Catching Up. Almost. Kind Of.

Whew! It has been over a month since I last wrote....thank you for hanging in there, if you did. This past month has been buuuuusy. I should probably just coordinate this post with the Cardinals post-season schedule, since watching the games pretty much took over my life. Here goes my catch-up in a nutshell post. 

Work has been getting better and better as each week flies by - and they do fly by. Each day, I'm doing a million different things and before I know it, 5:00pm is here and it's time to send my boss his schedule breakdown for the next day. 

I'm pretty sure that the weekend of October 5, Gabe and I spent Saturday in Pasadena. One of his friends was having a taco birthday party and we needed to run some errands that could not be accomplished in the city.......duhn, duhn, duhnnnnnn to the Valley we go! sort of. 

Every time I think of the Valley, Clueless pops into my mind. You know, when they go to that party, and Elton tries to make out with Cher, and then she gets out of the car and gets mugged and ruins her Alaia dress and she has to call her ex-step-brother for a ride back home? That scene. I rewatched that movie recently, and it just makes me so happy to be here. :)

Well, we left for Pasadena mid-day to hit up the Glendale Mall on the way. I really need to figure out my malls and which one has what. In St. Louis, I always had a soft spot for the Galleria. Here, I'm not sure what I'm getting into - designer stores are pretty to look at, but don't get the job done. Glendale was more familiar stores, but still takes some getting used to. 

So, we got our shopping finished - an unsuccessfully successful trip - and headed to the taco party. Sometimes, I forget about the great Mexican influence and culture all around me, and I especially forget about the food. This taco party was fantastic. The food was catered from some local place, and it was so so so so good. I could've eaten those tacos all night. 

But we didn't. It was a family birthday party, so after a couple hours, people started parting ways, and we did as well. 

We decided to hit up downtown Pasadena while we were all the way up there. After driving around for a while and fiddling with our google maps, we parked and wandered around to a few bars. Our first was a sushi bar with a crowd that gave me a sudden reminder of where I was. So many fugly dresses in this place with sick shoes....ugh. Pasadena is a nice place but not somewhere I want to live anytime soon. 

Onto the next bar - a basement sports bar with pool tables and gigantic mugs a beer. My kind of place. We watched the end of a few games and chugged our mugs before heading out to our third location.

This bar wasn't as memorable, not that it wasn't fun. It was busy and poppin but not a lot to remember it by. Our last bar had a live band playing some great cover music. It was a great finale to the night. 
----sorry, no pictures to post from this one (susan)----

The next week was crazy at work. My boss decided he was going to make a trip to London that weekend, so it was up to me to get everything organized. I love, love, love planning things, but I will never understand the last minute plan. Why wait? I want to ask him that all the time, but again, it's my job, so last minute plan, I shall. 

It was also a great week because the cardinals were killing it. One great thing about this job is the common theme of 'as long as you get your work done and you do it well, do what you want.' (to an extent) To illustrate this mantra to a t, there is a game cube in the lounge room and every day around 3:00pm, the guys take a break and play Super Smash Brothers. We work, but we also have a lot of fun.

So, while I was working, I also would take my fun breaks...to live stream the cards games from my laptop to the tv and enjoy a couple cold ones. It's pretty convenient because most of the games are not PST friendly or even televised. 

That Friday night, Gabe and I stayed in to watch the game, which ended up being an amazing, crazy-awesome, super exciting comeback game. MEANING we were moving on, AKA going to San Francisco that weekend WHICH HAPPENED to be the weekend that Gabe and I were going to San Francisco for a wedding and to see my sister and mom who were also going to San Francisco. Crazy awesome timing.

We woke up at 6:00am to shower, pack and leave for SF. We loaded my car and were ready to hit the 5 north. As soon as we hit the freeway, my front passenger wheel started making a strange thumping noise. Awesome. We pulled into a gas station and Gabe checked it out - a piece of my tire was coming off. Wahoo. So, we turned around, parked my car in his garage and loaded his car. About an hour later than we planned, but still optimistic. 

The drive was pretty great. Scenic and not too much traffic. I think it took almost 6 hours to get there with a potty break in the last third of the trip. We got to my Uncle's house in San Mateo around 2:00pm or so to meet up with my fam. 

We chatted for a little while and hung out until Gabe had to leave to make the 30 min drive to downtown SF to our hotel room to get ready for the wedding. At the last minute, we decided that he would go to his friend's wedding while I spend some quality time with mi familia. Part of me wishes that I would have gone to the reception, but I had a great time with my mom, sister and uncle. 

Right after Gabe left, I freshened up and we left for the Golden Gate Bridge. It was pretty awesome and the bay looked spectacular with all the sailboats. After some pictures, we headed to our next stop to see the Giant Redwoods. 

The drive to the park was an adventure in itself - a winding road down the edge of a cliff. eek! When we finally arrived and parked, we started our walk within the trees. It was really impressive and awesome for a while. After we got over the trees, it also turned out to be an excellent people-watching destination. 

After the trees, we headed to a spot on the ocean grab some drinks while watching the sun set over the water. No real explanation needed here - it was fantasticly beautiful

yummy gin fiz.

sunset over the sutro bath ruins

We had dinner at an Italian spot near my Uncle's house and headed home pretty early. We were all kind of tired, and my sister had to get to sleep to rest up for the half marathon she was running the next morning. 

Then it was Sunday Funday! 

