January has gotten into full swing, with awards shows kicking into full gear, the football play-offs getting underway this past weekend, and my birthday coming up on the 14th, (in two days—oh my!,) we have so many little things to discuss. So I’m putting a few of them together, or gathering them, all here right now.

So let’s get them going:

1) In case you’re curious about this, my “strokiversary” calls are going well. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, where have you been for the past three months??? That was when I started celebrating being alive for a decade after suffering a serious mini-stroke in 2015.

My strokiversary calls continue!

So, since then, I’ve tried hard to call one friend, either an old one or a current one I haven’t been in touch with for a while, a different one every day, and catch-up with them. It’s been tons of fun for all of us, but I just haven’t had time to do it every day during the holidays. I’m planning on making sure I do every day now, but since this is my bday week, I want to wait and see just which pals call me! I’ll keep you posted on it all. (Yes, I have been taking notes! Of course.) [Note: If you’re a real friend of mine, please make sure I have your current phone number, by email or Facebook message, so I can call you soon.]

Akasha’s cookbook.

2) Many foodies in LA, especially in Culver City, were sad to learn that famous longtime restaurant, Akasha, closed recently. Even though I had not visited them in quite awhile, having reviewed the eatery a couple of times several years ago, during my tenure as the Restaurant Critic for The Culver City News, I understand the feeling.

But, if you were a fan of Akasha’s cooking, do not despair. You can always still buy her cookbook, which features over one hundred and fifty recipes.

3) I recently noticed something really weird in the world of television, which I don’t think has ever occurred before. Or at least not a lot. And that is: Why are so many major events, which are all televised and important-ish, being booked on the same day or night this year??? It’s insane.

This situation happened before, in 2022, the NBC considered it to be “Once in a Lifetime.”

The Super Bowl will take place on the same day and time as the second day of competition at the Winter Olympics! That will torture sports fans, such as yours truly! I always watch not just the actual Super Bowl game, but the all-day coverage, including all the after-shows. (How else can I tweet about it all?) On the other hand, I watch the Olympics coverage almost twenty-four hours a day! So I’m already tearing my hair out over that conundrum. (And to add to the confusion, they’re both on NBC!!!)

And then, just three weeks later, the Grammys and Actor Awards, (which is the new name of the former SAGs,) are on the same night and time frame. What if someone, or their spouse, is in both worlds??? (For example, Timothee Chalamet is actually nominated for both awards, which is a major big deal! And, just as a possible guest, there is Lalisa Manobol, who is Lisa from the singing group Blackpink and is also in the much-nominated show The White Lotus.) What are they supposed to do? There are many available industry planning calendars that come out a year or two before, which should be plenty of time for all of these event organizers to figure-out how to avoid such tricky situations!

They were called the “SAGs” just a year ago.

4) The Actor Awards nominations came out last week, with few surprises. And this year, it seems that not many care about them, especially after that dumb and pretentious name change. I used to be so excited about all the screenings I was invited to, but this go-round, I haven’t accepted any, even one with a reception at my favorite real theatre, the Wallis, which would have been fascinating.

It’s actually all I can do to even force myself to watch the nominated performances on my own big screen TV, the links to which we SAG members receive.  (If you missed my first batch of Mini Movie Reviews on Friday, here’s the link: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/movie-reviews-mini-movie-reviews-2026-part-i.)

What was up in the NBA in December 2025.

5) I have never been a major fan of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, but I do love their crazy commercials. And I am totally impressed with their amazing record so far this season. Right now they have thirty-three wins to only seven losses, which is possibly a record. But it was even better early on—at one point, (on December 10th,) they were twenty-four and one! Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before.

6) Those previous musings are all well and good, even the slightly negative ones. But now I have to spare a thought about how sad this world has become, mostly driven by the insane power-crazy Orange Hitler. I always wonder how all of this evil could have happened, even a little bit.

What all normal Americans feel like right now.

But now, the murder of that woman in Minnesota by an ICE agent, sent by Trump, of course, has got me, and all normal citizens, in a special kind of rage. So much so that I can’t even find the necessary words to express my supreme disgust and fear, for us all. I’ll leave it at that for now, because the topic needs a much longer, and more thoughtful, column of its own down the line.

7) To bring the room back up, let me end this column on a happy note. A friend of mine, fellow writer Libby Slate, recently said my favorite thing anyone has ever said to me in my entire life!

Karen Salkin and Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show.

I was telling her that when I was checking into a show biz event a few years ago, a PR person who was a fan of my former TV show told me that I was on the “Celebrity” list, as opposed to the “Press” one. I told Libby that it turned-out that I was correct—I was on that perhaps lesser list. And she replied with the beautiful, “But you’re the only press person who ever entertained Johnny Carson!!!” I swear, in all these years, I never thought of my Tonight Show appearances in that light; I always think in terms of just being on the show, which was impressive enough to me. But to realize that, yeah, I did entertain Johnny, make those experiences sooo much better, which I wouldn’t have even thought possible! So, thank you to Libby for that!

