Wanderings

When I was younger, I don't think I really paid much attention to when particular plants bloomed and flourished. Growing up in Sydney, I loved the abundance of frangipanis, bougainvillea and jacarandas. Sadly, frangipanis don't appear to be a popular choice in Los Angeleno gardens - I rarely see them - but if there's one thing I've learned to count on, it's that April in L.A. brings explosions of fuschia (bougainvillea), followed by even larger displays of purple trees (jacarandas). It's like a piece of home.

How about these 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival bungalows? I don't live in one, but most of the neighbourhoods in my area are chock full of these, and I adore them. I wonder what style of homes in Seattle will have me drooling equally?

A few weeks back, I went for a hike along Runyon Canyon with a girlfriend while both girls were at school... and it just about killed me. Partly due to declining fitness levels (after my main weight loss last year, I switched my cardio workouts to yoga classes), but I also think it was because I simply hadn't hydrated myself enough beforehand (I also woke up the next day with a killer sinus infection, which may be why I wasn't feeling so great either).

We got there around 10am, and the temperatures were already in the high 20s (ºC), with little to no shade along the main trails. In an effort to avoid major traffic at the southern end, we unwittingly made the mistake of starting at the northern end - ie at the top, off Mulholland Drive. It was easy cruising downhill... then we had to hike uphill to get back to the car. I was too ashamed to admit it to my friend, but I was this close to vomiting from the heat and dehydration. Lame, right? Adding further to my shame was the sheer amount of 'beautiful people' along the way - barely breaking a sweat, it seemed. Botoxed armpits? Who knows. My friend and I were talking the entire time so I didn't take a great deal of photos, but the views were pretty amazing. The Hollywood sign was much clearer than the below photo shows.

There's an outdoor shopping centre/mall only a short drive from home, and because of its proximity to the main library, its green lawns and kid-friendly activities, large Barnes & Noble bookstore, and Pinkberry frozen yoghurt, I go there fairly regularly. Such a mall rat, I know. But check it out:

It's a little like if Disney made a shopping mall. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin are piped through speakers in the trees and there are regular choreographed fountain shows. An old style trolley car does a loop, which the Faery and Miss Pie can never get enough of riding on. Ding ding! 

And notice those multi-storey buildings? All apartments. The residents' pool is fancy schmancy, and I only know this personally because I have a couple of friends who live there (the pool shots I posted last month were taken there). One of these friends is the same friend I hiked with, and we've recently (in lieu of hiking) started going to the free yoga classes held on the lawn at the mall.

Doing downward dog and looking at that Tiffany & Co. store upside down each time was, well, surreal. I had to sneak in a photo right at the end of one of the classes. Incongruity aside, it's been enjoyable to do yoga outdoors for a change (under the dappled shade of a jacaranda - even better).

The above shot is one I had to throw in here, simply because I like it. It was taken on a road that runs parallel to the road I live on, just a block away. You know, I still don't understand the physics of these palm trees. How the hell do they stay upright?

As for the above hedges, it made me smile when I stumbled across it on a walk last week. Did the gardener forget his ladder one day? Did the owners fire the gardener half-way through the job? Are the owners paying homage to Dr Seuss? Tim Burton? Or do these hedges simply grow faster and more more wildly from the top? Who knows, but I'm all for whatever makes me smile.

The girls and I are flying to Seattle for the upcoming Memorial Day (and long weekend) so the countdown is on for when we all get to see J again. Five more sleeps...

Offspring Day

At this point of the calendar each year, it's good to be me. There's a three-week period where I have my birthday, my anniversary with J, and Mother's Day. I get to feel the love, and lots of it.

This year, it's been a little sadder, but that can't be helped. J was in Seattle for all three of those calendar dates, so they were mostly a day just like any other.

We tend to be a bit anti-establishment in this house, and that means when it comes to Mother's Day, I don't want (or expect) bought gifts. No perfume, no must-have expensive appliance fad-of-the-moment. As long as I don't have to lift a finger for the day, it's all good. That's not too much to ask for, right?

