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Good stuff...
Today was a success! The meeting for work was informative and overall enlightening for the best job in the world (that I have). And, most importantly, the San Antonio Spurs are the NBA Champs once again...YEEHAW!! I am so happy to be a Texan right now and I sure plan to boast about that tomorrow at work! : )
That's all I have to say about that.
That's all I have to say about that.
Home Improvements
Since Guillaume and I moved in, we've been living with taking very low-pressure showers and a tub that sometimes decided not to drain very quickly. We also hadn't really done a thorough cleaning of the place - in areas like above the fridge, on the stove and in the bathtub, for instance. So, Sunday we dedicated the entire day (after a quick breakfast at our new Sunday hang-out that I've mentioned in an earlier blog entry) to some much-needed home improvements. We replaced our shower head with a high-pressure one, did a ton of laundry, bought some cleaning products from Target and cleaned up the the nasty little corners of our apartment (which Guillaume, thankfully, took charge of). I also managed to reorganized my clothes in a more orderly fashion and we called about a couch we found on Craigslist, which we'll have just in time for our first official visitor. Thinngs are coming along swimmingly, I'd say.
Sublime Sunday
Guillaume & I woke up early this morning to check out a local eatery that everyone raves about as the best breakfast in Long Beach. It's a little joint called The Coffee Cup, and it's open for breakfast and lunch only, but somehow always has a line out the door when it's open. We woke up a little later than we expected, but managed to make it to breakfast around 10. There was a line along the street as expected, but we found a parking spot down the street and poured ourselves a cup of brew while we waited the short (by our standards) 30 mins to be seated at the breakfast bar. The menu was vast, and I, naturally, wanted to try everything. But, we're still on a budget, and despite this being our little treat from eating at home and taking lunch all week, we decided to keep it simple. We both got the equivalent of the "economical" that's on the Magnolia menu - 2 eggs, bacon or sausage, fruit pancakes - plus, we opted for a side of potatoes to share. The food was delicious and the service was phenomenal...everyone so friendly and cheery and excited to keep our mugs full of fresh and very tasty coffee. It was everything and more than I expected, enough to keep us getting up early on a Sunday more often!
Today was exceptionally beautiful, maybe about 85 degrees, clear skies and a slight ocean breeze. After filling our bellies and bringing smiles to our faces so early in the morning, we headed off to Trader Joe's to pick up a few essentials and some stuff for the week. I can't go on about how much I love this place, but let me tell you that I do. It's amazing how great the deals are on such yummy and practical food. We decided not to waste the sunny day, so we came home to change into our swimsuits and headed to the beach; we couldn't believe that we had already done so much before noon - it makes such a difference to your day when you wake up and start it early. We went to a beach that we had just discovered by taking a wrong turn, and it turned out to be a very nice one. Well, not nice, but certainly a good one for laying out and seeing people. There were still a few strange people around, lots of families, a few BBQs that reminded me of growing up and hanging out at Garrison Park, and even a congregation of people speaking spanish and performing a baptism in the ocean!!! WTF??
That was certainly a little weird and unexpected. Anyway, the beach was a lot better for laying out than the beach just a 10 minute walk from our apartment, but we still have a lot more to explore. We actually went to our neighborhood beach yesterday, but it was waaay too windy and chilly to lay out. So, we were glad to make up for it today. We just finished cleaning up our apartment, so now we're relishing in the Spurs' Game 1 win and enjoying the nice weather and cool breezes coming in. We'll top of this particularly super Sunday with a new episode of DH and Brothers and Sisters! Good stuff...good stuff!
Windy Saturday
Today was exceptionally beautiful, maybe about 85 degrees, clear skies and a slight ocean breeze. After filling our bellies and bringing smiles to our faces so early in the morning, we headed off to Trader Joe's to pick up a few essentials and some stuff for the week. I can't go on about how much I love this place, but let me tell you that I do. It's amazing how great the deals are on such yummy and practical food. We decided not to waste the sunny day, so we came home to change into our swimsuits and headed to the beach; we couldn't believe that we had already done so much before noon - it makes such a difference to your day when you wake up and start it early. We went to a beach that we had just discovered by taking a wrong turn, and it turned out to be a very nice one. Well, not nice, but certainly a good one for laying out and seeing people. There were still a few strange people around, lots of families, a few BBQs that reminded me of growing up and hanging out at Garrison Park, and even a congregation of people speaking spanish and performing a baptism in the ocean!!! WTF??
