The San Pedro life
Aug. 29th, 2011 01:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kodalaiWell, I am settled in San Pedro. Haven't updated much because there's not much to tell -- the past two weeks have been quiet. Quiet is good. I still haven't gotten around to taking photos (whoops) but I'll just give a general update.
The new place is great so far. San Pedro is right on the waterfront -- if I look out over the balcony I can see the berths and big machinery of the Port of Los Angeles. Very industrial, but the area where I actually live is a beautiful, tree-and-flower bedecked suburb hill. Hills everywhere will make it awkward to bike around, but that is a problem for a future time. A breeze constantly coming off the ocean stops it from getting too hot; it hasn't gone above 85 or below 65 yet while I've been here. They do get a daily visit of the 'marine layer,' where between the hours of 7 and 9 it basically looks like Seattle does all year round, but ask me how often I'm awake for that.
I am renting out one bedroom in a 3 bedroom condo owned by one of my roommates. (I keep having the urge to call it an apartment, but it's not.) Both she and the other roommate are very nice, though in very different ways. Senior roommate, who owns the place, works for Toyota, is very easygoing and seems to be chronically tired or ill. I have attempted to avoid making more work for her. Other roommate is much more vivacious and outgoing, professional massage therapist, keeps strange work hours. Neither of them are the slightest bit geeky (well, I caught Senior Roommate watching Firefly and Futurama the other day; maybe a little geeky.)
My room is actually bigger than my room in Seattle was, and not a funny shape. I had to switch my computer desk to the other side of the room (slightly more awkward arrangement of furniture) because this place blocks radio waves something bad, this is the only way I can get any wireless signal at all. The only other downside is that the huge windows open directly onto the complex walkway outside! But very few people pass by there apart from the roommates going in and out, because we're at the end of the row; and having put up a sheer curtain on the inside, I inspected the effect from the walkway and you really can't see into the room any more (unless the lights are on; then you can only see that there is light.) This place is QUIET. It feels very bizarre for me to go to bed at night and not have to wear earplugs or have a fan running, for the first time... in years, really.
Chrestomanci has adapted very well. He has thoroughly charmed both of my roommates already. I warned them that he will attempt to trip them, at first they laughed, but now I see they're starting to believe me. He's also making breaks for the front door, the little escape artist, despite the fact that he can only get to the walkway from there and there's nowhere else for him to go. But he's pretty charming. He plays, he climbs on things and is adorable, he's talky and responsive and comes when called. Now that he can go out onto the balcony, he brings me gifts of pine needles in lieu of dead animals. Relations with the other two cats have been a little more guarded. They're no longer hissing or growling or cornering each other, but they aren't exactly great friends yet. They're older cats -- it will take them a while to adjust I imagine.
I have been searching for jobs, but in a low-key sort of way. Applied to a bunch of places, sent out resumes a bunch of times. Got called back a few times, including one interview that I think I really aced and was really qualified for -- but there were a LOT of other applicants, so we'll see. I am endeavoring not to let it stress me out. I have plenty of money to keep me in pasta (for me) and cat food (for chris) for the time being.
Searching for jobs hardly takes up all the day. I have been trying to either go swimming in the complex pool (yes, of course there's a pool -- this is SoCal!) or go walking every day. Delighted to find that many important shops such as groceries, pharmacy, Target, Home Depot and pet store are all within walking distance. Also takeout Chinese, although I haven't tried that yet. Other than that I've been reading, writing, and playing video games (oops.) Slowly working my way through the pile of screenwriting books that I acquired, so that I feel Productive.
I've not been able to see many of my friends in the area yet -- I saw Sera and Maech and Kate in Moreno Valley, but not Janelle; I've seen Kirk from school but not Emily or Jordan or any of the others yet, and not Kirstin or Lindsay at all. While I may have unlimited free time, they don't, so that's a constraint.
I won't feel really settled in until I get a job and know what my new routine is going to be -- but I'm feeling pretty optimistic so far. I'm glad I came back here. I'm starting to remember why I was so happy here before. Tomorrow I will investigate the park down the road, possibly check out the Goodwill just to see what they carry, and make one more attempt to make my posters stick to the funny textured wallpaper in here.
