Goodbye, Los Angeles

Goodbye, Los Angeles...

We've had a strange relationship, the two of us. Wouldn't you agree? When I first got here, you were overwhelming and busy, made no sense, and decided that temperatures in the 100's were the best way to welcome Matt and I to Hollywood. Then winter came, and you warmed us up with sixty degrees. At night. I remember the first time I walked outside in December in a shorts and t-shirt, thinking that life couldn't be better, and neither could the weather. Over time I came to love the winter and hate the summers, like most of my friends here. I learned the value of drivers who know how to drive in traffic as opposed to coming to a dead stop. I learned how to navigate your ridiculously unusable public transit system (seriously, get a subway stop at LAX and at the beach already). You then warmed the hearts of several of our friends, persuading them to live here, and we welcomed them with open arms, extending our community, our family of dear friends. You were aggravating at times, but kept that carrot dangling in front of me, hopeful that good things would continue to come along. Even with those crappy jobs, I continued to hope that you would help us stick around for the long haul.

Then the writer's strike happened, then the housing bubble burst, sending the economy into disarray. We tried to stay, we tried our best to figure out our bleeding finances so we could afford to stay. And we couldn't. We could afford a house in our home state that also offered a slightly cheaper cost of living. We tried, we did our best to stay, even moved to a cheaper apartment that offered critters in the kitchen with no dishwasher, but I'm sorry to say it's just not going to work out this time. We have to break up.

I was a different person then, and you helped shape me into the person I am today. I will be forever grateful. You will always have a place in my heart.

Celebrity List

This is so I can answer the question "What celebrities have you seen while in L.A.?"

Katy Segal
Casey Affleck (This one is a good story)
Joaquin Phoenix
Bobby Lee
Minnie Driver
Owen Wilson
Rose McGowan
Famke Jensen
Sandra Oh
Demi Moore
Ashton Kutcher
Rumer Willis
Joe Pantoliano
Lauren Hutton
Donald Glover
David Duchovny
Eva Longoria

Only in L.A.

I am sure that this list will keep building and building as we get ready to leave permanently next month...

1. Only in L.A. would I be sitting in for the front desk admin at work and a named celeb comes out of the conference room asking me to get something out of his car.

2. Only in L.A. would we say "Oh, it's so cold, it's only 65 degrees!"

3. Only in L.A. would it be ok to experience a traffic jam at 2am. It's really not ok, but seems permissible.

4. Only in L.A. would I see the red-carpet event being set up downstairs in the lobby and think "Oh great, now Matt's not going to have anywhere to park when he comes to pick me up."

5. Only in L.A. would I blame premieres on Hollywood Boulevard for increasing my commute time.

Suggestions? Additions?

The Hollywood Scene

Literally.

Went to a screening tonight. Didn't expect to get that close to Lauren Hutton, Demi Moore, and Ashton Kutcher. Didn't meet them, which is fine. That club was SO not my scene, and yet it was fascinating to watch everyone! I networked a little, and here's hoping that I didn't make a complete fool out of myself! :)

I had a great time. Some advil and water should help me sleep off that headache I might wake up with in the morning.

I think I'm going to regret blogging in this state. We'll see.

Just haven't felt like blogging

I come up with my best blog posts in the car, but unfortunately I don't get home in time to remember them. And when I am inspired, the blinking cursor and blank white screen are intimidating enough to make me want to run away screaming. You know me, my life is an open book and I don't want to give just little tidbits. But to go into detail about all the emotional draining shtuff, to put it into writing and have it permanently published on the Internets for all too see...isn't Facebook public enough?

March was just a weird month and I'm glad it's over.

Matt is coming home on Wednesday Morning! YEAH!! :) When he does come home, it will have been 7 weeks and 1 day since he left back in February.

I am working on a future blog post about all the things I will miss about L.A. when we finally move (and we have no idea when that will be, no house as of yet).

It's raining right now, thank goodness. We really need it!

Addicted to the show DEXTER. It's so creepy, and yet I can't bring myself to stop watching. That's good TV.

It was an interesting Easter this year, especially with the earthquake. It really messed with my equilibrium, I felt nauseated and dizzy. Still do when I read the news reports. But there's no damage here. We're fine, thank goodness. Hopefully that isn't an indication of what's to come. Hopefully that was it.

Did I mention I know over 10 women who are pregnant or gave birth already? And it's only April! Crazyness!

What I've done since Tuesday:

Went out for dinner every night;

Toured Santa Barbara for a day;

Finally got to see the Santa Barbara Mission;

Went to see a taping of The Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno;

Spent an afternoon and evening at Venice Beach;

Rode a bike (6 miles round-trip) at sunset along the boardwalk;

Got my haircut;

Went to bed every night after 11pm;

Had a free lunch at The Counter;

Got to eat dinner at my favorite restaurant in Venice Beach.


