this teapot pictrured above is dedicated to daylight savings time or whatever the hell it was that made all the clocks wrong today. normally at home my dad will remind me to set my clocks forwards or backwards. today i learned that when you live by yourself, you don't have that luxury.

i don't like being tricked.  

because i missed last night's post--occasionally i have a social life here and actually let the fanny-shaped assprint on the couch reinflate (i think i just made a pun)--today will just be an update from the weekend!

i had my first day of work early saturday morning. the last time i woke up before it was light outside, a little confused blonde girl was sitting on my feet telling me to go back to bed because it was "very late. no wait, very early." throughout my life, whenever i have an important early morning occasion--a big test, an interview, an audition, a new job--i like to treat myself in the morning. usually i'll buy myself starbucks or make myself a nice breakfast to take along the way. because LA can be so unpredictable and you never know will be hold up the line with their "venti half-caf extra foam no whip double blended iced light mocha latte", i figured it was best to stick with the silver foil surprise. dad, i know you're proud. mostly because i saved $3.27.

i think it's about time i introduce you to my new to-go mug!

the work day went well. it wasn't too busy so the assistant who was training me spent a lot of time going over various things. my favorite part of the day was when we went to the coffee bean and i saw...well, you'll have to click here to find out! it was a lot of information to take in at once, but tomorrow at 10 AM i have my one-on-one training with the doctor where i'm sure a lot of things will finally start to make sense. after work, i decided since it was two o'clock and the four bites of my sandwich and small bag of cheetos didn't fill me up, i deserved a nice lunch! enter whole foods and their delicious pickles.

....pickles make me happy. 

like i said, i enjoy treating myself if something is a special occasion and today was just that. i finally was ready to strap on my overalls and get to painting. okay i didn't wear overalls, but i'm sure that was a nice mental image. right before jumping headfirst into my painting adventure, i decided that a fun snack was necesarry. who wouldn't want a fun snack? even saying it is fun. go on, say it outloud. long story short, a ricecake with peanut butter and honey and a glass of iced earl grey lavender tea did the trick.

after all the tedious details of the corners were complete, and after having the wall two inches from my nose for an hour, i walked to the other side of the room. i kept my back to the wall, took a deep breath, counted to five, and then turned around. i couldn't believe how much i loved it! it was only one wall but still, this is my very first time. unless you count the southpark characters i painted on our basement wall when i was thirteen.

oops....

just these two walls took me a few hours to complete--so at 7:45, i decided it was quitting time. and then i went upstairs and realized that it was only 6:45.

damn.

 ....and then i ordered takeout.

after my mushroom taquitos (from the 101 coffeeshop) were gone, there was only one thing left to do.

highlight of the day:

while i was paying for my food at the counter of the 101, i turned around and was a few inches away from bumping into....oh wait, you'll have to click here to find out.

1. hollywood's very own stairmaster

a few weeks ago, my friend matt informed me that not only is beachwood canyon (my neighborhood) a great place because of the village coffee shop with the best hot turkey sandwich in town, but because it is home to something called "the beachwood stairs." apparently just past the market after you've had a plateful of waffles and a side of the best bacon in town, you continue about fifty yards down beachwood and come upon this sign. 

the first picture was a view from the top of the stairs going back down. when i reached the top and snapped that picture, it was at that point when i realized that the shooting pains running through my legs and butt area were not worth attempting to jog these stairs on my very first time. it's not impressive to almost pass out and then yell "holy shit!" once you reach the top. although it was a bit of a workout, it was worth every step.

i'm sorry to inform you that i took these pictures a few days ago so it fits more in the category of a TEAPOTOD (three extremely awesome parts of the other day), but like i said in the video, i've had a LOT to catch you up on. later on in the day it occured to me that it might not have been as rough of a hike up those stairs had i not gotten lost trying to find them. on the plus side, i finally learned how people get up to those insanely high houses in the hollywood hills. but most of them are driving mercedes, not new balances. pretty sweet view for someone who got lost.

2. come on in! sit down, have some lunch!

 not only did i find this awesome kitchen table on craiglist today (sorry for the crappy picture), but i also got myself this completely rad side table AND my very first thing for my outdoor patio! i'm slightly beat up with bruises and scrapes after hauling two tables, four chairs, and a small end table out of my car and into the apartment all by myself, but it's always good to pat yourself on the back after a hard day's work. did i mention i was wearing a dress the entire time? i still have more furniture coming from my incredibly generous neighbor, but as of now, i have two different places to sit down and eat lunch and something to set my lemonade down on! and by lemonade, i mean coors light.

as for the white kitchen table, i'm thinking about painting it (possibly doing the legs four different light pastel colors) and then i wanted to paint some kind of design on top. my dad suggested painting two plate settings with the fork on the right--which is how i've always set the table. i like to think of myself as a pretty decent cartoonist, or as i like to say, "i dabble in the doodle" so the wheels in my brain are turning with this fork on the right concept. any thoughts or suggestions are welcome!

