MY NEW JOB!

woo hoo! you are officially reading the blog of an employed person again! i am the new assistant box office manager for the palace theatre. i start on monday morning and i am thrilled. it sounds like a fantastic place to work with great people and benefits and i love theater! they do some really cool stuff like children's theater, as well as summer stock and the regular season of musicals and plays. the upcoming season includes RENT (one of my faves) and cats (which, to my horror, i've never seen) as well as tons of other great stuff! yay!

now that i am employed, jeremy can figure out what is going on with his transfer and get out here sooner (hopefully!). at this point he has packed everything so it would take about 20 minutes to put his clothes and cricket in the car and start driving to me. actually start driving to santa monica and then to me so he can make it an official coast to coast trip.

from the website:
The Palace Theatre is a non-profit performing arts center that hosts its own professional company, youth and teen program and presenting acts. We are committed to achieving our mission through preserving the historic facilities of the theatre, responding creatively to the cultural and entertainment needs of the community and governing in a fiscally responsible and strategic manner.
The Palace Theatre offers performances that fall into one of three categories: events produced by the Palace, events presented by the Palace and events performed at the Palace by outside groups/entertainers renting our space. Events produced by the Palace include all of our Professional Productions, known as the Citizens Bank "Performing Arts Series", as well as all children's theatre, PYT and teen productions including the Palace Teen Company and the Palace Professional Theatre for Children . These events are produced entirely by Palace staff and are our signature events because the artistic staff at the Palace is dedicated to producing the highest quality theatre in the area. Events presented by the Palace fall into the Celebrity Series . While we do not have a large part in the artistic production of these events, we are proud to present them to you in our beautiful theatre. These events include concerts, comedy acts, magicians and many other types of performances. In the past we were proud to present Foreigner, the Irish Tenors, Beatlejuice, Bob Newhart, the Smothers Brothers, and many more. Finally, we are dedicated to providing performance space to the community and we allow outside performing groups the use of our space throughout the year. Local dance schools, musicians, community theatre groups and many other organizations rent our theatre and utilize our box office, website event listing and some of our technical staff to produce their events.
Our beautiful 840 seat theatre is the only one of its kind in this area and the staff who work here are committed to preserving it. Our new administrative offices are located adjacent to the theatre in the newly renovated United Arts Center which is also home to other local non-profit arts organizations. In addition to these office spaces, the United Arts Center is the rehearsal center of the theatre, with two large dance studios used for rehearsals by the Palace Professional Theatre, the Palace Youth and Teen Theatre and the Palace Teen Company as well as all other Palace performing groups.
The Palace Theatre is dedicated to strong contributions to the Manchester community in many ways. We host several New Hampshire high schools' annual musicals, talent shows and other events as a service to the community. In addition, we offer discounted rates to many organizations and are always interested in forming partnerships with other local non-profit arts organizations. We are also proud to offer scholarships to graduating seniors who have been involved with the Palace Theatre.

fisher cats game

last night lanelle took me on a date to a fisher cats game. they were playing the rock cats, and i dont know what either of those animals are. we watched the game, which we lost 1-2, and then the fireworks (short but sweet). the stadium wasnt full and no one was really wearing team colors, but it was a fun time regardless.

yesterday i rode the mancester transit authority bus for the first time. i took it from the library to downtown to go to the farmer's market. the bus has air con. next super hot day, i am just going to ride the bus around all day. :) the farmers market was charming and i got some peaches and stuff to make salads. i actually arrived about thirty minutes before it officially opened, so i sat in the park and started reading wishful drinking by carrie fisher. that is one of the funniest books i have ever read. i was actually laughing out loud during some parts. if you have ever seen star wars, or you know what star wars is, or if you know who debbie reynolds, eddie fisher or elizabeth taylor are, you need to read this book and find out how george lucas ruined her life. seriously one of the best books ive read in a while (and a quick read too).

as i was looking on the city website to find out when the public pool is opened i found all kinds of great things out about rimmon heights, my new hood. if you want more info about my neighborhood, click here.

still waiting...

my second interview went really well.. i feel like i probably have the job, although it has not been officially offered. trying not to count on it yet. they should be calling soon and letting me know the salary, which also may affect my decision. but... i really want this job. the people seem amazing and it would be a lot of fun with some fun perks.

jeremy is still waiting to hear about his transfer.

i feel like all my blog posts say the same thing over and over. waiting and more waiting. right now i am waiting for my spanikopita that is in the oven to be finished baking so i can eat lunch. also waiting for it to be 6 so that lanelle can come pick me up for our baseball date tonight. manchester has a minor league (or triple a or something, i'm not sure all the levels of baseball stuff) team called the fisher cats. tonights game features post-game fireworks. woo hoo!

next friday the PODS is scheduled to arrive with all of our stuff in it. hopefully i have a husband scheduled to arrive around the same time! (and a cat!!!)

