look ma, friends!

on saturday night i attended the birthday party of an old friend. when i say old, i refer to the length of our association, not his age. and truth be told, we haven't been in contact for many years--which made said party quite fun.

as it turns out, several high school friends (my fellow drama geeks) have migrated here over the years. i've been in touch sporadically with brandon and his wife michelle (high school sweethearts still happily married some 12ish years and two children later), and he was the one who invited me to the shindig. he suggested that we make my attendance a surprise, and i though that was a fabulous idea.

so i headed up to la only slightly trepidatious. of the 5 here, 3 i had seen about 7 years ago, but the other two, i haven't seen in 13 years. thoughts like 'will they think i've aged well?' and 'will we still have anything in common?' ran briefly through my mind, but more than anything, i was excited about past meeting present.

when i arrived, i was greeted by a friendly stranger who introduced himself. it was a costume party, so i'm not entirely sure i would recognize him on the street, but he did alleviate any concerns i may have had about being at a decent size party for the first time in a long time (chalk it up to the last year and a half of anti-social behavior). i explained who i was, and who i was looking for and he offered to introduce me to some people, i suggested that perhaps he help me find the people i came here to see first, and he did.

brandon and michelle were the first to be found, which was probably good since they were the only ones who knew i would be coming.

brandon, me, michelle

i don't know how but after that, word got around quickly and bronwyn and kevin appeared shortly thereafter. there were hugs and greetings all around as we began to get caught up. the birthday boy (andy) was still missing from the scene, so i asked around a bit and found him in the kitchen. i simply walked up to him (with the gang in tow) and said 'i think i know you.' he responded 'uh-huh', and i said 'from a very very long time ago.' it was then that he pieced it together, and you've never seen someone look more shocked. so fun!!

me and andy

the remainder of the evening was spent catching up, and it took only one lengthy conversation dissecting the buffy and angel series, before i realized that the answer to my 'will we still have anything in comon?' question, was a resounding yes.

i was also pleased by the friendliness of the other party-goers, and a bit amused by the notoriety that had come along with me 'i've known them since high school' line. throughout the evening i had some extremely enjoyable conversations. for better or worse, this area is filled with so many bright, creative people, and it just so happens that those are my very favorite type of people to spend time with.

ye olde gang: top row-andy middle row-bronwyn,
(picture party crasher) oliver, me, kevin bottom row-michelle, brandon

the evening also boasted a great soundtrack (make sure you check out the 'wicked games' cover on the new playlist), and an interesting and entertaining birthday ritual.

i had arrived at the party at about 9:30 (started at 8) because i wasn't sure how long brandon and michelle would be able to stay with their two children. i expected i would be leaving by 11:30, yet it wasn't until 2am rolled around, that it was finally time to call it a night.

needless to say, i had a GREAT time, and have made plans for next weekend with brandon and michelle. yay! something to put on my calendar!

week in review

adjusting to a new home has it's challenges and it's rewards. i'm still jobless, and it's slow going, although there seem to be plenty of interesting openings. that's the number 1 challenge--staying optimistic as i watch the funds slowly drain from my bank account, and knowing nothing is coming back in. i'm living frugally, but still it goes. i like to pretend it's analogous to a tsunami. the water (money) recedes and recedes, gathering at some unidentified point, only to come crashing back to shore with devastating force. i could seriously be happy with a 'devastating' paycheck:)

in other news, last week, i started meeting people. it's been a slow warm up, as i've been getting the lay of the land, checking out different wards, and visiting the mid-singles (27-40) institute (non-mormon translation: scripture study). the institute class has been extremely rewarding. the teacher is excellent, and because the class is older than is standard, the discussion is engaging and enlightening.

not only that, but it's also been the easiest forum for meeting new people. just a couple thus far, but they are very nice. in general, the people here are nice, and i realize that once i start coming out of my shell a bit, there will be plenty of opportunities for new friends...which sounds easy, doesn't it? well, it's not. anyone who has ever relocated knows how difficult it can be to motivate yourself to attend activities and functions solo...even for someone who considers themselves a social person.

