Navigating

I have officially lived in Los Angeles for a week. And guess what, I think I already know my way around about as well as I did in Yuma and I lived there two years! I know, it's a little weird. Ang thinks maybe it's more the want than the ability to navigate.

Apparently we live in the Hancock Park area, according to the Not For Tourists Los Angeles book we picked up tonight. From what Ang heard at school, it's a good neighborhood and according to the book is home to some of the largest mansions in the city and celebrities. Needless to say, we don't live in a mansion. But I am liking the house. I'm a little tired of it still not being 100% up and running (the kitchen is my goal for tomorrow) but it's getting better. The ants are almost gone. Yesterday we got more traps (houses as I call them) and this indoor/outdoor spray. When we got home from Santa Monica last night Ang announced we had a mass grave site on our hands, lots of dead ants on the kitchen counters. That's a good thing! Dead is so much better than alive when it comes to ants. So now that the problem is ceasing I can feel more comfortable buying food and putting away dishes and things. And maybe cooking. Though I had the traditional turkey dinner tonight at Koo Koo Roo and it was pretty good. Turkey, cranberries, squash, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yum!

Oh and we have a helper neighbor! His name is Bill and he lives in the house to the east of us with his wife Betty. Whenever I meet new people I try to create ways to remember their names and when I met them I immediately said hey, it's Grandpa Bill and Grandma Betty (of which I have both!) so that worked out well. And no, I don't call them grandpa and grandma, it's just a way of remembering. Bill loaned us his dolly to move and got us a two-by-four to hold the garage door open with before it got fixed. And tonight when we got home our trash and recycle cans were already at the curb (Friday is trash day). Since none of us put them out, it must have been Bill. So that's nice. (Well at first it was a little weird but he's retired, older, and seems harmless so I am going with nice! I think once we get really settled I'll make him some cookies as a thank you.)

So that's about it for tonight. We cleaned Ang's classroom most of the day and we are all pretty pooped. But it's ready to be organized tomorrow. And we're still getting things done here, all those little things that take so much time like having the cable man come back because one of the cable boxes doesn't work (yeah, the TV was on the wrong channel, I felt like a genius) and getting extra keys for the backdoor made and finding a shelf to put up in the bathroom so my electric toothbrush can be near the sink (it's an older house with a pedestal sink and no vanity, needless to say we bought an over-the-toliet thing-a-magiy right away).

I promise I'll get pictures up and out SOON. This weekend at the latest. I just want all boxes gone and things to look nice first. And it's starting to get better. We have tons of storage here which helps immensely. And a garage. And apparently our rent is relatively cheap for the area and size of the house which makes things a lot better!

Whew!

I know, I know, I haven't updated in a while. Six days. And they've been six pretty crazy, life changing days. So here we go!

I now live in Los Angeles. Technically west Los Angeles according to this guy we met at church Sunday. But let me start at the beginning.

We drove into LA on Wednesday. We had an uneventful drive, the U-Haul made it thanks to Dad's awesome driving, and we arrived at our house right on schedule. The landlord met us, handed off the keys, and we started moving in! We got the truck about half unloaded Wednesday night and then decided we needed fans. More fans than we already had. See, our new house is great, lots of windows, screens, etc. but there's no AC. It's fine at 3am but mid-day it's a bit warm, okay, HOT. So we got out the directions I'd printed prior to our arrival and wound our way into eastern LA where I'd found a Target. We scarfed some snack bar pizza, got two tower fans, and headed home, exhausted. BUT the best part about Wednesday night was we had beds!!! (Little known fact at the time, while it only took us about 20 minutes to get to that Target, we have a Target about 10 minutes away from us, and it requires no freeway driving, needless to say, this is now "our" Target.)

Thursday we got the rest of the truck unloaded and returned by 11am which was pretty impressive since we feared we might not get it unloaded by Friday return date. Then I went with Ang back to the LAUSD offices downtown so she could do some paperwork (oh the paperwork this city has required of us, it's ridiculous really). Then Thursday night we ventured out to a Super Walmart. There are not a lot of Super Walmarts in LA. This one is about 35 minutes from our house, or so said the directions I printed. But when you head out at 4:30pm, it takes about an hour and forty-five minutes. Regardless, we found a Chili's, a Barnes and Noble, and a Super Walmart. We were a little rushed as it closed at 10pm (whatever, shouldn't "super" indicate 24/7 service?!?!?!) but we managed to drop 400 dollars or so and get some food for the fridge that had been delivered that afternoon.

Friday we unpacked more boxes and Ang and I headed out to the DMV. The first of two trips that would suck the life out of us. Three hours in we had to leave because Ang had a physical appointment for work and that found us on the 10 freeway on Friday afternoon. That's loads of fun! But Ang and I have been getting our share of driving experience here and let me just say it's going pretty well. We hit "our" Target on the way home and got some curtains to help with the heat and to spruce up the place.

Saturday we took a bit of a break and did some fun stuff. We made it to Office Depot before 9am for Teacher Appreciation Day. Can I just say they do Teach Appreciation right here in LA!!?!?! We got some great goodie bags and a hot, catered breakfast. They had fruit salad with raspberries the size of walnuts! Yum! Then we decided to check out the La Brea Tar Pits which are just a block from Office Depot, and about 10 minutes from our house. If you know nothing about the La Brea Tar Pits, as I did before Saturday, you should check them out when you come visit! Basically, they're giant pools of tar where archaeologists are, right now, excavating for bones. Bones that belonged to ice age animals. It's pretty freakin' cool. So we spent some time there then headed up to Burbank where we found IKEA. And yes, IKEA kicked our butts, we were all exhausted after leaving but we got some great deals. We headed back to Abbey Place and worked for a few hours. About 9pm we decided to head to Santa Monica to check out the Pier at night, the 3rd Street Promenade (kind of like a big street fair), and have some dinner. We drove along Rodeo Drive on the way. 9:30pm is the perfect time to drive it can I just say, we had the street just about to ourselves. Of course the stores were closed but you know, it's not like we're shopping there anyway!

Sunday we headed back to Hollywood United Methodist Church where we heard what I thought was a really good sermon on Kevin Smith's Dogma. Next week the sermon's on Groundhog Day so I'm interested to hear that as well. This week we stuck around a few minutes after the service and met a few people including a girl who just moved to town from Texas, Emily. She seemed really nice and hoped we'd see each other again this Sunday so that was cool. Also Angela formally met Pauley Perrette which was pretty cool. Then we took my dad down to the Hollywood Walk of Fame to look at the stars (and the weirdos - people dressed up as characters just hanging out, there was Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Carribean, Charlie Chaplin, some sort of tree man, very weird!), hit Target again and headed home to unpack more.

