Culver City Apartment Living

Have I mentioned that I live next door to a concert pianist, who is also a piano teacher of children?  Now, some of these children are actually really good.  I would dare say even better than him.  But some….some should never be allowed to touch those keys again.  It seems that it is this particular type of player who is practicing every time I am home.  I also keep my window open most of the time, so you can imagine the kind of agony one has to endure for at least an hour per child.  Every Monday night he has his jazz band over for practice, and I swear there are at least twelve pieces involved.  They rock the roof off until about 10:00, which must be the agreed upon quitting time decided on by the other neighbors.  So far, he has been mindful of this treaty.  It is this very same neighbor who I have caught, on more than one occasion, in our back drive way performing some sort of martial art exercise/dance/ritual while I am attempting to back my car out.  We don’t speak.  Sometimes I wave.  He just continues on with his movements un-phased, not acknowledging that someone is about to run over him.   A true artist.

Secondly, have I addressed the parking situation yet?  As some of you know, parking anywhere in the Los Angeles area is a challenge, and a parking spot is certainly a commodity.  I actually have one, behind the building, and I park right beside a black Porsche.  The only issue is that the owner of this Porsche is slightly over protective of this car…actually, borderline insane with it.  Upon my move in, I was instructed to park as close to the wall as I possibly could, far away from the vehicle  (which is fully covered in a tarp each and every night anyway).  The spot is already tight (definitely for a compact and what I drive is definitely not compact), so it has been a challenge to accommodate such a request.   Lets just say that I now have multiple scratches on my back right bumper that were not there two months ago.  But I must maintain good relations with the neighbors.  I must.  He also never drives it anywhere, but he does move it every morning, tarp removed, to a spot on the street right in front of the building.  For the life of me, I cannot figure out what his motivation is for doing this.  To show it off?  To give it air?  A change of scenery?  I have no idea and I find it odd.  Nevertheless, I park to please.

The FDN

Dates are fun.  Dates are expensive.  Dates that are inexpensive are just as fun.  This is what I have learned in the last three months.  I have never considered myself a high maintenance girl, who needed to be wined and dined by men to be happy.  But I do like an occasional dinner and movie combo, concert, play, or some other activity that requires a significant amount of cash to pull off.  Unfortunately (or fortunately), when you and your significant other are both between jobs, you have to get creative with these little outings.  This is how the Free Date Night was born, or “FDN”. 

The concept is this:  One person plans the entire date for the other, and the only rule is that you cannot spend more than $10 total (including dinner).  Going forward, we will most likely include gas in this amount as well, since it is $4/gallon.  Daniel and I are both very active people, and got pretty bored with the routine of applying for jobs every day at a coffee shop, eating in and staring at each other on the couch.  He took the first round, and I must say, I was more excited about what he had planned for FDN than I had been for a date in a long time.

When he picked me up, he had a big bouquet of yellow Gerber daisies, and handed them to me with the following disclaimer: “the date has not officially started yet, and these are actually your housewarming present.”  Well played.  Our first stop was to some office building in Century City.  I thought we may be going to pay a parking ticket or something, but it was actually an art museum of sorts, that had a Rock & Roll photography exhibit (free).  Unfortunately, the place was closed on Tuesdays (random) so we couldn’t stay long.  I thought it was a great idea though, and gave him partial credit for stop number one. 

Next on the list was a park near his house, where we played a few games of basketball/Horse next to a group of guys who probably should be playing for the Lakers.  Regardless, we both made a few half-court shots and had a good time doing it.  After we were overtaken by an eight-year-old future Kobe Bryant (true story-he just started shooting at our basket, and was making everything while we made nothing), we found a spot in the park to sit and answer a list of questions he had found on the internet.  This was honestly my favorite part of the whole date.  Definitely some fun facts uncovered. 

Dinner was at Chipotle (buy one, get one free coupon), followed by a movie on Netflix at his house (Casa de Mi Padre, which I had been dying to see).  It was really the perfect afternoon/evening.  I felt very special, and we could both feel good about only spending a whopping $6. 