That was certainly a little weird and unexpected. Anyway, the beach was a lot better for laying out than the beach just a 10 minute walk from our apartment, but we still have a lot more to explore. We actually went to our neighborhood beach yesterday, but it was waaay too windy and chilly to lay out. So, we were glad to make up for it today. We just finished cleaning up our apartment, so now we're relishing in the Spurs' Game 1 win and enjoying the nice weather and cool breezes coming in. We'll top of this particularly super Sunday with a new episode of DH and Brothers and Sisters! Good stuff...good stuff!
Windy Saturday
What I miss - revisited
Nearly 2 months ago, I posted an entry in my blog about what I predicted I'd miss most when I moved to LA. I figured it was about time for me to reflect on what I predicted and what I really miss most while living here. So, here's my list - reorganized a bit:
(1) 1. ALL OF MY FRIENDS & FAMILY HERE Definitely still first on my list! Miss y'all!
(2) 12. Brunches with my girl-friends that last 8 hours and the all-you-can-drink mimosas Taverna naively offers us. (Thanks, Gladys.) I didn't think I'd miss these as much as I do...I really REALLY miss these little brunches! And, it doesn't help that there are tons of amazing places to brunch around here!
(3) 7. Josie's Enchiladas from Maudie's - I'll have to find a replacement in SoCal Still no SoCal substitution!
(4) 5. Strolling along South Congress on the weekends As much as I love strolling along the beach, this weekend-after-brunch ritual is definitely missed; so are the pitchers at Doc's and the Negra Modelos at San Jose Hotel! Mmmmm....
(5) 9. Being a native (no, not a Native American...being a native of the city I live in). It's always fun to be the tour guide for folks new to town, so I'm going to have to learn to turn the tables and open myself up to a new city It's definitely a drawback to be a newbie to the area, and discovering a new city is much harder than I suspected it would be.
(6) 8. Randomly running into old friends and making new ones every single day It just makes it a little easier when you see a familiar face.
(7) 4. SXSW, ACL Fest, Bob Marley Fest, Harley Fest, Marathons (though not the traffic they create) So, I don't quite miss these, yet. There's plenty going on here...loads of concerts and big events going on all the time...but I'll be a little sad when ACL Fest comes around and I don't have a plane ticket to Austin!
(8) 10. Trudy's What I'd DO for a mexican martini and some nachos!
(9) 3. Kind-hearted Austinites - a group of us went to lunch today and there was a couple seated at the only big table in the restaurant, when only two-seat tables were available, so when they noticed our dilemma, they voluntarily decided to switch tables mid-meal...this doesn't just happen anywhere, people. People have been pretty nice here, for the most part, so I've been happy with that. :)
(10) 2. Seeing burnt orange at every turn Hmm...don't miss this one as much as I anticipated! Hehee.
(11) 6. Texas license plates & bumper stickers (my favorite shown here). California plates are quite cool, with all their weird personalizations.
(12) 11. The Drag Although nothing can replace the Drag, 2nd street in Belmont Shores comes quite close!
(1) 1. ALL OF MY FRIENDS & FAMILY HERE Definitely still first on my list! Miss y'all!
(2) 12. Brunches with my girl-friends that last 8 hours and the all-you-can-drink mimosas Taverna naively offers us. (Thanks, Gladys.) I didn't think I'd miss these as much as I do...I really REALLY miss these little brunches! And, it doesn't help that there are tons of amazing places to brunch around here!
(3) 7. Josie's Enchiladas from Maudie's - I'll have to find a replacement in SoCal Still no SoCal substitution!
(4) 5. Strolling along South Congress on the weekends As much as I love strolling along the beach, this weekend-after-brunch ritual is definitely missed; so are the pitchers at Doc's and the Negra Modelos at San Jose Hotel! Mmmmm....
(5) 9. Being a native (no, not a Native American...being a native of the city I live in). It's always fun to be the tour guide for folks new to town, so I'm going to have to learn to turn the tables and open myself up to a new city It's definitely a drawback to be a newbie to the area, and discovering a new city is much harder than I suspected it would be.
(6) 8. Randomly running into old friends and making new ones every single day It just makes it a little easier when you see a familiar face.
(7) 4. SXSW, ACL Fest, Bob Marley Fest, Harley Fest, Marathons (though not the traffic they create) So, I don't quite miss these, yet. There's plenty going on here...loads of concerts and big events going on all the time...but I'll be a little sad when ACL Fest comes around and I don't have a plane ticket to Austin!