3. so THIS is what painter's tape is for...

for the past few months i've been using painter's tape for every project or problem that's come up around this apartment. it's held together my coffee pot, pictures on the walls, and of course at one point...the dreaded air conditioner. tonight, i finally got to use painter's tape for it's true purpose in life. and it felt good.

highlight of the day:

well, after many hours of job hunting, resume passing, and application filling out...it's official: I HAVE A JOB! that's right! somehow i charmed my way through that second interview and by the end walked out with a job. he had me correct errors on a pretend email (possibly the best part of my day, oh how i love grammar), had me file things to make sure i knew that the alphabet went from A-Z, and asked me a lot of different scenario questions. i thought for sure he would take a few days to think about all of the candidates seeing as it was such an intensive process. nope. just as we wrapped up the interview, he told me i was "sharp" (i've always wanted to be sharp) and that even though he was breaking his protocol by hiring me before even calling my references, he'd like to offer me the job. he also told me not to smile on the way out because there were other girls out there waiting for their interview. so, i put on my best poker face, held the door for the girl walking in, and wished her good luck. i hope the elevator doors closed all the way before i did that backflip...

my first day is tomorrow (saturday). and it starts at 7:50 AM. i didn't even know that 7:50 AM existed. (i really will be there on time sara! i'll bet you two spring rolls!) i work until 2 tomorrow so when you're all reading this, i'll probably be sitting behind a desk eating a peanut butter sandwich, organizing vitamins, and pretending to answer the phone for practice. wish me luck!

click me. 

no, this is not one of the exciting parts of my day. i'd just like to say:

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

(clears throat)

let's begin.

1. one out of thirty ain't bad

yes, today i went to a chiropractor....

for a job interview! after handing out about twenty resumes to restaurants and emailing my resume to about ten jobs on craigslist, i was starting to feel a little discouraged. yesterday morning while i was pouring my frankencereal--part special k fruit and yogurt, part trail mix granola, and part pumpkin granola--my phone rang. it was a girl who told me she was from the office of dr. campos and asked how i was doing. not remembering making any appointments out here and wondering if i was being punked by justin bieber (YES!), a voice in my head said "wait, you're calling from WHERE?!" my next thought was "did my friend sara pay you to call and tell me that i've been selected to grow a mustache?"

but luckily i decided to pretend i knew what she was talking about and i responded with "i'm great! how are you?" it turns out that she was calling about a front desk job i applied for on craiglist a few weeks back. i didn't want to mention anything yesterday because of a word that rhymes with...minx. the only reason i'm bringing it up today is because not only did the interview go great, but i got a call a few hours later for a second interview! however, you can't get your hopes up about anything in california. did you know that eric stoltz was originally cast in the role of marty mcfly for back to the future? they shot five weeks of footage and then decided that he wasn't right for the part. enter michael j. fox. true story. google it. so, although i don't want to get my hopes up about this second interview tomorrow, having this experience showed me that it IS possible for someone to get a job interview out here. i was starting to think that employees that got hired fell from the sky and that those of us walking around with resumes are just here to look good.

2. "i should write that person a note!"

you know how in a parking lot when you see someone taking up two spaces or parked SO terribly that it's actually causing an inconvenience, you think to yourself "i should really write them a note." well, today as i was walking out of ralph's with my groceries, i went to hop in my car and noticed something stuck under the windshield of the car next to me. i'd like to shake the hand of the person who ACTUALLY took the two minutes of their time to do this.

3. playing ketchup

like i promised, i still have a few fun details of sara's visit that i have yet to share! of course part of it is about food: click here! and the other part, well you'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out.......

