Has it REALLY been 6 months?

I'm still alive!

Having absolutely zero access to the internet outside of work hasn't allowed for much leisure surfing, but it has saved me from a lot of wasted hours stalking celebrities online - and consequently, has also cut back on my ability to blog about life and all its quirks!

But it's autumn now - the best of 4 seasons - and there's no better time for me to give a quick hello!

SO MUCH has happened in 6 months that it feels as though everything has come into full circle... Lakers season came and went - and voila, it's here again! I already have the 08-09 schedule pinned up in my humbly decorated cubicle... My apartment is as comfortable as can be, and its awesome location has catered to my pallet, and has given me the pleasure of entertaining a handful of overnight guests... Work is still exciting, and my commute is still the best part of my day (weird, right?)... I still haven't figured out how a man's mind works, but in my mind, I HAVE figured out what kind of man I want... I've been responsibly green for 6 months, and I plan on sharing A LOT of what I've learned about this amazing lifestyle over my next couple of posts (hopefully that will be soon)...

But I suppose that the best and biggest changes stemming from the fruits of spring and summer, are the awakening fruitions I have come to know about myself, my relationship with God, and of those I hold in the deepest recesses of my heart. I have never been this satisfied with life, as I am during this very moment (even with the lack of all my wants). And though I've always appreciated my loved ones, I have never been so aware of how amazing my family and best friends are, and how precious my relationships are with them. How important it is to nurture and give selflessly to these relationships. It's all been so spiritual and so moving.

Until next time...

April Milestones

The last month has been exciting… and exhausting! So much change and evolution is taking place in my simple little life, I can't even begin to take it all in! The earlier half of March was in itself, quite uneventful. The weekdays were spent working and commuting, and I've officially begun an overtime routine at work. Speaking of which - I've been at my new job exactly four months now, and I'm still trying to balance myself on the frighteningly steep learning curve. But overall, the entire experience has been a huge breath of fresh air, and I enjoy coming into work each and every morning (the hot boys in the area make that a little bit easier). In passing, my very powerful boss provided some very positive and reassuring feedback on my performance – and there have been talks of elevating my responsibilities. If you knew the kinds of duties involved, that's a HUGE deal. So I'm pretty stoked about that. My goal is to be promoted in 2-3 years, and so far, that's looking feasible.

In other very big news – I'm moving! After nearly one month of sacrificing my weekends to search for a new apartment, I've finally found a place to call my own. And let me tell you, it hasn't been easy. Finding an apartment in the greater Los Angeles area has been a pill. A huge, throat-clinching pill. Los Angeles is huge, so the chances you'll accidentally end up in the ghetto are pretty darn good. After searching through the highs and lows of Koreatown, Glendale, etc. – I decided that my best bet was to venture off into the burbs. And just when I came close to a mental and physical breakdown, I found a charming little place in the city I originally wanted to live in. SCORE! But I tell you, my best girl and I ended my search with a handful of stories about crazy leasing officers who made us take our shoes off and walk in straight lines on new carpet. It was coextensively hilarious and creepy. Thinking about the ajima now still gives me the heeby jeebies.

In equally huge news – my $3K smile has made its debut! That's right ladies and gents, I am metal-mouth and bracey-face no more! As of April 1st, I'm flossin' the smile I've wanted all my life! Unfortch, because I haven't seen my brace-less teeth for almost 2 years, they look a bit horse-like and off-white. Not cool homies. Not cool. So now that I'm obsessed with oral… healthcare, I'm looking into some cosmetic whitening procedures. Any recommendations? On the up-and-up, it feels amazing just to be able to floss my teeth like a human being. I'm completely obsessed with dental floss – and have officially started a "teeth fetish".

Well that covers all the major stuff – lots of funny, small tidbits to share… and hopefully I'll get around to posting a pic and story here and there. Stay tuned!

Highlights of The Past Month

The past month = 8 Christmas dinners and parties (not including Christmas Eve or Day), 1 huge wedding, 1 job promotion followed by 1 job resignation, nearly 1 month of train and subway rides to 1 new job on the 18th floor of 1 big tower. Deep breath...

Here are the highlights (though the wedding deserves its own big post, later)!



End of November - Some old coworkers/friends from UCR and I reunited over an overpriced Italian dinner. Gabi (center) came all the way from London to visit, and we re-hashed old memories and talked about our new lives. Gabi and her British boyfriend have promised to introduce me to all of their single British guy friends when I visit next year - by then I'm sure I'll be ready to let someone sweep me off my feet!



End of November - Over the past year, I've shared with you my joys and my trials when it came to my job. I shared with you my desires to move on, branch out into new forums, and possibly a new company. After a lot of interviews and prayer, I now share with you my deepest gratitude for State Farm, and all of the opportunities that the company has afforded me, as I close the year with a permanent goodbye. The photo above was 1 of 5 farewell lunches I had with my favorite coworkers. My emotions during the last week on the job were indescribable. Resigning from the company was one of the hardest and most thought-out decisions I've ever had to make; but also the smartest and best decision I could've made for my career (and my sanity). It felt as though I was breaking up with a long-time boyfriend: it felt awkward, I felt unsure, but the decision was right. I was sad to go, but so ready to move forward.



Early December - I started my new job just in time for all of their holiday festivities! Our company Christmas party was a black and white masquerade ball at The Biltmore Hotel. People were pickled by 5:30pm (drinks were free), the food was okay, old people were getting jiggy on the dance floor, and the guitarist in the band was smokin' hot! Yay, proof that I work with corporate big-wigs now!



Jackie (above) is one of the ladies in my department (and also the lady training me for my new gig). Unfortch, I wasn't able to take any pictures of our department Christmas lunch at The Crustacean, where they make killer 1.5 lb crab dishes! I had to sip my wine slowly, as every time it hit a certain point in my glass, the waiter would refill it as though it were water. Man, these people live to wine and dine! The entire first week on the job, it was one expensive restaurant after another - and I didn't have to pay once!



December - My good friend Lamar had a Christmas dinner at his home, where my team kicked his team's ass at Catch Phrase - 4 times! Just like how the Lakers kick Denver's ass every time they play too. Mwahaha!



Late December - This was my 2nd to last pre-Christmas dinner celebration. I (again) reunited with my good friends from State Farm... See Eva, I told you there would be no such thing as a goodbye between us.

So... that sort of lets me catch up on my story telling. I have so many blanks to fill in - with tales of crazy people on the subway, the ex-love of my middle-school life who rides the same train to work, and the bills I drop while shopping on my lunch break (Express and Macy's are downstairs, crap). Stay tuned!

Milestones

I hit (not one but) two milestones yesterday! At exactly 7 a.m. on May 7th, I was given my very first speeding ticket! The good part? I didn't cry (like I always thought I would). The bad? It happened right in front of my workplace, so everyone had taken their best shot at me by 9am. They even managed to work it into our unit meeting as a 'hot topic'. Crazies. I am no longer referred to as "the kid," but rather "criminal." I'm such a bad ass.

So, although my day didn't start off at its best... it ended with a bang; because at about 7 p.m. (and after a 3-week waiting list), I was handed a set of keys to my dream car! Brand new & fully loaded!

Ironic? Perhaps. But I'd like to think of it as "God's way of keeping me in check." I've concluded that earning my first speeding violation, has and will continue to force me to drive on grandma-mode for (at least) the next 18 months. See, he was preparing me for the new car. Good lookin out big guy, good lookin out.

Anyway, It's true what the Bible says: "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." Matthew 6:33 (NLT)