When it came time to plan my night, I was really stressing out about the food situation.  $10 doesn’t go a long way for two people here, and I already had allocated a portion of my budget to something else.  After digging through my boxes, which I am still living out of, I found that beloved Chick-fil-a calendar my mom gets me every year for Christmas, which I never appreciate.  Thankfully, every single coupon was still attached.  Mom has saved the day once again!

I picked Daniel up with a little “before the date officially begins” gift.  A pack of moustache magnets.  You read that right.  He loves the moustache for some reason that I cannot understand, and I found some at Disneyland just a few days before.  As a side note, I don’t normally just jet on down to Disneyland to pick up gifts for him, but happened to be there visiting a friend for the day.  Anyway, we headed to our first stop shortly after, which was Point Dume (just north of Malibu).  After a gorgeous hike and some time at the beach, we went back to his house to carve a pumpkin ($3 at Trader Joes).  This ended up being him carving the pumpkin since I have no patience for such things.   Dinner was at Chick-fil-a (FREE!), followed by his high school homecoming football game, and then back home to watch another movie with our beloved Will Ferrell.  Great times.  Less than $10.  Success.

I highly recommend anyone who is currently working to try these as well.  We plan to continue the tradition even now.  Saving money is sexy.

Firsts

As I sit here and write this, I am listening to the rain hit the sidewalk outside and it is just glorious.  This is my first LA rain.  All I want to do is run around outside in it, barefoot, with my mouth wide open just like Andy when he escaped Shawshank.  Some like to say that it rained about two months ago, right after I got here, but that was in the middle of the night and would barely qualify as a sprinkle.  We are going on an hour now of continual dripping noises, and I couldn't be happier.  It only took 97 days!!!

I have finally spotted my first celebrity here, and I am sure very few of you will know who I'm talking about.  Does anyone know who Leslie Jordan is?  Anyone?  During my laid off time in New York, I became obsessed with Will & Grace.  Leslie is a very minor character on the show, but is southern (he's from Chattanooga) and that accent is somewhat addictive.  Daniel and I were eating dinner at this place called Baby Blues BBQ (North Carolinian owned) down the street from his house, and in walked Leslie.  I almost passed out.  He is so short and adorable.

Ever since my last big role in a theatrical production, (Old lady #2, Tom Jones, Stockbridge High School), I haven’t really dreamed of being an actress.  Sure, I thought it would be fun, but I had no expectations of hitting it big given my thick southern accent and a physique that would be considered plus size in Hollywood.  I think this is why background work fits me so well.  I still get to be involved in some pretty cool projects, without the pressure of looking a certain way and also memorizing a lot of lines.  I also get to meet (and work with) celebrities.  What’s not to love about that?

While in New York, I was able to work on 30 Rock, Man on a Ledge and the Newlywed Game Show.  Since moving to L.A., I have been on a court tv show (I have no words to describe that experience), but my first major background work was on Arrested Development.  Unfortunately when I was cast on AD, I knew nothing about the show.  Had never even really heard of it and I certainly didn’t know what to expect.  I can now, with pride, say that I am a fan of the series.  Yesterday, I was on 90210.  Talk about a blast from the past, only this time, I felt REALLY old watching it.

Next week...my first LA wedding (a big fat Greek one), my first bake sale (certainly not my own baked goods) and my first LA viewing of a Twilight movie.  Premiere tickets still pending.

It's a Hard Knock Life

I thought I would take a break from the mind-numbing ritual of applying for about fifty jobs a day, with no results, to blog.  At least I feel somewhat productive when I do this, which is the exact opposite of how I feel typing my personal details and professional accomplishments into companies’ websites that will never call me.  I know this sounds a tad pessimistic, but I have been out of work now for six months, and I guess you could say I am going a bit stir crazy.

