Category Archives: Fun Stuff

1 Year Of Being A Homeowner (or It’s Been A Crazy First Year)

Posted on November 3, 2022 | Comments Off on 1 Year Of Being A Homeowner (or It’s Been A Crazy First Year)

Exactly one year ago, we closed on the sale of my condo. In some ways, it feels like it was just the other day and in other ways, it feels like it’s been longer than a year. I think the fact that I looked at so many condos makes the timeline a bit muddy in my mind. But I know that only looking for a month last year is a lot quicker than most people experience. And I know several people who didn’t get the first or second place they put an offer in on. So to only have to put an offer in on one place was very lucky and I’m still so grateful that this is my home.

Even though I have been a homeowner for a year now, I consider this to be my home for only about 6 months since I didn’t move in here until April this year. I wasn’t expecting to have to stay in my rental as long as I did, but the renovation took longer due to multiple reasons and I knew I didn’t want to live through a renovation when I could be living in a different location. It did make things a bit more expensive for me since I was paying for rent during that overlap plus I had bills at both homes, but it was worth it to me to have peace in my home and not construction noise all day.

Looking back at the photos of the condo from the listing, it doesn’t feel like the same place to me anymore. I was really able to make this my home and fit my style and aesthetic. It’s not finished yet and I still have things I need to get, but it’s much more like my home than my rental or what the condo looked like before the renovation.

Originally, the plan wasn’t to do a huge renovation, but as we got started it made more sense to do everything at once instead of doing some before I moved in and some after I was living here. And we made a few significant changes such as making the passthrough between the kitchen and living room much bigger so it felt like the two rooms were open to each other. That idea was something my parents heard when they were interviewing contractors, and I think that change made such a difference in how the space feels. We also had to get new kitchen cabinets when the original plan was to just refinish the ones that were in there because the original ones were damaged and wouldn’t be able to support me putting dishes in them without risking having them fall off the walls. So obviously that had to be fixed. I don’t think we necessarily went overboard with the renovation, but we did do a lot as we discovered things that needed to be done. And at least now anything else I want to do (which is only my closet and my bathroom) are things that can wait for a few years since the changes are about the appearance and not the function.

I haven’t had to change too much in my life since moving because I’m only a few blocks away from my rental. My life still has the same routines and I still go to the same places I went to before, like the same grocery stores. But I think the quality of my life has improved a lot. Having almost 3 times the space has been a huge and positive change. I didn’t realize how nice it would be to have my office area separate from my living room. I have a kitchen that is really functional and that has appliances that work and don’t make it harder to cook. And I’m very fortunate that my costs haven’t changed too much compared to what I was paying before. Some of my bills are a bit higher, but others are lower. And paying property taxes was a bit of a shock with how much they are, but when you split up the cost over a year, between those and my HOA fees, it’s about the same as I was paying in rent.

But I think the best thing that has happened to me in the past year of being a homeowner is just feeling more settled in my home and really feeling like I have a place that is mine. My rental felt more like my place than any other place I had lived before, but I had no idea how much more I could feel like my place is my home until I moved into the condo. Part of it has to do with the renovation and changes we made to how things look. But there’s just something different knowing that this is my home and my piece of LA. I’m not dependent on a landlord to maintain a space and I don’t have to worry about the rents increasing and pricing me out or having a landlord that wants to tear down the building to modernize things and needing to rush to find a new home (which is what is going to happen to my neighbors at my old place as soon as the landlord can kick people out). I have felt like LA has been my home pretty much as soon as I moved here. Even living in the dorms in college, LA felt like home.

But even though I have felt like LA has been my home for over 20 years, I have spent the past year owning a part of LA and really being able to build a home and not just moving into a space to try to make it feel like mine. And I can’t wait to continue my life in LA in this home and see what the next year and beyond have in store for me!

