And I was doing so good!!!

I truly am trying to post more frequent posts here. I had two in September and my plan was to do at least two in October as well. Now here we are, the middle of November, and its my first post since then!!

Much has happened since I last wrote and its all been pretty stinkin wonderful! First and foremost, I'm all moved into my new place. It is absolutely wonderful and felt like home immediately. I no longer have anxiety about going home, wondering what I'll find. I don't think I could have even realized how much I missed living alone. The apartment is beautiful and I feel, such an upgrade. It has great character and good flow. Everyone that has seen it and has seen my old place says the same thing. In addition to loving my new house, I am so relieved to be done with the drama that persisted in the old one. I've never been one for drama and I should have known that moving to LA was going to fill my life with the unwanted junk. Well, no more. People who cause drama in my life, will not last long in it.

The next exciting thing is that I have enrolled in school. I'm going to start slowly, with just one night class at a community college near my house. I want to try it out and see how it feels. I still haven't found a focus on what I would want to go to school for, but I'm hoping by taking some classes, that may become clear. I'm actually really excited about this new venture and I hope that it brings some clarity.

Now that I'm all moved in and have that stress behind me, I've been focusing on work as well. Where I am now is full of that thing I mentioned earlier and cannot stand...drama. It is literally something new everyday. I've never worked a job where I was treated as such a child and so unwanted before, even when I was a teenager and deserved that!! I had more respect given to me at my job when I was 16 than I do at 30. There is something seriously wrong with that. Also, they treat some others that I work with even worse than me. I cannot sit idle watching this behavior from management and corporate. The world is unjust, but bearing witness to it on a daily basis is just more than I can handle personally. So, I have been starting my search once again for something new. I really hope that turning down the position last spring that I was offered will stop haunting me and someone else will take interest in my abilities. There is so much I have to offer, I just need to find the proper avenue.

Next week is already Thanksgiving. Brian and I are going to Iowa to spend it with his family. I am really looking forward to meeting his parents and his mom's side of the family. Plus, I think it will be relaxing to be back in the Midwest where things do seem like they were a lot more simple. Time spent with Brian is generally very relaxing so just being with him for the weekend will be great. We actually went to see one of his favorite musicians, Keller Williams, last weekend. It was such an amazing time. I had surprised him with the tickets at our 6 month anniversary this past summer, so we couldn't wait for the actual day to arrive. It was certainly worth the wait.

I think of all of you back home so often, I only wish it was easier to communicate just how much.

Until next time.

Hallelujah!!

Many of the apartments in my price range are called "bachelor" apartments. Typically a bachelor comes without a kitchen. Yes, you read that correct; no kitchen! Also, they are not forgiving in their size. Since I have quite a lot of furniture and like to make mac 'n cheese from time to time, I wanted something more than that. The best way I saw to make that happen, was to start my search now. I signed up for a local apartment search service and updated my rental checklist. One of the first places I found seemed almost too good to be true. It was actually a 1 bedroom and in my price range! They were showing the apartment on 9/25, so I had to go check it out after work. After looking on a map, I see that this place is only 3.5 miles to the beach and just 4 miles from Brian's house. So far, so good. Upon arriving in the neighborhood, I realize that I had wondered about this area before, thinking I might like to live there. Getting better. I park and walk to figure out exactly which building it is. As I walk up to it, I see a clean, lovely building with a nice courtyard area filled with plants and flowers. Very cute! I head up to view the open unit. Immediately when I walked in it reminded me of my old apartment in Mpls. Gold!

The woman showing the place and I got to talking. She is actually the daughter of the caretaker who happens to be 90 years old! So her daughter helps her with showings and cleaning vacancies. I glance around the whole apartment and know that this is what I want. I start doing the math in my head, wondering if I can afford double rent for October and November. Our conversation continues and she mentions to me that she'll "be going through all this again next month." I perked up with interest. "You mean November 1st?" She replied, "Yes." I jumped on the opportunity to explain my situation and how that is when I would like to find a place and how I really the love the apartment. I tell her that I will pay the deposit now to secure it and ask what steps I need to take to have the property owners approve me.

A short online application, and a weekend later and I start getting nervous. This really seems too good to be true. A one bedroom, assigned carport parking, laundry on site, in my price range, close to Brian and the beach?!?! There's no way. I try to stifle my excitement with looking at other apartments and doing anything to keep my mind off of it.