My sister ran the marathon eaaaaaaaaaaaaarly. I slept a little bit after seeing her off and then Gabe and I got dressed in our cards gear and headed out. Our hotel was downtown, so we decided to walk around and see some things. 

Our first stop was the Full House house...duh. Gabe looked up the address and we enjoyed the beautiful weather on our stroll there. 

Everywhere you look....

Then, we went to the park where they shot the intro scenes of the Tanner extended family picnic-ing and playing. Side note: San Francisco has to be the dog-friendliest place I've ever been. Dogs were chilling and playing together everywhere. I could've watched them for hours....

I think Gabe said the houses behind us are called postcard row or something. idk. But it was pretty. :)

We hit up a local bar for lunch and some drinks. People were fairly friendly to us despite our cards gear, and we even ran into a some groups of people who gave us some "Go Cards!" shout outs. 

About an hour before game time, we started making our way back near our hotel where the stadium is. My sister had been resting all day and was finally ready to meet up with us. So, she, my mom and my uncle were headed downtown, as well, to meet us at a bar for the game. 

We found a restaurant with a huge booth for us with access to multiple TVs. It was pretty perfect. We all ordered a round and some food, and watched the Cards win. A perfect ending to the weekend....

We had a long drive back to LA, but it was well worth it for a great weekend with some of my family!

I Live Here? For Realz.

So, this job has been keeping me really busy...in a good way, but not so good for the blog kind of way.

Saturday morning I had to go back downtown to help move into the new office. I was not 100% thrilled to work on a weekend in the first week on the job, but I was happy to have a job, so I was ready to get this move under my belt. 

Everything went smoothly. The move took under 3 hours (probably because of my manly lifting and carrying of heavy things), so my boss was pretty stoked. I stayed for a little while after everything was moved in to organize and set up the office for Monday. Definitely a success, and I'm pretty sure a job well done for my first big duty.

After the move was finished, I changed clothes and headed to the Beverly Center. I was certain I knew where it was and could have sworn it was on La Brea, but I was definitely wrong. I was lost and wasn't going to be able to figure it out on my own without emptying my gas tank, so GPS lady to the rescue once again. 

Look what I found along the way! I love seeing places I recognize! Lame, I know. 

I finally found the mall, but then remembered that Nordstrom Rack was right across the way. Oh yes, I hit that up. 

I went to Ralph's to do some grocery shopping and then headed back home. Josh and Gabe were settling down to watch a couple of episodes of Breaking Bad, and I started making a pasta dish I found on Pinterest....which was a success. pat on the back. 

Gabe left for work, and I gave the apartment a good clean as part of my squatter agreement. And made some blueberry muffin batter (that I also found on Pinterest) for tomorrow morning. 

Sunday was a funday! Really! Gabe got home at 6am and went to bed. I slept for a little while longer, got up at 9ish to start getting ready. As soon as Gabe got up to shower, I started making our pregame breakfast. 

Perfect cadinals game day breakfast thanks to Gabe's StL toaster. 

The game was at 1:15. On our way out, I grabbed a card that my parents had sent me and opened it in the car. It was the best card congratulating me on my new job with some money and a note to have fun at the game! COMPLETE with some bite marks from my puppyboy. :) It was perfect timing!

We got to Dodger Stadium, grabbed a Bud Light and found our seats. It was hot. Like really sweaty hot. Luckily, Gabe got us the end seats, so we didn't have to deal with being stuck in between to smelly people and have to worry about crawling over everyone to get out. 

Our section was completely filled with Dodger fans except for us and one terribly stereotypical midwest couple wearing red (I'm talking cardinals visor with pony tail through it and mom shorts - way to represent). I wanted to get a pic with Gabe, so in between the top and bottom of the third, we went down to the front of our section and asked the usher to do the honors.

The whole time we were taking the pic, we were booed by every single Dodger fan in the area (note the douchey smile on my face as I was laughing at them). Gabe waved his world series ring at them on the way back up. I'm not sure they got the point - probably because they haven't won one since '88. 

When we got back to our seats, we looked at Gabe's beer and were pretty sure someone messed with it. Of course, this would never be an issue at Busch Stadium - Dodger's fans just aren't as classy. So, we decided to dump those ones and get a fresh round.

While we were there, we also had to grab a Dodger Dog. My first game at Dodger Stadium, it was a necessity. While we were standing by the concessions, wolfing down our dogs, I found the culprit of the onion-y, sick smell that kept wafting into my nose the whole game....

wtf is this?

Pickett was at the game with his dad, so after we finished eating, we headed up there to say hi for a bit. Then, we decided to try our luck at finding a spot behind home plate. Luckily, we were in extra innings and Dodgers fans leave by the 7th, so there were plenty of seats to choose from. 

We found a great spot behind home plate and settled in for the 10th inning. During the Cardinals at bat, Descalso hit a foul right into our section! Gabe was on it, along with about ten other people. Somehow, he came up with the ball! I was so excited - my first Cardinals game here and a ball! Wahoo! No one else around us liked it. I jumped up with excitement and while everyone else was booing us, Gabe and I bowed and curtsied for them with big smiles on our faces. 

 After the Cardinals WON, we headed to Happy Ending to continue our Sunday Funday with some drinks and dinner. This place is pretty much like the Creek in Springfield (RIP). Well, at night, at least. Sunday evening was a pretty chill night up there. We had some food and some beers. Then, at some point, they started spinning this wheel of drink specials. We definitely participated and ended our night with a few shots, including these...

