Halloween

Tomorrow is Halloween and Max and I currently have no plans. He actually has the entire day off which is a rarity with his lame job and I have no idea what we’re going to do. I think I’ve decided to just skip Halloween this year. Everything that I think of to do sounds just horrible and not fun. I don’t want to go to West Hollywood and deal with the crowds and traffic just to see a bunch of men dressed as various Disney princesses (no offense…they look great…but still). I also don’t feel like drinking. I briefly considered going to see Halloween at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery but then was reminded that will also require battling crowds and traffic. No thanks. Honestly, what I REALLY want to do is either go trick or treating or hand out candy for trick or treaters. Neither of these is a real option since I have no kids to take trick or treating and live in an apartment building where any sane person would be hesitant to knock on a neighbor’s door looking for candy.

So, I’m pretty sure we might just end up having a mellow day sorting through our belongings in preparation for packing and relaxing. Oh, and we recorded about 5 different scary movies on DVR to watch. That sounds like a plan. A plan fit for old people like us. Hopefully next year we will be living in a cute little house and I’ll be able to decorate it for the holiday and give out candy. Woohoo – here’s to hoping.

3 weeks from today will be our last day in the office. Last week it was 4 weeks and I thought man, that’s a loooong time from now. But man the week flew by and now it’s 3 weeks and next week will pass and it will be 2 and…well you get the picture. It’s sneaking up on me very fast and is a little bitter sweet which I definitely did not expect to feel.

Just for giggles I'm attaching a picture from a pho place that Max and I like. Maybe you'll figure out why it's funny...maybe not. I hope you do.

Things I learned today at work

Ralph thinks Bobby should like lettuce wraps because he is Asian
Bobby thinks Ralph should like mayonnaise wraps because he is black

Damon likes to listen to Brian McKnight

Tony can be surprisingly polite on the phone (who knew?!)

Ralph’s driver’s license does not expire until 2040. How is this even possible.

Russell buys CDs from Amoeba, burns them to his computer and then returns them immediately for a 75% return rate. Interesting idea to obtain music for cheap….

Amphitheatre season really drives our daily work load. Amphitheatre season is over so…yeah.

I’m really going to miss the office antics. Maybe I should tape record some daily activity so when I’m sitting at home alone working this next year I can keep myself entertained.

Passive Aggressive Behavior

Friday night I went to see Ben Gibbard (from Death Cab for Cutie) and Jay Ferrar (from Son Volt) perform together at The El Rey with Max and Tony. The show was actually really great but about a quarter of the crowd was extremely questionable. I knew this was going to be the case before going to the show because so many annoying kids now love Death Cab and I figured many of them would not even know who Son Volt was or that the collaboration would not sound like their favorite movie and soundtrack, Garden State. I was correct. There were too many kids there – one of which I wanted to stab with something throughout the entire show. He was dancing around when really dancing was not called for and worst of all he kept CLAPPING. Seriously, he clapped on the beat for about 3 songs in a row. I was just about to ask him to please stop when I realized that everyone around me was also talking about how annoyed they were with Mr. Clappy Clapperson. So, instead of directly asking him I took the passive aggressive approach and spoke as loudly as I could to Max and Tony about how annoying his clapping was. His friend overhead me and informed him that he should stop. Success!

Sunday Max and I went to the Rose Bowl to see U2. Once again, I was distracted by the hundreds of thousands of people (96,000 to be exact) and all of their annoying habits/voices/faces. I think I have finally realized that I have some sort of social anxiety disorder…except I don’t always feel anxious. Mostly, I feel annoyed. In large crowds I can barely focus on what my date (poor Max) has to say because I am fixated on what everyone around us is talking about. Occasionally, I actually ask Max to stop talking so that I can listen in. Horrible.

This clearly means that I need to live somewhere with less people. Or, that I should be heavily sedated in crowds. I’ll take the first option. :)

"brand new" toilets

Yesterday, my entire building was outfitted with “brand new” toilets. I put brand new in quotations because that’s the way it was written on the notification left on my door. I can’t help but think…is our manager just stupid and not aware of when using quotations is necessary or are the toilets really “brand new” as in, not new at all but new to me? Either way, I don’t like the new toilet. It’s weird. I’ve lived in this apartment for over a year now and even though the seat on the old toilet was broken it was MY toilet. I feel like I’m living in a stranger’s house now. Hopefully these feelings will pass. I guess if they don’t it’ll be just that much easier to move out in a month!

Speaking of moving, I have channeled my slight obsessive organization disorder in to planning our move. I started a binder with sheet protectors inside to hold important information. So far, this is what the binder consists of: Front of binder has a calendar of the next month with deadlines marked on it. Once inside you will find a to-do list (which has the exact same information as the calendar…) that notes the due date and person that is responsible for each task. Following this there is a list of outstanding questions that I must seek answers for and an inventory list of furniture in our apartment to decide if we should keep trash or attempt to sell. After that the plan fizzles – there are some rates for moving trucks and pictures from West Elm and Crate and Barrel of things that I want in my new life. Oh yes, the back cover of the binder has a map of Austin where I have outlined the neighborhoods and highways to assist in our house hunting.

This is how excited I am about moving – there is really nothing that I can physically do for another couple of weeks so I am obsessing over every tiny thing that might happen. I have a feeling this binder will be very much like my vacation plans – I create itineraries and maps and then half of the time I leave the print outs at my house and everything works out fine without them. I’m sure the binder will be lost in the move but I will continue to work on it diligently nonetheless.

:)

We're moving!

So, it's that time again. Time for a change of scenery! I have officially lived away from home now for 8 years and am finally ready to return to the great state of Texas. In this past 8 years I have lived in two of the largest and most over populated cities in the country - New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA.

Some of you might recall my last blog "ashleyinla" and the tales of adventure in my new home. My oh my, how things have changed! I left New York with a mission to find a more simple life and peaceful state of mind. I'm sure most of you knew that LA would not fit that bill but I appreciate everyone letting me give it a shot. To be honest, it was amazing at first. I could drive to the grocery store and no longer had to lug my bags up and down the subway stairs. I watched the sunset over the Pacific Ocean and Clementine and I played with dogs in parks across the city. It was sunny here and the weather was perfect. But then reality set in. I didn't live near the beach and once I got a "real" job the time and energy required to do the things that brought me happiness just ceased to exist. I started to see the flaws in this city - the traffic, the smog that we lie and call "marine layer" (but mommy...why is it brown?) and the people that come here from across the world in search of their 15 minutes of fame. I don't want to diss LA too much though - there are awesome people, places and things to do here. Thanks, Jason K for always reminding me of that! Nonetheless, I'm tired of it all. Well, I'm not tired of the myriad of food options or the friends that I have made but the rest of it I can do without!

Most importantly, I have realized that I've consumed myself with work and only work for the past few years. I have Max now and I am so thankful (and lucky!). He has made me remember that time should not be invested solely in work or climbing the corporate ladder but in the people that you love. The majority of the people that I love live in Texas (no offense to loved ones in NY and here in LA). My family is in Texas and I finally grew up enough to realize how important family is! So now, in addition to still seeking out that more simple life I am ready to find that balance
between being great at my job (no really, I'm pretty good!) and being a better girlfriend, sister, daughter, grand daughter and aunt.

So here it goes - in 4.5 weeks Max, Clementine and I will make the drive back half way across the country to make Austin, Texas our new home. I'll still work for Live Nation, for those of you wondering. :)

This blog will chronicle our last month here and the new adventures.

xoxo Ashley