Monday evening I received a phone call from another landlord that I had contacted telling me about his vacancy. After hanging up, I sit down to eat my dinner and my phone rings again. I'm a little annoyed as I would like to eat a hot dinner, but I figure it best to go into my room and check my phone. It's an unknown number, so I pick up. Sure enough, it's Casey from the apartment I loved. She doesn't waste any time letting me know that the owners have selected me as the person for their November 1st vacancy!! I nearly dropped the phone and almost started crying in the same moment. She let me know the details of paying the deposit, rent and signing the basic tenant rules, which I plan to do tomorrow after work.

I honestly couldn't be more thrilled. Sometimes the heartache and headaches we are put through test us and then it makes the treats in life that much sweeter. I believe every choice we make will guide us to our next step and even though the past year and a half, I feel I've made mistakes and haven't gone with my gut all the time, that is all behind me and I'm looking forward. This home will truly be my home and I cannot wait to see what the future will bring.

Oh and come visit me! I live by the ocean now! :)

Until next time...

Hopeful Autumn

The past few months my friends out here have been hearing me say, "September is going to fly by." Well it certainly has! Here we are with just 6 short days until we can say good-bye. I can honestly say I'm thrilled. The closer and closer I get to moving into a new home, the better. Last night it took Brian an hour to get to my house and he didn't leave until after 7pm. By the time he arrived, his mood was ruined and all he could say was, "I can't wait for you to move." I feel the same. I'm more frequently going his direction, so I deal with traffic even more. It will be so amazing if I can find an apartment near enough that we can bike to one another's houses. On top of that I'm excited to have my own little place in the world again. Some place where no one can bring stress into my home unless I allow it. After doing a little budgeting, I think I'm going to be able to swing living alone and I cannot wait! Yes, I've basically been living alone since June, but it has not been without drama. I swear every other week something new gets drummed up. At any rate, I will be out for sure by November 17th. Come on November!

Now for a little of what has been keeping me sane. Labor Day Weekend, Brian and I decided to go camping together. It has been years since my last camping experience, but I felt confident that going with Brian was going to be a whole new experience. I couldn't have been more on the money! We had a blast. It was one of the better weekends I've had in a long, long time. We relaxed, ate, hiked, swam, slept and even fished! Yes, I fished! It didn't actually go too well. After my fifth cast, my line tangled so bad that I was out for the weekend. We're going to give fishing another shot one of these weekends though. I need to redeem myself! I digress. It was such a different camping experience to go with someone who has done it a million times, has all the gear and knows what it takes. We ate like kings! Also, it was just incredible to have him all to myself, with no distractions and no life stress. I cannot wait until the next trip!

This past weekend, Brian and I made another trip to Colorado for yet another wedding. This one was quite interesting. It was a sunrise ceremony on top of a mountain! We were up before 5am and up on the mountain by 6. It really was beautiful and they pulled out all the stops for this one. The groom was a friend of Brian's and also happened to be someone we both went to high school with, so I saw a few high school folks which was kind of neat. Since we were in Colorado, we wanted to see Brian's sister, Beth and her boyfriend. They came and picked us up at our hotel near Boulder and we went to play a round of disc golf. The course wasn't overly tough, but it was so beautiful. It was right at the base of the Rockies. You can't ask for better scenery!

Another exciting item is that Brian has asked me if I'd join him for Thanksgiving in Iowa. I'm really looking forward to meeting his parents and more of his extended family. We are having a little difficulty finding reasonable airfares, which stinks. I ran into the same issue when I wanted to go home to Christmas last year. I'm sure we'll find a way to make it happen and of course I will report on how it goes!!

Time to sign off. I included a few pictures of both our camping excursion and the Colorado wedding. Enjoy!

Until next time...

