Surf City USA

I finally registered for my marathon! I don't know why I was waiting...maybe to see if I could really do it. I mean, I know I can really do it, but I was a little nervous that I might chicken out (I still might chicken out, but I am going to try hard not to). A marathon is a scary goal to set out to accomplish! Traveling in non-English-speaking countries is NOTHING compared to this!

I was previously lined up to run the Napa Valley Marathon, but there were a few obstacles so I decided to search for something a little cheaper and closer to where I live. Napa Valley will be visited, believe me, but maybe I will enjoy it more under different circumstances.

I found this marathon: Surf City USA Marathon. I am really excited because I think it is a perfect thing to mark my time in Southern California! It is a month earlier than the other one, so that means I have to work hard to finish all my training, but I am up for it! A big bonus is that it is really close (maybe 30 minutes away) and my friends (if I have some by then!) can come and cheer me on!

The trail goes down the Pacific Coast Highway through several beach areas. I read that we get cool surfboard medals at the end of it, too!

Look what I found!

This, my friends, is Laguna Lake. It is the first lake/river/pond I have seen in California...maybe ever. The 70-something-year-old identical twins across the street told me about this lake last week, but I didn't find it until today. The girls, Jean and Jane, have been particularly helpful in helping me find things in this new city. They are so cute, too--they live together, dress identically, have the same red hair, and even finish each others' sentences! I really like them--they remind me of my aunt Reeva, only doubled. Neither has been married or has children, and when one is over here too long, the other comes over to check things out.

My running has been a great way to get out and get to know the city. There are a couple of local trails I have tried running, and have the general layout of the streets on this side of town.



I am really excited to get out there on the trails tomorrow and see what else I can find! :)

Awesome owl print:

This is SO on my wish list! Check it out:



I found this gocco print on etsy (click here to see the artist). It is a small print (3.5x5), and I might reward myself with it when I get a job! :) I never was much into owls until I moved to Korea. In Korea, owls seem to be everywhere--not real ones, necessarily, but paintings, sculptures and so on.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins--yum!

I was inspired to make some pumpkin muffins after reading a friend's blog (Sabrina's) last week. I didn't have even the most basic of baking supplies (flour, sugar, oil...), so I had to really start from scratch (harvest the wheat and sugar cane, etc.). I whipped up these tasty things from a recipe I found online. I have linked the recipe, so if you are interested in trying them, just click here: allrecipes.com. They turned out better than I expected, though, they made more than the recipe told me they would. I ended up with almost 2 dozen muffins, and had to convince Martin to take a bunch home (it was tough to convince him)!

Running

Today's run was my longest one so far: somewhere between 11 and 12 miles. I felt great through the whole run and felt even better when it was over! :)

I am getting into my stride and can easily run 6-7 miles 4 times a week. I even like it. There is something called the "runner's high" that I have heard of--I think I get it. There is an addictive quality to running--it isn't horrible for me anymore, and, though I sometimes dread the thought of another grueling workout, I still get an enormous feeling of accomplishment when I finish even a shorter run.

I felt really good today--my body aches, but I feel like this marathon thing might really happen for me. It is one more life goal ready to be checked off my list!

Project Runway

Last Saturday, I peeked out of one of the white, pom-pom-lined curtain windows in Edna's house and saw a yard sale across the street. I am a sucker for yard sales. Not the kind where people are just trying to pawn off their garbage onto other unsuspecting people from the dark depths of a damp garage, but the kind where there is charmingly useful/cool stuff neatly arranged on a lawn with happy sellers prepared to strike a bargain.

This sale in particular caught my eye because of the large, wheeled racks stuffed with colorful dresses. I wandered over to the sale and started chatting with the two gentlemen who lived in the house. I found out that they are both designers! One focuses on vintage-style dresses, while the other designs modern clothes to sell to department stores. All of the dresses that were hanging in the yard were original designs. Most were samples to show buyers, and luckily, many were my size. I pulled out a few (which were priced at $5 each) and settled on one dress that I liked the best.

I also picked up an apron that one of the men designed for $3. Fun sale! Now, I have no hard evidence on this, but I speculate that the yard sale season might extend far into the fall and winter months (it was 90 degrees today). I hope to stumble upon a few more fun sales like this one!

Here is the apron:


And, here is the dress:



I wore a black cami under the dress on Sunday with my open-toe, black heels. The dress has a tie in the back, but fits pretty close to my body (I am actually about a size larger than he makes the dresses, but this one fits).

I like to make things.

This is my next project: an earing organizer.

I have a book that I call my style portfolio. It is a simple, black sketchbook with white pages on which I attach paint chips, fabric swatches and pictures of furniture and other housey things I like and want to someday incorporate into my home. Since I can't have a house yet, I guess this is my way of nesting.

