LA Baby

I just found out that Los Angeles means "the angels" hence the term "City of Angels"... it only took me 2 1/2 years.

I need to do a recap on last weekend. Our friend Melita flew in from Canada (she's Australian) after a 6 week vacation in America and Canada. We were picking her up at LAX so decided just to stay the night up in LA. We booked a hotel room in Santa Monica. The night she flew in, the 3 of us ate at Barney's Beanery. The menu is like a newspaper! So many choices. Anyway, I'm not going to ramble on with every detail about our trip, except this one thing that happened.

We took our friend to the walk of fame in Hollywood. There was a line all the way from the Gap store to Michael Jackson's star. It was very busy. We decided to go to Beverly Hills to show Melita some of the beautiful homes, and go for a walk in a nice neighborhood. We park, we're walking around the most beautiful, lush neighbourhood you've ever seen. We basked in the warmth of the day and the beauty of the area. We'd been walking for about half an hour when we came across a shrine for Michael Jackson on a random street corner. People were around it. We walk up the hill a little... there are camera crews, more shrines. We had stumbled across Michael Jackson's house just a few days after his death. How bizarre is that?! Like I said, the neighbourhood we were walking in was very luxurious, very manicured and unbelievably lovely. How bizarre that we'd stumble across his house.

LA in general was a riot - we had a fantastic time there. Walking around Santa Monica, eating the most wonderful crepes for breakfast. But our walk in Beverly Hills was the highlight. It was great to be away from the crowds and noise at Hollywood.

I can see it in your eyes

Last night was hilarious. My husband and I did our yearly shopping trip for his wardrobe. He HATES to shop for clothes, so we go when the sales are on and he does it all at once.

My husband is an Accountant and super conservative. He has his own style happening. Its not flamboyant though, to say the least. He's in the changerooms at one store and is trying on jeans - found a great pair. I made him try on some skinny jeans. I see his feet under the dressing room door and he starts doing a footloose dance. I laughed so hard I was crying and my belly ached. Then he stepped out in those jeans. I laughed even harder. SO not his style. I mean, he looked fine in them - it was hilarious seeing him in those jeans. Skinny jeans - raw denim. Husband was cracking up also. It was a pretty fun trip to the boring mall. Then we went to Macys to get him shirts for work. We got home and were still laughing. I went to bed thinking I'm glad I'm married to someone I get a kick out of.

This morning I've been listening to all sorts of good music. It started out with Jackson 5, then Stevie Wonder... Lionel Richie... FANTASTIC!

All American

Last night I went to bed feeling sick in the stomach, and woke up feeling the same way. I'm not sure why. All I know is that by 10am I was craving a grilled cheese sandwich (aka cheese toastie). So I ordered one, and it came packed in all its greasy glory. Funny thing, in America - when you ask for a scraping of butter, and half the usual amount of cheese - its what we'd get normally in Australia when we order a cheese toastie. Interesting.

I’m not getting those Doc Marten’s, in case anyone was wondering. I really love them – but I would not get enough wear out of them to justify the purchase. Wait… that sounds so… sensible…

Right now I’m really loving these Swedish Hasbeens. Delightful eh? I’m imagining them with my vintage sundresses. At this point, all it will be is imagining:)



The other day I was at Michael’s and bought charcoal pencils and a sketchbook. I haven’t sketched in years –used to really enjoy it in High School. My sketching is a little rusty now – but I’m enjoying doing something a little arty. I think I’ve been craving that. I used to love art, and always had some kind of art or craft project in the works.

Well. Lunchtime. I’m grabbing my bmx and going home.

I have this new colleague who bugs me a little. He is a heavy smoker, and after a smoke walks right past my desk. The smoke is still thick and makes my stomach churn. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but I can't see past the way my stomach feels!!! I know that probably sounds politically incorrect - but its my blog, and pah!

I think I'm in love

I left my heart in San Francisco

Wednesday afternoon. I just ate a bucketload of sushi. Jealous? You should be. It was darn good.

Last night I visited with my friend Jill & her housemate Mozza. They're both swell chicks. It was nice to have a fat chat with some gals over a glass of white wine. I treasure doing things like this with my female friends. Its one of the things I used to do a lot of, and not so much of any more. I'm not sure if marriage changed that or moving country changed that. Anyway, it put a bit of a smile on my dial.

My husband is in San Francisco right now on a business trip, just overnight, so I've had the car which has felt quite liberating. Yes, we have just one car. How very un-American of us:) So this morning, on the way to work I indulged in a Starbucks and muffin. At lunch drove to get sushi and went to a different area. Sometimes I really wish I had a car so I could go to the gym at lunch and do whatever I want. But, I know its better this way. Making my lunch 9/10 and just going for walks along the beach. I know that all in all this is the much better option - being able to bikeride around and walk everywhere. Its a healthier option also! According to my friend Jill, its the Danish way.