Today was another 4.5 hours at the DMV where I managed to fail my written driver's test the first time around (seriously?!?! why do I need to know that the penalty for a DUI is 6 months jail time and not 12, I mean, come on, aren't there lawyers who figure that stuff out?!?!?!). Then I managed to get lost going downtown to get Ang at the LAUSD office building and found myself in Little Tokyo. A 15-minute drive turned into a hour and 45 minutes. Yeah, it was a good day. But you know, it's not bad all together. The house is great. We're getting minor things worked out and tomorrow when we get the ant spray and fumigate the house and finish unpacking I'll take lots of pictures. (Yes, we have ants and yes, I am frustrated by them, and yes, they are in my bed, and I'm trying very hard to be okay with that and not cry or scream.) There's tons of storage here and room to move and place things and it feels like a home, not just an apartment which is pretty darn great. We've got curtains up and dishes in cabinets and some things going up on walls. So yeah, LA is coming together for me. Now I'm going to get some sleep and try not to think about these ants.

A cautionary tale

Short and simple: when you go to buy something, anything, think about whether or not you'll have to move it. Yeah, I'm no rethinking the minimalist approach to life.

It took three and a half hours, two awesome movers, my dad, Angela and I, a seventeen foot U-Haul, and a Saturn VUE but almost all of our stuff is packed. I have never seen a U-Haul so full. It's crazy.

We ended up hiring some movers, two college-age girls who ROCKED, and for two hundred bucks they carried all the heavy stuff and a lot more. Tonight we're on sleeping bags on the floor, all three of us in a row in the living room. Tomorrow we'll get up, do a little more cleaning, pack Ang's car and HEAD OUT! SoCal here we come:-)

Oh yeah, and today is Ang's birthday! I want to post more about that/her but it'll have to be when I'm not so sleepy. So for now just some pictures from the impromptu party Saturday night!!!

Quickly

I should be packing, I have been, and I'm taking a break to watch a few minutes of gold medal Olympics. So here's the thing, we thought we were pretty well packed up. We were wrong. It's been a long day. We went to school and said a few last minute goodbyes. Then we ran errands, looking at refrigerators, etc. I got a new phone number, a Los Angeles number (so if you don't already have it and want it, email me!), Ang spent a few hours in the Social Security Office (it involved a laminated card, don't ask). And then we started packing packing. Like, no more using the dishes or silverware, decide what you're going to wear for the next two days so only those clothes can be left out. Realize that it's 9pm and you still have twelve hours of work to go before you sleep.

We got a refrigerator. We found one we liked and couldn't order it online so had to track it down, finally at a store in Burbank, it'll arrive Thursday afternoon. I ordered cable/Internet service, which will arrive Thursday morning. I got the gas and electricity put in my name. I changed our renters' insurance to the new house. I did not get new car insurance because the company I currently have was going to up my policy by about 70% to switch to California. I'll be shopping around. We've eaten up a lot of our food and we've packed away most of our stuff. I'm so glad that on Wednesday it'll all start coming out of the boxes again. Oh, and we've confirmed our U-Haul for tomorrow, thank goodness!

Guess that's all I have to tell you right now. I'm going back to the kitchen to finish packing there. Tomorrow morning we'll be cleaning and then get my dad at 11am when his flight gets in. Oh and we'll celebrate Ang's birthday!!!

Here we go

It's becoming very real. I reserved my dad a plane ticket today, for Tuesday, so he can come down and help us with the move. I reserved a U-Haul. I changed my address on all the stuff I could think to change it on. We're moving!

You know how when you talk about things for so long, sometimes they just fall aside, like you really don't believe it after awhile? That's how I was beginning to feel about moving to Los Angeles. Like it was a pipe dream, something so far away from my grasp I just couldn't see it anymore. And then it happened.

And while I'm excited, I'm sad too. Yesterday I had my last massage with Arcy, who has been more than a massage therapist to me these past two years, she's been a friend, someone who takes care of me, who cares for me. She's been trying to help me feel my best for the move and I feel pretty good now because of her, physically and mentally. We exchanged cards and gifts when we got ready to part yesterday and she said, "You have been a part of my life." And I knew exactly what she meant. It's not often, as we get older, that we have people in our lives who are actually a part of our lives. She's seen me more than my family, and my friends, in the past two years. She's listened, and talked, she's worried, and laughed, she's been there. And I'll miss that. But be so thankful to have had it.

Last night we also had a birthday BBQ for Ang. Our friends Kristina, Jake, their son Jayden, and our friend Linda all came. It was one of those nights that just comes together. Everyone brings something, we fall into our familiar rhythm, and we ate, swam, and talked. We have been a part of each others' lives for the past two years. It's taken some time, we've really congealed as a group in the past year, spending weekend nights hanging out, going to dinner, spending time with families, etc. It takes real effort and planning to have these relationships. And I'm going to miss them. More than I know how to express.

Today we went school shopping for Ang. She got some new clothes to wear, and we bought 800 pencils for $1.08! I know, Staples rocks! We got some other stuff for her classroom, and that helps it seem real too. Tomorrow the work begins, the final packing, the organizing, tackling the huge to-do list. And by Wednesday night, God-willing, we will be residents of Los Angeles, California! Here we go...

It was that easy

So yesterday morning Angela and I started looking online for apartments. We'd joined this service, westsiderentals.com on our last scouting trip and we'd been searching ever since. Ang had found a bunch of possibilities while I was still sleeping and I had found a few earlier in the week. On the way back from breakfast I told Ang, "Okay, we're just going to find the best place, rent it, and go back to Yuma. It's that easy." We laughed, knowing we were in fact in LA, and the odds of this happening were about as good as the odds of Jack Bauer asking for our help foiling a terrorist plot. But we began our search anyway.

I called a few places, got some leads, set up an appointment to see a house at noon, and off we went. We found the house, then drove to the apartment we were really excited about. The listing said it was a luxury apartment with hookups for a washer and dryer. Needless to say, it was not luxury, nor did it have hookups. And it wasn't super clean. And it had no refrigerator (a trend to say the least). So we headed back to meet the realtor at the house.

The first thing we noticed about the house was it had a driveway! This is pretty rare in LA, even in the expensive neighborhoods. We did a quick walk through, all three of us opening doors and looking around, the realtor most impressed with the new living room ceiling fan that has a remote control. Can I just say, Ang and I were loving this house! It has huge, bright, airy rooms. Two bedrooms with super big closets! And little closets everywhere. There's even one in the kitchen when you open it, an old ironing board pops out. There's a big living room, a big dining room, one bathroom, and even a laundry room with real washer and dryer hookups! It has brand-new carpet and a two car garage that smells just like my Grandma's old cars! (Although the garage was obviously built when cars were made for tiny people and I'm not sure we'll be able to park either of ours in it but hey, storage!) Oh, and there's a backyard with a little stone patio. Yeah, we were excited.

So we gave the realtor a fifty-dollar check to run a credit check and off we went, trying to decide what to do. We went to another apartment building but didn't even get in to this one, the manager who I'd just talked to wasn't there and the place was locked up. So we drove over to Ang's new school, talked to the secretary and peeked around. It's a really cool building, one of those big old schools you see on TV, with heavy doors and high ceilings. (I have pictures I'm trying to get online, hopefully soon, dumb camera phone! UGH!)

