First Few Days in LA

These are the obligatory first-day-of-anything pictures for mom!  I took them in my new room on Monday morning.

The place has good light because it has windows as well as an angled ceiling and skylights.  While it's small, I hardly have anything to fill it with, so I don't mind.  The apartment building is in an absolutely gorgeous area, right up from Hollywood Blvd on La Brea.  The building is pink and covered with bougainvillea and honeysuckle.  

I arrived on Saturday at about 3:oo pm, and spent the next few hours unpacking, buying sheets and a pillow, and calling various friends to let them know I'd arrived.  That night, I met up with Chrissie, Matt, and Jenny after they'd finished shooting Chrissie's short film, and we had a yummy late dinner at 25 Degrees (at the Roosevelt Hotel), followed by hanging out at Chrissie and Matt's apartment.  

The next day - Sunday - I slept in, and then drove to Pasadena, for both nostalgic and practical reasons.  I did some grocery shopping at Trader Joe's, then had a lovely picnic lunch in Victory Park, near where I grew up.  Later that day, I met up with Chris, we hung out at my new apartment, and then we went to dinner at a great little Indian place on Melrose called Anarkali.

Monday was my first day of work at the Federal Public Defender's Office, and it was hectic!  After getting fingerprinted and sorted out with HR, my supervising attorney gave me two assignments - one regarding a petition for certiorari, and one regarding an upcoming narcotics case - and I got set up at my nice little cubicle at the far end of the law library.

The FPD is right in the heart of Little Toyko in downtown LA, about four blocks from the federal courthouse, and three blocks from City Hall.  I also discovered that it was only about a 15 minute walk from the Civic Center Metro Red Line (subway) stop!  On Monday night, Seth came over, and we watched the two hour season finale of 24, followed by a selection of fabulous gourmet cupcakes at Chrissie and Matt's.

On Tuesday morning, I got up early and walked down to the Metro Station at Hollywood & Highland.  The trip was quick, easy, and much better than sitting in traffic - plus all of the ticket fares are reimbursable at the FPD!  Another busy day at work.

Tuesday night was hard.  It was the first night where I was just at the new apartment, getting my bearings.  I made pasta and watched a marathon of Whose Wedding Is It, Anyway? but I couldn't help feeling sad and displaced.  Todd and I talked, and I felt a bit better, but the enormity of all the changes over the last few days - new apartment, new job, new city, no Todd - really hit me hard.  I listened to some music on my Ipod touch and then went to sleep.

Today was a lot better.  I again took the Metro to work, and when I got there, my assignments were interesting and engaging.   Being an almost-lawyer is fun!  I had lunch with Jeremy at a sushi place right around the corner from the FPD.  Tonight, Eli drove over from Pasadena and we got delicious frozen yogurt at this place called Yogurt Land on La Brea.  We took a long walk around my old Miracle Mile stomping grounds, and spent some time catching up.

Phew!  It feels like it should be Friday already...

UPDATE: I posted this last night but the internet was down so I didn't publish it.  As I was walking home from work on Hollywood Boulevard today, Todd called.  I picked up and he said "I'm here!" He'd surprised me by driving down this morning for his two days off!

Who says grand romantic gestures have to end with the courtship?

I seriously can't believe that this is the guy I am lucky enough to marry soon! :-)