My favorite employee, that little kah-ween Ray-Ray who thinks he's Beyonce and has captured the town's energy with his Latino night, is--according to rumor--about to be recognized for his bartending and beauty skills by a local newspaper. And, I would be the last to accuse Ray of being effeminate, but a lesbian hit on him the other night and when he brushed her off she got in his face and all huffy until he said, "But I'm a boy." "Oh, no. I'm so sorry," apologized the lesbian.

My sister, The Countess du Barry arrived from Newport yesterday with 31 tiaras in her carry-on. She set off howls of laughter when she described security's reaction, but she IS a countess and there are still those of us who travel with our jewels on our person. Countess Bedelia arrives tomorrow with apparently enough jewelry to buy a small island. I have warned her that my ropes of diamonds are coming out, the same one's Henry Lehr once said made me look like a walking chandelier.

My afternoon off today will be a bit more subdued; I'm donning my Clara Barton outfit and visiting the sick and shopping for Ramon and the dogs. It's amazing how little help is available and how difficult it is to process all the paperwork for any help at all.

Jewels and charity work; what a life.