Friday Update, 8/21

It's been a relaxing week, with the kids in Florida and no one here but us grown-ups. I do miss them (seriously!) but we managed to have a bit of fun.

• On Saturday we went to see Julie and Julia. I have two words: Meryl Streep. And two more: Holy crap. Doesn't seem humanly possible to deliver that kind of performance.

• On Sunday we braved the traffic and went to Tobay Beach. (Whose idea was it to close down three lanes of traffic on a Sunday in August on the only road leading to the beach? Someone needs to be punched in the throat.) Still, it was glorious.

• On Monday I went into Manhattan to have lunch with my Putnam editor, Rachel Kahan. It was about a million degrees, but I'm so glad I went. I learned a ton and man, does she have some interesting stories!

• On my way out of the Penguin Putnam building I met Jill Zarin (one of the Real Housewives of New York City) and Lisa Wexler (host of Live! With Lisa Radio), two Jewish sisters who are writing a book together. It was kind of ironic because I happen to be working on a novel about two Jewish cousins who might write a book together. Anyway, they were very friendly and it was a delight to meet them.

• On Monday night, my smartypants brother, Stephen Meister, explained the coming financial tsunami in commercial real estate on Neil Cavuto's show on Fox Business News. Check it out:


• On Tuesday Mike and I took the ferry to Shelter Island and had dinner at Sunset Beach, a lovely restaurant on the water. It felt like we had been away on vacation. The picture to the left was taken from my cellphone between courses. Crazy, but it was the first time either of us had been to Shelter Island. What a place!

• On Wednesday I met up with Saralee Rosenberg and we celebrated with another Long Island writer pal, Brenda Janowitz, as she and her husband Doug welcomed baby Benjamin into the world with the holy ritual of a Bris. Congrats to the beautiful family!

• Shoot. Fell asleep before The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson last night and missed my cousin Lisa Kudrow's appearance. Would love to see a clip if anyone can find one.

• Did manage to stay up to see Renee Zellweger on David Letterman. Her face stayed so still while she talked it looked like she was wearing a mask. I like her and this makes me sad.

• Yesterday I worked like a dog on the project I mentioned above, The Cousins' Club. I managed to edit all 70 pages, working in new ideas and layers. This morning, just as I was finishing, I got yet another idea for changing something that would add a dimension and be a big improvement. Dear Subconscious: I appreciate that you're working round the clock to come up with these gems, but next time would mind making the delivery before I've written and polished 17,000 words?

• I now have a Publishers Marketplace page. Check it out: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/ellenmeister/