Winehouse dominates Grammys from afar

LOS ANGELES - A resoundingly retro Grammy Awards left its biggest winners nearly speechless. On a night filled with nods to the show's 50-year history, the most trophies went to a 24-year-old singer known for her old-soul voice, and the most sought-after prize went to a veteran jazzman's Joni Mitchell tribute album...

Not that I care about the Grammys, or care too much about the Joni Mitchell tribute album -- I love Joni Mitchell, of course (I'm a white girl from a previous generation, who used to have very long, straight hair and played an acoustic guitar in folk clubs in Greenwich Village, so why wouldn't I love Joni Mitchell?), I just don't like tribute albums. At all. It was the Amy Winehouse part of the news that cheered me. That recent photo of her being escorted off to rehab really broke my heart.

Anyway. Yay, for the Grammy nods.

I am almost 100% over whatever the hell it was I got knocked-down by -- a bad cold; the flu? Not sure. Only sure that it sucked, big time. But now, I really am almost human again. Although eating still kind of makes me sick to my stomach. I'm guessing that will change here, eventually. Either that, or I'll just start looking smashingly emaciated and all my clothes will simply drape on me. (Actually, not really a look I'd strive for at my advancing age.) (I had the misfortune of being in a really, really well lit ladies room on Saturday, in a short-sleeved shirt, and I was appalled to discover that my arms had that old-lady-arm look to them. A development that had crept up on me from way out of nowhere, since I am maniacal about moisturizing everything imaginable, especially leather-like elbows. When I came out of the ladies room, I immediately accosted my friend, a slightly younger gay white male who I felt would be very honest with me in the appearances department, and I said, "Do I have old lady arms?" I think what he did was guffawed -- no, he choked and then guffawed. "No, you do not have old lady arms." Then he went into detail about what comprised old lady arms and why mine didn't qualify, yet. Bless him. Still, I don't want to get too thin here...so here's hoping I'm going to start feeling like eating again soon.)

Okay! Starvation aside... I am now officially working on a new novel! Yay! I'm planning on having a working draft of it completed by late May. I couldn't be happier. In fact, I am going to get started around here, gang. Hope things are going smashingly wherever this lovely Monday morning is finding you! Thanks for visiting, folks. See ya.