yes. So I went back and brought the sign and a few brochures (Adrienne made me some great brochures that we just print up as we need them at home) and I talked to her for a while telling her why I wanted to be clerk. She got excited and put my sign in a great spot. So I was high on my success and decided to go ask my old landlady to put a sign on her corner house, but when I got there, there were four police cars, a fire truck and a very bad car accident right in front of her house. There were lots of people and police and it just wasn't the right time. Two steps forward, one step back.

My campaign consultant had a quote in the paper this morning about elections in general, not about me. I think that that is a bad sign. And my clothes don't fit--if it wasn't so sad, it would be downright funny.

P.S. I met Katie Van Houten this week. Her full name is Kathryn Van Houten and she's been wanting to meet me for 10 years. Her family is Dutch and she was very disappointed that I could not speak Dutch. After we had talked for some time she told me aside that the paper really made me look fat and how terrible that was. I said, I've just lost a lot of weight, but she seemed to want to blame the paper.

Sunday, February 20, 2005

I'm ready for my close up

My acting debut is completed. Except for the crazy make up, it went fine. We had a few volunteers and a few paid actors and actresses and a really good director and a bunch of other people all over the place. So much equipment for such a little shoot. Now the political guy will take care of post production and tell me that it's great--his best work ever and then we'll get it on the air and 200,000 people (because this will reach every single citizen of Glendale) will turn the channel to see what else is on. This is so freaky scary. Sue (an Armenian friend of mine) says everyone knows you Kathy, they'll vote for you. Then later she says that Paulette already has commercials on the Armenian channel and that everyone knows that there are more Armenians in Glendale than anybody else, so I'll need to air my commercials on the Armenian channels too. (Because I am an equal opportunity candidate--I want Armenians to have the same opportunity to change the channel as everyone else.)

I'm exhausted. I think I'll join Jackson and his Mom and take a nap.

Thursday, February 17, 2005

Uphill the Campaign Trail

I guess if Mom can blog from her trip, I can blog during my adventure. Yes, the adventure continues. The script is being finalized for the commercials (with me taking the high road, surprise, surprise). Shooting is set for Saturday even though we don't have all the volunteers who will be in it lined up yet. It'll all come together in the end. We're planning the precinct walks and a get out the vote picnic and of course newspaper ads and brochures and mailing and I'm running out of money just thinking about it. Remember "Brewster's Millions", how he couldn't spend all his money until he ran for office. I keep thinking about the black hole.

Faster than a speeding bullet, she solves problems in her sleep, a vote for Kathy is a vote for infinity and beyond. Yes, the adventure continues. I have a few more gray hairs and I now know how to spell efficiency.

In other news, Adam got an A on his report card, but all the rest of the grades were disappointing. Yes, it was in baseball which he tries to count when he adds up his grade point average to make sure that he'll be allowed to play baseball. Let's just say that I'm learning a lot of spanish this year (going over and over endless lists to drill him)

Marisa and Josh got a car and we lined up insurance. The insurance was very reasonably priced which of course makes me nervous, but we'll see. Marisa is still working at Hows, but the one in Pasadena.

All seems pretty calm with Melody lately--she's been here a little over a year now, but I didn't remember the exact date and forgot to make a big deal about it. We love her at the office--she can do any task they ask her to with minimal direction. Ah, Van Houten/Beauregard genes! That should be my campaign slogan!

Saturday, February 05, 2005

Mom's Away

I dropped Mom at the airport this morning, just as the sun was rising. She said she didn't need any help into the terminal and to prove it, she walked away without giving me a hug--I had to chase her down. She might have to go to the dentist and I think it is weighing on her. Can we buy laughing gas for the waiting to go time before seeing the dentist?

This was a very busy morning and as usual I got more done before noon than most people do all day (except for people in our family who are very good at getting lots of things done). Now if I had only planned to do those things that are already done now, that would make for a great Saturday afternoon, but alas, knowing that I'd get lots done this morning, I, of course, planned lots of things that need to get done this afternoon. Work, work, work (I think it multiplies like bunnies when I turn my head).

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Vote or die

That's Dad's suggested slogan for my campaign. Artie is taking 10 weeks off of work to campaign and Paulette (these are the two youngsters in the race) has borrowed $50,000 to pay for her campaign. At least she's only wasting her own money. Lorna raised over $5,000 in 2004 and that's all the paper wrote about today. I'm doing ok--my goal is to ask for $100 from 100 people, except that I'm told I need more than that, so then I have to ask for $100 from 150 people, but the consultant will spend all that on just mailing, so then I need to ask even more people, so I'm thinking I need more friends. The consultant wants to do glitzy mailings that I hate and throw away as soon as I walk in the door. He claims that's how to get known and elected. I think I need to go door to door to a whole lot of doors. We're working on door hangers for the places where people aren't home. And last night I met a girl who prints business cards (another of Dad's ideas--get business cards with my picture and name on them--so people can put my name to my face).

In other news, people like my new suits--they don't know why they like my new suits until I say "Yes, I've lost a lot of weight" (I mean these are cheap suits from Sears--nothing to write home about). Now I'm getting nervous. It's becoming tempting to stop eating, but I know that's bad and I'm afraid to eat so I force myself and then I'm afraid I ate too much. I think I'll get my old suits back out.

Oh and finally, I'm schizophrenic. Yes, the egocentric that I am has rounded the bend. Last night we interviewed five scholarship applicants for ABWA who are going to (or just transfered from) Glendale Community College. I had so much in common with every one of them that I started to realize that I'm actually schizophrenic in that I can accomidate every other person's life into my own. Very spooky. (Literally though--one was pre-law, one loved children, one was really good at numbers and wasn't being used to her full potential, one wanted to help people and loved a teaching experience she had in elementary school and on and on.)

Back to the coal mine. George just called--there's a problem with the lawn signs. Panic is a heartbeat away.