Seriously though, where do all the applications go and who are the people getting these jobs?  I just have no idea.  I have tried every way I know how to prevent my resume from going into the black hole portal, and never even being given a second glance.  If all the “buzz” words aren’t there, it never even makes it to a recruiter.   Is it really all about knowing someone on the inside?  I guess I could consider throwing myself in front of their cars as they pull out of the parking lot just to get a minute of their time, or peppering all entrances to the building with my resume, on pink lilac-scented posterboard.

When I initially moved here, it was to pursue opportunities in the music industry.  Now that very little has worked out in that department, I have decided to expand my search to anything and everything that I might be qualified for.  Several jobs that I found recently on craigslist include a lice removal specialist (training provided), a martial arts weapon specialist for children, and a behavior interventionist.  We’ll see if I get a call back, but I’m sure you have to have at least 5-10 years of experience for each, and be willing to work for minimum wage.

If there is anyone in your life who ever has been or is currently unemployed, be kind to them.  With a time like this come feelings of incompetence, worthlessness and self-doubt.  It is very difficult to stay motivated to continue the process, and also to remain confident in your skill set and what you could bring to the table.  I’ve read all the self-help articles about how to successfully push through this time, and maybe it’s just a matter of me getting off my tush and taking the advice. 

The Game Changer

Greetings friends and family!  Clearly, the move to Los Angeles has interfered with my keeping up with this.  I would like to be able to blame it on a fabulous job keeping me busy, or perhaps countless trips and adventures taken on the west coast.  Alas, I cannot.  I can, however, tell you about what (or who, rather) has been taking up all of my time.

I will start by saying this.  When I moved here back in August, my intention was to simply give it a go for a few months, see some sights, test the waters, and if no job had surfaced by the fall, move back to New York just in time to sign a new lease.  I kept telling people that I just wanted to “get it out of my system before I settle down back on the east coast. “  My, my how things have changed in such a short period of time.  And the funny thing is that I did not see the game changer coming at all…

I arrived here on a Saturday, and on the very next day decided to attend church at a congregation recommended to me by friends in New York.  Arriving ten minutes late as usual, I sat on the very back row, scared to death and with a huge hole in my heart for friends and family back east.  Not too long into the service, I noticed a friend from my church in New York, sitting in the audience with her family.  She grew up at this church, and was visiting for the summer.  She saw me as she was heading to the nursery with her newborn, gave me a hug and told me to hang around after church so we could catch up and she could introduce me to “some people.”  So I did.

You could almost see the light bulb go off in this girl’s head when I told her I was single and had moved there to try things out for a while.  Enter Daniel.  I remember seeing him for the first time.  He was running the sound/lights during the service, turned around at one point, and we made eye contact.  I have never told him this, but I definitely noticed him then.  Anyway, she has known him since he was born, and their families are extremely close.  She pulled him over to me, made the introduction, and then disappeared to breast feed, I think.  We talked for quite a while, and he asked for my number before leaving.  Honestly, at that point, I was just glad to have met someone who was also temporarily unemployed, and that I could befriend during the week when everyone else was at work.  Didn’t think much else of it.

That afternoon while at the beach with my roommate, I sent the standard “it was nice to meet you” text.  The next day, he asked me to go to a concert with him and his friends, which I did.  Definitely not impressed with the band, but I thought his friends were great, and that he was sweet for taking pity on me in my state of loneliness.  The following day, he asked me to lunch, which I had to decline due to other plans.  For the next week, he was in Austin, helping a friend drive and move there.  There were quite a few texts exchanged, and arrangements were made to get together in the coming days.  Still in the friend zone, I found myself getting a little excited about hanging out with him when he got back…which was literally the very day after his plane landed. 

After a few “field trips” (that’s what I used to call dates in high school), I could tell that he was definitely interested and that I was, in fact, interested too.  Since that time, our relationship has moved at the speed of light, since we basically spend every single day together.  Although I am trying to be realistic and responsible with this whole thing, I already feel like God has answered a prayer I have been praying my entire life.  When I am with him, I feel complete (as cheesy as that sounds…I never believed people when they said that before, but now I get it.)  He is kind, thoughtful, ambitious, adventurous, determined, funny, mature, and intelligent.  He loves the Lord.  He makes me laugh out loud, want to be a better person, and treats me like a queen. 

