Welcome back Jeraly. You'll get adjusted....after a month your body should be better adjusted to the heat so you won't have the lovely non-menstrual bloat :-p I'm assuming your mum is single? Maybe your moving will motivate her to start dating again...even just to meet someone as a companion.

When my kids left home I decided to get married.

Hehe - she has a partner, refuses to get married and is fiercely independent following her divorce from my dad 17 years ago. That is what is so horrible for me - seeing her like this is totally out of character for her so it makes me feel worse Her other half loves her to death though so I am not worried about that but it is whether she will let him support her

I really really hope that the bloat goes!! I mean I need to lose weight anyway but ballooning up like the michelin man is not my idea of a good look - after Tuesday it is diet time for us!! I have to get fit and lose weight but we gave ourselves until the end of Tuesday as Jeremy has Monday and Tuesday off - holiday time will be over and we need to be more sensible with what we eat... better make the most of it... hmmm - any ideas folks?!

Good for her! I'm sure she'll be fine, Jeraly. Empty nest syndrome takes a bit of getting used to. I wandered the house for ages feeling a tad bit lost. Once I adjusted I absolutely LOVED it. I mean, who doesn't love cleaning their house, coming back home (or getting up in the morning) and finding it EXACTLY the way you'd left it? It was heaven.

I picked up some herbal diuretics for the bloating. Works wonders. I also find that walking helps get rid of it too.

Ahh - but the problem *I* now have is Jeremy who totally doesn't leave the house as he finds it - I can clean all day and within 30 seconds of him coming in from work there are clothes all over the floor, the kitchen counters are filthy and there is trash everywhere because using the bin escapes him!!! Still working on training him but not sure how hopeful I should be!!!

I hear ya. My husband's getting "on-the-job" training too.

i thought you was like 25

good morning everyone.

I am. Well.... maybe more like 35.

Seriously, though. I got married and had children when I was still a kid. Mind you, that's not what I thought back then. Back then, I knew everything. In my head I had it all planned out. I would marry, have children, and live happily ever after. Well, I married and had children, but then my husband died when the kids were just toddlers, and I found out that I knew nothing at all.

I figure maybe he'll get sick of me nagging and just start being tidy... either that or head to the nearest bar to get a drinking problem



I bet that was really hard *hug* How old are your kids now?

You be careful with the booze in the hot weather

Kris is still trying to get used to the heat here in Texas. So far things have been great. We had 2 weeks solid before I had to go back to work. WE've done what we needed to to sort the place out and now its just waiting to do his biometrics this friday and so on. Only thing i'm wanting now is for my youngest to return from his dad's in Florida. That's been beyond hard.

Oooh - biometrics appointment already?! You have wedding piccies too?!?!?!?! Haven't seen you in ages!! Jeremy only had one day off and we still only have one room with furniture in - our living room consists of computer parts, cushions from the sofa (that is still in storage) and an overturned box that is making a temporary computer desk

I am soooo glad we have our bedroom though NOT like that - it is just nice to have one room that is almost up together - just need curtains and a curtain rail now!!

Yep. We got married 6/6 and sent the package off for AOS on 6/7. If all goes well he should have his EAD by the time my bday rolls around. Yep. Need more pics IMO.. Heat is horrid here and I'm still renting a duplex so my house already had furniture. Just arranging things to suit us all. LOL Hence being MIA. (that and finishing edits LOL)

So happy that everything's going well for you both!!!

Darren's arriving tomorrow...I am cleaning as much as can get done....

It's kinda nice to have a blank canvas as it were with the apartment but at the same time it was tough not having a "home" right away - it's nice though because we get to build it together so it is ours And we were only without a bed for two nights which wasn't too bad

Hah! Jeremy just came home with a mahoosive bunch of flowers and loads of chocolate including cadbury's for me AND a bottle of red wine!!!

Also we managed to find Carrs cheese melts, boursin and other cheeses in Stater Brothers (very expensive though). We also managed to find filled pasta that wasn't the buitoni (sp?) stuff that is normally $6 a pack!! AND I have found a cereal close to the one I had back home... all in all life is good right now

Well, howdy folks. I finally have internet access again. It felt like I was living in 1992 or something. Anyway, we are in California now, just over the border from Arizona, in a little town called Blythe. Jeraly (by the way -- welcome to America!) -- I read your posts about Palm Springs heat and hoooooo boy, do I know what you're talking about. It was about 115F when we arrived today. Bleh.