(8) 10. Trudy's What I'd DO for a mexican martini and some nachos!
(9) 3. Kind-hearted Austinites - a group of us went to lunch today and there was a couple seated at the only big table in the restaurant, when only two-seat tables were available, so when they noticed our dilemma, they voluntarily decided to switch tables mid-meal...this doesn't just happen anywhere, people. People have been pretty nice here, for the most part, so I've been happy with that. :)
(10) 2. Seeing burnt orange at every turn Hmm...don't miss this one as much as I anticipated! Hehee.
(11) 6. Texas license plates & bumper stickers (my favorite shown here). California plates are quite cool, with all their weird personalizations.
(12) 11. The Drag Although nothing can replace the Drag, 2nd street in Belmont Shores comes quite close!
Heading to the O.C.
For business and other reasons, my training for work will be relocating to the South Coast Plaza store in Costa Mesa. I'm excited about reducing my commute by half and training at a much smaller and less-hectic store, but I'll admit I'm a little sad to leave Beverly Hills after such a short stay. The Beverly Center has been a neat experience, though, and both Guillaume and I were able to exlplore Beverly Hills (including Melrose & Sunset Blvds) a bit, too. We'll definitely be back, especially when Irisa comes, to dabble in the abundant night-life and various eateries around there. I'm glad I've had the chance to get to know the place a little. Guillaume and I, however, share separate views on the people and community there; while I'd love to live in such a happening and bustling area of LA, he prefers the laid-back, slow-moving and easy-going environment in Long Beach. As much as I love Long Beach and living here, while I'm young, I think a place like Beverly Hills could offer the fun, entertainment and culture (not to mention shopping!) that I want to be a part of before I get too grown-up. Long Beach very much reminds me of Austin, which is really great, but before I left Austin I always pictured myself living in a bigger city before returning to settle in my hometown with a family (with or without kids). Although the LBC is much larger than Austin, it still has the same quaintness and charm that Austin has, so I feel like I'm still in a big-small, hip town. It'll be nice to finally get a chance to experience that hustle and bustle once I make the move to the Hollywood Hills in September, I just hope I'm not disappointed. For now, I'll enjoy my time near the beach and in walking-distance to my favorite coffee shop, bar and pizza joint. Oh, and this nice French wine that Gui picked up at Trader Joe's for a measly 6 bucks!
Long Beach, La Creperie & Mexican Food
Guillaume and I have really started to explore our new city. We really got lucky with the apartment we found so close to the beach and an amazing little area called Belmont Shore, which is very reminiscent of the new areas around 1st & 2nd streets in downtown Austin. There are tons of coffee shops, hole-in-the-wall and gourmet eateries of every genre and clothing & shoe boutiques galore! With a side-order of sand and ocean. It's really wonderful. We've decided to take advantage of our coveted location and explore a little bit each day after work. I got home early from work on Tuesday, so as soon as Guillaume made it home, we decided to do some exploring. I had noticed a bar a couple of blocks away called "Brit Bar," so we thought we start with a drink. The place was pretty dark inside, and the bar was expectedly empty at 6:00, with the exception of a few regulars. We sat at the bar and ordered a couple of beers, telling the bartender that we'd just moved to the area and were checking out some local places. He welcomed us and served our very cheap happy-hour drinks. It took me a few minutes, and I didn't really make the connection in my brain until Guillaume whispered in my ear, "this is a gay bar." Looking up at the neon signs with rainbows, the rainbow colored backsplash of the bar and the two guys sitting cozily beside us, I finally made the connection. Ah ha! But it was cool, and so was the bartender. We just sat there, had our drink and told him we'd be back...at least I would be! ;) I keep forgetting that Long Beach has a very large gay & lesbian demographic, but I guess it's not something I regularly think about.
So, after our drink, we decided to check out the beach at sunset. It really is a lovely city. Too bad Guillaume's camera is broken, otherwise the pictures might have been much nicer. That is on my wish list, though! ;) It was really very cold this evening...maybe somewhere around 50 or 60 with the wind blowing, but it was nice nonetheless. After our little trip to the beach, we headed to 2nd street, which boasts all the fun little eateries and shops in Belmont Shore. I've made a list of all the good places to eat that I've read about on Yelp, and La Creperie was pretty high on the list. This is for good reason, since both Gui and I really enjoyed our crepes (I had the chicken curry crepe, he had the carbonara crepe and we split the nutella & banana crepe for dessert). We both decided that the dishes were very very good, but the crepe was more of an addition than a main focus of the dish (am I sounding a bit like an Iron Chef judge?...because that's what I'm going for). We were both surprised to see kir on the menu, too, but it turned out to be our only disappointment of the meal when it came out as a huge wine glass with chardonnay and a splash of cassis. But, it was still an overall 5-star experience. Can't you see the content in Guillaume's eyes?