After my 30^th birthday in July, I finally felt like I had reached a state of contentment with life and who I had turned out to be.  I had peace with past relationships being over.  I wasn’t looking for another one.  As a matter of fact, I gave up the idea entirely.  The last week in New York was amazing, and there were definitely things that happened that gave me things to think about regarding relationships and moving back.  I will always cherish those last few days and what happened during that time, but I also am glad I went forward with the move.  I really feel like I have found my perfect match.  Although I do intend to be prayerful and seek God’s direction with this decision, I know He has led me to this place and this point.  And I am so very grateful that He did.

Palm Trees Make Me Happy

Do you know that feeling you get when you see Christmas tree cakes in the store for the first time?  They bring with them a sense of childlike excitement that happy times are here again, and it is in that moment that I know I have arrived to a state of pure bliss.  My first Christmas tree cake moment in California was seeing the beach for the first time, and knowing I live two blocks away from it.  It was seeing a pier filled with families, fishermen, and two very talented fiddlers playing bluegrass.  It was seeing a gigantic dog with white hair that was actually formed into dreadlocks. 

This area is incredible.  People ride their bikes everywhere, and never look like they are in a hurry.  They always wear bright colors, and I have yet to find someone in a suit.  No black clothes, no Longchamp bags, no pale skin…I could get used to this.  There are WAY too many popped collars though.  Our apartment is in a perfect location, and we can see the Marina from the back section of the property.  The pool, hot tubs, work out facility, convenience store, and business center are all top notch.  They even have a laundry room for each section, complete with ten washers and dryers that ALL work.  I did laundry on a Sunday night and no one else was in there.  Now that is a change I will take!  My only complaints so far are traffic and parking related.  Twenty minutes to go one mile on the weekend.  Not cool.

This evening I went on a bike ride along a bike path from Venice Beach to Santa Monica and beyond, which has been, by far, my favorite activity this week.  You could spend an entire day in the Venice Beach area alone, just looking at all the freaks.  And I do mean freaks.  But for the most part, the crowd is very chill and unique.  They have an area for skateboarding, which seems to always be packed.  There are multiple boutique shops, tattoo parlors, musicians, hippies, drug addicts, and people working out.  And by working out, I mean they have punching bags for public use.  My favorite of the freaks was a woman dressed like superman (or woman), swinging from this jungle gym contraption, doing some pretty impressive acrobatic work, as her cape flapped behind her.  Not once did she get tangled. 

Last night I actually attended my first (of many, hopefully) concert here.  I made some friends on Sunday who invited me to go see the Granddaddys at the Henry Ford Theatre.  They had an extra ticket, so I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see a show for free, even if I had never heard of them.  Apparently they haven’t played together since 2006, and are from California, so you can imagine how crazy the crowd went for them.  I liked a few of their songs a lot, and enjoyed getting to hang out with some really cool folks.  Abby and I also made some friends from Wisconsin before the show, at this restaurant called Cabo near our apartment.  Everyone likes to make their judgments about the people here, but so far they have been awesome.  I expected to see a lot of dogs in purses though, which I haven’t seen yet.  I have, however, seen a woman in a Starbucks set up a bed, food station, and pee pad for her dog right by her table, as she slaved away on her computer. 

I can’t wait to see what the coming weeks bring…job, friend, and activity wise.  I am developing a bucket list of things to see and do while I’m here, which is rapidly growing.  I miss New York, my friends and my level of comfort so much, and I still feel like I’m on vacation.  I’m not sure when it is going to hit me that I actually live in a place where it rarely rains, tends to be in the 70s and 80s year round, and has zero humidity.  Even if this is for a short period of time, I can already tell that it was a great decision.