Not that I need much motivation to work out these days, because my gym is finally open! And it's awesome. The best part, I have to say, is the theater at the back, where they've set up a whole bunch of cardio machines -- elliptical trainers and treadmills and bikes -- in front of a huge screen where they show movies.

Now, the movies they choose are really odd ("The Prestige" is at least from this decade, but "The Outsiders" was kind of odd, and I'm not sure I'd ever heard of "Big Fat Liar" before the other day ... In fact, I'm not sure I ever wanted to), but the theater itself is genius. A dark room where shy people like me can work out without feeling like everybody's staring at them? Brilliant! And maybe one of these days they'll show something I really want to see.

Anyway, time to go work out. I've lost 20 pounds in the last six months, and since my wedding dress fits nearly perfectly I can't afford to lose much more weight, but I want to see what today's movie is. And work out yesterday's soreness.

My DVR is already booked solid with "Married Away" and "Say Yes to the Dress," not to mention all the other great shows I mentioned in my last entry, and now we're into June — which is prime time for networks to take advantage of brides everywhere by forcing us to sit through ads promising weight-loss breakthroughs and skin-care miracles in hopes of seeing some sparkly things.

So now I've got to fit in Style's "21-Day Wedding Party," which will include new and old episodes of my favorite, "Whose Wedding Is It, Anyway?" and all kinds of other frothy treats I just have to watch. But I also have to work, work out, run my household and -- oh yeah -- actually plan my own wedding.

I'm tempted to apply to be on one of those shows just so I can see how my wedding turns out. Otherwise I may never know.

I've been watching wedding shows. Yes, it's true -- foufy, frilly wedding shows. I'm planning my own wedding, which will be this fall, and lately I just can't get enough of these programs about wedding planners and the crazy people with whom they work: cake makers, caterers, dress designers, florists, bands, jewelers and so on ... not to mention brides and grooms.

The best of the best is "Whose Wedding Is It, Anyway?" on the Style network. The production values are pretty good for reality telly, and everything is generally pretty, and the planners they feature are usually pretty fun people. It's a great place for brides-to-be to get good ideas, better even than magazines because you can see the ideas in action. And there are often very good examples of what not to do -- for example, don't plan an outdoor wedding in the Pacific Northwest with no rain contingency plan. That's asking for trouble.

Other favorites:

* "Rich Bride, Poor Bride," a cute little Canadian show that brings back happy memories of Canada for me and lets me indulge my wedding obsession. The premise: A couple details their dream wedding with a planner, then reveal how much money they actually have to spend. At the end of the show, viewers find out whether they blew their budget.

* "Platinum Weddings." This is the craziest show -- I tend to watch it with my jaw on the floor. How do these people decide they need $35,000 locations; $130,000 worth of jewelry; $85,000 cakes; or $15,000 reception dresses?? More important, how do they come up with that kind of money, and do they want to adopt me?

* "Wedding Central," a WE network show I just discovered today. It's pretty good, focusing on one aspect of a wedding -- the planner, the baker, the fancy dress maker -- per episode.

I am not, however, a fan of "Bridezillas." Not at all. It's the worst of reality TV for me -- all trash talk and Jerry Springer hysterics. I want pretty wedding fluff, not additional stress. And the storylines are drawn out over several episodes, which in my opinion is several episodes too long.

But give me vegan cupcakes and a DVR full of "Whose Wedding," and I'm good for a whole weekend.

The quote: "Guess what? White and eggshell white are the same color."
Who said it: Michael Scott (Steve Carell), in one of many sniping sessions he and Jan (Melora Hardin) started during their dinner party

The quote: "Hunny, I have the best trophy right here, aside from my Dundies."
Who said it: Michael again, trying to flatter Jan, his "trophy girlfriend"

The quote: "In Spain, they don't even start eating until midnight." "When in Rome..."
Who said it: Jan, making excuses for her late dinner, and Michael, trying to help

The quote: "Sometimes I think she holds onto faxes."
Who said it: Accountant Angela (Angela Kinsey), trash-talking receptionist Pam, who was also a guest at the dinner party and, in fact, only inches away

The quote: "I don't care what they say about me. I just want to eat."
Who said it: Pam

The quote: "You can buy a new apartment, but you can't buy a new dinner party!"
Who said it: Pam, begging boyfriend Jim (John Krasinski) not to abandon her at the train-wreck of a party when Michael says they don't both have to leave to check out Jim's "flooded apartment"

Many thanks to Kerry, and to the writers of "The Office" -- it's so lovely to have episodes to quote again.

