top 10 reasons to be thankful this year

i don't have a gap between my teef, a successful late-night talk show, and, well, i don't cheat on my spouse. but here's my top 10 list, a la david letterman:

10. new moon, the movie. specifically, taylor lautner. fo' shizzle. thank you, god. and stephenie meyer, too, i guess.

9. the mcrib. no, i'm totally serious. i've been hit with ridiculous cravings for this stupid sandwich over the last few years with no way to satisfy it. i plan to make up for lost time for as long as i can.

8. my new-ish starbucks cold cup. while i do try to limit myself to one delicious iced espresso drink per week, it's totally fun to make my homemade iced coffee and tote it to work in my super fabulous cup. i'm still incredibly bitter about losing that damn straw, but it's okay.

7. my job. yeah, yeah, it should probably rank a little higher on the importance scale than this, but what can i say - i do miss the SAHM life. on the flip side, though, i am grateful for the steady cash flow that it offers, not to mention giving me a reason to get my ass up and out in the mornings (instead of staying home in my pajamas until, oh, 2 p.m.). it also gets me out of the house, provides a window of time to run quick errands without having to drag the poor bean in and out of the car, and gives MIL the chance to spend quality time with the bean every day. it's close to home, i have fantastic hours (8:30 to 12:30 is quite lovely), and it's damn near effortless (luckily, since i've rolled in exhausted and zombified a few times). i suppose if i have to work, this job ain't so bad.

6. the junior league! i've been a provisional member now for almost three months, and i'm having a rip-roaring, pearl-clutching hell of a good time. i've met some super fun ladies, attended one volunteering gig (so far) that was fun and fulfilling, and i'm looking forward to using my immeasurable and varied skills (hahaha!) for good instead of evil.

5. the blogosphere, twitter and facebook. as you can tell, i love blogging. it truly is a part of me, and i'm gratified with every comment and e-mail i get from you, my readers, in response to something that i've written. it keeps me going, even when i'm facing writer's block, frustrated from the photo uploading process, or maybe tackling a tough subject that i just have to vent about. as for tweeting, it's such silly fun, and i've actually won some cool shit just by following companies i like - free ice cream (some of you benefited from that too, remember?), a couple of gift cards for wendy's, and even a free 2-night stay in vegas, courtesy of the rio hotel. then there's facebook, which has brought me back in touch with a whole group of folks that i'd lost track of years ago. not to mention the fact that it helped me and my high school reunion committee immensely in getting the word out about the big bash. i resisted the social networking thing for a long time, but i'm completely sucked in now. and it helps feed my blatant narcissism. heh.

4. a steady stream of clients for my little wedding and party invitation biz. yes, the economy sucks ass. sure, people's budgets for things like customized paper goods aren't as plentiful as in recent years. but folks are still having weddings, and the majority of them are still sending out actual invitations - and a small handful of them are coming to me to crank 'em out. plus, i was included in the nominees for invitations/calligraphers on "l.a.'s hot list," run by a local news channel. and after several weeks of voting, i managed to come in #3 - with the top two being calligraphers. yay!

3. bacon. bacon. bacon. hey, did i say bacon? oh, and then there was bacon. i think there might have been bacon. oh, how grateful i am for bacon.

2. operation downsize. what started out as a super shitty situation born of horrifically craptastic circumstances (despite the fact that i totally tried to be pollyanna and looked for positives rather than the negatives) has actually turned out to be quite the blessing in disguise. things happen for a reason, right? well, that certainly rang true for the wan family in 2009. from moving into the shoebox to trading in my beloved X5 for the pri-YES to rediscovering my absolute pride in and enjoyment of cooking and baking, getting back to the basics has quietly strengthened the truly unbreakable thread that ties the hub, the teen, the bean, and me together. what could easily have broken us apart instead brought us closer to each other (both physically and emotionally, heh), and i couldn't be more grateful. plus, it's renewed our appreciation for little things that we used to take for granted, like mani/pedis, new clothes, fine dining. i'm still an awful housekeeper, but hey, at least there's a whole lot less home to keep clean.

and the #1 thing i'm thankful for, of course, is quite the cliché - but no less true. life would be unbearably meaningless without my loved ones. i'm blessed with wonderful friends in my life, both old and new. and while i've been utterly, horribly disappointed by some folks i call "family," i've drawn strength and support from others. and i learned that sometimes, you just can't rely on anyone but your core family. and your mama.

i mean, come on. how could i not be one happy ass camper when that core is made up of these awesome peeps who brighten every moment of every day?

happy thanksgiving, everybody!