Re "wine = wasted calories": Bite your tongue! Wine is a necessity, not only for the body's well being (it's good for the blood!), but for our emotional health as well. Yesterday, while trekking from 71st St. to Bloomingdale's, all the while being drenched by the monsoon that hit NYC, MrBug and I stopped in a little restaurant called "Lumi" and had a glass of Chianti at the bar. It was just the thing to brace us for the rest of the trip and make the sodden bottoms of our jeans seem inconsequential.

Re "How stupid is Julie?" So stupid that I want to rough her up a little. And you hit the nail right on the head with that last bit. I want to howl when the daughter runs into the house and delivers that vomit-inducing line. Regardless of whether they deserve it, some people beg for abuse.

Gah!