14 January 2011
crisp winter light
How are we already half-way through January?
The job is going well. I have a window, and an email address, and lots of freedom. I'm learning piece by piece what my position entails from the woman who's leaving. She comes in twice a week for a few hours, and otherwise I try to make do with what I know. There's a lot I can't do yet, but that's okay. I think I'm going to be really good at this job when I know how to do it all.
I spent four hours at the Pasadena DMV last Friday, but the end result was a California drivers license and a California registered car. In order to do this, along with standing in many different lines for long periods of time and staying cool, I had to get a CA smog test (my AZ one from 12 months ago didn't count) and pass a 36-question written test (35/36) and I felt pretty damn proud of the whole situation since I've been avoiding the DMV for over a year. California plates are mostly white and blue with a little red, and they look fantastic on my blue car. I finally feel like a local.
New Years Resolution: Operation Lift Weights is underway. I started a week later than expected, but I'm psyched to be so committed this time. It makes it easy to go to the gym at 6 in the morning. Even after being incredibly sore after workout #1 of the week, I still went on day three for workout #2, and while I warmed up for a while and stretched a lot, working my sore muscles did not make them any more sore. It may have actually helped speed up healing because I'm almost back to normal. I'm going tomorrow for #3, and that'll complete my first week! I spent one night this week downloading good workout songs from the 80s and 90s, and deleting the crap songs I've had on my shuffle that I always skip and have been meaning to delete forever. Good workout music = rockin' workout.
I got my hair cut and colored last weekend by my long-time stylist in Claremont who I never use anymore because she's so expensive. Unfortunately, I'm not too happy with the cut or color. I'm trying to figure out how to remedy my hair to make me happier. But I also might just live with it, and it'll grow and change in a few weeks anyway. It was still a bummer, though. Usually I love what she does.
Sadly, my British grandma passed away in my parents' kitchen last weekend, only a week before she was set to fly back to England after her month-long stay for the holidays. They believe it was heart failure, and pretty painless, but still shocking for my mom, who was with her when it happened. I flew home to Phoenix last night with my sister, and there was a small service today at my parents' church. We go back to Los Angeles tomorrow, and Kevin flies in to the same airport an hour later. There's never a good time for these things to happen, so it was fortuitous that it happened while Will was still home on winter break and thus easy for the whole family to be together. It happened the same day as the Gabrielle Giffords shooting, which affected me quite a bit, so that whole weekend was really rough for me.
I get all major federal holidays off at my new place of employment, so with MLK day on Monday, I am thankful to have two full weekend days - Sunday and Monday - at home in LA, with the bf. It's been an eventful couple weeks.
01 January 2011
a new year
It's the first! And it's a new year!
My Christmas break was fun. I hung out with the fam, saw A Christmas Carol for the first time at the Herberger, slept quite a bit, was spoiled with lovely presents, ate a large quantity of delicious food (on multiple days), had lunch with Julia, Andrea and Ali, saw Black Swan, The King's Speech, and What's Eating Gilbert Grape, introduced Kevin to Scottsdale/Phoenix (he was my first boyfriend to sleep over at my parents' house... it felt slightly noteworthy), went to the Phoenix Art Museum, bought myself an iPhone, flew together with Kevin to Oakland for his 22nd birthday, and went bowling on New Years Eve.
I have been away from LA for slightly less than two weeks - an impressive amount of time in the working world - and this is not what I expect in the future. It just worked out that Bovary closed for a full two weeks this year, and the new job didn't begin until January. Between my impromptu trip home in November, my parent's visit out to LA to see me, Thanksgiving, my sister's stay with me in December for USC orientation (she moves in to her off-campus apartment next week) and now the Christmas holiday, I feel like I've gotten a good amount of family/Arizona time in over the last few months (with the exception of my brother, whom I only see twice a year). It will be a while, possibly 7-9 months, before I return. I am sad to leave the comforts of home, where things never seem to really change, but I am excited to get back to my own little place and the life I'm carving out for myself. I also miss the kittens more than I probably should and can't wait to see them tomorrow. I am excited and nervous to start the new job on Monday, although this first week I have a pre-planned orientation week, which is relieving. I flew back to Phoenix from Oakland this evening, and I am not looking forward to driving six hours tomorrow nor to the dreadful "Sunday night alone at home" syndrome (worst night of the week!). I have a busy "maintenance" weekend next weekend including trips to the DMV, a Toyota dealership and a hair salon, so that should keep me busy enough to get through the weekend solo. Kevin flies in the second weekend of January, around the 15th, and we will fall back into our regular routine, with the bonus of less stress on his part due to a more manageable mix of courses this semester.
New Years Resolutions:
One Complete the New Rules for Lifting for Women six month regimen. This means going to the gym three times a week, every week, to lift weights. Anything else is optional. I'm starting on January 3rd so I should end at the beginning of July. THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
Two Increase my net take-home income by 25% by the end of the year. Considering I raised my hourly rate quite a bit with the new job, and there is a possibility of extending my new job's hours from 30 to 40 per week, this might not be as outlandish as it sounds. We'll see.
Three Make some girlfriends. It's the hardest thing to do living in a big city, especially one like Los Angeles, and I'm not the most social butterfly in the meadow. But at times like right now, when I face two weeks in cold, rainy LA without Kevin, it makes me sad that I don't have friends to hang out with. It's healthy to have avenues for socialization other than your S.O. I'm not sure how to go about doing this - making more friends - but I am ready to be more flexible and open-minded (not often my strong suits) about new opportunities coming my way.
Four Develop my hobbies and be active enough outside of work to feel fulfilled.
Five Write more often in my Moleskine journal.
Here's to a new year, a fresh start, and love, health and happiness. We are so blessed to be alive!
K and I on his birthday, and the last day of 2010