New Year’s Day is for promises, but first: New Year’s Eve is for reflecting Back.  Once again, people are posting their Best 9, 9 pictures that sum up a year of life lived. BUT WHO AM I TO CHOOSE OR FOLLOW SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED RULES? And so, here’s 81 pictures from a year filled with friends and work and house and CAKE SO MUCH CAKE / I NOW UNDERSTAND WHY I CURRENTLY HATE MY BODY

Went to the Golden Globes / had a Kilroy’s retreat at Pacific Palms, heavily featuring Karaoke / marched in the NYC women’s march / met my niece nugget Ruby / drove four hours JUST to eat food, at Vivian Howard’s Chef and the Farmer with Julien / attended niece Olivia’s baby shower / ROASTED SOME CARROTS / workshopped The Cake at the Alley in Houston / MADE A GIANT VALENTINE’S DAY COOKIE

Wrapped season 1 of This is Us / Writer’s Guild Awards / went BACK to Pacific Palms, creepiest hotel conference center ever, to write a movie with Mamrie / NIECE OLIVIA WAS BORN / Morrison and I’s short film Again got into Tribeca / we dressed up like Empire Records people for Mack’s 90s themed 30th bday / JULIEN AND I WENT TO PERU

I decided it was okay to wear scrunchies for a minute / My Mom and I made a festive Easter cross cake / I met Olivia for the first time / we went to NYC for Tribeca and saw Again on the Big Screen / attended  fro-worker Elizabeth’s  lovely wedding in Carmel / went to my 10 year grad school reunion / Palm Springs with these womyn

Morrison took me to Santa Barbara for my birthday / I turned 35 and to celebrate, my Mom sent me a cat made of flowers / I finally got to see my episode of American Gods / my parents came to LA and got to see the This is Us sets / MY MOM, ONCE AGAIN, FLEW A DEWEY’S PINK LEMONADE CAKE FROM NC, this time for the cast during tech / The Cake opened at the Echo theater, sponsored by CHEERWINE / cake

baby’s first LA times feature / MORE CAKE, this time from friend Alina / baby’s first NYT feature / Debra Jo and I went on NPR’s the Frame / OH GOD, MORE CAKE / WE CLOSED ON A HOUSE

I MET NORMAN LEAR at my play / This is Us Season 2 premiered / Met Lily Tomlin at play! / MET ALANIS MORISSETTE AT PLAY / The Cake closed / renovated house / learned about things called ’tile’ / cousin Elli fled a Florida hurricane, came to hang with me

EMMYS / Morrison met the great Louie Anderson / THAT GUY STERLING WON AN EMMY / This is Us Season 2 premiere party / got to see The Cake at Playmaker’s with my sisters, where we all first met! / Had a reading of A.D. 16 at Joe’s Pub / SISTER KATHERINE GOT MARRIED!

One year wed = paper = HAMILTON TICKETS! / ate year old cake / finally moved in our house after 3 months renovating; discovered its sunsets / worked on my second solo ep of TIU / sat on a stool and looked off for Written By magazine / BOUGHT A GROWN UP CHANDELIER / Went to my parent’s new spot on Smith Mountain Lake, VA for Thanksgiving

Made house shaped cookies for our housewarming party /  celebrated the holidays with the best writing staff there ever was/  had our first tiny house guest / had a reading of Karen O musical at New York Theater Workshop /  met my soon to be sister-in-law Sarah / had a WHITE CHRISTMAS UP IN OLYMPIA.

SICK OF ME YET? ME TOO. Wishing you a contemplative, reflective New Year’s Day. FIND THE GOOD THINGS, AND LOOK AT THEM.