I am thankful…

Today we make a list of things I am thankful for, on account of it being Thanksgiving Week.

1. My job letting me have Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off

2. Living in a region of the USA that doesn’t have snow (because I am excited to have a mild-Thanksgiving)

3. Getting to go home in 26 days

4. James Taylor Holiday music

5. Spotting a celebrity last night who excited me so much I almost peed my pants

6. I finally signed a lease with Jeff. Thank God. We’re moving out this weekend!

7. Tomorrow I am going to read for 3 hours. And it is going to be my holiday present to myself.

8. Jelly beans from my boss

9. Friends scattered near and far that will make all my holidays that much better

10. You! For reading my blog and making me feel great. 🙂

11. This bench. And how it gives me hope to someday own such a cool bench.

12. Photoshop.

13. Boston in general, for having benches such as this in the first place.

14. A 20 lb turkey in my fridge waiting to be cook. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

bench

We've found an apartment!

We have found an apartment. Thank God. Here is a picture of the outside. And here is our checklist from before, and how we did!!!!

new_apt

*sunshine, and lots of it check

*windows (to help with above said need) check

*Air conditioning, because a year without it was NOT fun check

*PARKING (This is one of the most important) check

*more than a walk-in-closet sized kitchen —check

*bathroom that isn’t “old” or cracked or otherwise gross. (Jeff also is not keen on weirdly tiled sink, a commonplace in some places here) check (although there is tile.)

*hardwood floors (I hate carpets, and Jeff also hates them from the dining area, and its seemingly all or nothing here) — check

*A landlord/manager ON SITE that speaks impeccable English. (We’ve have difficulties in the past.) check

*something NOT on a hill, as Jeff DOES bike to work, and would be very appreciative if he could get to and from work in ease. — check

That being said, we’re looking mainly in the Los Feliz and Franklin Village areas, so we might not get lucky with the hill…We’ll see. Meanwhile, things we do not want:

*carpet

*a parking space that is exposed (Jeff worries about dings)

*A place that doesn’t pay water/trash (common place in LA, and some apartments we saw yesterday didn’t have the basics)

*a ground level apartment

*something too far from the 101

*A spot in an apartment complex with lots of children and/or college students

Also, we have created a “things that would be nice” column:

*A place that has an area to store a bicycle check

*A pool

*An option for a second parking spot

*A bathtub and a shower without a door but rather a rod. kind of check (shower stall and separate tub)

Dear China…with Love

china_missing_you

Dear China,

I am writing because I wanted to say that I missed you. I know your life has gone on without me, and that you hardly even noticed that I had left. But I remember all the good times we had together, and I wanted to say that I’m sorry I didn’t say a proper goodbye. I regret my leaving, and even though you will hardly remember my coming during your 5,000+ year history. Someday, I hope, you’ll remember all those days we spent together in the shade of smog-clouds. All the times you let me explore your historical monuments such as the Great Wall or the Temple of Heaven. I miss you terribly, and I think of it often.

Sincerely,

Your loving, favorite American

And now, commemorative photos from the great People’s Republic of China. Please click on each below to enjoy them all!

Five *Good* things.

This week has been uber stressful, what with being denied the apartment we wanted twice, and with finding out our lease is up in 11 days instead of a month and a half.

I need a little perspective.

FIVE GOOD THINGS:

1. Dinner tonight with three ladies who always make me smile and laugh

2. Thanksgiving dinner in 1 week that will be a sight to see, indeed

3. One party this weekend full of friends new and old, one show to see that will make me smile,

4. An empty Sunday to see houses with Jeff and enjoy each other’s company

5. Almost Christmas time. Almost Christmas card time…fa la la la la…

Something I should have never admitted: powdered potatoes.

I did it. It was me. I promised myself I never would. I scoffed at the idea. But then, standing in my kitchen after cleaning the counter of rotted potato juice, damning boxed Pasta Roni to hell since we’ve been eating it once or twice a week lately, and wondering what on EARTH would fill my ever-hungry stomach, I realized it was time.

To make the bag-o-potato that Jeff had purchased once upon the time he claimed was delicious. I reasoned with myself–it was here, I shouldn’t waste, there ARE children starving in Africa, Asia, South America, and probably down the block from me. They are edible, and they have potatoes in them. Plus, as we are moving in a few weeks, I shouldn’t allow them into our new home. Right? We should just use them up…now. RIGHT?

bag_potatoes

This is the bag. The bag full of offensive powdered-potato. But I had exhausted my other options for sides. I had no choice. So I opened the bag, to investigate.
insidebag

The inside seemed OK. It was powdered, but smelled like potato. I wasn’t sure how large the potatoes would get, so I had to guesstimate which bowl size I would use. This one seemed to be the right size. I wasn’t sure how large powdered potatoes got. But I have seen those amazing meals they give to people in the army, when you add water and it becomes so hot you can’t even hold it. So I knew there was magical things that could happen when it says “Just add water.” Like sea monkeys. Just add water, and soon you have a family.

inbowl_potatoes

Anyways, I waited for the water to boil. I made a list of reasons I was justified in my head, and I when the water boiled I poured it into the bowl. The bowl, of course, DID burn my hand, because I wasn’t thinking that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to hold said bowl as I poured the water. But that’s another story. Then I poured the potato powder in and Voila!–

Potatoes.alldone_potatoes

I must say, they were not as bad as I thought they were going to be. I guess I have to take them off the “Absolutely not” list and put them onto the “Only in an Emergency” list.

Dually noted.