I'm tired today. I'm staying home.

Tourist Guide

My Aunt Muriel and Uncle John are visiting. They flew in last night and it is so nice to not have to be alone in my apartment for awhile! They certainly are entertaining and I don't get to spend much time with them, so to have some time just for the three of us is wonderful. Today I'm off to work early and dropping them off at Hollywood & Highland for 4 hours while I work. Then we're off to NBC in Burbank to see The Tonight Show! Should be fun. After that, I think we're all going to need a nap before dinner, and we haven't planned that far ahead yet.

Other trips we might do are Laguna Beach, Santa Barbara, and all kinds of stuff in between. Who knows? The next few days are ours and we can do what we want. It's a great feeling.

Matt and the JourneyQuest team are jump starting principal photography today. Let's hope everything goes smoothly. I'll be anxious to talk to him tonight to find out how everything went. Once he starts shooting and directing, I know his anxiety will melt away and everything will come into focus.

As for me, I am still pissed about loosing the house, but I am working on letting it go, day by day. Our house is out there, and we will be living in it soon enough. I can't wait to be back in the Northwest this summer. I can't wait to be home.

Planning Ahead

My mother-in-law has a fantastic quote (albeit annoying at times when I just want life to work out my way): "Life is what happens when you're making plans."

Ugh.

It's enough to say that searching for a house is stressful. Add to it that we're 1000 miles away and the only way I can really see houses is through the internets. I am stressed out, emotionally drained, and just want it to be over with already. And what's worse is that I can really plan anything more than a few weeks ahead because I don't know if we'll find that perfect place or not. I can't plan to see my family who's visiting Seattle at the end of March, because I could be packing up our place by then. I don't know when Matt will be back from shooting, so we can't plan the Grand Canyon trip, and even if we could, we don't know if we'll be moving by then.

The point is, I just don't know and it's driving me nuts.

In the meantime, I'm just trying to enjoy L.A. and not think about moving. Right now all I can do is search for a house, because without a house, moving isn't involved. Today, hubby and I are going to the Huntington Gardens, and then out for a cheap dinner. Or I might make something. Who knows? Tomorrow is full of chores and laundry, but today, I get my hubby all to myself.

Gratitude #20 and #21

The Hollywood Sign from the Griffith Park Observatory. Beautiful!

It's been a busy few days! Lots to be grateful for. :)

1. Being a tour guide. Sam and Phil came to visit us for a few days, and yesterday I got to play in L.A. with them. So much fun!

2. Rain. Being a tour guide, you hope your city shows itself off well, and L.A. shined yesterday, my friends, it shined. Because of all the rain, the views were so clear and L.A. was beautiful and impressive. I was proud!

3. Barney's Beanery in Santa Monica. They serve Kona Longboard beer (draft!) and at happy hour it's just $2.75. Two, please!

The pendulum at the observatory. I had fun watching it swinging back and forth, telling time.

4. Griffith Park Observatory. So amazingly cool! I can't wait to go into the planetarium.

5. The Getty Center. Amazing architecture and a serene garden, with stunning views of West L.A.

6. Time with the hubby. With the looming pre-production/filming trip sneaking up on us, every moment with him is precious and fun. We're laughing a lot these days!

It's been quite a month! (Part 2)

Hubby and I waiting for U2 to get on stage! You can see the concert here.

I think I just lost myself when the Black Eyed Peas showed up to open for U2. Wish I could have gotten a better picture, but this one just captures the craziness of the evening!

Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this month. I had the great privalege of going to the free concert at the Hollywood Bowl...he's amazing!

Jason and I at the Hollywood Bowl, enjoying wine, good company, fantastic music, and eagerly awaiting Gustavo's arrival!

Yep! That's me and Herbie Hancock! This picture is for you, Dad!

It's been quite a month! (Part 1)

The Black Eyed Peas opening song at the U2 Concert! We were definitely in for a treat. Then Slash showed up and we really went crazy!

Old Friends and Lots of Laughs

Tonight I had a fantastic time with old friends. Matt, Phil, Curt and I all went to PLU together. Phil, Curt and I lived in Hinderlie for at least 2 years, and many of my freshman year memories involve hanging out with those guys and their roommates, Jeff and Shawn. Phil happened to be in San Diego for a conference and very generously offered to drive up to see us for dinner.

I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. We shared memories and cracked stupid jokes, predicted what Curt's daughter, Lyla, will be like in 21 years, and created new memories. The setting was perfect - Bucca de Beppos (if you haven't been, you must go) - and again, we laughed incredibly hard. I hung back and let the guys do most of the talking which was fun. I realized how long it had been since I was the only girl in the group, and I rather enjoyed it. Well, that's not true. Lyla was there, and she was quite a scene stealer at 7 months old.

