Now what?

As you can see it's been a while since my last post. I keep waiting for awesome stuff to happen so I have something great to write, but I think maybe I'm being impatient. We'll have been here only two weeks tomorrow so maybe we should calm down a bit. It's just that Matt and I are so ready to be settled.

First on the agenda is an apartment. We have to find a place we both like and can afford in a safe area with parking and both a stove and refrigerator. This is apparently a REALLY tall order. As it stands so far we both love Santa Monica and only want to be there. However, there isn't much to rent there if you aren't independently wealthy so it's taking a while to find something. West Hollywood (WeHo to the locals who think they're so cool) is our other choice. This is not as good because it is far away from the beach, traffic is more of a pain, and we just don't like it as much. We have seen a bunch of places here but again there isn't anything that meets all our criteria. We are both getting stressed about this because we need to have a home by the 30th. We do still have 2 weeks so fingers crossed!

Next is the ever important job hunt. Matt has certain places in his sights. He was offered a position at one place. That is all Matt is allowing me to say on the subject for PR reasons. Hopefully I can give you all more details in a few weeks.

As for me I'm rather stuck at the moment. Until the apartment thing is handled I don't know where I'll be living so I don't know where I should apply. Needing to be able to walk to work (or take a bus) makes location essential for me. I have sent my resume to the few good things that have popped up on Craigslist, but so far no response (grrrrr). There are so many applicants for jobs that I think I'm getting lost in the mix. I'm looking forward to walking into the places I'm interested in, in person. I think that makes a world of difference.

Also we've discovered that a stick shift truck is a horrible vehicle in LA. Great for driving across country but really bad for tiny parking spaces, stop and go traffic, gas mileage, and Matt's stress level. We went out of LA the other day to Santa Clarita to test drive a few things that make more sense for us in the city. Right now he is torn between a Prius or a Jetta. I prefer the Jetta because it is larger and more comfortable. Also I don't feel like if someone hits us I'll be smushed in it. Matt likes both but does point out the obvious gas savings with a Prius. Also if you own a hybrid you can park in Santa Monica without paying in metered spaces. Sigh. One more thing to handle - selling the truck and getting something else.

So these things have been keeping us occupied for the last two weeks. Not the most fun stuff and it has been really taking its toll. I don't know if either of us has slept well since we got to LA. But this is what we've got to do to get what we want. And it's not for much longer.

Here is what I think of LA so far:

Traffic - what everyone says is true. There are cars everywhere, it is always rush hour. At least most of them are really nice cars.

Food - we haven't been going out much to save money but the places we have been are great. Anything you want, they probably have and we want to try it all. We have a list of places we want to go once we have jobs.

Weather - beautiful and sunny everyday so far except one. Cold at night, down to 47 last night, but warm during the day. Anywhere from 60 to 80. Not the Caribbean, but pretty damn lovely. I doubt people here get SAD with all the wonderful light.

People - everyone seems nice. Fellow walkers on streets smile or say hello. Everybody from gas station attendants to shoppers in stores are friendly. We've only met one bad apple so far in 2 weeks. I like this a lot. I realize I'm a snarky and cynical person, but I love to talk also so the friendliness appeals to me.

And for a general impression:

I think LA is wild, and large, and unique. You have to know what you want, but if you do and you look for it, it's here.

Plus, limes grow here on the side of the road. There must be something inherently good about a place like that.

Last night Matt and I went to Glendale to see the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, then grab a drink and talk about it. We've never done that before. It was like a real date! It was much needed stress relief and quite fun. I think thats the trick. We have to mix fun little things into the panicky stuff to keep ourselves sane and working as a team, instead of two crazy people worrying separately. To that end I have some ideas to throw into the mix:

Hollywood Walk of Fame - it's free, touristy and awesome.
Grauman's Chinese Theater - also touristy, awesome and involves marilyn monroe's handprints!!!
Griffith Park Observatory - hiking, minigolf, pretty views, exercise
Beach - why we moved here, pretty, surfing

I'm sure there are many more things, but those are a fun few.

