Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Confessions of a She-Fan

My Yankees-centric musings about baseball – the spawn of my Confessions of a She-Fan book, which is now a screenplay too.

I Want A Writing Dog

What’s a writing dog, you ask? A dog that will sit quietly in my office playing with his doggie toy or taking a nap or otherwise occupying himself/herself while I work at the computer. My friend, mystery writer Melodie Johnson Howe, has a dog named Watson and he sits in her office while she works. She says he’s excellent company. I want excellent company too. It gets lonely in here.

I even have my writing dog all picked out. I saw one of these Bichon Frise pups during my walk one afternoon and fell madly in love.

(courtesy: bichonfriseguide.com)

I mean how cute is that?

I came home from my walk and had the following conversation with Michael.

Me: “I’d really like to get a dog – a Bichon Frise, to be exact.”

Michael: “Having a dog is like having a baby. You have to take care of it 24/7, and I’m too old for that.”

Me: “I can train it.”

Michael: “Good luck with that. Besides, I thought you were allergic to dogs.”

Me: “No, cats. Well, and some dogs. This one wouldn’t shed that much or have dander or whatever it is that makes me sneeze.”

Michael: “Don’t you remember when I had Jack? He was always running away and animal control was always slapping me with fines and I couldn’t leave him alone for a second.”

Me: “Jack was a Lab. A crazy Lab. My writing dog wouldn’t be crazy, just lovable.”

Michael: “Tell you what. I’ll buy you a stuffed animal.”

And that was the end of that, because I really had no comeback. I knew he was right. I don’t even have any potted plants in the house. I’m not ready to take on a dog or any other addition to the household, because I have a book deadline and book deadlines are more time consuming than training a dog. I think a stuffed animal is where I’m headed.

(courtesy: thisnext.com)

Bart Is A Yankee (Woohoo)

(courtesy: theclevelandfan.com)

I feared it would happen. I dreaded it. I thought it signaled total desperation. But now that the former Cy Young winner has signed a minor league deal with the Yankees I’m sort of who-cares about it. If he pitches well, he could help us. If he doesn’t, he’ll be cut loose and nobody will miss him. (I’m betting on the latter, but I’ll be thrilled to be wrong.)

Cashman talks a lot about “catching lightning in a bottle” whenever we bring in a guy with baggage. Dwight Gooden was lightning several years ago. Kerry Wood was lightning last year. Lightning is possible. But why, with only weeks to go until spring training, are we even having this discussion? Shouldn’t we have cemented our rotation already? Like with bona fide starters with proven track records? I’m just not getting this off-season. It’s so….un-Yankee-like.

Now that I really think about the Colon signing, I’m actually depressed by it. I was planning to post something fun from my archives tonight as I count down to my moving day (I’m guessing it’ll be Friday or Monday), but the Colon thing was on my mind. I hate to be a Debbie Downer but I kind of am right now. Sorry. I mean, Bartolo Colon? Seriously?

What Will Cashman Say Next?

Does anyone remember Jim Carrey’s character in the comedy “Liar Liar?”

(courtesy: imdb.com)

He had to tell the truth no matter what because of his son’s birthday wish. After reading about Brian Cashman’s WFAN sponsored breakfast today and all the gems that popped out of his mouth, I’m wondering if one of his kids made the same birthday wish. The Yankees have often been accused of being a secretive organization, not disclosing injuries, not wanting to discuss contract issues, evading reporters’ questions, but not today and not with Cashman at the mic.

To wit, here are some of his candid remarks:

  • He foresees Jeter moving to centerfield (as opposed to third base) at some point in the future.
  • He rates the Red Sox as the better team (except for our bullpen).
  • He thinks Joba is washed up. (OK, he didn’t say that, but he did admit that Joba hasn’t been the same since his shoulder injury.)
  • He implied that a couple of our minor league pitchers are better than Nova.
  • He repeated that he wasn’t on board with the signing of Soriano.
  • He doesn’t want Andy back unless his heart is in it.

Will Cash’s truth-telling compulsion continue? And if so, what will he blurt out at the next media event? A few possibilities…

  • “I’d be willing to trade anybody for Felix Hernandez.”
  • “I like Hank better than Hal, as it turns out.”
  • “I always laugh when I see that commercial on YouTube with Coney doing the ‘El Duque.'”
  • “I wish I had my own funny commercial.”
  • “I wish I were taller.”
  • “I wish I had as much hair as Theo Epstein.”
  • “I wish the Yankees would win the World Series this year so fans would stop sulking over Cliff Lee.”
  • “I wish Cliff Lee had said yes.”

