I Will Not Lie Down

I love anybody who has the strength to be themselves. It gives those of us around them the courage to also be ourselves. And on days when we're not so sure about anything any more - "when the dog bites, and the bees sting" - it's particularly helpful to call up those people we admire, because if they're truly honest, they might just tell you that half the time they don't know shit. And that's when you can turn up Don Henley nice and loud. Sing along with me people "I will not lie down... I will not go quietly."

Since I will be busy this month writing yet another sample - this time a Desperate Housewives (a real stretch for me) I will be handing out virtual awards to those in my life that have the rare gift of making my ass crack up. To earn this fabulous honor, all recipients have had to show strength of character, grace under fire, and of course, the ability to laugh at themselves when things go less than planned. Their awards will be called "Martinis" - after the very lovely pregnant ballerina herself, Stella. And the first Martini goes to........

KATE! You can check her out yourself at her website www.katedana.com

She is pictured above on her wedding day. Here's a sampling of the feature article that was published right after their big vows.

"On a Saturday afternoon in October, Kate and Sean were married outside the Preservation Society in Fells Point in front of about 75 family members and friends. The patio was decorated with Gerber daisies, tiki torches and plastic pink flamingos.

The bride wore a mini dress paired with black shoes and a leopard- print pillbox hat; and the groom donned a '60s-style suit that the couple found at a local thrift shop. The newlyweds left their wedding on their 1964 Vespa scooter (not the one from the raffle) decorated with a "Just Married" sign. Kate and Sean planned and financed their wedding on their own, and said they have no regrets. Why? "Because we did it our way," said Sean."

Oh, and happy birthday to me. I am now 36, making me not old, but not young. If I were an avocado, I'd be on sale, because no one would know what to do with me. Keep me around? Eat me half ripe? Come to think about it, I do resemble that fruit. My body is delicious to Rex, but truth be told, I'm a bit lumpy for some of the population. You either love me to pieces, or want to spit me out. Green fruit fans or not, beware: "I will not lie down... I will not go quietly."