Tidbits and Tailspins

As you may already know, I've been dealing with some housing issues lately. Well, I guess there hasn't really been a time since arriving in L.A. that I haven't had housing issues! My current roommate moved out, initially planning to pay rent on two places. Now that has become a burden and she would like to sublet her room in our apartment. Seems like a breeze, but it so difficult to find quality people. Our lease goes through November, so I'm worried about whether she'll be able to pay each month if we can't find someone. After this lease, I am going to do everything in my power to find a place on my own. It seems I am the only one I can depend on for things like these. The main struggle that I'll have with this is of course, money. Money is the ever present stress in our lives, isn't it?! Living solo out here is not cheap, especially where I'm looking on the Westside. I want to be closer to Brian. This 20 mile distance in L.A. is exhausting.

In happier news, one of my closest girl friends, Vilay, has been in L.A. since June. She is leaving this Saturday, but we were able to have dinner last night so I could give her a proper send off. Even though we only saw one another a few times, it was wonderful having her here. Anyone else want to spend a few months in Los Angeles? I have a room available! Heehee!

Brian has been traveling frequently in recent weeks. Currently, he is in Chicago for a work conference. It sounds as though the paper he presented at the conference went very well and he's making important connections in his field. Very exciting times for him and his career!

A few weeks ago, Brian took me to Clairmont, CA to meet his grandmother. She is absolutely lovely! His aunt and uncle also came to visit with us. I really enjoy the fact that he has family out here. It is starting to feel like a little extended family of my own, which is so important and necessary for me at this time in my life. It helps to fill the void I have from not having my family nearby.

Work is going pretty well. My new position has made things more bearable and the money is good. Lately I have been receiving recognition from my managers for bringing our plant up to level that we have never been, since our inception. We had a work bbq last week. The 1st Annual Lamar-BQ to be exact! This was a celebration for catching up after a rough busy season. During the bbq, I was specifically praised for a job well done and it was said that "we wouldn't be here without Shelly." Even though this isn't my dream job, it felt really amazing to be acknowledged. I even teared up a bit...big surprise!

I still very much miss everyone back in Minnesota and think of you all often!!

Until next time...

Minnesota, You Do Hold My Heart

I have been meaning to write about my trip home for some time now, but it's been a busy few weeks back here in Los Angeles. There isn't much more that I could have asked for from my trip. So many of you rearranged your schedules and made the extra effort to spend time with me and I appreciate that so very, very much. I was quite overwhelmed with how many of you came to Mortimer's. I felt so loved and I do not take that for granted in the least! There will just never be friends like you all out here.

My one and only regret is how much I tried to jam into my first day in town. Looking back, it is just a whirlwind of activities. When Brian and I arrived at 6am that Friday, we immediately jumped in our rental car and drove up to my parents' house in Avon, where my brother Lee and his three kids were anxiously awaiting our arrival. Of course my parents were too. :) The kids all had so much to share with me and they had grown significantly in the last year. I must admit that seeing them was bittersweet. Somehow after breakfast, I got roped into going tubing on the lake. While it was super fun, it was also exhausting having not slept a wink the night before! After the lake fun was over, Brian and I had to head back to Mpls to meet Michon and Mike to play a round of disc golf. Are you starting to see how I packed way too much in that first day?! I can't lie, I only played about 9 of the 18 holes, but Brian and Mike made it all the way through. After this is was back to the hotel to eat and get ready to head to Morts.

Saturday brought Sarah and Langdon's wedding, which was absolutely beautiful. Very easy and relaxed, just how a wedding should be, but rarely is. The day flew by and before we could say "congratulations," it was over. Little, Michon, Mike, Brian and I were all staying at Sarah and Langdon's house, caring for the dogs. Mike and Brian ended up being the troopers that night, drinking whiskey until 5am. Let's just say they got along pretty well!

Sunday was Brian's last day and we grabbed breakfast with Michon and Mike. Afterwards, we had a family get together at my brother & sister-in-law's house where I got the chance to see the niece and nephews that I hadn't yet. They had all really changed and a couple of them took a bit to warm up to me again. That was hard, but it is to be expected with the little ones. Brian headed to the airport that night and I got some much needed rest.

The remainder of the trip was spent visiting friends and family all over. I spent a lot of time with my parents, which was absolutely wonderful. I really miss them so much. We went to see Bobby Vee perform in St. Joe on July 3rd and then I was surprised to find that Garrison Keillor was doing his radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, live from Avon on July 4th. In recent years, I've becoming an avid listener of NPR and catch Prairie Home frequently so this was pretty cool!

