To: Reporter Girl
From: lhuntzberger
Date: 7/5/2007
I haven't met the Senator myself, but I have donated- if for no other reason than I know how much that would annoy my parents and the rest of the Hartford Elite- perhaps next time he's in the area I'll hit a fundraiser- I may not have the entire Huntzberger fortune at my disposal anymore, but I'd like to meet the man.
I tried to live in the house, but it didn't really work, so I found an apartment a few blocks away from the office and I bike there most days- unless it's raining. I know, it sounds crazy, but it's been a good way to work out while still being in the office and behind a desk a good 17 hours/day.
I liked the piece you wrote about Axelrod, that guy is interesting- it's crazy to see the intersection of political strategy and Silicon Valley… how was it meeting the newsman? I know you always liked him, was meeting that idol a bit more satisfying than your early interactions with my father?
As much as I miss you, I think I'm glad you turned me down- I'd hate to have kept you from this, you're killing it, Ace, you're going to have a Pulitzer by 25!
Love, MAC
To: Reporter Girl
From: lhuntzberger
Date: 12/12/2007
Wow, I was going to send you a quick note to say it was great to actually talk on the phone the other day- I know you're busy and you've had to cancel a few of our phone dates recently- but just as I was logging in I saw the photo of you and Oprah- what was that like? Did Lorelai absolutely lose it when she found out you were going to meet her? Finn was so jealous, he's always had a crush on her, regardless the obvious lack of red hair.
I liked how you wrote about the repositioning of the strategy- once again, Axelrod is a genius, making it about the status quo vs disruption. It seems like everywhere I go these days everyone wants to talk about "disruptive marketing" and "blowing up the box", apparently we do want to reinvent the wheel these days- it's impressive to see a politician harness that sentiment and use it, usually they're so much less responsive. So, dare I ask, cards on the table- who do you think is winning come Super Tuesday?
Work continues to be intense, thank God we're closed for the week between Christmas and New Years- I think Finn and I are going to go surfing, maybe scuba diving in South Africa or Paraguay, he's still trying to decide which one, statistically speaking, has more red heads. Don't worry, we're not parachuting in this time, we thought we'd be boring and just fly into an actual airport with a landing strip and all. How about you, have you heard if you'll be home for the holidays at all?
Love, MAC
To: lhuntzberger
From: Reporter Girl
Date: 12/14/2007
Wow, this week has truly kicked my ass- and not just because I didn't sleep for like two days after meeting Oprah! (Partially because of the ridiculous high of meeting the woman, partially because I've been fending off calls from Stars Hollow ever since the picture was posted- Babette wanting to know what she smelled like, Kirk wondering if I could pass a script to her and Patty with a message that she owes her for that thing in Chicago… I shudder to think what that could possibly mean). Oh, and mom of course asking if I can NOT wash the shirt I was wearing that day, she'd like to frame it and hang it on the wall.
Anywho, I think I'm sick- I had to miss two events this week (God, I hope I didn't get Oprah sick! Oh man, no one wants to be the rookie reporter that gave Oprah strep!) The weird thing about getting sick on the road is learning 1) exactly how crappy your health insurance is- HMOs suck; 2) learning to navigate the world of 24 hour minute clinics- trust me, you do not want to make the mistake of going to the ER with a fever because it seems the easiest way to get treatment- $200 co-pay? Ugh, that was a grim two weeks until my next paltry paycheck- and, sadly it was my plane ticket money to Hartford. Mom and Dad want to fly me home- Dad gave me a credit card for emergencies and yelled at me for not putting the hospital trip on that, but come on, this is the time for me to be a poor, starving reporter… of course, he pointed out that I didn't seem to have the same issue when I was short money for coffee last week and put it on the card. But come on, a fever you can sleep off- caffeine is the elixir of life. Suffice it to say that I'm really starting to pay more attention to the candidates and their health care solutions.