WE LIVE HERE and it's WONDERFUL:

Now come on apartment, jobs and car!!!

We Have Arrived

Matt and I woke up on Tuesday the 30th feeling so refreshed. By why stop there? We headed off to the Spa at Sycamore Springs to really get into the spirit of things. First they have you soak in their special, extra deep mineral hot tubs that are kept at the perfect temperature, to relax your muscles. This was kind of cool because we had woken up early - we still aren't sure what time it is so our bodies have been waking us up around 8 - and there was an enormous fog cloud hugging the trees. We got to float around in our steaming hot tub, and look up to see the green tree leaves covered in wisps of thick fog. Kind of magical actually. After a half hour it was time for massages so we were off to be pampered. Both of our backs hurt from so much car time that this was just what we needed.

Then we had a quick lunch at the resort's rather nice restaurant before Matt headed off to the beach. He was hoping to get to surf for an hour or two now that we had actually made it to the coast. Pismo Beach is supposed to have good waves usually, so he headed there. I decided to hang out in the room and write a blog post (I wrote the 'Sedona, I Love You' there) and read my magazine. I hadn't been able to just sit someplace comfortable for SO long!

Sadly - for him, not for me - Matt was back in less than an hour. He had gone to the beach but it was too flat to go out. He sat on the pier and watched the water for a little and then headed back to me. It's too bad that there haven't been waves for him yet, but I'm sure there will be soon. Next on the agenda was wine tasting, though, so he wasn't too disappointed. We were off to our very first California wineries! As we drove out to see them, the road took a turn and here is my first look at the Pacific!

First we headed to the Independence Schoolhouse Tasting Room. At this one location they pour wines from 5 different labels. They are all made by the same family, but each has a distinctively different style and they let you try a bunch. Brit was so sweet and let us try some of her favorites. She agreed to be in my blog which was lovely.

The wines we tried here were from the labels of Baileyana, Zocker, Tangent, Cadre and Trenza. We both liked the reserve chardonnay we tried so grabbed a bottle of that.

Next we drove to Saucelito Canyon Vineyard where we tried the most perfect zinfandel I've ever had. I'm not kidding. Matt and I both wanted to try some good reds and this place only was serving one white and four reds so even before we tasted anything we figured they would be good. We were blown away. We both loved their Estate 2010 so we got a bottle of that for us and one for Matt's dad as a Thank you for the lovely mini-vacation.

I have to tell you, it is really beautiful in this part of the world. There are hill and valleys and the ocean is close. Everything outside smells so wonderful, too. As we drove to the next vineyard on our list Matt pulled to the side of the road to take a few pictures. I had to ham it up, as usual :)

Our destination was Claiborne & Churchill which was simply great. The guy doing our tasting was very funny and personable. He was interested in talking to us about RI and the wines were great, too. He told us that we should come back the next day because he was going to be dressed up as Han Solo for Halloween. As much as I'm sure that would have been hilarious, Matt and I had to drive on the 31st. We left here with a delicious bottle of Dry Riesling.

Last we went to the utterly disappointing Chamisal Vineyards. The wines were kind of blah, and the guy doing the tasting reminded me of all the jerks in high school I can't stand who thought they were real hot shit. We didn't buy anything here. I will say they had a lovely bathroom though, so if you're in the area and have to pee I highly recommend their ladies room.

Now it was 5 o'clock and the tasting rooms were closing so we drove back to Sycamore Springs. We were both real exhausted so we had a quick appetizer at their bar for happy hour and then retired to our room. I promptly fell asleep because I'm a hundred years old. Matt caught up on his TV watching and later ordered room service for dinner. Not a bad day.

In the morning we made the final drive of the trip. Our destination was the Pasadena Hilton where Matt's dad, Kerry, was kindly putting us up for the final night and taking us to dinner. By now Matt and I were so sick of being in the car we couldn't wait to get there so we didn't make any stops along the way. We did take the historic and very scenic route 1 for part of the drive so there's that. I will never get tired of looking at the ocean.