That’s it for tonight. I’m off to watch the State of the Union address. Wouldn’t it be cool if politicians were forced to tell the truth – even for 24 hours?

My Friend Gale, The "Archiatrist"

Since writing is such a sedentary affair, I really try to get out of the house in the late afternoons and walk a few miles. It’s not exactly a hardship since I live in paradise, with the ocean to my south and the mountains to the north – a gorgeous eyeful wherever I look. The rest of the country is in a deep freeze, but it’s been in the ’70s here in Santa Barbara. (I know, I know. I’m very lucky.)

I don’t belong to a gym, don’t do Pilates or yoga, don’t even wiggle a Hula Hoop around my hips. My only concession to “organized exercise” is the Tracy Anderson DVD I pop in the machine when I’m in the mood to be sore the next morning.

 

(courtesy mothertalkers.com)

 

My usual walk involves me and my iPod. I walk at a fast clip, music turned up loud – something up-tempo that inspires me to keep moving. (I don’t mind admitting that I am not a snob when it comes to disco. I love it, especially for walking and, of course, dancing.) Anyhow, it’s when I walk that I try to review what I wrote earlier in the day. I get fresh ideas. I think of how to revise and edit. I clear my head.

Today I deviated from my solitary routine by walking with an actual person: my friend Gale Goldberg, a freelance architect with many varied clients. As we kept pace with each other, she described her recent trip to San Francisco where she consulted on a residential project and enjoyed the interaction with the homeowners.

“I spent most of the time listening to them,” she said. “I let them do the talking and just took in what their needs were. And only after they were done did I figure out how to design their house, which is why I call myself an ‘archiatrist.'”

“A what?” I asked.

“A combination architect and psychiatrist,” she clarified. “I’ve had many mental health professionals for whom I’ve done freelance work and they pass my name along within their circles. Over the years I’ve found that good listening skills and translation into problem-solving solutions are essential for successful projects.”

We continued our walk – I think we did a good five miles – but it wasn’t until I got home that I realized how much writers and architects have in common. We both need to listen and observe. We both need to get a sense of what makes people tick. We both need to take what we’ve learned and create something that wasn’t there before.

Some of my best ideas for books have evolved from simply listening to and observing others. Today’s walk with Gale reminded me of that.

 

I Have Some News

(Photo/austinbestapartment.com - courtesy Dash Realty)

I’m moving. Well, to be more precise, this blog is moving. I’ve had a tremendous time here at MLBlogs but I’ve decided to bring “Confessions” over to my web site, which will have a new look and feature the launch of another blog called “Mainly Jane” (its content will cover non-baseball-related stuff like books, the writing process, movies, recipes, you name it).

It’s hard for me to believe that I only started the “Confessions” blog because a publicist at Rodale told me to. They were about to publish my “She-Fan” book and the publicist wanted me to get out and promote it. “Sign up at MLBlogs and make some baseball friends,” she said. “And be sure you post a lot.”

I honestly didn’t know what she was talking about. I may have even said, “What’s a blog?”

But I did sign up here, and once I started writing about the Yankees I couldn’t stop. And I did make baseball friends – so many. I jumped up and down the first time somebody left a comment. I couldn’t believe anybody would want to read what I had to say. In the early days I “met” other MLBloggers like Jeff, Paul, Renegade, Elizabeth, Jenn, Sue, Cat and Emma, and then the non-MLBloggers/Yankee fans joined the party: Melissa, Diane, Dave, Peggy, Barbara, Harold, ladyjane, dj, medicap, Freya, John, Wendy, Ellen, Antonella, Nadine and all the gang. (I know I’m leaving people out and I’m sorry; my brain is fried tonight.)

I’ll post the new location/address/url for “Confessions” as soon as Kristen, my web guru, gives me the all clear that we’re live over there. We’re shooting for Friday, but tech things can go awry so I’ll be more specific about a day as we get closer.

I realize I’ll lose some readers; it goes with the territory when you move. But I hope most will follow me over to the new place and continue to provide us with an entertaining dialogue. I promise it’ll be fun, especially once the season kicks off.

In the meantime, unless something happens in Yankeeville I’m going to do Nostalgia Posts each night until the move – my favorite entries from the archives, plus commentary. It’ll be interesting to take a look back and see what’s happened since that inaugural post in August 2008.