That's all folks.

Affluenza

Yesterday my husband and I both signed up for the gym. 24 Hour Fitness. They had a special on - $199 for the year, including all the gyms nation wide, except the Super or Ultra clubs (non of which are near us anyway!). I have been sitting down five days a week, eating well but slowly gaining pounds from lack of exercise. I'm not interested in losing a bunch of weight, just toning up again and feeling more energetic. We all know how much better it feels when you have been keeping up with regular exercise! I have been feeling like a corpse lately. I used to exercise quite a lot when living in Australia. We're an outdoorsy nation, and I walked in the city a lot, went for long walks and bikerides with my friends. Here, I walk most days for 30 minutes - but don't walk around and about through the day. Just sit down. So, I think its good to go to the gym 3-4 times a week and build up a sweat, get the heart rate up. I'm really excited about it. Last night my husband and I went for an hour together, and felt so good after. I feel really good today: like I got some cobwebs out. And the best thing is... no startup fees. Just $199 for the year, including everything. That works out at $17 per month each for my husband I. That is an insanely good price. The 24 hour fitness gyms in our area are really nice. To think I used to pay $100 per month in Sydney for my gym membership... pah! Husband and I are planning on playing racketball together. Its not really my cup of tea, but he really enjoys it. I'm happy to do any sport if it means he gets into it.

This morning I was drinking nescafe. It reminds me of servo's in the middle of nowhere in WA. Driving along the beaten track, stopping by the servo, getting a coffee - its always nescafe with milk and water. Love it.

I recently have acquired my own bank accounts. Thats right, I'm looking after my own finances. Well, kind of. I have a certain amount going into my account, the rest into our joint account. Why? So I can manage my own money. I do a lot better with my budget when I can monitor it and feel "in control". Otherwise i assume everything is fine, unless Husband says something. Already after looking at my budget - what I have per month, that its either eating lunch out, coffee's etc or getting a facial. One or the other. So I'm getting a facial, and making all my lunches and making my coffee at work. No more Starbucks!!! So I got up at 7am yesterday and today in order to make lunch. Impressive huh?!

Recently I have been thinking a LOT about how spending stops you from achieving goals in life. I've been meditating on where I want to be in 10 years, what I would have liked to accomplish. For us, it means paying off debt as quickly as possible. I bet my husband last night that we can pay it off in a year if we are head down, bum up. I have been feeling really disappointed in myself the last 6 months - and I want that feeling to end. I think reading the book "Affluenza" has been really motivating also. So no more clothes. Shoes: if I save up for them. Basically, it has to be one or the other. If I want to get highlights in my hair: I need to save up for it. I'm hoping I can direct my energies towards other, more important things to me. We live in such a spendthrift society, which I'm tired of contributing to. I've realised the guilt I've been feeling. And realizing I will eventually miss out on other things I want to do in life, more important things, because we haven't really knuckled down. We have a modest apartment and car. But I know how much money can be wasted day to day.

The Accountant

The phone rang. I had it nestled between my ear and my shoulder. After saying a formal greeting to my client, proceeded to drop the phone and banana, which was in my other hand, in a rather extravagant and timely fashion. I usually don't believe in the 5 second rule, but for the sake of my hungry stomach I ignored the rule and ate the banana.

Its Friday. Which I'm really thankful for. I've been almost falling asleep at work, which isn't something I'd usually do.

My husband and I have decided to do our budgeting a little differently. I'm going to have a personal budget to work with. I don't work so well with massive credit cards. I used to have a credit card of $500. When it was maxed out, it was time to get it back down again. I don't spend extraordinary amounts, but more than I would like to. There. I said it. I'd like to really crack down and save for things that are more important to me. Like seeing the world, even on my measly 2 weeks vacation per year. Hopefully that changes sometime soon. I am itching to get to China and South America and experience a different culture other than the western one. It seems smart to visit South America while we are living so close. To travel around South America from Australia takes a big big chunk of change. I think when I go shopping I'm still very much "The Accountant". I never buy anything "cheap" or anything at full price, rather something that is well made and highly discounted. But sometimes I look at it all and think "why?" - I'd love to do a big purge someday and live off the basics. I will probably never have the heart to do that, but am trying to put a stop to spending overall. It seems so pointless and meaningless. I'm not a "things" person. We live in a humble but cute apartment with the basics - almost all of our furniture, apart from a few Ikea pieces were all given to us. I could leave it behind in a jiffy with no pangs of distress. My wardrobe on the other hand... I'd probably box it up and ship it to my Mum for safekeeping:)

So its 10am and my cup of tea is brewing. I'm really looking forward to the weekend. Tonight a friend and I are going for a walk straight after work. Then I think catching up with my aussie mate for a cup of tea and a chin-wag.