January 14

Nanny returned. Finally took down holiday lights. Mowed lawn for first time in three weeks. Still weighed 169.5 despite weekend of deprivation. Went to gym. Took Baby and Wife to restaurant supply/gourmet food store Surfas in late afternoon to buy dish towels and treats. Got some awesome round breadsticks with fennel, made with olive oil and not diet-friendly. Noticed that studios are starting to exercise force majeure on writers with overall deals, but also read that once the strike is over and a new contract is ratified the terminated writers have to be reinstated at original terms. That doesn't seem too bad. You're making a million plus a year and are canned for six months then immediately go back to making that million plus. It can't be that easy. What I read must be wrong. One reason the studio chiefs seem so gleeful about the strike is that they can terminate people who are costing money but don't have hit shows. Why hire them back later? Must confirm with all my high-powered attorney friends.