Maybe She's Crazy

Perhaps you've met Dillie the deer before. She's a domesticated doe living in a home in Ohio. Her favorite treat is a dish of ice cream with a little coffee. It looks a lot like a Vente vanilla latte from Starbucks to me. Even if you've met Dillie and her people before, I think it's nice to know that when times are tough, there are people out there who are crazy...in a good way.

'Unimaginable' Tragedy

In a tiny island nation of 3 million people, 100,000 people may be dead after Tuesday's earthquake. I've got a mile-long list of worries that just doesn't seem like anything more than a pile of beans in comparison. My prayers go out for the people of Haiti -- especially the children and the pets -- they always seem to suffer the most. Be aware that there are a lot of scammers on the 'net right now willing to take your money and claiming that it will go to help Haitians. If you want to help, check out the links on the White House and Red Cross websites.

Do You Know The Way To San Jose?

I see a lot of things on my morning commute. That's what happens when you live in the outer 'burbs and commute into the inner 'burbs for work. Yesterday, I took the train to work. We were held up at the Burbank station on the way in because of a medical emergency -- and on the way home we were held up in San Fernando for a half an hour. I usually take the train on Mondays -- there are more cars on the road on Mondays. In Los Angeles they have this phenomenon that they call "Friday Light." Traffic is lighter on Fridays. I don't know why -- and I've never heard anyone give any sort of explanation why this happens -- we all just know that it does. Fridays, you can leave late, put the car on cruise control and just kind of coast into the office. The rest of the week it's like a war out there. Commuting to work most days involves planning and strategy and constantly being on your guard for unwarranted attacks by stupidhead drivers. I would like to add that the age of cell phones, texting and twittering is doing nothing for the ease of my commute. You should hear the names I call people, and I frequently show people my middle finger. But today, I saw something new when I pulled up to a stop light. The middle-aged woman in the car next to me was using the lighted mirror in her sun visor to locate and remove an errant hair in her chin with a pair of tweezers. My first thought was that she was a witch -- but then I realized if she was she wouldn't be fighting traffic in a Camry -- she'd be riding her broom to work. And my second thought as I stroked my own stubbly chin in contemplation was -- there but for the grace of God go I. Enuf said.

A Sight For A Sore Throat

I spent the last two days in bed...sick as a dog. My cat wasn't sick, but she was willing to tuck in and make sure that I was never alone and all my needs were tended to. I've never been so sick and felt so awful for so long. I still have an incredibly bad sore throat, but I'm able to sit up today without coughing up a lung or feeling like the top of my head might blow off -- so I'm calling that a big improvement. I'm at work...and I miss my little shadow a lot.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot!

I am seriously under the weather. It started on New Year's Day. I thought I was hungover because I had imbided in a couple of glasses of champagne at midnight. And that's all it takes to push me over the limit -- a couple of glasses of bubbly and I'm done. Unfortunately, the headache I was blaming on a hangover never got better and it turned into congestion shortly thereafter. And then I got the cough. It's worst at night. Everyone knows that -- and then you've been up all night coughing so you feel like you're dying during the daylight hours. I went to the doctor yesterday. Just as I suspected, it's probably just something viral, but she gave me some stuff to help with the symptoms so I can make it through a day at work. Blech! Feh Ugh! My only consolation is that I'm not stepping outside into frigid weather. I found this viral video online -- and I think no one is as surprised that the ball went through the hoop as the guy who tossed it up there. Oh what a feeling!

Happy New Year!

"If things are going untowardly one month, they are sure to mend the next." - Jane Austen

Come Fly With Me!

I hope your holidays were fabulous. I have returned to Southern California and have gone back to work singing, "Hi ho, hi ho..." (That's for my boss...in case she's reading this -- the rest of you know the truth.) My holidays were a whirlwind of jet travel and family visits -- both of which can be treacherous. I arrived on the east coast to frigid weather and found myself in a blizzard two days later which slightly delayed my trip back to my beloved north woods of Michigan. I'm happy to report that I passed through the Detroit airport before the terrorist incident that is currently in the headlines.

I did, however, get to visit "the cottages" in the tony resort community of Newport, Rhode Island. I've never seen such outrageously ostentatious mansions -- and these were just summer homes. It was great fun on a gloriously sunny-but-dreadfully-cold winter day.

Last night we went and saw "It's Complicated" with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. I liked it better than I thought I would. My favorite part was the scenery and settings. The film was supposed to be set in Santa Barbara -- and that photogenic city never looked so good. Turns out most of the film wasn't shot there -- but the parts that were are recognizable and beautiful.

I have been devoted to my Kindle since I became the owner of one on my birthday. My first download was "The Blind-Side." It was a great book -- very well written by one of my favorite authors. The movie was almost as good. I've become a fan of the Baltimore Ravens and follow the play of their rookie tackle Michael Oher. Me. A woman who has a love-hate relationship with professional football. Seriously. If you want to learn more about Michael, 20/20 will be doing a feature about him and the Tuohy family tonight. It's well worth a peek -- a feel good story that doesn't come around that often.

But you'll have to set your DVRs because also on tonight are the Kennedy Center Honors. It's my mom's favorite television viewing night of the year -- and this year's honorees include some of my very favorite entertainers ever. It's on CBS -- and you won't want to miss it.