An honest-to-goodness bio from Lorlee Bartos

Regular Class of 1965 bloggers have read here about Lorlee Bartos and her Texas flower garden in the public right of way and about her battle with cancer, but they've never gotten an honest-to-goodness bio from her. The Trailboss noted that deficiency and got the following result from his grade school chum.

Lorlee writes: In addition to gardening, taking photos and a battle with a small breast cancer (which you all already know about)…. Here is a short synopsis of the last 40 years.
Watergate
After graduating from the University of Minnesota Morris, I spent a year in graduate school at Washington U in St. Louis. I decided that I wasn't cut out to be a library rat. So with no job, I voluteered on the Congressional campaign of Bob Bergland -- lo and behold he won and I snagged a job in Washington, D.C. as an aide. I was there for Watergate -- started rumors of U-hauls backing up to the White House -- and was the first person at the White House to protest Nixon's pardon.
Five-star restaurant
My boss went on to be Secretary of Agriculture for Jimmy Carter and I was again without a job. After a fun but failed attempt to capture the Democratic nomination to succeed Bergland, I moved on to Dallas in 1977 to work on a Master of Fine Arts in Drama -- just for the heck of it.
I currently work for a law firm at a real job for the last eight years. Other careers have included managing property and being the business manager of a Five-star restaurant.
30 races
As a sideline, during the last 25 years, I have managed about 30 Dallas City Council and School Board races -- winning about 90% of them. I managed the first neighborhood candidate, the first woman mayor and the first openly gay candidate.
Trip to Cuba, legally
I have enjoyed traveling -- to Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Czech Republic a couple of times to check out my roots, the Soviet Union, Australia, a tour through several European countries and I was fortunate enough to go to Cuba -- legally. The past couple of years I have been taking shorter trips exploring the U.S.
Cats
In addition to gardening and photography, I enjoy reading and, of course, paying attention to politics is never far from my mind.
Since I have taken so many turns along the way -- I won't be retiring any time soon to a lake cottage as so many of you. And my companions in my old age will not be grandchildren but cats.
Lorlee Bartos