Yesterday wasn't going to be a day of breakfast in bed and pampering. No siree, there are kids to be attended to - ones that aren't about to entertain themselves all day. Especially the three-year-old, who certainly doesn't give a damn about Hallmark occasions.

Lucky for me, they took my hints from the night before and put a DVD on to watch when they woke up. It was 8am before anyone came into my room - hallelujah! The Faery also got my hint (based on previous - very sweet - efforts of hers to make me breakfast) that if you're going to spread something super thickly across toast for another person, peanut butter is a much choice than Vegemite (oh, but I sound ungrateful, don't I?). My hint paid off though, because this was waiting for me when I came downstairs.

I have to admit, I was feeling the love.

Resigned to the fact that the day wasn't really going to revolve around me, I decided to make the best of it and take the girls to Kidspace Children's Museum in Pasadena - something that's been on my to-do list for far too long. The day was forecast to be 38ºC in the shade, but dammit, I was going to be 'fun mum' if it killed me.

For the most part, we did have a fun time. There's something about hands-on, interactive learning that feels quite rewarding. The museum has a large outdoor area, complete with water play, so that's where we finished up. Perfect on a stinking hot day. 

If you've been reading here for long enough, you'll know that I'm not an overly sentimental type - not when it comes to expression, anyway. Of course I feel it, but I don't gush easily, and I don't throw around words such as 'blessed' like food that's fast approaching its expiry date.

However, I had one of those moments as I watched the Faery and Miss Pie playing together in the water play area. I watched how they stuck together, the Faery protectively watching over Miss Pie. I watched how - when one of the Faery's shoes came off and floated away down the gentle mini-creek - Miss Pie took off in earnest pursuit, grabbed it, and handed it to her sister.

Watching them, I did feel blessed. I felt lucky that these two little girls are mine. These last few months haven't been easy, but I suspect that they may have been a whole lot more difficult if the Faery and Miss Pie weren't who they are. Their yin-yang essence, I wouldn't change for the world.

Anyhow, that's as treacly as I get. They know how I feel, and that's what counts.

Recharging

Ever feel like the universe has been conspiring against you when things seem to be one giant cluster-you-know-what of bad luck?

That's been the last couple of weeks here for me. Well - month, really, if you start from when my phone got water-damaged. However, there's a happy ending, if you make it to the end of this ramble.

About two weeks ago, on a Sunday morning, I packed the girls into our car so that I could catch my first weekend yoga class/gym visit in many weeks. Turned the ignition, only to discover the battery was dead. So I called roadside assistance from our (then) insurance company, and waited around for someone to show up and jump start things. A bloke did turn turn up, but he was hardly a knight in shining armour. Instead, he drove a hotted-up Suburu with portable flashing lights, spoke limited English and - keeping his earphones in the entire time - opened the car bonnet, jump started things with barely a word, hopped back in his car, and could not make his getaway fast enough. I did not even get a chance to ask him what might have caused the battery to drain (as far as I could see, no lights had been left on). Rude. Geico? I was underwhelmed. Being alone with kids for a few months, I need to know I can get better, more helpful service in an emergency. We switched insurance companies that same afternoon because of this guy.

The car was fine the next day, but on Tuesday, it had zero power - I was unable to even unlock the doors by remote. This time, I was about to take Miss Pie to preschool (which is, thankfully, walking distance) and the Faery to see a doctor because she'd been feverish with a sore ear. I'd actually spent half of Monday evening online and making phone calls to work out what our health care options were. Our health insurance had changed only days earlier (because of J's new job) and I was still waiting for documents and proof of membership in the mail. Our former doctor was no longer an option. The U.S. health care system? Ridiculously complicated... gah.

Anyhow, I rang the roadside assistance with our new car insurance company (AAA) and the service could not have been better, more helpful or friendly. The guy who came out tested a few things in the engine to see what could be causing the battery to drain so quickly (again, there was no evidence of lights left on). Unable to find anything, he concluded it was the battery itself so I asked him to replace it on the spot, for peace of mind.

Peace of mind was unlocked and achieved.