In any case, the night couldn't have gone better. And now that I'm full of Italian food and gelato, it's time for bed. That much laughter takes a lot out of me!

Thanks, guys (and gal) for a wonderful evening!

Smokey

We do live in Glendale, but we are safe from the forest fires. The Station fire has to jump the 210 freeway, another hill, and a bunch of houses before we need to be concerned, and I don't think that will happen. I am very grateful for experienced fire fighters who are doing the very best they can.

The air is gross, the smoke combined with smog makes for painful sore throats and a little dizziness, and combined with the heat...well, it's just safe to say that we're living indoors with the a/c on all the time now. The sun is an eerie red tonight, and the thick layer of smoke is just plain gross. I can't believe we have to breathe that air into our lungs.

Home!

I got back late last night from a rousing trip to Seattle. I had a great time and stayed busy, visiting with family and friends. I will write more later, but I just wanted to let everyone know that we are so far, safe from the forest fires. When we flew in last night, we could see the fires from the air and it was quite scary. I overheard another passenger say that those flames could be 100 feet high! I'm not sure if that's true, but there was one patch that seemed...well, angry. Bursting with orange, red, and a little bit of yellow, it seemed to grow in size right before our eyes.

Outside it's hot and dry. I had dreams about things catching on fire last night and us evacuating with just our cats and clothes. It occurred to me that we wouldn't know where to go should that happen. A hotel for a night or two, probably. We aren't in the fires path, there's another hill before we have to be too concerned, but the air quality is pretty nasty so we'll be leaving the a/c on for awhile. It smells like we have a campfire in our backyard, which would be great if it were actually a contained campfire and the air didn't look consistently foggy.

I won't be renewing my monthly membership at the outdoor pool anytime soon, not until the air clears up. The warnings state that we have to not exert ourselves outside, drink plenty of water, and to be inside with air-conditioning. I think we can manage that!

Etna vs. L.A.

I can't believe how small this place is!

It reminds me of St. John, WA where my cousin and her family lives. There is one grocery store, one police officer (the police office headquarters is open from 8am to 12pm). "Downtown" consists of 2 or 3 blocks, and the most popular hangout is the local pub where they brew their own beer (the blackberry lager is amazing). The drugstore has an old-fashioned soda fountain, and the shelves are stocked with pretty much just one of each item. The air is clear, the people are friendly, and I'm surrounded by mountains. It's so beautiful and quiet here.

I have the same feeling here that I had in Hawaii - I miss the mountains, the green, nature in general. My skin and allergies aren't freaking out, and I sleep SO much better here. My wrinkled, puffy eyes are significantly less wrinkled and puffy since I arrived. I was laughing at myself when I had to go around town to find an ATM, and I was walking so fast! I told myself that it's ok, no one expects you to be anywhere, you're in no hurry, slow down and pace yourself.

I find myself really struggling to want to stay in L.A. It's an absolute challenge sometimes because my health improves whenever I leave that city. Even if it's just a few days in Cambria or Spokane, I'm so much happier without the hustle and bustle and craziness of Los Angeles.

However, I am not struggling to find friends and meaningful relationships, and I have a fantastic husband who's career is on the brink of major success. I must continue to focus on the positive, go to my last few counseling sessions, and work out on a regular basis. My life is what I make of it, whether I'm in L.A. or elsewhere.

(I think Etna won this round.)

Like a fish in water

Gayvin and I have been going swimming 3 times a week for almost the past month and I can't believe how much I'm enjoying it. It's far less impactful on my joints and I feel as though I'm burning more calories. I think I'm even starting to show some weight loss around my mid-section which is always a good thing! I may not be a size 6 ever again, but I'm doing my best to look and feel good about the body I have been given. The best part is going with a friend and talking part of the time. Then we start doing laps and it's great to have someone else there to keep tabs and motivate you. I am motivated by her being in constant motion, always trying to keep up with her.

Every Thursday we have a little routine. We go swimming and then head over to downtown Glendale for the farmers' market to split lunch at a delightful little cafe called The Lunchbox. We split the amazing gyro sandwich - the best one since I've left Seattle - and munch to on delicious chips and a drink. All for under $10 total! With the exception of today, we then usually hit the farmers' market and wind up feeling really good about how we've spent our day and how we are being good to ourselves and our health. Going swimming always puts me at ease. I release so much pent up stress, anxiety, even anger and sadness. I wish we could go every day, but I guess 3 times a week will have to do!

Bonus to living in Southern California - I get to go swimming in an outdoor pool year-round!

What a day...

Nothing that $3.00 margaritas can't fix! :) Woohoo!