Back to my project. I am going to take a plain, white frame with wide edges and remove the glass and back. Next, I will twist four to six small eyelet hooks into the wooden edges. I will then twist piano wire into the hooks to create the finished product: an earring organizer. I like this project because if I don't have my earrings displayed, I forget to wear them!

I searched for a frame this morning at a local thrift store, but was unable to find what I needed. So, I will look again this weekend and pick one up somewhere else! I will post a pic of my finished product later.

I know I am going to get at least one jab about Martha Stewart about this. Go ahead...I can take it...

Who ya gonna call?

Last night, the Fox Theater in downtown Fullerton hosted a community movie night. They projected "Ghostbusters" on the back wall and invited people to bring lawn chairs to watch from the parking lot. Martin and I borrowed the plastic, non-folding chairs from Edna's porch and walked them down three blocks to the movie. There were lots of people--I always enjoy the guy way in the back with the loud and hilarious laugh, don't you? :) It was a really fun movie to revisit--I had forgotten how hopelessly cheesy this movie is! It is definitely a good one for those of us who opt out of the scary kind of ghost movies for Halloween.


After returning home from the movie, I opened the kitchen door and saw at least six nasty bugs trying to hide from me. I'm not scared of bugs, merely annoyed and grossed out. I hate the thought of those gnarly creatures scuttling across my dishes, or chewing up my coffee beans.

Because I was in the mood for a little exterminating (thanks to Dan Akyroyd, Rick Moranis and Bill Murray), I grabbed the can of raid and roasted one of them. I know, I know...not very humane of me, but I make no apologies.

The past few weeks.

There are a few things I love about California: the ocean, the weather, and the fact that my boyfriend is here. California has always been (and felt like) a vacation to me. I have never seriously considered living here. Not for long term, anyway. While I am still not sure I see California far into my future, I am here for now. It is always exciting to move to a new place. One might think that moving frequently is like building a muscle: the more you do something, the better you are at it. That is true to a certain extent. I am pretty adept at finding my bearings and setting up home in an unfamiliar place (I would have been an AWESOME nomadic tribal dweller), but things start to go numb after awhile. I can see how foster kids have a hard time making friends--when you are always on the move, what is the point of reaching out to people or making your room look nice? I am trying to get out, meet some people, get a job, and not step on black widow spiders all at the same time. It is really a juggling act, but one that I stepped into willingly. I do like the challenge, but it is still a challenge.

My mom drove out here with me a few weeks ago, and we stopped at the beach before dropping her off at the airport. Here are a couple of pictures of us from that day:



Here is a picture of me with my best friend from kindergarten, Sandy. We bonded all those years ago through Shamu, gummy bears and hiding from the old ladies at church (they were pretty crabby sometimes). We have been through a lot together--you know, twenty-two years is a long time to be friends when you are my age! I'm glad to say that we still laugh over silly things and allow life to amuse us in unconventional ways.

The new diggs.

I moved into my new place--I've been here for a little over a week, now. Things are going well living with a 94-year-old lady. She is really active for her age, and has a social calendar that is busier than mine. She gets to bed early (by 8PM usually), and wakes early (by 5AM usually). I have the feeling that she must think I am so lazy getting out of bed by 8.30! The thing is, I still don't have a job, so getting up early is not important. I think I will like retirement! :) Anyway, let me show you my room. Here is my closet/dresser area:



My twin bed:


The twin bed that still needs to be cleaned off (it's Edna's stuff--not mine):


I have access to my very own pencil sharpener in the corner near the door in case I ever get sad and miss the classroom, I guess.


What is this? A PA system? I don't understand what it does...it hasn't made any noises yet, but maybe there is a hidden camera or microphone or something...


Last, but not least, here are some of the things Edna has on display in "my" room. I am not sure how to tactfully ask for them to be put away while I am staying here. My only idea, so far, is to buy a really large lampshade for my table lamp and simply claim there is not enough space for everyone on the top of my nightstand. She says that the older ladies across the street keep giving her these toys, and she doesn't know where to put them all.


I am still getting settled into a routine, which is largely influenced by Edna's schedule so far. Because she gets to bed early (7.30~8PM), she likes me to be home before that time so I don't wake her up. Also, because she doesn't move around so quickly, she likes to know when I am coming and going so she doesn't think people are breaking into her house. It all makes sense, but is a little challenging for this girl to adapt to. I am not going to be able to abide by all the rules, but will try to be a good housemate nevertheless. :)

Vagabond notes.