Haven't seen that in a while!

you really can't tell from this picture, but the rain was actually moving sideways and in swirls. it almost looked like a hurricane. we were in rite-aid and the power went out. lots of thunder and lightning...

lanelle came over and we made tea and worked on a 3D puzzle she gave me. i am making some serious progress on it. there was a ton of water and dirt inside from the crazy rain, and she helped me clean all that up too... what a good friend. she even let me sing to her to fill the quiet. thats a seriously good friend - i mean, have you heard me sing?

my interview today went really well and i have a second interview with the same company tomorrow afternoon. i am super excited about it! if i get a job, even if jeremy's transfer doesnt work out (which would be sad for the FA who would be hiring him because jeremy is amazing and knows his job inside and out) then he and cricket can come and our family can be reunited. YAY!

and we can organize our apartment and start having guests! (like maybe anna at the end of august for one of justin's shows. woot woot!)

gotta love the corner market!

i have spent the last two days in the apartment, venturing out to the corner market for some ground beef (and finding frozen pupusas - joy!) or to mass this morning again. (i preferred father marcel's homily last week although the infant baptism was something i have never seen before, or at least don't remember ever seeing). i was surprised to see that the songbook had vineyard and hillsong songs in it but they were not among the chosen songs for this morning. maybe they are sung during the later service or the saturday night service?

after church i was starving and ate leftover mac and cheese then went for a run. i ran nowhere near the four miles i apparently am capable of, but today was much more humid than tuesday night and i felt like i was swimming through soup. it is supposed to storm tonight, and it definitely feels heavy in the air.

jeremy has our PODS all packed and it is on its way to me! it is currently scheduled to arrive on august 7. still not sure if he will be here by then or not. i have an interview tomorrow morning, and he should hopefully hear back from the home office regarding the potential transfer. yippee! i hate waiting, but i feel like i am doing a lot of it lately. i believe inigo montoya said it best when he said, "waiting. i hate waiting." he also had his first pink's hot dog yesterday, a privelege (or misfortune) which i never had the chance to experience. he said it was...wait for it... "fair at best."

i watched the first disc of alias season 5 yesterday, i watched the first four seasons on tv and for some reason missed the fifth (and final) season. it is very dramatic. sydney is super pregnant and i'm just not sure how she could still be a spy. wouldnt the bad guys just start to look for the pregnant girl with a bad wig? i believe jennifer garner was actually pregnant during at least some of the filming of this season with baby violet so it makes since for sydney to be pregnant too (hard to hide the bump in skintight spy suits) but no so much to be going on missions. but a spy sitting at home crocheting doesnt make for very interesting television programming either.

ARC review of Die for You by Lisa Unger

Die for You

Lisa Unger

on sale now!

from the back:

In this breathtakingly paced novel, Isabel Raines embarks on a mightmare journey from bustling, glamorous New York City to the murky, twisted streets of Prague, seeking the answer to the bone-chilling question: What if she really never knew the man she married?

Isabel and Marcus Raines are the perfect couple. She is a well-known novelist; he is a brilliant inventer of high-tech games. They've been married for five years and still enjoy a loving romance.

One morning, Marcus says he loves her, leaves for work, then disappears into thin air.

After he doesn't return home, Isabel relentlessly tries to reach him. But when his call finally comes, she hears only a man's terrified scream. The police are of no use: The screams she heard may be a television show or a prank, they tell her. Men leave. They leave all the time.

Isabel races to Marcus's office to find some answers - instead, she finds herself in the middle of an FBI raid, during which she is knocked unconscious. When she awakes in a hospital, she learns that everyone Marcus worked with is dead.

She returns home to find their apartment ransacked, and the police are there. They ure her to check her bank accounts. Her money - their money - is gone.

Then thepolice discover that Marcus Raines is a dead man. Long dead. Years dead. Isabel has been married to a stranger.

