It's Not What You Know, It's WHO You Know...

Whether you are immersed in politics or just vaguely familiar with the good, the bad, and the ugly of it, the adage, "It's not what you know, it's WHO you know" likely sounds familiar.
This phrase has more than one dimension and I was reminded of it on two separate occasions over Memorial Day Weekend.

On Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 my close friend, Katie McArthur wed my good friend, Jason Houck in her parents' lush and elegant garden in Tyler, Texas. A little family tree for you; when I relocated to Austin in 1997 to work for then-Governor Bush, little did I know I would meet a guy who would soon become one of my closest friends. David McArthur and I met and worked in "the salt mines" of the Governor's Office in the State Capitol and it was through this strong friendship that I was able to get to know Katie. To this day, I consider David one of my closest friends. Knowing people in politics gets you more than an interview or a job. It gets you a bond with people with whom you will have a long and colorful history. This is better than any amount of face time. Trust me.

As I mentioned in my previous post, one of my best friends, Rachael Duffy nee Sunbarger, was in the neighborhood en route San Diego and decided to stay for a few days. Rachael and I first met on the 2000 Presidential campaign here in Austin and became close friends in DC during our time at The White House and on the road doing advance for the President. On Memorial Day, Rachael, her husband, Major Kevin Duffy USMC, and her mother, Paula invited me on a traditional Austin Memorial Day celebration; boating on Lake Travis. It's a rite of passage, you could say.

We spent a spectacular four hours aboard the Four Winns vessel complete with a cooler of beer, sandwiches, and a professional tour given by our Captain, Paula Snider. The only casualty was a pair of sunglasses belonging to Kevin. I haven't been on the lake since I moved back here and this will go down as one of my best holiday weekends. The Duffies and Rachael's sister and my friend, Susie Sunbarger, closed the chapter on Memorial Day with a dinner overlooking the lake at Iguana Grill. Thanks to Paula and the Duffies for a much needed respite. And thank you to Major Kevin Duffy for your service.

These two special events happening over the same weekend reminded me, once again, that no matter where you are in your life; no matter what hurdle you're currently trying to overcome or what victory you're celebrating, everything is better with your close friends around. I met all of these folks through my time in politics...in some way, we are connected because I made the choice to go into the political arena. I cannot imagine my life had I chosen a different path.

Footnote: Due to the fact that I am WAY behind the times and do not own a camera, I am relying on aforementioned amazing friends to supply me with footage. Once I get back on my financial feet, I plan to "go digital". Until then, I am relying on the kindness of friends to give you a sneak peak. A-hem...

My Crew

One of the benefits of having good girl friends is that when the rest of your life is in the shop, your girl friends continue to operate normally. It's a wonderful refuge and it has gotten me through some pretty bumpy times. As the title of the blogs indicates, I am single. Even if I was attached, I would need this group of girls to lean on.

The stars were aligned this week because two of my closest friends happened to be in Austin at the same time. Georgia had a last minute trip to Austin and Rachael is here for a few days en route San Diego. The timing could not have been more perfect and that combined with a nice selection of spirits are really all we need to have a good time.

Lauren, Georgia, and Rachael covened at my apartment and we kicked off a great evening which lasted well into the wee hours. Thomas enjoyed having a harem of babes and we enjoyed just being together. It's been my experience that true friendships, the ones that are built to last, are characterized by the ability to go months without being together and still feeling as if no time has elapsed. Our lives, on paper, are different. We span two coasts (well, we will when Rachael arrives in San Diego) half of us are married and the other two are not. It keeps things interesting and no matter what paths our lives take, it's comforting to know that the friendships will remain a constant.

I'm always grateful for the time I can spend with my closest girl friends. It never disappoints and for me, it's something I truly need. Thanks for being here, girls...both figuratively and literally.

The Doors

Well, after a month or so of neglecting the blog, I am dusting it off. I'd like to report that I have been secluded on a tropical island with access only to fruity drinks instead of the internet. I wish I could say that I have been making my way around Europe with sporadic coverage and a bad signal. But alas, that is not the case.



I'll spare you the details but the bottom line is, I lost my job. Needless to say, my mind has been elsewhere. While most would argue that with all of this free time I should be a blogging machine, I have been trying to direct the majority of my brainpower to finding a job and being creative in my search.



Unemployment is a unique calamity. There is a very fine line between sounding off about your current situation and sounding bitter. I didn't want to use my blog as a venue for a pity party. It is what it is. I'm doing everything I can to direct my efforts to finding a new job.



Unemployment is also one of those awkward categories like money, religion, and politics. It tends to yield prophetic responses from people when you hit them with the news. People reach into their reserve of safe responses to get through the awkward moment. I can't help but make note and give commentary on some of the most popular responses to the words, "I lost my job".



1) "When God closes one door, he opens another." Really? He opens another? So far, the only door that I can tell He has opened is a doggie door built for a dachshund because I am still unemployed.



2) "This too shall pass." Lots of things pass. Gas, tornadoes, and people when they die. I don't see this as a comforting adage when you consider the other things that also "pass".



3) "Everything happens for a reason." This does absolutely nothing to comfort a person who has ceased to have money coming in. People win the lottery for a reason, too. Anyway I can get in THAT car of the EHFAR train?



4) "Is there anything I can do?" Um, yeah, there are a few things that come to mind but "YOU COULD HIRE ME" is the first one that leaps to mind.



5) "Hang in there." Here's a tip. Don't ever tell someone who is unemployed to "hang" anything.