Goodbye is the hardest word.

The time has inevitably come. (Big Sigh.) I go back to work on Monday and it's time to say goodbye to some of the friends I have made along my maternity leave journey. Consider this my open letter of farewell to my onscreen bffs.

To the local 4 NBC morning news team: I will miss your awkward morning banter and stunningly inaccurate weather forecasts. Some of you should take some remedial reading courses or at the very least, get some glasses and ask the teleprompter kid to up the font size a few notches.

To my dear Willie Geist, co-anchor of The Today Show: My gosh you are charming. I will honestly miss your kind humor and unique sense of style when it comes to journalism. I like you. I like you a lot. And Al Roker, I will miss your weird weather style. You are funny and odd, but irresistibly charming.

To Rachael Ray: Sometimes your teeth and incessant, over-exaggerated clapping drive me crazy, and I wish for the love of cheese that your wardrobe consultant would buy you a new pair of wedge knee-high boots, but for the most part I will miss you. You've helped me get a little more creative in the kitchen (Joey will miss that, I suppose) and your friends have taught me some useful organization and "sense of self" tips.

To the entire cast of The Chew: Said in my best Dorothy Gale voice...I think I'll miss you most of all. Sometimes, Michael, Carla, Daphne, Mario and Clinton were the best part of my day. In no one's mind does this group make a stellar ensemble cast on paper, but on screen you are magic. I will miss our 1 pm life sessions. Perhaps I will DVR you and we can still have a fling?

I'm nervous and excited and anxious and sweaty about Monday. I'll be off the grid for the weekend, mostly eating my feelings in cheese and ice cream. Au revoir!

P.S. - Blogger user "bhan" that commented on the Barre Bee Fit post, please send me an email at kveedub{at}gmail{dot}com!

I Heart Ellen.

I'm wondering when I go back to work if I could make my hours 11-5? You see, this would allow me to watch the ellen show every day...which I would ADORE.

Note: this is my first official day of maternity leave. I'm calling it "being a fake teacher" because I can only imagine this is what it's like to be a teacher and only work 8 months out of the year. And yes, I'm totally prepared for all the nasty comments I will get from teachers for what I just said. I'm related to two of you (almost three) - you do not scare me. Bring it.

Here I sit, blogging from my couch in my Vickies sweatpants, Joe's ridiculously humongous tee shirt (which you can probably guess fits me rather snugly) and my freshly painted blue toes propped up on some pillows to prevent the inevitable Sherman Klump-age of the cankles. Oh yes, did I mention Joe picked out blue polish for my pedi yesterday? They're in honor of my WIPpy.

So back to ellen. She's freakin' the BEST. I might add her show to my Netflix list...would that be weird? Probably. Oh well. Anyway, the guest on right now is Mary McCormack from "In Plain Sight" and she just gifted Ellen 2 laser pointers. She and her husband use them when they watch reality tv - she swears they "revolutionize tv watching," and I think the concept is sheer brilliance. Dear Joey, if you are reading this, sneak upstairs to my desk and grab my laser pointer out of my desk and bring it home. I want to revolutionize our tv watching experience. This is going to be awesome.

This life of lazy will get old and simultaneously come to an end far, far too soon. But until it's over, I will relish in it and be and ellen junkie. Mac and Cheese in dinosaur shapes for lunch, you say? Done!