And now the chase is on, because Isabel will not rest until she finds out the truth about the man she loved, who he was, where he's gone, and how he was able to deceive her so completely.

my review:

this book was fast-paced and exciting to read. the heroine, isabel, was smart and reckless and relentless. the minor characters - her sister and brother-in-law, her friend jack, and the policeman in charge of her case - all had personal problems and a life outside of her drama, which seemed very realistic. since isabel is a novelist, she is used to researching and digging and putting pieces of a story together, which come in handy as she tries to figure out the puzzle of who her husband really was and what has happened to him. she finds out good things and bad things, has several run-ins with unsavory types (i was really surprised she made it out alive), and adventures all the way to europe to find her answers.

you would find this book in the "thriller" section - the story revolves around a mystery but there is so much drama and excitement (and guns!) surrounding it that it is definitely thrilling! (side note: i was reluctant to pick it up while i am staying here by myself but it wasn't too scary, as long as jeremy is not a crazed killer who will steal my money and run away.)

the ending was wonderful and i loved the piece of mail she received at the end.

how well do you know your loved ones, or really, anyone at all? this book really makes you think about people and how one could completely reinvent one's life.

check it out - if you like mary higgins clark or tom clancy (or maybe what i imagine their love-child book would be) then you might like this book.

eager anticipation

today jeremy should hear something about his transfer. maybe not a definite yes or no, but something. yesterday i got a phone call from a fun sounding place to come in for an interview on monday. i'm still anxious about the first position i interviewed for - i would really like to work there!

right now i am waiting for the magic window of the ups delivery man. he will be here between 10:30 and 2 and he is bringing me a new coffeemaker! jeremy called the other day and said one of the casulties of our move would be our coffemaker. we got it as a wedding gift (or with wedding gift cards, i can't remember which) so we'vebeen using it for over four years. it was just a simple drip coffee pot. well, he went to change the filter the other day and found long slimy strands of mold growing throughout the entire thing. yum. we've been drinking that for who knows how long.

so i went on amazon to look for a new pot. ones similar to ours were about $30ish. then i saw one that grinds the beans for you AND has a timer so the coffee can be ready when we wake up in the morning. it was normally priced at $150 and on sale for $65. AND i had $25 in amazon gift cards, so for $40 the new fancy coffeemaker is MINE! woo hoo! i've been making tea or walking to dunkin for my morning caffeine and will be so glad to have a coffeemaker again! (in case any of you are worried about jeremy, he has a french press that we use while camping AND a coffee maker at work so he is set.)

in other news, my dad joined twitter. that's fun. i like having all my family on my social networking sites. (most all the aboods are on facebook and i likey.)

i am anxiously awaiting the delivery so i can go buy coffee and filters and go to my new favorite library. and maybe run, if it stops raining. big day, huh?

sometimes, i amaze even myself

yesterday i went for my first group run with the fine folks at runner's alley. i have been in the store a couple of times and figured this was a great way to meet new people and inspire myself to run farther and faster. they go on a four mile route every tuesday evening. i showed up at the store a little before 6 (after calling first to make sure they were still running in the misty rain) and met the two other runners and stephanie, the store manager. i had talked with her on monday and knew she would be there. off we went down elm street, which is the main street that runs through downtown manchester and into a residential area.

i was really wanting to impress my new running buddies, and they set an easy pace,so i wound up running the entire four miles*. thats right - you read it here first. i have never ever ever run that far before. ive gone that distance, but always with stopping and walking. this is a mile farther than my previous longest distance. AND my third mile was my fastest of the four. i have found it a little easier to run in nh because there is enough humidity that im not dried out a half mile into my run, but not enough where i feel like i am running through soup.

i guess running is a lot more mind over matter like "they" say. and i always knew i was stubborn, but did NOT know i was this stubborn. i am insanely proud of myself - and you should be proud of me too!

we are still waiting to hear from our jobs - jeremy plans on calling his people today to check up and i checked in yesterday. hopefully we know something soon to share with you all!

*disclaimer: we did stop at stoplights to wait for the crosswalk. but everyone had to stop, so i wasnt holding the group back or anything. and it averaged about one stoplight per mile, so it wasnt like we were stopping every few seconds or anything. just in the interest of being honest, i technically didnt run it straight without stopping. but i think i could have.