But sometimes it can blow my mind.

Like today. I was happily working away, finishing up this Sunday's Book Page and getting ready to dive into some of the special projects mentioned in my ridiculously long job title, "senior editor in charge of special projects," when I saw a story in our queue slugged "nbc plans09." (Slugs, for those who don't speak journalism jargon, are like file names for stories.)

Well, when I saw that, of course I had to open it up and read it. It was a story for tomorrow's TV page, written by Joanne Ostrow, of The Denver Post, and it contained the following paragrah:

"An as-yet untitled spinoff of 'The Office' will be launched in the post-Super Bowl slot. Why? Because the original is working. NBC is going to require so many episodes of 'The Office' plus four padded, hour-long episodes, that everyone should be burned out on Dunder Mifflin well before the spinoff emerges."

While I disagree with Ostrow that anyone could ever get sick of Dunder Mifflin, I too am dubious about the spinoff's potential for success.

What has made "The Office" so successful is its combination of great casting, with actors who play perfectly off each other; great writing, with storylines that manage to be both outrageously hilarious and somehow very real; and great, truly consistent production values.

Most other shows don't have even a third of what makes "The Office" such magic, and even a spinoff is far from likely to capture any of it. All that will happen is that good people will be taken from the original series, splitting up the cast and/or crew that make the show so great. And altering the dynamic could prove fatal for both series.

And I'm not the only one who thinks so: Eagle reporter and fellow rabid fan Amy Carr, to whom I relayed the news as soon as my brain was done exploding, said she actually cried a little at her desk.

That's another great thing about working for a newspaper: There's always someone to sympathize with you.

Not only have I not been watching much television of late -- what could I do, given that my shows weren't on because of the writers strike? -- but this afternoon I went to my local Time Warner headquarters and traded in my regular old cable box for a DVR cable box.

After all, as of next week my life is coming back again -- new episodes of all my shows! -- and I wanted to be prepared. Since both my VCR and DVD recorder have collapsed from the exertion of entertaining me during the past few months, I had no other choice but to succumb to the cable company's pressure to get their "easy" and "convenient" DVR service.

I've even already set it to record this Thursday's "Office" marathon on NBC, and I have to admit, it really was pretty easy. And convenient.

Maybe the dark side won't be so bad.

The “American Idol” host is on the lingerie company’s 2008 What Is Sexy? list — along with Eva Mendes and Josh Holloway.

“What’s sexy about [Seacrest] is he doesn’t act like he is,” Victoria’s Secret spokeswoman Monica Mitro told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “We felt that his smile was quite sexy — in a very subtle and innocent and humble way.”

The team of executives and designers who compiled the list looked for attributes such as “passion and humor and style and charisma,” Mitro said.

Mendes is the sexiest actress; Holloway, who plays Sawyer on ABC’s “Lost,” is the sexiest beach body; Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham, who has three sons with husband David Beckham, is the sexiest mom; and Katherine Heigl and her husband, musician Josh Kelley are the sexiest newlyweds.

Other sexy celebs: Eric Bana (actor), Chris Brown (male musician), Dane Cook (funny man), Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (male athlete), Rihanna (female musician), Justin Chambers (dad), “Gossip Girl” Blake Lively (newcomer), and Fergie and Josh Duhamel (couple).

Scarlett Johansson was honored for her sexy style, Jessica Biel for her lips, Kate Bosworth for her eyes and Ali Larter for her legs. ABC’s “Dirty Sexy Money,” which co-stars Peter Krause and William Baldwin, has the sexiest cast, according to the list.

***

Can I just say ... ugh? And -- ew?

I disagree with almost all the VS selections. I'm so very sick of everyone in entertainment looking the same -- plastic and polished, shiny and perfect, some airbrushed, idealized version of "hot." In that respect, I'm actually glad they chose Ryan Seacrest for sexiest smile instead of, say, George Clooney or Brad Pitt or some typical shoo-in.

