Seeing as Thanksgiving -the day of giving thanks, stuffing your face on all the things you deny yourself during the rest of the year and watching more than an advisable amount of American football- is only three weeks away, on the 26th, why not start giving thanks a bit early? Here are my shout-outs for the week.

Shout-out to the guy that picked up my dented Diet Coke can and chocolate napolitana that fell on the stairs of our office building as I rushed up to get to work and the paper bag they had given to me in the panaderia broke.

Shout-out to 7 Sins, who, in a more American-style of customer service, gave me two free ham croquettes -which were very, very tasty- since they had run out of  buñuelos and coudn't fil my order. In their words, "they wanted to invite me for having inconvenienced me with waiting so long", and I thank them!

Shout-out to the In-Edit people for giving music docgoers a free cocktail with their movie ticket.

Shout-out to my roommate for making homemade risotto with big fat, fresh mushrooms.

See, life is good, and I am not being hokey -see the rant about purchasing outdated 'fancy' Pims cookies in one of the Chinese supermarkets and other things that get under my skin in a future post- for right now though, let's recognize the good! Got a shout-out you'd like to make?