Tagged: moving

Oct 17

Slipping into something familiar

I never loved LA, and it never seemed to love me.  Rather, it tolerated me, as one does a toddler, eyeing me warily – not trusting me with any of it’s riches – but not shuttering me to the landfill either.

We danced like this, never deciding whether to dip or spar, for eleven long years, before I broke the embrace for good.

And now, when I come back, LA greets me like an old friend… I slip into the arms of this gritty, gravy-stained city with the kind of relief one feels putting on an old pair of jeans.  It is absolutely perfect – the terrible traffic, the honking mauraders, the bars with the skimpy-skirt-girls lining the block – it is absolutely, 100% perfect…

For just about 5 days.

You see, LA and I have become excellent long-distance lovers.

And while I’ve no dreams of moving back to this city, I know I will continue to visit and smile and soak it up in small doses.  I will pick and choose the pieces that I want to look at and snuggle…

And then I will return to my own, cleaner, safer, more comfortable world, far from here.

It’s a relief and a gift, and I am incredibly thankful to have at least worked this part out – this dipping-the-toes-in routine of mine.  Greatly relieved indeed.

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Apr 14

The Big Bad Boyfriend Blues

I’ve barely been gone two weeks… I’ve not yet settled in, there are still shoes in boxes and bits of things in nooks and crannies, and my car keeps having problems.

Rhythm is not present.

Which is why, at every little hiccup, I keep thinking about LA… Like a boyfriend that beats you and then tells you he needs you, LA beckons to me from across the desert.

(sigh)

And strangely enough, I’ve tried twice (unsuccessfully) to get back there already.  Twice in two weeks.  Hmmmmm….

You see, two of my very dearest friends had birthday’s last week, and I had theater tickets to share with one of them, a spa day to share with the other.  It wasn’t exactly a desperate reunion with the Land of the Lost, but I’ll admit I’m missing being able to hit up the ocean in fifteen minutes.  However, since my car keeps declaring itself inadequate, I have to assume there is some higher power at work here, keeping me away.

So I’m in Prescott.

And I’ve got plenty to do, really, so why would I run off right now anyway?

But, like the saying goes, sometimes we just want what’s familiar.  LA may have kicked my ass, but this strange new…. open-endedness?  It’s terrifying in its own right.

Intervention… that’s what this feels like.  And once I’ve kicked the LA habit, maybe the rest of it (my life) will start to make some sense.

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Apr 08

Allergies and alligator skin

An allergy is an exaggerated immune response or reaction to substances that are generally not harmful. Thank you, Google (she says sarcastically and with a dash of grump)

I forgot… forgot how damn windy it gets here, and how much pollen/dust/other itch-makers get blown around, into your eyes and up your nose.

Grrrr.

There’s the Loratadine tablets that help, and the allergy spray that helps… but all of it serves as sore reminders of Mother Nature’s smack-down skill.

Almost as soon as I crossed the state line I could feel her, tickling my sinuses – as though she’s got a kick-back deal with Kleenex.  Shortly thereafter the skin began to molt, as always happens when I cross into the arid Arizona landscape.

In short, I’m an itchy, sneezy, flaky mess at present, so be happy you don’t have to gaze on this face, haha.

And yes, it will start to subside, I’ll readjust, and the sneezing will become more maneagable, but wow, I’m giving the tissue companies and lotion manufacturers a nice little boost.

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Apr 07

Cat-log

Day 5

The Humans keep looking at me and making kissy faces like they think it will make everything better.  Don’t they know I don’t have time to for circus tricks?   We’re in enemy territory here, extra vigilance is required at all….  Did you hear that?

Ahh, landscapers.

Okay then.

Where was I?

Oh yes,VIGILANCE!  Not to be mistaken for vigilantes… although some hard and fast cummupance is what’s waiting on the other side of my door if these country cats try to step in unnanounced.  I mean, you look at me, and you look at orange-face, and who’s got the upper hand?  Him?  Because he’s all cutesy, wide-eyed and wouldn’t know his own growl if it met him in the sandbox?  NO.  You can’t be running around fraternizing with the enemy – you’ve got to keep your hackles up, learn to growl while your walking into a room and then plop down like you own it.  Size helps.

I’m huge.

I’m telling you, I don’t know what The Human was thinking bringing us here, but she seems totally oblivious to the danger.  These cats are watching us, they’re crafty, and the little one even smelled my tush without permission!

And I see them, wagging their human claws at me with little tsk, tsks dribbling from their naked lips- the hypocrisy!  When just the other day I saw the Hairy One make The Human move out of his favored spot.  And they say we’re territorial!   I’m just trying to stake out some boundaries… a little place of my own.  Is that too much to ask?

Ahhh, Man!  There Orangey goes again!  Frolicking about with the little cat like they were kittens.  Do I have to do EVERYTHING myself?

Sorry kids, gotta go bust up the party.  It’s Real World time, and these hippie dreamers need some Black Ops training.

Midnite, OUT!

