In Tallahassee, in a brief detour from journalism, I worked for the state of Florida as an information specialist and then managing editor of the Department of Commerce’s news bureau. To celebrate and publicize the 40^th anniversary of the Florida State Employment Service, we had a decorated sheet cake that I was entrusted with delivering to the state capitol, where Governor Reubin Askew was going to cut the cake and pose for a picture.

I entered the capitol building holding the cake and a butcher knife I had grabbed from my own kitchen (different times, for sure – no security guards challenged me). Turns out, there were several photos to be taken that day, so I sat for several minutes with my arms outstretched holding the cake aloft. It was heavy, and my arms started shaking. It caused a bit of a stir, and the governor looked up, then said to a nearby aide, “I’d really like to help the lady with the cake.” And so he did. We got the picture. I don’t recall what I did with the cake.