ARC review: the city and the city by china mieville

the city and the city

china mieville

on sale now!

from the back:

new york times bestselling author china mieville delivers his most accomplished novel yet, an existential thriller set in an enthralling city that is unlike any other - real or imagined.

when the body of a murdered woman is found in the decaying city of beszel, somewhere at the edge of europe, it looks like a routine case for inspector tyador borlu of the extreme crime squad. but as he probes, the eidence begins to point to conspiracies far stranger, and more deadly, than anything he could have imagined. soon his work puts him and those he cares for in danger.

borlu must travel to the only metroplis on earth asstrane as his own, across a border like no other. it is a journey as psychic as it is physical, a shift in perception, a seeing of the unseen, a journey to beszel's equal, rival,andintimate neighbor, the rich and vibrant city of ul quoma.

with shades of kafka and phillip k. dick, raymond chandler and 1984, the city and the city is a murder mystery taken to dazzling metaphysical and artistic heights.

my review:

i enjoy sci-fi and mysteries, so at first glance this book was very interesting to me. the problem? i felt like it started very slowly, mainly because of all the scene setting necessary to explain the two cities. they are overlaid, one on top of the other, with streets crosshatching and citizens walking side by side, but in different cities. it is illegal to see or acknowledge anything happening in the other city, and things that are seen must quickly be unseen before breach, a secretive police force, enters and takes you away. the concept of these twin cities was fascinating.

at the beginning of the novel, a body is found and tyador begins to investigate. he is quickly drawn into a series of conspiracies and a mythical city between the two cities. like i mentioned before, it was hard for me to get into the story because of all the 'splainin. the last thirdof the story was gripping and jam-packed with excitement however, so if this soundsl ike an interesting plot and setting, i would definitely recommend working through the first half to get to the second half.

if you've read it, let me know what you think!

monday, monday

jeremy and i both had preliminary interviews today. we are each excited about the jobs we applied for and the job the other interviewed for. tomorrow will be an anxious day as we await phone calls to schedule the next interview. if jeremy has to have a face-to-face interview i will get to see him soon! as much as i would like that, it would be an expensive trip for a short time. anyways, things are starting to look up for us and our transition to nh!

lanelle came by today and we went to the manchester branch of her gym. we have now been to all three and i imagine that will be the gym that jeremy and i join because they have racquetball for him and a workout buddy and good classes for me. we took a strength class that was awesome and the hit the dreadmill for about 20 minutes. this was all after i spent a little over an hour walking around manchester, getting my library card and going to the post office. i really like the location of our apartment - we can walk to downtown manchester in 10-15 minutes, to the verizon wireless dome in about 20 and to parks and the library in about 10. of course, that is all walking distance - driving-wise we are super close to lots more stuff!

even thoguh i bought a bus pass i haven't used it yet. i just havent needed to. but once i need to go to the grocery store or target for something, i will get to test out the metro lines here. not nearly as extensive as la's, but i think they will work for what i need.

here's hoping jeremy and i get good phone calls tomorrow!

ste marie's, tennis, computer games

thats the extent of what i have done today. got up this morning and went to mass at the local catholic church. it is about a three minute walk. the outside of the building is beautiful; we've driven past it many times. the inside is even better. the ceiling is done in pastels and there is stained glass everywhere. the homily, by father marcel, was good. all in all, it was a nice sunday morning, even if i didnt get the chance to meet many of my neighbors like i was hoping.

after i ate lunch, lanelle came and picked me up and we went to manchester west high shool to play tennis. we didnt actually play a match, just hit the ball back and forth. it has been a long time since the last time jeremy and i went and played tennis!

i spent most of the afternoon on the computer, catching up on various things and playing some computer games. i also completed last sunday's crossword puzzle. i know - super exciting stuff right?

tonight i am finishing interview with a vampire (kinda stupid but i feel like i should finish it after watching 2/3 of it - also antonio "be still my heart"banderas's character was JUST introduced so the movie has gotten better) and eating. doing lots of eating. i bought some good snacks!

first night

i am spending my first night on our new apartment tonight. i have internet thanks to someone in the hood who didnt secure their wireless access. i have a little bit of furniture and screenson the windows (and many other things) thanks to mark and lanelle - two of the most giving and generous people i have ever met. i have food and drink thanks to jeremy still working in california. i have no cockroaches in my kitchen thanks to god and a gas stove with lit pilot lights thanks to myself.

i have a lot to be thankful for.