Still, give me Hugh Laurie any day. Or John Krasinski. Or, in case anyone should forget I'm actually a lesbian, novelist/playwright/actor Ann-Marie MacDonald. And if you don't know who she is, that's probably because she isn't "hot" enough to have made it into the mainstream American consciousness. But she's more than hot enough for me.

Jane Austen knew that a good man is hard to find.

Contact us if you need screeners, interviews, or more information.

But I did monitor the Associated Press wires all evening, for two reasons: 1) I love to watch the arrivals photos and snark at all the fashion faux pas, and 2) I had to kep track of who was winning what so I could run the story on tomorrow's Berkshire Eagle page A6.

Of course, the AP didn't compile a convenient list for me, so I had to rush to the SAG Web site and do it myself. Here they are:

FILM
Male Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis, “There Will Be Blood”
Female Actor in a Leading Role: Julie Christie, “Away From Her”
Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Javier Bardem, “No Country For Old Men”
Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Ruby Dee, “American Gangster”
Cast in a Motion Picture: “No Country For Old Men”
Stunt Ensemble: "The Bourne Ultimatum"

TELEVISION
Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries: Kevin Kline: “As You Like It” (HBO)
Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries: Queen Latifah, “Life Support” (HBO)
Male Actor in a Drama Series: James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos” (HBO)
Female Actor in a Drama Series: Edie Falco, “The Sopranos” (HBO)
Male Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (NBC)
Female Actor in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (NBC)
Ensemble in a Drama Series: “The Sopranos” (HBO)
Ensemble in a Comedy Series: “The Office” (NBC)
Stunt Ensemble: "24" (FOX)

44th Annual Life Achievement Award: Charles Durning
SOURCE: www.sagawards.com

One thing I actually like about working on awards nights is getting to see the AP wire photos, because you get to see behind-thescenes stuff. You also get to see when AP screws up -- for example, when they send along a photo of the "Office" cast accepting their "Best Ensemble Cast" win and identify them as the cast from "30 Rock." Oops!

More on the awards show itself when I've actually seen it ...

Tanster, who runs the site, is seriously dedicated to making sure we "Office" fans get every single snippet of show-related goodness available, and goes to great lengths to keep us updated. To the point where she's currently walking the picket lines with the WGA writers right now and posting live audio blog entries from her cell phone. Wow.

Even better, she keeps us updated on merchandise! Without her, I never would have known about the valentines at Target, and I never would have been able to procure three boxes for myself.

Don't worry, fellow Berkshirites: I left one box on the shelf. You can duke it out. Or you can buy them at target.com. As long as they're in stock.

Now that he's moved on to another job, I miss gossiping with him about all the crazy drama on Showtime's lesbian soap.

Especially because this season has been amazing so far. It really has. I was skeptical, because Season Three was really hit-or-miss, and I was afraid maybe it had just outrun any chance of ever being good again. But Four started off strong, and it's only gotten stronger in the three episodes that have aired.

For one thing, they've returned somewhat to the cold-open format of old: Originally, the show would open with a scene that related somehow to the episode, but didn't necessarily contain any of the characters and wasn't even necessarily in present day. It was more a reflection of the themes of the episode, or of the mood. It was very ambitious and probably pretentious in an artsy-fartsy kind of way, but it worked for the series. And then, somewhere, they kind of dropped the opening, or it fell apart somehow. And as it did, the show did too.

But now it's back in the form of Jenny's film: Because her script is based on the girls around her, each show opens with Jenny and her team playing with a scene from the movie, tweaking the action and popping new people in when the dynamic is wrong. It's very self-reflexive, very industry-insider, very wink-wink ... and very fun. Last's night's "Charlie's Angels" spoof was hilarious.

For another thing, well ... the show is fun again. Last season, there was a lot of drama, but it felt like no one was having any fun with it. There were fun moments, and I was hooked enough to keep watching, but most of the time I just wanted to jump through the TV screen and kill Jenny.

