I Love Lucy!

So, today I decided to go on a quest. Since it wasn't the weekend, and it was so nice outside....I decided to go back to Hollywood Blvd and find Lucille Ball's Star. Now this really only required me to go online and figure out which block her star was on, but I also wanted to really browse since I didn't get a chance to on Saturday when it was so crowded.

So, I got down there and it wasn't crowded at all and I saw that there were a ton of parking spots open so I pulled up to one and noticed that it was $2/hr with a 1 hour limit during those hours. Everywhere I looked had signs like that, so I finally decided to park there and not dilly dally. Then I realized that I didn't even have $2 in change for the meter....te he he. So, I was driving around forever and found this parking garage that I read about online. It's right under the Kodak Theatre and it's only $2 for the first 4 hours as long as you buy something in one of the shops of the mall. So of course I went there since I was planning on grabbing a bite to eat anyway....they just validated my parking there! Awesome possum! So, I went up and looked at the rest of the hand and foot prints and found some good ones.....pics will come later!

Then, I walked kind of far to get to Lucy's star. Lots of strange people and shops....this is the best place to people watch. OH....that just reminded me of this old woman I saw yesterday near Drea's. I think she was one of those women that was really maybe 60 but looked 80. Anyway, she had a big blond curly wig, pink and white tie-dyed pants, white high heeled boots and a leopard print jacket. Oh it was beautiful!!!! Today, there was this guy that seemed like he was going for the Crocodile Dundee look except he was mexican and looked like the boots were killing him. BTW....these are the people that aren't dressing up for pictures! There's a great Captain Jack Sparrow down there. The physicalities are really good!

Anywho...then I just poked around and got some postcards and a magnet and then went over to Drea's to see Desilu. Des was in a very snuggly mood today. I have to go over some time when I can spend a good few hours over there. Lately, it's been an hour tops so I can beat rush hour traffic. But, in another month I'll be living with her again!!! :) I miss snuggling with my baby girl at night!

So, tomorrow I'm going to a family function! It's not really a wedding, because they're already married. But, they eloped and it's the thing where they make it official in the Catholic church. Whatever that is....I'm going to that for my Mom's cousin's son and his wife. I hope I don't feel awkward...I was a last minute invite and I only know a few people in the family, but now is my chance to meet almost all of the rest! :)

Oh....and I got a call from Olive Garden today. I have to go and fill out forms tomorrow morning and then I will get on the schedule for next week to follow one of the trainers and then I'll be on the floor! :) I'm so glad that I don't have to go through the entire class and I'm not unemployed anymore!!!! YAY!!!

Anywho....that's it for now. It'll be a busy weekend so hopefully I'll have lots of fun stories to tell! :)

Beautiful weather....

So I haven't written in a while because nothing really has happened. We've been apt hunting...I went to see one today in West Hollywood. Great area! Really nice and quiet street. Big place. It'll probably be one of those things that if we're still interested around the end of the month, we can check and see if it's still available because it's available now and she even said we could sign a lease starting the 15h, but no later. Drea's lease isn't up until the 28th. We don't want her to pay two rents for two weeks....that just blows!

I'm thinking about heading back out to Hollywood Blvd tomorrow to walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame and hope that it isn't as crazy as the day we went out there before. I want to find Lucille Ball's star.....which I did find the address for before. I need to find some Desilu stuff!!!!! I did see Arnaz street somewhere in Hollywood.

Anywho....so yeah....not much has been happening hense the not writing much....te he he.

It can't all be vacation.....work!

So I had my second interview with Olive Garden. Good news is that I more than likely will be working there within the next couple of weeks. Bad news is that I'm still incomeless for at least another week AND....I have to go through the damn training class again. That's all fine and good, but I will probably have to watch those stupid training videos for the THIRD time in 6 months!!!! UGH! Those things are awful!!! Oh....Oh.... (Pattie, picture me doing an impression of Bonnie M.) more good news is that I will be getting a huge raise from what I was making at home. Okay....anyone who has worked at a restaurant in PA knows that Minimum wage is a joke. You make $2.83/hr there. Here, I will be making $8 + tips. It makes sense, but I'm so excited about that!!! I know I know....the cost of living is different and all that jazz. When really....the only things that are drastically different here is the rent and taxes (but they're a lot different).

And speaking of rent. Drea and I are starting to look at apts. There are a few that look pretty decent, a few that look 'eh' and one that looks too good to be true...so it more than likely is...but we're still gonna check it out! We're looking in West Hollywood. She works at Fox Studios so that keeps her close to her work. I'm not as concerned with being super close to my work (although easy access to the freeway is a huge plus) because I really just want to be closer to the industry!

