Sometimes you have to face reality.

Let me start by wishing y’all a happy Labor Day. I started my own private celebration about half an hour ago when I refused to rinse the dishes in the sink. Sam was already in bed and I figured, screw it, they can just sit there in a pile and be crusty for a few more hours because I’d rather write this post.

And now, here’s a Howdygram slant on reality.

First, Texas’ extreme drought and blistering heat have given way to strong winds — but NO RAIN — generated by tropical storm Lee, with more than 300 homes destroyed yesterday by uncontrolled wildfires near Austin. And apparently there’s still a huge fire raging at Possum Kingdom State Park just west of Fort Worth. I wonder if it’s close enough to see smoke from here. Remind me to check after the sun comes up.

Second, here’s some BIG NEWS. “Top Chef” season 9 is currently filming in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio! Our local newspaper has reported several cast sightings around town and a number of “cheftestant” shopping sprees at Whole Foods.

I find this extremely exciting because I love “Top Chef.” Pictured above is celebrity chef and judge Buck Colicchio. I sincerely hope the contestants will be expected to cook some real Texas cuisine. I’m thinking maybe a road kill challenge, i.e., Armadillo Two Ways with a Balsamic Reduction and Deep-Fried Paws with Parmesan Grits.

And finally, even though last August I swore off the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” and promised I’d never watch this trash again, I find that I’m still strangely addicted, like staring at a train wreck. Today Bravo aired every back episode from the current season — most of which I missed by pretending not to be interested — so I finally had a chance to catch up with my favorite sequined and altogether useless hoochie-mamas from the Garden State.

Pictured above, from left to right, are Jacqueline, Teresa, Caroline, Kathy (Teresa’s cousin) and Melissa (Teresa’s sister-in-law). Kathy and Melissa are new this season. Bravo cleverly decided to add them to the cast because they both hate Teresa and can’t stop talking about her. Actually, EVERYBODY hates Teresa, and Teresa is apparently the only person who hasn’t figured this out.

Nobody’s too thrilled with Teresa’s husband, either. Or her kids.

The most important thing to know about this crew is they’re all Italian, they all live in 10,000 square foot marble mansions they can’t afford, they all drive Mercedes SUVs, drink way too much wine, and their husbands are all mafia wannabes — the kind that punch relatives at christenings, flip tables in restaurants and threaten to wire each other’s jaws shut. This is all great fun and typically occurs in front of the children. I encourage you to tune it on Sunday nights.

A quick Club Meds update. I’m pleased to report that I’ve stopped taking Niacin because I got fed up with the side effects. Dr. M had me taking a rather enormous dose every night at bedtime to try and lower my triglycerides, but I used to wake up around 3 a.m. itching like a maniac from head to toe with a prickly little rash. And after some online research I also discovered something else — a high dose of Niacin can increase your blood sugar, which might explain why I can’t get mine under control any more. According to WebMd a high dose is considered anything more than 100mg per day. I was taking 1,000.

My brain is ready to explode so maybe I should just go to bed. Thank you for reading this.