From the Jan. 30, 2008, issue of the Seattle P-I:

You are reading the words of one of the luckiest people on the planet.

That's how I have felt almost every day for five years now. Fortunate. Blessed. Often overwhelmed.

Occasionally amazed at the notion that somehow I have pulled one over on the universe.

Watching TV for a living does that to a person. Often when I told people what I did, an incredulous expression fell across their faces.

Then came the questions.

What did I think about "The Wire"? (Brilliant.) How about "Jericho"? (To be honest, not one of my favorites, but I intend to give it another shot when it returns to CBS at 10 p.m. on Feb. 12.) And what's my take on -- (Hey, is that brie over there? Man, I love brie. Let's fill our word holes with brie, and after that, maybe discuss the latest Radiohead release.)

Talking about TV all the time can become exhausting, I have to admit.

But though I need a break, I'll never completely tire of it. I will miss starting our discussions in these pages, however.

This is my final column for the Seattle P-I, and for a lot of reasons, the most difficult piece I've ever had to write. There's no show to analyze, no grist for comedic riffing -- just a blank page, and a lot of memories to sift.

Plus, finales are always surrounded by such high expectations, so please forgive my nervousness at constructing this one.

A larger reason that makes it so hard to give up this column is that it means bidding farewell to the smartest, most loyal group of readers anyone can ask for. You have honored me with your continued attention, your encouragement and, quite often, your spirited disagreements.

We've seen television go through a lot of changes together. When my first column was published five years ago, Joss Whedon fans could get our weekly fixes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" on their respective networks, UPN and The WB.

"The West Wing" remained in fine form on NBC and Fox's "24" was a worthy addiction.

And, cable! FX was coming out swinging with "The Shield" and Bravo gave us "Project Runway," one of the few unscripted series on television that feeds the mind instead of draining it.

HBO raised our expectations of the medium with intelligent, soul-stirring series whose names I probably don't have to mention ... but yeah, I'm talking about "Six Feet Under," "The Sopranos" and every other terrific hour a person can recall.

"Brothers and Sisters," "Boston Legal," "Friday Night Lights," "30 Rock," "The Unit" -- these are but some of the series that prove that TV, with all its flaws, is still worth watching. On nights that they fail us, we can still nod off with a smile courtesy of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, who continue to get better as time goes on.

What a gift it has been to talk about extraordinary series like AMC's "Mad Men" and The CW's "Veronica Mars," or the awe-inspiring rise in prime-time drama's overall intelligence. How heartbreaking it was to say goodbye to great shows like "NYPD Blue," or see one-of-a-kind series like "Arrested Development" fail to find purchase with a larger audience. (At least it got a few seasons to prove its case.)

And think back to the sheer awe of viewing the "Lost" pilot for the first time, or the riveting, delicious minutes of "Dexter's" first episode -- amazing, weren't they?

As for "Dexter" cleaning up for its upcoming CBS debut ... well, that should be interesting.

Not every change has been positive. These past few years provided a number of sobering lessons about the devastating combination of a manipulative government and a compliant media, and how invasive and chilling to creativity the Federal Communications Commission can be if citizens don't continue working to keep it in check.

The industry itself is undergoing a tough transition as well.

The writers' strike continues. Behind all of those shared memories of top-shelf television is the hard work of smart, talented writers who have put their careers on the line to secure their futures, and the futures of great scribes who have yet to debut their work.

Meanwhile, Fox got boffo ratings for last week's premiere "The Moment of Truth," and NBC is encouraged by our demonstrative affection for "American Gladiators."

In spite of what you may be thinking, none of these developments factored into my decision to move on. I survived "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here" and all that nauseating slurping on "Joe Millionaire." I even continued to live happily in the wake of an unexpected smooch on the mouth from Ron Jeremy during a party for "The Surreal Life." I'm pretty sure I could have made it through this strike.

By the way, I would like to extend an extra special thanks to Mr. Jeremy for that peck. Not only was it a very sweet and heartfelt gesture -- seriously, it was! -- that kiss bestowed a very special power on me: Pressing lips with a porn legend pretty much makes it easy to give a warm embrace to anyone or anything. I can hug a flaming zombie or Dick Cheney, no problem.

But here's the thing: Television happens to be going places we're only beginning to get a glimpse of. On screens that transform our sets into vivid windows into other existences, or on our phones, iPods and computers. The industry is changing rapidly, and its imperative that the people who love television are ready to change with it.

That means it's the right time for me to make a change as well. I will be joining the Internet Movie Database as its TV editor, a place that serves as the starting point of countless TV-related conversations, and has been known to settle its fair share of bets. Following a short and very necessary break, I intend to return to my first love -- writing, and resume blogging about TV. Shoot me an e-mail at seattletvgal@gmail.com, and we'll keep the conversation going until then.

Although I won't be under the globe anymore, a number of talented reader bloggers and regularly updated articles from TVGuide.com will continue to make this one of the best places for couch potatoes to camp out.

Otherwise, what else can I do but thank you noble readers and my incredible bosses here at the P-I for five wonderful years? It's been nothing short of a magnificent ride.

But it's not over yet. Keep watching.