Tonight, my yoga instructor told us about something called The Gratitude Project. The project entails that “each night, before you go to bed, write in your journal 1-3 things that you are grateful for” and culminates in a lengthy yoga and meditation session in five weeks. The project theoretically promotes increased alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy, and less depression and stress. I would be tempted to think this is crap but that’s what I originally thought about yoga and that has become an important part of my life so why not give this a try. I won’t be able to attend the November session because it conflicts with a date I have with Mr. Springsteen in Atlantic City, but I’m going to keep the journal anyway.

To kick off this project, tonight I am thankful for my friends. Friends have arrived in my life in so many ways, and I’m always grateful when another friendship door opens. I’m always amazed by how and where I find friends (which I say as I instant message with someone I randomly encountered on a forum and have never actually met but is a great cyber-friend, and someone else who came into my life because we both worked at the same outfit, albeit at completely different times, meaning we never actually worked together, but who has become a terrific friend and, as a sidebar, is the best damn Karaoke singer I’ve ever met).

In the last two days, I have spent time with … a high-school friend I lost touch with for 10 years but who has come back into my life to become one of my dearest friends … two fine Jersey girls I met through said high-school friend … my favorite new friend of the past year, the Wisconsin/Chicago dame who may be my non-sexual soulmate … her mom, who brought gin on a road trip, "just in case," which is clearly fabulous … and an ex-boyfriend, with whom I made a terrible couple, but broke up with in time to salvage a tremendous friendship. I also spent a good chunk of time on the phone with my best friend of 33 years.

Say it with me ... good times.

Don’t worry – I won’t do this online every night. That would be gratuitous and self-serving and I wouldn’t make you suffer through that.