When the question was asked whether they have split as a couple, he said, "No," and after a pause added, "Not yet."

Rumors of problems in the 23-year marriage first surfaced in mid-February. The governor's aides later acknowledged the trouble.

Dianne Cornwall, the governor's chief operating officer, told the Reno Gazette-Journal in late March that the couple intended to have a weekend family meeting to discuss their marital problems. The couple's 20-year-old son, Jimmy, was due back in Nevada on that same weekend from his sophomore year at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.

"While I firmly believe my private life is my private life, and it doesn't need to be made public, but there's stress in any job. There's stress in my family. It's a very painful thing to have out in public, but we're trying to work our way through it.

"And we are working at it, and we are trying to make it work like any married couple. We've had our ups and downs like anybody else."

At the beginning of the interview, I mentioned to Gibbons that his weight loss was a topic of conversation at the event, the eighth Governor's Black-tie Invitational at Southern Highlands. Gibbons and the first lady were to present philanthropic awards to community stalwarts Kitty Rodman and Claudine Williams.

"I'm back to my fighting weight," said Gibbons, who volunteered that he's lost 40 pounds and is down to 185 pounds.

The former combat pilot and decorated veteran of both the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars said he's been working out, "watching my diet, and I'm feeling so much better."

"It's called the divorce diet," said a friend of the governor's.

Gibbons arrived at the event with political aides Michael Dayton and Brad Keating.

CELINE HITS WALL IN CHINA

Celine Dion is running into red tape in red China.

Her April 13 concert in Beijing has been canceled by the government for what was termed failure to obtain a permit.

Published reports suggested that her promoters are being punished for staging Bjork's Shanghai show last month, which was notable for Bjork's call for Tibetan independence.

Dion's first-ever concert in China is set for April 11 in Shanghai. Initially, the cancellation was blamed on Beijing's sandstorms, which could worsen a throat infection that already forced Dion to cancel some Australian dates.

Dion is one of the most popular entertainers in China, with "Titanic" still the most-watched film in the country. Her "Titanic" theme song, "My Heart Will Go On," is played "everywhere like an unofficial national anthem," according to Variety.

MAY I RECOMMEND

Dos Caminos, the latest entry in the upscale modern Mexican restaurant competition, has opened at the Palazzo. It's the brand's first restaurant outside New York. The made-to-order guacamole featuring lobster meat is a big hit. Other signature items include: roasted chicken enchiladas with Mole poblano and salsa verde; lamb shank barbacoa; and grilled Chilean Sea Bass Veracruzano. For dessert: pistachio crepes stuffed with bananas drenched in a caramel sauce. For reservations call 577-9600.

THE PUNCH LINE

"John McCain is looking for a vice presidential running mate. He needs a guy who is conservative, who understands the economy and who knows how to operate a defibrillator." -- David Letterman

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.