Today was my day off, so Gui and I met up for lunch. Trying to appease my craving for tex-mex, we decided give good ol' mexican food another try after my very dissatisfied experience with chicken tacos at El Torito. I'm glad I did. Although the food wasn't EXACTLY what I'd hoped to get at this hole-in-the-wall mexican joint in Cerritos, the beans were yum and the cheese in the enchiladas masked any unfamiliar ingredients. It definitely ain't mom's home-cooked goodness, but it'll have to do for now. I really need to get those family recipes down, by the way!! So, now I'm at my favorite little coffee joint around the corner, enjoying my hazelnut coffee, waiting for Guillaume to get home from work. I think we might try sushi tonight, but a guy just walked in with a Hooter's shirt on and we've both been pretty excited about checking that out! (Hey, the wings are good and the girls are funny!) We'll see...I know my little honey is tired, so maybe after a little nap. I must say that we have also been enjoying meals at home...like frozen CPK pizza, tomato salad and creamy brie with toast (that's all what we had last night). We'll have to balance out our dining out with dining in more, but it's just so hard with so many wonderful places to try only footsteps away!
So, after our drink, we decided to check out the beach at sunset. It really is a lovely city. Too bad Guillaume's camera is broken, otherwise the pictures might have been much nicer. That is on my wish list, though! ;) It was really very cold this evening...maybe somewhere around 50 or 60 with the wind blowing, but it was nice nonetheless. After our little trip to the beach, we headed to 2nd street, which boasts all the fun little eateries and shops in Belmont Shore. I've made a list of all the good places to eat that I've read about on Yelp, and La Creperie was pretty high on the list. This is for good reason, since both Gui and I really enjoyed our crepes (I had the chicken curry crepe, he had the carbonara crepe and we split the nutella & banana crepe for dessert). We both decided that the dishes were very very good, but the crepe was more of an addition than a main focus of the dish (am I sounding a bit like an Iron Chef judge?...because that's what I'm going for). We were both surprised to see kir on the menu, too, but it turned out to be our only disappointment of the meal when it came out as a huge wine glass with chardonnay and a splash of cassis. But, it was still an overall 5-star experience. Can't you see the content in Guillaume's eyes?
Today was my day off, so Gui and I met up for lunch. Trying to appease my craving for tex-mex, we decided give good ol' mexican food another try after my very dissatisfied experience with chicken tacos at El Torito. I'm glad I did. Although the food wasn't EXACTLY what I'd hoped to get at this hole-in-the-wall mexican joint in Cerritos, the beans were yum and the cheese in the enchiladas masked any unfamiliar ingredients. It definitely ain't mom's home-cooked goodness, but it'll have to do for now. I really need to get those family recipes down, by the way!! So, now I'm at my favorite little coffee joint around the corner, enjoying my hazelnut coffee, waiting for Guillaume to get home from work. I think we might try sushi tonight, but a guy just walked in with a Hooter's shirt on and we've both been pretty excited about checking that out! (Hey, the wings are good and the girls are funny!) We'll see...I know my little honey is tired, so maybe after a little nap. I must say that we have also been enjoying meals at home...like frozen CPK pizza, tomato salad and creamy brie with toast (that's all what we had last night). We'll have to balance out our dining out with dining in more, but it's just so hard with so many wonderful places to try only footsteps away!
Pinkberry
Our newest delightful discovery in our lovely LBC neighborhood is the trendy new Pinkberry that recently opened up in the area. I was told that it's a local favorite (by local, I mean born in L.A.) that keeps the crowds coming in droves, so I was a little worried about getting in and out. To my surprise, it wasn't crowded at all, and we were able to find a table and 3 chairs to sit and enjoy our pleasantly tasty yogurt (and smoothies for Gui & Albert). There was an interesting sign on the door that forbade photography in the store, so here's a picture that I found online of what these little yogurt delights look like. I got the original with mango and bananas...YUM! (P.S. Yes, that's Cap'n Crunch! They have all kinds of goodies to choose from.)