We are getting into LA tomorrow afternoon, and we already have two viewings lined up. One's a house in Echo Park with a basement and piano, and the other is a little house in West Hollywood with a garage. Slim pickings on Westside Rentals at the moment, probably due to the holiday weekend. Bruce is convinced we aren't ever going to find anything, and even proposed moving to Burbank at one point. I am so not kidding.

Louisiana was not a high point. We hit a massive storm outside Baton Rouge, and I thought we were going to wipe out. I posted a short video of it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdlz8JYNdgk. Our motel in Lafayette stank of industrial cleaner and nearly flooded when another storm came. The best part was when I figured out how to order a pizza online from Domino's. For reals.

However, Texas was awesome -- one night in Galveston with my uncle Mike and his partner Jerry. They took us on the grand tour of the island, peppering the scenery with history and politics, and followed it with a veritable feast of seafood down by the sea wall. Then a night in Texas Hill Country, followed by several days in El Paso with family. I got to see my grandmother for the first time in the better part of a decade. When she took me in her arms, I broke down in tears of joy. It was just so wonderful. We had a cookout at my Aunt Judy's and my grandma and her sister, Tia Angela, came by as well. We also fit in a trip to a Western wear shop, and Bruce got kitted out with a cowboy hat and boots, and a western shirt.

Last night was Tucson, then on to Blythe today. Tomorrow is the final trip. This has been totally amazing, even the crappy bits (Taco Bell from Hell in Alabama, traffic in the rain in Houston, bickering in just about every state). If you haven't done the coast-to-coast drive, and you have even the tiniest bit of wanderlust in you, I can't recommend it more.

But the desert heat is a dry heat, you know, kind of like a blow torch.

Why must the 3 day weekend end, why? And why can't I get any sleep tonight?

I lost about 30 lbs (2 stone) earlier this year...damn it is tough but if both of you support each other it is much easier. In my case I joined Weight Watchers but different things work for different people.

If you want to eat better cooking at home is the best! Not only can you spend time together preparing the meal, but you can control what goes into the dish. I use low fat stuff whenever possible and turkey meat instead of red meat. We don't really deny ourselves anything...like we'll have a few chocolates or a couple cadbury's digestives after dinner...we just cut back in certain areas.




I thought you were 25 or so too! I guess the best thing about having kids young is that when they are grown you are still young yourself!

g'morning everyone.

Maven!!! Will you be making it to Palm Springs?!?!!?! Lemme know cause we can make plans - we are meant to be going to Yucaipa to visit Jeremy's family today but if you are skipping PS to stick on the I-10 then maybe we could hook up in Yucaipa which is right next to the interstate We know a great Thai place we can get lunch And when you drive through Cabazon (where all the construction is - they are putting in roundabouts of all things ) you can see A&W next to the casino - Jeremy is the manager at A&W Ooooh I hope we get to meet up!!


Yeah - we will be doing a lot of home cooking - thing is things tend to be a lot more stodgy here and I am not sure why - even making a "light" stir-fry turns into a plate of carbs and nothing else (potatoes and noodles anyone?!) when Jeremy is at the stove!! It all tastes delicious but he just hasn't grown up with the food I have so he is learning too - a lot of his family are obese and his dad died at the age of 46 from morbid obesity (and Jeremy is hardly small) because they just didn't know how to eat properly. Maybe we'll get a recipe book of healthy things to use as a guide then it will give us both an idea of what we need to use so it becomes easier to improvise

I used weightwatchers when I lost 2st too - I didn't go to any meetings but used the points system which really worked for me. Thing is I have to be stronger willed

Hey all, anyone else really bored at work? Dunno why I'm in this job, have hardly anything to do. It's bad as I thrive on being busy. Luckily VJ is one of the few websites not blocked here.

Oh and Maven - check your PMs for Jeremy's cell number - we are off out to Yucaipa now

Good morning folks.

I had a great weekend but pulled my back (again) & my chiro/acupuncturist is on vacation all week.

Welcome to LA, Maven! When are drinks???

Bored and don't want to be here today. Hard to leave Kris in the mornings! <sigh> Poor guy still isn't used to the heat yet!

At least the summer hasn't been brutal here...yet. I did buy Nicky a few pairs of shorts before he moved here as I don't think he has ever owned a pair...not like he needed a pair in the far North! But he's been adjusting better than I expected.

We've been sweltering here the last few days, and Griff hates it! Thank God for central A/C!