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Default ThumbnailStill Learning More About Being A Homeowner (or Observing Another HOA Meeting) Default ThumbnailIt’s Finally Goodbye To My House (or Closing This Chapter) Default ThumbnailThinking Back On 21 Years In LA (or Feeling A Bit Sentimental) Default ThumbnailA Few Delays With My Monthly Challenge (or This Month, I Will Be Moving) Default ThumbnailNow I Think This Is The End Of The Renovation (or I Keep Thinking I’m At The Finish Line) Default ThumbnailStarting To Move In (or Taking The Roadrunner To The Condo)

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Posted in Celebrations, Fun Stuff

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Being A Word Nerd (or A More Normal Halloween Celebration)

Posted on November 2, 2022 | Comments Off on Being A Word Nerd (or A More Normal Halloween Celebration)

For almost as long as I’ve lived in LA, I have celebrated Halloween at my friend Marie’s party. It’s a tradition for me and I look forward to it every year. Of course, we had to skip the normal party for 2020, but we had a virtual party that year. And last year, it was a much smaller party than normal because it was mainly for people who have been in the same pandemic bubble together. All of the in-person parties since the pandemic have been that way, so they’ve been smaller groups. But even with fewer people at the parties, they have been so much fun and we all love hanging out together.

But this year, they did a more open party and it was the biggest party I’ve been to in a long time. There were still people wearing masks, which I think might be the way things go for a while, but since the party was held outside I felt pretty safe. And even though I didn’t know everyone there, I knew most of the people and the new people were friends of friends. So it was much more comfortable than being at a party where I didn’t know too many people or if I was at a party that was held inside.

I loved getting to be around so many people and even though I can be overwhelmed in crowds, I know that I was craving this social interaction. And I was so excited before the party to see what costumes everyone would come up with. I know that everyone is so creative and that I would be in awe over what crazy ideas people would come up with. For my costume, I went with something simple which is what I tend to do. I like to have costumes that I don’t have to necessarily drive in since my drive to the party can be an hour if there is some traffic. So having things that can be added to my outfit are the best option.

I didn’t have an idea for the longest time and I was worried as the party was getting closer if I would have some inspiration for a costume. But as it usually happens, I was inspired and knew immediately what my costume would be as soon as I saw it. This time, I saw it through TikTok, and I was so excited to make it as soon as I saw it.

I love playing different word games, including playing Wordle. I play it every day and have a text group with my family to share our scores each day. And I loved the idea of going as a game of Wordle to the party. I picked the words I put on there carefully because I didn’t want to have to make a ton of extra letters. So I figured out something that would make it super easy to guess, but I had little velcro strips on the extra letters and spaces to the costume so it would be interactive. I didn’t end up using any of the extra letters I made up since everyone was able to guess it on the first try, and I didn’t want to keep taking them on and off the costume. But I think people had fun with it even if they don’t normally play. But in the costume contest, I wasn’t even close to the top ones. The best costume was someone as Madame Leota from the Haunted Mansion. They made a tabletop that went on their shoulders and had a plastic bowl over their head to make it look like a crystal ball. It was so impressive and they easily won first place.

I was at the party later than I normally would be, but I knew the next day I could sleep in a bit and didn’t have to worry about getting too much done in my day. I wanted to spend enough time hanging out with my friends and getting to know the new people at the party since they probably will be at future parties as well. It was really a great time and felt like the old normal for a brief moment of time. I know all of us are still being careful with Covid and making sure we don’t take too many unnecessary risks, but it is also nice to be able to put down my guard and just relax with my friends.

And now, I have only a few months until the Oscar party and I know I want to think of a good costume for that one too! It might not be too elaborate, but I like having something fun and clever and I want to start planning for it as soon as I can!

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Default ThumbnailHaving To Explain My Costume (or An Almost Normal Halloween) Default ThumbnailFirst Halloween Party Of The Season (or At Least I Made An Appearance) Default ThumbnailHalloween Awesomeness (or I Am Covfefe) Default ThumbnailA Halloween Outing (or Dressing Up As Me) Default ThumbnailA Busy Halloween (or Dressing As A Box Office Employee) Default ThumbnailHaving Some Halloween Fun (or Creating A Clever Costume)

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A Busy Building Weekend (or Having My Parents Help Me Continue To Put My Place Together)

Posted on October 26, 2022 | Comments Off on A Busy Building Weekend (or Having My Parents Help Me Continue To Put My Place Together)

My parents have been able to come to LA a couple of times since we bought the condo. They hadn’t seen it before it was officially ours, which was a little odd, but they had been on Facetime with me a lot so they had an idea of what it looked like. Plus they trusted the realtor we used and looked into all the inspection details so things weren’t a big surprise for them. They also were here before the remodel started so we could finalize details such as the stone and tile we would use. They came down during the remodel to ensure things were working the way they should. And then they were here when things were technically done and I had moved in, but that was before the floors had to be redone. So they have seen my home in all different stages.

