Power couples

Bill Clinton got "testy" with the media recently. Hillary "broke down" and shed a tear. I don't know what makes their marriage work, but there is clearly lots of give and take going on. He gives her space, she gives him space. According to Bill, she gave him plenty of space during the Monica debacle - he slept on the couch - as he should have. Alison, my friend who is also an attorney and advocate gave me a piece of advice recently: "Annette, if you get that Clinton job, DON'T have an affair with him." I joked back: "Honey, if I WERE going to have an affair, it would be with him" - he is hot, sexy, intelligent and has a great vision. He is on the recent cover of GQ. I kissed his picture yesterday when I saw it in a local taylor shop where I am interviewing the owner, along with the other small business owners in the beautiful village where I presently reside. I must confess, I kissed the picture of another guy who was running for political office, when I saw his picture on a flyer in my mailbox before I left Utah - hey, a girl's got to dream.

John Edwards and Elizabeth are another power couple. She is dying of cancer - they have experienced the pain that breaks marriages or makes them stronger: The death of a child. They have created a foundation for their son, Wade. Their two youngest children would not have come into being had Wade not been cruelly taken from the world.

Barack Obama and Michelle are a strong couple - equally matched, with their attorney minds, brains, intellect, and passion. Their family just looks good - hair, clothing, love, togetherness - the American dream. Who is the most influential black man in America? Much has been written about that in recent days - they all had a place, and continue to have one. Let's not quibble over who the better man is, let's fix this mess in our country but good!

My mum commented earlier this week, how tired Obama looked on the cover of a magazine - "Why Barack Obama should be the next president" the header reads. Barack looks just like my oldest son - only my son is cuter - yes, he is. I'm the mother and I said so! She noted that Hillary is worn out too. I have been on two major campaigns - one with Rocky and another with Peter. I saw exhausted men - campaigning is intense work - exhausting. Peter had a wife, the indefatigable Amy - she has a bunch of little ones - I know - I babysat them once with a girlfriend - I was exhausted. Amy has an MPA - all while being a full time mother. Peter is lucky that he had a wife to go home to in those wee hours, Rocky was in between relationships, as I recall.

Of note is that John Edwards looks great, refreshed and like he just left his yoga class, spin class or meditation. John Edwards knows a little something about life balance. He was ridiculed for his $700 haircuts. Hey - women have been spending a fortune on hair and makeup for decades - we know how we feel when our hair looks good - men are apparently the same. John Edwards does something that we should all do - which I do even now on a limited budget - take time for myself, have a bubble bath, meditate, listen to good music, surround myself with uplifting people.

Do I know this for sure? Of course not, but I know people. I have never met any of these people, but their interviews are becoming increasingly candid - they all want it - really bad - not because they are egomaniacs (though I hear it often said that one has to be a bit of an egomaniac to run for public office).

Nisa and Henry Sisneros are another power couple - she ran for the Utah state Senate. She should have won that race. She met Henry at Stanford where they both graduated with I am pretty sure - amazing grades - Henry is from Layton. Nisa is a Californian. She has given up much to live in a state that preaches diversity - "Contrast, Culture, Courage." Strange that when she moved to her new home in the Bountiful/North Salt Lake area, neighbors asked her if she were renting, and how on earth she could afford to live there??? The nerve of some people. I never made it to Nisa's "Festivus" party. I might do that one year - who knows? I have sang karaoke with her at a place close to the SLC airport. That woman can sing and is hot! How on earth were the voters on Salt Lake City's westside going to vote for a strong powerful woman - great fashion sense, perfectly manicured nails - bright, articulate, happy, passionate and outgoing. Nisa is not done - she will be back - in what form, I don't know. Maybe Henry will run for something instead. Place your bets - oh that's right - no gambling in Utah - how quickly I forget. p.s. Nisa is Catholic and invites her neighbors over for those same parties I had at my homes in Utah - I think she even serves alcohol - but don't let everyone know.

Coincidentally, my dearest friend lives in that neighborhood. She has 12 children - I am attending her son's missionary farewell next month. They have been married forever - I have known her for 22 years, so it is at least 23 years. Her husband was VP at Salt Lake Magazine - he needed life balance and more time with his family. Kyra stays home with her children and is pretty amazing - I don't know how she balances her schedule, but she keeps it up. Two sons on a mission, a daugher working full time and younger ones - down to a little princess, Tess - they keep her hopping. Pat now works in the Great White Spacious Building. I wonder how they can afford to live there? I wonder if their neighbors have asked them, or if they even care. Pat and Kyra are LDS.

Kyra and I had lunch once a month in Salt Lake - between orthodontist appointments and my crazy schedule, we still connected. We were going to lunch at a great restaurant in the 9th and 9th area and I ran into Steven Goldsmith and his female companion. We greeted each other warmly - Steven and I kiss each other on the cheek - not everyone gets that close to me - trust me. On this occasion, he kissed me on the mouth. I think he was so glad to see me (healthy and well). Kyra asked me after we were seated "Annette, does he know you well enough to kiss you like that?" She is pretty liberal for a Mormon - she grew up in the Avenues, her dad was a professor at BYU, taught Russian and several plays censored for "inappropriate language" - I replied: "Kyra, THAT is Steven Goldsmith - one of the hottest men in town. When he kisses you on the mouth, you enjoy the moment, thank God and ask to be struck dead so you can die a happy woman." She laughed.

Another power couple sat across from us that day. I don't know their names, but they were clearly into each other. They sat next to each other, poring over some architectural plans. Their body language exuded what most couples seek and yet it eludes them - closeness - finally, I could stand it no more. I asked them how long they had been married - years, they said - how do you manage to look like newlyweds - I mused - they said something like - we spend lots of time together, work on common projects and are crazy about each other.

Behind every successful man is a woman (telling him what to do) - hey, it's not my quote - I just report it, I don't write it.