I just realized—that brings us full-circle in this article to my strokiversary calls! I hope that I’ll have as good a time talking with the rest of my pals going forward as I did with Libby. So, if you’ve ever been in my orb, get ready for some fun phone time!

[Doesn’t that sound like the title of a Broadway show tune?  Or a country song?]

When I was watching Game 3 of the Brooklyn Nets-Atlanta Hawks play-off series, they showed a four second clip of the area right by my beloved Brooklyn Ice Cream factory.  When I later showed it to Mr. X, I just broke down in tears.  I’ve never been away from Brooklyn this long.  Today is one year since I left my childhood home for good.

Me, in front of my beloved house for the last time. I look distraught because…I am!!!

I first left there when I was a teen-ager, but meant for it to be for just that summer.  I didn’t expect to fall in love with Los Angeles, and take-up permanent residence here.  But I never moved anything from my Brooklyn home; quite the opposite, actually.  I always brought more stuff to New York; either gifts for my parents, or items that I didn’t have room for in my LA home, or products for the purpose of having a full set of necessities (cosmetics, medicines, vitamins, shampoos, clothing, etc.) there, so the next time, I could pack just presents for everyone in my suitcases. (Along with, of course, a few fabulous new outfits to show off!)

But this column isn’t to once again lament the loss of my home, and the torture I went through emptying it out.  Today’s purpose is to let my East Coast pals know how much they continue to mean to me.  And they’re not just my “east coast pals.”  They’re all my forever friends, and I seriously miss them all the time.

So, I want to share some of my wonderful memories from the five weeks I spent in Brooklyn at this time last year.  [Note: These are aside from all the invaluable assistance on the house these peeps gave me.]  These instances were truly oases in the torturous time I had there otherwise.  I could have easily been pushed way over the edge without these in-between-the-work special moments, all courtesy of my friends.

I actually have even more stories than these, but here are some highlights, in no particular order. (And I’m proud to say that these are all off the top of my head, from a year ago!, without looking at my appointment book for that time!) Here goes:

The seder table at Manny’s Photo by Karen Salkin.

Enjoying a true New York Passover seder, (which I hadn’t had in very many years,) at Manny’s beautiful Upper East Side home with Sheila, Eamonn, Shirley, and Mallory.

Attending a surprise screening, produced by a college mate of Eamonn’s from San Francisco, with Eamonn and Sheila, (who had driven ten hours in from Ohio to help me clear out the house!)

Easter brunch, (and the search for it!,) with Sharon.

Finally getting to go to Brooklyn Star bowling alley, (for a party,) with Thomas and Anita, (who had come all the way from Rhode Island to help me with the heavy lifting!)

The indoor patio at Spumoni Garden. Photo by Karen Salkin.

My last wonderful dinner at my precious Spumoni Garden, courtesy of the super-pleasant owner, Lenny, with Anna.

The miracle of tracking down a stranger (in the middle of a street!,) I had given a “sight” machine to, to give him the instructions I found the day before I left forever, with Helen and Amanda.

The kindness of Lauren, Scott, and Taylor to include me in their Mother’s Day dinner, which I know was a big hassle to do (even though I’m sure none of them felt that way about it.)

Bumping into beautiful couple Valerie Harper and Tony Cacciotti just walking down the street in Manhattan!

The view looking down at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, under the amazing Brooklyn Bridge. My car is the one in the middle. Photo by Karen Salkin.

My last time at Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory with Betsy and Sharon #2, and us just sitting out there, enjoying the scenery, ice cream, and each other (including admiring our nail polishes.)

Discovering the best burgers in Brooklyn with Adrienne.

“Figuring it out” with Sharon. (Every time we weren’t sure about something, Sharon said, “We’ll figure it out.” I wonder if we ever really did!)

Having Manny, my longest-tenured friend in New York, spend the last evening in the house with me to put the finishing touches on all my uber-hard work.

Cinco De Mayo restaurant on Cortelyou Road. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Cinco de Mayo dinner with Helen and Sharon at a place near my house called–guess what?–Cinco de Mayo!!!

Attending a big Manhattan bridal show, followed by an impromptu hip Chinese dinner, with Lauren and Sharon.

Going to two crazy soirees in one night in Manhattan with Anna.

Every single minute I spent with the two people who worked possibly even harder than I did on the house, Sheila and Lauren.

The work horse, in my alley for the last time. Photo by Karen Salkin.

And I cannot forget that final ride in my old Buick, (which Mr. X and I had very affectionally dubbed “The Work Horse,” because a Triple A guy had once told us that’s what it was,) with Sheila and Mike, to none other than Nathan’s Coney Island!  What a perfect last Brooklyn trip that was for the old guy.

Looking back over that month plus, I didn’t realize I fit in so many happy times!!!  Good thing I never slept!

Unfortunately for me, I have an even longer list of all the horrors I suffered on that last New York trip, but, as I concentrate more and more on the good times I listed above, the bad memories begin to recede a bit.  And for all these, and more, I’m a very grateful girl, and I can’t thank all my pals enough, for everything!