So we decided to fill out the house application. Then we found an Office Depot to fax from and I called the relator's boss, Jerry, who runs the company, and he seemed really nice. I told him we were in a hurry and we'd like to know ASAP so he said he'd get back to me. We needed food at this point so we walked down the street and found a "Koo Koo Roo" which I think may be Ang's new favorite restaurant for the two reasons: 1) they have these cool chairs that are red and purple and look like thrones, and 2) they serve mashed potatoes as a side dish. It was good food and we ate and then went back to our car. We decided to wait a few more hours to see what was going on, to see if we'd need to look at more apartments, and decided to go find a teacher's store in the meantime. On the drive there we got the news - the owners' (apparently an older couple who've moved south to the suburbs) would love to have us rent their house! And they took our offer (which was $75 less than they'd listed - the realtor gave us a hint, always counter an offer, even by just a little). So we did a u-turn and headed into West Hollywood to find the relator's office, WHERE WE SIGNED A LEASE FOR A HOUSE. IN LOS ANGELES!!!! Yeah, we're a little excited. I was even excited to write a $4000 check so we could move in! But hey, I was also pretty excited I could even write the check. (Granted I now have $17 to my name but you know, dreams are expensive!)

So we drove back by OUR HOUSE, then headed back to Yuma. We have solid plans to make now. We have to get the electric and gas put in our names, we have to order a refrigerator. We have to reserve a U-Haul, and help my dad make plans. And we have to MOVE! Did I mention I was pretty excited.

Remember how I told Ang in the morning we were just going to find the best place and lease it? Yeah, it was that easy! :-)

For those of you interested in our location, we're just off of Olympic Boulevard, which intersects with Wilshire Boulevard. We're just south of West Hollywood, and just east of Beverly Hills (we were like ten minutes from the house yesterday and somehow ended up driving down Rodeo Drive. Check us out here: http://www.mapquest.com/mq/10-exGFdg064pG0

A day in the life of an assistant

Yep, since I'm technically unemployed (are writers ever really out of work?!?!?) I took the job as Angela's assistant today. First assignment: drive her to Los Angeles. So we left Yuma about 6:45 am (I'd forgotten just how much I love getting up when the clock has a 5 on it!) in a thunderstorm. Yes, you read that correctly, a rain/thunder/huge lightening storm in YUMA. ARIZONA. The DESERT. I know, crazy weird. And to add to the craziness, last Thursday they had a storm as well - one we missed because we were in LA. Yes, we spend our Thursdays in SoCal now.

I drove, Ang slept some, and I listened to my awesome mixed tapes (I mean CDs, but 'mixed CDs' just doesn't have the same ring to me) from Justin. (Shout out - Justin rocks at making mixed tapes - I have 5 and they are on the top of my playlist, very eclectic!) I also had a diet root beer, a tootsie pop, a fiber bar, a pink water (some crystal light I bought on clearance at Target that Ang is not a fan of), and some orange Tic Tacs. Mind you all snacks consumed while on a road trip are deemed necessary and don't count against points for the day, just in case you were wondering.

We also ate lunch on the road, while driving, something we're becoming very adept at. We'd made PB & J sandwiches in the morning and the secret to an easy driving lunch is to wrap your sandwich in a large piece of tin foil which can then be unwrapped and used as a tray. We had hard boiled eggs (very car friendly), goldfish pretzels (1oo-calorie pack so technically health food), red pepper strips (only me of course), cheese, and cookies (again health food), oh and pink water (since I drank the root beer at 7:15 that's all that was left).

This was a very sleepy ride, I had trouble keeping my eyes open at times, hence the food and loud music, and 2 stops for breaks. Regardless we made it downtown LA right on schedule, got our visitor's badges and headed to the teacher placement fair. What an interesting afternoon, one in which my assistantness really showed.

Here's the way the fair worked: Ang checked in and was given 2 sheets of stickers, one said SCIENCE and one said HIGHLY QUALIFIED. These stickers had to be put on the top of each of her resumes. The nice pristine, $11 resumes we'd had made at Staples yesterday. It was quite something to look around this large office area and see all these women and men (many of whom were obviously not in their early twenties) sitting on the floor (there weren't a lot of chairs) in their suits and skirts, resumes all around them, stickering. Yeah, government ideas are great. Luckily I was able to scout out 2 chairs and help her with her stickering. Then we had to walk up a flight of stairs (which doesn't seem like a huge deal but it was already about 95 in the building and everyone is nervous and dressed warmly) because they didn't want to tie up the elevators and enter the Hall of Folders.

The Hall of Folders was a big glass wall (the opposite side of which was the atrium where we all would gather) with folders taped to it listing the school, whether they'd arrived yet, and the positions they needed to fill. Above each folder was a map with the school's location (the LA Unified School District (LAUSD) is HUGE). So Ang and I walked down the hall a little, with the other 100 or so candidates, and stuck a resume in a folder. But mind you we had stickered 20 resumes and had another 10 in reserve. All the while the LAUSD employees are trying to get the candidates into the atrium so that they can hear their names when they're called back to the cubicles for interviews. So Ang went off to get a seat and I stayed to write down the schools' folders she'd stuck her resume in. Oh, and I added her resume to 12 other folders. And on some I wrote 'elementary certified' under the 'science' sticker. I know, I'm a good assistant.

Then I went to the huge map in the hall and found 16 schools and wrote down where they were in relation to things we knew (i.e., SE of Inglewood, N of airport, really far away, etc.). With all those assisting jobs done I headed into the atrium and sat with all the other nervous candidates. The emcee of the day (I assume he worked for LAUSD but no idea what he did) seemed nice and kept things light, cracking jokes, giving out door prizes (I won one! Well okay, technically Ang did but I went to get the ticket at the beginning, and I collected the prize when she wasn't there - it's a calculator shaped like an apple, on a string. I know - awesome). Also, they had water and snacks (animal crackers, I was happy).

I mostly people-watched. The woman we'd ridden the elevator with when we all first arrived who got a job within an hour (they announced when a candidate was hired and everyone clapped), the people who sat there for the 3+ hours I was there and never got called back for an interview. The men who looked ready for a flood, the women who needed to lose the hat or stockings with sandals. Ang didn't spend much time with me, she was constantly back for interviews (I think she did 5 or 6 total) and when she was back in the offices, her name was called probably 15 times for other interviews which was pretty cool. I mean I felt bad for all the people not being called and I didn't really go around saying, 'That's my sister!' but you know, I was cheering on the inside!

After I won my door prize, I started talking to this guy who'd been teaching for 7 years and who had just become 'displaced' - I guess this means he still is under contract for LAUSD but he doesn't have an assignment. He gets paid but has no classroom (he was a P.E., then a science teacher) and will have to go be a floating sub in his old school come the first day of school if he isn't placed. So he has some incentive to try and find himself a job although the district is supposed to be doing that for him. We talked about middle school kids, teaching, housing (he suggested buying anything if possible since because he's already made $200,000 on his house in 2 years apparently), etc. Then all of a sudden Ang is at my side and she's saying, "We have to go, we have to go!" I looked at him and said, I guess this is good! and ran behind after her.

I'm sure she'll blog more about it but the gist is SHE GOT A JOB OFFER! Yep yep! A really good one. At Burroughs Middle School teaching 7th grade English to kids in the Gifted and Talented Program. HOW FREAKIN' COOL IS THAT?!?!?! And it's just 6 and a quarter miles from UCLA. Yeah, we know where we're going to live now - well a close proximity at least. That's tomorrow's job, find an apartment.

