So 4:30 in the morning is much too early to arrive anywhere, especially L.A. - but there I was. Starbucks wasn't even open yet!

Moments before boarding, the celebrity march began. Having never watched "Grey's Anatomy," I'm not sure if Patrick Dempsey is McSteamy or McDreamy or Doctor Demento but there he was in serious need of an espresso, a shower, a shave, and a hairbrush would have been good, too. Yuck.

On the other hand, political consultant James Carville is much taller, much thinner and, dare I say, much better looking in person than he is on CNN or CBS or NBC or wherever else he pundits.

Smooth sailing to JFK and here I am in the Alitalia's Business Class Lounge which might as well be in Rome 'cause I think I'm the only one here reading the New York Times. There's a soccer game on the big, flat screen TV - Italian and LIT (I'm guessing that's Lithuania, does Lithuania even field a soccer team??) - and listening to/watching the Italian men - young and old - cheer and jeer at every play.

Time for an espresso....next time I write will be from beautiful Venice.

Ciao, mi amici...