Nora Ephron was one of my favorite writers. I hate that some people called her movies chick flicks, because her writing was so sharp, witty and universal that both sexes could (or should) connect with her.

I was twelve the first time I saw When Harry Met Sally. I laughed so hard, at tines not even knowing what I was laughing at. Twenty years later, I am still watching -- and learning -- from that script. How to tell a story, explore personal relationships, create compelling chracters (both male and female)...Nora Ephron is a master-class.

Sadly, Ephron and I had more in common that just being straight to the point, sharp-tongued souls. We both had leukemia, and I wish she had been as lucky as me.

Ephron is the second great writer I know of who died of leukemia. The first was my college professor and friend, Venable Herndon, who continues to inspire me.

Why leukemia happens to the great ones is something I'll never comprehend. Just don't cheapen our legacies with the phrase chick flick.

If you're over 30, you probably remember reading those choose your own adventure books as a kid.

Uh-oh, you've encountered a deadly rattlesnake. Turn to page 37 to fight it or page 86 to run away screaming like a little girl...

                                
Somehow, I always made the wrong choice. The snake would bite me. The boulder would crush me. My boat would capsize. Name it, and I'd end up dead. And while my brothers and sister would sit in the back of our parents' Buick and keep their adventures going for hours at a time, I'd sulk, pout and eye the roadkill, feeling a new empathy for these stupid, dead creatures.

At 34, life continues to feel like one of those books. But instead of impending death, making the wrong choice results in failed relationships, financial hardships, suffering through an awful job where your boss is grade-A cunty.

So, I find myself at yet another crossroads. My production of Acts of Love, an evening of one-act plays, ended last Friday (to a sold-out house may I add; nothing boosts a playwright's ego like the words "sold-out"). I'm happy with the show, and the audience reactions, but I no longer have the excuse of "so busy with the play" to guide me, and I'm left to wonder, "what next?"

I just hope I choose the right adventure this time. Maybe you can help?

  

Reuters reports that ConAgra Foods Inc, makers of Hebrew National Hotdogs, has been sued by consumers who claim the hotdogs aren't actually kosher. 

In a related story, people are suing 7-11 because the Slurpee isn't actually made of fruit; McDonalds because the Chicken McNuggets aren't actually chicken, and American Airlines because the company isn't all that patriotic. 

Take a bite out of the full story, here. 

Here's an authorized video from an impromptu talent show at my friend's house. We couldn't stop laughing, and neither will you. Watch this whenever you are having a bad day, and you'll feel better. All you need to know is that we're getting ready for a Miley Cyrus concert. And...go!