Long Beach
So, Albert and I took a trip to the beach close to our apartment today. We didn't stay for it, but we wanted to see if it really was within walking distance and if it was worth a visit. We found exactly what we'd hoped for: beautiful sand and sun only a stone's throw away. The beach isn't the best beach in California, but it's definitely good enough for a Texas girl used to the dark, often dreary gulf beaches of South Padre and Corpus Christi. We came back to the apartment to meet Guillaume and took him down to see what we discovered. He took a few shots of the beach while we drove by, on our way to Trader Joe's (By the way, Trader Joe's is THE shizNIT! Guillaume found some of the best French wine - according to him - for only $10 a bottle, and they have all kinds of good, organic cheeses, syrups and sodas...even San Pelligrino Aranciata that I had everyday while I was in Italy...for super-duper cheap!!!!! Totally going to be my new hang-out). So, here are the pics...not too great, but just a 2 min. drive from our place.
You can't really see the sand in the pictures, but there's tons of it...I'll be sure to post more after we go to to beach this weekend! : ) Can't wait!
You can't really see the sand in the pictures, but there's tons of it...I'll be sure to post more after we go to to beach this weekend! : ) Can't wait!
Back in the loop
Sorry about the lack of posts this past week. It's been an adventurous time with lots of exciting moments and some good news. First off, I had 2 interviews scheduled for early Tuesday the 27th, so my brother Albert and I set off for California on Sunday morning around 5:30 am...we had a few delays with the car trailer, but we were still able to avoid major traffic during the day. We had planned to stop to rest somewhere in Tucson before heading out again on Tuesday, but after driving past the city we decided to head towards Phoenix and look for a place to stop on the way. We attempted to stop at a shady hotel in the middle of nowhere, but made a quick u-turn after realizing it looked like one of those creepy places out of a hitchcock movie. After talking to mom on the phone, we made a determined decision to just drive the full way through. I wasn't too tired at the time, and when I began feeling a little drowsy, we pulled over to a truck stop for a quick nap. Just as I was setting my phone alarm for an hour later, Guillaume called in to let me know he was home from San Francisco. He also told me that someone had broken the back window of his car while it was parked at his office in Cerritos. I was pissed! Who does that?? It's obvious the person driving his 1995 P.O.S. Saturn isn't someone who has money to throw away on buying a new window! Grrrrrr. So, needless to say, I was no longer in the mood to sleep at this point and we headed back out on the road. We finally made it to LA after a nice traffic-filled freeway commute from the north at 4 AM!!! Yes, even at 4 AM, LA has freakin' traffic! When we finally made it home, our truck and trailer were too big to fit down our little one-way street, which resulted in another adventure that took us around the neighborhood, down alley-ways and finally in our driveway to unload the junk from the truck. Phew!! What a day! At 9 AM Albert and I were finally able to catch some zees, but I couldn't sleep for more than a couple of hours before I had to get up to organize the new mess in our living room and kitchen. Fun, fun!
Since our arrival, we've found a nice restaurant and bar that serves amazing seafood just down the street, we've done some grocery shopping at the famous Ralph's (not my favorite place; I think we'll try Trader Joe's next time), completely organized our new living space, and done a bit of exploration around the 'hood - including a stop at Carl's ,Jr. Today, I'm taking my little bro to the beach that's a few blocks from our apt. I'll give a full report of that later.
As for my interviews....they both went really well. My first interview was with my preferred job, and I was really stoked about it. It was a pretty informal conversation, with typical questions about past experiences and such. It ended well, and a 2nd interview was scheduled for Wed. My other interview on Tuesday was with an asset management company, which went unexpectedly well, too. It was a very laid-back interview, and the job seemed to be much cooler than I had originally thought it would be. They told me they'd defintely be in touch for a second interview and thought I was the best candidate that they'd seen so far. I was really excited for both jobs!! But, yesterday I had the 2nd interview with my preferred job and it seemed to really go well. While I was making dinner with Guillaume last night, I got a phone call from my interviewer who offered me the job (which I readily accepted)! It's such a great feeling to be employed again and in the job that I had set my hopes on attaining when I moved here! It's sure to be a company I'll grow with and one that I expect to be very happy working for. So, I'll start with orientation tomorrow and begin training for the next 7 weeks on Tuesday. The store will be opening in the Westfield Mall in Topanga, and will be a 2-story store with over 100 employees. It's not very close to where we're living now, but I plan to be closer to that area after a few months. Exciting times are ahead!
