The woman on the other end of the phone identified herself and said she was from First Lady Michelle Obama's press office.

Yeah. Right.

It was after 4 o'clock last Friday afternoon, the end of the workweek and the end of my patience. I was sure it was a practical joke, but I am old enough and smart enough not to say something stupid. Well, most of the time, anyway.

It WAS Michelle Obama's press office. And they were asking if I was available to cover the harvest of some of the spring crops in her vegetable garden. She and her grade-school helpers were then going to go into the White House kitchen and cook up something healthy.

Was I available? You bet.

I immediately began to behave in a completely unprofessional manner -- I called everyone I knew to tell them. Even my Republican nephew was impressed.

Covering events at the White House isn't like covering events anywhere else. It can be a complete logistical nightmare.

You have to provide everything but your DNA, go to pre-determined gates that you can't find, hope against hope you are on The List, stand behind a rope line and simply watch what happens, hoping you can hear what's being said -- this isn't going to be the two of us in the Blue Room with tea - and then scramble to find a place to write and file your story.

I know all that. I've been in this business since the Nixon administration. But I'm thrilled anyway.

To a completely unprofessional degree.

The event begins at 2:30 today and is supposed to last until 4.

 I'll let you know how it goes.