Shmorgasblog

OK, so the main reason I haven't blogged much is because the weather has been gorgeous and I've taken full advantage of that this summer. I'll be back in full blogging mode over the next month or so, but in the meantime a few sound-bites.



I had a birthday on Thursday. Although I didn't get a nifty plastic Barbie case this year, I did get some other cool presents including a Boom Bucket, nice lacey PJs, and Season 3 of "Grey's Anatomy" on DVD from my kids. I played a round of golf, had dinner with my favorite boys, and enjoyed the glorious sunshine and cool temps.





"The Biggest Loser" is back. I love this show, and I've gotten my son into it as well. He was weeping as he listened to each contestant tell the story of how they got to be, in some cases, 400 pounds. It's a great show, and there's a lot to be learned about healthy eating, exercise and how sheer determination can reap amazing results.


If you really want to see the Biggest Loser, just watch the video of Britney Spears from the VMAs. Bloated, lethargic and ready to topple off those stilettos, she has redefined "triple threat": Bad singer, bad dancer, bad parent.









I've gotten sucked into "Big Brother" since the first awful season. There is something so cheesy about this show and its contestants, but I always seem to get drawn in.

This season, Dick and Daniele Donato, an estranged father and daughter, have dominated the game. She is a terrific competitor and deserves to win. He gives me the creeps because there's something about him that reminds me of my late ex-husband Tony. If he continues to chain smoke, he's going to be Daniele's late-ex-father. Anyway, the season finale is next Tuesday and I'm looking forward to seeing Daniele win.





Lest you think I'm nothing more than a shallow reality-TV-show watcher, I've also been quite busy listening to the audiobook version of "A Thousand Splendid Suns". I loved "The Kite Runner", but I daresay that this book may be even better. Although written by a man, it is a story about women from a woman's perspective (similar to the amazing "Memoirs of a Geisha"). And although the characters are fictitious, the events that take place in Afghanistan are not. The fighting, the politics, the oppression... it is unreal to think that these things take place in the 21st century. There are moments in this book that will make you wonder if you're reading about ancient Rome or a modern-day nation.




Last, I want to call your attention to this sad news story about the death of a NYC carriage horse.

For years I've wanted to see the carriage horses gone from the streets of Manhattan and from Central Park (as a kid, I fantasized about starting an organization called "H.I.T.C.H. - Halt Inhumane Treatment of Carriage Horses"). They have died of heat stroke, lack of water and shade, and now this.

If you come to New York City as a tourist, do your part and do NOT hire these carriages to cart you around the city or the park. Walk. It's better for you, and better for the horses.