Sorry about the drama of that last post- it was very early a.m. and I had just had my first post-SF move meltdown- huge buyers remorse going on. It still comes on every once in a while, but I keep telling myself it'd be an even bigger mess to pull out now and try to go back- plus, I just don't have the money to start over!
So, here I am in sunny (and hot!) SoCal. In some ways it's been an interesting few weeks, and in others I still want to gouge my eyes out in boredom and frustration.
It only took me five days to unpack all of my boxes and get everything cleaned out and put away- much faster than anyone (including me) had anticipated, and in the end, after the massive clean-out and Salvation Army run, I was left with only 9 boxes, two collapsed shelves, and 4 small Rubbermaid clothing storage containers to store- not a lot of call for sweaters and trenchcoats in Southern California, let me tell you. Much less than my Dad had anticipated- he was being Mr. Gloom and Doom about the whole thing- disapproving in his own way. And actually, there is a lot of space left still on the shelves and storage section in the garage, nothing got put into the attic, and I still have tons of storage space in my room- the space was actually never ever full, just being poorly used.
I also have a car now- a nice new shiny Mazda. It's taken some getting used to, realizing that yes, I do have a car, and no, I'm not confined to the house, like I used to be when I'd come down to visit, but the realization has taken a while to sink in. To be honest, I hate driving in general, and with gas prices the way they are, I feel bad for driving. Plus, apart from local errands, I can't really think of any place to drive to, which is extremely ridiculous. After being car free for three years, it feels like I've sold my soul to the environmentalist Devil- I picture him like the Robot Devil from "Futurama," only a painted green, and eco-friendly. I've started to look at bikes to use for local errands, and am just waiting for my deposit check back before I make any decisions.
I've started running again- outside this time- there was some sort of snafu, so I couldn't be added to the family gym membership, so in the meantime while it eventually (I hope) gets fixed, I'm pounding pavement. In some ways I like it better- the fresh air, the change in scenery, the challenge of the changing terrain (I have one long ass hill to conquer on the back stretch- I can run about 2/3 of it right now) and changing weather conditions. It turns out that will all of the circuits I do in the neighborhood and the laps around the park, I'm running just under six miles, which is what I was doing back in SF at the gym. I've also managed to keep my weight pretty much within my SF bracket- I'd like to lose a few more pounds, to get back to my exact weight- it's getting there- I think I have a pound and a half to go.
Seen more movies the past few weeks than I have in the past few months. First up was "Indiana Jones," which I saw with my sister- fun in parts, tedious in others, and the whole last part of the movie felt like a marketing pitch for the ride version of the movie. "Iron Man," was much more enjoyable- Robert Downey Jr. made that movie! True, it also had it's silly moments, but that worked for the movie- there was no pressure to live up to any kind of legacy. And lastly, as I hang my head in shame, "You Don't Mess with the Zohan." That's what we did for Father's Day- although the other choice, "Sex in the City," was actually less appealing. The movie had a few amusing spots, but for the most part was tiresome- though I have to say that sitting through "Sweeny Todd" was worse.
This Friday we leave for the family reunion- right now I'm weighing the pros and cons of breaking a bone or two and having to go. It really all depends on how long and drawn out I want the pain to be- though I do suppose a cast would be cumbersome- plus, I probably couldn't run, which would be a major drawback. While I do like seeing my relatives- in small doses- a full week is asking a bit much, to be honest. It'll be a culture shock, to be sure- it always is when I go back to the Midwest- lots of hugely overweight, badly (and I mean badly!) dressed people who believe in God, guns, and Bush- I know, I sound like a stereotypical West Coaster, but I've lived there, I've spent considerable time there over the years- I know. So, I'll just have to grit my teeth and play the dutiful granddaughter/niece/cousin for a bit- though it will be a minor miracle if I can get through the week without offending someone.
Well, my alarm is about to go off, so I had better turn that off, then get ready for my run. I'll be more consistent (or try to be) now that everything is getting settled.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
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