Here is our crazy journey - at least as far as Pasadena:

The Hilton was perfect. We checked in and rested for a few hours then met Kerry in the lobby at 6 to go out for dinner. We were going to get sushi so I was Very excited. It was a fun night. Being Halloween we did spot some cute kids in costume on the sidewalks and in the restaurant but we didn't dress up. There just wasn't time or desire with all the driving. Instead we had delicious food at Z Sushi, good conversation, drinks at the Yard House, and a nightcap in the Hilton lobby. This was a lovely arrival to LA.

In the morning we checked out of the Hilton and had a few hours to kill before we could go to our apartment. We had rented a furnished place in Valley Village for just a month so we could get organized but couldn't get the keys till 4. Matt and I figured we should take a look around Santa Monica as thats where we want to be so we drove to the pier.

Oh my it is beautiful.

I have at last dipped my toes in another ocean!

We had sushi for lunch - I know, I know, I have a problem. Matt's getting a little sick of it, but I was stuck in the middle of the country without fish for so long!!! And he loved what we had. We were at Sugarfish and both agree they made the best sushi rice that either of us have ever tasted.

Now was time to head to the apartment.

I'm not sure what to say except I'm real glad it's only for a month. Not even a month - I'm writing this on the 3rd so 3 days less than a month. Don't get me wrong, I don't think its unsafe - Matt would never have us in a place that wasn't secure. And there aren't bugs or anything - that I know of. It is just not good.

It hadn't been cleaned well/at all. All the dust has been making Matt sneeze. There aren't any trash cans in the whole place (??). There are only 3 towels - 1 wash cloth, 1 hand towel, 1 bath sheet. There must be 5 air fresheners in about 400 square feet to cover up what, I wonder? And I swear to you, no one washed the sheets. Instead it smelled like a heavy coating of Febreeze was sprayed onto them. Lightbulbs are broken in 3 rooms so it gets dark as hell in here, too. The shower head is so low that I can't even fit under it - I can only imagine Matt in there. And the stupid toilet runs.

Basically a nightmare. I do NOT like camping and this is about that good.

Here is what greeted us when we got in:

Creepy photos, a fake tree, and the world's smallest fridge!!!

Needless to say Matt and I had some work to do. Clean the kitchen and the bathroom and do laundry. We also grocery shopped for some essentials. It is much better now, but we are looking forward to being in our own place for sure, even though we don't own any furniture. We just want our own space in a different area of LA.

To that end we've been calling and looking at apartments. Yesterday, Friday, we drove around a bunch of places and actually found one that was really great. It's in West Hollywood though which is a nice neighborhood, but not Santa Monica, which we want. We have some time though so we'll keep looking. Matt has a stage (that's restaurant speak for an interview) at a restaurant he is very excited about on Tuesday - also a very good thing.

And for those who wonder, here is our car sticker update, in honor of the coast:

Today we're doing more research on finding an apartment or perhaps a realtor to find one for us and then meeting Kerry later for dinner. Must go attempt to shower :)

London Bridge, my Ass!

Monday was a long weird day. After the gloriousness that was Sedona I suppose we should have known that nothing could compare. Yet you can't drive across the country and not stop at the Grand Canyon.

We headed North and after some more crazy altitude changes, complete with headaches and dizziness, we leveled out right before entering the Grand Canyon National Park. Matt wanted to fill up on gasoline, and I wanted a snack and water so we stopped at a gas station right before the park entrance. At the register as he was going to pay Matt notices little paper packets held closed by a paper clip advertising Rattlesnake Eggs for sale. He asks the cashier what they look like - hahaha - and she says 'They're just little things. You should open it and see'. So he does. I'm guessing some of you know what happened next.

I have never seen Matt jump like that. Of course there aren't rattlesnake eggs inside, because there is no such thing. Instead when you open the packet it activates a simple twisting mechanism inside that unwinds loudly and shakes the little envelope. He jumped back looking shocked and then we both laughed along with the cashier. I think she must be bored and enjoys duping tourists.

