Mr. Insurance Commissioner

Well, he's not exactly Mr. Insurance Commissioner yet. He's not the incumbent. But, you know, I won't be surprised if he wins - especially with great ads like the one we just shot today!

It was great fun, especially for me, the one who is usually left at home writing while Mike St. James is off filming. It was exciting to see him do his thing (I'm not one of those wives who hangs out on set. I'm neither that paranoid nor that pathetic). It was fun to see him all miked up and talking directly to the camera.

Being politically bent (take that how you will), I enjoyed meeting a politician. He's a former attorney and I'm really trying not to hold that against him. Everyone has dark skeletons in their past, yeah? He was actually a very nice, very down-to-earth guy. We took the time during breaks from filming to discuss just how hard it is to get insurance coverage when you're in a position like the St. James family. We're self-employed, neither too rich nor too poor. I think I'll vote for this guy. He was very interested in preventative medicine and finding the cause before an illness becomes a monster - about the time when doctors start treating the symptoms - and, he wants to make sure every kid in NC has health insurance coverage. An ambitious goal, for certain. But I admire that it's his goal because I agree. No child's health should be neglected because parents can't afford insurance. No child should receive substandard care because she does not have insurance.

But there I go getting all political. Let me just tell you what I learned from my experience today. First, who knows what to do with their hands while they're being filmed? It's ridiculous. My hands suddenly felt 5 times their normal size and fire-engine red. And where to look? When you know you're not supposed to look at the camera, but you're told to look in that direction... where? Look at something too close and the audience will wonder what you're looking at. Look at something too far away and you look dreamy.

I'll leave you with an interesting story. I was asked to spend most of the duration of the shoot bending over. Apparently MSJ is not the only one who thinks that this is my best look. (Hotcha!)

Here's a link to the politician's website for you North Carolinians. Make educated choices! www.electdavidsmith.com