Moving towards...

(rather than running away)

Back in November, we realized that North Carolina was done with us, and we began planning to come home to Los Angeles.  We started saving every little bit we didn't need to live on, and selling things we could live without, so we'd have enough money to get us here.  We had two deadlines: the realistic June deadline with sufficient funds to live from for at least two complete months without additional income, and the idealistic March deadline with enough money for only one month.

Time passed, and we allowed the March deadline to pass, so we could continue saving.  North Carolina threw one of the worst winters we'd ever experienced at us, as if to say, "Are you SURE you don't want to stay?"  HA!

In mid-May, we started looking for housing.  I changed my unemployment-benefits-mandated job searches to LA-based entertainment gigs.  Stephen tried to put in for a transfer with his job, with the full support of the folks he was working for in NC.

In mid-June, we'd done all we could with North Carolina and sent our stuff on its merry way.  We packed up the car with the remainder, and went to Florida to clear our brains and "re-boot" while on our first actual "vacation."  Near the end of the month, we re-packed the car and drove up to Charleston, SC for a birthday celebration.  After that party, we headed west.

Our only "mistake" in any of this has been the timing of the drive west, and possibly starting the housing search too early.  What we learned was that it is extremely difficult, if not downright impossible, to rent an apartment in Los Angeles, sight unseen (site unseen?), from across the country.  Also, we should not have left the east coast on a Tuesday.  We arrived before the weekend, which meant a couple of wasted hotel stays, because there's no seeing apartments on the weekend without appointments, and we'd just driven all that way to do... what?

But it's been less than a week now.  It's really only been a few days.  In those few days, we've found a relatively inexpensive pet-friendly hotel that isn't completely remote.  It is an hour's drive (in heavy traffic) in each direction to get to the action, but it's certainly not worse than what we were dealing with in NC.  So we make the drive, and we've got two online applications in and one on paper (for housing).  I've reactivated my Union status as well as my registration with the largest background casting company.  Stephen's following his employment leads, and has yet to reach a dead-end on any of those (so far, he's in the roundabouts).  We've both reconnected with local friends, both online and in person.  And I got to shop at Trader Joe's again today. <grinning from ear to ear - #100happydays>

Russell, security dude at Central, who "long time no see!"'d me

One of the two Jims at demo (as soon as I snapped, I remembered "no photography" inside TJ's)

There is a PAY PHONE to the left of this building!  And signage there to indicate it!

Everyone who recognized me seemed genuinely pleased to see me, and almost to a person, I got complimented on my hair.  Pete gets a specific shout-out, because he asked if my friend Stephanie was glad I was home.  I think he may be sweet on her?  It has been 20 months since anyone's seen me!