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Apr 06

Gross, Gross, Gross

In all of the moving frenzy, I forgot to revel you with tales of my roomate’s bathroom.

First, let me just issue an apology to any and all who have had to use it.  Roomie had the hall bathroom, the one that guests were always directed to with a careful “Sorry if it’s a bit messy, it’s my roomate’s…” because in order to get to mine, you’d have to navigate my cluttered bedroom, and I didn’t really like the idea of people (even those I love) chancing upon my delicates or unkept bed.  Anyway, I would always kind of peek in there, and try to do a little clean up around the sink area, and drop off fresh hand towels when people were stopping by.  However, I know I wasn’t always an A-1 super-star maid.

Well, last weekend I found out just how bad it was.

Because I had to clean the apartment by myself (roomie was off to a new job far, far away) So I started with my bathroom and really gave it the scrubdown, which it totally needed, and then moved into roomie’s bathroom – the sink and mirror area weren’t too awful, but the floor around the toilet?  Absolutely never been cleaned (other than the couple of times I had cleaned it for parties) And the shower?!  (Insert horror music here)  The SHOWER was absolutely overtaken with rust-colored crud in the tile crevices… the shower doors hadn’t ever seen clean… it was like looking into bathroom hell.

I had to scrub each and every grouted line in that shower with bleach and a toothbrush.

It took forever.

I’m still not recovered.

There is just something so much worse about having to clean up somebody else’s slime and fur.  Yech!

So, keep up on your cleaning.  Don’t fall behind.  And never, ever, leave it for someone else to do!

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Apr 05

Missing Shoes and Santa Socks

I don’t know where my shoes are.

My dad and his buddies unloaded the moving truck while I was driving over, they loaded it all into the garage, into the crevices and spaces that were available, so there are boxes behind things like his motorcycle, and a large cabinet mid-construction, and other big heavy things that I can’t see through.

Somewhere, out there amidst the mess, are my shoes.

Sure, I thought it would be a good idea to pack a little carry-along bag, a bag of necessities- my toothbrush, clean change of clothes, etc.  But what wound up in the bag were a pair of sweatpants, two pairs of socks, my phone charger and flip flops.  I moved, painted, and cleaned in one shirt.  Gross.  Then I got home where it was friggin’ SNOWING, and all I had for my feet were my flip flops!

Now it’s a few days later and thankfully I’ve located/unpacked the majority of my clothes… I’ve even managed to sort out my sock and underwear drawer, but the shoes?  Well, let’s just say these little piggies are chillin’.

Hence the Santa Socks.

You see, I woke up in the middle of the night with cold toesies, stumbled over to the sock bin and pulled a pair out.  I woke up this morning with chuckles at what I found on my feet.

Christmas in April.

Indeed.

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Apr 04

Things I saw along the way

Let’s talk about the cats…

This is Midnite and Daredevil post-apartment-load-up, pre-cat-load-up…  They each took a shelf in my bathroom cabinet and stayed there all day long praying that their nooks and crannies would come back to them and that the world would once again make sense.  It was adorable and heart breaking at the same time.  Poor little furballs!

This is Midnite in the back seat- she spent a considerable amount of her travel time shedding.  I need to de-fur my car.  She also put in a valiant effort to crawl beneath my feet and mess with the pedals, perhaps thinking if she could just get her paws on the breaks and stop this metallic carriage, all would go back to normal.  Her routine went something like this : Sniff, sniff, lap, hide face, back-seat, hide face, sniff the air conditioner, sleep, sniff, sniff, repeat.  If you’re wondering where Daredevil is, he’s beneath Midnite, under the blankets and curled next to the cooler.  That little guy didn’t move the whole ride over.

I just thought the sunflowers along the edge of the road were pretty…

I thought this sign was hilarious!!!  Good food, Great Coffee, and Unforgettable Women? What kind of establishment is this?  Did I go back in time to the Wild, Wild West?  What do they do that is so “unforgettable”?  There’s a story here, folks, but I was two-cats-two-heavy to stop and figure it out.

And for all you would-be-parents out there, here’s your chance.  You can find ‘em at the Hollywood Video in Prescott Valley – Free!

That’s all for today folks…  Thanks for stopping by, and have a Hippity, Hoppity, Lovely, Little Easter!

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Apr 03

A little sugar to go with that panic

Wow.  So I moved.

Yeah.

Let’s breathe.

I’ve got all sorts of catching-you-up to do, so let’s start with a little hallelujah to the Apple wo/man for fixing up my cyber-baby.  It’s been a sweet, sweet reunion.  Going without her for a week, and such a tumultous one at that, was painstaking.  Mac does things differently, and she does them just the way I like.  PC is like talking to grandpa- you have to shout and thump his pace-maker every couple minutes to keep the conversation going.

And on the topic of family, my dad and his wild buddy of too-many-years-to-count drove over to LA, braving what they term “The Land of Crazies” to help move me and my stuff.  They were heroic and it completely exhausted them (they ain’t no spring chickens) and I’m quite sure the next move will require some fresh goodwill from elsewhere (did I mention they ain’t no spring chickens?) but I definitely couldn’t have done it without them.