Monday was not a funday. Work at 9 wasn't the greatest, but this job is nice because I can get some things accomplished right when I get in and then give my brain a break. I got through it. I'm pretty proud of that. 

Tuesday was normal. I'm starting to get a hang of things at work. When I first started, it seemed like a never-ending to do list that was never getting finished, just getting longer. I've started learning what to get out of the way first and what projects to put on the back burner. 

Wednesday started as another normal day. Running errands, trying to get the new office set up and workable, working on scheduling appointments and building Ikea furniture. Well, there was some beer and champagne and ice cream cake at work for one of the manager's birthdays....and we may have played a few rounds of flip cup in the kitchen, BUT I was still tired from Monday because I had so much on my plate at work. I was ready to head home and pass out. 

I didn't get home til late. I was supposed to Skype my family, but it was pretty much 10:00 cst by the time we would be able to. I was just settling in to the couch when I got a message from a new friend! She was insisting that I go out with her to Beacher's Madhouse. Apparently, I hadn't been properly introduced to LA yet. 

I hopped into the shower and chugged a Sugar Free Red Bull. I'm still not great at dressing in LA style, so it took me several outfits before I felt comfortable and ready. Just in time for my ride to pick me up. 

Beacher's is a crazy place with anything and everything. Of course, my new friend has the hook-up, so we walked right in while others were waiting to pay big bucks for a table and even more for bottle service. As soon as we rounded the corner into the theater, we were greeted by a bearded lady and Spiderman dancing in a dark burlesque-esque room. There was a stage with Hello Kitty and a panda getting their groove on and rows of plush seats and tables with dancing platforms in between each row. On those platforms were girls in skimpy outfits and Sesame Street characters all having a great time. 

We made a drink from someone's bottle of Grey Goose and enjoyed the show. Every 20 minutes, a little person dressed like an Oompa Loompa flies across the ceiling to deliver a bottle to another table. This definitely wasn't a boring place. They played fun music and we mingled and laughed and drank. 

After a while, my friend saw the promoter that she's been telling me about and who got us into the club. We went up to the next row to say hi, pour another drink and get up on the platform to stand next to Cookie Monster to get a better view of it all. 

We saw a couple of random shows of little people dressed as chipmunks and a guy jumping rope with people on his back. Then, the real show happened. Celebrity sighting #2! Chris Brown came and sat in the section right behind us! I didn't take any pictures of him because it would have been seriously obvious. They played one of his songs, and he was pretty nice about it. 

THEN, after dancing for a little bit more and getting to drink a couple glasses of $600 champagne from the table, another celeb Celebrity sighting #3 Paris Hilton sat at the table next to ours! Crazy, I know. 

FYI Paris Hilton still uses a Blackberry.

We left the party early because of work the next day, but it was all in all a great night. :)

Thursday was a little rough because of the fun I had the night before. I grabbed a vente PSL and fought through the morning. 

Friday is a fun day at this office. No one plans on working past 3pm, and the work for the day is pretty light. Unfortunately, I had to reschedule the manager's meeting from Thursday morning to Friday at 4. No one was really happy about it, but it was the only time available. 

The only way they wanted to do the meeting was if they had beers. Feeling responsible for the late work time, I headed to Ralph's to pick up some refreshments. Now, I wasn't about to start out being a push over and at their beck and call (but to a point, that is my job), so I purchased my own personal favorite for the meeting.

Dominating the calendar and this cold one. 

I'm not sure they fully appreciated the midwest nod, but they still drank what they called "piss in a can." So unappreciative! :)

This weekend, I'm chilling. I got my oil changed and returned some clothes. I spent too much money at the grocery store but it was for a special occasion. Gabe is finally off the night shift on Tuesday! I got a recipe for Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo and we have a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge. It will be yet another celebration. 

Now, back to my Budweisers and 30 Rock on Netflix. 

Learning the Little Things

This morning, my first duty was to purchase some boxes for the big move happening this weekend. Trying to be independently resourceful, I researched a box supplier (with a little help from Gabe). I found one that said the branch was located downtown. Perfect! I work downtown! Man, I am so LA.

Not. So, I ended up somewhere south of downtown that was not exactly a place I would care to spend a lot of time. Not dangerous, but not anywhere I would ever consider living. But the box place was in the one nice building I would definitely go in. It looked clean and well-kept. And let's face it, I probably wasn't going to be able to figure out where to find a box place anywhere near wherever I was. GPS is both saving my butt and putting me in awkward positions. 

Highlight of this trip: Having to wait for two chihuahuas to independently walk across the street in a crosswalk. So smart! 

I got the boxes and some box tape. Now to figure out how to get to work from where I was. GPS Lady to the rescue! Sort of. I'm not bothered so much by the time I have to spend in the car, but more about the intensity of other drivers. It is a whole different breed here, and if you don't know you're stuff, you're chop liver. 

Because of the aggressiveness of LA drivers, I hate making left turns without a turn lane. I don't want to keep the people behind me waiting and feel the pressure of them watching me mess up. "Oh, look at this stupid broad from Illinois. What an idiot!" I just hate looking dumb. So, even though GPS Lady was telling me to turn left and get back on the 10, I ignored her. I was a rebel....until she rerouted and told me the next left turn I could take. She's just too smart for me.