And I wasn't avoiding your question, I hear Vegas odds have it 3:1, Senator Clinton- but I gotta say, I'm at the rallies on a daily basis, it's hard to ignore just how electric and excited and determined these people are when Senator O gets on stage- and then they meet him and it's like "oh, hey, now I know how people end up joining cults"- he just gets people fired up, he makes you feel like change is possible and hope isn't silly.
Speaking of hope and change, PLEASE be careful traveling with Finn- while I'm glad to hear that you won't be parachuting into a Costa Rican rainforest this time, something about you and Finn (well, ok, mostly Finn) being in such close proximity to the Great White Shark will likely give me Jaws nightmares for the next few weeks- promise me you'll be careful? Seriously, I need both of you to come back in one piece, ok?
In fact, I wanted to talk to you about something- I feel like our phone dates (when we manage to have them) have been going really well- I don't think it's just me, right? Well, there is a rally at Stamford next month, and I'm one of the pool who's actually going to be able to go to the fundraiser that night- some fancy schmancy thing in a hotel ballroom in San Francisco… and if I don't take a ton of time at Christmas, I was thinking maybe I could spend a day or two in the area before meeting everyone back up in Portland (I can't write another article about Hipsters or what the Senator's taste in food trucks means about his capabilities in governing). Just a thought, you're totally, not at all obligated to say yes… I don't really know if we're really in a place where you want to see me or… you know what, just let me know what you think.
Anyways, I'm going to go take some more Nyquil and get some sleep.
Ace
To: Reporter Girl
From: lhuntzberger
Date: 12/15/2007
I just went online and bought tickets to the fundraiser in San Fran in January (god, I hope that's the one you were talking about) and blocked off three days on my schedule- is that clear enough of a response to whether I want to see you? Let me know exactly how much time I have you for- Finn's offering up a suite in San Francisco (two rooms, don't worry) if you want, or we can stay at my place in Palo Alto- anything in particular you want to see?
And personally, I liked your pieces about the Senator and his foray into the Food Truck Culture of Portland- the parody piece on #Tacogate was funny- I saw it passed around on my FB a lot for a few weeks after.
I hate that you've had this cold for, what is it- almost a month now? Are you sure you shouldn't go see an actual doctor? Maybe while you're home for Christmas? (Yes, that was my subtle way of saying you should take your parents up on the trip home- nothing wrong with letting them treat you to something every now and then- you don't have to go full on George Orwell, Down and Out in London and Paris to be a good writer).
I promise to keep Finn in check- should I give Jaws your regards?
Love, MAC
To: lhuntzberger
From: Reporter Girl
Date: 1/12/2008
I know that I left a message on your voicemail, but I'm so sorry I won't be in California after all for the fundraiser- Hugo found out I have mono and is making me take 10 days off (what adult gets mono? Isn't that something you're supposed to get in like middle school? Not to mention, mom read too many Judy Blume novels and now she's going around making smoochy noises everywhere and talking about cooties and the kissing disease- you can imagine just how much fun it is). The worst part is that it's fairly contagious so I can't really hang out with Lane- Zach is way to paranoid about the twins getting it, so I'm sitting at home, on that horrible trundle bed in Gigi's room and the writer's strike means there is NO new TV to watch! I'm too tired most of the time to get much reading done, I'm honestly starting to get into Days of Our Lives and Survivor- God help me now.
Ace
To: lhuntzberger
From: Reporter Girl
Date: 1/14/2008
So I was just going about my non-business today and suddenly a large package was delivered to my front door (I know, dirty) and imagine how surprised I was to open it and find the boxed sets of Friends, Will & Grace, Cheers, Frasier and every Ken Burns documentary ever made on dvd. I wonder who my dvd fairy could possibly be?
To: lhuntzberger
From: Reporter Girl
Date: 1/21/2008
Wow, I didn't really expect that getting back on the trail would be this exhausting- I felt so good the last few days, but I know that the second we pull into the motel tonight I will be out like a light- there doesn't seem to be enough coffee in the world right now!
