Cute Toby

I haven't really taken many pictures since I moved here, but I do have a few new ones of Miss Toby laying around (and looking cute) in various places in the apartment.

Can't believe it's been a month

I moved down here on Sept 4...that was a month ago yesterday. Crazy. It's still in the 70s most days here, and sometimes even warmer. It's just not right. It's October! And I think since I've been here there have only been 2 overcast days. WTF?

So I just had my first week at my library. It was alright. It's pretty slow in terms of getting some responsibility handed over to me, but I'm pushing for it as much as I can. Everyone there has been very welcoming and helpful, which is great. I share an office with the Teen/Children's Librarian. Eventually there will be a third librarian sharing with us.

Thursday night I ventured up to Pasadena to go dancing at Lindy Groove. Kristin Buxton, who moved here from Seattle last year, was celebrating her birthday, so I figured I'd go see what it was all about. And since I didn't have to work on Friday, I didn't mind being out late (although I still was home by 11pm...what a wuss). I danced a bit, and folks were pretty nice. But mostly I just felt old and tired. :(

Toby's limp is much improved and we play Q-tip fetch a little bit every day.

I miss Seattle and everyone I know there.

Anyone for a game of Q-tip fetch?

Imagine my joy when Toby came running up to me tonight and dropped a Qtip stick at my feet. Fetch Toby, fetch! While she is still limping, it is apparently not bothering her much.

First day at library #2 was good. The librarians there are great, and I got to do reference for much of the day. Tomorrow, I'm in a training meeting meeting all morning, then I'm at a very small library for the afternoon.

When my mom was here helping me unpack, she unearthed my Godfrey doll. I couldn't begin to explain to her why I have a clown doll. For those familiar with Godfrey, you get it. For those who aren't I don't think I can explain it, but you can check him out here: Godfrey Daniels. I heart Godfrey!

I'm exhausted

If you know me at all, you know I'm a low energy girl. Let me just say that after weeks of getting ready to move, moving, car shopping, starting a new job, a trip to New Jersey, and a weekend of unpacking and shopping for home essentials, I am completely and utterly exhausted. Thankfully, I finally hooked up my tv today and I intend to spend the coming week vegging out in front of it as much as possible.

Tomorrow I start another week of training at a different library. It is a smaller library than the one I trained in a couple weeks ago, and it is closer in size to the branch where I'll be working.

Toby is still limping. :( I'm calling a vet in the morning; this has gone on long enough.

I am so missing Seattle. The weather here has been sunny and warm...can't they just have a little gray (not smog), or mist, or something. How about a 60 degree day in september? Is that really too much to ask?

Well, crap.

My new car got it's first dose of bird shit today. Woo hoo.

I'm having a cranky, cranky evening.

Toby is limping and I don't know why. Could be because she keeps jumping up on and immediately falling off of the window sills in the new apartment (they're considerably narrower than those in our Seattle apt). Hopefully she just pulled a muscle or something. Will have to keep an eye on it.

The apt manager had my carpets cleaned today, because they were dirty from before I moved in (she assures me they were cleaned after the previous tenant left, but I don't see how they could have possibly got that dirty over 2 months). Instead of coming at 10am, as we arranged, they came later in the afternoon, so now, the carpets are still pretty damp. And I'm sleeping on an air mattress right on top of that nasty smell. My mom suggested moving the mattress into the kitchen and it is sounding (smelling?) like a better and better idea.

Did I mention that I'm cranky?

Something stinks

Something in my neighborhood is seriously foul-smelling...I certainly hope this is not a regular occurence. I thought for sure that there was something wrong with my gas stove/oven, but when I opened the windows it got worse. Gross.

I'm working this week at the Norwalk branch of L.A. County P.L. I've just been shadowing the librarians and learning about the systems and applications that are used. It seems to be going well and everyone has been very nice and helpful to me. I'm sorry to say though, that I am so tired still from the past couple of weeks, that I'm having trouble staying focused and keeping my eyes open sometimes. Yesterday afternoon was especially difficult, and I almost fell asleep while a librarian was training me at the information desk. VERY embarrassing! I kept trying to keep alert: pinching myself, blinking repeatedly, squirming around in my seat. But nothing worked. She finally asked me if I wanted to take a break because it looked like my eyes were glazing over. Again, so very embarrassing!

Tomorrow someone is coming out to clean the carpets in my apartment. I am somewhat disgusted by how dirty they are (which is laughable considering how dirty the carpet was in my Seattle apartment, but at least i knew that was my dirt...ridiculous and completely illogical I know). I'm glad the apartment manager could get it arranged before my furniture arrives.

Toby is starting to get back to her old self. She's eating a little more and not hiding all the time. I suspect tomorrow's carpet cleaning will lead to a setback, but all in all, things are heading in the right direction.

All by myself

Mom and Stan left today. They were very helpful, but it has been an exhausting few days. I found a car (2009 Toyota Corolla) and thanks to Stan we negotiated a great deal. We installed two window air conditioners (ah, air conditioning), which is helping to make the apartment a little more comfortable.


Toby has spent most of the past two days under my blanket on the air mattress. She comes out periodically, but she's definitely not the same carefree kitty. I know she'll get more comfortable, especially once all our belonging get here and there aren't as many strangers coming and going from the place.


Tomorrow I start work. My understanding is that the first two weeks are training/orientation, so I have no idea what to expect. Stay tuned...

First night in Long Beach apartment

As if I wasn't already tired enough; Toby kept me up all night. She wandered around the apartment all night long, meowing constantly. Every time I would start to fall asleep, she would start to meow again. Finally, around 6am, she stretched out next to me under the blanket and rested...but then my alarm went off at 6:45 because the gas guy was coming any time between 7-10am (of course he didn't come until 9:45).

Yesterday's travel went pretty smoothly. Toby was calm in the carrier with just some periodic meowing. If she was making any noise on the plane, I couldn't hear her over the engines and other plane noises. But she stayed pretty still in there. I'm sure she'll adapt over the coming days.

I got a call this morning that the moving truck isn't going to get here until the 12th!!! And I leave the next day for the East Coast. Bummer. But at least I have some basics: a place to sit, an air mattress to sleep on, a FAN (damn, it's hot!), electricity, and INTERNET.

I miss Seattle already; although, it still doesn't seem real to me. When the plane took off yesterday, there was the most beautiful, clear view of Seattle, Lake Washington, the Olympics, etc. When we made the descent into LA, there was the most depressing view of the urban sprawl that is LA. Blah.

Today, we're off to go car shopping. Hopefully that will happen relatively easily. It would suck to have to rent a car for a week. Wish me luck.

The movers are here.

It's really happening. They're loading up all my boxes into a truck (nice that it's them and not me, or my friends). They've only been here about 40 minutes, and they're probably halfway done. Amazing. Soon it'll be empty except for the stuff I'm not taking with me and have to get rid of. Toby is under the bed, she's not happy. She's really not going to be happy when they come in to get the bed! I think at that point I may have to put her in the bathroom just so she's not underfoot.