I'm a pro...crastinator

So here I am at Coffee Bean, working on my portfolio, trying to get through a long list of "helpful tips" from Alicia. I promised myself that I wouldn't leave till I finished the edits and sent it off for more editing.

It's harder than I thought. This Chocolate Chunk muffin is helping. I know that I'll for sure work on it for 10 minutes straight in about 3 minutes when Coffee Bean Wi-Fi kicks me off for my "break" that happens every 2 hours.

...and there was the 10-minute break. During that 10 minutes, I had the "opportunity" to listen to what was going on around me. There is a deep man-to-man conversation going on at the leather chairs. I think I saw some tears. There's a woman sitting at the table in front of me who is skyping with someone talking about court orders, press releases, blogs, and "today being a good day." You can hear so much when you have headphones on but no music playing. Frankly, I'm quite intrigued as to what makes people pour out their emotions so freely here. Must be the coffee.

So, battle wound update. I'm healing nicely, but the stitches are getting kind of...loose. One stitch (?) has already come out, one has untied itself but remains in my finger, and one still fully intact, but I'm not giving that one much longer.

Stitches!!!! And me. Bonus.

Catch up...or mustard?

New category, L.A. Day. It is now my goal for every weekend to do something quintessential "L.A." ("Wow, that is so L.A."). Not to put too much pressure on this new activity, but I have pretty high hopes.

This past weekend was the kick-off event. Erica and I journeyed to Griffith Park. Andddd it was great. We started at the Observatory. Bonus, it was free. When things are free, it makes them 10 times better. Instant interest. It really was pretty awesome. We went up to the roof, saw the telescope, walked around inside, went downstairs into the "depths" (really, that's what it was called), and sat on the lawn where I ate a Clif bar. Good times. Then we went down to the bottom of the park and spread out a blanket and chilled for a second. It's so tricky to find that shade spot that is just right. Let's call it "partial shade," where light still comes through the leaves, but you're not getting burned by the sun. I fell asleep. And then moved to sit under a different tree. Towards the end we enjoyed the band, Flogging Molly, doing their sound check at the Greek Theater. Regina Spektor is going to be there in October. Sounds like I'll be sleeping under a tree on that day as well...

Zooey D in Yes, Man? Anyone? Anyone?

Great roof

So that was Saturday. On Sunday, we went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. It's on the second Sunday every month and it. Was. Huge. The antique section was about 3 or 4 times bigger than the actual normal "new" stuff. Ahhhh it was vintage overload but I loved it. I almost bought something every 5 minutes. Dangerous. I don't think I can allow myself to go back until I have a job. Good news is that I found where I am getting my Halloween costume.

Tiny shoes

Best dress of the day. Every time I try to take a sneak shot at any given time, the person always ends up looking at me. I need practice. Watch out.

Ohhh just a little breakfast sandwich I made. Sourdough bread, avacado, egg, and cheese. Mornin', glory.

More news. I got a ticket. A plane ticket. I am spending my first Christmas away from home this year. Sad sad sad face. Instead, I'll be in Seattle, with my Dad's brother and his family. I love Seattle. Maybe I'll move there next... I'm excited to be with my cousins (what's up Rachellllllll?!?!) and auntie and uncle but I'm a little afraid of how I'll feel come Christmas day. This is growing up, right?

More news. I went to the ER. Again. I tried to cut a frozen brussel sprout in half and cut my pointer finger in the process. Erica took me to the ER again and we got to revisit with some friends. The doctor that gave me 3 stitches also gave me a 4-piece set of medical tools as a "souvenir." He told me to make sure to wash with soap and water. Umm...yes. Not sure how many people were stitched up with those tools, but it was quite exciting to get rewarded for my dedication to making dinner.

More news (wow it's really been a while). My momma is coming to visit!!! Yes, yes she is. She will be here in a couple weeks and is going to stay for 4, 5 days? I'm excited!! Especially now knowing that I definitely won't be going home for Christmas. Now my Dad has to plan a trip out here...maybe I can promise going on a tour at Boeing. It'll be fun doing more sightseeing and exploring while she is here. On her list is a couple of fabric stores, Walk of Fame, and the science center. We'll add more...

Tomorrow - picking up two lamps from someone on Craigslist. We will finally have light in the living room. About time.

Snow Patrol is coming to L.A. next month and I want to go. Too bad Erica falls asleep when she hears them. That would be a fun concert.

Pierce, Southern California needs you

So, remember the movie Dante's Peak? Well, when I woke up this morning, that's what it looked like outside. Sans the volcano, but double the smoke. Luckily, Erica and I were hermits today and stayed inside, where we kept cool by the window unit.

