Manhattan's Grey Lady has a story out of our fair city today. And they didn't even call us gritty. (Consider this your invitation to speculate whether the tide has turned on our reputation.)

It's a sweet tale about Sandie Andersen, a Starbucks barista at the Proctor store (where I get my Top Pot doughnut fix, holla), who's donating a kidney to a regular customer, Annamarie Ausnes.

On March 11, the two women are scheduled to go into surgery at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. If all goes well, when they come out Ms. Ausnes, 55, who has polycystic kidney disease, will be the new owner of Ms. Andersen’s left kidney.

Ms. Andersen, 51, has worked at Starbucks for more than four years. She said she had taken the job for the good corporate health benefits, which her husband’s job does not provide. Her husband, Jeff, did not realize his wife would also be providing health benefits.

“My husband said, ‘Next time someone comes in and says they don’t feel good, don’t give away another body part,’ ” Ms. Andersen said.

I am restraining myself from making any jokes about complicated Starbucks orders and internal organs.

I'm biting my lip.

I mean, I'm really trying.

(Besides, that's what the comment section is for.)

cwtv.com

Tyra Banks is so out-of-this-world ridiculous that it's impossible for me to not be hooked on America's Next Top Model. I can't help it. I love her antics and the absolutely insane "fashion shoots" they make the girls suffer through.

I've watched this train wreck since "Cycle 2" and we're now at "Cycle 10" and I hate myself for it. This cycle, however, my ANTM knowledge might pay off for the lot of us as we have a regional girl competing and she seems to be a strong contestant.

Her name is Aimee (there is no trace of a last name anywhere on the innerwebs), she's 18 and she's a "hostess" from Spanaway.

My second favorite moment so far this cycle was when Tyra realized there was an Aimee and an Amy on the show, so she forced Amy to change her name. She changed it to Amis (pronounced Amos).

I'm not making this up.

For the girls' first photo shoot, they were supposed to be high fashion bums. The judges' criticism of Aimee's shot was that she didn't look homeless enough. But she did look beautiful enough, so she's sailed on through the judging. This week is the infamous "makeover" week in which half of the girls lose all of their hair and cry about it. I can't wait!

Here's a 12-second sneak peek at Aimee. May she make Spanaway proud.

In the eternal race to be Seattle's runner-up, Tacoma and Spokane share a healthy rivalry. But I'd say Spokane wins when it comes to overall weirdness. Exhibit A, I present these two excerpts from weekend Associated Press stories:

"Spokane health and animal control officials have quarantined a pet monkey that bit three people after escaping from its owner’s South Hill home. The 15-pound macaque monkey is being kept at SpokAnimal."

And ...

"Spokane County sheriff’s deputies detained nine people Sunday after a basketball game argument turned into a fight. People were swinging shovels and rakes at each other."

I can imagine only one situation in which I'd swing a rake at someone: If he were from Spokane, wearing a T-shirt that said "SpokAnimal" and chasing me with an ornery monkey.