Well it pi$ed with rain ALL day today. complete with thunder and lightning. It's good though because i was starting to question my wisdom leaving London, and the rain reminded me what I won't be missing

Maven and Jeraly - I'm sooo excited that you guys are there!!! It makes it seem real to me, if that isn't really weird. Just 10 days till I leave london, and 30 till i get to LA. I have tickers on my desktop counting down the days. Still worried about learning to drive and finding a job. And ticking all the things off my list that I have to do. I sold some stuff via gumtree this weekend, and will hopefully clear the rest out next week. But I do wake up in the night with more things for my list

I was joking about taking over from Aly as the chief worrier, but I think i'm sinking in to the role...



Wow. What a thing to go through.

Back on line in (wait for it) LA! We got here this afternoon, and unfortunately couldn't stop in Palm Springs as we needed to get in to go view a few places. But I did see the A&W as we passed through Cabazon! I hadn't read Jeraly's post at that point, but I was thinking: wonder if that's Jeremy's A&W? And gosh darn, it was.

So we saw three places today. One was totally unsuitable -- the landlord totally misled us in the ad. It had a picture of a pretty house, and said it had a double garage. The house existed, yes, but the house actually for rent was behind that pretty house. The garage was only for one vehicle, and you had to enter it from an alley, which made me nervous about security. Yes, it was $2200 which is pretty good for West Hollywood, but, meh. The next was a cute little home up near Elysian Park. Three beds, garage, basement (!) and even a piano for Bruce. But the whole place smelled of cat wee. The agent promised it could be cleaned, and it did have a lot of potential. The backyard looked perfect for entertaining, and even had a sweet little gazebo, with great views over LA. The bathroom was a let down, with no tub. And the kitchen was totally from the Brady Bunch, down to the double oven. Kitschy, but probably workable.

Then, we saw the house that I love, and which we will probably go for. It's in Filipinotown, and is a Craftsman home in the middle of being restored. It is absolutely gorgeous, with a new kitchen and bathroom, three beds, and a mature avocado tree. Downside is it won't be ready until August 1st, and we would need to let the owners continue necessary work in the backyard to make it liveable. But the price is right ($600 under budget) and we don't mind chilling in the Econo Lodge until then. Here's a link to the Craigslist listing: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/apa/738768102.html

So... I will be up for drinks later this week, maybe Thursday? Poiteen, I wish you were here too! Then you could stop worrying. Does this mean you have taken up Debz's mantle? Man, that mantle is getting around!

Welcome! That's a nice pad!!! Good luck with it.

Thursday would be awesome for me....

bleh, back to work today.

I'm coming over and making my awesome guacamole then! What I wouldn't give to have my own avocado tree...

Thanks Jeraly and Scott and Marta. My kids are now 28 and 30, so they left me a long time ago if you include them heading off to university.



That is SO true! I feel like I get to live a whole other life!

I'm actually turning 50 next week. But I just have to stress that I neither feel that old, nor do I look that old. In fact, we were socializing with all the neighbours last week when I told them how old I was (they didn't believe me)..... because they were asking when we were going to have kids. (Yikes) Our one neighbour (who is 34) said he thought I was about 35. Then he turned to his wife and said "Pay attention here. That's what I want you to look like when you turn 50."

I know the feeling of having kids young. I had my first son when I was 20 my second when I was 24. We are actually looking to move back overseas once both boys are graduated from HS. Nice thing is.. i'll only be about 44! hehe

Aww Maven - so gutted you didn't make it But the house looks WONDERFUL!! I can't imagine ever being able to afford somewhere like that *sigh* Ah well - I've only been here a week so I should just be glad that there is only one room full of junk and boxes!!

We spent some of yesterday visiting Jeremy's dysfunctional family(!) and clearing out storage. When his dad died, a lot of his dad's stuff got stuck into storage, mainly to stop his brother (who has learning difficulties) from letting people filch things. He's been paying for this storage every month for the past year and a half and so it was agreed that as his brother had the pickings so to speak, Jeremy could have the things in storage as his "inheritance". The whole thing was a total farce and a lot of valuable things went missing. But the storage now has a bunch of junk, a few pieces of furniture that will do for the lounge for the time being and a few miscellaneous things in that might be worth something. But it is such a mess!!