It started raining again tonight so I decided not to go see Desilu because I would have gotten stuck in rush hour + rain traffic. I'll see her tomorrow!

That's it....kind of a boring day....sorry...tomorrow will probably be even more boring so I may not even write. We'll see shall we...

Laguna and Newport Beaches

Things I keep forgetting to write: The very first McDonald's is in the area where I will hopefully be working. Mom and I saw it the other day. Also, the guy at the bank made a great analogy about Cali. He said 'If we were a car, we'd be the worst one to buy. We're bad in the cold. We're bad in the rain. We tend to shake a little sometimes and we're always running hot. I thought that was funny!

I haven't written in a while. On my parents last day here (Sunday), my Dad decided to be a party pooper and stay at the house to watch football all day. My mom and I went out with Aunt Sue, cousin Mary, Cousin Debbie and Debbie's kids Molly and Brad.

We started out by heading the Newport Beach and having lunch on Balboa pier. Apparently, this is a very popular place for Starfish because we spotted one on the pier and then fishermen kept catching them. Lunch was great! Did I ever tell anyone how I LOVE Avacadoes? I love them, but I hate how expensive they are in PA. Well, not only are them cheap here, but they are on everything on the menu at restaurants....or you're given the option of adding them on anything. I had a freaking Guacamole burger for lunch yesterday. It was glourious. The Avacadoes are reason enough to move to California!!!

Anyway, after that....we went to the harbor and walked around and rode a ferris wheel to get a good look at the harbor. It was beautiful!!!

Then we headed down to Laguna Beach. That beach is beautiful!!! No wonder all the rich live there and everyone makes such a big deal about it! It's gorgeous and really difficult to get to so I can't imagine it gets as crowded as the other beaches. We had cocktails at La Barisa (???) and then walked down to the beach and took some pictures.

Then we headed back to house and got ready for a BBQ at Debbie's house....which is the same neighborhood as the Octomom...fun fact.

This morning Mom and Dad left bright and early and are havin quite a tough time getting out of Minnesota. That stinks! :(

That's about it. I'll post some pictures now....

San Pedro. If you turn to the left, Catalina is right in front of you....I think about 25-30 miles off shore.MY CAR!!!!! 2008 Chevy Cobalt...beautiful isn't it?

Mom and I on Balboa Pier in Newport.Two starfish that were caught right in front of us while we were eating!


Newport Harbor from the Ferris Wheel.Laguna Beach!Mom and I at Laguna!

Look how pretty this place is!!!
This would be a great place to watch the Sunset!
Okay....this is a painting in Debbie's dining room. Mary pulled up a chair and Mom just made it look like she was sitting on the painting chair. Hillarious! It looks like they're in wine country!

That's all for tonight! enjoy the pics!

Here comes the sun do do do do....

In case you couldn't guess from the title, the sun was shining brightly all day long! Oh, how I loved it so much. It was still a little chilly at first, but it got in the 60s today! :) Beats the snow!

This morning I got up and did practical things. I ran out and joined Chase Bank and did some shopping for various items that I needed to get, but didn't feel like lugging it out here.

After lunch, we all decided to drive up through Hollywood and Beverly Hills and then up Rodeo Drive and see all of those sights. Well, I'm thinking that all of the people that came in to town this week for vacation also decided to do Hollywood today since it's the first nice day in a while. There was a lot of traffic going toward LA (I'll discuss traffic later) and then all the way down Hollywood Blvd it was jam packed. Eventually, Mom Dad and I just hopped out of the car and walked down the Walk of Fame to The Chinese Theatre and then we met up with Aunt Sue and Uncle Jim down there after we walked around for a bit. Didn't get too many pics though because it was really crowded and if anyone knows my Dad, you know that he doesn't make a good tourist and he just kept saying 'we should meet them by the road....we should go and meet them now by the road.'

After that, we drove down Sunset Blvd. into Beverly Hills. Before that though, we got a good view of the Hollywood Hills and let me tell you, if ever I come into a lot of money....I need to buy a house up there. They are nice!!! Beverly Hills was gorgeous, but I feel bad for all of the celebrities up there because every other corner, you see someone selling maps to all of their houses. Even so though, all of the hedges and walls are so high that you can't really see the houses....the ones you can see though....wow!

We saw the front gate to Bel Air and I got the theme song to Fresh Prince stuck in my head....te he he. Then we drove down Willshire to Rodeo drive and went up there to see all of the ritzy shops. The Versace shop was really cool....it was up in a little offshoot cobblestone road....gorgeous building.

Then we took Willshire all the way into Downtown and came back!

