Safe

Well, I am safe. I still have a job to go to. It was a very hard day. People I grew close to were let go. I feel very thankful to still have a job that I love. It is weird being on this side of layoff/budget cuts. The last two did not go so well.

It was a very stressful four months of waiting and I hope to get back to normal soon.

Speaking of normal, what is acting abnormal is my computer. I will be taking it in to apple tomorrow. I hope the problem is this fluke thing that they are going to cover and not just another story of modern appliance planned obsolescence.

I my laptop is still hobbling along and if my computer and I are separated, I hope to keep you updated somehow.

Amazing Mandu's blog

You may notice some technical difficulties with the Amazing Mandu's blog. I guess after seeing an episode of Oprah about child predators, she decided to make her blog for family and friends only. Which is smart.

You should be able to see it soon.

cross your fingers

Layoffs are this Tuesday at work. Keep your fingers crossed that I am not one of those people.

my eyelids are sweaty

It has been 100 degrees here for the last couple days. We beat a record on Monday.

Hard to be a Californian

Los Angeles has become a strange place since the beginning of this year. It seems like there are a lot less people around.

This is because contrary to past statistics, this is the first time that people are leaving. U-Haul rental in LA is up 30%.

2 Million people are unemployed today in California and they are leaving to find work.

It seems like every other store front on Melrose has a for lease or going out of business sign. Traffic has become lighter.

A lot of people I know are laid off or in danger of being laid off.

It is hard to be a California these days.

what I have been up to

Things have been hectic lately and I haven't had the chance to blog as much as I would like.

Hot Hot Heat:
It has been a strange weather week in LA. Today it was 94 but I also had to turn the heat on Tuesday night.

Stars:
You can't see stars in the sky, but you certainly can on the street. I saw:
Peter Deluise-of 21 Jumpstreet fame-I loved that show
Rachel Harris
Kate Walsh

Tourism:
We had guests in town and did Santa Monica, I missed the sunset while I was in line for the bathroom.

What I am reading:
John Stienbeck's "Travels with Charley". It was my first Stienbeck, and although it ended up not being my favorite, I would love to read more. I was recommended "East of Eden" What do you think?

Coey and I were talking about how at our high school we never were made to read a lot of the classics that all the other high schools did. I am not sure why. I am not sure if that was a disadvantage or not. I would like to go back and read some of them. If you could build a list of must read classics what would be on that list?

So that is what I have been up to lately.

Happy Easter

I hope everyone is having a Happy Easter.

et vous?

To prepare for my France trip I am learning a bit of French via Podcast. I figured that I didn't want to go there and just expect that everyone speaks English, because they hate that I am told. Or speak English loudly and annunciate, like that makes all the difference.

I also do not want to sound like the women in the "Southern Gals in Paris" sketch from Saturday Night Live. "Do y'all have Cinq Alive"

I tried to find that sketch online so that you would get the reference, but I can't. I think only Coey will get that one.

I am doing Coffee Break French a show on radio lingua by a Scottish couple. I have to admit though that I am also practicing my Scottish accent as well.

I have some help at work. Between all of the people in my office we speak 20 different languages. One girl is helping me w/ phrases I shouldn't say. The same with Spanish, you should avoid saying "I am hot" because depending on which sentence structure you use, you would be talking to a complete stranger and revealing something very personal about yourself.

Learning French is going okay, pronunciation is hard going. The glottal r is killing me and I practice saying "merci" all of the time.

So wish me luck or bon chance!

Status on We are Here

If you notice, We Are Here has not been posting for a bit. That is because the Amazing Mandu fractured her foot and Evan has croup. So, she hasn't been up to it. I hope that she gets to it soon, but be patient.

into thin air

It is hard to play sports and run around when the air is thinner. While I was in Denver I tried really hard to play the game Evan and I invented called soccasketball, but I just got tired out so we had air hockey tournaments.



Then the winner would play coey.

80

It is 80 degrees here today. I just got back from the farmers market and loaded up on fruit. No one of interest was sighted.

Did you know that the birds in Los Angeles mimic the sounds of car alarms as part of their mating calls? You should listen it is funny.

The gangs all here

A lot of work people and friends asked me that since I was going to Denver, if my family and I were going skiing. I said nope, that we aren't really outdoorsy and mainly we eat and stare at each other. Which they thought was strange, but that is what we did.

(Go ahead and imagine me skiing, you can laugh, I do)

Evan was excited for us to be there and told us that "Tomorrow I am going to show you my whole town" He was a good tour guide. Here is a tour of gumball machines at a local restaurant.



Here he is modeling the fine sunglasses his "whole town" has to offer.



The "whole town" is very cute and very picturesque. Evan is a good tour guide.

That was the staring, now for the eating.

I had my second pizza experience since becoming "nutritionally traumatized". It was good and worth it.

What we were all excited for though was for a burger at the Counter. You may remember the Counter, from either visiting me in Los Angeles or from a past post of mine. (There is one in Chicago now by the way.) I think it has to be the best burger joint on the planet, the sweet potato fries and chocolate, peanut butter shake is so good.



The weekend was all together too short, but it was great seeing family.