Our flight is delayed. Again. Robert and I are sitting in the Seattle Airport with our Grey Goose martini’s up, twist. I prefer olives, but am avoiding the salt. TV you know. Adds 10 pounds of water.

We have respite from the TV appearances, and I’m taking the opportunity to consider myself on vacation. I started in Chicago, flew to New York, then onto Seattle where I just finished my segment with KOMO-TV Seattle. It was a blast. It was fun to do in the news room and to have a live audience. I do better with a live audience. I leave satisfied I know what happened. When I don’t get instant unbiased feedback, I find that I replay the segment continually in my head trying to remember what was said, and how. With an audience I get a reaction and I know how I was received. Good or bad, I can let it go.

Christopher on ABC 7 News Chicago

Christopher on KOMO 4 in Seattle

Not so the Today Show. I have been replaying the segment in my head over and over and I still don’t know how it went. I am TOLD it went well. I received positive comments from the producers, the women in the green room who watched the segment, Robert, my P.R. people from Hoda herself and from the sexy camera guy who gave me the thumbs up. Not sure if it was about the segment, but I don’t care.

What I recall is that as I sat on 1/3 of three stools, up walked Hoda Kotb, with a gracious hand shake and a “I really liked your book” compliment complete with genuine smile. Tension slightly relieved until Miss Kathie Lee followed her with a “Yes, very good, it’s all bunk…back hand. I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt that it was a make me laugh jab. I do the same thing. When something is obviously good, rather than be obvious, I try to balance the compliment with a slightly sarcastic joke. “You’d look great with a little color,” I’ll say to a tan woman, or “You should try wearing earrings,” I might mention to a woman with huge discs hanging from her ears. I mean well, but I might not be interpreted as, well, meaning well. I do this with friends however, or strangers who I think will get it.

So, I gave her the BOTD. What could I do? We were on in a minute so I tossed a compliment. She is quite pretty in person. She accepted gracefully but kept a professional distance. Almost cynical. We all had polite dialog until the segment began.

Christopher Hopkins with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, Today Show

Now we are on to San Francisco where, I have every intention of celebrating with abandon. Robert just took a photo of me. I’m starting now.