day 276: apart once before

I spent the night at Tim and Mark’s and had my first night of seven hours of sleep. It is so relaxing at their house. I’m able to mentally escape my situation when I’m there. It’s so nice. I was up before the sun rose and was able to cross paths with Mark before he left for work. I made breakfast and one-by-one all of the Jordan-Cohens came crawling up the steps. Tim took Steven to school, so Kristy and I had one-on-one time. We danced to the Wiggles, played with Playdoh and started the laundry. We enjoyed the beginning of lunch and just like that it was time to pick up Steven from school. After lunch and “because Auntie Prue was visiting” they didn’t have their nap and we finished Toy Story 2. After TS2, they took a nap and this was by far my most difficult good-bye. Filled with the non-stop questions of “Why? Why? Why?” I was bawling. I will miss these two little darlings, and I hope that they remember me. It’s always gets me in the heart when I hear them say, “Auntie Prue!”

 

After kissing them goodnight and saying good-bye to Tim, I took off for downtown. I met with Henry. My outings with friends have turned into a theme of trying new places. I figure that I know the places I’ll go to when I return for a visit, but the option I won’t have at home is trying new restaurants. We went to the Broadway bar, which amazingly I’ve never been to. It’s an historic staple in LA and nope, never been. Well that’s checked off the list. It’s a nice loung-y bar and would be great for a group. Henry remembered a recommendation of a Brazilian restaurant not too far from the bar called The Wooden Spoon. Wow! I hope this little restaurant survives these crazy economic times. The food was super fresh. We ordered a appetizer sampler and sangria. As our waiter described the sangria, we both said, “you had us at Sangria” It was a fusion of clover, cinnamon, raspberries, strawberries and red wine: very delicious. We picked two entrees: a chicken pot pie with the flakiest crust I’ve ever had and bacon wrapped chicken. Of course it was accompanied with morro, collared greens and plantains. It was a delicious comfort meal.

Henry and I have endured a few years of living in different cities before and I know that we will continue to be friends through this time. I’m so happy I was brave enough to send out the email searching for a roommate, oh so many years ago, and that he responded. I love these! I was wondering when I would be able to post them, and now seems appropriate.

day 275: tour of LA

Amery came over to help me load up my table onto my car. I’m storing it with Tim & Mark. I went on a bike ride this morning and my legs were so tired. They were shaking as we were carrying it down. Remind me next time that it’s not a good idea to go on a long ass bike ride, then move a table down a flight of stairs and onto the top of a car. As soon as we loaded it I was on my way to Montecito Heights, by way of downtown LA, Silverlake and Glendale. hahaha Today I decided to take a tour of LA with a table strapped to the top of my car!

Tim and the kids were at gymnastics so I killed time by shopping at Santee Alley for some new sunglasses. I refuse to pay more than $5 for sunglasses, because I lose, break, or scratch them. My last pair was lost to lower Grand Avenue back in July. I’ve somehow managed to make it through the summer sans sunglasses. After gymnastics I met Tim and the kids at a park in Silverlake. Can you imagine my car driving through downtown with a table strapped to the top? Awesome. After the park we took a route into Glendale to avoid the freeways. All that time I forgot to take a picture of the table on my car! Oh well, I’m sure there will be another opportunity to take that picture.


I spent the afternoon/evening with the kids and Tim. We played, blew bubbles and watched Toy Story 2. Somewhere in there was a snack, a nap, and dinner. My allergies got the better of me and I was ready to pass out by 9pm from the antihistamine and the energy of the kids.

day 272: marathon packing & BarBQ

I’m marathon packing. My cousin is in town and is willing to take some items back to NM for me. I’m so lucky.

I stopped by Joanna and Bianca’s for a BarBQ, this is the ice cream maker making delicious grapefruit sorbet. :(

day 258: airstream

Here are pics of Tim & Mark's new project: renovation of an Airstream.

day 257: Morongo Valley

Spent the weekend in Morongo Valley with Tim, Mark, Steven, Kristy, Bianca and Joanna. After my meltdown, I'm so thankful that my friends took me away.

 

day 256: 3.5 - the breaking point

This was the breaking point. I haven't posted anything since this day, because this day was so exhausting. I needed some time to come to terms with my decision. It was the beginning of October and for the few days before I was thinking of moving to NM. If I made the decision it was gonna be today. I had to give a 30 day notice to my manager. My roommate gave me his notice a few days earlier and said he would be moving to Colorado.
Factors in my decision were:
finances: I'm losing so much money by living in LA, and if I'm still unemployed at the end of my unemployment insurance, I'm not sure what I will do.
looking for another roommate: I figured my luck of finding another cool roommate was running out, between Duane and Lucas, I was very fortunate.
the rising unemployment rate: the national unemployment rate is 9.8%. I always forget that the beginning of the month starts with bad news.
holidays: most companies don't hire through the holidays (even when  the economy is good)
potential jobs: I had three potential jobs and didn't get any of them. This was a definite blow to my confidence.
my car: I've had some recent car problems... I swear, when it rains it pours. 
the moon: maybe a little bit of the full moon came into play. :P 
stress: each day I'm losing a little bit of myself: my confidence, my sanity, and my happiness.