Until eight days later. Wednesday, the following week, we were getting in the car to head to school... once again, battery drained. We hightailed it from the underground parking to our apartment, where I grabbed the stroller for Miss Pie, and walked to the Faery's school - with her complaining bitterly the entire time that we were walking too fast. But hey, we made it just in time. As soon as I returned home, I had AAA come out again to jump start the car, then I went directly to the dealership where we got our car (much of its parts are still under warranty). I spent several hours waiting around - "fun" with a three-year-old - holding my breath and wondering if I was going to need to mess around getting a car rental, making phone calls to organise someone to pick up the Faery from school... basically, you get the idea of the hard knots of tension that were spreading across my neck and shoulders.

Eventually, a mechanic came and spoke to me. He wasn't entirely sure what the problem was, as all the tests were coming back fine, but had seen this problem in other cars that had the same make/brand of AC compressor relay (don't worry - I had no idea what part that was either. If you do, you're a champ). Apparently they could stick, which meant that even with the engine switched off, the AC compressor relay would still discharge the battery. Given the recent warm weather and lack of shaded parking in general, this theory seemed entirely plausible. My car's AC gets a very good work out. The mechanic replaced the suspected problem part, under warranty, and sent us on our way.

One sinus infection and hideous coldsore later (I may have been a tad run down), J finally arrived in LA for a weekend visit. After three weeks of him away, it had been the longest stretch yet. It felt so good to have him back. It felt right for our little family to be reunited - even if just for a weekend.

On Sunday morning, we all piled into the car for a morning out. One last day together, before he had to fly back to Seattle that evening. And... yep. Dead battery, fourth time.

This was the first time J had experienced this problem, but I was ready to curl up and start rocking. I was so over it. Being a Sunday, the car dealership's service centre was closed, so we knew there was no point getting a jump start or taking/towing the car in until Monday. I begged J to push his flight back a day so that I wouldn't have to deal with this, again, by myself. He agreed it was super shitty for all this to fall on me, so he stayed.

On Monday morning, we got AAA to come and jump start the car, anticipating a lengthy day of waiting around at the car dealership. Immediately, he spotted the cause... and man, did we feel stupid. There was a light on, in the boot (trunk). In my defence, I've never used that light - I didn't even know of its existence. It is, however, within perfect reaching distance of Miss Pie as she climbs out of the car. Either that, or the mechanic accidentally left it on last Wednesday when he was doing all the spot checks.

So at this stage, I think the first three times were due to the AC compressor relay sticking, and the fourth time was just stupid, extra bad luck. I hope. All I know is that every morning now, when I go to start the engine, I hold my breath.

Silver lining? We got an extra day of family time together. I can't really complain about that.

*   *   *

Another positive to come out of the last few days is that we have a home lined up in Seattle for us to move into. 

J was looking online when he was here on Sunday morning, saw it, and contacted the agent. That afternoon, the agent called back and offered to give us an iPhone FaceTime tour of the place. Ain't technology grand?

It's a townhouse, and everything about it ticked all our boxes. We plan to keep the girls sharing a room, but still wanted a spare room that could be for visitors, and maybe a study too (which could be used for guests too). This townhouse has not only a third bedroom, but it's on a lower (split) level with its own bathroom and another living room that opens onto a garden. Perfect for overseas visitors! In terms of size, it's double our current apartment. There's also a study, a lot of storage space, and the double garage has internal access. No more struggling with groceries and a preschooler from an underground car park to a second-floor apartment - you have no idea how much that excites me.

The timing of it is perfect too. Our current lease takes us to the end of June, and the townhouse won't be available until then anyway. We weren't expecting to be able to move without having to double up on rent at each end for several weeks, so this is a bonus.

Based on the location, size, layout and availability, we applied immediately. On the way to drop J off at the airport on Monday evening, we heard back - unofficially - that the townhouse was ours.