JUST KIDDING! click here!

highlight of the day:

i normally eat lunch (well...and breakfast and dinner) at home, but since my interview today was at 2, i decided to buy myself a little celebration lunch! nothing fancy of course. THIS is fancy:

 i was in the mood for greek food, which is about as unsurprising as paula deen being in the mood for a butter sandwich. the words "mediterranean" and "hollywood" in the same google search brought up a number of places on my phone. i scrolled down the list for a few minutes and then suddenly came to a dead halt. i couldn't believe the name of the restaurant in front of me. i looked at the location: north hollywood. let me put this into perspective, driving from, let's say, downtown raleigh to north raleigh is no big deal. driving from north hollywood to hollywood, although only 4-5 miles apart, can be a LONG trip. as in, pee before you leave the house. 

it was still pre-rush hour, so i typed the address in my GPS and knew that nothing could stop me from making this journey. that is...until i got to the 101 highway. rush hour here lasts, well, all day. traffic appeared to be backed up and i immediately screamed into my speakerphone "oh HELL no! i am not doing this." and of course always knowing just the right thing to say, "fanny, do you even have anything else to do for the rest of the day?" (thanks sar) came through the other end of the phone. realizing that the only plans i had for the rest of the day included buying sliced turkey at ralph's and clipping my nails, i continued along my way. luckily traffic cleared up pretty quickly and before i knew it, there i was.

for those of you who don't know, papa george is my great grandfather (not the one on the menu, that's someone else's papa george) if you've ever seen me bend down and pick up a penny, he's the reason behind it. it's been years since he passed away but i feel like he's with me every single time i see a penny. and think about how many times in an average day you see a penny on the ground. most people have funny superstitions about only picking up a penny if it's on a certain side, but as for me, every penny i see is my great grandfather telling me hello. or possibly a funny joke. comedy is deep rooted in my family and i know that he's smiling at me every time i say something funny. (dad, aunt diane, please go find a tissue. it's going to be hard to see these pictures if you're teary eyed) not only was my great grandfather--papa george as we called him--the maker of incredible scrapbooks every year for EVERY member of the family (which dates back well over fifty years), but he also collected pennies. not just to stuff into a milkjug and take them to a coinstar--i'm pretty sure they didn't have those back them--but he would donate them to charities. he became known as "the penny philanthropist". pretty cool right? now i realize that MOST people see pennies all the time, but i have happened to come upon these shiny little coins at the most fitting moments of my life. times that i have been anxious, or afraid, or hopeful, or simply just needed some kind of a sign--those are the times i've found pennies. most people pick up pennies for luck. i pick them up because i know they were dropped there for me on purpose.

onto the food! not only was this place small and family owned by some extremely welcoming people, but the menu was amazing. it was authentic, yet creative with many of the items being their own creations. i went for something called the shakhloot special. i MAY be spelling that wrong. it was a lavash wrap (it's a pillowy flatbread similar to a pita, but much thinner) with hummus, tabouleh (bulgar wheat, lemon, olive oil, red wine vinegar, diced tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, mint, and parsley), feta, avocado, cucumber, tomato, red onion, spices, herbs, olive oil, falafel (a patty made from ground chickpeas, vegetables, herbs, and spices which gets fried), greek olives, and homemade dill pickles. well that was a mouthful. LITERALLY. it was so fresh and flavorful. the homemade pickles really made the sandwich for me. i know it seems like a lot to stuff into one wrap but when it comes to greek food, my opinion is "just put a little windex on it." no wait, that's not right. i believe that you can never have too many things in a greek wrap. so this was RIGHT up my alley. he also gave me a side of tzaziki sauce (greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice, cucumbers, dill, and onions) and a scoop of their hummus to try. he knew how interested i was in the food so he let me take a picture of it before closing the wrap!

while i was eating, the guy who had made my wrap (his parents owned the restaurant) brought me a piece of baklava which he said was on them because i drove all the way from hollywood.

normally the food is the best part of a restaurant, but the friendliness and warmth of the family here is what made this an amazing experience for me. as soon as i walked in the door the guy behind the counter greeted me and we started chatting about how i had come "all the way from hollywood" (you would've thought i had flown here from saturn). when i told him about MY papa george and how that was my whole purpose for making the trek here, him and his family couldn't have been more delighted. i asked him if they had t-shirts and he said that if they ever got them, not only would i be the first to get one, but it would be on them.

moral of the story:

well. i think you get it.

** don't worry it's not your computer, i couldn't get the glitches out of this video....even after five hours of working on it. incase you're wondering, the "french horn" that you can't see towards the end is a coors light bottle. big shocker. "don't worry, they're one of our sponsors" **

once you're done watching the video, like i said, i think you can guess what's coming next...

the difference in this teapot is that since i'm SO behind, instead of doing THREE exciting things (hence the T in teapot), i'll be catching you up on TONS of exciting things! because if i decided to catch you up on--let's say, nine exciting things--it would be NEAPOT. and that...doesn't...really make sense...so to start off, today was mostly consumed by trying to reconnect my wireless router. needless to say, it took about four hours and a LOT of reruns. 

once this screen finally popped up--well, angels sang, pigs flew, and i grew a tail--and then i decided to take a walk.