The 5th brought my departure back to L.A. A part of me was very sad to leave, but another part was excited to get back. No matter where this life takes me, Minnesota will always be home and everyone there will hold my heart. Thank you all back home for making my first return so amazing and gratifying. I can promise I will be back again before next summer! I love you all!

Until next time...

June 18th, 2009

I titled this entry "June 18th, 2009" because this date will mark my one year anniversary in Los Angeles. This upcoming milestone has certainly brought about a reflective period for me, which in turn has spun many emotions into play. Shortly after I arrived in L.A., I started this blog. I believe I intuitively named my blog. Adventure is the perfect description of my last year. Adventure in what I've seen and done, but also adventure in learning so much more about myself than I could have ever imagined. I knew that this was something I needed to do and could never really explain exactly why. Upon announcing my departure from Minnesota, I was forced to give whatever superficial reason fit at the time. I couldn't answer honestly because I honestly didn't know. I just had to do it.

Doing it is exactly what I'm proud of. Really leaving and starting a new life out here all by myself. Establishing and holding employment from my 7th day. Forging friendships and interacting with so many different personalities. Reconnecting with a part of myself that had been closed off for so long. Beginning the difficult task of accepting even the most unlikable traits I have. Opening myself up to a relationship that has been both fulfilling and so amazing. Plus, just navigating a new world on my own. 

Some situations I've just had cope with and let them test me. It is truly amazing what one can learn when thrown into a sometimes hostile environment. A few of the people I've met out here have tested every ounce of my patience and strength. In a way I have to thank them, even if they've caused me so much pain. Without those challenges, I doubt I'd be feeling any sort of growth.

Growth. Now it all seems clear. Ask me now why I wanted to move to Los Angeles. The answer flows from me without a second thought. To grow. I moved away from my home to grow. I was feeling stunted and needed a push into the next stage. Los Angeles, in retrospect, was mostly consequential. I just needed a place very different from where I'd been and I can't say the lack of cold winters hurt L.A.'s chances.

As for this City of Angels, it sure is a wild ride. I believe any transplant to this area would agree. A friend told me that I would either love L.A. or hate it. Can't say I feel either emotion towards this place. It's going to take some more time for me to decide. So I guess that means I'll be sticking around for a while. May the growth continue and happiness be abundant. 

Until next time...

Spring Has Sprung

I am in shock that April has come and gone! While spring always seems to fly by, this was one of the speediest Aprils in my recent memory. In a way, I'm happy since it gets me closer to my vacation to Minnesota in June. Here's what I've been up to since my last post.

The first weekend in April, I accompanied Brian to a wedding in Denver. He was the best man, the groom being his friend, Matt, who we actually both went to high school with. I knew a few people at the wedding and it was really fun to see them again. In addition, I had the chance to meet Brian's sister, who lives in Denver. We stayed with her and she was so sweet. I wish she lived closer so I could get to know her even better.

Mid-April brought a couple Fries on the Side shows. The cast and writers are really "on" this season. I've seen some of the best sketches to date in the past few weeks. Now that I'm back in the swing of working there, I remember exactly why I volunteered in the first place. In fact, I don't know what to do with myself since we have a week off this week!

Brian and I also went to see one of his favorite bands, Yonder Mountain String Band. Michon got quite the kick out of the fact I went to see this type of music since she's only been trying to coax me into it for the past 9 years. Brian's college buddy and his lady went with us as well and the four of us had such a blast. Maybe Michon was right and I have been missing out on a lot of fun all these years. :)

This past weekend was yet another out of town wedding. Brian's college friend got married in Chicago and we flew out there as Brian was one of the groomsmen. This wedding was an absolute blast! His friends from college are great people and SO much fun. I did not want to return to reality when the weekend was over.

I am very much looking forward to my trip home. Being in the Midwest last weekend heightened my excitement. To be frank, I've become a little complacent already in LA. I need to find some new adventures again. I hope to take this weekend for myself to shake things up a bit. Wish me luck!

Until next time...