It was nice to go out to lunch with some friends on the bus though- finally catching up after the holidays. We're in South Carolina getting ready for the debate tonight- I can't believe that in the last 7 months I went from never having been West of Connecticut or further south than DC- and now I'm just waiting to check off Alaska and Hawaii- although I'm being told I probably won't make it to either unless the Senator wins the primary- not a lot of us get to go on those kinds of trips for a primary.
We've been seeing some of the other candidates really dropping like flies- and rumors are flying about the rest. I have a feeling that Kucinich might be the next to drop- he has almost no press following him anymore and that seems to be one of the biggest signs. I hit a few of his events over the last few weeks and they're becoming more and more pro Obama, anti Clinton, I have a feeling everyone is starting to think he's got it relatively sewn up and they're jockeying for VP or the Cabinet. I will say I miss Joe Biden the most- he was always so gracious to the press, I got to sit next to him at an event and he is just as charming as I always thought he would be- and the way he talks about his family is just… he's so real, you know? I'm good at spotting the fakes, the society smiles and faces and I never get that from him or Obama… I haven't met Senator Clinton yet, but I've heard that she's perfectly cordial, but rarely sincere, rarely lets her guard down- sounds like she went to the Emily Gilmore School of Social Graces to me.
Anyways, I think I'm going to see if I can't get some sleep on the bus, we have a long drive tonight and I feel like I ran two marathons- one of these days the winter will be over and this damn cough will disappear!
Ace
To: Reporter Girl
From: lhuntzberger
Date: 2/6/2008
So I gotta ask, what was it like at HQ when the Super Tuesday results hit? I saw video of it, obviously, I kept looking for a certain Ace reporter I know, but no luck- perhaps you were upstairs with the family, in their inner sanctum, getting some kind of juicy exclusive? Or perhaps you had already enjoyed a bit too much of the celebratory champagne and passed out in a corner somewhere?
So, the strangest thing came in the mail for me this week- a meticulously calligraphed cream and gold invitation to the vow renewal and celebration of a Lorelai Victoria Gilmore and Christopher Elbert Hayden (please tell me we can dig into the Elbert later?) on April 13th- I don't suppose there is a chance that my attending this means that not only would we be in the same time zone, but the same ballroom? That sounds almost too good to be true- but I can't imagine Lorelai V can possibly have a vow renewal without Lorelai Leigh, can she? Well, just on the hope that it's true, I sent a yes RSVP, Finn wants to know if there will still be a way to object to the union (on the grounds that he's more exotic than your father and therefore the better choice).
I miss you, Ace. I love you. I want to see you, not just talk on the phone or trade emails- it's so hard to remember that it was about this time last year that I found that engagement ring. I don't think I ever told you the story behind that, did I? I was actually shopping with Josh for an anniversary gift for Honor, I was going through all of that crap with my dad about work, I was feeling so unsettled and unsure about absolutely everything in my life- except for you. And then I saw that ring and it just hit me, it just all came together for me, I wanted to be with you- and nothing else in the world mattered, at all. I wanted to marry you and have a life with you and babies with you… I wanted to travel the world with you and buy a house with you and everything else cheesy from those romcoms you and your mom like to watch and mock- it all just clicked. So I went back that night, after Josh and I split, and I bought the ring.
It was actually sitting in my desk at the office for a few months- then I was panicked once I moved in with you at Paris' place- freaked out that you would find it, so I kept it at Colin's- I had to go by every other day to make sure he and Finn hadn't found it and lost it!
Anyways, I know we promised not to talk about this anymore until we see each other in person, but I wanted to tell you that none of that has changed for me- this last year, it's been so amazing to see you conquer the world, like there was ever any doubt- but I miss you, and I miss us, and I can't wait until April. BTW- who is the Best Man? And if it's just a vow renewal, are you still obligated to sleep with him?