Since our arrival, we've found a nice restaurant and bar that serves amazing seafood just down the street, we've done some grocery shopping at the famous Ralph's (not my favorite place; I think we'll try Trader Joe's next time), completely organized our new living space, and done a bit of exploration around the 'hood - including a stop at Carl's ,Jr. Today, I'm taking my little bro to the beach that's a few blocks from our apt. I'll give a full report of that later.
As for my interviews....they both went really well. My first interview was with my preferred job, and I was really stoked about it. It was a pretty informal conversation, with typical questions about past experiences and such. It ended well, and a 2nd interview was scheduled for Wed. My other interview on Tuesday was with an asset management company, which went unexpectedly well, too. It was a very laid-back interview, and the job seemed to be much cooler than I had originally thought it would be. They told me they'd defintely be in touch for a second interview and thought I was the best candidate that they'd seen so far. I was really excited for both jobs!! But, yesterday I had the 2nd interview with my preferred job and it seemed to really go well. While I was making dinner with Guillaume last night, I got a phone call from my interviewer who offered me the job (which I readily accepted)! It's such a great feeling to be employed again and in the job that I had set my hopes on attaining when I moved here! It's sure to be a company I'll grow with and one that I expect to be very happy working for. So, I'll start with orientation tomorrow and begin training for the next 7 weeks on Tuesday. The store will be opening in the Westfield Mall in Topanga, and will be a 2-story store with over 100 employees. It's not very close to where we're living now, but I plan to be closer to that area after a few months. Exciting times are ahead!
Vegas
So, here I am...in Las Vegas. You might be asking yourself how I got here. Well, my brilliant self thought that waiting for the first flight to Austin through Phoenix tomorrow morning was hogwash. So, when they made the announcement that I'd surely miss the flight to Austin because of the delays in Phoenix, I pulled out the charm and made a successful attempt to strategize a flight to Austin that bypassed Phoenix. The end result of my impressive persuasion was that I was sent by prepaid cab to the Orange County/Santa Ana/John Wayne airport in Orange County to catch the next flight to Vegas and get to Austin by 3:30am. I just couldn't fathom spending another night in a hotel or in my empty, bedless, Guillaume-less apartment. So, 7 hours later, here I am, waiting in the Vegas airport for yet another delayed flight to arrive before I officially make my way home. It's been an interesting journey so far, though. The cab driver told me a story about a pregnant woman who cops pulled over for driving by herself in the HOV lane. Well, she took the cop to court for the ticket with the explanation that her 6-month pregnant belly was actually a second person, and therefore, she was breaking no laws by driving in the 2-person-minimum HOV lane. Well, the woman won...basically on the grounds that if a person murders a pregnant woman and both she and the baby die, the person is charged with a double homicide..so the 2-person rule applies. I just thought this was such a brilliant story...and I promised my cab-driver that I'd share it with my friends. :) I also met a couple of cool cats on the plane ride from John Wayne to Vegas, which was another plus, and now that I'm in Vegas, I'm getting a craving for ice-cream or popcorn, so I may make my way to an ice-cream stand (even though it's always so freakin' cold in this airport!), and then test my luck at the penny slots! Woohoo! So, I'll be back to good ol' Austin sometime tomorrow morning...right now it's 5AM, but doubt that'll stick. Hopefully I'll be able to get a bit of shut-eye on my way back before I get started on packing and moving!!! See y'all soon!
update: I'm finally in Austin - flight arrived promptly at 7:15 am and my bag was the first on the carousel...woo-hooo...things are looking up for me! ; )
update: I'm finally in Austin - flight arrived promptly at 7:15 am and my bag was the first on the carousel...woo-hooo...things are looking up for me! ; )
Stuck
Of course, just when everything's feeling like smooth-sailing, my flight gets delayed. I was sitting at the LB airport bar, chowing down on an avocado and bacon burger, fries and a pint of Sam Adams when I received a text message from Gladys in Mexico that her flight was canceled to Phoenix for bad weather. Crap! That's where I'm flying through!! Yep, I'm making my way back to Austin to collect my things (namely, my car) and make the drive back for good. My flight's scheduled to take off toward Phoenix in half an hour, but the plane hasn't even left the airport to pick us up! I'm pretty sure I'll be here for a while, but at least the Long Beach Airport is on it with free wi-fi...woohoo! It's hard to believe the weather only one hour away is so crappy when it's absolutely perfect here. I'm starting to like this west-coast thing. I just hope I don't get stuck in Phoenix (too many smokers and too much dust)!