I drove through the Fashion District and made it to the parking garage by 9:45. I think that's pretty good for leaving at 9am and stopping for boxes, don't ya think? 

Today was focused on getting prepped for the big move tomorrow morning. I've never felt so unprepared for a move. I'm a planner. I love a good plan. Gabe keeps telling me you can't always plan things out when you're here. Why is he always so right? 

Nothing was really ready for this move, including the movers, who came at 1 to give us a iquote. To us, it seemed like a pretty easy, short move. He wasn't as optimistic. idk. I'm sending positive thoughts out there that tomorrow will go smoothly and quickly. We did make a couple trips with small stuff at the end of work tonight, so maybe we shaved off a good amount of work for tomorrow. 

I forgot to mention that I will be helping with the move at 8am. That's right. I'm so dedicated on week one that I'll be in at 8am on a Saturday! I'm actually really excited about it. I like being involved in things and this is very important for the business, so I want to be able to make sure everything happens that needs to happen. After all, that is my basic job description. 

This move has been a really great crash course in learning how to deal with things that go wrong at the last minute. With this job, I have to accept that things aren't always going to go the way I want them to or think they will. There have been a few bumps in the road, but with the help of the girl who is training me, we have been pretty successful at smoothing them out.

Tomorrow, my personal reward for helping with the move will be a pumpkin spice latte. It's here! Finally! 

Regardless of having to work tomorrow morning, I'm still super excited it's the weekend! AND CARDS GAME ON SUNDAY!! 

*I promise to take more pics as time goes on. I'm just so focused on actually making it to work without ending up in the valley that I lose track of appreciating where I am. I'll get better! :)

Squatter Woes and Squatter Pros

As the end of my first work week in LA will soon be drawing to a close, I can honestly say I made the right choice. 

This job is exactly what I was looking for, and it's definitely a challenge. Every day is different, and I never just sit behind a desk. Being a teacher for four years, I was never just sitting around, the kids always made it interesting and although there was a schedule, I like having some control over what I was doing.

A little bit about what I do: I am the executive assistant for the ceo of a media/advertising company. My day-to-day mainly consists of managing his schedule but there's errands, other company stuff and odds and ends to take care of. It's just a really good fit for me. I love being organized and organizing. I love being on my toes and trying to prepare for what's around the corner. I love, love, love that everyday is different.

This first week has gone by pretty fast. I've had my ups and downs with each day. At first, this job was overwhelming, to say the least. Walking into a new teaching job is like trying to ride someone else's bike; I know how to do it, and it feels different at first, but eventually, you get used to it. This one is going to take a little longer to get the hang of. 

Almost everyone that I work with is younger than me. At first, this was really strange for me. I mean, I'm coming in at pretty much the lowest position, well, above intern, and here they are talking about internet stuff that I don't even understand. But I quickly came to terms with it. I came here for a fresh, new start on my life, and here it is. It's almost like I'm fresh out of college again, starting at the bottom of the totem pole.

While it is hard to get used to the young average age of the group, it is a lot of fun. Everyone is extremely friendly and inviting. I'm excited to become part of this group. Although, I did throw out a Melrose Place and "mom butt" reference, and both flopped. I guess I need to work on my LA conversations. :)

I've always heard about how terrible LA traffic is. Well my verdict is: it ain't that bad so quit your whinin'. It may be because I had the commute from Illinois into St. Louis across the Poplar every morning to prep me. I also think it may be because of the weather. Who can be grumpy when it's perfect outside? It may also be because I still haven't quite figured out the right time to leave so I'm always running super early. I'm just not in a hurry and enjoying the drive. 25 minutes to go 7.2 miles? Why, sure! 

So it sounds like life is all ponies and rainbows for me so far. Well, not exactly, but it's going pretty well for the most part. Gabe is still working nights, so we see each other when he gets home around 6am until I leave for work a little before 9am. We were joking the other night because I moved across the country so we can Skype every night. Luckily, this is only through September. It's giving us a good segue into actually being in the same city together. 

In the middle of transitioning into this new position, the company is also moving into a new office space this weekend, so it's been a little crazy. Tomorrow, we start moving and setting things up, so hopefully, it all goes smooth. I'm looking forward to getting some relaxation in (fingers crossed). Sunday, Gabe and I are having an ultimate Sunday Funday. He is off work Sunday night, so we are taking full advantage. First, with all of this Mexican music on the radio, I've been craving some margaritas and a chimichanga, so we'll be definitely getting that for lunch. At 1:15, the CARDINALS game is happening at Dodger stadium. We will be all decked out and hopefully get on the jumbotron or something. And after that, we will be meeting up with some peeps to watch the football game that is happening....maybe the Packers? idk. football. It should be a great finale to a successful week!!

Making It Happen

So, this first week of living in LA has been crazy. A lot has happened, and everything is piling up in my brain. 

Monday was Gabe's birthday. He got home from work around 6am. Lyndsey and I woke up and watched him open his presents and have a birthday drink. He went to sleep and we got ready. 

Our first adventure was finding coffee. Easy. I was a little heartbroken to find out that apparently it's high summer time in LA right now and Pumpkin Spice Latte will not be making an appearance quite yet. Bummer. One small con for California that will hopefully be removed ASAP (ahem, Starbucks). 