‘Night.

If Andre Agassi Were A Baseball Player, Would He Get Into The HOF?

I ask the question because Agassi IS getting into the Tennis Hall of Fame, according to Yahoo Sports. I’ve been watching the Australian Open lately, so tennis has been on my mind. When I heard about Agassi, I was happy for him but I started to think about the different sets of standards that sports have for their Halls of Fame. Agassi, you remember, admitted in his book that he used drugs and lied about it. Here’s the pertinent quote from the Yahoo article.

“Agassi revealed in his 2009 book “Open” that he was depressed in 1997, when he was using crystal meth and failed a drug test. The result was thrown out, he said, after he lied by saying he took the drug unwittingly.”

If Derek Jeter took crystal meth, failed a drug test and lied about it, would that disqualify him from – or, at the very least, hurt his chances of – getting into the Hall? I can’t imagine anything disqualifying him, but the baseball writers are pretty tough when it comes to drugs, aren’t they? Or do they just draw the line at steroids? All I know is that Agassi was such a fun player to watch and his matches against Sampras were great for the game. Talk about a rivalry.



Federer vs. Nadal is always exciting, but I thought Agassi and Sampras brought out the best in each other, given their completely opposite styles and personalities.

As for the women’s side, I miss Evert vs. Navratilova too. I mean do I really care about Wozniacki against Clijsters? At least the really noisy grunters are out of the tournament. I can’t even watch Sharapova anymore without muting the TV. Ugh.



In Deference To Fans Of The NY Jets…

I’m writing this post about football – and why I don’t watch it. I’m a former New Yorker, so I’m rooting for the Jets in the most tangential way, but I’ll be skipping the big game tomorrow and picking up the blog on Monday.

Why don’t I watch/like football? I’ve asked myself that a lot over the years. I love sports in general, with baseball being my favorite, and can easily get interested in hockey, basketball, tennis, even boxing. But I have a mental block where football is concerned. Total apathy. To me, it’s a bunch of very large men, wearing equipment that makes them unrecognizable, gathered around a field, occasionally huddling, occasionally walking around, occasionally tackling each other, occasionally running and throwing and kicking. I have no idea what “fourth and ten” means. I’m clueless about “yards” and “downs.” I couldn’t tell you the difference between a field goal and a touchdown. I don’t know what all those white lines signify. There’s so much starting and stopping that I wonder why people think baseball is boring.

This is not to say I don’t understand the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat; the emotions of rooting for a team don’t change from sport to sport. And I’m sure the scheduling of football – the fact that games are only played once a week – really heightens people’s interest. Getting together with friends and family to watch a game must feel like more of an event, whereas you can catch a baseball game almost any night of the week.

Maybe I’m just a hot weather girl and the notion of watching a game played in frigid temperatures doesn’t appeal to me. Dunno. But good luck to any Jets fans out there. I hope the Super Bowl is in your future – partly because it’ll be exciting for you guys and partly because it’ll mean football is over and baseball is about to begin.

(courtesy littleballparks.com)

What, Exactly, Is A “Performance Bonus?”

Along with the news that Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon are reuniting to join the Rays comes word that Damon will be paid a $750,000 performance bonus. I’m not even going to attempt to make a bad joke about performance.

(Okay, I just did. Sorry about that.) Anyhow, I’m wondering how the Rays will determine whether or not Johnny earns his $750,000 in 2011. Will the bonus be based on the number of tickets sold throughout the course of the season or the number of bodies that actually show up at the Trop? If so, how would they attribute the totals to Damon, as opposed to any other player? Or maybe it has to do with how many Damon jerseys they move? How many bobble head dolls? I don’t mean to be deliberately obtuse. I just don’t get it. Can someone explain?

As for the Angels’ acquisition of Vernon Wells, I’m glad he’s out of the AL East. He may be a streaky player for whom Anaheim overpaid, but he always seemed to do damage against the Yankees and I’m not sorry to see him go west.

Meanwhile, we head into another weekend without answers for our rotation. I remain mystified by this. Yes, Yankee fans are spoiled, used to having our pick of the best guys available, blah blah blah. So what. We’ve long moved past the years when Andy Hawkins and Dave LaPoint were our aces. We deserve better. Right, Hal? Look at me. I’m talking to you.

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

What, Exactly, Is A "Performance Bonus?"

Along with the news that Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon are reuniting to join the Rays comes word that Damon will be paid a $750,000 performance bonus. I’m not even going to attempt to make a bad joke about performance.