So after I spent all day Sunday cleaning and clearing the house, now we have a living room full of boxes and junk again - fun fun!! But we managed to get my down pillows and a clothes horse which has made me happy

Also went swimming for the first time this morning - it was sooo nice - at 8.30am the water was warm - normally I am a bit of a squealer getting into the pool because of the cold water but... this was just awesome!!

Welcome to LA maven! Do you feel like a lucky little lady in the city of light? House looks AWESOME.

Thursday for drinks works for me - where is the econolodge? My only problem is that himself has the car this week and I have been taking the bus to work.

Your point? The fabulous garlic fries are by your work!

I got a raise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And a new title.

GO ME!

wow, congrats dev. A big slap on the back for you!!

Now, LA ladies, be sure not to have too much fun before I get there, k?

Maven that last place looks sooo cute. Can you manage till August 1st in the Econo lodge? Especially you don't know what it will look like then? I'm looking out for sublets on craigslist, I think it's our best bet. Emailed a few people, hopefully one of them will work out. Only 3 more days of work, whoo hooo!! Also got some people based in LA working in my building, so I'm trying to work up to my very obvious networking, but I don't even have the nerve for totally unsubtle. I'm such a woos.

well, you know, I don't want people to make arrangements all around moi!

Excellent news! I got a really good raise last month but did not get the title change which I was told was "in the bag."

Not the worst problem but when your boss says things like "german-speaking belgium" I really begrudge it.

Poiteen, I don't know your skills/qualifications/career goals but I may be able to point you in the direction of a few people - I don't know if that helps!

Well, we are working, Maven is not.




Thanks! I'm pretty pleased.




Yay for raises in this bad economy. We shall drink to it Thursday!

Okay ladies, when and where shall we meet? I'm on Vine, between Melrose and Waring. I will be taking a cab so I may drink. Man, I need one. Another day trying to figure all of this out. We have pretty much decided against the Filipinotown place after all. Waiting until August is a pain in the backside. Also, no garage or workspace for the boy makes him unhappy, so it really was a no after all. I have been dicked around all day by the cat wee house agent. I wanted to check it out again, but they have been pretty horrible about calling me back. And when I did get back in touch successfully, they were trying to railroad me into making a decision -- if I brought all my paperwork right then I could fend off other potential tenants. Hello? Your house smells of wee.

So...we went out to Burbank today. I am a little shocked to say I like it out there. We saw a house which ticked all of Bruce's boxes, but I wasn't keen on the carpeting. I am prepared to live there, but now the agent isn't calling back! And we have another viewing tomorrow evening in Toluca Lake in another Seventies-tastic house. And the boy is feeling unwell to top it all off.

Dev and Robin, I am depending on you to give me liquor.

Edited to add: oh, and congrats on the raise and title, dev!!!

You arriving in LA and finding the perfect house straightaway in one day did sound a little too easy. I had a nightmare time - especially since I had no credit after 10 years away. I looked at the perfect place in venice - 2 bedrooms for $1600. I tell will take it offering full deposit, full month rent, letter of employment and references. The landlord is like "oh I am showing it to other people as well." I am thinking to myself, here I am a gainfully employed young professional with impeccable references and I am not good enough? Is it my shoes? My foreigner husband? It was most strange.

Burbank is not bad, though wouldn't be my first choice. I don't know it particularly well though. On the SFV side I like parts of North Hollywood and Sherman Oaks. Have you thought about downtown? There are some cheap rents to be had there, though you would sacrifice having a yard. It's more like city living.


I will put my thinking cap on for a good location for these drinks though will bow to Dev's superior knowledge on such matters.

I looked for months but I wanted a Westside place that could let me have a dog. I found plenty of apt/small houses in Silverlake/Glassell Park/Eagle Rock though.

These LA rental peeps are VICIOUS - worse than NYC. At least NYC is fair about it. Do carry a credit report with you though - it will help. Pour over Westside Rentals & craigslist. It should be getting better soon, as it's almost mid month.

We can meet you more towards your place if you want...? Our normal place is in Culver City - around Washington/Overland.

n/m

I feel so fortunate of all the things we need to do we don't need to worry about accomodation. The farm has two houses on it and each generation moves to the house being vacated. So John has had a house for about 6 years.

Having said that there will be multiple sacrifices I will need in relation to work. Cause while we are not out in the boonies we are not exactly central to the finance industry.

That's great, dev!!! Congratulations!!!

I guess the drinks will be on you, tomorrow, eh?

good morning uk

fantastic

Oh why must it rain?

Oh that's right, it's the UK.