And then I thought, no, that sounds too domestic. That's like the girls I used to make fun of. "Such low ambitions," I thought.

But I've begun caring about things that never mattered before. Like, when to use a dutch oven and what the spice tarragon is good for, and whether I serve a vegetable with every meal.

I almost don't recognize myself.

The 10 days Paul was gone, I reverted to my bachelorette ways. How scandalous! I hardly ate, and what I did eat was never more complicated than a quesadilla or a bowl of cereal. I stayed up every night until all I could do was sleep. I watched TV for hours and decided I had good reason for not like Malcom in the Middle or the Bernie Mac show. Simpsons are still OK, and King of the Hill is a must, since my man's a Texan.

My New Year's resolution is to republish my books and actually write something worthwhile again. The process is just so long and I don't feel like undergoing disappointment again.

And once again, I have ot send my laptop in for repairs. Never ever buy Gateway, especially not the M320X laptop. The backlight goes out within the first 3-5 months. If this happens again, I'm asking for a refund and buying an ugly Toshiba.

So while my computer is being serviced (and hopefully not refurbished and resold...again), I'm going to play Martha Stewart yet again. On the schedule: baking Christmas cookies for everyone on my apartment floor, finish sewing my pillows, and assembling closet shelves. Oh yes, my life is full of exciting things to write about.

In a few more months, I'll have traveling stories to write about. We're either going to India for 6 weeks or the Caribbean for 2 weeks, as well as going to England for a week and -- just as exotically -- Texas for another week. And the happy part is that it's all business trips.