As I have gotten new things, I have shared photos or videos with them so they have been aware of the changes I’ve continued to make. But they hadn’t been able to see the place in person since right after I moved in (which was the time we found my new couch). They usually have planned their visits down here around the time they would be seeing my brother, but they had a trip to Santa Barbara earlier this where it didn’t make sense for my parents to see me because they could only be here on weekdays. I work all day, so I knew if I really wanted to see them it would have to be a weekend. So they planned a weekend in LA and then planned to see my brother around that. And we had a pretty busy weekend.

My parents brought some stuff down for me this time, including a new bark planter for me to put in my backyard.

I had bark planters at my old place, but they were really old and brittle so it was time for an upgrade. And my dad was able to make me this one and then they found a little stand with wheels so I can move it around (it’s too heavy to really lift and move). My dad also helped me out and planted the new plants I bought in it, so hopefully, I will be able to keep those plants alive.

We also had a trip to Ikea. My parents hadn’t been to Ikea before, so I figured it would be fun to go in person instead of me just ordering some things I was looking at online and having them shipped. Plus, there were a few things I was undecided on and wanted to see in person before I decided what to buy. On my list for this trip was a new vanity for my room, some storage for my bathroom, and a big full-length mirror.

I was successful in finding a new vanity, but it actually wasn’t the one I expected to get. When we looked at them in person, I found one that I liked more and that I think fit into my room better. The storage thing I was looking at for my bathroom was the right thing so I got that too. But the mirrors just weren’t the right thing for what I needed, so I’ll have to find something at another store.

Because of how Ikea is set up, we spent a while walking around and looking at the different areas and what things might work for me or inspire an idea. And while we were walking around, I found a cabinet that I had been looking at for a while but hadn’t gotten. I wanted some more shoe storage and something near my entryway to have a place to display things and just to ground the space. So I showed my parents what I had been looking at and they agreed it would be perfect as well. I wasn’t sure about the color since I had originally looked at the white one, but we decided something a little darker would be nice and a good contrast against the paint color.

When we got home from Ikea, we had a list of things to get through. There were a few other tasks I wanted some help with, like hanging some art that I hadn’t put up yet. But most of our afternoon and evening was filled with building the new cabinet and vanity. And I have to say after the cabinet was done that it was exactly the right thing to put in that space.

I haven’t put all my shoes away yet and I might use one of the drawers for something else, but it really fills in the space that you see when you walk in the door and I love that it’s really shallow so it doesn’t block my hallway too much. It really was the perfect thing for that space and I’m so glad that I got it!

Because my parents were only here for the weekend and we had a lot of things to get done, we didn’t do much else while they were here. But that’s ok since I knew this visit would be one that was spent doing a lot of random work. We didn’t get everything done that we wanted to, but a lot was accomplished. And I know the next time that they are here, I’ll have more things for us to put together and to make my home feel even more complete.

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Default ThumbnailAnother Busy Condo Weekend (or A Working Visit For My Parents) Default ThumbnailA Busy Family Weekend (or Continuing To Set Up My Home) Default ThumbnailBusy Building New Things (or At Least Some Of This Was Easy) Default ThumbnailSaturday Evening With My Parents (or I’m Posting A Little Out Of Order About My Weekend) Default ThumbnailMinor Remodeling (or Putting My Parents To Work On Their Vacation) Default ThumbnailEnjoying A Family Weekend (or Adventuring Around LA)

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Posted in Family, Fun Stuff, Shopping

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An Unexpected Friend Hangout (or More Proof I Need To Be More Social)

Posted on October 14, 2022 | Comments Off on An Unexpected Friend Hangout (or More Proof I Need To Be More Social)

I’ve written about how I’ve become much less social compared to how I was before. I know a lot of that is because of the pandemic and my hesitation to feel like things are normal again so I’m not really going out the way I did. But also, a lot of events that I used to go to still aren’t back yet. But besides not going out as much, I don’t have as many friends who live in LA as I did before. A lot of my friends moved in the past 2 years. All of them had reasons they wanted to move and they all are thriving in their new cities. But that doesn’t make me miss them less. And as so many people know, it’s really hard to make new friends as an adult. And even harder when you aren’t going out much and meeting new people.

Even though my friends aren’t all local anymore, I do make efforts to maintain those friendships. I’m lucky that those friends are the type of friends that you can just text each other random stuff for a while but when you have time for a phone call or a hangout, things pick back up exactly where they left off and there’s no awkwardness. Those are the truest type of friends to me. Those relationships are strong enough that they don’t need regular maintenance. And I think because of how things have gone over the past few years, most of the friendships that I still have are that type of friends whether they live in LA or not.