Then we entered the park and drove to the rim. We parked in a massive parking lot full of cars and trucks and RVs and tourists. There were all different languages being spoken, children everywhere, and people being pushy. I was immediately not a fan. We walked down a little paved path along with the horde and this is what we saw.

There it is. All grand and canyony. I have to tell you I had trouble really seeing it. We were there at noon on a very sunny day and the lack of shadows coupled with my lousy eyesight made it very hard for me to differentiate the hills and valleys. I think had we arrived closer to dawn or dusk I would have been more awed because I could have really seen it; shadows mixed in would have helped immensely. The constant people everywhere was also very disconcerting because I get nervous in crowds and I am afraid of heights. Matt wasn't really impressed either so we took pictures of each other and planned to leave.

Back in the car Matt decided that seeing as we paid $25 to get into the park we should drive down the road a bit to see if it got better. About a mile farther along the rim there start to be spots that you can pull over to and be right along the edge. There aren't a ton of people at these spots - or at least there wasn't on the day we were there. It was instantly so much better than the zoo that was the first place. We could stand there and just look at it. I still had trouble seeing all the nuance but it was calmer and definitely interesting along the other places. Matt had to try and give me a heart attack by climbing over the wall and closer to the edge. He wanted to throw a rock into the canyon and watch it drop. Boys . . .

We did have a nice time at the canyon after all. I will recommend that if you want to go and see it, do that, but don't plan on staying very long. Go to Sedona to stay instead.

Now we did leave the park. $25 for a quick look at a big hole, and we were off.

Lake Havasu City was our next stop. We wanted to see the famed London Bridge. Some rich guy with time on his hands bought the actual London Bridge, had it shipped to Arizona and reassembled, and now it's the second most popular tourist attraction in the state, after the Grand Canyon. We thought it would be neat. Sadly this just wasn't our day. We drive all that way and actually get to the bridge and drive right on over it. You can't tell that it is anything special, you just drive right on over because they've integrated it with the road. Super boring!! We had to follow signs and park and walk around to even get down to see it. The weather was nice and warm though and it was great knowing we were only 9 miles from California - our new home :)

By now the sun was setting and Matt was tired of driving so we looked for a place to stay. We had done this a few times before and always found a place really easy. Not this time though. We drove around from place to place and something was wrong at all of them. Certain places calling themselves resorts were charging an arm and a leg for one night and others were deserted and creepy looking. I wasn't getting service on my phone so I couldn't look up much to help out. We stopped at a random Travelodge and Matt went in but no one was inside. He called and rang the bell but no one came. It was just weird. Finally we stop at the Bridgewater Motel and are able to get a reasonably priced room that looked to be without bed bugs. The woman at the desk was also incredibly nice - apparently she is also a kindergarten teacher. We were so tired and hungry it was good to be done for the day. It had taken us over an hour to find a hotel within a 2 mile area!

The motel had a pool and after a dinner of pseudo Italian cuisine Matt went for a swim. He is part seal I think.

For those of you who are probably desperate to know, we have changed the stickers in the truck to a seasonally appropriate spooky cat and pumpkin.

Matt and I went to bed early because it had been a long day. We weren't sure where we were headed next and we spent some time looking at options on the computer but didn't make any decisions before we fell asleep. In the morning we both woke up early - 7ish - because I wanted to write a blog post and we needed to figure out our next destination. We are laying there debating locations when there is a LOUD popping noise, yelling and sparks so bright we can see them through the curtain. Instantly the room goes dark and we loose power and internet. Matt jumps up and looks out the window to see this:

A guy had driven a firetruck with the ladder up straight into a massive bunch of power lines. I think the flag on top is a funny touch. The guy was so embarrassed he wouldn't get out of the truck. Police, more firetrucks, ambulances and power guys all show up to the parking lot of this little hotel and stand around talking about what to do. It was free entertainment. Matt stood outside watching for a while. Luckily we had parked closer to the motel and not near that mess. I ran and got in the shower in the dark because without power we thought we might run out of hot water. There was no way this was going to be fixed anytime soon.