(Okay, I just did. Sorry about that.) Anyhow, I’m wondering how the Rays will determine whether or not Johnny earns his $750,000 in 2011. Will the bonus be based on the number of tickets sold throughout the course of the season or the number of bodies that actually show up at the Trop? If so, how would they attribute the totals to Damon, as opposed to any other player? Or maybe it has to do with how many Damon jerseys they move? How many bobble head dolls? I don’t mean to be deliberately obtuse. I just don’t get it. Can someone explain?

As for the Angels’ acquisition of Vernon Wells, I’m glad he’s out of the AL East. He may be a streaky player for whom Anaheim overpaid, but he always seemed to do damage against the Yankees and I’m not sorry to see him go west.

Meanwhile, we head into another weekend without answers for our rotation. I remain mystified by this. Yes, Yankee fans are spoiled, used to having our pick of the best guys available, blah blah blah. So what. We’ve long moved past the years when Andy Hawkins and Dave LaPoint were our aces. We deserve better. Right, Hal? Look at me. I’m talking to you.

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

So Let Me Get This Straight About Andruw Jones

The Yankees signed him instead of re-signing Marcus Thames because, unlike Thames, Jones can play every position in the outfield?



Okay, I get that he’s lost weight since his unfortunate stint with the Dodgers, but how confident will any of us be to see him out there? I wish him the best and hope he gets a hit every time he’s called upon. I just hope kids like Colin Curtis are ready to fill in if necessary.

Speaking of kids, Friend of the Blog Wendy alerted me to this story on the MLB web site about a terrific kid, an avid Brewers/Prince Fielder fan, who lost his life to a drunk driver. His family is trying to raise money to build a state-of-the-art field in Wisconsin in his honor, and you can help. Take a look – and grab a box of Kleenex while you’re at it.

Lots Going On Around Here

Hey, everyone!

Remember when I used to write “Dear Readers” letters on my home page? Well, now I can stay more current – and interactive – by posting regularly on this new blog and responding to your comments. (Also on the site now is my long-running “Confessions of a She-Fan” blog, which I moved over from Major League Baseball’s blogging site and which, I’m pleased to report, has been the #1 fan blog there.)

Here at “Mainly Jane” I’ll be providing updates about my books and news of Hollywood-related deals, explaining why I loved Nora Ephron’s latest collection of essays but didn’t think Ricky Gervais was amusing at the Golden Globes, talking about whatever seems relevant at the moment. I’ll also be sharing my running dialogues with my husband Michael, who seems to trigger lots of ideas for my books and screenplays. (Don’t worry. He’s a good sport. He’s used to being “material.”)

The "Michael" in question

Let me me get things started by officially announcing the new book I’m working on.  No, it’s not a romantic comedy. (Sorry to those who’ve been waiting for me to go back to writing fiction. I have a novel in the computer, I promise, but it’s waiting its turn.) The nonfiction book is called (drum roll, please):

You’d Better Not Die Or I’ll Kill You:

A Caregiver’s Survival Guide to Keeping YOU in Good Health and Good Spirits

As Publishers Lunch reported it in their announcement today, it’s a “companion for caregivers, told in a mix of humorous vignettes and essential info, drawing on personal experience and outside expertise.”

Which is another way of saying it’s not going to be a depressing book about illness; there are plenty of them out there already. And it’s not going to be a dense reference full of resources; caregivers don’t have time for themselves, let alone for a heavy tome. If the perennial bestseller What To Expect When You’re Expecting is a pregnant woman’s best friend, I’d say You’d Better Not Die Or I’ll Kill You will be a caregiver’s best friend. There are an estimated 65 million caregivers in America right now, whether caring for a parent, a child, a spouse or a close friend. My hope is to reach out to every one of them with the book. Chronicle is the publisher and I anticipate that they’ll schedule release sometime in 2012. They do such great things with graphics and design, so I’m very excited to join their stable of authors.

www.chroniclebooks.com

And my editor is Leigh Haber, who acquired Confessions of a She-Fan for Rodale back in ’07. She’s one of the smartest people I know, so she’ll undoubtedly help to make the book the best it can be.