so i forced myself to go to a halloween dance on saturday. it was a large mid-singles activity, and more than anything, i wanted to get an idea of what a 'large mid-singles activity' looks like. oddly enough, it actually was large. but it was also a dance. a mormon dance. and true to form it was not only difficult to meet new people, but it had all the usual markings of the rhythmless. in the 'unexpected' category..the fact that there were so many inappropriate costumes for the setting. but i guess people will continue to surprise and disappoint you.

nonetheless, i was glad i went, if for no other reason than to prove to myself that i could.

on sunday, i went back to one of the large mid-singles wards here. in actuality, it's a mixed ward, half the congregation being families, the other half being mid-singles. after checking out a couple other wards, and having a little bit of flexibility where my records end up, i decided it was as good a place as any.

as the bishop was going through the opening announcements and callings, a familiar name was read. i recognized it from virginia, a friend of a friend of a friend type thing. i haven't seen her in awhile, and though i knew she was coming out to the area, i didn't realize she would be in the ward. she arrived a little bit later, and sat next to me. after sacrament meeting, we caught up before heading our different ways. it's interesting to see a face from home. no doubt there is some relief in that, yet at the same time, we weren't friends there (despite the opportunity to be so), so i don't expect that will change now. and truth be told, the challenge of finding my own way through the social albatross of the single set is more appealing than glomming on to someone for the sake of being needy.

monday night, i couldn't quite muster the courage to attend the ward's fhe, so i used the excuse of staying home and watching the kids carve pumpkins. i love holidays with children around!

the kids get down to business

rachel shows off her first pumpkin face

while the kids were carving, jenny told me a story i had never heard, and that she had just remembered earlier in the day. apparently, when my cousin mick was 19, he had been preparing to go on a mission, but hadn't been able to get the required amount of money together to go. he pondered postponing for a year and working, but his parents insisted that it would all somehow work itself out. they were able to put more together, but it looked like they would be $100 short every month. my aunt told mick that he should go and have faith. fast forward to his departure...many family members, including my parents, were in attendance at the mtc to say their farewells. at some point that day, without knowing the background, my folks handed my aunt a check for $100 and said 'there will be another one of these every month for the duration of his mission.'

my parents never had any thought of being repaid, nor can they have possibly suspected that some 16ish years later, that debt would repaid to their daughter in the form of an unusually generous amount of hospitality.

when jenny told the story, the kids commented that i didn't 'owe them' anything, and jenny tried to make it clear that that was irrelevant, because it's what family does for family. how rare it is, and how grateful i am for family (both immediate and extended) that not only professes such a creedo, but lives it.

it has continued to be a busy week, and tuesday was a definite highlight. i headed up to the santa barbara area early in the afternoon. unfortunately, there was a HUGE accident on the 405 (finally, some infamous california traffic!), and the two hour drive became 3. i had given myself plenty of time though, so after a quick stop at stearns wharf in sb to pick up a replacement for the bracelet charm i lost after my march trip, jesse called to let me know that he was done at work, and i made the 15 minute drive to his place.

he caught me up to date on the changes/additions to the apartment since my last visit, and then we headed out for dinner. he took me to this great little place on the water, where we enjoyed our meal outside at a picnic tables, while taking in the vibrant colors of the sun falling below the horizon. gorgeous, i tell ya! and the food and company happened to be pretty good too:)

from there, it was on to my very special treat. i refer to it as mine, because when jesse asked what i wanted to do, there was only one answer. it was the night before halloween afterall, and that calls for a haunted house!

i absolutely LOVE haunted houses...there isn't much that scares me, but people jumping out from dark corners gets me every time. and there's just something cathartic about a few good screams. we had independently found a place about 20 minutes from his apartment, and he pre-purchased vip tickets for us. the tickets would mean we wouldn't have to wait (theoretically) and had a few more 'scenes' then the regular priced peons.

not scared...yet

as it turned out, we did have to wait as a result of them opening late. but we were the second group to go in, so it was still worth it (easy for me to say, since it wasn't my dime). our group consisted of j and i, and two teenage girls. oh yeah.