A Birthday to Remember

It happened. I tried to stop it, prepare for it and finally must accept it. I turned 30. There are many, many things that excite me about this new decade of life. Yet, I can't help but feel a little sadness for the time gone by. Memories seem to fade so fast now and I want to hold onto them with all my might. Few have been so lucky as I have in finding the most incredible friends. Something as simple as looking into their faces will warm your heart and free you from whatever may be ailing you.  This past weekend I had the chance to do just that with a few of my lovely ladies from Minnesota. So many of you back home whom I couldn't see, I truly wish I had also. It was a rejuvenating, yet draining few days. Not because there was a single moment where I wished it would be over, but because I knew once today came...it would be. 

Michon, Kori, Laura, Christy and Deanna arrived in the late afternoon on Thursday and I have sore abdominal muscles from laughing so much. We had an incredible time together. Lots of relaxing, cocktailing, silliness and joyfulness took place. Even though sometimes it was too brief, I was able to spend a little one and one time with each of them. We've all had trying times recently and it seemed as we all needed to spend a little time with good people. It is probably one of the birthdays where I felt the most loved. 

The party itself went by much too quickly. So many new friends came which showed me that my move to L.A. has been even more successful than I expected. The new and long time friends mingled with ease, which made me glad to see. Many gave lovely, heartfelt gifts that are sincerely appreciated. Gift enough was just being near me, though. 

I am left today feeling slightly sad, but in a rather fulfilling way. I have had to say "so long" to some things in my life; such as, my twenties, living in Mpls and those back home who are so important to me. I've also opened this new chapter; my thirties, living in L.A. with new cohorts who will keep me plenty busy. 

My manager at work put three candles the cake she gave me. She explained it had dual meaning. First, the obvious, which is turning 30. Second, they stood for celebrating the past, present and future. It is rare something hits as poignant as that and I plan to relish in the celebration.

Until next time...

Valentine's Day

Most of the folks that read this blog know me pretty well. That being said, you know that I've almost always protested the idea of Valentine's Day. However, I'm now a supporter of the holiday as long as you make it your own! I still think the teddy bears, chocolates and flowers are silly, but it can be a really enjoyable day.

Brian and I started discussing Valentine's Day shortly before it snuck around the corner. He had suggested a while back that we cook a dinner together. I figured what better day to try that than V-day?! He's an avid disc golfer as well. I had played a number of times back in Minnesota and enjoyed it. Since we started dating, we've gone a few times and have had a blast. Therefore, we figured that would be another fun thing to do. As the day drew closer, I checked out LA Weekly to see if there were any interesting things to do in case disc golf was rained out. Yes, it rains in LA! I came across a sketch comedy show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Hollywood, called "Comedy is for Lovers."

The morning came and the sun was out, so after some coffee and breakfast, we headed to Oak Grove in Pasadena for a round of disc golf. (A little fun fact is that this is the first disc golf course ever made!) Upon arriving, there were cars everywhere and we quickly realized there was a pro tournament going on and we'd be unable to play there that day. Fortunately, Brian had played a course in Sylmar which was just a short drive down the 210. This course was pretty challenging for me, but Brian seems to be pretty good at keeping his girl calm when her competitive nature gets the best of her. :)

After finishing our round, we stopped by the store to pick up all the ingredients necessary for our dinner. We had planned to make a gorgonzola, walnut salad with grapes and a vineagrette dressing, chicken stew and dumplings and brownies for dessert. The cooking went pretty well, though we did burn the stew while trying to get the dumplings more done. It was still edible and the flavor was quite good. I'd say our bellies were satisfied!

Once dinner was complete, we got ready and headed to the comedy show. The performance was pretty cool! It was fun seeing some new comedians. The premise of the show was real-life comedy couples. The host was this guy dressed up as Cupid. Imagine a chubby white dude, in tighty whiteys with a nerf gun for arrows. Hilarious!

The show finished up around Midnight and closed out our Valentine's Day Adventure. We both felt that this will be one of the only V-days that is really memorable. I hope each of you had just as wonderful of a day as we did!!

Until next time...

Can It Be February Already?!?

Wow, an entire month of 2009 has passed and I have only posted one entry! So much for my attempt to keep you all more updated. January was definitely a busy month.