After work on Tuesday, J swung by the townhouse. The agent had organised for the current tenants to show him around, and he kept sending me gobsmacked text messages. He was impressed, and said all the compromises we've made with rental homes in the past are history with this place. It's on a small, quiet cul-de-sac that's surrounded by cedars, in an area that we were quite taken with when we last visited Seattle together. The waterfront of Lake Washington is about a fifteen-minute-walk downhill, and the local elementary school has good ratings and reviews, with a school bus route that the Faery will be able to use. So far, so good. Even better, there's a direct 30-minute bus route to the heart of downtown Seattle - perfect for exploring with the girls over summer.

J met with the agent today to finalise some of the paperwork, and she told him that we'd beaten ten other applicants. Holy moly. Apparently she'd formed such a good impression of us from our FaceTime tour that she pushed harder for us over the other applicants. I call that a technology win.

*   *   *

I'd been feeling a bit flat about this move in recent weeks. Despite the annoying business with drained car batteries and sickness doing the rounds here, the kids and I have had a pretty full social calendar. Lots of play dates, kids parties, and the odd spot of hiking and eating out with girlfriends. Each time we hang out with friends, I'm increasingly aware of how time is drawing to an end in L.A, and it makes me sad. I'm so glad to have met the people who have been part of my life here, and dislike the idea of putting a large geographical distance between us. It was always going to be inevitable that we'd leave L.A, but somehow I don't feel ready. It's not the city itself that I'll miss, but the friends.

Learning that we've now got a place to call home in Seattle has helped to knock the edge off this sadness for me. Already, I'm Google Street-viewing the shit out of the neighbourhood. Looking up the parks and playgrounds. Working out the best ways to drive to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Target (all a bit further away than the ones I currently shop at). Working out the Seattle equivalents of Ralph's and Vons supermarkets. Most importantly, I'm mentally arranging our furniture into a townhouse I've yet to set foot in, and planning what extra furniture we'll need to get - now that we'll have more rooms to make use of. Crazy, right? 

I think it's what I need, though. A little distraction, because I hate goodbyes.

This move to Seattle has just got real.

Ending April

By the time I get around to some blog time at night, my brain is a little tipsy mush. So this time, I'll let you invent your own stories for these photos from the past week.

I think you'll agree, I'm less likely to embarrass myself that way...

Head above water

Today's post is just going to be some pretty photos. April has mostly been a non-stop run of stressful events, with my phone's water damage only the tip of the iceberg (the car needing roadside assistance - twice in two days, sick kids during health insurance change over, more poo chaos). I've been oscillating between the foetal position while thinking it's all too hard to do on my own, or telling myself to suck it up, princess. 

Today? I'm sucking it up and sharing the nicer moments and things that please my eyes.

Spring happens

At a friend's apartment complex, not mine. Let's make that clear... 

Now that winter has truly left us in the dust, poolside play dates are starting to happen with semi-regularity - either at our apartment, or friends' homes. Given that summer is not even here yet, I can't help but be grateful for the warm days that are beginning to stretch into balmy evenings. Last night, I even kept the windows open overnight. It's the simple things, right?

Most days when J and I chat and compare our days, the weather inevitably comes up. The contrast between spring in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest makes me a little nervous.

Me: So today's been warm. We went [insert: to the park/for ice cream/for a swim]. I'm thinking of grabbing a glass of wine to have on the balcony once the girls are in bed.

J: Today's been fricken wet and grey.

Being from Sydney, I'm no stranger to warm winters and stinking hot summers. However, the unrelenting consistency of it in Los Angeles has 'softened' me even more. I'm also well-versed in grey, wet weather (hello London!) but our time in the UK ended nearly a decade ago. My idea of cold is certainly not what a Seattleite would define as cold.

I'm actually excited about a milder summer (for about two months each year in L.A, it is just too damn hot to do much outside in the afternoons - the lack of decent shade everywhere is a bitch), but the adjustment to the colder, wetter months is going to be... interesting. At least there'll be more snow into the bargain.

My spell in the UK had me wondering if I'm one of those unfortunate souls who experiences SAD (seasonal affective disorder). I'm not being dramatic, it's just that lengthy periods of grey, wet, cold weather don't agree with me. At all. Thankfully, I'm a whole lot older than I was in the UK so I like to think I'm better equipped with the skills needed for combatting the blues - or maybe I'm deluded. We'll see.