i liked that they weren't pushing us through in groups of 10 or 20, but i didn't like the fact that i was elected to go first. at least jesse had the decency to hang on to me through out the course, and i'm sure that that was solely for my benefit;)

as it turned out, i had it the easiest, since creepy scary guys were usually coming from behind. i got my fair share of screams in though, and there were a couple of times where i literally tried to bury myself in jesse to avoid said creepy scary guys. yeah, i'm a wimp when it comes to these things!

though it was shorter than i would have liked, it was thoroughly satisfying.

after we finished up (and by finished up, i mean after i was sent sprinting out the exit being chased by chainsaw guy), we headed back to his place and hung out for awhile before i made the drive back (which was far less eventful than the drive up).

and that brings us to tonight! happy halloween! tonight i got to go trick-or-treating with the kids. since kendyl is 3, i haven't had the opportunity to do that in some time, and it is just so amusing! watching the kids plot which houses to hit, and seeing who in the neighborhood likes to put on a show and who wants nothing to do with the spooky holiday. in fact, there was one house that actually strung a 'keep out' sign across their stairs--which i thought was overdramatically bah-humbug. the kids had a great time though, and it was fun for me to be able to participate.

watch out world, er, neighborhood

the rest of the week promises to continue being busy (thank heavens). back to institute tomorrow night, then on friday, i'll be attending the 'savior of the world' production mick and jenny's stake is putting on. jenny is producing, and the stake has pulled out all the stops. since we are where we are, the talent pool is immense, and most of the significant players both onstage and off are professionals. i missed the opportunity to see this when my virginia stake put it on, so i'm excited to get a second chance!

on saturday, i've got what i expect to be another highlight. i have several friends out here in the la area from high school. in this case, they are people i genuninely enjoyed, and since we were all drama buddies, it makes a certain sort of sense that they all migrated here.

brandon and michelle were high school sweethearts and married shortly thereafter. they are still happily married with two little boys. andy and kevin have always been the comic relief, and bronwyn was my english drop out buddy... we were both in the honors english program, but during the summer of our junior year were assigned a bunch of reading we didn't want to do. so we both dropped out. since the honors program basically just puts you a year ahead, the only thing they could do, was stick us in a senior english class. so together we sat that year..keeping our heads down and entertaining ourselves surrounded by 'scary' seniors. ;)

got a call from brandon on monday that saturday is andy's birthday party. he and michelle know i'm coming, but the rest will be completely surprised, and i can't wait!!

the santa ana's are predicted to make a reappearance this weekend, so things are lible to get interesting again. stay tuned for more california adventures...

the state of the state

though i haven't changed my license or registration yet, i think going through a state of emergency qualifies me as a 'californian'. when you can chat with the local surf bum (who adheres to every stereotype you can imagine) while you lay on the beach, about how 'gnarly' the pervasive smell of smoke is, i think all other criteria are waived. and such is life as a local californian.


the fires continue to burn, as the wind conditions have exasperated the situation. we learned on monday morning that sunday's news reports weren't quite accurate, and the fire was actually closer to us than we realized--just about 5 miles away. in this one case, i think we were all grateful the location was slightly misreported, as we slept better than we otherwise would have. the path of the santiago canyon fire (the one in our backyard) is no longer frightening to us, although it still threatens land and building alike, as do the many other fires around the state. sadly, it has been determined that 'ours' is arson. i believe they consider all the others natural, but some numbskull intentionally set this one. they've found at least three start points, which means it is most definitely not accidental arson (ie cigarette butt or random other man-made spark).


in non-fire related news, i'm finding the 'fit' just as natural as i expected. having visited the state on many prior occasions, i have always known that i could live here. the people are nice, the weather is nicer, and the beach is 15 minutes away.

the only frustrations to date, come from not exactly knowing what to do with myself. i have been visiting local mid-singles wards and attending institute, but so far, just getting the lay of the land. and, as i am still jobless, i have a lot of time on my hands. i try and make myself as useful as possible, so as to minimize my intrusion here, and fortunately, have had a few opportunities to be of assistance to the family.