So yeah, God does answer prayers. He likes patience. And He loves us even when we're not perfect or very patient. And sometimes he answers them with a pretty great reply.

My additional assistant duties required finding us a hotel room for the night (luckily the Holiday Inn Express we knew how to locate in Century City had one room left) and food (yes, it did take me about 25 minutes to get us to the mall I'd seen on our way to the hotel, and yes, when we left the mall we realized it was only half a block or so from our hotel in the opposite direction). Now tomorrow I get to find us an apartment. Or maybe that'll be Ang's job:-) We'll see. For now, I'm going to asleep! Assisting is rough stuff.

Reel Role Models

Angela and I have been having a conversation for the past two days about the just released film Tropic Thunder. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, it's a movie about movie stars who are filming a Vietnam war film and end up kidnapped. Apparently it makes fun of Hollywood and movie stars in particular, and jumps all over some cultural taboos, including a use of the N-word. I've been hearing the noise about it for almost a year now and have anticipated seeing it. Then Ang announced we couldn't go.

Apparently the one of the films' stars previously portrayed a character named 'Simple Jack', a Forrest Gump-type character. This and the repeated use of the word 'retard' in the movie has garnered the attention, and protest, of several groups including the Special Olympics. Angela has decided to be among one of those protesting the movie.

I'm not sure what to think. I want to see the movie, I want to laugh, and I especially enjoy television and movies that show an "insiders' view" of Hollywood. I adored Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. (I might have been one of the few people in the country who did.) But I'm torn. I'm not a fan of bullying or making fun of those who can't stand up for themselves. This brought to mind the Niemöller poem:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -

because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out

- because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.

I truly believe the sentiment behind these words. But I'm also not sure if it's up to us to police Hollywood in this way. I'm sure this movie was vetted thousands of times before the first print hit the movie houses this morning. I'm not saying I forgive them or think it's right, basically I'm saying I don't know what to think. As a writer it's up to me to create, or portray, a world that engages others, that holds enough reality that you'll step in and follow the characters where ever they might go. Does Tropic Thunder do this? I'm guessing it must since I'd harbor close to thirty million dollars or more went in to getting it on screen.

In my novel I have characters who do things you may not agree with. Heck, I don't even agree with them. But those are the characters' lives, their stories. We all do things and say things others don't agree with. Should we be allowed to do them and say them? I say yes. Should Hollywood put such things up on a fifteen foot screen and sell it as entertainment? Who's to stop them?

Will I go see it? I still don't know. Any thoughts?

Another weekend come and gone

Let's see, I watched about 20 hours of Olympic coverage. That counts for something right? I hadn't been too excited about these Olympics and then we just turned them on Friday night and BAM! I was sucked in. What an amazing Opening Ceremony, just breathtaking, and I even learned somethings about the Chinese culture. And then of course we turned it on Saturday to watch some of the events and the next thing I know I'm trying to figure out some of the intricacies of beach volleyball. And of course I'm pretty impressed by those superstar swimmers, all of them really. And the tandem diving, too cool. Yeah, I know, I don't have a lot else going on right now. (But I did go do the dishes when Bush was interviewed tonight, no interest. At all.)

So other than that it's been pretty quiet around here for the past forty-eight hours. We hung out with our friend Kristina a little Friday afternoon which was nice, I made the requisite trips to the grocery stores. (Yes, you have to go to more than one. Food is generally cheaper at Walmart but I refuse to by produce there so that requires a trip at the expensive Albertson's next door.) Today we went to the post, got gas, and hit the mall. Not much there we haven't seen before but there were some good sales ($8 capris, what a deal!) and it was good to be among the living.

And we watched a movie today - Die Hard 2, not a bad flick. A little dated but in that fun way. Not as good as the original, or the last one, but good just the same. Funny dialogue and some good shoot outs. And we started watching a new TV show, Bones. Yes, I know it's not new, it's entering season four this fall, but it's new to me. And it rocked! So that's cool. I already can't wait for Netflix to send me disc two!

And I wrote. Several chapters which is feeling good. I got my computer set up perfectly and I started going over notes and it just started flowing again. I intend to put in a long day tomorrow (today was a reading day - a lot of catch up on the Bible, finished another Stephanie Plum book, read a Newsweek, an EW, and an Oprah!) and will hopefully get nearer to my deadline. September 28th, the day before I start classes at UCLA I need to have a completed first draft done. And right now I'm just about half way there. Yes, I know it's taken me two and a half years to get this far but now I'm on a roll! (Maybe there won't be any beach volleyball viewing for me tomorrow.)

Darkest before the dawn

I'm sure that's attributed to someone but I don't feel like looking it up right now. I need to get writing. I need to make phone calls. I need to go buy some food and unpack some clothes. I need to think.

It's been a pretty intense 24 hours in the Knapp Sisters lives. Yesterday, as you know, we had a plan to go up to Los Angeles for Ang to interview with LA Unified. I get up early and walk (SIDEBAR: I walked my marathon this week and then some!!! 28 miles in all, I am pretty excited, even if I did gain 3 pounds, I am trying not to think about that, hopefully it's all leg muscle.) and shower and when I get out of the shower I can't find Ang. Then I find her and it's not good. She'd just talked to a man at the school district and he tells her she isn't qualified to teach middle school science and since they have 400 displaced elementary school teachers they're trying to find schools for, she might as well wait a month or two to interview. They're in no hurry he tells her, even to get subs.

As you can imagine, there was a bit of a panic.

And then, about 20 minutes into the panic, said man (I later find out his name is George) calls back. He proceeds to tell Ang he looked into her case and oops! she can in fact teach middle school science, and of course, elementary school, but they don't need her for that. They need her for science.

So we scrap the plans to pack her off to Nevada or Timbuktu or any other state in desperate need of teachers and pack a bag for LA. And away we go. The drive was uneventful and oddly quick this time around and we found the HUGE skyscraper of a building that is the Los Angeles Unified School District. We found the free parking lot and made our way inside (me waiting in the lobby, her going to the 15th floor).

According to her, it went well, I imagine she'll give you the gory details in her own blog. We decided not to waste the cash in spending the night and headed home. This was not an uneventful drive. This was leaving downtown Los Angeles at 5pm and hitting traffic. Mind you there's always traffic in LA but this is special traffic. But the upside is we never sat, we were always moving. And I even managed not to get a ticket (there was concern since the carpool lane changes to 3 people from 2 between 4 and 7pm, I mean seriously, how was I supposed to know?!?!? but I got out of the lane quickly just the same) and we found a Red Robin to eat at right off the freeway.

We got home about 11pm, another long day in the car. We'll go back up next Thursday for the placement fair she's been invited to (just for science teachers I guess) and hopefully she'll get a contract (all but guaranteed at this point) and we'll figure out where we'll live. We're still hoping for the Valley as opposed to east LA but at this point, she just wants a job. I don't blame her, I do too but I still have heard nothing. So I'll just keep pluggin' away.

On the living in a box front: not necessary at this moment in time. We called yesterday and we can extend out lease in Yuma 2 more weeks. Not an ideal situation because we'd really, really, really like to leave but it's just the way things are. And to top it all off I spent Wednesday packing up my entire room, including most of my clothes. Isn't great to be so on top of things!?!?!?

