Golden California

Who knew I would end up in California? I sure didn't! The weather is absolutely gorgeous, by the way, just to make you (readers) jealous. Especially in L.A. It's actually hot. Sunny. Hot. Ugh hot! Woohoo hot! Really though, I forgot how nice L.A.'s weather is all year round. This doesn't mean that I would ever want to live there for an exended period of time, but three weeks is fun. And working in L.A. has meant coming up to El Cerrito to see the family homestead. I must say, changes have taken place: a new area rug, taller trees, a backyard garden, and the clubhouse is being moved. This clubhouse is a 4.5 foot x 4.5 foot little house that my dad, Scott, and I built when I was about five. Perhaps 'built' and five year old really should be 'paint' and five year old, but you get the picture. I can't believe that it's lasted so long, and now it's getting a new home in the corner of our yard. It's my dad's passive agressive way to tell our backdoor neighbors to trim back their creeping vine plant.

Every time I go back to El Cerrito, I bring back another treasure back to New York. Previous treasures found is my key charm that I've worn around my neck for the past month (replacing my poor robot, whose chain is still broken). I thought about bringing my two braids of hair back, just to freak people out, but I've got something better: a pair of my Grandma Furukawa's day gloves from the 50s or 60s. Ah those were more dignified days, pre-public crotch showing (public not pubic people. Get your minds out of the gutter). They are a dark blue, with scallop detailing. So pretty.

If anyone is keeping track, I'll be in L.A. these next two weeks and flying back to New York on the 15th. Don't know where I'll be the week after that, but my goal for the next six months is to become billable and to do fantastic jobs on all my projects! Attainable goals I believe, so all is great in the world.

As for the other part of my life (the 1 1/2 - 2 days that I'm actually in New York and not working, those being two conditions), I've decided to fill my free time with creative projects: learning how to fashion draw, sew, art, photography, helping a certain someone with photo shoots, long walks on the beach, sunsets, and violin music following my every step. That should balance out the corporate-ness nicely. I'm also determined to read more news, novels, economics, business, and photography books, so I actually know why things work, how things work, or don't work, whatever may be the case. Perhaps I should also read a book on grammar and how not to write a run on sentence. Oh and I should add French to that list. Eeks, I'm giving myself a lot of flack for saying that I know 'fluent' French, when it's disintegrating into nothingness. I also want to learn Japanese from my roommate, Hindi from my co-worker and Arabic from Rosetta Stone. I suppose this is all rather ambitious. I guess I need to stop watching so much HGTV (which is preparing me to buy My First Property) and get down to business.

Ah gotta wake up in four hours and hop on a plane at 7am. And the week begins.