My first night
So last night was the first night I stayed at my new apartment in the LBC (yeah, like Warren G.). It was a little scary...being alone in a very new place with no one around that you know is definitely a scary situation. But, I survived. It was very cold, and since we don't have our bed set up yet, I had to make myself a space to sleep with pillows and blankets I'd just bought from Target...not the most comfortable set-up, but it was just one night. I was awakened around 1 AM to the sound of a helicopter flying overhead. Now, we don't live in a bad neighborhood, but in California, I've learned that the difference between the ghetto and the Bel Air Estates can be a very short block. So, needless to say, I was a bit shaken up at the prospect of some strange fugitive breaking through my bedroom window to kill me. Mind you, I occasionally have these same fears lying in bed at 2AM in Kyle, Texas, so let's not be so quick to blame my new 'hood. Anyway, after spending a bit of time in my new digs I started visualizing what it will be like once everything's all moved in and set up for us. I pictured a very comfortable set-up with a little beachy feel to it, windows opened often, and smells of feel-good food cooking in our antique mini-oven...I think it's going to be nice. In one week, I'll have officially established myself as a Long Beach resident and a whole new chapter will begin. A little bit exhilirating.
I'm here!
Ok, I don't have much time to write about everything right now, but I've made it safely to Long Beach...it's very nice! It was so great to see Guillaume at the airport, and the weather has turned out to be really nice for my first day in town. The bad news is that my interview with Bloomie's went really crappy....well, actually it didn't go crappy, but I was informed that they had just filled the position that I had applied for. They wanted me to consider other positions (floor positions like sales, cust. service, merchandising, etc.), but I'm not going to sell my self out like that. I don't have the desire to work in retail, and I'm just going to wait it out and hope for the best. We'll see how things go Monday with my other interview. Right now, Gui and I are having a coffee/muffin break while we look around for apartments. It's really nice in this area - very trendy with starbucks all around and a few small bars and pubs. We still need to find a place to have a green beer!! I'm not even wearing green today!!!! So, off we go...I'll keep things updated soon. I'm sorry if I haven't called anyone, my stupid phone is roaming and likely charging me out the a** to talk on it.....I need Ely to hook me up! : ) I'm gonna see about getting another plan while I'm here, maybe. So, y'all have fun for me tonight...don't forget the ICBs and kilts! TAKE PICTURES! All my love to everyone back home!
The forces of the world are united against us
Yesterday I met up with the ladies for my going-away brunch at Taverna, where we gossipped about our jobs, gushed about our futures, ran into unwelcomed old flames, and toasted to new beginnings. It was a wonderful feast of food with friends that even a little rain couldn't ruin. After we were satisfied with the amount of food (and champagne) in our bellies, we made our way across the street to the local gelateria; I had a craving for gelato and coffee, so I was delighted to see a gelato cappuccino on the menu. Just as I was placing my order, I answered a call from Guillaume, expecting to hear some good news about finding a car or an apartment, but I was sadly disappointed when he gave me the news that he's going to be in San Francisco for the entire time I'll be in town to interview for jobs. What the heck?!! We knew he'd have to go to San Fran for work on occasion at some point, but we didn't expect him to be leaving for the Golden Gate City just 2 weeks into the internship! Grrrr. I was completely bummed that our reunion after 2 months is going to have to be consolidated into one measly day. Booooo. It just seems that everything is starting to go against us, and it totally sucks. Well, maybe I'm over-exaggerating a bit, but come on! Now I'm not sure if I should change my flight to come back earlier, if I should keep my flight and just hang around LA with out him, or if I should change my flight to come back later and spend some time in SF with him. Decisions, decisions. I'll have to make up my mind soon enough and will be sure to share it here when it's made.
So, moving on...the rest of the day was spent shopping (btw, the new Anthropologie store on Lamar and 6th is the shiznit!), shopping, shopping, shopping and having dinner with the ladies. It was a very long day, and when dinner was over and I was ready to head home, I decided to live in the moment and joined Irisa to hear our fave local band (well, non-emotional local band...hehe) play a free SXSW show, which was just divine! The open bar may have had something to do with it, but the music was certainly the high-point of the night. I know I mentioned this before, but I'm really gonna miss Austin and all it has to offer. I mean, where else is it common practice to hold a live music event open to the public with open bar all night? Not to mention that the bands playing (The Lemurs & What Made Milwaukee Famous) are some of cream of the local talent crop in Austin. While we were waiting for the doors to open to the party, we had a drink at the pub just down the street, where we chatted with the bartender who's an aspiring musician himself. He even gave us one of his CDs! I'm definitely going to miss this place, especially in March and September, when the great city opens its doors to people from all over the world to share some of its envied treasures. I really hope that when I return home to Austin that those same treasures will still be here.