i've been on a LOT of walks around beachwood, but today i just happened to see a whole bunch of interesting things. it's hard to tell, but the flower above was yellow AND purple on the inside. it was so pretty it almost didn't look real. which is also what i thought about david beckham when i saw him in person.

on my way back down the hill, i noticed something green on the pavement..

after already passing two lemon trees in two different yards, i just assumed it was a mango that had fallen from someone's tree. and then i walked a few steps more and saw what appeared to be a nectarine.

i didn't know they made fruit salad trees.

as all of you know, my best friend sara came and visited me last week for my birthday. we had an AMAZING time. i've spent a lot of my days here cooped up in this apartment, but while sara was here, we were only here to sleep or eat breakfast.

we had chocolatey things.

we had fruity things.

we had things that made our dreams come true.

i had my very first in-n-out burger experience, which afterwards resulted in me asking "what the hell just happened?"

we saw beautiful things (venice beach--the beach part not the boardwalk).

we saw breathtaking things (the santa monica pier).

we saw awkward things.

we saw awesome things.

but best of all, we got to see each other.

(yes, this picture is however many months old st. patrick's day 2009 is, but it was kind of perfect) having sara here--at all--is a blessing, having sara here on my 25th birthday was more than i could have ever asked for. it's easy to feel lonely when you're new and well...alone...in a big city, but when you have someone by your side--someone who makes you come alive, who completes you in a way that only they can, who is not just your best friend but your family, who will ride the carousel and eat brownie sundays and banana splits with you until you're ready to throw up--you suddenly don't feel so alone. with sara by my side here, i felt like i could do anything. so i rode a horse. no seriously, we rode horses. at the VERY top of my street (of all places)--keep in mind my street winds up to the hollywood hills--there is a place called sunset ranch. not only did we ride horses along the side of a mountain, we got an upclose glance of the hollywood sign and possibly the best view of the entire city. other than yogurtland, sara and i agreed that this was our favorite part of the week. well, that and the few celebrity sightings :) but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to read about that.

with sara here, i felt like anything that i had ever been intimidated by had suddenly disappeared. we had a thousand adventures, meals, talks...that i would relive over and over again if given the chance. if you're wondering how i dealt with taking her to the airport, well, i think you can probably guess. i put my brave face on, but then i stayed at the bottom of the escalator until i couldn't see her anymore.

and then i stayed for five minutes after that.

i'll be honest, it was harder the next day than it was on the way home from the airport. i didn't hear the sound of cocoa pebbles trickling into a bowl that morning. i didn't have anyone sitting across the table from me at lunch wondering if what i got was good. and nobody asked me all day if they could borrow my clothes. BUT, even though it was a rough adjustment getting back to being alone, it reminded me that i need to depend on myself here for making my days go round. right before hugging me goodbye, sara looked at me and said "you're doing really good here." i know it was just a few simple words, but it meant more to me than she'll ever know. sara brought so much joy, and laughter, and thai food into this place. a place that didn't feel like home until she stepped off of the plane--but instead of losing those things when she headed back east, i'm trying to remember to hold onto them. to hold onto that side of me that she brought out when she was here. i have it in me to be truly happy in this strange place--alone or not--i just need a reminder of it every once in a while.

you didn't think i'd end without a highlight of the day did you?!

mom, i know what you're thinking right now. probably something along the lines of "fanny, where the f**k did you get that dresser? i talked to you at 8 o'clock tonight and you didn't have any furniture." well, you're right. a few hours ago, i didn't have any furniture. UNTIL...a knock on my door came from a girl named stella who lives at the end of the hall. a designer friend of hers has all kinds of incredible, stylish furniture that she's literally just giving to her. seeing as stella's place is already pretty crowded, and she knows i'm moving into an empty apartment, she decided to pass along some of it to me! apparently there's also a GIGANTIC tv that comes with some kind of big japanese tv stand (the craigslist angels were watching out for me today when i spent two hours looking for one but didn't buy anything), a chaise lounge, a kickass shabby chic green dresser (pictured above because it's all i have so far), and possibly even more. i'm a big fan of the worn, distressed look so of course i'm in love with the dresser. all it needs is some cute knobs and i'll have a place to put my underwear! most of these pieces are stylish and expensive, but when i asked stella how much it would be, she looked at me with a straight face and said "nothing. things are going really well for me right now and i just wanted to pass on some of the luck".  i knew that there was a reason i needed to stay here :) i have a feeling a lot of good karma is coming her way.

on another note, when i googled "chaise" to make sure it wasn't some kind of exotic fruit, i found this picture and i thought it would be a fitting way to end the blog.