Ok, I've got my hard drive installed on my MacBook which means only one thing: there is absolutely no reason for me not to write now. So here I go...

Houston, we have a slight problem

Yeah, today was supposed to be the day. The day when Ang found out she got the job at the Jewish school in Encino and we were going to move to northern Los Angeles where they had parking lots with their apartment buildings and Sam's Clubs and yoga studios. That's where the problem came in.

You know that old saying that says "God laughs when we make plans"? He must be having a blast with us right about now. Angela didn't get the job. Poof, Encino is gone. And yes, we still have to be out of our apartment in nine days. That's right, nine days. And no, I haven't walked my marathon yet this week either.

She's got an interview with Los Angeles Unified School District tomorrow. They have multiple openings. Openings were were praying she wouldn't have to fill. We haven't heard great things about the second largest school district in the country. But then again Yuma wasn't so stellar either. So we'll drive to LA in the morning and I'll sit in the lobby while she goes to the interview. We're praying the words Compton and Inglewood do not come out of their mouths. We're praying she can get English and not high school biology (apparently credentials aren't all so restraining for this district). We're praying they offer her a job. See we can't get an apartment lease without a stable income. And that's not working out so well for me. Oh I keep applying but I don't hear anything. (Okay, that's a lie, I got a rejection from a job at UCLA - for one of seven jobs I've applied for their, all the rest are still 'open'.)

So it's on to Plan B. We're not sure what Plan C is but please pray for us that we don't have to figure that out. Today I packed up my bedroom/office. I looked through the stacks of screenplay drafts and writing and journals and prayed, again, that God will allow me to make a living from something I love to do so much. It has to work out, right? I mean come on, it works for other people.

On the bright side, my awesome new computer arrived a day early (how freakin' excited was I!!!) and I have been getting it all set up and love it so far. I'm a full-on Apple convert now. It's really not that different and was much easier to use right out of the box than that god-awful Dell. It's black and shiny and runs super fast and so far hasn't eaten any files! (Huge plus in my book seeing how that's why I why I needed a new one, my old laptop started 'losing' files, yeah I don't know.)

So tomorrow we'll get out the GPS and drive the four and a half hours to downtown Los Angeles and pray that there will be an offer soon. Within the next nine days.

A summary

In the last post I said it had been a day. Now it's been a week. A week that's been half boring, I've caught up on all my Newsweeks and other assorted magazines, watched an entire season of Monk (yep - all 24 hour long episodes), walked around the mall in Yuma several times, walked down EVERY SINGLE aisle of Target several times, and started my very own country on Facebook. Yes, Yuma in the summer is boring. Especially without a job or much of anything to do or anyone to see.

But there have been upsides. Last night we went to dinner at our friend Linda's house and hung out all night with her and her cool kids. We had a spontaneous hanging out night with our friend Andrea when we went to get a toaster she was giving us. (I have never bought a toaster for the record, whenever I need one, someone seems to have one that needs a home.) I ordered my new MacBook from Apple Wednesday night and it's scheduled to be delivered Wednesday. (THANK YOU Mom and Dad!!!)

And downsides. My new Dell XPS laptop arrived in the mail last weekend and I went to set it all up this week and found out it was total crap, inside and out. So I got to spend several hours on the phone with various "customer service" reps, or rather hold musicians and then two plus hours standing at a counter at Best Buy. Let's just say that I won't be using that Best Buy rewards zone card I now have anytime soon. (Especially since it's now in the dumpster.) Tonight we came home and realized (about two hours in) that our air conditioner wasn't working. I was working out and just thought I was really getting my heart rate up but no, the AC was blowing hot air. Mind you, it is about 110 outside and now 91 inside. And of course we're living upstairs mostly because of the packing and heat always rises. We hung out downstairs for a few hours (me in the only chair, Ang on the floor) and then gave in and came back up to the fans and more comfortable seating. It's 10:30pm and the maintenance man just got here so hopefully in a few hours we'll be cooler. OOH - update: some little canister in our AC unit had blown out and now has been replaced so we're back in business!! YAY, in a few hours we should be cool again. Thank the Lord! There's been a heat advisory for our region all weekend and I can seriously see how some people get really sick in the heat. I'm doing nothing and sweating up a storm.

But I've been working on that patience thing too which is going pretty well. I am trying to make sure I am eating well, drinking enough water, and exercising. My goal is to make sure my body and my mind are a little more balanced. I realized this week that I have gained 35 pounds since moving to Yuma. I think it's all the kids I've had:-) Baby weight, right!?!?!? But I know I need to get that weight and some more back off. So to start, I'm going to walk 4 miles every day this week, yes even tonight at 6pm when I was starving and hot and the AC wasn't working (didn't know that at the time). Seven days of 4 miles each equals 28 miles, further than a marathon, I think that's a good start, and I'm using weights for at least 2 of the miles! Who wants to walk with me???

Okay, I'm off to watch some TV and then try to sleep. Being so warm at night reminds me of being a little kid back before we had AC at our house. It would be so warm and muggy and sometimes we'd get to sleep downstairs in the living room because it was cooler. I loved that!

I have had a day.

At UCLA, we stopped by the mascot. I guess I'm now a Bruin! Ang wanted to take a picture in the ocean for my mom, she wasn't expecting to be quite so in the ocean. Even her pants got in the ocean:-)

The famous Santa Monica Pier!
Inside the Hollywood United Methodist Church.

(Note: I started this Sunday night and needed to sleep before I could finish. Just getting back to it Tuesday night.)

Yes, a day. Actually two. Going on a week now. Saturday Angela and I headed for Los Angeles. We made it over five hours later, thank goodness for our new Sprint Instinct phones with the crazy GPS lady. She helped us get back on the right freeway and find our way to our hotel without incident. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Century City and it's pretty nice. Like the nicest bed I've been in outside of the Bellagio. And that's saying something.

So we made it to our hotel then we headed out for the theater. I'd gotten tickets for the musical The Next Big Thing and we wanted to make sure we got dinner before we saw the show. We found the theater, on theater row in West Hollywood, and then backtracked to find a restaurant. We ended up at Target, yes, the big red-themed store, because it had an underground parking garage that ended up being free because we were there less than an hour. I've heard it more than once, and now seen it live and in person, Los Angeles loves its' cars and parking is at a premium. So we parked and found this cool little Italian place to eat at. And yes, I had to go and order red sauce. And yes, I got it on my blue shirt. (But not the white pants I was wearing!) So over to Target we went for a Tide pen. Crisis averted!

We got to the theater early and parked on a side street. There was a lot with a "valet" (a man checking his teeth in a car's mirror) for ten bucks but we decided to take our chances. Worked out fine, everyone we saw at the play seemed to park on that street! The theater was beyond small. But this was an awesome experience. The woman who took our names and gave us our programs/tickets was the writer's girlfriend and some of the actors sang outside with a karaoke machine before the show. Very cool.

Then there was the show. It was a musical, set in 1983, with lots of great pop culture references and set pieces. One of the stars of the show was Missy who is in the band Breech and she was awesome. Has this unforgettable voice and was just great. I'll tell you - if you're in the LA area at all in the next few weeks (I know so many of you will be) check out The Next Big Thing. Definitely worth it!

