Workin' Girl

Hey All,

I just realized how long it has been since we gave you a new post to eat up! So sorry! Honestly though, I blame Murry. It is his turn to write…Anyway, since he hasn’t had the time, I will go ahead and fill everyone in.

We are still doing really well; in fact I am a lot better than last time I wrote! I haven’t gotten the car towed and I started a three week long temporary work assignment with a company just a few minutes away from the apartment. The people are friendly and the environment is good; there might even be potential for permanent employment. It has been quite exhausting however, getting re-adjusted to working full time. I don’t know the last time I’ve slept better! Every time my head hits the pillow I fall right asleep! But being out and around people has made me a lot happier. I’m a people person and crave social interaction. And the timing of the assignment coincides with Laurel’s visit, I will be done working, then she will be here for a week, and then I get to continue the job search! Woohoo!

I still haven’t figured out what I want to do with my life, does anyone ever really figure that out? But Murr has been so great and supportive; he’s said to go for whatever I would want to do in a perfect world, no worries, just do it. So I’m still trying to visualize this world and how I fit into it, I’ll keep you posted.

We bought a gym membership and have been on a bit of a health kick lately. We drag ourselves out of bed at 5:15, get a work out in, and we are trying to only have dessert every other day, instead of every day…It’s going okay, and since we are paying for the gym we feel more obligated to go. The gym is called Frogs Fitness, weird I know. Only in California!

I think that’s about it for now, I will have Murry write soon! We love you all bunches!

xoxox
Aspen

Downtown

Hello All!

I'm sorry we haven't posted in over a week, but I am still recovering from the peril that took place last Tuesday, don't worry, I'll tell you all about it. Anyhow, until I get to the story let me just say that we are doing well. Murry and I had a really nice weekend together. We had friends over for dinner on Saturday and had a laid back Sunday. I am still looking for work, but found a temporary assignment that coinsides perfectly with Laurel's visit. I will work for three weeks, she will be here for a week, then I can re-focus on the search. I think it's a better option than finding something now and then trying to get time off while my sis is here...Murry is still enjoying work though this past week his schedule was less than ordinary with one day beginning at 3am and another beginning at 12noon and ending at 10pm. We are getting used to it.

Okay, so the story...Last Tuesday I had an interview downtown. The interview itself went really well, nice people, good prospects, etc. But when I finished the interview and headed to my car it wasn't there! I wasn't sure what was going on, I had paid the meter, in fact it still had time on it, but the Corolla was no where to be found. I looked around, got my barrings and reached for my phone to call Murry. The phone was in the car. Crap! Oh, what is this...a small (minuscule, actually) sign reading that parking is not allowed on the street between the hours of 4 and 6pm. Well it was 4:45. I start to cry, just a little, then I see the parking cop across the street. I tell him that I think my car was towed, I am new to the area, and ask what to do. Then I tell him I don't have a phone or anything, and get really teary eyed. He is super nice, lets me use his phone, (I tried to call Murry but he didn't hear the phone ring), finds out exactly where they took my car, and suggests I get a cab to the impound address which he has provided. I don't know any phone numbers for cab companies in San Diego, besides I don't have a phone to call them, and I have no cash on me...I am not sure what to do. So I go up to the office where I had the interview and that's when I loose it and just start crying. The receptionist prints out directions to the impound lot (I have every intention of walking there) and then she tells me that she gets off soon and will take me there herself. It was one of the nicest things a stranger has ever done for me. Anyhow, when we get to the impound lot, which is in one of the worst parts of town we have to wait half an hour before anyone will help us. The receptionist stayed with me the whole time. Finally I get to go in. They ask for my registration and license. We hit another snag. My car loan is for Aspen Foreman, this is something that cannot be changed easily since the title is held by the financial company, and therefore the car is registered to Aspen Foreman as well. They workers are telling me that I can't get the car, the documents don't match, my savior receptionist has headed home, and I start to get really worried. Then it hits me, my old license and social security card are in the car. Having them there was a life saver and $268 later I got the car back and drove home. It was by far the most traumatic event I've experienced in San Diego, but on the bright side, I was able to witness the kindness of two perfect strangers, the cop and the receptionist, which left me feeling hopeful. And I learned a lesson about parking downtown...if the spot seems too good to be true then it probably is, check the signs!

So that's it.

Murry is on his way home and I am going to close for now. I miss everyone terribly. Little Monique, you are coming to visit? When? And are you going to bring your parents? Mishon, we are so happy to hear about your fertilization success! Mom, the puffed pancake puffed higher than I have ever seen before! Thanks for the recipe. Dad, thanks for writing to us and for everyone on your blog. Monique, give the boys a hug from me. And Jen, the author that wrote the Dirty Girls Social Club had a new book out in paperback, I just got it but will pass it along when I am finished reading! Everyone else, and those mentioned, we love you and hope you are well always.

Aspen

Old Town

Good morning everybody! I'm sure y'all are checking our blog as soon as you get up in the morning, so I felt that was appropriate introduction. Anyway, things are going well here in San Diego. Work is great and weekends are better. We're enjoying exploring the area. We always set out with some goal, and often don't make it because we run into other things on the way.

For the past two weekends we have set out to see Cabrillo National Monument, but haven't made it either time. It's out on a point across from Coronado Island and it's rumored to have an amazing view. Yesterday, on our way to Cabrillo, we stopped for a late lunch in a part of town called "Old Town." We ended up staying there for much of the afternoon. Old Town was supposedly the first settlement in the San Diego area. It has an old school, courthouse, bank, church, etc., complete with mannequins of some of the founding fathers. Aspen commented that the sherriff had the "most life-like hands" she had ever seen on a dummy. I made some apparently inappropriate comment, then she advised me that the nearby iron jail cell might become my new home. We visited the old Catholic church next, which was interesting. While the church was pretty typical of any small Catholic church you'd see in Latin America (or near Latin America), it still displayed true American entrepreneurial spirit with coin-fed electric candles by the Virgin Mary.

While the "old stuff" in Old Town was fairly interesting, the reason we visited was for the food. Every other storefront in Old Town is a Mexican restaurant. We ate at one called Coyote Cafe, which boasted the best Mexican food in San Diego (Although Fred's Mexican Cafe directly across the street had a similar sign). The food was good, but the best thing was the women wearing Mexican huipiles at the front of the restaurant making fresh, hot tortillas. It's not unusual to get hand-made corn tortillas in a lot restaurants nowadays, but these were hand made flour tortillas about a foot in diameter. I haven't seen those since my two weeks in the Yucatan in 2002.

After dinner we visited an art gallery featuring paintings of scenes from famous movies. I wanted to the get the Golem painting for our living room, but Aspen didn't feel it would go with our decor. We visited a pirate shop containing swords and corn nuts where Aspen asked my opinion on a certain teacup. I advised her that boys have no opinion on teacups, and we moved on. We walked past the most haunted house in some geographic area (the world maybe? I don't remember.), and finally to Korky's Ice Cream and Coffee where we ended our visit to Old Town. Well, I could write more on our adventures, but I've probably lost most of you by now. I hope all o' y'all are doing well, and hope to hear from you soon.

Murry

PS - A prominent sign at The General Store proclaims that they only allow 3 students at a time. Just in case you need to plan accordingly.