But of course, I miss seeing my friends that I was used to seeing on a regular basis who don’t live here anymore. I haven’t been able to see most of them because everyone is busy. But I always hope that either they will be back in LA for some reason or I will have a chance to travel to where they are so I can see them again. What has happened has been random chance visits from friends because they are in town and need a place to stay. That happened over the summer when a friend needed a place to stay for a night when they were here for a wedding. And I got another random overnight guest earlier this week.

I hadn’t seen my friend Dani since she surprised me for my birthday last year. I miss our Disney days and going to musicals with her, but I know that she’s been loving her new city. And we keep in pretty regular contact via text so we both know what’s going on in each other’s lives. And the other night, she texted me to see if she could crash at my place that night. She was flying and had a layover at LAX, but due to delays, she didn’t make her connecting flight and the airline wasn’t paying for a hotel. She didn’t mind that I only had an air mattress and not an actual bed for her to stay in, so I told her that I’d love to get to see her and let her stay here.

It was the best unplanned hangout. She got here really late and we both had to be up really early the next morning, but we still got a few hours of hangout time in. It was so awesome to get to catch up in person instead of via text. We’ve both had a lot of changes happen in our lives, but I think we both have grown in really great ways. And she had only seen my condo in photos and videos, so I wanted to give her the tour. I haven’t been able to show off my place to too many of my friends, and I love how everyone agrees that it’s the perfect place for me and it really feels like it’s my home. And Dani has done renovations before too, so I had asked her a lot of questions while the work was being done and I was so happy to show her how everything turned out.

I wish that she and I could have had more time to hang out, but we both needed to get sleep before getting up early the next morning. And I will be up where she is located next month when I’m doing some family stuff, so there’s a chance we will get to see each other again then. I’m not sure of my schedule yet when I’m there, but I’m hoping there will be enough free time to meet up somewhere to continue catching up.

It is always nice when I make plans with friends and have something to look forward to. But it’s just as nice when getting to see my friends is a surprise and happens with no planning. I’m just lucky any time I get to see friends, especially those who have moved away, and I am always grateful for whatever time I can have with them.

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Default ThumbnailAn Unexpected Friend Hangout (or Helping Out And Getting Social Time) Default ThumbnailTrivia Night (or An Unexpected Friend Hangout) Default ThumbnailAnother Virtual Friend Hangout (or Trying Not To Miss A Summer Tradition Too Much) Default ThumbnailA Friend Party (or A Casual Hangout And Catchup) Default ThumbnailAnother Random Friend Hangout (or So Happy For In-Person Time) Default ThumbnailAnother OTF Hangout (or Having Fun Being Social In Normal Clothes)

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Another Theater Sunday (or Supporting A Friend)

Posted on October 12, 2022 | Comments Off on Another Theater Sunday (or Supporting A Friend)

Most of the time, when I’m going to see a show I’m going to see something in a large theater at the Pantages or the Dolby. I have seen shows at other theaters, including some small theaters, but that’s not too often for me. I saw more shows in small black box theaters when I was younger, especially while I was still doing sketch and improv. I frequently would go to shows that my friends were doing on nights I wasn’t in a show and then they would see my shows on their off nights. But I just haven’t really seen a lot of independent theater lately. Some of that is because my friends aren’t doing as much theater like that, and some of it has been that I haven’t had a chance to.

My friend Marie was in an amazing show over the summer called “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Divorce”, and I really wanted to go and see it. But with a lot of my crazy schedule stuff plus various injuries and illnesses, I never made it to the theater. I knew that Marie understood, but I felt so bad that I never made it. So when she emailed me to let me know that the show was extending its run and starting up again, I was so excited that I could go and see it! And that’s exactly what I got to do this past Sunday.

The show was in a cute little theater in the theater district in Hollywood. I’ve seen a few shows in theaters near there before, and they are great places to see independent theater and new shows. This was a new show and it had gotten some great reviews. And when I got there, I saw that my friend Andy happened to be going to the show that afternoon as well. I was expecting to sit alone at the show, and I was glad that I had a friend that I could sit with. And since it was open seating, we got to sit in the front row together.

