My Brain Trust

I mean this: Lucky Me! My friends are all brilliant, artistic, and good looking. I'm feeling awed by it today, as I often am. I don't know how I got so fortunate, but I really know some movers and shakers. I'm going to drop some names and appreciate them out loud. This list is in no way supposed to be comprehensive, and I'll leave the whole names off in case they don't want fan mail from strangers.

Kari and John: Holy smokes. These two are so smart and clever and cool it boggles my mind. They are like from Planet Cool. They have fantastic vacations and buy hip music and know just what alcoholic beverage is needed to cool my head.

John P.: Smart and sexy and super driven, yet always has a compassionate ear for me and my silly troubles. He's always jetting off to some cosmopolitan locale for business. Also a brilliant musician. I used to love to listen to him play the piano; it made me write bad poetry about him for years.

Iceberg.: He'd be mortified to make this list, but he's got business savvy and artistic chops that make him the best at what he does. He's arrogant for a reason, and I love that he includes me in his snobbery. It makes me feel slightly more in the know.

Kathleen: I think Kathleen sweats art. She's so smart and funny and warm. Her art just flows from her in a whimsical stream of talent.

Jen: Fantastic painter and searing wit. I met her in 3rd grade and thought it was funny that her mom didn't let her watch TV. Now I still watch cartoons and she travels the world. Go figure.

Eliz: She's so sassy and driven and always dresses so much better than I do. Without her I would probably still be wearing leg warmers or something equally ghastly.

Will:He puts the "smart" in "smartass". He always makes me laugh, even though half of what he says goes right over my head. I heart him.

Minya: Amazing dancer and kickass sense of humor. She's so busy it makes me look like a slug. She's a wonderful mother and a fierce friend.

Audrey: She's looks so fekkin awesome. How can she be so dang sexy? She's a goddess and I love her, even if she is like a whole head taller than me and makes me look like Jabba the Hut by comparison. She's got a cool head in a crisis, and is an amazing mom.

Lisa: One day if I ever get rich this woman will be my personal tailor. That and she is mom to two amazing kids. And also that I adore how she has never let being a mom put a dent in her coolness.

There are just too many to count. My friends are brilliant, smart, and funny. I thank my lucky stars daily. Sometimes I feel like a squee fangirl among superstars. You guys rock. And if you aren't on this list and I know you, I'll have to do another edition of this later, I'm sure.