We went back to Gabe's, he got up to shower while we waited, hungrily. Lyndsey and I hadn't eaten since our stop at Wendy's for lunch after the Grand Canyon the day before. We were too tired the night before to make or go buy some food, and we were edging on 24 hours with nothing but liquids in our stomachs. 

We had brunch at Blu Jam Cafe, a restaurant on Melrose that Gabe has been wanting to go to for a while. There was an hour wait to seat three, so we had a drink at a nearby bar that was just opening its doors. 

Brunch was super delicious. I had a California Omelette which, of course, had plenty of avocado, tomato, bacon and sour cream. So, so, so amazing. I wish I had room for the whole thing.

Yummy brunch...with mimosas, of course. 

We went back to Gabe's so he could get some rest before heading into work at 4. Lyndsey and I were couch potatoes for a while, and then it was time for me to take her to meet up with her step sister who lives a little south of LA by the beach. It was bittersweet saying goodbye to Lyndsey. We had just taken a cross country tip together, and I could have never done it without her, for real. Her leaving meant it was time for me to start my new life, but I do wish she could have stayed longer. 

I can honestly not remember what I did on Tuesday, so I'm skipping it. Probably a lot of catching up on sleep and Melrose Place. idk

Wednesday was a big day for me. I had two interviews lined up and was ready to get a jump start on figuring out what the hell I was going to do out here. 

10am I had a meeting downtown with the media company with the executive assistant position I have been interviewing for the last two weeks. Yep, this was interview/meeting/chat #7 for the job. 

I met at their downtown office/loft. It was ultra modern and a really awesome-looking space, complete with a pool. The CEO and I had a good, long, earnest talk about me and the other candidate he was considering. So, it came down to him not being able t make a decision, yet, and he was giving himself til Wednesday night to make a decision. I hoped I had made a good impression, but honestly, at that point, I didn't know what else he wanted to hear from me. I was getting a little tired of playing the waiting game. 

I went back home, ate lunch and napped, then put on another interview outfit and headed over to Santa Monica. My next interview was for a front desk position at a boutique hotel. The interview went well, but afterwards, I was pretty certain it wasn't the job for me. However, I was going to be open-minded, and I definitely wasn't going to say no if they offered me the position. 

I got home just in time to see Gabe leave for work. I settled in on the couch and impatiently watched the phone and checked my email. 

A skype session with my parents was a solid distraction, and I even got to talk to my dog. He didn't have much to say, but his head tilts were enough to almost bring tears to my eyes. 

A while later, I'm talking nearly 9:00 at night, I finally get the call I'm waiting for. 

I GOT THE JOB! 

I still can't believe I'm actually making this happen. I never imagined it to happen this fast. I'm still getting used to the fact that I'm actually here and not going back to St. Louis in a week. 

Thursday was already set to be a day of celebrating. Gabe had a day (night) off, so he planned to have his birthday celebration. I was in town and made it safely, and now I had a job. Things were happening. 

Gabe got home and slept until 11 or so. Our first stop for the day was Floyd's to get our hairs cut. Really, I just was along for the ride, but my bangs were poking me in the eyes, so I took advantage of the situation and had them cleaned up. 

After that, we hit up the Beverly Center for some shopping. I have been wanting to get some new clothes for a while now, but I made a pact with myself that I wouldn't buy anything unless I had a job. Well, now I did - bring on the retail!

We finally got back home around 6. I jumped in the shower and got ready while Gabe took a catnap. We were headed to dinner and then out for the night. 

We called a cab as soon as we were ready and headed to Los Feliz. Our night started out at Palermo, our favorite restaurant (so far). Every time I have come out here, we had a dinner here. It's a family-run Italian restaurant that is pretty much the equivalent of every cheesy, stereotypical Italian restaurant in a movie. And we love it. The portions are too big, but the food is great and the atmosphere is even better. 

After stuffing ourselves on pasta and Italian beers, we headed down the street to the Dresden Room. Psych! As we approached the door, a kind valet notified us that the Dresden had some plumbing issues or something on Monday, was under construction and would reopen the following Monday. Of course, the one week we want to go, it's closed. 

So, we headed down the street to the Rockwell. There was some kind of tribute musical show going on inside for some famous composer of film scores or something. We headed to the back patio. It obviously wasn't in the plans, but it was still a fun place.

The only pic of the night. At the Rockwell, enjoying the celebration.

Gabe's friends started to trickle in. We had lots of drinks and some shots, and it was a pretty good time. After a couple hours, though, we were ready to move on to our next spot.

Side note: My first celeb sighting as an LA resident! Laura Prepon from That 70s Show was at the Rockwell. There weren't too many people out, so it was easy to spot her. I didn't really believe it was her until we were outside. She was sitting down the bench from us smoking, and I overheard her talking. There is no mistaking that voice. 

Our final stop of the night was the Korean Karaoke joint nearby. When we headed over, though, they weren't quite open, yet, so we went to Public House for a couple more drinks while we waited. 

A couple beers and a shot or two later, we were ready for the finale of the night. Gabe has taken me to this karaoke place before, and its pretty great. They serve food and drinks all night and into the wee hours of the morning. After a certain time, whenever it's past the legal serving time, they come around and pour all of your drinks into plastic cups like the ones you get soda in at Pizza Hut. We drank out of our unmarked cups and sang bad karaoke until around 3am. By that time, I was donezo. We took a cab home and passed out.

That brings us to today, Friday. It has been pretty much a wash of a day. We slept our hangovers off for most of the day. Now I'm working on cleaning up this place from our drunken aftermath and continuing my Melrose Place addiction. 