since arriving, i got my 'space' at mick and jenny's in order, with a little help from my friend 'bed, bath, & beyond'. and quite frankly, i like it.


in fact, i like the whole environment. it's been a long time since i have been around children (more than one) for an extended amount of time, and i find that i just love the sometimes chaotic, yet always exciting energy that fills the house.

nicole, the oldest, is 12. brad and rachel, the twins, are 10. and drew, the youngest, is 7. between the four of them, there is never a dull moment. each one has a distinct personality, and yet each is thoughtful, courteous, and extremely bright. at no point thus far have i desired isolation or separation, but rather enjoy participating in family home evening, or hearing about what brad is reading, or picking nicole up from school.

top: drew and rachel
bottom: brad and nicole

already, two moments stand out in my mind as both heartwarming and humbling. the first took place during my first weekend here (wow, was that only a week ago?!?). jenny's cousins were in town from utah for a long weekend at disneyland. on the way to the beach one day, we all stopped at the newport beach temple to check it out. after i had taken a photo of jenny, her cousins, and all the kids, drew approached her to say 'mom, can we take a picture with tara in it?' jenny's cousin zane stepped up, which resulted in the pic below. (you can see all of the pics from that first weekend here)


the second came sometime last week. the kids (and adults) are off to school far earlier than i am or will naturally be out of bed. one morning, i overheard them whispering family prayer before departing. nicole was the voice, and in her prayer, she said 'please bless tara that she finds a job nearby, so that she can live close to us.'

me and nicole

yes, life is different, and that is exactly what i had hoped for.

the job hunt continues. technically, i have been here for a week and a half, so i am attempting to not let myself get frustrated. there are positions, and there are a couple of promising leads, but everything comes down to timing, and most employers do not operate on the 'interview and hire in under a week' schedule. patience has never been a forte, and i am being reminded of that daily.

other things i have learned or relearned since arriving:

1. gps is an awesome investment when you move across the country into completely unfamiliar territory.

2. i am blessed with an amazing family, both immediate and extended.

3. being able to spend less than 30 minutes in a car to get to the ocean is as close to heaven as i expect in this life.

4. i am capable of being a minimalist!

5. the three hour time difference is affecting me far more than expected. by the time i am ready/able to call friends on the east, they have long since gone to bed. if i do remember to call earlier, then ensues a lengthy internal debate about whether or not i can afford the 'peak' minutes.

if i have not called, and you had expected/hoped i would, please don't be offended. with no income, i do have to be cautious about my expenditures. it does not mean i love you any less.

i realize i need to finish off the trip report, but thought it important to do a regular check-in, so bear with me, and i will get to it. oddly enough, i have plenty of time...just little motivation to do anything other than job hunt or lay on the beach:)

don't mess with the santa ana winds

just a few miles from my current home, today's santa ana winds have ignited a fire in the canyon (santiago canyon).

when i arrived home from church, jenny asked if i had seen smoke. i hadn't, but it didn't take long. the sky turned black, and the fires have been spreading more quickly then expected as a result of the strong winds. the glow is easily seen from our windows, and members of mick and jenny's ward have voluntarily evacuated. it is unlikely that the fires will spread to us, yet it is certainly making for an interesting evening. the kids, have gathered sneakers, sweatshirts, journals, dolls, etc, but this is mostly to alleviate their fears by helping them feel prepared.

for the moment, we watch and wait. one small earthquake and i'll consider my california experience complete:)

catching up, part two

picking up where we left off...

staying for the bat flight put me a little behind schedule, but i received a warm greeting in el paso nonetheless.

tommy and i met several months ago online, and since my journey would be taking me through his hometown, a meeting was in order.

upon arriving, i was welcomed with open arms by him, his mother, and the three dogs. i was promptly fed before we headed out to see the sites of el paso. we drove up 'scenic' drive and got a great overview of not only the city, but also, just across the river, mexico.