After the fastest shower and repacking ever we hopped in the car and went in search of the Starbucks we'd spotted the evening before because we needed to use their internet. We still had no idea where we were going to go. Sadly my blogging was going to have to wait, too. While all the firetruck drama was happening Matt had called his dad and let him know where we were and that we weren't sure where we were going but that we had no internet and had to figure it all out. When we got to the Starbucks he looked at his phone and saw that he'd missed a call. It was his dad calling back to offer to get us a room at a resort in San Luis Obispo.

Such a sweet offer! The place was called Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort. We did really want to relax after driving so far and it looked amazing. Every room has its own mineral spring hot tub! It was going to be another long day - 7 hours or so from Lake Havasu to SLO - so we got in the car and headed out. It was exciting to be going to the coast and finally cross the border into Cali itself!

The last hour of driving was a nerve racking panic attack for me and a bit of stressful - but I'll admit skillful - driving for Matt. If you are ever heading to the coast from Nevada or Arizona, Don't Use Route 58!!! Google maps sent us that way because it is the shortest distance but nowhere do they say 'It's going to be nothing but steep hills full of tight twists and turns on a tiny road'

You can't even really tell from the map how bad it is, but never before in my life have I been on a road that felt like a roller coaster and literally made my stomach flip!

It was worth it though because this is what was waiting on the other end:

Ahhhhh! How perfect. The long driving was over! San Luis Obispo is only 4 hours from LA, but now all Matt and I had to do was unwind in our lovely hot tub. Thank you, Kerry!

Sedona, I Love You

How do you describe a feeling to another person and have it be enough? I think you can try to explain, but it's best if the other person can experience it for themselves. However, I can't fly all of you to Sedona so I'm going to do my best to tell you what I thought.

It was an amazing time. Both Matt and I agree it is the place we want to return to the soonest - how nice to have Arizona as your neighboring state :)

As for the feeling, it sort of started on Friday as we drove down the mountain and into Sedona itself, and then grew overnight and into the next day. I had a pervading sense of calm, I felt light and good and happy and easy. Things were simply pleasant and I can understand why people flock to the area if they all had the same sensations that I did.

To get into the spiritual mood of the place on Saturday we went first to a place called the Mystical Bazaar to have our Aura photos taken. This was a move inspired by Harry and Linda who had theirs done recently and I was super interested in it. I also thought it would be a good time to go because Matt and I are very much in transition mode right now and I think if we have them done again in 6 months or a year it will show growth and change and be real interesting. I am not the most meditative person so mine is a little fuzzy in spots but I think it was really accurate (I'm a yellow). Matt, who can be still and calm always, had an amazing picture and impressed the woman who took the photos (he's an orange). So if this was a competition, he totally kicked my aura photo's ass. I hate not winning, but yes, yes I realize that's not the point . . .

Next on the agenda was searching for a vortex. I've lifted the following definition straight from wikipedia because I'm not sure how else to explain it:

In fluid dynamics, a vortex is a region within a fluid where the flow is mostly a spinning motion about an imaginary axis, straight or curved. That motion pattern is called a vortical flow. (The original and most common plural of "vortex" is vortices, although vortexes is often used too.

Now thats not exactly what they are meaning in Sedona but it gives you the idea of spinning in either air or water. Kind of like an invisible tiny tornado that lives in a certain spot. Now imagine that it's not water or air that spins, but energy. They believe that Oak Creek, which runs through the whole town, carries energy with it and it permeates the valley from the flowing water outwards. At certain places the energy spins and gets stronger. That is a Sedona Vortex.

There are supposed to be four vortexes that people agree on and we wanted to see a few of them because we were curious. Also, it is so beautiful everywhere that even if we didn't find energy, we would still find a great hike and scenery. Our first walk was a trail out to Bell Rock which is surprisingly enough a rock shaped sorta like a bell.

This was our first trip to a vortex sight - Bell Rock itself is on one or is one - but it was kind a far walk without changing much. The views remained the same for over a mile and we had so much more to see that we decided not to go the whole way but try another place. Our list of things we wanted to do was very long anyway.

