It's been three weeks. THREE! Count them - three weeks since I last wrote. Time has passed.

When I last wrote I was in pretty bad shape after that fall. The fall on my back for anyone who might not know. When that stuff happens you know you have to stop everything in order to get better, but it seems impossible to stop. But you do. Your choices are, uh, somewhat... let's just say - limited. But it does work. I'm better and I'm back!

And when you finally do get up to get going again, where else can you go but shopping? I felt I was down a long time. Certainly long enough to have now been shopping for four straight days!

I have gone shopping. Shopping. Between birthday parties for big girls my age, and girls who have just turned one. Shopping after a birthday tea I was taken to at Lady Mendl's Tea Salon, and before seeing a film short by a college buddy called "Hitchcocked" in the NewFest Gay Film Festival on Sunday. And I have not just been shopping. I have been buying!

My filmmaker friend was way impressed when, discussing his wonderful movie, he snuck a peak into my shopping bags. "Oh, you have been really busy," he said, fingering a black camisole, a tan tee, soft lavendar lounge wear - perfect for when you're a guest at someone's summer house - a straw handbag, a pair of cropped pants... multi-colored headbands.

WAIT! A summer dress that's dressy, and a summer dress that's not. And the summer dress you need to have so you have a dress you can just throw on... you know, for the days when you have nothing to wear. Okay, now we're talking. But hey, we're not just talking clothes. Where theres' clothes there's accessories!

Belt. Big this seaon, very important. I have actually been getting a lot of mileage from a suede one given to me for my Sweet Sixteen from my friend Helene. Believe it or not, it's back in style. Now I don't believe anything really comes back in style, but somehow this belt has made the cut! It's just about the only item I've really saved. It was from Bloomingdale's and I was enamored enough to keep it. I'm not sorry.

Necklaces. I received several new ones for my birthday! (Yes, bad back or not I did have to celebrate my birthday and I am lucky to have such great friends and family.) And, of course, earrings. I was given a pair in colors that match both the new handbag and belt... not that earrings have to be matchy-matchy or anything, but... Uh- huh, I'm talking so much about jewlery I might wind up forgetting shoes!

Have you ever noticed that as soon as you think you have all the right shoes... What I mean is, as soon as you think you have enough shoes.... Enough so you're not standing in your room running late because you're in some outfit that, as hard as you try, does not match not one measly pair of shoes in your entire closet? Well, have you ever noticed that the second you think you got the whole shoe thing settled and have all the shoes you could possibly need for that seaon, you suddenly find you need more?

Today I had lunch with my publicist before I went to return a dress that sadly had a bum zipper. On my way to return the dress I stopped into store after store after store after store. Looking at clothes. Seeing my life flash before me in a way that would be way more glamorous if only I could have access to ALL OF THOSE CLOTHES.

And as I thought about them on the subway ride home I knew just what I had to do. I got up and went, and now it was time to stop. I shopped for my summer clothes and now I was done. The line has been drawn. Now I wear them and move on.

Oh. I'm sorry. You probably feel this a very practical and anti-climactic ending. But, well, believe it or not, that's me. I have an internal "stop" button that keeps me from really over spending, gaining weight, getting drunk, or just going too far. But I really have fun going as far as I go!

Now I'm going to sleep. I'm going to dream of outfits. You do know, if you buy it he will come.