Well, it's a temporary fix. Matt is having a tough time in Washington and he got some bad news today. Until he shares it on his blog, or with others, it's really not my place to say on the Internet but it's safe to say that eventually, we'll be back for a funeral. I miss him terribly and wish he was coming home soon. But I'll stay tough and get through the next week because that's what I do. It's amazing when you realize your own strength. Friends help. :)

It seems that everyone is having a tough time these days. Emotions are running high, stress is rampant, and so many of my dear friends are out of work and finances are just...UGH...(need I say more?) So it's with that in mind that I'm attending church with my friend Cindy on Easter Sunday. I'm not religious, but I do consider myself spiritual, and maybe going to a place of worship with a good friend is what my spirit needs to get re-focused and re-centered.

Going UP?

There is nothing like hiking up and up to tell you how out of shape you are (still). But I did better than I thought I would, and overall yesterday morning was a perfect day for a hike at the Los Angeles National forest. We didn't find our original destination - the waterfall. Instead we stayed on the fire road (did I mention the trail went UP). My calves are still feeling it this morning!

A family pic.

Beautiful views all the way UP.

Paige and Katy rock!

The Early girls.

At the top!

A Few Good Days

Yesterday was so much fun. My good friend Cindy and I spent the enitre day together. I could not document it better than she did, but I can at least sum up what happened.

She mentioned in a recent blog post that she was not having a good day, and I jumped at the chance to take her out and have a girls day. By the time Saturday rolled around I wasn't in the best of spirits but by the time I got to her place and we were out for our 3 mile walk, I was feelign better. Listening to her talk, I realized how much I've missed spending time with Cindy 1-on-1. As she said, we often hang out in a group setting, and while that is fun, we often miss out on opportunities to connect on a deeper level. Cindy is so wise and thoughtful. She really thinks before she speaks which is a trait that I really admire. It felt good to re-connect with her and our friendship is definitely stronger for it.

After our walk, we were all sweaty and gross, so we quickly refreshed and headed off to the lovely air-conditioned mall. After a yummy lunch, we headed to Macy's for which we both had gift cards. I asked her where she wanted to start -- it was a total zoo -- and she grimaced as she said "Shoes." Shopping for shoes isn't her favorite thing, and on a Saturday, it's not mine either. We walked with some trepidation but determined to find her some cute, fun work shoes. And find we did! She walked away with a very cute and sassy pair, that could be easily dressed up or dressed down, good for work and play -- multipurpose pumps! I found a cute pair of red ballet flats on clearance and with our gift cards we spent a minimal amount of cash. We were very proud of us.

After shopping, I treated Don and Cindy to iced coffees with the rest of my gift card and then headed back to their house. Matt had spent an hour in ugly traffic getting home from a film seminar so after a wonderful conversation with the two of them, Don and Cindy graciously gave me a ride home. It was a wonderful opportunity to show them our new place, and they loved it! It really meant a lot to me that our friends loved our new home. We started watching the pilot of "Big Love" (which I highly reccomend, Matt and I are enjoying it so far), but were pleasantly interupted by Ben and Corrie dropping by for dinner! They were in town for a film festival. We walked over the 1 block to Zankou Chicken, a fabulous and cheap Lebanese/Aremenian fast food chain with great portions and equally great prices. We had a nice relaxing meal, catching up and talking about previous escapades in Washington. We headed back to our place, shortly after which Don had to bow out and go home. Poor guy. He wasn't feeling well and was such a trooper during the evening.

All in all, I wasn't intending to spend the entire day with friends but I'm so glad I did. I think all of us were boosted by the positive engery that we got from being together. As my Mom said the day after our wedding: "That was fun. Can we do that again?"

Today I spent the afternoon with Paige A. She is a new friend from Dallas that I met through Paige B. She is an incredibly talented graphic designer/illustrator/all-around-awesome-artist that is helping Matt and I build a website. Matt needs one for his writing career, and I've finally figured out what it is that I want to be doing so I won't feel so useless. I want to creat a tourism website for San Luis Obispo county. After talking with Paige B. who offered great advice after calming me down during my melt-down, I really thought about how I want to be spending my time. What would make me happy? What do I look forward to doing? So in my meeting today, I really got excited about what I will be able to offer the potential visitor to the SLO area. It was great fun. I have so much work to do and yet I am excited about getting this work done. I am terrified and excited at the same time, but I have a fabulous support system and a network of truly talented professionals that are just as excited about helping me create my vision. How could life feel any better at this very moment? I'm not sure how!

Going out!

The lovely Jen and Dave at dinner.

Teh-Don and Jen.

My sweetie and me! This is my new favorite picture of us.

Happy Anniversary, Don and Cindy!