I was so stressed I worked out 3.5 times (0.5 is the brisk walk): I ran 3 miles in the morning, rode my bike down to Redondo beach, came home had lunch and rode to Bel-air and then around midnight I took a brisk walk to Fairfax and back. The picture above is one I took in the morning: before the meltdown, before I made the decision. The photos below are in Manhattan Beach.

A huge "Thank you" goes out to Mark and Tim for making sure I was ok. I know it must have been scary for you, but thank you for talking to me so late at night. Thank you for being my friends.

 

day 244: Americana

I went to meet Mark and his family at the Grove. Mark had to run some errands. We then went to Americana at Brand. We walked around and the kids enjoyed the fountains choreographed to music. They're my muses.

day 236: traveltown

We celebrated Kristy & Steven's birthday party at Traveltown. I was about an 1.5 hours late, because I didn't think it was so early in the morning. Traveltown is amazing. They so many locomotive engines. It's so cool! This is grandma showing Steven how to feed Kristy's baby.

day 203: twinkle time

We went to Americana at Brand (basically a different version of The Grove in Glendale) to see Twinkle Time perform. The kids were mesmerized, it was hard to get any emotion out of them other than bewilderment. :) I'm sure the conversation at dinner was filled with smiles and laughs. This is another preview. I have so many pictures to proof.

day 202: kristy & steven

This is a preview of the photo shoot I had with Tim, Kristy and Steven. I will post more pictures, but aren't these two kids adorable, and Tim, too. :)

day 200: intent

I've been reading/researching various ideas, people and projects. I've realized that I have not focused on one area. I've notice that people who are successful give their all (heart and soul) to one project. From hear on out I'm doing that, and I realize with this photo-a-day blog that I'm not letting you in on the bad times: allowing myself to be vulnerable. I thought, "who wants to read about a depressing day where I'm stressed out?" Who wants to know that "Inconsistencies on your form" is such a vague statement on the f-ing unemployment notice?

Being unemployed sucks. It sucks ass. It's fun for about a week. After a month there's one major meltdown. You've strategized, punched the numbers, but life happens and you can't predict it. You question all of the choices you've made. There's doubt that creeps into your mind about your talent and abilities. It sucks. Some days are better than others, and sometimes it comes down to a few good hours. I will say that it brings out a good human trait, and that's taking care of each other, whether it's financial or emotional. So many people are willing to open their hearts to you. It's absolutely amazing.

I keep thinking that when I look back on this time, I want to say that I accomplished so many personal goals, but sometimes those goals are clouded by living day-to-day. It's hard to look long term. A year from now seems faraway and ten years? I can't even fathom it. As each day passes you hope that you're inching closer to the end of this chapter in your life, but then the news reminds you that this will be longer than anyone expected.

The good part, if you can call it that, is that there are others out there in the same boat. It's comforting and discomforting. At least you have people to confide in and go places with. Talking to friends who have jobs is awkward. They want to bitch about their jobs, but are quickly reminded to be thankful they have a job. Employers are pushing them to the limit and employees are doing it in fear of losing their job.

I am thankful there are unemployment benefits, one doesn't start the job force to think that they'll be unemployed. I am happy that this nation takes care of the unemployed, if not our health.

day 194: why hello, August

Why hello, August. Where the heck did you come from? Don't worry, I'm happy that July is over, but where did summer go?

So Dax and Cordoba have their hiding places around the house, but usually they're lounging in these spots. So cute.

day 191: vacation/house sitting

It's taken a few days, but I feel like I'm truly on vacation. Even though I'm about 13 miles away from my apt, it feels like a break. A break from street cleaning (parking), from looking for a job, from maintaining my sanity. I'm offered a time to recollect my thoughts and start fresh with a new perspective. I felt bad the first time I slept in until 10am, rather scared, scared that I may make a habit of it. I remind myself that Monday I will not have the luxury of sleeping-in.

day 189: dax & cordoba

I'm house sitting for Tim & Mark. It's wonderful to get away from my apt for a bit. The first night I stayed here, I slept in. I don't want to make a habit of that, but it feels like a mental break from job searching, website building, and all around stress.

These are the two cats I'm looking after: Dax and Cordoba. Dax is super sweet. He's been a little under the weather that's why he looks super skinny. Cordoba is a little skiddish, so it's gonna take a little more TLC for her to warm up to me.