Leigh looking serious and editor-ish

Where does the title come from? Michael. He has Crohn’s disease, a chronic, auto-immune disease of the gastrointestinal tract that causes intestinal obstructions, severe abdominal pain, and other not-so-lovely symptoms. He’s been hospitalized nearly 100 times since he was diagnosed as a child – 5 times in the past year alone – and had many surgeries. Each time he’s on a gurney, about to be wheeled into the operating room, I lean over to kiss him and say, “You’d better not die or I’ll kill you,” and he’ll laugh and make us both feel better.

The book is intended to make other caregivers feel better too – physically and emotionally. It will include my funny stories about life with a chronically ill husband (yes, there are funny moments and it’s important that we celebrate them), as well as advice from experts in a variety of fields on a variety of subjects – from how caregivers can get a decent night’s sleep to how we can make a doctor answer our questions even when he/she has one foot out the door. I’ll also feature anecdotes and inspirational words from other caregivers, so if you have a story to tell or know someone else who does, please leave a comment here or contact me via the “Contact” page on the web site or the links to me on Twitter or Facebook.

Over the years I’ve had so much mail from readers who’ve said: “Your novels have gotten me through a tough time.” And: “In spite of my medical condition your stories made me laugh.” And, best of all, I once got a letter from a psychotherapist who wrote: “I prescribe your books to all my depressed patients. They’re better than Prozac.” I really hope You’d Better Not Die Or I’ll Kill You will have the same prescriptive effect.

P.S. Before I finish up with my inaugural “Mainly Jane” post, I need to give a huge shout out to Kristen, webmaster, web designer, web guru, and (most of all) friend. You may have noticed that the web site’s home page has been refreshed and enhanced with graphics and links and all the stuff I could never in a million years figure out how to do. (All that in addition to creating the two new blogs.) I met Kristen when I was living in Florida writing novels and she was in New York handling the Soap Opera Digest web site. Now she and I are both in California and, although she has a full time job in the web world, she continues to make time for me and this site – and for that I’m eternally grateful.

Kristen in mid-bite of her hot dog at my "Confessions" book party

Yes, she’s a Red Sox fan and, yes, I’m a Yankee fan, but we co-exist like civil Democrats and Republicans, which is to say we rarely discuss baseball.

Random Thoughts On Soriano's Press Conference

Have a peek at this excerpt if you haven’t seen the whole thing already.



  1. Cashman: Did he gain some weight this off-season? Or was it just those pancakes he ate at the breakfast yesterday? Also, I loved how he called Soriano “Rafi” and Mo “Mr. Mariano Rivera.”
  2. Girardi: “Now we have two closers.” Works for me, Joe. It’s not my money.
  3. Soriano needed a translator? Or maybe Boras was just afraid his client would blurt out, “Hey, Cash, I know you didn’t want me here but everybody else did so stuff it.”
  4. I really liked Soriano’s suit. No undertaker look for him in that taupe or whatever color it was.
  5. I don’t want to be done with these press conferences. There needs to be another one before spring training – and I’m not talking about Pettitte, despite reports today that he’s been “throwing” just in case he decides to join the party. I’m talking about an as-yet-to-be-named starter who will put on the pinstripes for the first time. The Tigers DFA-ed Armando Galarraga. He pitched a perfect game, for God’s sake, and he’s only 29. Could he really be that bad?
Photo: Paul Sancya/AP

Random Thoughts On Soriano’s Press Conference

Have a peek at this excerpt if you haven’t seen the whole thing already.



  1. Cashman: Did he gain some weight this off-season? Or was it just those pancakes he ate at the breakfast yesterday? Also, I loved how he called Soriano “Rafi” and Mo “Mr. Mariano Rivera.”
  2. Girardi: “Now we have two closers.” Works for me, Joe. It’s not my money.
  3. Soriano needed a translator? Or maybe Boras was just afraid his client would blurt out, “Hey, Cash, I know you didn’t want me here but everybody else did so stuff it.”
  4. I really liked Soriano’s suit. No undertaker look for him in that taupe or whatever color it was.
  5. I don’t want to be done with these press conferences. There needs to be another one before spring training – and I’m not talking about Pettitte, despite reports today that he’s been “throwing” just in case he decides to join the party. I’m talking about an as-yet-to-be-named starter who will put on the pinstripes for the first time. The Tigers DFA-ed Armando Galarraga. He pitched a perfect game, for God’s sake, and he’s only 29. Could he really be that bad?
Photo: Paul Sancya/AP

Who's The Greatest NY Athlete Ever?

