Sudafed is my friend . . .

While the rest of the country is trying to stay warm, Californians are trying to stop sneezing, and to start breathing again. The warm temperatures and Santa Ana winds play havoc with everybody's sinuses . . . which translates for me into an excuse to eat nothing but spicy foods.

Hold on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen . . . for the millions of people out there like me that spend most of their TV viewing time watching re-runs of Murder She Wrote, you'll be excited to learn that Angela Lansbury is returning to Broadway in a revival of Blithe Spirits. Needless to say, I'm already planning a trip to NYC. And yes, I am serious.

Speaking of sinuses, here is my dilemma. On days when my nose is feeling iffy, one remedy I regularly employ is to put about a 1/2 jar worth of Vick's Vapor Rub up each nostril. While it really does help, it also tends to make me look as if I perpetually have a snotty nose. Is it worth the trade off? So far, I say yes. If I found out a great guy declined to ask me to dinner on account of my pseudo boogers, I may have to re-think this remedy.

Tonight, President Bush gives his farewell (and none too soon), address to the nation:

Bush and his loyal backers (read: Dick Cheney), see his record this way: He kept the country safe from attack after terrorism redefined his presidency, cut taxes, freed the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, reformed education, oversaw 52 straight months of job growth, acted decisively when the economy tanked, stuck to principle no matter what his poll numbers, retooled the military and improved federal crisis management after the worst U.S. natural disaster happened on his watch.

To his critics, (read: everybody not named Cheney, Dick), Bush wasted the world's goodwill after the Sept. 11 attacks, got the nation into a catastrophic and avoidable Iraq war, presided over a staggering 2.6 million jobs lost in 2008, ran up debt, reacted slowly to Hurricane Katrina, did more dividing than uniting and refused to listen to the will of the people.

I'm going with door number 2. And don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out.