About two months ago, my friend Amy from downstairs was visiting with her daughter, Sasha, who is Violet’s great friend (they were born a year and a few days apart in the same hospital). We were sitting and chatting in Violet’s room while the girls played dress-up (both were fairy princesses – wings, sparkly, poofy dresses, tiaras, wands, and twinkly shoes). While we were grown-up talking about life, Sasha, carrying a silver star wand, walked over to Amy and said “Mom, what’s your wish?” Amy looked at me and back at Sasha and said, “I wish I would win the Pulitzer Prize.” I was happy to hear her say that because I was next and I wasn’t going to waste my wish on some general happy thought. I jumped in quick, “I wish my book would be a bestseller,” I said, neglecting to say specifically hardcover or paperback, NY Times bestseller or just the bestselling book in my Violet’s room.

A couple of weeks later, Paul and I were staying at the Beverly Hilton while on my book tour. He was reading the New York Times over breakfast and he said, “Oh my God, Amy won the Pulitzer Prize!” And I screamed and jumped up and down á la Price is Right. I am still that happy. Amy is just the sweetest, kindest person, but she also happens to be a kick-ass journalist.

So today’s the day that Amy Harmon, along with Bob Dylan and Junot Diaz and other smarties will collect their awards at a ceremony at Columbia University. Isn’t that amazing? Really, isn’t that so cool?

I don’t know if it’s bad form to say, but I don’t really read blogs. I don’t know why, but I think it has to do with how busy I am when I’m at my computer — going through Bluefly’s new additions and checking to see if anyone wrote anything mean about me on Amazon lately.  But, there is one blog I do read and to use the internet jargon, I LOL at the content.  The site is  Vromans Bookstore’s blog and I’ve linked to it before, but I was looking at it a couple of days ago and Patrick, the hilarious writer (who’s ‘about me’ simply states: I have a beard.) had posted about Barbara Walters doing a signing of her new book Audition at Vroman’s and he wrote: Apparently Barbara Walters has a new book out. Nobody told me.   Now — if you click on each word it will take you to another story on Barbara’s book. Isn’t that genius ? (and by the way VERY time consuming to implement). I’m his #1 fan a la Kathy Bates in Misery.

[Patrick neglected to mention that Barbara Walters book Audition is going to be featured for the entire month (May — a month with 31 days) on a television program called The View.  You can’t buy that kind of publicity!!]

Is the tiny man inside of iTunes. The recommendations for me are astoundingly accurate. How did they know I’d like Leo Sayer’s You Make Me Feel Like Dancin’ ? I haven’t even thought of that song in years, but darn if they weren’t correct, and what a nice time I had at the gym today.

The embarassing part is that I downloaded That’s What Love Is For, so now they’re recommending Christian music for me.

I’m going to start my own religion– Jews for Amy Grant.

I never really cared one way or the other about Jennifer Love Hewitt, but after seeing how she dealt with the black bikini incident, I am publicly applauding her.

You go, J. Love!

http://www.inogolo.com/index

It tells you how to pronounce things like Khaled Hosseini [HA-led Ho-SAY-nee] and you can even press a button to hear the pronunciation…. the only thing they don’t tell you is how to pronounce the name of the site.

I’ve been re-reading Carrie Fisher’s books lately, and I’ve really come to the conclusion that  she is the undisputed Queen of Smart Funny.   And she played Princess Leia. What a wonderful combination of things that I love.

Different topic, you know how when you’re waiting for an important e-mail you get 7000 from J. Crew and Barnes and Noble? That’s today’s bee in my bonnet.

YOUR PICK FOR OCTOBER 2007, Pre-K Student of the Month…..

VIOLET JEAN LEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I thought it would take her longer than five weeks to surpass my school record, but Violet has done it! She is STUDENT OF THE MONTH with all the responsibilities to her constiuents that entails, there’s going to be parades, appearances, endorsement deals.

For being student of the month she got both a certificate AND a ribbon that she may proudly pin to any article of clothing. And it didn’t stop there. Mr. Ibarra took her picture! Because of her excellence, I let her choose anything she wanted for dinner. She said “I just want to order.” Which translates to, “None of the crap you make, Mom.” I said “Of course,what’ll it be?” She said, “grilled cheese and a california roll.” Metropolitan Diary, are you listening? This is one sassy New York kid!

Jon Bon Jovi for staying married to his wife for so long and just “keepin’ it real.”