As we were walking back to the car Matt spotted where a snake had slipped out of his skin. A little piece is now part of our car display, anchored by the alligator so it won't blow away.

This is when we took a break for lunch - nothing fancy, just a little Chinese for him and Japanese for me. Yes, I did eat sushi in Arizona. It wasn't bad. We had left overs which we dropped off in our room and then it was off to the next sight.

On the road to the Sedona airport there are two things to see. The first is the view from the lookout.

The second is a spot where you can pull of the road and park next to a rock called Airport Mesa. This is another vortex place and it is the easiest to get to. We got out and scrambled up the rock to sit on the top. For as busy as Sedona was - there were people everywhere - we were able to sit at the top of the mesa in relative quiet with only 3 other people. It was very pleasant. Matt was super amused with my particular version of climbing up the rocks. It was a hybrid of trying not to slip out of my sandals, not looking down, and making an effort to breathe normal - high altitude isn't really my friend. Here I am at my most graceful.

I don't want to over scenery you but the view from this spot was brilliant so I'm going to anyway. I just lay down on my back at the top and relaxed in the sun. Matt sat with me for a bit and then took the following 5 pictures which are a 360 degree view from the Mesa summit.

On the way back to the ground we climbed down the back of the hill instead of the steeper front. I found an obliging tree to rest in about halfway.

I don't know if I felt a vortex at this spot, but then I am a rather pragmatic person and I think I'd have to be literally knocked over to know for sure. The subtler vibrations in the world are often to mild for me to notice. But I'll tell you all this; I felt good when we came down off the hill. For the first time in weeks my back felt ok and not sore from horseback riding over a month ago. Being an overly analytical girl I could attribute this to the exercise of the day or the laying on my back on the warm rocks. Or it could just be that I was healing all along and just really noticed it then. What I do know is that I felt movement like I hadn't been able to in a long while. And I was really happy, too. If that is a vortex, then go vortexes! If it was just happiness and relaxation at being in a wonderful location with the man I'm crazy about, that's alright by me, too.

Now we made the decision to not search out the other vortex locations because it was getting later in the afternoon, but instead go straight to the source: Oak Creek. If this is where the energy comes from we should check it out. There is a spot called Crescent Moon Park which has a great view of Cathedral Rock and a path along the river itself.

When we got to the park we left the car and walked down a paved path to the water. As soon as we get close, and Matt sees that it is rather shallow, he's got his shoes off and is in the creek! That boy has water in his veins I swear. He just needs to be around it - or in it - to be happy. I'm a fan of the wet stuff, too, and he persuaded me to wade in with him. Let me tell you - it was Cold. So cold my toes were numb in mere seconds, but I'm glad I went in. The bottom of the creek was slick with claylike mud and it felt neat under my feet. Matt stayed in much longer than I did. He says that the view from the middle was simply amazing. It was too cold to see for myself, but he had his camera :)

The walk then took us into the woods where we saw -

wait for it -

DUCKS!

That's right, the Food For Duckers encountered actual, in the wild, cute as a button ducks. I figured I would spell out FFD with ducks in the background because, why not? Matt doesn't like my 'D' but I'm not a contortionist so this is as good as it gets.

A little farther again and we came across these amazing cairns that people had built all over this one part of the forest. They were feats of balance and strength in some cases which was very wild. The overall effects was lovely. We had to add one of our own to the display.

I simply had to dance through them. Here are two really amazing ones:

It was at this point that the mosquitos came out and decided I was dinner so we turned back towards the car. The sun was setting and we wanted to be somewhere higher to see it. On the drive out of the park and back to the main road we passed a spot where a lot of other cars were pulled over so we got out to look. It was perfect. A nice couple took our photo and we got to watch the mountains turn a lovely shade of deep red in the light.

For dinner this night we wanted something low key. The night before had been so fancy, and now we were a little tired from all the hiking around and there was a brewery within walking distance. Luckily we hadn't brought a gun so the bartender served us (joking people; it was hidden in my purse).

That was our amazing Saturday. We had a big day planned for Sunday so we hit the hay early. I slept like a log - it was nice.