THANK GOD THE WRITERS' STRIKE IS OVER!

Thank God that we won't have to tolerate the same television re-runs that we have been watching since November! I pretty much have all the dialogue to episodes of "Ugly Betty" on ABC.com memorized at this point. The sucky part about the strike was that reality shows thrived. As much as I hate them, I actually got sucked into the "Celebrity Apprentice," and how could I possibly resist "American Idol?" I've been enjoying "Cashmere Mafia" and catching up on "Brothers and Sisters." That said, I'm looking forward to seeing new episodes of the smart show "Dirty Sexy Money."

Since this blog is really supposed to pertain to my niece, let me say that I miss her very much. Since I live on the East Coast and she on the West Coast, I only have the fortune of seeing her once every six months to a year. My work keeps me very busy and doesn't allow me to leave that often. My mother sent me a posed photo of her from her Tae Kwon Do class. She had the biggest smile on her face and it's clear that she takes the whole thing so seriously. I'm beginning to realize that there is nothing that this little girl can't do. My whole family is very proud of her, as well they should be. My sister and brother-in-law have raised a smart, beautiful child, who is also a good citizen (She's all about giving to kids in need at the holidays) and I think that's pretty cool. I know my sister worries that she has somehow forgotten some component in my niece's upbringing, but the truth is that she and her hubby have done a bang-up job. She is as close to perfect as a child can get...of course I'm a littled biased! If things go according to plan, I hope to see her in March or April.



Permit me to be a tad judgemental for a moment. So, I'm 38 now and trying to simplify my life. That means spend less, be less of a consumer and be more eco-friendly. Shouldn't we all be doing that? Last year, I actually bought a coat at Goodwill. It's beautiful and people tell me it looks like it cost me $500. To me that's what style is. Anyone can spend $1000 on a coat and look good in it. I live in New York City and I see tons of people, very young people, dressed in very, very expensive clothing. How are they doing this? Are they living on plastic or are they just making three times what I make? They can't be doing retail because they seem way more articulate than what Macy's or Bloomie's are hiring these days and this stuff looks way better than Century 21! Any opinions on this subject?

Well, the media is reporting that we are definitely moving into a recession that is likely to last at least four years. That's pretty depressing. It makes me glad that I didn't jump on the homeowner bandwagon a few years back. My rent is still reasonable, for New York City standards, and I still get to go out and spend money on fun things every once-in-a-while. Mostly, my four-year plan is to save and invest my money in fine art. At least I will be surrounded by beautiful things that hold their value.