Who is Rachel Laing?

Rachel Laing is San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders' new spokeswoman. I know this because I read SignOn San Diego like I still live there (but at least not like I still work there!)
By now, Connecticut should feel more like home than it does, but when I try to read the Courant, nothing rings familiar. I don't recognize the places or people. I quickly find myself skipping from courant.com to West Coast newspaper sites.
This week, I found myself wondering why Rachel Laing's name seemed familiar. Had she worked for the Union-Tribune when I was there? How do I not remember?
I Googled her and clicked on her Facebook link. But to read what I wanted to know, I needed to sign up myself.
Wow. I had no idea how Facebook can suck you in! But I had no idea how many friends I had, either! In the first hour of my Facebook adventure, I had 12 friends. I told my friend Jenn, with whom I was chatting online, "I've never felt so popular!"
But the next morning, I had 35 friends! And by the end of the day, 53. Fifty-three!
My friend Anthony messaged me: "You've been on here only a day and you already have more friends than me...I feel sad :("
Wait. I know he's kidding, but he made me think. I noticed my friend Rick has, like 3,000 friends, and Michelle has about as many. How many friends did I have now? Only 54? It's a good thing I'm only mildly competitive.
Overall, my Facebook experience has been a treat, as I have heard from family and friends from swimming, work and school. One guy I regretfully remember only vaguely, but we now share a craving for Mexican food, as he says he lives in Moscow. Russia or Idaho? I don't know, but I doubt a good burrito can be found either place. There's none to be found in Connecticut, either.
That makes me think about San Diego, and, oh yeah, I was going to look up Rachel Laing. Well, at this point, she hasn't turned up as one of my Facebook connections, so I doubt I know her. But I must thank her for helping me reconnect with so many of my real friends. Cheers to you, Rachel!