To: lhuntzberger
From: Reporter Girl
Date: 2/18/2008
Thank you again for the Starbucks, Caribou Coffee and Dunkin Donuts gift cards for Valentine's Day- I promise you, they will go to good use- we're in Wisconsin right now and it's truly the worst coffee to date! On the other hand, the ice cream and cheese situation is incredible, like, Ben & Jerry's ain't got nothing on Wisconsin creameries- seriously, I think maybe I should move to the Dairy State, it's incredible- almost makes up for the most miserable coffee experience of my existence and Starbucks triple shot macchiatos are a bit out of my normal price range these days, when you need 10+/day to stay on top of the campaign and the cold meds.
And no more nagging about the doctor- I went to one two days ago, they said something about an upper respiratory infection and an inflamed sternum (how does one's sternum become inflamed?) and gave me antibiotics and ibuprofen for the inflammation- said it's normal for women 14-25 and is probably aggravated by the cough- which is probably just a side effect of the mono and the travel schedule and being around 94956231 million people all the time, in drafty motels and this crappy, crappy bus.
Sorry, if you can't tell, I'm a bit road weary at the moment, I'm cold and I'm tired and really hating the snow (please don't ever tell my mother). I always knew that being a reporter would be grueling, but I don't think I really thought about how nonstop a political campaign would be- it's been like 10 months on the road and if the Senator wins this thing, and Hugo doesn't fire me, I've got 9 more months to go- 19 months is the gestation period for an elephant!
Oh, and yes, I will be at the vow renewal, so it seems like if you're coming, you and I will actually be in the same ballroom at the same time- I haven't seen my dress yet in person, just some pictures, but Mom (I'm guessing to try and shock Grandma) said I needed to look "bootylicious" and "good enough to bang"- you see, she wants grandkids apparently and is worried that my advanced age of 23, being 7 years older than she was when she had me, means my babies are just getting uglier, and she could never love an ugly grandbaby. I'll leave you to imagine what Emily Gilmore's response to those comments was.
Weirdly, the Best Man is Jackson- Sookie's husband. Apparently they've gotten really close since that whole knitathon fiasco last year and so he's standing up for Dad. And, after reading your comment about having to sleep with the Best Man, I'm going to go add nausea and vomiting to my list of physical complaints… gross. And please tell Finn that Mom would prefer to keep him as her piece on the side- or as she put it, "her secret lover from Down Under"... or maybe don't tell him, I'm not sure if he'd get the sarcasm or charge forward in his usual drunk and delusional state- I leave it up to your discretion.
Love, Ace
To: Reporter Girl
From: lhuntzberger
Date: 3/19/2008
Now you're on TV? Ace, you were amazing! Did you know that they were going to interview you? Did Hugo arrange for that? You looked incredible- a bit tired and thin for my liking, but you were amazing. I still can't get over that speech that the Senator gave- your analysis of it being our generation's "Ask not what your country can do for you." I actually got a note from my dad asking if I had seen it- wondering if I thought you'd be at all responsive to a meeting with HPG- my initial reaction was to tell him to go and fuck himself, but I figured I should tell you and see what you think.
I'm still reeling that you were on TV- and don't shrug your shoulders and say it was cable news like that doesn't matter- you were brilliant and charming and beautiful and you definitely put Joe Scarborough in his place (the look of contempt on your face when he misattributed the quote to Joyce instead of Faulkner? I thought you were literally going to explode right there)! And challenging him on guilt by association and the suggestion that it makes him as guilty of Iran Contra as Reagan? By the way, did that actually make Emily Gilmore keel over and die? Was she clutching her pearls as she did?
What did your mom say when you told her? Has Taylor already put together plans for a festival and parade in your honor in Stars Hollow?
Ace, I'm so proud of you, and I love you. I can't believe it's less than a month until I can tell you that face to face.
Love, Logan