Afterward we hung out and talked with Missy and her bandmate and one of the other actors, very cool. Then we found a 7-Eleven and got chocolate sorbet to eat at the hotel. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your view, we got home well before Shia LeBeouf's accident so we didn't get to see the Indiana Jones co-star in all his drunken glory (but we did drive through that intersection just hours earlier).

Sunday we got up and had breakfast at the hotel which had these surprisingly okay cheese omelettes and really good cinnamon rolls and then headed to church. I'd researched United Methodist churches in the area and found four to choose from. We settled on the Hollywood United Methodist Church for two reasons (click on the name of the church and look at the pics and you can even hear the sermon!). One it was built to look like Westminster Abbey, big and Gothic in style. Two, it's trying to start a 20s/30s group which I thought sounded like a good idea. So off we went. Thanks to GPS lady we found it pretty easily (only had to turn around once - she tells us to make a lot of u-turns which are really not all that easy to do) and were very impressed with the building.

The sermon was interesting, they're doing a series on films and this week's was Ratatouille. Yes, the Disney movie about a rat who cooks. They did a great job with the PowerPoint, we saw scenes from the movie throughout the sermon and that was cool. The songs were familiar and it was a overall good experience. The pastor, Rev. Kathy Cooper - Ledesma, seemed very nice and we walked around the church grounds afterward.

That's when we crossed paths with Pauley Perrett. At first I wasn't sure it was her, she smiled and then I heard her talking to a young boy who said he felt like he was staring at her and she said something about she gets that a lot. She seemed pretty normal and I saw her again a little later talking to some younger kids. For those of you who don't know who Pauley Perrett is, check out the hit CBS show NCIS. She plays Abby. Yep, this was our very first celebrity sighting! It was pretty exciting! And apparently a woman at my parents' church knows Pauley's boyfriend who went to the United Methodist's Camp Kinawind! Small world!

After church we headed back through Hollywood and West Hollywood and Beverly Hills (Ang likes Beverly Hills because she knows where the police station is, we've driven by it about twenty times already) and tried to find the school where Ang would interview on Monday. We found a school, several actually at that address but none looked the part of Jewish day school. Also, we seemed to have wandered into Koreatown and then suddenly, a Hispanic neighborhood. We noticed mostly because of the gang tags and then because of the Hispanic men giving us a look that said, "We know you don't belong here." So we left. Of course not until we'd walked around for half an hour and I'd tried to get the ice cream man to help me out, which he wouldn't.

We were defeated but not about to give up so we headed to UCLA. This required getting a valid address for the GPS. Luckily our fancy new Instincts have the Internet. So off we went to campus! And it was beautiful! We stopped and asked for directions and quickly found the student union/bookstore. We ate at the only restaurant open, Panda Express, which tasted so good because it was about 3:30 at this point then we wandered into the bookstore which is HUGE! I have never seen so many sweatshirts in one room. Seriously. We got some postcards, Ang got a magnet and I got a sticker for my car and off we went (we only had an hour on our parking meter, yep, they enforce on Sundays!) to find Melnitz Hall where I'll take some of my classes. It's right on the edge of campus which I think is a good thing.

Then we started calling about some apartments. And guess what? No one answered. This is why I feel Craigslist might be sketchy. So we decided to try this westsiderentals.com we'd heard a lot about (okay, one of the actresses in the play last night is from Michigan and she suggested it so...). They have offices all over LA so we found one in Santa Monica and signed up. For sixty bucks we get a password for two months plus we could use their computers and printers right there for free. We printed off some listings and made some calls. And off we went again.

The first apartment we saw wasn't too great. It was stuck in the sixties, the fixtures, the colors, even the carpet maybe. The counters were all cracked and the stove looked way older than me. Hmmm...all this for $1850 a month. Oh, and no parking which means finding street parking. And did I ever mention that parallel parking is the one part of driver's ed I never passed. Nor was I ever tested on. Yeah. So we went to the next one. But before that we needed to recharge. And find a bathroom.

Did you know restaurants don't have to have restrooms. I think this is ridiculous. Subway had no bathroom so we left but we did find a Frogo that had a restroom. And this awesome nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt. Seriously. If I lived in Santa Monica I'd be buying it by the gallon. So we recharged and made another apartment call.

The landlady was about 97 years old and seemed very sweet. When I talked to her on the phone she wanted to know my name and what I and my sister did for a living. She also wanted us to come right over so we did. The apartment was nice, much better than the first one but (there's always a but isn't there?!?!?) there were a few snags. First, no refrigerator. She's hoping someone will have their own and she won't have to "think about it". Yep yep. Then she told us that someone had applied for it already that afternoon. Finally, neither of us have a job yet so we couldn't apply anyway. We thanked her and found our car and decided to give up apartment hunting and head to the ocean for a walk.

Over an hour later we'd made the three or so mile drive to the ocean. Yeah, it really took us that long. Santa Monica was hoppin'. We paid three dollars to park and walked to the pier. We headed to the water where we both got a little wet with the tide coming in but it was great fun. And cool, something different from life in Yuma!

About this time Ang got a call from the other school and set up her interview for Monday afternoon so we headed back to the hotel for our PB&J dinner. And then we headed out to Kinkos to get copies of her resume. And then we watched some TV on our 40-inch flat-screen TV. Yeah, life's rough!

Monday we managed to find both of Ang's interviews and another westsiderentals.com office. Her second interview was in Encino, in the "Valley" which is just north of LA. We are actually quite found of the Valley despite what some people say and we looked at an apartment there as well. For $1650 we could have three levels, washer-dryer hookups, a roof patio, and two parking spots in a garage! So we're really liking the Valley. So we'll see.

It was quite the weekend. We got home Monday night about 9:30 after driving down the coast and through San Diego (not the route we'd intended but the GPS had other plans). Today I'm tired. Tomorrow I'll try to get a little more caught up. I'm still applying for jobs but think I'll wait on too many more until I have an LA address or some more direction. We'll see. All in all, a good trip. It was great to start to get a feel for the city and surrounding areas. To see where I'll go to school and have a little fun too!

Patience DOES pay off!

I'm trying not to be too excited. Because generally when I get really excited about something, it fails to live up to that expectation. I find this a lot as an adult. I'm really excited about a lesson I'm going to teach to my students and bam, no one gets it. I'm really excited for a new movie to come out and bam, it's just okay. I'm really excited for someone to open the gift I bought them and bam, they barely acknowledge it (I SWEAR TO ALL OF YOU, this applies to no one who's reading this blog! PROMISE!). So I'm just going to be a little excited and a little practical and a little dreamy right now. Just a little of all three.

Yesterday we were exercising, doing one of those great four-mile walking tapes. This one snuck in some "boosted walking" which is jogging. They shouldn't lie, it's jogging. I was really working up a sweat because for some reason I had a ton of energy and I had my iPod cranked up and was jumping in circles and dancing and kicking and punching and enjoying moving around. (And yes, the blinds were closed!) Then Ang's phone rings. I look at it and it's a 310 area code and I scream, "STOP!" It's an unknown Los Angeles number. So all out of breath she picks up and it's a principal! YES! She has an interview (which I am sure she'll tell you more about in her very own blog!).

