DR: No, I don't think there's the "one" anymore. A wise, old friend used the illustration of the show Bachelor(ette) to indicate that the main person is conflicted primarily because there are so many very viable choices for a mate. If only in our real lives could we be presented with all those choices at one sitting. Since it doesn't, we'll have to make due one friendship at a time.

today: 7

How many packets of Equal in coffee, tea, cereal, fruit or cookies do you think starts being unhealthy?

Read this in an advice column:

My boyfriend of a few years (we're both in our mid-twenties) is moving back into his parents' house. His lease is up and he'll move into another place in about six months. I'm personally big on not relying on parents if you consider yourself an adult (he's not doing this out of necessity, just convenience), and I'm having a hard time respecting him because of it and am not looking forward to hanging out in his childhood bedroom. Am I being bratty about this?

-- East Coast

Do a lot of women feel this way?!?

I finally saw pictures of Julius. Though I kind of wonder why he's always in the same pose and wearing the same clothes despite different locales. Could it be that he's just a cardboard cutout?!

I'd vote for John Edwards. He has brown hair. I'm tired of old people running for President. But can we get one without an accent (not that there's anything wrong with that)?

As per New Year's resolution concerning reading:

Ask me at the end of this month whether I've finished the two books I've started:
1. The Best a Man Can Get (NOT some Promise Keepers book, heh heh; but some funny-British-Nick-Hornby-wanna-be stuff)
2. A Confederacy of Dunces

I am totally losing it! I put my ATM-and-credit-card-in-one into the machine this morning, punched in my code and amount and waited for the money. During the 15 seconds for the transaction, I noticed my credit card was missing. And I was upset over losing my credit card and wondering where the hell I lost it. Even after the money appeared out of the slot, I was still mad. I wasn't confused. I sincerely believed I had lost the credit card after getting a new MetroCard this morning. Anger dissipated only after I realized that I put said credit card into the ATM just moments before. Talk about attention deficit disorder.

Saddest thing: I was able to tape the SNL episode hosted by Gwyneth Paltrow, but it didn't have the "you don't know me !" skit.