The show is a one-act play without an intermission. Without giving away too much, it’s the story of 3 couples ready to get a divorce and have to see a mediator in order to complete the process. The stories of each couple are explored and explained with a few different flashback segments. And there are some really funny moments as well as some really touching and heartwarming moments. I guess it would be considered more of a drama, but because of the comedy in it as well it wasn’t a very heavy show. And I feel like it ended on a really nice note as well.

Of course, I loved getting to see Marie in a show. I haven’t been able to see her in a show in a long time, and most of the shows I have seen her in have been standup performances. Getting to see her in a play is very different and I was so proud of how amazing she was! I’m glad I got a second chance to see this show because missing it would have been a loss for me.

The show is running through November 20th and has performances on Saturdays and Sundays. If you are in LA and would like to see it (which I really recommend), you can get tickets online and use the code “friends” for a nice discount!

I’m so glad I had this opportunity to support a friend performing and doing the thing they love so much. This isn’t something I get to do that often, and it was a good reminder of how awesome it is to see independent theater and the passion of everyone involved in a show.

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Default ThumbnailMoulin Rouge! (or The Last Show Of An Extended Theater Season) Default ThumbnailAn Unexpected Musical (or Seeing A Show At A Different Theater) Default Thumbnail“BLUE” (or Supporting A Friend’s Film) Default ThumbnailBig Musical Instead of Big Game (or Another Sunday Night Out) Default ThumbnailInside The Box (or Enjoying Some Virtual Theater) Default ThumbnailA Special Birthday For A Special Friend (or Celebrating A “College” Friend)

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Resets And New Adventures (or Always Working To Improve My Life)

Posted on October 4, 2022 | Comments Off on Resets And New Adventures (or Always Working To Improve My Life)

Happy October! I feel like I say this every month, but it seems like time is flying by so quickly! I feel like we just started September and now it’s over. And I know before I know it, it will be the new year. I think having this feeling is one of the reasons I’m glad I set monthly challenges for myself. It gives me something to focus on accomplishing so the time just doesn’t slip by.

For September, my challenge was to do daily resets of my home. I had noticed that I was putting things off and saying to myself that I could just do it in the morning. But of course, I never did it the next day and some tasks were just not getting done in a timely manner. And because my condo is much bigger than my last place, it was easier to not see the mess that might have been left. For example, I could leave things in the sink and not see them compared to before when if I left something in the sink it basically made the sink unusable. And it was easy to use the excuse that I was still figuring out where I want things to be to not put away something I might have used. So I wanted to try to reset my home as much as I could each day so I felt like I started fresh in the morning.

I wasn’t perfect at all and there were still plenty of days when I wasn’t putting away all my dishes or leaving things for the next day. But I did make a much more conscious effort to be better about this. I also worked harder on finding places for some of my things. I’m still working on a list of things I need to get more organized, like ways I can organize under my kitchen and bathroom sink. And I know once I get those things it will be a little easier. But even without being perfect, I did notice a difference in how I felt in the morning when things weren’t still needing to be done and it felt like I was starting from neutral in the morning.

After working last month on getting a good reset system down in my home so I could feel like each day was a new day, for October I want to mix things up a bit more in my life. This month, I want to make an effort to try to do some new things or get out of the rut that I’m currently dealing with. I have a pretty set routine for weekdays. I go to the gym in the morning, work all day, and then after work I’m usually just sitting at home and trying to relax from my day. I feel like I’m a bit stuck since each week goes by and I don’t have a lot of variety in my life. I try to do things on weekends, but I work on Saturdays and on Sundays, I’m normally getting ready for the next week.

I feel like before the pandemic, I wasn’t in quite as bad of a rut. I know I was not doing as much as I could, but there is a big difference between being done with work at 3pm versus 5 or 6pm. When I was done at 3, I felt like I still had my afternoon and evening ahead of me and I could go out and do something. There were plenty of times I went to Disneyland after work since I had the afternoon free. But now, once I’m done with work I want to get dinner figured out and before I know it, it’s time to go to bed since I get up so early. There are a few wasted hours in my evening when I’m not doing much that I could take advantage of. And even though I try to go to bed early, I usually don’t. So I might as well go out with friends or something that keeps me out a bit later than to be up too late because I was scrolling on social media.

This goal is easier said than done. So many of my friends have moved away so I am working on rebuilding friendships that may have become acquaintanceships. I’m trying to ask more friends about meeting up for dinner or something simple like that to just get out of the house. But I’m hoping if I ask my friends if they want to go out and do something specific versus just asking if they are free and then trying to figure out something to do, hopefully, I will be able to make more plans and I’ll find things I like to do that I haven’t done in a while. Maybe I’ll find a new routine that adds a bit more social time to my week.