So I move into practical mode, I try to find us a room to stay in since her interview is at 10am Monday morning and it's almost a five hour drive there. Lo and behold, things are all booked up. Well not the suite at the Beverly Wilshire (yes, I know it's the Pretty Woman hotel and yes, I know it costs A LOT of money to stay there). At the hostel we could get beds, in the dorms, in different rooms. Ang was not impressed by this idea. So I found a Holiday Inn Express that had a vacancy and booked it for Saturday and Sunday night. By this point we've decided to make a weekend of it since the gas is the same price anyway.

And since we're going to be there Saturday I went ahead and ordered tickets to a garage band musical called The Next Big Thing. When Ang and I were at Western we met this band, Breech, who's lead singer is a friend of a friend. They played at a birthday party we attended and then we heard them a couple other times when they were in the state. I've stayed on their mailing list since then and knew that they were stationed in LA. Come to find out the lead singer, Missy, is in the musical and wrote the songs for the play. The mailing list came with a coupon and now Ang and I are going to see a show in Hollywood Saturday at eight o'clock. I'm just a little excited.

The other good news is that the school Ang's interview is with is like two miles from UCLA which fits perfectly with our apartment searching! So we're going to scope out some potential habitats and the university while we're there. We're also thinking of finding a church to check out Sunday morning. Okay, I'm just a little more excited now.

But not too excited. I'm still going to be patient. It's just a weekend scouting trip. It's her first interview. God's plan is God's plan. I can't worry (Justin, and Jesus, say so). But I can plan. And smile.

Patience

Patience is not my strong suit. I can be a very patient person but I'm not always good at it. For the past week I've been working hard on this. Angela and I arrived back in Yuma a week ago yesterday. We had plans to start packing up our apartment, to go to Los Angeles and look at new apartments, to secure jobs, and to move. Yes, we had plans. And yes, I know the old saying about what God does when we make plans.

Needless to say there have been no job offers. You all would be among the first to hear. I've applied for a lot of jobs in the last week. So has Angela. She's cold called schools, sent emails, talked with the headhunting agency she paid to help her find a job. And still nothing. She's been told that hiring will pick up again in August when schools start to freak out. Again we're on a different time table here. I think I'm running into two roadblocks: one, I don't have a local L.A. address so I have a feeling that's limiting me in the types of jobs I am applying for (let's just say they're hourly, not salaried) and two, I know I am overqualified. I'm overeducated, I've had a lot of diverse experience and I've been told by employers that they know I won't stick around. No matter how much I tell them I will, they don't believe me.

Also, we didn't go to L.A. I made reservations at a hotel (the hostel and on-campus places were full) and everything but it just didn't feel right. We'd found all these apartments to look at but we really have no concept of a budget yet. Maybe we'll be able to afford the two-bedroom with laundry hook-ups for $1850 or maybe we'll have to try the one-bedroom for $1100. We just don't know and I just didn't want to get my hopes up that much. Or put that much effort and money into an apartment search that wouldn't end with an application and a down-payment.

We've started packing, and now stopped. There's not much point in continuing right now. I packed all the pots but two and now cooking is like making a meal on the trail a hundred years ago. Last night I finally unpacked a box to find my exercise videos so I could work out this morning. (I have carved a small space between boxes and moved the living room chair to the dining room, here's hoping that goes well.) So we're half in boxes and half out. And trying to fill our time with other things right now. Yesterday we went to the movies and Walmart. (Can I just say I choked when I saw our bill at Walmart - $91 for hardly anything, the only meat we bought was bologna, fat-free bologna that might not even be real meat!!!)

So...I'm trying to be patient. I've decided to get on the job sites once a day and look for possibilities. I can't do it every fifteen minutes or I'll go crazier than I already am. I'll apply for the promising jobs in the area we're committed to (UCLA is in the neighborhood of Beverly Hills, Westwood, Santa Monica, etc.) and write some really good cover letters. I'll keep working on my novel because maybe that's what this period of in-betweenness is partially about. I'll read some more (Just finished Janet Evanovich's Four to Score, seriously, they are addicting). I'll go to the matinee movies (because really, five bucks isn't going to be the end of me). And I'll leave the worrying to God.

At least I'll try to. It's hard. This is my life, my dream, my future. It's really hard not to feel guilty about being at home all day, not working, not bringing in money right now. That's one of the hardest parts about writing for me, allowing myself the time and space to write without feeling guilty about doing it. But I'm going to try. Maybe that's my lesson from all of this, patience, for a lot of different reasons.

Swimming in circles

I'm nervous. Nervous and anxious and teary-eyed. I can't help it. I want to be that brave, strong, nerves of steel girl I know I should be but I'm scared. Scared that when we drive to Los Angeles this week I will get lost and drown in the sea of millions of people and concrete. Scared that the apartments we've found online will so not look like their pictures. Scared that even though I've applied for what feels like hundreds of jobs, the only response I get will be the job I don't really want that doesn't pay very well. (Yes, I got a response from a resume I sent out Friday and yes, it's the one job I really didn't want, public speaker for a Fashion College. It sounds interesting and I know I can do it but they want a commitment of 2 days a week - and it's contingent on high schools asking you to come speak, whatever, that will so not pay the bills!)

Scared that UCLA will be way bigger than MSU and I'll flashback to the summer year between high school and college when I flipped out and quit MSU before I even moved on campus. Scared that I will have nothing to fill 180 pages/2 screenplays with. Scared that I'll suck at writing like I've always feared. Scared that maybe I won't suck and I'll have to keep putting myself out there.

Scared that the L.A. I see on television is the L.A. of real life. Scared that the U-Haul won't fit into the parking spot or that our apartment won't come with a refrigerator (not unfounded can I just say). Scared that I will be sleeping in a twin bed my entire life.

And I know, it'll be okay. It has to be. But that doesn't mean I can't be scared, at least a little. I'm excited too, don't get me wrong. Excited beyond belief. Excited because I'm moving to a city where I can go see this girl I know from college who's in a rock musical in a cool little theater in Hollywood. Excited because I might live two blocks from where the freakin' Academy Awards are held. Excited because it'll be 80 degrees and not 180 degrees outside. Excited because someone who graduated from the very same program I've been accepted into has been nominated for an Emmy award.

Scared and excited. Excited and scared. It leaves me swimming in circles a little. So I look for apartments online. I look for refrigerators online. I pack a box. I balance my checkbook. I call my grandparents. I play scrabulous on facebook (way better than Scrabble's new game). I make some muffins. I read one of the 20 magazines that came when we were gone. I quit MySpace. I think about the back story of the Vietnam vet in my novel. I try to decide whether or not the main character in my screenplay should be 40 instead of 25. I pack up the baby gift I bought for Kelly to send to her shower. I put my flip flops back on to go downstairs for water. (We broke a vase yesterday and I do not need anything else going on with my feet.) I watch a movie. (So far this weekend: Lions for Lambs which I thought was really good, and Charlie Bartlett, which made me laugh and smile, a lot.) I print out some resumes to take with me to L.A. I think about what it will be like when I can buy a house in Beverly Hills and have everyone I love come and visit for as long as they want. I think about trying to download a fun ringtone for my new Instinct.