its also been a frustrating few days. lanelle and i have been running lots of errands and exercising and doing all sorts of other fun things together. meeting them has been essential to me enjoying my new life so far in new hampshire. im so glad my dad made the connections for me.

i'm frustrated with myjob search. i got a phone call from a recruiter today and i was really excited until i found out the position was in california. not so much helpful then. jeremy has an internal phone interview on monday morning with the possibility of getting a transfer out here which would be wonderful (i would get my husband, my cat and all my stuff back sooner rather than later!) but a little bit defeating for me since i have been here pounding the pavement for two weeks and havent even received a phone call. i am qualified and capable to perform each and every job i have applied for and there is a good job market in manchester and the surrounding areas. people like me (in general. there are a few notable exceptions, none of whom are hiring managers at any businesses in new hampshire or even live in new england at all) and i get along with most people, at least in a business setting. i know if i could just get that interview, i could get the job. i'm good at interviewing.

in the mean time, i have a couple of unpaid things i am working on which could someday turn into money making experiences but for now are just for fun. but that doesnt get me anywhere closer to family reunification.

anyways, i went on an hour walk around my new hood this evening. i like it. quieter than la, lots more neighborhood-ish feelings, lots of parks and running water. when new hamsters say a river, they dont mean the la river. they mean a real river. and i like it.

ARC review: the treasure map of boys by e.lockhart

the treasure map of boys: noel, finn, hutch, gideon - and me, ruby oliver

e. lockhart

from the back:

Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it's her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic attacks are bad, herlove life is even worse, and what's more:

• Noel is writing her notes,


• Jackson is giving her frogs,


• Gideon is helping her cook,


• and Finn is making her brownies.


• Rumors are flying, and Ruby's already sucky reputation is heading downhill.

Not only that, she's also:

• running a bake sale,


• learning the secrets of heavy metal therapy,


• encountering some seriously smelly feet,


• defending the rights of pygmy goats,


• and bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances.

In this companion novel to The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book, Ruby struggles to secure some sort of mental health, to understand what constitutes a real friendship, and - if such a thing exists - to find true love.

my review:

i've read both the boyfriend list and the boy book, and i think that while you could read the treasure map of boys without having read the previous two books, it is way better having read the first two (chronologically).

i loved this book. ruby is totally a real teenage girl who deals with stuff i remember from high school, especally since we both attended a small private school where everyone knows everyone and rumors and gossip flow like water. she is funny, her friendships are realistic, and her confsion over the boys in her life will sound familiar to any teenage girl or anyone who has ever been a teenage girl. obviously the book is geared toward young adults, but i still enjoyed it.

sound good? the book is on sale july 28. check it out.

you can visit the author's website here or here.

new address

we officially have a new address. i emailed it out to several people. if you didnt get it, thats because you arent in my yahoo address book - nothing personal i promise! and for obvious reasons i dont want to post it here but let me know if you need it and i can try to email it to you or send it via facebook etc.

weve been setting up the apartment but i still havent slept there yet. last night we went to massachussetts to go to trader joes. i felt right at home (except for the super wide aisles) and got a bunch of good stuff for the pantry. no liebfraumilch though. boo.

i imagine i will sleep there soon but im having fun staying with mark and lanelle. we have a great deal going - i make dinner and do laundry and they show me all of the wonderful things new hampshire has to offer. mutually benefical arrangement.

the job search is still on. i am really really missing jeremy and cricket. i talk to jeremy several times a day but it just isnt enough. :( as soon as i can find a job he can get on the road out here. being down to one income right now is hard enough so ther eis no way he could quit his job there before i find something here...

i miss all my peoples in california. a lot. i even miss working. i like schedules and knowing what to expect everyday and having things planned out days in advance. this break is starting to feel less like a vacation and more like im slacking off, even though i am making phone calls and sending resumes out everyday. very frustrated!

your friend meaghan, local celebrity

yesterday lanelle and i took sam running at livingston park around dorrs pond. it was a mile loop, and we were planning on going around twice. sam and i were a little bit ahead of lanelle, so while we were waiting he jumped in the pond to cool off and fetch his stick. lanelle caught up and a man approached us asking if he could take some photos of sam for the paper. lanelle agreed and we gave him our names. he also staged some pictures of us running on the trails through the park. we made page 2 of the union leader today! this was the picture he used. great facial expressions huh?

