What's your excuse?

He feels my pain

Eagles quarterback player Donovan McNabb (American Football) had exactly what I'm having on December 21st.

Bye bye Beverly Hills

Part of the craziness of the last couple of weeks was the search for an apartment. The last couple of months by room mate always came close to moving away, and P. and I decided to to wait for him, but to take charge, and we started for a place to live. As we looked at many places, we actually decided it was best financially and with my knee surgery coming up to wait for when my room mate would actually move. That same night my room mate broke the news he accepted a job in Las Vegas, and would be moving mid December. Two days we gave notice to our apartment manager, and one day later P. and I signed that lease for a beautiful apartment with lots of character in a beautiful 1920s building which used to be a hotel. Although I can't wait to move in there, I'm really going to miss my current apartment and area. 3 More weeks to say my zip code is 90210. It's time to move on, time for the next step in our relationship, and I'm ready for it. We already bought a shower curtain and couch cover online...! Oh god... it's happening! Nervous? Anxious... yeah, a little, but most of all very excited!

Feels like Royalty

Last week Saturday, Gisele and I were invited to be guest of the Dutch Consulate to attend a black tie Gala for a fund-raising event and to honor a person of Dutch heritage who has accomplished something special through their life.

Of course I had to scramble to get a black tie outfit together, so the search for a tuxedo began. I ended up getting it together: shoes from P., shirt from Thur, pants and jacket from Vanguard, and I bought a bow tie (the store where I went rented them for $10, but sold them for $8...?). I had to pass on a day at Disneyland with P., Mercury, CTo, Vanguard, and Thur, but I got to spend the night with Gisele, what ended up being a night to frame and bring with me where ever I go!

P., CTo and Thur on some ride at Disneyland. Pictures courtesy of Vanguard

I drove to Gisele's house in Venice to pick her up. She looked amazing! After some Kodak moments, we drove The California Club in Downtown, getting in the Dutch mood by listening and singing along with Dutch songs on my IPod! Good times!

We arrived 1/2 hour fashionably late at the reception at 6:30 PM (it started at 6 PM). I can not describe the next 5 hours or so to do them justice, but I'll try. When we entered the reception hall, and waited to be greeted and sign in, we felt like we were in a old castle, centuries ago, and were going to be announced as we would enter. We right away started to grab drinks from the waiters, and enjoying the hors d'oeuvre. We had to check in Gisele's coat, so we walked to where we saw a rack with a bunch of coats, and people standing around it. Once there, and trying to drop her coat we realized this was not the coat check, but a rack with coats to be auctioned. Nice. We eventually found the real coat check. Gisele tried one one of the coats for sale, and the lady tried to convince me to get it for her, because it's was reduced to $3800 or so. Yeah, you starting to feel it: we were a little out of place. We decided to mingle with the slightly older crowd, introducing ourselves to everyone we sueded interesting enough to make our acquaintance. The reception room was gorgeous, and enormous, and we couldn't stop laughing at ourselves. We looked like we totally fit in the way we dressed, but felt totally out of place, but enjoyed it! The photographer walking around couldn't get enough of us, simply because we were the youngest people there.

This post is getting way to long, so I'll quickly cut to dinner. For some reason we were placed on the number one table, seated with the Dutch Consulate and her husband, two very prominent Dutch professors (of which one I actually knew from work), and the official representative of the mayor of LA (lovely lady!). Speech after speech was given, but it took me until dessert to be served that of all the tables (20 or 30), we were the first table served, because of the Dutch Consulate's presence. I busted out laughing, because I couldn't believe how Gisele and I got into this situation. Gisele couldn't stop laughing either, and I tried very hard to hide my laughing, but every time I looked at Gisele, I lost it again. After dinner (which was delicious of course), we took the dance floor, and the photographer of course snapped away at us dancing as a well known Dutch Pianist played some lovely jazz tunes. When an 80 something year old tapped me to take Gisele on a tornado trip around the entire floor, I took the opportunity to dance with the young Opera singer who sang before dinner started some song written by the pianist, and also sang the American and Dutch Anthem.