Okay, I've talked (or rather, written) myself down a little. I'm excited again. I'm okay. I'm still swimming in circles but they're my circles and I'm still moving, right? Right!

El Fuego!

On fire! Yep, that's right! I am a job applying machine. This morning I "helped" Angela apply for six teaching/nanny/daycare jobs. Since lunch I've applied for six of my own jobs. They range from assistant to blog writer (I really want this one!!!) to mail room staff to public speaker for a Fashion Institute to a curriculum writer (okay, seriously, I WANT THIS ONE!!! AT LEAST AN INTERVIEW FOR IT!!!).

So I haven't been a total slacker today. Sometimes without a "job" to go to or pressing issues at hand I can feel rather slackerish, lazy even. But not today. I got up, made the bed, showered and dressed, then started working. No writing yet, hopefully tonight or tomorrow but I feel good about the direction I'm heading.

This morning we decided to renew our apartment lease by two weeks, yeah, I know, big deal. But it was, it kinda freaks me out. I mean I'm supposed to be leaving not staying. But it'll work out. This means we won't be homeless at least not until Angela's birthday or so. It also means we have a little time to think, plan, and prepare.

And yeah, I am going to order my computer today. Back to Best Buy. I'm going to try and not lose any other body parts while I'm there. I've been working on Ang's MacBook all day and the ease at which it works has left me needing a better machine. Wish me luck!

And to add insult to injury...

It wasn't enough that I was crabby yesterday. We went out to get dinner and then decided to go look at laptops. Mine is dying, and I am finally resigned to the fact that I need a new one. This is fantastic since I still owe over a grand on it. But the video card won't let me play movies on netflix.com (I know, the tragedy!), it takes ten plus minutes to boot up, yesterday I couldn't get into my hotmail because Internet Explorer just wouldn't open, and the I was using itunes to listen to music and shut it down and yet Eminem still blasted from my computer. No, itunes was not on, but the music still was. I have no idea.

So I am looking at laptops and they have this really good deal on a new one, one I'd looked at online and was interested in and shock! they don't have it in stock. So I moved on to look at another and BAM! ran my foot into the lovely metal computer stand. And yes, my big toe nail broke off completely, taking a big chunk of skin with it. FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC.

We browsed a little more, stood still a while longer, and then left the store. Not ready to go home yet, Ang pulled the first aid kit from the trunk. My dad had given it to her when she'd moved and she was just a little excited to use it for the first time, hoping this was practice for her new career as a bounty hunter (yes, she's reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels nonstop right now and yes Mom, she'll get a gun first).

And can I just say this first aid kit will come in handy for her new career?!?! Not only were there band-aids but also abdominal pads, surgical scissors, etc. We wrapped my toe, I wiped my tears, and we moved on to Circuit City.

So yes, that was an exciting adventure. Also, good news - I now get to sock away the $24 I was going to spend on a pedicure today. I think it'll be a few months before I get another one of those, seeing how my toe has raw flesh when the nail used to be. Lovely. Let's hope the day improves, I'll let you know when I get out of bed!

"Strap on the floation device, jump feet first into the sand and run!"

That was the advice of our flight attendant yesterday on the flight from Phoenix to Yuma. It had been a long day of traveling already and even though our planes were on time, even early, it was a long day. It helped a lot that this flight attendant had a sense of humor. She even asked if we all knew what a seat belt was. It was great.

So we're back in Hell, excuse me, Yuma. I think it's really worse when you leave and come back, you've forgotten what it was like. It's 115 today in the sun. I went out after a shower, to pick up some boxes from a friend, and sweat was literally running down my face before I made it to the car. I got burned three times on my seat belt and I can't have the arms down on the seat of the car. Yes, I'm complaining, yes, I moved here, and yes, I am crabby. Hellish heats and poison ivy do not mix. In fact, they sort of hate each other - yes, a turf war on my skin. "Isn't that just kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?" (Yes, I stole that Friends' Rachel and yes, that's how I feel today.)

So anyway, we're back. We've yet to unpack, we've made several meals of honey nut cheerios, pizza, ice cream and pop. We've watched a little TV (Burn Notice started last week - love it! and In Plain Sight is still funny!), I've finished another book (Janet Evanovich's Three to Get Deadly), I snuck off and bought Ang a birthday present, I had a massage, and I have jet lag. I have no idea what time it really is or if I should eat or sleep so I just am.

So yeah, that's all there is right now. I have a lot of other blogs in my head, including one on golf I've been meaning to write for a while now so hopefully soon I'll get them down. I also need to find a job and an apartment and move to Los Angeles. All in the next 15 days. I think I'd better just jump feet first into the sand and run right now.

The Purple Rose

I wonder how many people know what's in their backyard? What exciting, interesting things you can take advantage of without going to far. Yes, yes, there's been a lot of talk of the "staycation" this year - not traveling because of the price of fuel (mind you I flew a long way to get to my vacation so this really doesn't apply to me) but I'm talking about all the time. Taking advantage of the community you live in - that's what we did Sunday and it was a truly entertaining experience.

Jeff Daniels, the actor (yes, he of Dumb and Dumber fame, among many other, better movies), founded The Purple Rose Theater Company back in 1991. I remember, when I was much, much younger, my parents and their friends went to a play there and always recalled the experience fondly but never returned. I'm not sure why, we went to other plays, to MSU, to WMU, to Detroit, etc. but never back to the Purple Rose. Until this past weekend.

My mom and I read about Jeff Daniels' latest play in the paper. Panhandle Slim and the Oklahoma Kid. Yes, in addition to acting, Daniels is quite the accomplished playwright. It was to be the world-premiere of this play, and it was only about 45 minutes from our house. I called up the box office and away we went.

We walked through downtown Chelsea, where the theater is located, because we got there early. (We also got rear-ended by a woman while we were waiting at a red light but luckily there was no damage. The funny part is, it happened in front of the police station and there was quite the noise and no, no one from the station or the patrol car parked out front came out to investigate.) We browsed in shops and art galleries and then headed to the theater.

I remember my mom always saying how small the theater was but this was quite the shock. It holds just over 200 patrons and is intimate enough in it's setting that you see everything on stage, AND all the people in the crowd around you. But there were comfy seats and nice ushers and then the show began.

It was the perfect way to spend 90 minutes of a Sunday afternoon. Laughing, smiling, tapping toes as the four actors sang songs and even a hymn. The play was about death, life, regret, experiences, spirituality, love, and owning up to it all. It was funny, smart, and included one character watering an invisible horse. It was great.

I'm so glad that Jeff Daniels decided to put his little theater right here smack-dab in the middle of Michigan. I'm glad that on Sunday afternoon I could watch this play with families and senior citizens and just ordinary people who, like me, probably don't get to the theater very much. I'm glad that we moved out of our backyard for a day and found something new, something enjoyable.

In December I'd love to go back, there's a revival of one of Daniels' other plays (he's quite prolific). And I'm excited to keep discovering things in my backyard, where ever that happens to be!