Even though I’ve lived in California for a long time, I still subscribe to New York magazine. Can’t help myself. I love their articles, and the recent one in which Will Leitch asked a panel of experts (including Al Leiter) whom they thought qualified as New York’s Greatest Athlete Ever was one of my faves. Among the candidates:


Joe Namath

Lawrence Taylor

Patrick Ewing

Phil Esposito

John McEnroe

Babe Ruth

Lou Gehrig

Joe DiMaggio

Willie Mays

Derek Jeter


It’s a really interesting article and I urge people to read it if they haven’t already – and then weigh in. A case was certainly made for Jeter, Gehrig and Ruth but Mays had one very loyal supporter. If they had asked me, I’d have said “Mariano Rivera,” but I’m not objective when it comes to him.

Turning to present day events, it appears that Rafael Soriano will be officially introduced by the Yankees tomorrow. I’ve read so much about his temperament; how he refused to pitch more than one inning for the Rays and had hissy fits about this or that. We don’t need divas on this team, so if he pulls any crap I have no doubt that the aforementioned Mo will take him aside and gently but firmly explain the facts of life in Yankeeville.


Who’s The Greatest NY Athlete Ever?

Even though I’ve lived in California for a long time, I still subscribe to New York magazine. Can’t help myself. I love their articles, and the recent one in which Will Leitch asked a panel of experts (including Al Leiter) whom they thought qualified as New York’s Greatest Athlete Ever was one of my faves. Among the candidates:


Joe Namath

Lawrence Taylor

Patrick Ewing

Phil Esposito

John McEnroe

Babe Ruth

Lou Gehrig

Joe DiMaggio

Willie Mays

Derek Jeter


It’s a really interesting article and I urge people to read it if they haven’t already – and then weigh in. A case was certainly made for Jeter, Gehrig and Ruth but Mays had one very loyal supporter. If they had asked me, I’d have said “Mariano Rivera,” but I’m not objective when it comes to him.

Turning to present day events, it appears that Rafael Soriano will be officially introduced by the Yankees tomorrow. I’ve read so much about his temperament; how he refused to pitch more than one inning for the Rays and had hissy fits about this or that. We don’t need divas on this team, so if he pulls any crap I have no doubt that the aforementioned Mo will take him aside and gently but firmly explain the facts of life in Yankeeville.


Is The Pujols/Cardinals Marriage On The Rocks?


(courtesy: Chris Lee/clee@{link url="http://www.post-dispatch.com"}post-dispatch.com){/link}


While I’ve been busy moaning about Andy Pettitte and the state of the Yankees’ starting rotation, I’ve completely neglected the little drama happening in the middle of the country where Albert Pujols continues not to have a new deal with the Cardinals. According to Ken Rosenthal, the detente won’t become Jeter-like in terms of antagonism….in his opinion.

“This will not be Derek Jeter, Part II. Pujols is in the prime of his career, not nearing the end. He remains under contract for 2011 with a full no-trade clause. The Cardinals will not snipe at him. He will not snipe at them.”

Oh, really? Did anyone think the Jeter negotiations would be anything less than civil? Tough, yes, but not unpleasant. My point is that despite Pujols’ sunny demeanor and the Cardinals’ high regard for him, business is business and things have a way of turning ugly when it comes to dollars and cents (or, in this case, millions and millions). I hope for Cardinals fans (that would be you, Jeff) that we’ll be reading a happy announcement soon and all will be well in the heartland.

Six Out Of Eight Isn't Too Shabby

My predictions for the Golden Globes weren’t perfect but they were pretty good. I missed calling “The Social Network” for Best Picture/Drama (I went with “The King’s Speech”) and I picked Johnny Depp instead of Paul Giamatti in the Best Actor/Comedy category, but otherwise I was right on the money. Who wasn’t on the money was Ricky Gervais as the show’s host. I enjoy snark as much as the next person, but he was repulsive. There’s no need to make everyone in the room feel uncomfortable, and that’s what he did with his mean-spirited “jokes.” I doubt very much if he’ll be back next year.

My dinner was a hit: grilled steak, roasted potatoes, zucchini/tomato gratin, Caesar salad and the same chocolate cake I made for Thanksgiving.

(Those are walnuts on top, not worms!)

Meanwhile, I see the Jets beat the Patriots. I don’t follow football, but congrats to the Jets fans among us.

As for the Yankees, maybe this will be the week we hear from Andy Pettitte? Oh, wait. I forgot. I’ve already said goodbye to him and vowed not to mention him again. My bad. I guess I haven’t gotten him out of my system after all.

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