So, moving on...the rest of the day was spent shopping (btw, the new Anthropologie store on Lamar and 6th is the shiznit!), shopping, shopping, shopping and having dinner with the ladies. It was a very long day, and when dinner was over and I was ready to head home, I decided to live in the moment and joined Irisa to hear our fave local band (well, non-emotional local band...hehe) play a free SXSW show, which was just divine! The open bar may have had something to do with it, but the music was certainly the high-point of the night. I know I mentioned this before, but I'm really gonna miss Austin and all it has to offer. I mean, where else is it common practice to hold a live music event open to the public with open bar all night? Not to mention that the bands playing (The Lemurs & What Made Milwaukee Famous) are some of cream of the local talent crop in Austin. While we were waiting for the doors to open to the party, we had a drink at the pub just down the street, where we chatted with the bartender who's an aspiring musician himself. He even gave us one of his CDs! I'm definitely going to miss this place, especially in March and September, when the great city opens its doors to people from all over the world to share some of its envied treasures. I really hope that when I return home to Austin that those same treasures will still be here.
What I'm gonna miss
I'm sure this list will change (and possibly lengthen) as time goes by, but it might be interesting to see how on-target my predictions about what I'm gonna miss about Austin will be.
1. ALL OF MY FRIENDS & FAMILY HERE
2. Seeing burnt orange at every turn
3. Kind-hearted Austinites - a group of us went to lunch today and there was a couple seated at the only big table in the restaurant, when only two-seat tables were available, so when they noticed our dilemma, they voluntarily decided to switch tables mid-meal...this doesn't just happen anywhere, people.
4. SXSW, ACL Fest, Bob Marley Fest, Harley Fest, Marathons (though not the traffic they create)
5. Strolling along South Congress on the weekends
6. Texas license plates & bumper stickers (my favorite shown here).
7. Josie's Enchiladas from Maudie's - I'll have to find a replacement in SoCal
8. Randomly running into old friends and making new ones every single day
9. Being a native (no, not a Native American...being a native of the city I live in). It's always fun to be the tour guide for folks new to town, so I'm going to have to learn to turn the tables and open myself up to a new city
10. Trudy's
11. The Drag
12. Brunches with my girl-friends that last 8 hours and the all-you-can-drink mimosas Taverna naively offers us. (Thanks, Gladys.)
1. ALL OF MY FRIENDS & FAMILY HERE
2. Seeing burnt orange at every turn
3. Kind-hearted Austinites - a group of us went to lunch today and there was a couple seated at the only big table in the restaurant, when only two-seat tables were available, so when they noticed our dilemma, they voluntarily decided to switch tables mid-meal...this doesn't just happen anywhere, people.
4. SXSW, ACL Fest, Bob Marley Fest, Harley Fest, Marathons (though not the traffic they create)
5. Strolling along South Congress on the weekends
6. Texas license plates & bumper stickers (my favorite shown here).
7. Josie's Enchiladas from Maudie's - I'll have to find a replacement in SoCal
8. Randomly running into old friends and making new ones every single day
9. Being a native (no, not a Native American...being a native of the city I live in). It's always fun to be the tour guide for folks new to town, so I'm going to have to learn to turn the tables and open myself up to a new city
10. Trudy's
11. The Drag
12. Brunches with my girl-friends that last 8 hours and the all-you-can-drink mimosas Taverna naively offers us. (Thanks, Gladys.)
Shaping Up to Ship Out
It's almost time to get my hands dirty and begin unearthing the boxes and furniture from the garage and my black hole of a closet. I haven't actually lived outside of my parents' house for nearly 2 years now (not counting the 5 months that I lived with Guillaume at Merrimac Apts during his internship). It's strange to think of all the things one can accumulate over the years, and even stranger to think of how it can all just disappear with one move. I can't recall what dishes are mine, what sheets go with my bed, or what books I actually bought. I haven't needed living room or kitchen furniture for 2 years now, and my mind is anxiously trying to remember what happened to all that stuff I used to have. There is much to organize as I get ready for the big move. My room is a complete disaster...papers and shoes tossed about, clothes piled on clothes, hair products and brushes strewn about the floor in front of my mirror. I've got a lot of work to do....
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