I have a confession: I'm fascinated with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I think it's because of all the housewives programs in all the land this is the first incarnation that made me wonder: "Could I be on this show?" While I don't actually live in Beverly Hills, it...

My daughter, my ex-husband, my ex-but-not-really-stepdaughter, her mother (my ex-husband's first wife) and I had decided on a traditional Christmas in NYC. Before we even left Los Angeles, my ex-husband gashed his head open on the cab door. Great. We hadn't left my driveway and already someone was bleeding. I...

It began with my mother and stepfather wanting to take my daughter and stepdaughter to Italy. My mom's a planner, so she brought this up years ahead of time. I am not a planner, so I don't remember what year that was.

Over time, the trip evolved to include...

Christmas (Hanukkah, whatever, I don't care) is upon us, and I'm going to celebrate the season the way most people do: I'm taking a trip to NYC with my daughter, my mother, my stepfather, my ex-husband, and my ex-husband's first wife, to visit my ex-stepdaughter (though they're never really "ex"......