Having a routine isn’t bad, as long as it’s something you are having fun with. But now, I’m not having as much fun with my weekly routine and it feels like a rut, so I want to work on getting out of it and start enjoying my life again.

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Default ThumbnailJust Enjoying My Boring Routine (or Still Working On Adding More Back To My Life) Default ThumbnailBeing Organized and Stylish (or Working On Getting Into A Post-Pandemic Life) Default ThumbnailWorking On A Work/Life Balance (or Almost Repeating A Recent Monthly Challenge) Default ThumbnailStill Working On Creating Better Habits (or Getting More Prepared For “Normal” Life Again) Default ThumbnailA Little Of My Old Life and A Little Of My New Life (or Yet Another Thing To Balance) Default ThumbnailWorking On My Inner Badass (or How Spinning Fit In Perfectly With My Life Yesterday)

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Following A Bit Of Online Gossip (or The Weirdness Of Having A Parasocial Relationship)

Posted on September 30, 2022 | Comments Off on Following A Bit Of Online Gossip (or The Weirdness Of Having A Parasocial Relationship)

I’ve never really been much of a gossip person. I think I’ve only bought a tabloid a few times when I was hanging out with friends and we wanted some magazines to read. I don’t follow online gossip sites or social media pages. I don’t know if it’s because so many stories are about people working in the same industry as me or what, but I’ve just never understood reading gossip about the lives of celebrities. Of course, I do follow celebrities on various social media sites so I see what people share that they got married or had a kid, but I don’t really seek out that information.

So when I first heard the idea of a parasocial relationship, I didn’t think I could relate to it. I never viewed people I saw online or through social media as friends or more than someone who is presenting their life online. I know that there are people who are big fans of people on YouTube or social media who know so much about them, but that just hasn’t been my experience online. But I realized that I just didn’t see that I had a parasocial relationship with people online until this past week.

I have watched the Try Guys videos pretty much since they started. I used to watch them on Buzzfeed and then continued to watch them when they created their own channel. I also listen to some of the podcasts that their company produces. I haven’t purchased their merchandise or bought tickets to see them live, but I would consider myself a fan of their work. I have enjoyed their videos and I think that they put out really great content.

And when the news about one of the stars of the channel having an affair with one of his employees, I realized that I had been having a parasocial relationship with the group. I think a lot of people had the same realization as I did because so many people who said they never cared about a celebrity break up were really sad about this situation. I think most of the gossip was hard to miss if you were online at all this past week. It seemed like everyone posted about it and it was unavoidable. I didn’t really seek out the information, but I got a lot of it through just being online. And watching some people experience the same emotions as I did was interesting.

I have never met anyone in the Try Guys, but because they all put their lives out there and many of their families have been in their videos, it does feel like you have gotten to know them a bit. People knew that this star had a wife and kids and was very known for always talking about how much he loves his wife. So everyone was immediately feeling sad for his family since we had seen them for a few years in videos. I think people also were feeling sad for the group since they were a group of friends who created this company together and have always seemed to get along in the videos. And when the announcement came that this person would no longer be a part of the channel or company, people were sad about what this could mean for the group.

It felt kind of weird to be having all these feelings about a group that I have never met personally, but I guess it makes sense since I’ve been enjoying their videos for so long. It’s similar to being sad when a character in a tv show is killed off or when the series ends and you are saying goodbye to al the characters. Even though the Try Guys are not actors, they are playing a role in their videos. We don’t know everything about them, just the side that they choose to share. But it does feel like we know them because they the line between their real self and online persona is very blurred.

I hope that the group finds a way to work through this time, whether they find a replacement for the person who was removed or not. I do want to continue to watch their videos and listen to their podcasts and that’s only possible if they can get past this time. And I also remember seeing videos about how hard they worked to build their company, so I guess the parasocial relationship side of me hopes that they do not lose everything that they have worked so hard for. Whatever happens to the group, I know that it won’t affect my life since I’m not directly connected to them. But I can still hope for the best for the people that I have watched online for years.

