Gratitude

December 8th, 2008. A year at a glance.

DECEMBER 2007 - Leave Chicago holding 4 suitcases for San Francisco. Leave momma, brother, papa, bella, luna, apartment, art, books, photos, Blaha, Alicia, Cassie, Andreas, Lindsay, Liza, Daniel Cooper, Adam Hoff and the memory of Matt.
JANUARY - Travel to the Big Island of Hawaii then later Kauai with brother. No fights, we did it! Feel free with no real sense of responsibility for the first time in my entire life. Swim with whales and giant see turtles. Sunburn and Lilikoi's.
FEBRUARY - Lindsay tells me some fucked up shit about her feelings towards Andreas. I freak. Still no resolution. Andreas tries, but Lindsay is dry. Move in temporarily with Mariah in Oakland and Inverness. Meet Cameron Kelly! Book the last of the big advertising jobs as an agent. MBREPS now closed. Nicole Buffett gives me big hugs and tells me that I am beautiful and courageous and I believe her.
MARCH - Begin working as a stylist, thanks to Alicia. I'm thinking, I got this shit. Travel back to Chicago.
APRIL - Travel to Hawaii. The whole month on Kauai. Ellen and Jim take care of me and I feel safe. Mariah meets me there. we head to the waterfalls and beaches, Zack arrives. I give him the good room with the giant bathtub. Hindsight, I should have kept it for myself. A big mistake for an already selfish boy. Fly back to SF.
MAY - Leave SF. Arrive LA to visit Kim Knight and Anthony Kilhoffer. Decide to stay for awhile. Avoid Matt. Meet Elizabeth, Michael, Wendy, Christine, Jason and Jon. Stay with Tony Beatz spending many days watering his lawn while he's at the plant kissing Kayne's booty.
JUNE - Road trip with Grant to Missouri. See Aaron for the last time, probably ever. Feel used and detached from reality. Travel to LA and Begin House sitting the tree house for painter Laura Owen. Feeling of detachment continues now moving into what feels like a princess in a palace. Then Grant arrives for summer. Why I said yes to this is beyond me. Fucking hot garbage. No regrets.
JULY - Continue house sitting tree house. Really miss Charlie Boy. Brother comes to visit. Nicknamed "Sweaty Spaghetti" by Grant. Finally decide Grant has to leave. Then physically force him out California, a dirty business. Brother had to assist. Almost had to call Uncle Sharky. A nasty business indeed. Hot Bob comes to visit me in the tree house for 10 days just missing Cassie visit. Cassparilla falls in love at first sight with Anthony. Never a more random love lock. Too bad Anthony picked Amy.
AUGUST - Back to Chicago. Shoot my first story for Vogue/Style.com with the assistance of Joshua James Cooper and Heather Kay Blaha. Foot injury on the back of Cooper's motorcycle. Note to self, sandals on a bike is a no no.
SEPTEMBER - Turn 32 in LA and celebrate with Roller skates. Staff infection in both eyes from pollution in LA. Antibiotic save the day. Darkness hovers with the Brother accident in Chicago. Anthony is damaged and alive, I nearly die. Mom tells me to to pull it together and grow up. Ouch. Sell VW and buy YARIS!
OCTOBER - Alicia sprinkles her magic dust and I work the whole month back in Chicago. Best month ever! Corn Fields, Hoffarelli, Czech it Daniel Peter, The Cooplaha house, I love lucy, Officer Bianco and the now famous absinthe stair falling incident. Ouch, again.
NOVEMBER - Arrive LA to work my first ad job in LA with Tricia. Meet Ben in real life. Decide to have thanksgiving in San Francisco the first time away from my family. Sell 3 prints to a gallery in SF! Nicole, Cameron and Mariah love me dearly. Come home to LA and realize that I have friends here. Good ones. In fact, Wendy's friendship supports me everyday and I am eternally grateful for that.
DECEMBER - Christmas in LA or Santa Cruz, can't decide. I wish I could hug my momma right now.

B