Something fun for the whole family will be the races and great live music at Atlanta Motor Speedway all weekend long starting with Drivin' 'n' Cryin' Friday. The spectacle ends with Foreigner on Sunday. Find out all about it at www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.

I'm having knee surgery on my torn meniscus Wednesday a.m., and will be off till the day after Labor Day. Steve Kelly will be filling in for me. I hope you have a terrific Labor Day Weekend! FOOTBALL OFFICIALLY STARTS SATURDAY, PEOPLE!

I had a terrific weekend in New York City! My nephew Joe and his wife Deirdre are expecting a baby girl on 10/10/10, so the Kiely women converged on the island of Manhattan and packed as much into a couple of days as we could. I love visiting NYC. There's so much to do and see, and I've got plenty of family living there now so I get to visit often.

I have my meniscus surgery coming up early Wednesday morning, so I'll be taking the rest of the week and Labor Day off. The timing is good, too, because now my whole leg is swelling. YIKES, I can't wait to get this taken care of!

I had a wonderful experience with the terrific ladies from Best Self Atlanta magazine, and photographer and salon owner Richie Arpino earlier this week. They came to the station to interview and photograph me for the cover of their October issue in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. These folks had all been out together working a fun event the night before, so our session was loose and fun with lots of laughs. I love it when you have an opportunity to work with a group of such renowned pros AND have a great time! I'll be sure to let you know when the issue is out. In the meantime check out the Best Self website to see where you can pick up your free copy of this insightful magazine, and see a picture from our session on their blog.

I've heard from several people who are taking part in the "TRI Swim Bike Run To Beat Cancer" triathlon this Sunday at Sandy Creek Park in Athens. My friend Brooke, who I've posted a lot about in this blog as she was just behind me in her breast cancer diagnosis last year, has had a big part in launching this event which benefits The Cancer Foundation of Northeast Georgia. Help root the participants on this Sunday if you're in Athens -- if you're racing, good luck and thank you! All the proceeds are for such a great cause -- the money benefits area cancer patients who need financial assistance due to their cancer diagnosis for things like their utilities, mortgage payments, and insurance payments. Look for our wonderful River Crew while you're there with fun River freebies!

Yesterday I finally got my new car back from the shop from when the garbage truck peeled the front end off of it in N.C. a few weekends ago! Nearly $8K in damage -- thank goodness for insurance, eh? A shout-out to Kyle, Kim, and the folks at Candy Apple Custom Collision Center in Cartersville who had my car towed from N.C., and who did a terrific job of fixing it. I can't believe that it looks perfect - I still have visions of my bumper being carried off, stuck on the side of the garbage truck, and the front end a literal ruin. I am a happy girl!

I have an interview for Best Self Atlanta magazine today. I'm looking forward to meeting some of the folks behind the scenes because I LOVE this free mag which is always full of great tips and advice. They bill themselves as "Atlanta's Feel Good, Look Good, Do Good Guide, " and they are just that! We'll be talking about my breast cancer experience. Will let you know how it goes and when to look out for it around town,

I saw the movie "Eat, Pray, Love" a few nights ago and really enjoyed it. I'm about halfway through the book and I like it a lot -- I wasn't sure I'd like the movie based on the reviews, but I thought it was quite good. It's a good turn for Julia Roberts, too. She's been so overexposed I was sure I'd be annoyed by her toothy smile and cackley laugh, but I wasn't. I loved the incredible scenery, and have decided I must now see Bali for myself one day.

In honor of the movie, Mitzi & Romano's in Virginia Highlands (1038 N. Highland, Atlanta) is having a trunk show featuring Balinese items and Eastern inspired jewelry tonight from 6 -9. Entrepreneur and world-traveler, Sterling Nelson, will lead a discussion about the movie, and there'll be wine, special food, even music with a DJ. To find out more about this festive evening, call 404-876-7228.

Speaking of 'Eat'ing and foreign locales, Friday night, I was out with friends to celebrate one's birthday and we ate at this terrific Mexican restaurant called Cinco at Akers Mill across from Cumberland Mall. Check them out if you're in the area -- super-fresh food, great service, and a hip atmosphere (although a bit loud as it's got that "loft' feel.) The guacamole dip is to die for! They're also in Cumming, Suwanee, and Alpharetta.

My nephew Bill, his wife Gail, and their little ones came to visit my mom and me on their way back from N.C. to the Atlanta airport Saturday. They live in L.A., and don't get east too often since they started their family. Leo (5 this month) and Tegan (2) are just precious AND full of energy! My mom and I have learned to be as memorable as possible with my nieces, nephews, and now GREAT-nieces and nephews, since they all live out of state and we don't see them as often as we like to. We have a different present for them each day (usually wrapped.) So the kids have learned to see our faces, dutifully hug and let us kiss them, then ask politely for their presents!! It's a real icebreaker. It's hilarious because their parents are embarrassed that they ask, but we love it because it's our little game. We've been lucky enough to see Leo and Tegan more than usual this past year, so they know us pretty well and are quite loving. We only had a few hours to fill with them, but they needed to be active hours as the kids were all wound up and were about to get on a plane for a long flight. Since it was sprinkling out and the threat of rain loomed, we decided to head to my house to "see the kitties." That lasted all of 30 seconds -- Lenny and Bono hid in hiding places only they know until yesterday! But the sight of the small drum kit and guitar that is Rock Band was all the kids needed to keep them entertained for the next two, incredibly loud, almost unbearable hours. "Yellow Submarine" was a favorite -- kids dig that song. Ringo would have been proud of the continuous, unrelenting drum solo Leo played throughout each song -- even in between songs. Tegan was on the mic. I couldn't figure out how it is that a 2-year-old has the poise and posturing of a major rock star! Is she secretly watching MTV? Eyes closed, she pressed her lips against the microphone, sang her distorted nonsense words and held the mic tight with her pinky finger extended out. You can imagine that the pictures are priceless. I'm proud of my miniature rock 'n rollers! By the time we followed Bill and Gail to the airport to help them drop off their rental car and get all their bags checked, the kids were as calm as cucumbers. I'm hoping they all slept like babies. I know I did.