The new place is great so far. San Pedro is right on the waterfront -- if I look out over the balcony I can see the berths and big machinery of the Port of Los Angeles. Very industrial, but the area where I actually live is a beautiful, tree-and-flower bedecked suburb hill. Hills everywhere will make it awkward to bike around, but that is a problem for a future time. A breeze constantly coming off the ocean stops it from getting too hot; it hasn't gone above 85 or below 65 yet while I've been here. They do get a daily visit of the 'marine layer,' where between the hours of 7 and 9 it basically looks like Seattle does all year round, but ask me how often I'm awake for that.
I am renting out one bedroom in a 3 bedroom condo owned by one of my roommates. (I keep having the urge to call it an apartment, but it's not.) Both she and the other roommate are very nice, though in very different ways. Senior roommate, who owns the place, works for Toyota, is very easygoing and seems to be chronically tired or ill. I have attempted to avoid making more work for her. Other roommate is much more vivacious and outgoing, professional massage therapist, keeps strange work hours. Neither of them are the slightest bit geeky (well, I caught Senior Roommate watching Firefly and Futurama the other day; maybe a little geeky.)
My room is actually bigger than my room in Seattle was, and not a funny shape. I had to switch my computer desk to the other side of the room (slightly more awkward arrangement of furniture) because this place blocks radio waves something bad, this is the only way I can get any wireless signal at all. The only other downside is that the huge windows open directly onto the complex walkway outside! But very few people pass by there apart from the roommates going in and out, because we're at the end of the row; and having put up a sheer curtain on the inside, I inspected the effect from the walkway and you really can't see into the room any more (unless the lights are on; then you can only see that there is light.) This place is QUIET. It feels very bizarre for me to go to bed at night and not have to wear earplugs or have a fan running, for the first time... in years, really.
Chrestomanci has adapted very well. He has thoroughly charmed both of my roommates already. I warned them that he will attempt to trip them, at first they laughed, but now I see they're starting to believe me. He's also making breaks for the front door, the little escape artist, despite the fact that he can only get to the walkway from there and there's nowhere else for him to go. But he's pretty charming. He plays, he climbs on things and is adorable, he's talky and responsive and comes when called. Now that he can go out onto the balcony, he brings me gifts of pine needles in lieu of dead animals. Relations with the other two cats have been a little more guarded. They're no longer hissing or growling or cornering each other, but they aren't exactly great friends yet. They're older cats -- it will take them a while to adjust I imagine.
I have been searching for jobs, but in a low-key sort of way. Applied to a bunch of places, sent out resumes a bunch of times. Got called back a few times, including one interview that I think I really aced and was really qualified for -- but there were a LOT of other applicants, so we'll see. I am endeavoring not to let it stress me out. I have plenty of money to keep me in pasta (for me) and cat food (for chris) for the time being.
Searching for jobs hardly takes up all the day. I have been trying to either go swimming in the complex pool (yes, of course there's a pool -- this is SoCal!) or go walking every day. Delighted to find that many important shops such as groceries, pharmacy, Target, Home Depot and pet store are all within walking distance. Also takeout Chinese, although I haven't tried that yet. Other than that I've been reading, writing, and playing video games (oops.) Slowly working my way through the pile of screenwriting books that I acquired, so that I feel Productive.
I've not been able to see many of my friends in the area yet -- I saw Sera and Maech and Kate in Moreno Valley, but not Janelle; I've seen Kirk from school but not Emily or Jordan or any of the others yet, and not Kirstin or Lindsay at all. While I may have unlimited free time, they don't, so that's a constraint.
I won't feel really settled in until I get a job and know what my new routine is going to be -- but I'm feeling pretty optimistic so far. I'm glad I came back here. I'm starting to remember why I was so happy here before. Tomorrow I will investigate the park down the road, possibly check out the Goodwill just to see what they carry, and make one more attempt to make my posters stick to the funny textured wallpaper in here.
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