Okay...the traffic. Yes, it's packed and yes there is lots of stopping involved....but it is a very organized chaos. You're almost never at a standstill (I haven't experienced really bad rush hour yet....although I did drive in rush hour the other night between rain storms)....then keep the traffic flowing well and the freeways kind of make sense....more so than Pittsburgh roadways. So, that's what I have to say about the traffic right now. I may change my mind in a bit and say it's unbarable!

Okay...we have to go pick up Aunt Sue at church and go out to eat! :)

Tourism and Buying Cars...it's been a busy day...

Today, Uncle Jim decided to take us for a drive along to coast. So, we started off by heading to San Pedro which is a really cute town on some hills, right by the ocean. They have a huge harbor and they're right by the ship yards. It's also right across from Catalina Island (which is a lot bigger than I thought). So we went to an overlook - I will add pictures as soon as I can btw - to look at the shipping yards and the harbor. Then we drove down to the cliffside to see just how far of a fall that would be....te he he. It was really cool to see the waves coming in onto the rocks and cliffs.

After that, we went down to Long Beach. This was a very cool town. It's basically a small city built right along the marinas and beach. Right across the marina from it is the Queen Mary. So, we went over to see the Queen Mary....unfortunately, the rain was coming down so hard that we just stayed in the car to admire it. Right next to the Queen Mary is a giant dome that is about the size of Mellon Arena and that is where they used to keep the Spruce Goose. It's not there anymore because they moved it to an Air and Space Museum in Oregon. (http://www.sprucegoose.org/) I would have liked to see that though....

Then we decided to go out to lunch so we stopped at a place right next to the Queen Mary called The Reef and it was gorgeous. When we walked in, we thought we would be paying a fortune because it was so big and luxorious and there were fire places everywhere and of course, it was right on the water (and we sat right by the window)....but let me tell ya, it was cheaper than a night out at Olive Garden! And the meals were excellent!!! Of course everyone but me got sea food. And Dad saw some Yachts that he was very envious of!

While we were leaving the restaurant, I got a call from Carmax saying that the car that I wanted to test drive was at the dealership, so we went a little further down the coast and then headed back up to see the car.

Well, needless to say the test drive went great because I bought it! :) My monthly payments are not that much more than I was paying for student loans (which I have since had lowered), and my car insurance is only about $20 than what I pay at home....and I only have to pay this for 9 months so really it's probably around the same! So, as long as everything goes well with the GM at Olive Garden on Monday I should be just fine with payments and getting an apt soon! :)

Well, considering yesterdays posts was GINORMOUS and today was so busy, I'm going to call it a night and head to bed. Oh, I also got a few more boxes of my stuff in the mail today so my room is a disaster!!!

But, I think we're doing more sight seeing tomorrow so I'll try to post again tomorrow night!!!

Sunny California???

So we made it!!! That is a long freaking plane ride! We had a 2 hour ride to Atlanta and that was fine.....then there was the 4 1/2 ride to LAX. Holy Crap I thought the plane would never land. AND, they changed to a smaller plane than originally planned so I wasn't even sitting with my parents. At least they had a movie. Desilu was an angel. There were a couple of meows in the car ride to the airport, but absolutely none for either plane ride. She was so terrified, but I think she actually fell asleep on the 2nd one....which made me feel better. So...I experienced turbulence for the first time and honestly (I'm not saying this as a joke....totally serious) it didn't really phase me because I think it felt like PA roads. Near the end, it got a bit more bumpy, but for the most part I barely noticed (but my parents said it was pretty bad and they've felt turbulence before).

Anywho...we had the coolest landing (my parents hated it...but I LOVED it). Since there was bad weather coming in, they decided to land in a differnt way so we actually went out over the Pacific Ocean and came in over the coast. First of all, I got to fly over part of the ocean....the first time I see the Pacific, I'm over it....so cool. Then, there was a giant ship that was on my side of the plane that I could see. And, we got to see all of the sea foam in the coast from the giant waves (they recorded I think 20 ft waves yesterday). But, the coolest part (which most people I think would hate, but I loved) was that LAX is right on the coast....so we were decending while we were still over the ocean! I just think that was the coolest thing. I guess my parents were freaked out and the guy next to them was praying. I was increidbly intrigued though....call me crazy. Whatever.

Okay....what's with this so called "sunny California?" I've seen the sun a totaly of 2 times! The roads are flooding because there's no drainage on them, people don't know how to drive in the rain so they're all going 30mph, and there was a hail storm tonight. Don't get your glasses....you read it correctly...HAIL!!! Thunder, Lightnig, and HAIL! My friend Drea who's been here for 2 years said that she's seen lightning like 3 times since she's lived here. Craziness. My mom's Aunt said that they've lived here for 55 years and have never seen weather this bad. Perfect time for us to come in....figures! Just had to get that off my chest.

