This weekend totally rocked. Saturday I went surfing, but the IFC Spirit Awards were blocking my beach and the waves were ginormous, so I wasn't out long. Sunday morning I had a decent hike at Griffith in the rain. Sunday night was awesome though. I met some friends at a bar in Venice and ended up staying out til 4am. It was totally unexpected, but so much fun.
So now I'm back in my week. The new Goldfrapp album came out yesterday on iTunes. I only like a couple of tracks though; it's too down-tempo and lacks the sensuality of Black Cherry and the purity of Felt Mountain; too nostalgic for the seventies. On the other hand, the new Bird and the Bee EP is really great. So is the Sia song Little Black Sandals. For harder beats, I've been hooked by the new Moby song Alice (I know, just shut up and listen to it), The Best Revenge by Fischerspooner, The Nest by Sons & Daughters, and Bring It On Down by Goose. Happiness is a soundtrack for an animated life.
The weather is SoCal has been great these past few days. For lunch today I went to the farmer's market at the 3rd street promenade in Santa Monica and picked up some fresh fruits, nuts, and artisan cheeses. I love walking in the warm, sweet air with the sun beating down and the ocean on the horizon. The oranges were amazing! Now if only I could find a good supply of salmon...
Tonight I had a date in Burbank. After sitting in traffic for an hour and a half, I remembered how draining it was to live out there. No wonder I was such a homebody while living in Burbank, I never had time to just unwind after work and enjoy life; I was busy sitting in my car. Hollywood isn't exactly close to my job, but man, it makes a huge difference. Working out, eating right, and taking up new hobbies has also helped a lot. I feel like I have much more energy now and get so much more out of life. I guess you just have to see beyond the lows and be patient for that better day.
Yeah, I know it's only Wednesday, but still. I went to my first Lakers game last night for a client function. We had a VIP suite overlooking the court and an open bar, so good times were had by all. Today I was in sales training all day, then hit the gym, and now I'm back at work at 8:30pm catching up on all the misc. things I needed to do today. Still, the Lakers game more than makes up for it. I love my job : )
Friday night I saw 'In Bruge'. It was a really good movie; funny, dark, and engaging. I also love seeing Europe on the screen. Can't wait to travel again.
Saturday was drama. I drove to Ron Jon in Orange County and bought a surfboard. Was going to go surfing, but I decided to take a six hour detour to visit a friend in need. Not sure if I made a difference, but hopefully it helped. My other friend had their surgery and came through alright. I hadn't realized how much it had affected me until I heard they were ok and got all choked up. Lots of emotional ups and downs, the net effect was draining. I didn't get home until late, and by then I was exhausted. I went out anyway, but the club was lame so I came in early.
Sunday was Big Bear. Word of advice to all those SUV drivers going to Arrowbear for tubing; the pavement is dry, you can speed it up. Oh, and if you see a line of cars behind you and a lot of space ahead, you are the 'slow traffic', so use the turnouts. My two hour drive turned into five, the snow was slush, and I officially suck at snowboarding. I called it a loss and headed home.
Today was the first really decent day of the weekend. I got up early and headed to Santa Monica with my new board. The surf was great; smooth rolling waves perfect for a newbie. The old timers were really cool and gave some encouraging words. Best of all, I was finally able to get up and properly ride a wave. Can't wait to go surfing again next weekend.
The past six months have been crazy. I finished my MBA, moved twice, went through a major breakup, started a new job, learned to surf, went on a 16 mile hike, and got a fuzzy little kitten. I've also started dating again and just kicked off six weeks of gym time with a personal trainer. For all the changes though, I'm really happy with my life right now. The future is going to be great!
This week, I found out that an old friend of mine needs brain surgery. Statistically, the prognosis looks good; over 99% of patients make it through the surgery just fine and there seems to be no long term effects on either lifespan or functionality. Still, it's f*cking brain surgery.
The odd part is just my relationship with this person. We were very close for about 10 years, then had a major falling out (work, stress, mis-communications, outside relationships, etc.) so we haven't really talked much for the past two years. However, knowing what they're going through kinda puts things more into perspective and makes past disagreements seem pretty irrelevant. What's important is that this person played a significant role in my life, and I want them to be well and know that I'll be there in any way I can.
Outside of that bit of news, my week has been going pretty good. I started working out and signed up with a personal trainer, had a nice date on Wednesday, and had drinks with some Pepperdine classmates last night (and haven't laughed that hard in a long time!). This weekend is pretty open, but I've been thinking of surfing and/or skiing. I'm really happy that I'm enriching my life and pursuing the world outside of work. Now if only I could find a nice girlfriend....