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Still Learning More About Being A Homeowner (or Observing Another HOA Meeting)

Posted on September 29, 2022 | Comments Off on Still Learning More About Being A Homeowner (or Observing Another HOA Meeting)

I know there is a ton to learn about being a homeowner and I’ve been slowly learning things. I’ve always been pretty handy with little repairs around the place and I used to fix things on my own at my rentals if they were really easy because it was normally simpler for me to do it than to wait for someone to come. But I have had to learn more things now that I don’t have a landlord since I don’t want to pay for someone to do things that I can try to do on my own. For example, I’ve had to learn some basic plumbing things to try to fix a slow drain. I’m also looking at replacing a bathroom faucet since that wasn’t done in the renovation, but that will need to be done by a handyman since that is a bit more involved than what I’ve been figuring out.

But besides the homeowner stuff that I’ve been learning regarding maintenance and repairs, I’m also learning about being in a condo building and having an HOA. I know other people have complained a lot about HOAs and how they micromanage every little thing, but I think I’m pretty lucky with my HOA. I did have to get their approval for the renovation and it wasn’t the quickest process, but it wasn’t too difficult. And I’ve had to get approval to replace my front door lock since that needs to match the existing lock, but I was able to find almost an identical match and got it approved so I can either try to replace it myself or hire someone to do that. We don’t have a lot of amenities here, but the HOA does a good job of maintaining common spaces like the courtyard. And they do the gardening in the little backyard area that I have.

I know there are a lot of things I can learn about how the HOA works, and I have plenty of time to figure things out, but I want to know as much as I can so I can understand how things get done. And the best way for me to do that is to attend the HOA meetings. I’ve only been able to attend a few of them, including the meeting I attended where they discussed my renovation plans so they could be approved. Sometimes the meetings conflict with other meetings, and I just can’t attend. But just like the different union meetings I try to go to, I make every effort I can to attend the HOA meetings.

So when an emergency meeting was called earlier this week, I made sure to make time in my day to be a part of it. I don’t know if any meetings before the pandemic were done in person, but every meeting since I bought my place has been over Zoom so at least it’s usually easy to attend even if I have other things I need to do at the same time. This meeting was an emergency meeting because the HOA board was looking to hire a new HOA management company after ending the contract with the current management company. There were a few different issues with the current management company, some of which I experienced myself. I had delays with getting my renovation approved because of the management company. I also had delays with other responses I had been waiting for from them. I tried to not be frustrated, but I did want to get faster responses so I could get things done and not keep waiting. And it was actually reassuring to hear that others had the same issues as me so I wasn’t odd for being frustrated with the waiting.

I didn’t really say too much in this meeting since I don’t know anything about HOA management companies. But it was interesting hearing about the different options and what exactly the management company does versus the HOA board. And by the end of the meeting, a new management company was agreed upon and we have all been emailed to set things up with them so we can have a smooth transition. Even though it’s only been a day, I’ve already had a good experience because I asked for approval for something I have been waiting on and it was approved within an hour! So I think this is a good sign of things to come!

I’m sure I’ll continue to learn more and more about home ownership and the HOA as time goes on. I’ve almost been a homeowner for a year now, although I’ve only been living here for just under 6 months. I’ve learned a lot so far, but I can’t wait to see what else I will learn about because I know it will only be things that benefit me going forward.

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Kicking Off Another Season Of Musicals (or A Really Impressive Start To The Season)

Posted on September 27, 2022 | Comments Off on Kicking Off Another Season Of Musicals (or A Really Impressive Start To The Season)

As I mentioned before, I got season tickets for the Pantages for the coming season. I’m going with my friend Jodi, which I’m very excited about. She joined me for two shows in the past season, and we talked a bit about getting season tickets for this season. She wasn’t sure about it, but once the tickets were for sale and she and I both looked at our own budgets, we both could make it work so we got the full season! We’ve had to change the dates for a few of our shows, but we are still going to all of the shows in the current season. And I’m so glad we are doing this since seeing the shows have been a real highlight for me each time I have a show. And I didn’t want to go alone so I’m glad Jodi was able to make it work so she could come too.

Our season just got started and we got to see our first show this past weekend. Our shows this season are a mix of shows that I’m either familiar with or familiar with the material they are based on and new shows for me. And this one was a bit of a mix.

Our first show was “Jagged Little Pill” and I knew it was essentially a jukebox musical with the music being songs by Alanis Morissette. I knew many of the songs from that album, but not all of them, so I knew there would be some songs I knew and some that were new to me. But even though I knew the songs, I didn’t know what the story of the show was. For a lot of other jukebox musicals, they are about the singer or songwriter they are about. So it’s a bit of a biography and follows their life or career. But I knew this wasn’t that way even though I didn’t know the plot.

