weekly update

had anyone told me in december that within six months of moving into a new place and starting a new job, i’d be considering leaving both, and that my long distance relationship would be the most stable part of my life, i’m not sure if i would have laughed or cried.

yet here i am, and i’m too befuddled to do either. so while i recount the befuddlement, enjoy random photos.

last week was what i like to call a ‘growth opportunity’, and the theme was ‘girls’. some dramatic roommate challenges have reared their ugly head, and i’ve spent a great deal of time considering how i want to respond. it was also the week during which my company had its second round of layoffs, accompanied by an unofficial announcement that there would be a third round in the next 30-60 days. don’t fret, I am fairly confident that I am as safe as anyone can be. should the company actually go under (which no one expects) I would be out of luck, as would everyone else. but barring that, I expect to be here for a little while. Layoffs are being made according to function, not seniority, and my function is needed for the next few months at least. whatever happens, i have felt that this company and job were very specifically meant to be a part of my experience in california. if and when that comes to an end, i will only be grateful for that, and confident that it is time to pursue new and different opportunities.

long distance dating

the week has not been without it’s highlights though. my roommate ariane invited me to join her for dinner on wednesday with some girls from her ward. though i wanted to hide out and maintain my anti-social façade, i thought it probably a perfect opportunity to meet some new people. it turned out to be an incredibly good time. i immediately connected with two girls in particular, one of whom I’ve seen at a couple of activities and actually thought I would really like to get to know, and the other turned out to be a roommate in one of the houses I had originally looked at—meaning had I done things a little differently, she would have been MY roommate! the three of us spent the evening chatting about everything and nothing, and it was wonderful!

the ‘girls’ theme continued through the weekend. with mick and the boys gone for their father-sons weekend, i met jenny and the girls, along with two little girlfriends (fairly recent transplants from Portland, ironically) for dinner, followed by a visit to the nail salon. The girls and I all ended up with flowers painted on either fingernails or toenails, and they are darling! After nails, there was a little shopping and a little ice cream before calling it a night.

alison brought me a cookie!

i was so excited about saturday that i could barely sleep. a couple of weeks ago, i went bike shopping with my roommate dez. i heard angels singing from the far corner of the very full store, and there it was. the most beautiful beach cruiser i’ve seen. it wasn’t pink, even though i was convinced that’s what i would want, but there was something very ‘me’ about it. when i looked at the price, i almost cried. it was about $100 more than i wanted to spend. but, for the sake of ‘learning’ i test drove the bike anyway. it was a phenomenal ride. the kind of ride that makes me actually opt for it rather than getting in my car. so, we continued searching and visited a couple more places. nothing came close, but i was determined that I could find ‘my’ bike online for cheaper.

i spent the last two weeks researching and visiting bike shops, but nothing came close. for one, it is difficult to find bikes that comfortably accommodate my longer legs. and those that did were generally masculine or more expensive. even attempting to find the wasabi online for cheaper was a miserable failure, as i could only find it at a higher cost--not to mention the shipping.

sadie

by wednesday of last week, i had determined that one way or the other, this was the bike for me, and i wanted to pick it up this weekend since i’ll be in vegas the next, and i’d want it for memorial day (bike prices can jump higher after that—especially locally). on thursday, i learned that i would be getting my economic stimulus money on friday, and that sealed the deal.

on saturday morning, i went to the shop and purchased my bike. jenny and the girls met me there and helped me load it into the van. it ended up being quite the challenge in that they had brought their bikes to accompany me on my first ride (jenny having bought a new bicycle just minutes prior). eventually, we made it work, and after a quick stop at in-n-out for lunch (i’ve had in-n-out before, but never eaten in an in-n-out before. –say it five times fast and you’ll understand how we amused ourselves during lunch!) we headed to my house and unloaded the bikes. we sunscreened up and were off!

beach babes

we rode down to the beach and along the boardwalk, and decided to pause. we locked up the bikes, walked the pier, took some photos, watched the surfers, wandered through vendor tents set up for the weekend, and then returned to our bikes for the ride home. it was the perfect day for a bike ride, and i was absolutely giddy. the four of us had such a good time—i can’t wait to do it again! in fact i’m highly disappointed that i will be in vegas next weekend, as sadie will be quite neglected in our garage. yes. her name is sadie. i don’t know why, it’s not a particularly favorite name of mine. but somehow it fits, and these things just happen.

the next couple of weeks promise to be eventful. on saturday i leave for a trade show in vegas. i’m not a big fan of trade shows, and i’m looking forward to having this one over and done with. i’ll be there for 5 days ‘enjoying’ 100 degree temperatures (woo-hoo??), before returning for a couple of days in the office before memorial day. (how is it memorial day already??) i’m still trying to determine how to spend that weekend—most likely on my bike and at the beach, and of course, preparing for my special visitor later that week.

on the boardwalk

somewhere in the midst of that, i’m either changing rooms in my house or losing a roommate, not sure which yet, but hopefully it will work out the way it is supposed to!