The picture above is Dax lounging on the couch. He's owning it. hahah

This is Cordoba trying to blend into the sculpture. :)

day 175: meltdown 2.0

Not having a job: SUX. I wish I could ctrl-z some things in my life.

day 145: Kristy & Steven

Surrounded by many friends and family members, Kristy and Steven were proudly named at Kol Ami in Hollywood on June 12, 2009. It was a beautiful service to kick off Gay Pride. The service reminded us of the injustice that is facing the world right now, but offered hope in the future of these two little darlings. We welcome the with our open arms and hearts these to precious children.

The two little dearies were so excited they skipped their naptime today. And I admit, that Steven and Kristy out partied me, and that's not an easy task. They were still raring to go when I left the party. I'm still processing the pictures and I hope to have them up by this week, thank you for your patience.

day 114: bottle up their energy

I'm not sure what time Kristy and Steven woke me up this morning, but it seemed early. Today we enjoyed breakfast, got dressed, played with Tinker Toys, enjoyed a snack, played in the garden, popped bubble wrap, played with Legos, enjoyed lunch, and then it was nap time. Whew! After nap time, we went to preschool, played at the playground, came home played with Legos again, then it was time for Auntie Prue to take a nap. Then we played with Play-doh and all of a sudden it was dinner time. After dinner I had to come home and check on Percy. Watching a two-year-old and a three-year-old can render one exhausted, and I only did it for 32 hours! hahaha I think I'm going back for more next week. :)

day 113: playtime

On Tuesday, I went to babysit Kristy and Steven. Mark is out of town on business for this week, and I know that two small kids can be difficult, so I offered to help Tim with the kids. For a couple of days, Carla would be watching Percy (Fish and Amery are also out of town for a week and I was taking care of their rabbit), so that gave me the freedom to spend the night at Tim & Mark's house. It was also a great way to get out of LA without getting out of LA.

On Tuesday, Tim ran errands as we played with Tinker Toys and Play-doh. Aahhh the days of playing with Play-doh. We made ice cream, an aquarium with flower decorated animals, a man with a tie and various other psychedelic colored objects. I was so busy I didn't even think to pull out my camera on Tuesday, until after dinner when they had 1/2 an hour of television before bedtime. This was taken with my cell, sorry for the crummy picture quality. This is them mesmerized with Hello Kitty.

day 098: adoption

Tim & Mark officially adopted Kristy and Steven today, and I was so honored to be invited to the courtroom proceedings.

It was a chilly morning, but the overcasting clouds provided the right light to photograph. We arrived early to the Children's Court House in Monterey Park, CA, at 8:15am. In a large waiting room, we chatted with Tim & Mark's friends and family. Grandma and Grandpa were on hand, as well as, various aunties and uncles for the ceremony.

Steven pointed out two roof drains to a room full of architects and asked, "what are those two things?" We laughed and said, "you may want to rethink that question? Do you want the long version or the short version?" Kristy was fighting a cough while dealing with getting her molars, but she handled it well.

As soon as we caught up with our lives, we were called into the courtroom. We listened to the judge as he awarded all rights to these two beautiful children to Tim and Mark. There was not a dry eye in the room. We posed for pictures and then had a wonderful lunch at Luminaria's Restuarant.

Congratulations Tim, Mark, Kristy & Steven!! this also means Auntie Prue is available for babysitting. :) (no fingerprints required)

day 077: series of intersecting lives and incidents

I'm reminded by my friend, Amy, that bad things happen in threes. one: lost job, two: identity fraud, three: hit & run. I do hope this is the end of it.

Today feels like that scene from Benjamin Button, when Daisy was hit by the car. Everything had to happen in order for me to be hit by that red car, accident or design, it had to happen. I don't know the particulars about the other people involved: the guy in the car, the guy in the Dooley truck, the 10-year-old girl on the Razor scooter, or the two EMTs. I know that for me, I had to have an extra cup of tea this morning. I usually only have one cup, but opted for two. Firefox crashed and I had to reopen all the windows again. I forgot to put on sunscreen and ran back upstairs to lather it on. I decided to read one more chapter in my book at the park. Waiting in line at the Post Office, the AC forced me to put on my sweat jacket which protected me from more scrapes. The Dooley Truck that took up most of the road made me slow down. The ambulance had to be stuck in traffic just a few cars back from where the collision occurred. I had to notice the girl on the Razor scooter whisking down the sidewalk as I passed her and that red car had to make that left hand turn as I was about to ride straight.

And if only one thing had happened differently: If that Dooley truck was in the other lane or that girl on the Razor left 2 minutes earlier, I could've been under the car, the little girl could've been hit by that car or the red car could've made a left turn without hitting anyone. "But life being what it is - a series of intersecting lives and incidents, out of anyone's control:" I was hit by that car and fell to the ground with the little girl on the Razor scooter coming to my side and asking if I was ok. The EMTs quickly tending to my scrapes and the that guy in the red car rolling down his window to ask if I was ok, only to drive away without an answer.

It's strange what you think of during an accident. The first thought that came to my mind when the EMTs asked to clean the wound was "I should have shaved my legs this morning." For some reason everything else was a blur, but that thought is vivid.