Work starts on Monday at 9am so I think it will be a pretty relaxing weekend for me. Hopefully. :)

We Are Magical

Well, folks....I did it. 
I said my sad goodbyes to my friends, family and my puppy dog and drove 1800 miles across the country with my sidekick ladyfriend. We had our ideas of how this trip would go, but really had no plan. It ended up working greatly in our favor. 

I left Belleville at 5am and headed across the Mississippi River one final time. I used to tear up when I crossed over the Poplar Street Bridge, looking at downtown St. Louis and thinking about how much I loved that city. It was weird that this time, I didn't. However, that might have been because right as I was coming up on the bridge, I ran over something in the road. Or maybe it was something more symbolic. Probably not, though.

I got to Lyndsey's around 5:20am, stuffed her few bags in the backseat somewhere and headed towards I-44. We stopped to fill up and get some coffee, and we were on our way. [I'm going to keep a tally of the approximate money spent throughout the trip. At this stop, Coffee $2, Gas $40]

It was strange because I had always thought driving that highway back and forth to Springfield during my college years was such a trek. I remember dreading it and always having to stop in Rolla for a stretch break. It's funny how looking at that drive from a different perspective, as a tiny portion of a two-to-three-day trip, it seemed like we got there in a flash. 

Our first gas stop was in Joplin, MO. It had been raining for the last 200 miles or so as a result of Hurricane Isaac's weather moving up from the south. We had a good stretch, took a bathroom break and were back on the road in about 20 minutes. [Gas $35]

My navigator showing our love of maps. 

Our main goal of this whole trip was to make it to LA in two days. Everyone we talked to pretty much shot us down, and, knowing the two of us, I can see why they would assume that we wouldn't make it. HOWEVER, we made killer time on day one. We had a lunch and gas stop in Oklahoma City, stopped again in Amarillo, and made it to Albuquerque around 8pm Saturday night. [Lunch $12 (seriously, the waiter probably thought we scraped that money together), Gas $25, Gas $30]

We found an ok hotel right off one of the first exits in Albuquerque. It was the kind that the door to your room led right to the parking lot, but it was $49, was well lit and had a hot breakfast in the morning. We were sold. 

We got most of the stuff out of the backseat of my car and checked out our room. It had two beds and seemed bed bug free. We were satisfied. It was time to find some grub. A quick change of clothes and freshening up our contacts, and we were ready to go. The little man at the front desk recommended a bbq joint across the street called Rudy's. One look at Rudy's and we decided to do some exploring on our own. 

I guess I had a whole mindset that going west, we were going to run into really awesome places with really awesome people who all looked really awesome. My hopes were way too high for Albuquerque. We drove around aimlessly thinking something had to be popping on a Saturday night. Wrong. Apparently, the only place that seemed to have anyone at all was Red Lobster. We hit it up.

Noticing the cities on our driver's licenses, the bartenders (reminder: at Red Lobster) assumed that we were small town folk coming to the big city of Albuquerque to experience the world. In the tables closest to our bar stools sat some pretty mangy folks with outfits that seemed to have been purchased head to toe from a 5-7-9 back when it was cool and hairstyles I can't begin to describe. I'm not saying that we looked like supa models, but we had been on the road for 18 hours. 

We had a couple of drinks and a nice little dinner, paid our bill and headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest. We were definitely looking forward to not being in a vertical or sitting position for a while.

 As we pulled into the parking lot, a strange, Hispanic man was wandering around the parking lot. I barely noticed him, but Lyndsey was full on protection mode. She took my car keys and instructed me to head into the room. I had no idea what was going on, but she sounded like she meant it, so I followed her directions.

After about 10 minutes, Lyndsey returned. She said she saw the guy looking at us and at our car intently as we pulled in and as we were walking to our room. She took the keys, got back in the car for a minute, got back out, locked the car and shook the keys at the guy while maintaining eye contact with him the entire time. She checked with the front desk to make sure someone would be there all night, made sure the guy saw her seeing him one last time, and came back to the room. She slept with the box cutter under her pillow all night, just in case. My protector. 

We woke up early the next morning to shower, rearrange the car and eat some breakfast. One stop to fill up the gas tank and buy a coffee, and we were on the road again by 6:30am. We were on a fucking roll. [Hotel $49, Dinner $50, Gas $45, Coffee $5]

Two beds, great water pressure in the shower and a hot breakfast all for 50 bucks. 

Somewhere in the midst of this first section of the day 2 trip, I remembered that the back passenger tire has a slow leak and we probably should have checked it before we left. Whoops. I can't remember the town we stopped in, something that started with an H, but literally the next exit we could find with a big name gas station. 

If anyone is planning on making this trip anytime and needs to air up a tire, this town that starts with an H off of 40 in Arizona is a terrible place to do so. The first station where we originally stopped had free air (yay!) that was out of order (boo!). The second big name station we came across just plain didn't have an air pump....when I asked the attendant and was told there wasn't one, I made have answered with a profanity or two. Not a great start to the day. Station three had an air pump (yay!) that was blocked by some moron who parked at a 45 degree angle with his engine still running (boo!). When we finally got to the pump, it cost $1 for 1 minute (boo!). It took us $3 to figure out that the pump didn't work and was taking more air out of the tire (f---!). 