I’m in California now. My mom and I drove here over the weekend—the trip was relatively uneventful (except for the hours of rain, a new chip in my windshield, and a few accidents we came upon but were not involved in). We listened to books on CD, which is a great way to pass the hours. We arrived Saturday night, slept, then went to Newport Beach and Santa Monica before dropping Mom off at the airport at 2.

Since then, I have spent the last three days trying to orient myself in this new city. One would think that after all the traveling I have done, this would be an easy task. I have found, however, that the more moving I do, the more numb I become to the whole experience. Do you know what I did yesterday? I bought a map so I could find the beach. Call me lazy, but I was a little overwhelmed with the rest of the city, so I gave up and headed for the shore!

I have done some searching for jobs, but it is difficult to find something that pays enough for me to even go. Yesterday, I was offered a babysitting job, but the lady wanted to pay me $85 for 20 hours to watch her 9-month-old son. I know money is money, but it is a hard pill for me to swallow when someone wants to give me $4.25 an hour for my weekend. I told her I couldn’t do it. I am going to keep searching the papers and online and see what I can do. I hope to have something lined up in the next couple of weeks.

Today, I am going to meet the lady I am probably going to live with! We made plans for this afternoon—I am excited to get moved into a place. That will make me feel a little more like a permanent resident, rather than a vagabond.

Update: I med Edna and move in this weekend! She has a small house in the city of Fullerton. She is 94, sweet, talkative and spunky. She seems like a much younger person trapped in an old lady's body--she still has dreams, goals and ambitions. I hope I am like that when I am that old!

Concerts and Operas

This past week, I have been busy. I have been packing and organizing, planning and researching, and traveling and saying good-bye to people.

There has been a twist in my plans to drive to California. I thought I would have a friend to help me drive there, but apparently people have jobs and other fun plans (like camping trips). My mother has offered to drive to California with me as long as we drive straight through and leave right after work today! While I am really relieved to not be making this cross-country trip on my own (thanks, Mom!), I am sad that I won't be able to stop in and see a few people along the way (especially R and D). So, woo-hoo! to the fact that I will be settling into my new home as early as Sunday--I'm sad to leave MN, but the cool temps this week are telling me it's time to go.

Let me tell you two cool things I did this week:

Cool thing #1, Sunday
I saw my first opera! It was Il Travatore. It was really wonderful--I enjoyed the opera from a first mezzanine box seat with my friend. Excellent. Here is a famous clip from the show that everyone should recognize:



Cool thing #2, Wednesday
I went to see Liam Finn in concert at First Avenue, Seventh Street Entry with three friends! Liam Finn's music was introduced to me by Kara in Korea last February, and since then, I have had his music in every playlist mix I have made. He is kind of a hippie and is from New Zealand. Here is a clip of him on the David Letterman show:



Before the show, two friends and I were walking down the street in the wrong direction (we got turned around) and who do you think we bumped into? Yes, Liam Finn himself! We didn't speak, but I can say that the three of us girls made eye contact with Liam Finn and his two friends right before they ducked into a coffee shop for some pre-show mo-jo. It was an excellent concert!

Hafta, Gonna, Wanna...Youbetcha.

I was watching the vice-presidential debate last night--before you stop reading, I want to clarify that this post is NOT political--and was distracted by something. I'm sure you caught it if you have heard Sarah Palin speak much. She has more of a "Fargo" accent than many Minnesotans I know! I couldn't get past it! I tried to listen to her policies and ideas, but kept getting blocked by her down-home speak.

I shouldn't be the one to talk about this, though. Since I have returned from Korea, I have noticed some strange things in my own speech patterns. My friends have been nice to point out that I am a little slow lately and that my words are extra-enunciated. A little slow? I hope it was only my speaking they were talking about! Yes, I have learned to be extremely careful about how I speak--when working with non-native speaking individuals, this is necessary. When speaking to American, English-speaking peers and teenage sisters, it is not.

To remedy my speech problem, I have intentionally started to add some of the rushed words that make it difficult for non-English speakers to understand, like, gonna, hafta, wanna, and shoulda. I don't like using these words, but I decided to add them into my vocabulary for a few months to jump start my normal, non-English-teacher language.

One problem, though: while my speech has sped up, I have started to hear something coming out of my mouth that I thought was gone for good: an up-north, Minnesota accent. No way! I worked hard in college to remove any traces of an accent that would mark me as a midwesterner--not because I dislike midwesterners, but because I teach English and don't want my students to sound like they stepped off the set of Fargo.

So, in light of last night's debate, and Sarah Palin's blaring accent, I have to admit that the reason it bothered me so much is that I have heard some of the same things in my own speech. I have decided to work on this in the dark recesses of my home (or, in the back room of my spunky, 94-year-old roommate, Edna) and not to speak in California until it is fixed! :)