as a matter of fact, we even managed to get stopped by border patrol on the way back from t's work. it sits on the mexico side of the river, though still technically in the state of texas. with a quick 'i work here' from tommy, and the obviousness of our non-Mexican heritage, we were speedily let on our way.

after a tour of the utep campus, we headed home and called it a night.

the following morning, i got to sleep in. tommy and his family all got up and out to their various activities for the day, and it wasn't long after that i heard my door open. apparently i hadn't latched it completely, and the dogs were looking for company. that was alright by me, and with a 'come on', i suddenly found myself covered in canines. one on my feet, one at my stomach, and one in the crook of my arm. i fell back into a blissful sleep, the sadness of missing my own dog, temporarily alleviated.


eventually, it was time to start moving. i got up, got ready, and when tommy came home he took me to a great little tex-mex place for lunch. then it was time to be on my way. still a lot of road to cover!


from el paso, it was on to albuquerque. this had been my one 'must see' of the trip, and as such, i didn't have a lot of flexibility on timing beforehand. i had bought tickets to attend the annual international balloon fiesta on the 10th, and i was not going to miss it. having heard about this for years and years, as it is one of the premiere hot air/gas balloon events in the world, i couldn't believe my luck when i had learned that the timing would coincide with my travels.

i arrived in abq in the early evening and got checked in at my hotel. i thought it would be prudent to check out the 'park and ride' pickup location that i had selected. though you can park at the grounds, it was actually cheaper for me to do the park and ride, and since i had no idea what to expect, also safer. i wouldn't have to contend with thraffic, or finding my car after having been up since 4am.

the pickup location was easily found, and i headed back to the hotel to settly in for the night. i needed to get some sleep if i was going to get up that early, and though i wasn't entirely successful, at least i was just relaxing--not running hither and fro.

but 4am still came far too early. time to suck it up. i was at the park & ride by 5am to catch the first shuttle to the park. the first event i was attending was the 'dawn patrol', a pre-dawn flight of a dozen or so balloons. what makes this such an interesting event is that it gives an opportunity to see what the balloons look like lit up.

i arrived at fiesta park to find rows upon rows of vendors selling food, gifts, you name it. i paused to watch the local nbc team do a little morning show filming, and when on break, the weatherman called a few of us over to be in the shot. as i was just behind his right shoulder, i was famous in albuquerque for a minute or two:)

from there i wandered over to a booth where i picked up breakfast, then began my search for a charm for the bracelet. i started this tradition about 5 years ago, and since, have been collecting charms from places i travel. the bracelet is starting to get very heavy, but it's one of my favorite things to wear, as it is full of memories.

my search was successful, but i continued my wanderings until the balloons were ready to launch. the contrast of the balloons lit with fire against the dark sky was quite dramatic, and made my early rising well worth it. as you might imagine, pictures were difficult, but i did manage to capture this one:


after the dawn group had left, scores of trucks and trailers began littering the field. there were more rows than i could count, covering an expanse farther than i could see, of balloons lining up. having had the opportunity to fly in a couple of hot air balloons previously, i know what a physical challenge this can be, and i was amazed at the precision and efficiency demonstrated in preparing the balloons for launch.



as the sun began to rise, balloons began to launch. the sight was incredible. balloons as far as the eye could see, both lined up on the field, and already hovering in the air. i am told that nearly 300 balloons flew that day, and i believe it!

there were some particularly fun balloons, a darth vader (which remained my favorite) balloon was the first 'special shape' to launch, but there was also a turtle, an angel, bumblebees, a cow, the wells fargo wagon... but even the 'regular' balloons were amazing. i have always thought hot air balloons quite beautiful, but seeing so many in one place was breathtaking.



i did a little more wandering, as the balloons could clearly be seen from just about anywhere in the park. i met some interesting people--learned that the turtle balloon cost a cool million, visited the balloon discovery center, and enjoyed the perfect day. blue and clear skies, gorgeous temperature. all in all, it was a perfect experience, and one i'd love to share with a friend or companion in the future. if you ever happen to be in the southwest in october, this festival is a must!



to be continued...