For another other thing -- finally, you're definitely supposed to want to kill Jenny! YES! I've always hated her, from the first season, when she was supposed to be the innocent, wide-eyed ingenue. I always saw her for the cold, selfish, manipulative ... uh, witch she is. But now that the writers have embraced her inner witchiness, it's fun to hate her again; it used to be that there were so many subplots that I'd forget about her, and when she appeared on screen I'd groan. Now I can laugh with glee, waiting to see what outrageous thing she'll do next.

There's only one way they can mess this show up for me, and I'm afraid they might do it: getting rid of Helena. She's been my favorite character since Dana died, and now that she's going on the lam with Dusty, I just hope the cameras take a detour now and then to check in with them. Or I hope the writers find some way to keep Helena in L.A.

I suppose we'll find out next week ...

But most of all, it really, really hurts me. I mean, I watched bits of "American Idol" this week. Folks, it's gotten that bad.

And now that the studios have canceled the writers' contracts -- what's next? Everything is so up in the air. Will "The Office" be closed next year? A "House" to come home to? And what do I do in the meantime?

I could give in and watch the "reality-based" programming the networks are trying to shove down my throat. But whenever I see those ads for "Moment of Truth," all I can think of is the cheesy reality shows Nicole Kidman's TV exec character hawks at the beginning of "The Stepford Wives." At least in the movie, those were intended to be funny; "Moment of Truth" is supposed to be a real show! And Fox thinks we'll accept this as a replacement for "House"? Um, no thanks.

So, to ease the pain, I've been turning to my extensive DVD collection a lot lately. And here are a couple recommendations:

My favorite movie, probably ever, is "Adaptation." It's the single best depiction I've ever seen of the creative process. There have been lots of movies and books about writers, but no one has nailed it like this. And I wasn't even that crazy about it the first time I saw it; this is one of those films that sticks with you, and a few months later you just have to see it again. And then, if you're like me, it ends up in permanent rotation at your house, until you watch it once a month or so. Which is great, because every time you do, you notice one more clever little thing you missed the last hundred times.

The recent DVD release "Once," last year's musical from Ireland, bears repeat viewings as well -- not just because it's a sweet, perfect little film, but because the music is sublime and will have you either humming or singing at the top of your lungs in the car. Not that I would do the latter.

Ha, just kidding. I knew that. But I was working, and too busy to blog.

Oh, and I was also too bored by the format and too underwhelmed by the results to show much enthusiasm. Steve Carell, Alec Baldwin, Ricky Gervais and Hugh Laurie got shut out in their categories (though the first three probably canceled each other out).

But I'm happy "Extras" got best comedy, considering "30 Rock" didn't get it and "The Office" wasn't in the running, which was a travesty in itself. I can't wait to see what Gervais does next.

And I'm thrilled Tina Fey picked up best actress in a comedy series for "30 Rock." Go Liz Lemon!

I, however, would say it was well worth it.

For one thing, it was a Rufus Wainwright concert, and Rufus is one of my personal heroes. And he didn't disappoint, even if he didn't play "Go or Go Ahead," my all-time favorite song. Or "Want," my all-time second-favorite. There were plenty of other favorites, and his music is so brilliant and inspiring that, really, just being in the audience was a thrill. Also, he did play "Hallelujah," which was the song that really hooked me on him.

For another thing, I got to visit my Aunt Sher, whom I hadn't seen in years but who was responsible for introducing me not only to Rufus' music but to many of my other favorite artists growing up -- she helped shape my musical tastes, really, because while other kids were listening to Pearl Jam in the '90s, I was listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, for better or worse. I like to think it was for better.

Anyway, while we were there this weekend, Aunt Sher played two episodes of a new-to-us show ... and totally hooked us. It's an HBO "musical" sitcom, "Flight of the Conchords." Have you seen it? It's about a novelty folk band from New Zealand trying to make it in New York, these two goofs who are totally sweet and clueless, and I love them.

On the basis of those two episodes, we had to stop and buy the first season on DVD on our way back to Massachusetts. And we had to watch the whole thing in one sitting. It's that good.

And for one final thing: I've always said that before I die I'd like to stay in a really ritzy hotel, someplace that doesn't have ugly reddish-brownish floral-patterned scratchy coverlets on the beds, someplace like you see in the movies, in a suite with room service and lots of pillows and a bathroom the size of my study. Well, I've stayed at the Hotel DuPont. I can cross that one off my list.