The Labor Day weekend was a mix of joy and then sadness for Gayle as she attended singer Usher's wedding in Atlanta and then returned home to find that her beloved family dog, Simon, needed to be put down. Gayle says that Simon, an English Mastiff, had been suffering from various illnesses—including cancer—for more than two years. After injuring his leg this weekend, Simon's veterinarian said Simon was likely in excruciating pain and was nearing death.

"I am very, very sad about it, but I know we did the right thing," she says. "It's a new chapter in our lives, in the house. You still feel like you see him or you hear him, and I am going to have to get used to that."

Now that the Simon has passed, Gayle says she is going to move from her Connecticut home to New York City. "I have been toying with this [idea of moving to New York City] for the last year and now I am actually going to do it," she says.