Dear Diary

What a day it's been and it's just noon.

For starters, I lost a client. We started pitching them on August 26 and here it is September 25 and they are not pleased with how well their HOLIDAY event publicity campaign is going thus far. Last I checked the holidays were not for some time. To gauge the success of a PR campaign in one month's time is absurd.

Here's what I would tell a publicist who just lost this account, "It's not worth the stress. Clearly they do not understand the PR cycle and frankly you don't need to spend your time convincing them of the benefit and value of PR only to have them micromanage you day in and day out."

BUT, here's how I feel. Defeated. Like a total failure. And truth be told- incredibly pissed. And thankful (for the 60 day clause I have in all our contracts that means they need to pay us for another 60 days--God willing they do so). Above all I do feel relieved.

So moments after that bomb exploded in my inbox I got a fabulous email from a woman I did a story with a couple of years ago for the Wall Street Journal.

Terrified that the Republicans may win office again she and 12 women got together and what started as a house party for maybe 150 women mushroomed into a full-blown event called Women for Obama Band Together. They are hosting more than 23 parties in cities around the country --all women, all vying for Obama. They are so inundated with postive responses--phonecalls, emails, letters, and media requests they need PR help.

A paragraph from the email
Katie, I don't know your politics, but I do know that we need a highly skilled PR professional to help us navigate this situation and you were the first person who came to mind!

Barack and roll, sister! My ego was surely boosted. I have 14 events between now and November 1 so not an ounce of time to assist but sign me up.

And diary, last night was one I never want to forget. Dear Eric (the sweet guy who called just now to see if I was off the ceiling after my a.m. upset--he was here when the break-up email came in) and then came home just moments ago between a story to check in (bless him!) took me to see Neil Diamond in concert! It was a Mother's Day gift from last year. The last thing he wanted to do was to sit through the concert but he did for me knowing that reliving my college days crooning Forever in Blue Jeans and Sweet Caroline makes my heart smile. So, to Eric, in the words of Neil Diamond, "And each time I stop to think, What it is I really need, Here's what I conclude, All I really need is you..."