The Annual Thankful List

As always, my list of things for which I am thankful, appropriately compiled annually upon the occasion of the Thanksgiving holiday. This year, I'm keeping it down to 50 items because it's 11:30 p.m. and I'm tired -- no less grateful, but tired.

1. My sweet fella.
2. His darling, quirky, accepting family.
3. Adorable, ornery Booker.
4. This brain and mind and consciousness that I inhabit and utilize.
5. ESPRESSO. Sweet, delicious espresso.
6. Bridgit, the Honda Fit, even though she is currently bleeding me dry.
7. Optimism.
8. Dear Rob B., for being my best guy friend through thick and thin, and always getting me into the sold out show.
9. Jeannine, both for being awesome and for being my friend who also lives in my neighborhood.
10. Nights when Kevin makes "the special."
11. Stylin' winter boots.
12. The artwork of Frida Kahlo.
13. Lady Gaga.
14. Baking nights, especially with Kevin's friends (who are thankfully becoming my friends).
15. This beautiful, gritty, dirty, diverse city.
16. Tuesday morning at the Cowtown flea market.
17. Books.
18. Skinny jeans. (On me, anyway, some folks shouldn't be sporting them. Haha.)
19. Yellowstone National Park.
20. My beloved internet creeps.
21. Down comforters and pillows.
22. Alton Brown.
23. The smell of autumn.
24. Freddie J. Mercury, my iPod.
25. My talented and knowledgeable bosses.
26. Quirky and passionate co-workers.
27. The friendly neighborhood cafe in which I work.
28. Our positively fantastic "regulars," most of whom are all too happy to indulge our somewhat strange passion for coffee.
29. NPR.
30. My laptop.
31. Late nights and early mornings, a.k.a. a full social calendar.
32. Self-portraits.
33. The Habeeb family.
34. The chance to go on a 7,000-mile roadtrip around my country with the man I love.
35. These hard candies that Kevin brought home from the Chinese grocery.
36. An incredibly generous and caring mother.
37. A father who, albeit later than I would have preferred, tries very hard to understand his daughter, who is very different than himself.
38. My dear brother, who knows me better than just about anyone and still loves me very much.
39. South Philadelphia.
40. Christmas carols, trees, meals, gifts, etc. All the trappings, the things that are symbols for what I love most of all: happy and celebratory time with family and friends.
41. Jim Beam.
42. Grungy, character-filled diners everywhere, and the lovely, strange people who stock them and keep them interesting.
43. Warm, soft knitted items, preferably handmade. Also related: Regretsy.
44. Babies.
45. Home-brewed beer.
46. An endless wealth (a.k.a. rabbit hole) of things to learn about coffee, as well as places to learn such things.
47. The Burning Man festival, as well as the ability to attend such frivolous, but enriching events.
48. Dance parties, private or public.
49. Friends around the world who unfortunately cannot be named in their entirety within this short list, but who are all incredible and dear to me.
50. Electricity, shelter, clean water, and abundant food.