On the Move

Welcome back to A Rambler's Rambling. This is the new and improved version of this blog that is going to just blow your mind! Well, maybe not, but it's at least going to be updated frequently. Kind of like the way it used to be way back when (we're talking almost four years ago now!). . .

Anyway, my stress level is at an all-time high as I am in the process of moving in the middle of Week 14/16 of the semester, which also happens to be the first week of Prom for the high schools in the Simi Valley area, causing me to have to work a few extra hours at the ol' MW. So not only am I pulling twelve hour shifts (tomorrow, in fact, I will be there from 9-9), getting ready for finals and doing final projects (my last Lab Report is due this Thursday), but I'm busily packing the items that just got unpacked seven short months ago. . .

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

How did I get to some of these spots exactly? Let me divulge, if I can be brief. . .

Back in mid-late September, things were going decently at the MW in Palmdale. I was comfortable in the location and really getting to like the crew there. I was approaching my one year mark with the company (to see my thoughts after my first week there, head here) when Kim, my District Manager who recruited me, asked me if I wanted to go down to Woodland Hills (one of the top two volume stores in our district) and interview for an upcoming opening on their Sales Team. I was nervous, but thanks to her encouragement, I went for it. I got down there, met the Store Manager, Edward, and the position was all but mine, save for one thing. . . Me accepting it. Now, I had wanted to move down that direction for some time (even doing this same interview thing back in May 2008 in Burbank) but it was also a scary idea of having to move out of the nest, which was a rather safe nest at that.

But after much deliberation (and pushing from Kim - she told me that this could be my last chance to get down below, closer to school, for some time) I decided to take it. Ok, great, now you start in two weeks! So within that two weeks, I looked at some apartments in the cities in between Northridge (school) and Woodland Hills (work) and tried to find the best deal/situation available in such a short time. I felt like Goldilocks, where things were either too nice (therefore too expensive) or too disheveled to even consider setting something down for fear it would get taken. I finally found one in Reseda, and the apartment was 3 miles from school and 6 from work. Perfect! It wasn't great but it had a garage that I could share with four other people, so at least my car would be protected. It was a downstairs apartment, so at least moving would be easier. It was a one bedroom, all I needed, with a spacious kitchen and living room. And although the neighborhood was almost Little Mexico (complete with an Ice Cream truck that plays mariachi music), I took it because I could get it on my own without my parents co-signing, a big deal for my first place. So I signed a one-year lease to pay $950 a month plus utilities at the Ambassador Apartments.

Fast forward to today, and I have mixed reactions about my time spent here. It's been seven months, and having served my minimum tenancy of six months, I'm bailing. I gave them plenty of notice, so I will get my security deposit back (a cool $1000 thank you very much), but why leave, you might ask. Well I have had some interesting events occur around here over the last month or two, (don't worry, those stories will make their debuts soon) and my overall safety is in limbo on a day-to-day basis. I don't feel personally threatened or anything, but I just feel ridiculously uncomfortable, a feeling that you shouldn't have at home, or anywhere that you're spending more than $1000 a month to live in.

So I'm moving. Now, common sense says to move to northern Northridge by the 118 freeway, since I now work at the Simi Valley MW (oh, I didn't say that earlier - - sorry, I guess that longer story will have to wait too. Just go with it for now - I got promoted and am now an Assistant Manager II at the store there) and that would be better for getting to work. But, as I said the other day, I am going for happiness.

And the thing, or should I say person, who makes me happiest is Heather. We have now been together nearly 5.5 years (remember from my last post before my big break that we are no longer engaged, but happily moving towards that time - we don't want to get engaged again until the wedding could be in planning mode and we want to be closer to careers before that happens. . . but again, I'm getting ahead of myself) and now that I live down closer to her, our relationship has really hit new levels. We are closer than ever and enjoy spending time with each other more than anything. She gets her Bacherlors degree in June and starts up again in the Fall at Cal Poly Pomona for her Masters degree. Her lease with her three roommates (four girls, two bedrooms, rare visits for Justin) is up in July so we had already began planning a big move when my lease was up in October. However, with me getting out of mine early, she agreed to do the same (while still paying her minimal rent in Pomona) and we began apartment hunting a month ago.

And now we are just three days from moving to Glendale together.

But I think I'm gonna leave it at that for the night. If you got this far, I commend you, and promise that more details will follow. But for now, my bed is what calls me and I must listen, because like I said, a twelve hour work day awaits me.

I would like to take a second and welcome any new readers (namely, Fletch from Blog Cabins, based out of my home state of Arizona!) who have decided to see what I make of this renewed interest in blogging. I do hope to post things different than updates on my life, but since it has been so long, that's what's going to be prevalent for a couple weeks. Hang tight, learn a little something about me, and when we get to some more "fun" stuff, it will be worth the wait.

I hope.

Goodnight all, and I hope you have a pleasant Thursday - - -