Alicia, this one's for you, courtesy of an LA Times article about the San Gabriel Mountains.

I was looking around our apartment today and realized that Erica and I are pretty much set in our respective rooms, but the rooms that we both share or that guests would spend the most time in--they are pretty much bare. Two pieces of furniture in the living room, stacks of my art stuff in the dining area/office/study space plus my drafting table and my bookshelf. Nothing on the walls. It looks like we are moving out, not moving in. Yikes. But, then again, settling in takes money. Money that we would both rather spend on food and rent than buying frames and paint. Oh the joys of being young and unemployed (don't worry, I'm working on the unemployment part).

Erica and I made chicken pesto pizza for dinner. Cost? Of dough, flour and cheese (we had everything else), grand total is...what? $7? I actually am not sure. But it wasn't much. And it was tastyyyyyyyy. We were pretty proud of ourselves. Turns out that to use our gas oven, we have to hold a match (or any open flame whatever) under the burner beneath the oven chamber. It sounds as dangerous as it is. Especially since you have to turn the gas on first, and then hold an open flame to it. Erica did it. Not me. She earned herself a battle wound of a blister.

I am now in the process of transferring legal things over to California. Car insurance, renter's insurance (whatttt???), driver's license, car registration, California plates, AAA membership--am I becoming an adult? Well, not quite yet. My parents would beg to differ. {Smile here}

Watching: August Rush. Robin Williams is creepy in this movie.

Finally, right?!

Okay okay, I'm back. And I come bearing pictures of Erica and mine's new apartment in South Pasadena.

Front entrance to the building

Our door

Living room, very sparsely furnished--notice the complete lack of chairs...

Sofa::Craigslist, Table::Craigslist

Windows galore

Dining room/office space/study area/storage of my things

More of my things

Bookshelf::IKEA

The kitchen {sigh} -- I love it

Hallway, with Erica's room on the right

The bathroom -- yellow and cream tile with stenciled ivy across the top of the walls (That will probably get painted over very soon)

The sink -- hot water faucet, cold water faucet. Getting lukewarm water is very near impossible.

My room from the doorway

Oval mirror::Craigslist

One window, a closet, and a bookshelf.

Bookshelf::IKEA

{Light shining down from heaven on my two closets} Dos closets. So excellent.

Some of my little friends

Oh yes. Don't worry, I wasn't terrified the entire time.

My trip to the Alhambra ER. Obviously it was a life or death situation because we found time to take pictures to document this momentous event.

So yeah. The ER. Don't worry about me trying to be a good roommate and washing all the glasses before using them. Or about one slipping and cutting my finger. Or that Erica and I rinsed off all the other glasses before tending to my bleeding finger and shattered glass in the sink. Or that I didn't have an insurance card with me and I took all my Blue Cross Blue Shield information into the hospital on a scratch piece of paper. Not fishy at all. I'm sure my Mom loved how I called her and said, "Mom...I cut my finger. And it's bleeding real bad. I think I need stitches." But all this was said in a high voice and every sentence was said like it was a question. I think I was slightly delirious from my extreme loss of blood (not really) because we had a good time in the car on the way to Alhambra Hospital that carried into the ER, where Erica and I became mini-celebrities because we were from Hawaii. Andddd, to top it off, the woman who made me sign some papers? Yeah, her daughter just graduated from Samford's business school last year. Smalllll world over here in South Pas.

Also, a little story about the movers. They came last Friday. It was two youngish guys, a teenage girl, and a middle school age boy. Quite an interesting group. Anyway, they started bringing things up and when he asked where the headboard went, this dialogue happened.

"That's not mine. And neither is that suitcase." (panic starts to show on the mover's face as I talk)

"You are not Lancaster?"

"Ummm, no." (my own panic starts to set in)

"You're not moving from Chicago?"

"No. From Alabama. Birmingham Alabama. Alabama!!" (anxiety creeps into my voice)

Well, they came to us first. When they were supposed to come to us third. Greatttt. So, good news, our things were on that truck, they were just in the middle of it. They came back the next day, sans one of the guys and the teenage girl, and unloaded everything. At the end of the move, the boy child says, "Enjoy your life." Erica and I look at each other and mouth "Enjoy your life? What?" As the guy and the kid are walking down the stairs, we hear the guy say "Enjoy your life? What does that mean?" Thanks EZ Movers. A couple days of panic was worth it for that parting exchange.

All in all, The Big Move is complete. Now we just need chairs...