It’s going to be interesting, going through this next year. Whatever happens in this year is the future. What has been given to me has been given to me. It’s not the worst thing. It’s a lifestyle that’s totally changed. But I’m alive. I can take my meds. I don’t feel shortchanged. I want to continue to be the best I can be. And keep on living.

I like it here in Sag Harbor, but if I’m going to continue to do things, I have to do them in the city. I want to get back in play.

If I had to choose one thing to get involved in, it would be Alzheimer’s. The restaurant—I don’t love the business enough anymore. But I have to figure out what I’m going to do. I’m not going to just hang around.

One thought is about singing. At one point in my life it was a serious ambition. I worked up a repertoire of standards I liked, and had a backup trio, and performed at a place called the Briars on the Upper West Side. At another point I was a singer with a band—more contemporary, I guess you’d say. I got a lot of compliments, and not just from my friends. From other club owners, too. But unless you land a record deal, singing in clubs just sort of dribbles along. In the end I saw that my best hope was modeling, and then starting my own restaurant after that. And then it was Dan who came in and saw the potential to make me more widely known, and make a national business of it. I owe him so much. And now that I’m sick, I don’t know how I’m going to keep on doing the things that made it all work.

But I’m still serious about singing. Just because you have Alzheimer’s doesn’t mean you can’t sing. Especially when they have those karaoke screens with the lyrics on them. And when you get people singing with you, it helps. It gets you moving and thinking, and even if you do something that’s a little bit off, you just put the song back on. I’m not going to forget the tunes I love, that’s for sure. I’ll remember those tunes my whole life. So that’s my plan, and I’m sticking to it! I’m going to work for Alzheimer’s, and I’m going to sing, maybe even at a club or two again. With those karaoke screens, you can’t really forget the words, they’re right in front of you.

And then all you have to do is sing.