I'm in the TODAY show green room trying to scrounge up some caffeine so I can gather my wee thoughts to have a semi-intelligent convo with the ladies. I'm wearing flip-flops with my suit; I hope that's ok with everybody but I need to keep my dogs out to beat the heat. It's Hoda's birthday, by the way.

I had a great weekend that began Thursday night with my annual trip to Fire Island with my soul sisters Graciela and Amanda, and our host Bill. I dig going old school on FI once every 51 weeks. It is essentially gays unsupervised, which means pure fun and debauchery out there. It is also one big tinderboxfirehazard. How does the whole island not go up in flames?? (Lotsa wood.)

On Saturday morning, I hopped on the ferry (boat) and hit it for Sag Harbor, where my sister and brother-in-law were waiting. It was lots of fun having them and we covered a lot of ground. Saturday night we went to a soiree at Donna Karan's house honoring the premiere of Showtime's The C Word. They screened the show, which was GREAT GREAT GREAT, for a crowd that included Hamptons regulars Martha Stewart and Calvin Klein, and series stars Laura Linney, Gabourey Sidibe, Oliver Platt, and the great John Benjamin Hickey.

After the screening there was a bonfire on the beach with blankets, bars, beauties, and a clear sky loaded with stars. My kind of party! One of the night's highlights for me was meeting Mark Ruffalo, of whom I am a big fan.

Yesterday afternoon I met up with Hickey and Linney in Sag Harbor for a quick coffee and debrief about the show. (You are going to LOVE IT, is the bottom line!)

I hit the beach yesterday around 6 and was warned by everyone that the waves were very dangerous and that someone had drowned earlier. It was a little shallow water swimming as it was indeed quite violent. I still haven't heard more details about the drowning ( I can't find anything online), and it is really upsetting and a cause for pause.

Last night was a gorgeous dinner party where dinner was served around 10:40. At 10:45 I grabbed Kelly Ripa to make the sad drive back to the city. (Her husband was driving back this morning and the lady had to work.). Wouldn't you know that there was freaking road construction on the Long Island Expressway that began at 10 p.m., thus doubling our traffic time and causing mild irritation and tumult...? Why, I wonder, would they do road construction to the LIE on a Sunday night when everyone is schlepping back from the beach? I'll tell you what: it is trivial to complain about traffic when you know somebody drowned swimming. Perspective is good.

So Lisa Ling and Rob Schneider are in the green room now. Kathie Lee is in blue and en fuego. There's a segment on about laundry. I am going to grab some tea, but before I do let me remind you that tonight, the New Jersey ladies take the drama on the road and head to Italy -- and It's a lot of fun!

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