Margaret Thatcher and I like to joke with Aunt Joyce and our friend West Palm Bitch that we are like the ladies of Designing Women.

The woman in the profile pic is actress Annie Potts, in a cast pic portraying the character Mary Jo Shivley.

Aunt Joyce is most like Delta Burke's character, Suzanne Sugarbaker. Margaret is reminiscent of Suzanne's older sister, Julia Sugarbaker. And West Palm Bitch reminds us of Jean Smart's character, Charlene.

Jef Billings (yes, one "f" on "Jef") has done some tasteful, lovely work. I find his aesthetic to be veering a bit on the night-gown side, but his work is very very pretty. He did a lot of the designs for "Stars On Ice" and did Michelle Kwan's dresses for a while (Dante's Prayer, Ariane, and I think Red Violin).

Donna Karan's work circa 1997/1998 was also very pleasing to the eye. If you'll recall, she draped the navy fabric for Todd Eldredge's First Knight program (I think) to great effect: http://cnnsi.com/goodwillgames/1998/news/1998/07/31/goodwill_skating/lg_eldredge_ap.jpg

And she also designed the costumes for Punsalan and Swallow in 1998 as well. Remember that black tango dress with the beading?

Of course, I love what Vera Wang has done for costuming in the sport, with exception of her designs for Evan Lysacek.

Why that is the lovely and bedazzling Lauren McDonald Sheehan, otherwise known as costume designer to the stars and bedazzler of all.

You should see the way she sequins a skating dress with her rhinestones and applique.

The running joke I have with Aunt Joyce is my unabashed love of Lauren Sheehan's designs.

She was the go-to dress designer back in the late '80s through the '90s. I think the rise of Vera Wang led to Sheehan's downfall, but there was a time when every skater would go to Sheehan for a costume.

Sheehan designed, among others, Yamaguchi's 1992 Olympic costumes, Lipinski's 1998 Olympic costumes (yes, even the infamous Anastasia one), Bonaly's 1994 and 1998 Olympic costumes, Debi Thomas/Caryn Kadavy/AND Jill Trenary in 1988, Scott Davis in 1994, Nicole Bobek's Dr. Zhivago costume, etc. etc.

The joke is that Sheehan's designs are pretty easily detectable from miles away: Four or five of the same silhouettes, always with an abundance of floral applique and then rhinestone beading on top of it.

I'd want her to start by adopting his Dragonball Z hairstyle.

I always order an assortment of the various deli salads they make that day. It's been a while since I've been to Joan's, I will admit. Too long, really.

Child, you can't be that old!

In terms of programs, I'd say "Take Five" or "Clair De Lune." In terms of performances, certainly her LP at Worlds in 1996. Although I'm in the minority in that it was never my favorite program of hers. I'm more prone to the sultriness of "Take Five" (even though we never saw her compete it cleanly) and the gentility she conveyed in "Clair De Lune."

I get the sense that he views himself as part of the skating protectorate. The good is that he does a great job of promoting the sport to the masses and makes it palpable for the casual viewer. But the flipside of this is he filters everything through this homogenized, white-bread lens that is neither realistic nor fair. Skating IS a fringe/niche sport, so sometimes I wish he'd embrace its idiosyncrasies rather than downplay them. I also just HATE how he acts as if the sport is above controversy and cattiness. It's a judged sport, Scotty, RECOGNIZE.

She's going to do beautifully at Worlds.

Probably a narrow victory by Alissa.

Govortsova. Is Azarenka considered pretty?

The wind was very terrifying. I still remember it!

Where is the nearest one to you? See, there's one like five minutes away from me, so I do not know such perils.

I had to Google that one. Just sayin'. Can you demonstrate your moves to this song?

They probably figured the post-Olympic year was the safest one in which to gift him with a National Title.

I can't say that I do.

Sure, why not? Let's just hope she's getting tested regularly at the free clinic every time she hooks up with Cristiano.

I can't say that I find much of anything sexy about Isner.