I was fuming. Poor Lyndsey had to deal with me. She was trying to help me see the light in the situation by saying we could have never stopped and blown a tire. My frustration was getting the best of me.

We headed back out to get on the freeway to find another station, and I missed the entrance ramp. Now I was about to stop and blow up the tire myself. Luckily, Lyndsey spotted the best gas station we had seen yet. The air wasn't free but it worked and we finally we able to get some air into the tire. So much for day two being as successful as day one. Ugh. [Gas $20, Vitamin Water $2, Air $5]

After that fiasco, the next part of the trip went pretty smoothly. I have heard from several people that the dessert can be pretty boring to drive through. I don't know what they were talking about. The road is rather straight and boring but the scenery that surrounds it is amazing. Maybe it's because I've never seen anything remotely close to it, but I loved it. I kept wanting to pinch myself. The drive was a vacation in itself. 

At the beginning of this whole trip, Lyndsey and I had both expressed our need to see the Grand Canyon. I'm not sure how many cross-country trips I'll be taking in my lifetime (hopefully, very few), but I wasn't about to pass up this opportunity. We got to Flagstaff around noon and took a sharp right up Highway 64. It was an hour both ways and completely out of the way, but it was definitely worth it. 

It was the definition of breathtaking. 

I'm not going to try to put into words how amazing it was. I'm definitely not that talented. We spent a little while snapping pictures and taking it all in, and we were headed back to I-40. One stop for a quick lunch at Wendy's, and we were back on track. [Grand Canyon $25, Gas $15, Wendy's $15 (No, we're not heffers. They up the prices at the Grand Canyon. Duh.]

The rest of the trip went as smoothly as day one. We did have some issues with the sun when it was setting over the desert, but we powered through it. 

FYI: When crossing the California border, there is a mandatory stop to check for plants, fruits and vegetables coming in. There were signs warning us that there will be a stop, but no details as to what it was. Well, this being my first cross-country trip and my first car in my name, I was nervous as fuck. Lyndsey was driving, so as we approached, I got all the car documents ready, had my license out and was on edge. 

"Do you have any fruits or vegetables in the car?" was the last thing I was expected to hear. I yelped a little "Yes! Apples!" and leaped out of the car. I had to dig through all of my belongings to reach the cooler in the middle of the backseat to finally reach the three apples I had packed as part of our 'healthy snacks' motto for the trip. 

He had to confiscate the apples, which in retrospect, I wish I had been on my toes enough to try to gobble one more down before he took it. Such a waste of perfectly good apples.  
Unfortunately, for me and the cars piling up behind us, that was not the end of the search.  He then wanted to know if we had any plants. Well, I had just gotten a little fern from one of my best friends, and I wasn't about to gibe that up, so I said no as I was returning my belongings to the backseat. Then, I saw the little plant sitting right in plain view.

"Oh, yeah, I...I forgot. I have this fern. It was a gift! That's why I forgot it!" I stammered. Oh great, I was going to lose this guy, too, and possibly get arrested for lying to this state trooper or whatever he was. Fortunately, this fern passed the test and went back to his little spot in the back seat. 

Little guy had a stressful trip.

One more stop in Needles, CA for some fuel and potty, and we were onto our last stretch of the drive. We made it to Hollywood around 8:30 and pulled up to Gabe's where, somehow, the parking spot directly in front of the door was waiting for us. We took a load of my things upstairs and took a load off with a celebratory Budweiser. It was the perfect end to an amazing, successful trip. [Gas $35]

Cheers! BIG MAPS, BIG DREAMS.

Current Status: Sad Zombie

This is it. I leave in about 5.5 hours. I've been trying to sleep, but my excited/anxious/sad/happy/crazy mind isn't allowing me. 

I had interview #5 yesterday. It was scheduled as a Skype interview, but ended up being over the phone because the CEO couldn't get back to the office in time. It went well. Definitely different than any other interview I've been a part of, but in a good way. We had a follow up Skype this morning, just to put a face to the voice. It was a five minute thing that literally was just for him to see what I looked like. It is LA. 

The good news is I'm one of two final candidates. He will be making his final decision this weekend and will let me know the result on Monday. The best part of the whole thing, besides potentially getting the job, was what he said if I didn't get the job. If he ends up choosing the other guy/gal, he offered to put me in contact with some companies he was familiar with in the area and help me find another option. I couldn't believe how gracious he was being. I'm certain I've never heard that in any interview, but it just goes along with people in LA really just wanting to help you out. Crazy, but awesome.

So, if that ends up being my job, I'm going to be pretty excited. If it doesn't, at least I have other options and another avenue to go through for help. I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that I might actually be making this work. This time last year, you could have never convinced me I would be moving to LA. Now, I'm actually making that happen...and it's scary great. 

I've come to the realization that I have two choices for my path in life: A) stay in St. Louis, probably be unhappy for a long time and constantly wonder "what if" OR B) move to LA, be unhappy about leaving friends and family and make a new life for myself. Both options are not easy. Yesterday, I got really upset, and I kept thinking "Why am I doing something that is making me so unhappy?" But I keep reassuring myself that no matter how far away, I will still be able to talk and listen and laugh with my friends and keep up with my family. I know without a doubt, that if I don't do this now, I will forever kick myself for not at least trying. 

One of my mantras: you never know until you try. I constantly say that to myself. I am the one person who would never think to try this, and here I am. Here goes nothing...