So, the first this we did was get out rental car and go to Fox Studios to get the apt key off of Drea. (for those of you who don't know, my mom's Aunt is deathly afraid of cats so Des can't stay with me....but my good friend Drea volunteered to keep her at her apt....can't thank her enough for that) So, we were going to hop on a golf cart and get a tour, but with the weather there wasn't anything really happening. No one was shooting outside or anything. Bummer right? Oh well...

Then we went to Drea's apt and my parents had me stay with Desilu while they went and grabbed a bite to eat. At first I was okay...just trying to get her to act normal. She was so freaked at that point and wouldn't come out from under the bed. Well...my Dad called me to tell me that they were coming to pick me up and I went over to say goodbye to Des and just as I went to see her, she flopped over on her stomach like she normally does and as soon as I pet her belly, she started purring. I started bawling because I just didn't want to leave her. I was also so tired that I was dilerious, but I also felt like a bad kitty mama for traumatizing her and then leaving her in a strange place alone. So, I left her there and then we went to my Mom's Aunt and Uncle's who are taking me in for the next couple of months.

They're house is adorable. They live in La Mirada and have a yard with an orange tree and lemon tree in the back yard. I think more traffic goes down my road in Butler, than goes down their road. And, they are just as sweet as can be. I think I met them maybe 10 years ago, but I don't remember really. So, we caught up and chatted for a bit and then went over to their daughter Mary's house where we had dinner with her family and also their other daught Amy and her family came over. So, it was really neat to meet all of this family that I never knew (or at least met 10 years ago). Mary also has a beautiful house. It's really big and open and she has a great bar, pool table and the pool outside is incredible. There's a basketball area on the patio and also a hoop for the pool. There's an outdoor kitchen and she has one of those pools with the rocks and waterfalls and a bridge over to the jacuzzi and a pool side fire pit. (Had to mention that as I write this, it's hailing again....what the eff?) Anyway, gorgeous house. After dinner, we came back, mom and dad went to bed, I cried some more because I was thinking of my cat and then passed out and didn't even hear my phone ring for Drea to tell me that she made it home and saw Desi's glowing eyes under her bed....te he he.

I called Drea first thing this morning to check in and she said that at first Desi didn't want to come out and she gave up on coaxing and then Des came out and was being a little ham and rolling around and meowing and rubbing up against her. (as I was talking to her on the phone while she was at work, Jason Bateman sat down by her....she texted me after the phone call to tell me that...te he he) I felt so much better knowing that she became more of herself.

I went car shopping this morning. Of course it started pouring as soon as we went out to the car lot so we went inside to look at the inventory on the computer. And of course all of the cars that I likes were at the other Carmax lot. So, I picked one that I really liked and they're holding it for me and transferring it over to this one for free. So, hopefully I can test drive it tomorrow....if not then it will be there by Saturday. And I'm not obligated to buy it just because they're transferring it. I like that. Anyway, it's a 2008 Chevy Cobalt...burgany....45K miles....and in my price range. So, I hope I'm happy with the test drive! :)

Later in the afternoon, I went over to the Downey Olive Garden. Apparently it's like the busiest Olive Garden in the state. So, I talked to the Service Manager there and he said that I have his thumbs up for a transfer, but I would have to meet with the General Manager on Monday...so I'll go back then and hopefully all goes well so I can start working!

After that, I went to visit Desilu. Right away, she saw that it was me and came out from under the bed and started rolling over and purring and snuggling!!! I love that cat so freaking much! My mom and I hung out there for a while and just snuggled and gave her lots of love. She was acting just like herself. My parents had a cat that they moved just an hour away and she freaked out and was never the same again. I was terrified that she was going to try to do that...thank God she is the same. Huge weight off my shoulders. If I can figure out how to get my computer on the internet, I'll post a picture that I took of me and Des and a palm tree in the background. I love my baby! :)

Then my mom and I drove (in rush hour....which wasn't as bad as we were expecting...probably because some people are scared to drive in the rain) back to Aunt Sue and Uncle Jim and we all went to Mary's again for dinner!

So, the rain is supposed to start letting up tomorrow and it's supposed to be sunny all weekend so hopefully my parents can enjoy some of that. I guess it's nice home right now so we keep saying that it's crappy here and they'll go home and hit a blizzard...te he he.

Anyway, this blog is way too long, but I had two busy days to catch up on so it took a while! Keep your fingers crossed that I buy a car tomorrow!!!! :)

I'm leaving on a jet plane....

