See you in September . . . Or, on August 31, if you believe the press releases. That’s when Gossip Girl returns after its summer vacation. But wait! There’s one more episode this season, and you don’t want to miss it —not if you expect to communicate with anyone under the age of Modern Maturity (or whatever that AARP publication is calling itself these days). “Is it...

Hi, Sara: As Reservations Clerk in Chief (How did I get this friggin’ job?), “One ringy dingy” I am here to report that we will be back from Ocean Grove Sunday afternoon after all, so we could meet you for an early dinner. How early do you want to make it? Five? Six? I checked with Scarlatto, which is in the theatre district (where you’ll be) and...

I want a wedding. Not one of my own, silly. Been there (Finally!). Done that (Amen). What I want is to be invited to a gay wedding. Soon. Adam and Steve: Are you listening? I’m not kidding about this. I have fantasies about gay weddings, especially between two guys.  I’m thinking really tasteful with all the perfect touches, like Charlotte’s in Sex and the...

Working by day as a mild-mannered blogger for I Can’t Believe I’m Not Bitter, Pat Fortunato has been known to put on a trench-coat and dark glasses and turn into Gotham Girl, gathering info for pieces like this, which appeared in part in Woman Around Town: Neither rain, nor sleet nor gloom of public transportation can keep Gotham Girl from her appointed rounds ...

Once upon a time, when you went to a party, you “dressed up” in the outfit of the moment, complete with matching shoes, purse, and whatever jewelry went with The Look. There was the A-Line, The Mini, the Little Nothing (AKA the Shift), long full skirts, long tight skirts, short tight skirts, pumps, mules (now called slides, and for good reason), platform...

The story you are about to read is true. Only the names have been changed to protect . . .whoever. So. How do you know that the new man you’re dating is a stand-up guy? You could meet his mother, which I did. You could talk to his kids, who were very welcoming, and obviously liked their Dad. You could Google him, but this was in the Dark Ages, before google was a...

This open letter to Michael Bloomberg appeared in part in New York Woman. But even if you don’t live anywhere near Manhattan, you probably are being driven nuts by noise pollution, too. Dear Mayor Mike: First of all, I want you to know that I voted for you, and will again, and think that you’re doing a great job in this impossible city, which I happen to love. There...

I wanted to call this “The Case of The Really Stupid Slippers,” but I am haunted by the ghost of my nitpicking editor who would have told me that the slippers themselves couldn’t be stupid, but me for choosing them, so the title would be inaccurate, misleading, and inappropriate. But I’ve worked on a lot of mysteries (I’ll tell you about Nancy Drew some day),...