One Big Missing Piece

After reading my last post, it's pretty obvious that I don't have a lot of my new life figured out quite yet. I'm pretty proud of the little bit I have planned out, and I know I'll be able to get by for at least a month, more if necessary, but there's one thing every twenty-something and beyond needs: a job. 

I have filled out countless applications over the last six months or so. I have them all written down for my own personal records, so I guess I could sit down and take a count. But the more important number is how many interviews I have gotten out of the many, many potential careers, and that number isn't nearly as impressive.

I recently had a revelation: I need a job that doesn't include children. Many have witnessed my distaste for little ones and yet, somehow I convinced myself that a career revolving around them was the right choice for me. A college degree and five different jobs in the educational field later, I finally gave in. No matter how I try to force it and no matter how good I was at the job (Oh, let's face it. I was great), it just wasn't going to happen for me. I had a love/hate relationship with kids that was growing heavy on the hate side. 

So before I go ruining the thought of kids ever being in my life again, I thought it might be time for a little change. That's right. Not only am I going to California with my eyes closed and my fingers crossed, but I am going to launch an entire career overhaul. It's ok, I know what you're thinking: I'm one crazy mofo. At least I'm not on drugs. 

Like I said, I have had several interviews. Some great, some not so great, as expected. One thing that I have learned through this whole process is that no one believes you're actually moving to California. Even if you have an LA address on your resume and the most solid laid travel plans, you're in question until they see you there in person. And even after that, they still think you have a side plan to become a model or actor. So while trying to jump start on a new career path, I'm also trying to prove that I don't have secret motives....all from 2,000 miles away. More hurdles, yay!

Today, I had my third Skype interview for an executive assistant position for a media company. I have had a few Skype interviews for other positions, as well. It's pretty crazy to think that I probably would have never been considered for this job without being able to interview "face to face." It's also pretty crazy that I've gone through three interviews and a get-to-know-you chat for an assistant position. At this point, though, I don't have the option to be choosy, and I'm pretty open to anything that will expand my resume beyond "Tiny Human Wrangler."

In LA, it's all about who you know and being able to let them help you. I had trouble with this, at first. I wanted to be an independent woman and stomp around in camo with Destiny's Child (Is there such a job? 'Cause I'll take it.), but the reality is, I am going to need a lot of help. So, fingers crossed on this job. The interviews seem to be going well, but if this one doesn't work out, I've got some other ideas lined up.


p.s. Is it ok for me to try to be friends with the HR girl I've been interviewing/chatting with? Even if I don't end up getting the job? :)

UPDATE: Interview #4 is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Oh lawd.

The Low Down

In three days, I will be embarking on the biggest adventure of my life. I am the girl who cried relentlessly on day one of church camp and secretly phoned my parents from a Steak N Shake payphone because I was so home sick. I sobbed for the first week of college and forced my sister to just sit on the phone with me for hours to console me. And approximately 84 hours from now, I will be hitting the road, headed west. 

I can't say that moving out of the St. Louis area had ever crossed my mind, ever. Growing up across the river, living in St. Louis was no big deal. I had even considered Chicago at one point in time. The Midwest is so comfortable and easy and familiar. Why would I leave?

Ok, ok, ok....four years have gone by since graduating college. I've had four different jobs in two school districts, a few serving jobs and I've been a nanny on the side for two years. I've lived at my parents' house in Illinois, in Chesterfield, in Soulard, back with my parents, back to Soulard and now back with my parents, again. Not exactly terrible, but not really where I expected my life to be on the verge of my 28th birthday. On the plus side, I don't have many bills, I don't pay rent and/or have a house payment, I have a college degree, I've been able to get jobs when I needed them, and I'm not illegitimately pregnant. My pros/cons list is pretty even steven. 

So, back to the question, why would I leave? Why now? Well, like any good romance novel, there's this boy.........blah blah blah, don't move there for a boyfriend, blah blah blah, what happens if you break up, blah blah blah, you don't know if things are going to work out. I get it. I'm trying to not become that stereotypical girl who is blinded by a relationship. I want this move to be about me and figuring out my life, first and foremost.

Short story is, we met in college, but it was never the right time for either of us to start a relationship together. We kept in contact after college and last year, realized this was something we wanted to try. Perfect timing! He lives in LA, and I live in St. Louis! I guess it's never really been ideal for us, but I realized, now is as good of a time as any to give it a go. 

So, again, WHY AM I MOVING? It all boils down to not having a lot to hold me back. I'm ready for an adventure. Ready for something to happen. I want to be able to tell everyone "When I was 28, I was crazy and picked up what little stuff I had and moved to California." I will be terribly sad to leave my friends and family behind, but Skype is here to save the day. My puppy dog will be coming out as soon as I find a place to live and until then, he'll be a master-Skyper, as well. I just know that I'll never have this opportunity ever again, so it's time to take advantage of it while I can. 

I am grateful for my life and friends and family, but it's time to shit or get off the pot. Hopefully, I won't bawl too relentlessly when I've (fingers-crossed) made it to LA and this all really hits me. And if I can't stop crying, I can always come back - the roommates said they'd hold my spot for me. 

I'm down to the bare essentials. Clothes, shoes, accessories, crock pot.....and I did some Angelina-from-Jersey-shore-packing and got out the trash bags. 

Some of the unorganized hanging clothes that will come along, too. A load of laundry and some snacks, and that's all folks! I'm a gypsy!