For now, I'm making the most of the beautiful weather. I have a morning hike date up Runyon Canyon with a girlfriend next week, which I'm unreasonably excited about. If someone had told me even three years ago that I'd be getting excited about such a thing, I'd have thought they were bonkers.

Anyhow... spring! Love it.

This is 37

This weekend, we did some early birthday-celebrating because my actual birthday is today - Monday - with J back in Seattle. He flew down late on Friday night, let me sleep in both days, entertained the girls, took us all out to brunch, bought flowers and passionfruit French macarons (a new favourite of mine), replaced my iPhone (turns out the older, borrowed phone was much slower and the photos all had a purplish haze in one corner), and cooked dinner. He even cleaned the cat litter box for me. We made the most of the weekend together, knowing that it'll be another three weeks before he comes down again. When we dropped him off the airport last night, I didn't want my 'birthday weekend' to end.

It's just as well I had a nice couple of days of being spoiled, because today's birthday reality is this: the Faery - claiming to be unwell - is home from school; Miss Pie - having gone three days without pooing - unloaded a massive slop into some pull-ups that I caved in and put on her, but then leaked onto the carpet (I guess if she'd been wearing undies, it would have been a hundred times worse); it's raining, and the coldest day in about two months. By L.A. standards, it feels more wintery than spring.

Cheering me up, though, are the frequent bleeps on my computer, and notifications on my phone, from birthday messages on Facebook. On days like this, I could hug Facebook. Also, never one to waste an excuse for cake, I dragged the girls out to a bakery to choose some cupcakes for later. A proper whole cake was tempting, but with only one adult in the home at the moment, my waistline would not be thanking me.

When I turned 36 last year, I had no problems with it. 36 had a nice roundness to it - a kind of symmetry. It was the completion of yet another cycle under Chinese astrology, and the Year of the Dragon... and I dig dragons.

Last week, I watched This Is 40, and was reminded of my own approaching nearness to that number. Still a few years off, but not many. The movie itself was enjoyable, and there were definitely moments I related to and giggled at... apart from living in a nice, big fancy house, filled with many pretty, expensive things - why does Hollywood have to do that? Sure, the main characters were having major money issues, but I'd probably have sympathised more if they lived in a more modest home, their kids didn't have their own Apple-everything, and their cars had cost half of what they did. Know what I mean? But then, I've never really been one to buy into keeping up with the Joneses. That aside, the movie had heart and is worth a Saturday night viewing, with a bottle of wine and your significant other.

Something that had me scratch my head - momentarily - was how one of the main characters kept denying her age. She'd been turning 38 for the last few years. Who really does that? I wondered.

Then I remembered. My own mother... guilty. When my brother and I were in high school, my younger brother and sister were still in the early years of primary school. For those school runs, my mother interacted with parents who - I assume - didn't really know about myself or my brother... and my (young) other brother and sister were truly under the belief that my mother was still in her late twenties - not a number they magically came up with themselves. Sometimes I marvelled at the audacity of my mother to pass off such a lie (How would she explain having a 16-year-old daughter? As it was, she was a teenager when I was born).

From that point on, I vowed I would never have hang-ups about my own age as I got older. And I don't.

I'm not going to lie, though. The number 37 does sound, well, older. However, my kids know how old I am, and I'm not about to start 'covering up' my age. I'm pretty sure L.A. has enough women who do that.

And really, there's nothing wrong with 37. In some respects, it's still young. I think any negative feelings I have boil down to one thing only: baby-making. I have no desire to be chasing toddlers and preschoolers around when I'm in my forties. I have a lot of respect for women who do it at that age, but I don't think (energy-wise) that I'd be very good at it. Which means.... if we are to have a third child, we need to get cracking. Soon. I need to get off the fence about another baby, but I'm stuck. I just don't know.

So. This is what 37 looks like for me. I'm mostly content with where I am and can't complain, yet there's an invisible question mark hovering over me. But on the bright side, this is the year that I'm going to move to Seattle, and that alone is something to be excited about, right?

In the mean time, there are cupcakes, lemon tart, and cannoli to be eaten.