Well, I'm all packed up and ready to go. I Fed Exed a few more boxes today and two more go out tomorrow. I managed to get by with one checked bag! I don't know if I'm actually saving money this way (although I think I am), but I just don't want to give the airlines money for something that should still be free!!

The nerves haven't really hit me at all. I'm thinking I'm just ready to go. Saying goodbye to my parents will be hard....but what'll make it really hard is that my mom will probably be a bit emotional.

I still have a lot of stuff here that I'm just letting my parent inheret though. I kind of feel bad about that, but they're getting some gems! I mean that....not sarcastically!

One thing that I am nervous about is if we get any turbulence...I've never experienced that and I think we're supposed to fly through some storms....boo! I'm also worried that Desilu is going to meow the entire flight. I really don't want people wanting to kill me for 5 hours. That wouldn't be pleasant at all. Maybe she'll get it all out in the car on the way to the airport....joy for us...

I will try to post tomorrow night when we get there and settled, but I'm not sure what the internet is like there. I hope there is some Wi-Fi I can steal, but I really don't know. We'll see I guess.

Well....ta for now!

Procrastination will be the death of me....

So I was supposed to be packing all day today. Guess how many boxes I have packed.....zero!!! It's 8:00pm and I haven't packed a single box today. I've sort of organized a little bit...but for the most part, I have been doing my darndest to put it off like crazy. I'm so freaking sick of packing!!!!

On a GREAT note...I have a roommate set up in LA! My dear friend Andrea is looking to move out of the apt she's in and get a bigger one with a roommate. So, her current lease is up in March and I guess we'll start apt shopping soon. I have to get a little settled first and figure out everything with my job and buy a car (EEK).

Desilu got the stamp of approval from the vet today. They also told me to buy something called Rescue Remedy which is an herbal liquid that I just give her 3 drops a day and it might keep her a little calmer for the flight. I don't want to sedate her and neither does the vet.

Getting very excited. I get to sleep in my bed one more full night! Tomorrow night doesn't count because I'll just be getting up around 2:00 to go to the airport. That'll blow, but hopefully it'll make Desi really tired and not be really annoying on the flight.

Okay...I seriously have to go and pack something!!!

And so we begin...

WOW! So, I've been saying it for so long and I've finally done it. I have created a blog! With good reason to. I will be leaving for my new home in Los Angeles, CA in TWO DAYS!!!! I can't believe it's already here. I say that like it just snuck up on me, but this has been the plan for quite some time. I think that might be why it feels like it snuck up on me. I've been waiting so long, it almost felt like it wasn't going to happen! But, it is! AHHHH!

So, last night I had my 'going out to the bar' party. There was a decent turn out. I'm almost kind of glad that I drank so it didn't really sink in that I was saying goodbye to people that I love very much!

Today was the open house that my Mom threw for me and it was a little hard because I actually had to realize that I was saying goodbye to all of these people. I was so glad that so many people came out today. It was so great!

So, on the agenda for tomorrow is taking Desilu to the vet to make sure she is healthy enough to fly....then lunch with Lindsey and Mama....then the dreadful packing. At least I'm really starting to see a dent in the stuff in my room.

On another note....tonight was the Golden Globes. I love award show season! And I'm so excited because I will be in LA during the Oscars! The Oscars are my Super Bowl. I really get into them and always have a hard time finding others that get that into it! I don't think I'll have a problem with that! So here are my two cents on the night. First of all....GO GLEE!!!! I'm so freaking proud of that show! I love that Michael C Hall won. Six Feet Under is one of my absolute favorite shows and I always loved him as David.....and yet he was always overshadowed in that show because it was a freaking phenomenal cast!!! Okay...moving on. Meryl Streep is flawless and always deserves any praise and/or awards she wins! Love her! Congratulations to Sandra Bullock. She's always been one of my favorites and I love that she is having the best time of her career right now. Robert Downey Jr. has a very special place in my heart. His acceptance speech was great and funny and so RDJ. I could not love him more! I also love that Kevin Bacon won an award. I think he's a great actor and just had a knack for choosing really bad roles for a while...but he's back on track. Okay...best picture. So, the Hollywood Foreign Press loves James Cameron, so I knew that Avatar would win. I don't think it'll take home the Oscar though. I really think that it will be one of the smaller flicks like Precious or The Hurt Locker....or mayhaps Quentin Tarentino will finally get the praise he deserves and win Best Picture. That's just how I think it'll work out.

So, all in all it was a good couple of days. I'll be sure to write to keep anyone who is reading posted on final preparations and all of my adventures from LA! :)

Hope you enjoy!