Without giving too much of the story away, the show is about a year in the life of a family that has a mom, dad, son, and daughter. And while each person might look from the outside that they are doing well or succeeding in life, all of them are struggling with different traumas in their lives. The show gets pretty intense at times, but I didn’t feel like it was overwhelming. Sometimes if a show gets to be too much, I can’t exactly focus on it and I miss some of the story. But this one just pushed the limit of being overwhelming and I was fully engaged while watching the entire time. But it was emotional and dealt with a lot of serious things, so it was very different from other musicals that I’ve seen.

I really enjoyed this show. Even though it wasn’t a happy or joyful show, it was beautifully done. The performances were really incredible. Some of the songs are really intense, and the actors really nailed it. And the dancing was amazing too. Some of the dancing was to represent the character’s inner feelings and thoughts and I loved how that was done. And I think the issues they went through in the show are things that so many people have to deal with and I think it was a great way to show how you never know what someone is going through in their life.

For most of the shows that I have seen at the Pantages, I sat in the orchestra in pretty much the same seats each season. But this season we are up in the mezzanine which is a very different viewpoint. It is a bit further from the stage than my past seats, but because we aren’t off to the side like I was in the past, we can see more of the stage which is nice. And I don’t think it feels that much further from the stage since before we were much further to the side.

I’m really looking forward to the rest of the shows this season. I think Jodi and I are going to have so much fun with the shows we are going to get to see and I’m just so happy to be continuing my tradition of seeing musicals on a regular basis!

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Finding Some New Awesome Art (or Still Celebrating My Liver)

Posted on September 22, 2022 | Comments Off on Finding Some New Awesome Art (or Still Celebrating My Liver)

I knew when I moved into my new place, I would need to get some more things to decorate since it’s about 3 times the size of my old place. I felt like my old place had a good amount of art and fun stuff around, but that was because I had so little space to put them up. So ever since I moved into my new place, things have felt a bit sparse. But I also don’t want to just buy things to fill up my new home, so I’m always on the lookout for cool things to get or add to my wish list so I can buy them later.

I know I will want a lot of cool things to decorate when I eventually get the library bed for my office/guest room. There will be a lot of shelves that I want to decorate and I’ve added so much to a wish list already such as books with decorative covers to make them look more like art than books. I never really got into the idea of styling bookshelves until a few years ago, but now I love the idea of finding creative ways to set up bookcases. And one of the things I love seeing on styled bookcases is fun pieces of art that can feel a bit random. You can’t exactly just go shopping for random things, but it feels like you found a treasure when you find something that happens to be perfect.

I was scrolling through TikTok a few weeks ago and came across someone who does embroidery. One of the things I love about TikTok is how you can discover someone you might never have found otherwise. And this person not only does cool embroidery, but she makes different organs out of embroidery. And the video that I saw was her making a liver. Of course, I needed it so I could celebrate how amazing my liver has been and to commemorate the tumors shrinking. I immediately went to her Etsy shop and looked for it, but I couldn’t find it. So I commented on the video and she said it was going to be a part of a release coming up. I made a mental note to look at her shop again when she released new items and just hoped that I would be lucky enough to get it.

And on the release day, I guess I forgot what day it was until very late that night. All of a sudden, I realized that the liver art was going to be for sale that day and there was only one available. I was worried that someone else got it before I had a chance to buy it, but somehow it was still available. So I clicked to buy it and made sure I finished everything before anyone else got a chance to do so. I was so happy when I got the order confirmation because I really wanted this piece as a part of my office. And now I knew I would be getting it.

Because it was coming from overseas, I knew it might take a while to get to me, But it was only about 2 weeks later before there was a package in my mailbox and my new amazing art was here!

I think it looks even better than it did online! Every time I look at it, I smile. It’s really beautifully done and I know it sounds weird to say this but I love the colors. When I saw it online, I knew immediately that it’s a liver, but I think some people might think it’s a mushroom or a tree. But that almost makes it even better. It’s something so random and cool but also so meaningful to me.

Since I don’t know when I’ll be getting the library bed so I can decorate my office, right now my new embroidered liver is leaning against things on my desk. But I think I’ll get a little stand for it so I can have it upright next to a stack of books when I do have that new piece of furniture. I don’t have many things yet to put on those shelves when I do get them, but I am so glad that I have something so perfect already to put on there in the future.

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