Well, I've got to give props to my orthopedic doc. He actually called me on my cell last night at 9 pm (!) after he finished with surgery to tell me about my MRI. After feeling so frustrated the past several days about this, I thought that was a really nice thing for him to do. That's the good news. I do have a torn meniscus in my left knee and will have to have surgery -- soon. He said that the way it is torn, it keeps catching when I walk and that will start messing with the cartilage and could create problems with arthritis down the road if I let it go too long. More good news is that, otherwise, my knees are in great shape, and the surgery is common with a very good success rate. The surgery takes about 30 minutes and I will have to be under for it, but I'm relieved about the recovery time -- I will only miss a couple of days of work around a weekend, and I will be able to walk. So much for my "Gentle Yoga" classes for a while!

If your plans include tying the knot sometime in the near future, don't miss a Bridal Extravaganza this Sunday from 1 - 5 pm. You'll experience everything from wedding galleries that show you all the latest trends and ideas for your wedding and reception, to ideas for your honeymoon from AAA Travel. The expo takes place at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia, 4355 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., Atlanta, 30346, with free parking on site. Tickets are available online for $10 in advance, or $15 day of show (cash only.) To find out more go to www.BridalExtravaganzaofAtlanta.com, or call 678-439-9334.

Mind if I vent? I made an appointment with my Primary Care Physician a few weeks ago because of knee pain and swelling that won't go away. This doc has been my regular doctor since I was 25. Love him, but the quality of his staff has gone down over the years -- it hasn't been the pleasant experience it once was to go to his office. Not only did I have to wait a while to get an appointment, I had to wait a LONG while in the tiny examination room with the door shut. After nearly an hour, I walked out in the hall to see the nurse who had checked me in working on her computer. I asked her how much longer the doctor would be -- she said he shouldn't be much longer. I went back in the tiny room for a few more minutes, then walked out right past the nurse who didn't even look up from her computer. Sheesh, I don't need that! So I got a reference for an orthopedic doc from a good friend and saw him a couple of weeks ago. I had to wait around quite a bit, but it was nothing ridiculous. After the x-rays turned out okay, he send me to a different place to get an MRI. I had my follow up appointment with the ortho doc yesterday to tell me the results of the MRI. I had to blow off another appointment to be there, and showed up about 25 minutes early. No problem, I don't mind sitting and reading if I'm early, and there's always a possiblity they'll get to me earlier if I'm already there. There were only two other people together in the enormous, opulent waiting room with me. One of them decided it was appropriate to talk on her cell phone like her caller was deaf for (no kidding) at least 20 minutes! By now, my appointment time has come and gone. When the doctor was 30 minutes late and I'd been waiting an hour, I asked a receptionist how much longer I'd need to wait. "It should only be a few more minutes." A "few more minutes" later, I handed another receptionist the disc of my MRI results, told her I had to leave, let her know I thought a heads-up that the doctor was running late would have been in order, and asked her to have the doctor call me that day to tell me what was up with my knee. Well, as you can imagine, I didn't even get that phone call!

I understand doctors run late -- there are emergencies, late patients, etc. But a little common-sense courtesy from someone letting patients know that the doctor is running late would be kind. It stinks to be sitting waiting long past your appointment time, not having ANY idea how much longer you'll be waiting, and to have the office staff going about their business like you're not even there. Respect for one's time and hard-earned money should go both ways.

Wow, what a fun weekend! HOT, but fun! I had some family drop in Friday on their way to N.C. for the week, then joined my radio sis Vikki Locke with a bunch of other terrific ladies for a "Girl's Night Out" to Chastain for the Cyndi Lauper Memphis Blues Show. I was hoping Johnny Lang would be playing with her (if you're not familiar with him, he's a terrific, young blues guitarist who plays on her latest album,) but he wasn't there. It didn't matter much -- the music was terrific and Cyndi's range really surprised me. What blew me away though was the opening act, Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. They are AMAZING. Apparently, you can catch them in town from time to time -- do not miss this band if you have a chance to see them! Proof of the Pudding catered our Girl's Night and, not only was the food fantastic, they think of everything else to make the outdoor evening perfect including little electric fans (that I would have melted without) and a pretty centerpiece of glow lights. You just stop oustide the gates of the park on your way in to pick up your order -- it couldn't be more convenient!

Saturday, I met a lot of great River fans in Cumming at Verizon. Then off to The River's Roswell Riverside Sounds where Randall Bramblett rocked the house! My fellow River "ChattyHoochie," Reece, sang back-up on several songs and the wonderful crowd at the park loved every minute of it! I'm Randall's biggest new fan -- he is the consummate musical artist -- a great singer, songwriter, keyboard, horn and guitar player. I loved seeing him live!

OMG, could it be any hotter?! I was outdoors practically all weekend swapping sweat by shaking hands and hugging people. I can't wait for Fall -- was THRILLED to see football with yesterday's Hall of Fame game (even though it's absurd that these guys are having to suit up to play in early August heat!) Autumn is just around the corner.