i was trying to act natural. i have a couple copies of the paper, one for me, one for my parents, and one extra for something.

i've lived in new hampshire for a week and i am already a local celebrity. fun huh?

we went to the dog park tonight. sam had a blast. there were tons of dogs running around. a couple owners had their dogs running through the agility training course but mostly the dogs just chased each other. hilarious. the bourgeoises know all of the dogs and owners so i got to meet some dog park friends. i dont think i will ever be taking cricket there though. some of those dogs were big bullies and they could eat her in one bite. :D

all the news that is the news

this afternoon i sign our rental agreement for our new apartment in manchester. once everything with that is finalized, i will email everyone our new address. jeremy is still at our north hollywood address in case you desperately want to send us stuff in the mail. :)

yesterday we spent the day exploring the mountains in northern new hampshire. from about an hour away from our new home, we can be camping, fishing, canoeing, etc in the mountains and mountain lakes and ponds. there are 200+ lakes in new hampshire and waterfalls, ponds, rivers, etc everywhere. very different from living in the desert! we went on a hike into greeley pond. tragedy: about a quarter mile in, i slipped and fell into a stream we were crossing and dropped the camera into the water. i'm recharging the battery and i opened it all up and let it dry overnight. im going to try putting it all together and seeing if it works, but i imagine our camera is toast. so i will only be able to post pictures from my phone for a while which sucks, but oh well. there were some cute pictures on there i wanted to share, including a picture of me and sam on my first covered bridge.

still trying to find a job. i sent in my resume yesterday to a place i really really really want to work at and will call them on monday to see if they want to meet me. it is in manchester and easy to get to on the bus route so i wont need to buy a car like jeremy and i were thinking. i may be buying a new bike though which is kinda fun. then when jeremy brings the one we have with him we can go on bike rides together. there are great parks and bike trails in our new neighborhood.

anyways, thats all the news that is the news, at least for now.

Yesterday's Entertainment

Sam, my new family's dog, loves to swim and fetch sticks. We spent the day in white mountain national park and he swam in every pond we came across.

**there was supposed to be a video with this post but it wont upload from my phone. grrr!**
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day 3

i was greeted at the airport by friends of my parents. mark and lanelle have opened their home to meand have been showing me around nashua and manchester. lanelle is a real estate aent so she took me out today looking at rentals. i think we found one but havent signed anything yet so nothing is set in stone.

i have been applying for jobs and looking online. so far no one has called me back but i am trying to remain optimistic. thats the nitty gritty...

the fun stuff.

i am majorly in love with new england. it has been rainy and cool and we went trail running and apartment hunting and walking around the town. my new family has a dog named sam and hes great, especially since i am majorly missing cricket.

the towns aare rural and friendly and i have already been to my first fish fry at their church. it was great (duh!). i have been introduced to the wonders of dunkin donuts iced coffee and my new mantra: yankees suck. go red sox!

we watch jeopardy every night and see who can guess the answers first. sam sits next to me on the couch and keeps me warm. tonight we sat on the back porch with the chiminea and talked - it was lovely.

there is so much more to say but i am still trying to process everything. i will try to keep you all posted on the apartment/job/possible car search. your prayers and thoughts are appreciated!

First view of boston

There's water everywhere! Can someone remind me what this "rain" is again?
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Oh boy

Woke up late and had to rush around. Only got about 3 hours sleep. I'm cranky, my throat hurts and I just left my husband (only temporarily). The good news: from check-in through security to the gate was about 20 minutes. These virgin america people are awesome. They even had flowers at the baggage check-in stations. Love it.

Thankfully I have a window seat. Me & pillow = happiness in about 30 minutes.
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(almost) final goodbyes

sunday morning we served at church for my last time. the music was amzing, the message was great and it made me sad because i dont think i will be able to find a church like mosaic in new hampshire. after church sarah had arranged a picnic. jeremy and i ate lunch with sarah, sandra and lynn. it was really nice and the day was the perfect socal day sunny with a gentle breeze, not too hot. sarah walked us to our car. its funny how saying goodbye to someone i didnt even know existed three years ago could be so hard. she has been a great friend and leader and im gonna miss her!

sunday night jeremy and i went down to hollywood & higland for our last date. w

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e ate shabu shabu then went over to uwink, this bar and grill place where you order everything from individual touch screen computers and just pay with your credit card - selfswiped! - and you can play games, both individually and with other patrons, from the computers too. i had gone before with missy but jeremy had never been. we had a great time doing that.