Nor could I have done without the valiant efforts of several sweet and wonderful friends- Corwin, Perry, Jim, Carolyn, Alex, Doc… you were amazing and your help made all the difference.  I’d love to tell you all about “The Things that Corwin Saw” but perhaps I can get him to write his own blog post about it.  Suffice to say, the man went through my junk drawer for me.  You never really know a person till you’ve seen their junk drawer… plus he did the spice cabinet where he unearthed a “Shake and Bake graveyard” populated with an abundance of lemon pepper.  He also dismantled my PC set-up, helped me carry out my delicates and didn’t even flinch when, upon lifting my mattress for loading, uncovered my gun.  Corwin, my dear, you could write chapters.

Perry, oh Perry, who braved the uninvited adoration of my dad’s loud friend- you went through my cabinets, salvaging food, helped carry things I probably should have tossed, and spent considerable time on the phone trying to get a donation truck to my door, all while shouting out cheers and goodwill.  You were awesome, and kind, and I’m so very thankful you shared your afternoon with me and my tired bones.

Jim and Carolyn, I may have had to put down my end of the desk twenty five times for want of ANY muscle left at all, but you helped me carry it, and then you helped some more.  Thank you for your multiple trips to the dumpster, and to Jim for helping me slap that first coat of “I-knew-I-was-going-to-have-to-repaint-those-red-walls-but-I-didn’t-think-it-would-suck-quite-so-hard” white paint.  It took three coats, but the first one went up the quickest because of you.  Thank you, thank you, thanks :)

Then Alex!  Alex who flew in from NY for in for a West Coast visit with friends, took a chance that I might still be in LA and brought Thai food over for a last-apartment-supper… Alex who helped me load the final baskets and the basketed kitties into my car for our late-night crash-session at Doc’s and then followed with the borrowed vacuum that just wouldn’t fit in my car… you were a total bonus surprise to my crazy LA departure!

And Doc… where can I even begin?  These past three months or so have been some of the most taxing I’ve been through (and considering what I’ve been through the past year and half, that’s saying something)  It seems that at every turn there have been new challenges- emotional, psychological, and financial- You have been here for me in the most supporting of ways, whether to listen to me rant, or just whisk me away to a movie- and I would NOT be feeling anywhere near as sane as I do if it weren’t for your generous spirit.  Thank you, my dear, dear friend!  What a blessing you are!

In fact, this past year has delivered many such blessings of friendship… it seems that just when I needed it most, the people in my life rallied around me to make me laugh, to remind me that I am loved, and to help me feel safe.  It is amazing that in this world of so many distractions, it really is the people in your life that define your worth.  I may have an angry checking account and screaming credit card bills, but I am truly rich with family that believes in me enough to say “Yes, come home, write!” and friends who find the time and spare change to take me out to tea when I’m re-using my own tea bags for want of a paycheck.  I have always had a hard time asking for help, I hate to appear weak or in need, but these past few months I have had little choice but to accept the grace being shown me, and it has made all the difference in the world.

And to that end, I would just like to say thank you to each and every one of you who have helped me not just with the move, but this past year.  I love you all so very much.

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Posted in The Daily Drool

Apr 02

And we're (almost) back

Have I complained enough about packing yet?  Because I’m still detesting it.

But at least I’m here.  The cats and I are here… in shock… and really friggin’ tired. 

And I can’t wait to tell you all about it, about the funny and strange things that have happened and that I’ve seen along the way, but right now all I can really think about is bed.  It’s been work, work, work all week – the manual labor kind – the kind that makes you dream of visiting your chiropractor 400 miles away on Ventura Blvd. 

But seriously, thanks for hanging in here with me folks.  I promise I’ll be back in fine posting form as soon as I catch up on some much needed zzzz’s.

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Mar 28

Monday-Manic

  • Too much stuff left to do, not enough time left to do it.
  • I. MISS. MY. MAC.   
  • The cats are mending their disappointment over their missing perches (couch, bed, chairs, etc.) by laying in the middle of the empty spaces like Egyptian Mao’s… No amount of “MOVE!” and “WATCH OUT”s seem to help.
  • I have entirely too many stacks of “I’ll deal with this later” mail… don’t let that shit pile up, people.  It will bury you!
  • Who wants to come paint my apartment for me?
  • Why do apartments in LA refuse to provide fridges?  Now I have this large refrigerated cube that I can’t sell till I’m moving, but no one seems to by biting.  Refuse to let go for a tuppence, I’m probably going to have to haul it home with me and sell there.  Could be worse, I once looked at a place that provided neither a fridge, nor a stove!
  • Tired.  Grumpy.  And my carpet is DISGUSTING. 
  • Moving to commence Tues. morn.  Expect radio interweb silence for a few days.  Entertain yourself with the lovely FalloutGirl.  That’s where I’d be if I wasn’t here :)

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Posted in The Daily Drool

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