After saying goodbye to every president of foundations, companies, the honoree of the evening, and everyone we didn't know, we took one more smoke break on the amazing patio on the 3rd floor, where you are honestly in the heart of the downtown skyline. We were invited to join the Consul for Arts and Culture to join him and his party to go to The Standard next door for a drink, but that was kind of a anti-climax. Still it was a amazing formal, stiff, but very memorable evening of which I soon hope to post some pictures.

Picture is taken with my phone, pretty bad, but oh well...

Taste of LA

Do you sometimes feel your life is like a train, gaining speed, and just goes on for days, weeks or months? After my Birthday that's how it felt for me. I'm not complaining, because it's all good.

Almost 2 weeks ago I had my friend Thur arrive in LA. We were very close during College, but they way life goes, sometimes you loose each other out of sight, but never out of mind. We had the best time! For the first time I had someone visit me from the motherland who had no plans, and didn't wanna go anywhere, just LA. He got to experience my life, my friends, my work, everything. And he loved LA! Normally when I have Dutch people over they stay for 2 days in LA and then they go to do the California thing. You can't get an idea of what LA has to offer in such a short time. Thur experienced LA through the eyes of P. and I, and all of our friends. We took him to local places, he took my car when I worked and just walked around and took it all in. It was great seeing him have so much fun! He left the day before Thanksgiving, and I miss him already. I will post pictures later.

friends

My friend Thur arrived yesterday, and over the last couple of years, we kinda lost touch, but it feels like we're still in college, only we're in LA now! I'm happy to have here, and to show him my life. We started of perfectly with a night at El Coyote with P. and V. joining us for dinner and drinks.

Many fun things ahead for the next 10 days or so!

November 4th

It has been so crazy busy at work this week! I'm really getting it now that starting up an entire new department is not easy! A lot of resistance from existing departments, but especially confusion. It is a lot of fun though, and a great challenge!

Last Saturday November 4th was my birthday! I never liked my birthday much and I never really celebrated it, but the last 3 years I've organized great parties. It's basically because I have a great apartment which is great for parties. Last Saturday was one of those great parties! I did the whole Evite thing, but Peter pretty much did everything else. he made all the food (appetizers mostly) from scratch, but I did help roll the Thai spring rolls! The day before my upstairs neighbor cleaned my apartment. She's starting a cleaning company and needed a very dirty apartment to try out stuff, and yes, my apartment was very dirty. My place looked beautiful, so clean and we set up candles around the entire place. It looked amazing! Of course not everyone showed up who RSVP, but there will still many good friends who made the party awesome. Thanks to all who came and celebrated my birthday with me! I wanted no gifts, but still people brought me stuff. Especially alcohol! They would bring one bottle to drink at the party and another one for me to enjoy later. My friends really know that with me you can go wrong with bringing alcohol:)! I had the best time!

Leftover alcohol                            Peter and Sierra taking a pre-party nap

Now I have a great weekend to look forward to cause Peter's parents are in town. The on Monday, my best friend form college is coming to visit me from The Netherlands (yes, this is also called Holland). We lost touch over the last couple of years, but there was an emails once in a blue moon and I ran into him once in the bar where we basically lived during our college years. I can't wait for him to get here to catch up and show him my current life. I have been in LA now for 6 1/2 years and love, and know the city. Can't wait to show him around.

Have a great weekend!

Job

I'm heading towards the end of my second week at my new job! After about a month of doing background work, which was fun at some times, but mostly tiring, long days and little pay, I'm now at a new permanent job! I'm an assistant to a manager who doesn't start until Monday, so I got to set up the office, choose my computer and start building up this new department we're working at. It's for a catering company at a museum, and I will dividing my time between the two locations they have. So far I love the job and the people, and especially after yesterday when I finally settled in at my own desk.

I'm getting back on track: new job which will give me benefits after 3 months, knee surgery scheduled for the end of December, Saturday is my Birthday, and Halloween is over and gone with! I also have a friend from The Netherlands coming to visit me in two weeks, and I'm really looking forward to catch up with him.

If only my financial situation was back on track...