when we got home from our date it started to hit me that this was the last real quality time i was going to get to spend with jeremy for a long long time. i had a (small) breakdown and he even got a little teary. cricket was flipping out the entire time because i was packing my suitcases and she knows that means something bad for her is about to happen.

today i did more packing and some cleaning and ran my final errands. turned in all my books at the library - that was a sad trip! i was realy glad my favorite librarian, david, was there so i could say goodbye to him. doug and christine brought baby jade over for about 45 minutes (it was a mess getting here and i am so thankful christine stuck it out and came anyway). it was great to spend a little more time with them before we leave. cricket loves babies so she was happy jade came over too. they are planning an adventure themselves so next time we are in la they will prolly already be gone to texas.

i have about 12 hours left in california...

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new hampshire here i come!

Packed up

My bags are (mostly) packed and I guess I'm ready to go. My flight leaves at 7am and jeremy is taking me to the airport. Cricket won't know what hit her when he comes home without me.
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happy independence day!

ryan and kim had us over for dinner on saturday. we got to hang out with a couple of her friends and her parents too. SO fun! we cooked out hamburgers, had cole slaw, chips, fruit and angel food cake. kim's dad was entertaining us with the most amazing stories from his days hanging out with john wayne, gerald ford, and many other insanely famous people. he is SO funny! jeremy loved his stories and all hid country/cowboy memorabilia. kim's mom has some really beautiful pieces of furniture and her dad has some really fun stories about where he got his chaps, his guns, his canteen, his saddle, etc which are now all on display.

seeing ryan and kim living with her parents is a really interesting marriage dynamic. we have shared a home with many people (knoxes = 6 weeks, andy and russ = 6 weeks, england ladies = 1.5 weeks, zac and tabitha = 2.5 weeks, etc.) but never with our parents longer than a few nights on vacation. i love our parents but can't imagine staying with either of our parents for more than a couple weeks. kim and ryan are super brave and i think it is going to work out really well for them. i get to see the shivelys and her parents one more time before i leave so leaving their house on saturday night was easy-ish.

goodbye, blue room!

friday night was our goodbye party at the blue room. dan and emily came with salsa, guacamole, and chips, i brought cupcakes, and ellen and jim came with a card and gift. ellen introduced me to the wonderful world of gin and cranberry (sippin on gin and juice). we got all of our songs played on the jukebox - all the rap and r&b you could ask for! someone else in the bar was a huge journey fan and put a entire one of their cds on below is a picture of us singing "don't stop believing...hold on to that feeling...

almost as good as karaoke - except people around us werent planning on hearing us singing. oh well. since we know all the bartenders and waitresses and i brought cupcakes no one said anything to us. :)

good time, but sad to see the last of emily and ellen (at least for a while).

Last date

You can't really see it but we are at h&h looking at the hollywood sign for my last time before dinner at the shabu shabu place. Sad!
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last wednesday in los angeles

the girls at work took me out to luch one final time. we went to olive garden, always a winner. our server was mildly cute and had a really nice voice and cara and karla were giggling the entire meal. it was like returning to junor high and i loved every second. i was finisheing up things at work and it was nice to get away for an hour or so and just laugh together.

last night we went to my final scene, the live production team meeting for mosaic. israel cooked great food, we hung out, and after the scene was officially over we busted out the hookah. israel had never tried it before and wanted jeremy to bring it over some time.

i got to see doug and jade for maybe the last time, and everyone else. it was once again a bittersweet time. they gave us a great card with some really beautiful things written in it. we are so lucky to have found this community here.

i love you all!

last girls' night out

tuesday night kris, kim, lottie and gaby met me for dinner at robin hood, a british pub in the neighborhood. we had a great dinner and lots of laughs. it was one more night out on the town and was super fun. we had great food and drinks. the boys came a couple hours later for darts.

i'm trying to come up with more to write about the night (we really did have a great time, and what i mean by great time is...) but i am so overwhelmed with the thought of leaving these people (and so many others) behind i cannot even process it. so suffice it to say this is what i look like these days and it aint pretty.

For Beka

Monday night after the gym kris and I went over to kim's new house and played with the hyfurcater then kris dressed up in all of kim's mom's clothes from the seventies. Hilarity ensued.
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