I'll Be Quite Honest:

I'm a lucky bitch.

But I'm grateful, and even though every day I walk across those stars on Hollywood and Vine, I still take some time to thank them for everything I've got.

For one: I've had a great year professionally, and I'm glad to say I have both a day job and a writing gig that bring me immense satisfaction and fulfillment. I get up every morning and spend my day at a film school. Then I get home and sit down to write for the best blog in Los Angeles, where I have total creative freedom and constant moral/editorial/ninja support from some very cool people. I can't thank Tony, Zach, Lindsay, and all the LAist gang enough for being the best mentors, editors, friends, and co-conspirators a girl could ever want.

For two: I have great friends. I don't see them enough, and some of them live very far away, but man, they are just as smart and good-looking as their MySpace profiles make them out to be.

For three: I'm thankful that my boyfriend gets along great with my family. I'm even more thankful that my mother feels comfortable enough with my boyfriend to do all the "ring-marriage-babies" pressuring for me, so I can just relax and enjoy my relationship.

For four: I eat well and I love to cook. I go to a fast food restaurant about once every few months, and only when absolutely desperate. But you know what? There are a lot of people who don't have that choice and have somehow forgotten how to cook cause crappy food is cheaper than good food. Eating well just means being smarter about what you buy and where you shop, and for christ's sake, people, start chopping your own garlic, grating your own cheese, and eating your doggone vegetables.

And finally: every year, more than ever, I am thankful that I am from Los Angeles. This is the only place in the world I could imagine calling home, and when I die, I want my ashes sprinkled from the hills across the grid of lights that puncture the great dark Los Angeles basin like so many tiny stars. I don't know how or why or where you could ever get to a place where you hate L.A., but it's my home, my house, my hood, my haven, and the only reason I ever leave is so I can come back. I love you, L.A., and all the people in you, and I want every single last one of you to have a beautiful weekend spent with the people, places, and things that you love.

"Where The Wild Things Are" photo by Oz, see more at Whiskerino.org