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DEAR ABBY: A few days ago I received a large white envelope from a friend I had been close to in high school. "Jen" returned every letter, card and note I had written to her throughout our four years of school. She thanked me for being a good friend and thought I might like to have them.

Young mothers, middle-age men and grandparents. All were among at least 32 people who died in Florida alone in the past decade in the pursuit of beauty - soon after cosmetic surgery.

Liam Neeson pumps up the volume on his reputation as a middle-age neck-snapper with "The Grey." It makes for an occasionally suspenseful, if credibility-stretching thriller. And it's a departure for director Joe Carnahan, who usually approaches action-adventure with a smirk and a wink and instead goes for something more grim. Neeson is Ottway, a loner type working at a remote Alaskan oil-drilling station as the man whose duty it is to keep predators away from camp. On a flight to Anchorage with a bunch of his colleagues, the plane goes down in the middle of an icy nowhere, killing most on board. The survivors include a mouthy ex-con (Frank Grillo), an introvert (Dallas Roberts), a dad who's afraid of heights (Dermot Mulroney), a smart aleck (Joe Anderson), a guy prone to altitude sickness (Nonso Anozie), and Ottway. They soon realize that not only do they have to deal with the elements but a veritable gang of wolves. The movie has sparked anger from some animal-rights activists who say it demonizes wolves and creates unnecessary fear. But the wolves shouldn't be viewed through the prism of realism but through the lens of a horror film where animals represent our deepest fears. In that sense, "The Grey" is often brutally effective. "The Grey" falters in a few areas: At times, the animatronic effects used to create the wolves are too obvious, and the one-by-one kill-off plotline employed in so many horror films gives "The Grey" a plodding predictability. At nearly two hours, it's also too long. Be sure to stay through to the end of the credits, though whether you think the brief coda is a rip-off or inspired may depend on how you view what came before it.

Rorey is a 2-year-old cat who has been neutered. He is mellow, sweet and loves to be pet. He is also playful and good with other cats. He has been at the San Martin Animal Shelter since the September. If you are interested in adopting, please call (408) 686-3900.

The trial for accused child killer Cheryl L. Busch has been delayed from its February date until late March.