The second weekend of the month took me to Phoenix to visit Little and my parents who are spending two months in Mesa this year. I went directly to see my parents upon pulling into town. They are staying at this great resort community with enough activities to keep even the most ADHD person occupied. My Godparents and my dad's cousin and his wife are also staying in the park. We grabbed them and headed up to Tortilla Flats. This place was beautiful. It is a little town in the middle of the desert, which was a stop on the Apache Trail, I believe. We grabbed burgers and beer on a cute outdoor patio and watched a great band perform. After lunch we explored a little and then started the trek back. My parents and I spent the evening together, had dinner and talked. I then, headed over to Little's house in Surprise. We took it easy that night and got up in the morning and went back down to my parents' place. Saturday brought us to a swap meet and couple other stops. For dinner we went to this really interesting restaurant called, Organ Stop Pizza. Imagine a huge theater that has the largest pipe organ in the world, crossed with a pizza joint. So funny! It was really cool though, and everyone had a great time. After we finished up there, Little and I went to her place to get ready to go out. We only went to one bar because we ran into some of her friends and had such a good time, we didn't need to leave. Sunday morning Little and I met my parents for breakfast at the Black Bear Diner. They had a guy in a bear suit out on the street who was breakdancing and also came up and scared Little and I through the window. Quite the place and gigantic servings!!

The following weekend I spent with Brian, the guy I've been seeing who I know from high school. I guess that may be news to some of you as I only briefly mentioned him in a recent post! He and I went to a bbq at my co-workers' house. Heather and Matt hosted, but lots of work folks were there and they all loved Brian. We left the bbq around 5 and headed down the coast on the PCH. We stopped in Newport Beach and walked down the water, sat on the sand and had a beer. The ocean is a little intimidating at night, I must admit! We actually could see lots of stars though, which one doesn't get very often in L.A. Around 9pm we headed to his college friend's house in Irvine for a 30th Birthday Party. Seem to be a lot of those going around! The party was a blast and it was so great to meet a couple of Brian's friends.

January 30th was Brian's 30th birthday. Not only the big 3-0, but his Golden Bday as well! He had planned a trip with a bunch of friends up to Mammoth Mountain for a ski weekend. I went up on Friday and Jess joined me along with a couple of Brian's friends, who needed rides. The entire weekend was just awesome. We ate, drank, laughed, slept, and relaxed all weekend. Brian and I also decided we wanted to make our "hanging out" official, so if you can believe everyone...I'm taken. :) He's an incredible person and I feel so lucky to have our paths cross again. Hopefully some of you will have the opportunity to meet Brian and see exactly what I mean.

I must be clocking back in to work now. I miss you all so very much!!

Until next time...

2009 is here!!

It is finally upon us, 2009. This will be the year that I close out my third decade on this earth. I expect it to be an interesting one...

The holidays went pretty well here in L.A. I had quite a bit of time off work, which I mostly spent relaxing. Christmas Eve my roommate and I drank together, made dinner, played Trivial Pursuit and laughed excessively. I couldn't have asked for a better xmas eve. Christmas day was one of those days where you nap off and on and never change out of your pajamas. I loved it! Over that weekend, I went out with friends. We hit places in Silver Lake, Echo Park, Koreatown and West Hollywood. It was lots of fun. The Sunday before returning to work, Heidi and I went to the Getty. This place is just amazing. It was a beautiful clear day and you could see the ocean, Catalina Island, and the snow-capped mountains to the east. Breathtaking.

New Year's Eve brought me a cold. Great timing!! I sucked it up though, and went out with my girls, Jess and Heidi and their friend Mark who was visiting from Seattle. To start off the night we went to see Stone Temple Pilots at Club Nokia in the new L.A. Live complex. This was amazing and I only wish we could have stayed for the whole show, but Mark wanted to be to this party by midnight. The party was cool to swing by. It was on a rooftop downtown with one of the better views I have seen since moving here. Sketchy neighborhood though!! When we left to go to our car we found our parking lot to be roped off with police tape! To get out, we lifted the tape and drove underneath it. We had to turn towards where all the cops were since it was a one way street and one screamed at us to "GO!" the wrong way down a one way. It was a little nervew-wracking to be honest! No clue what went down there, but it looked to be pretty serious (or a complete over-reaction). Fortunately we got out of there safely. 

Good news! My grandfather is back at home. He's not quite back to full strength, but I am happy that he is doing better. Thanks for any of you who kept him in your thoughts.

I hope you all had a wonderful and safe holiday. Happy New Year!!!

Until next time...