I had a pretty busy day today, except I didn’t get a chance to ride my bicycle! I had to bring two packages to the post office and I knew I had to make a trip to MICHAEL’S (more on that later), so I decided to go in the car.
I stopped at STARBUCKS, then mailed my packages at the post office, then went to MICHAEL’S and then came home and did two loads of laundry and went to the bank. I got my first unemployment check today. Wheeee! I haven’t been on unemployment since a six-week period from 1982-1983 and I worked steadily until 2002, when I opened my shop (which was still working, of course, but I wasn’t paying into unemployment). So, I think I’m entitled, don’t you? It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing!
I went to the website at which they require you to register, and I looked at all the job openings. Unfortunately, there was nothing that fit me, so I have to hope the temp agencies come up with something, although I’ve heard they’re doing REALLY bad and no one is using temps right now.
After running all my errands, I cleaned a little, and then relaxed and watched a few decorating shows and ended up falling asleep for an hour. When I woke up I took a shower, got dressed and waited for Elsa to pick me up for our sushi dinner at HAIKU. I was very excited, because I haven’t seen Elsa since the holiday party and I really miss her.
We had a conversation going back and forth on FACEBOOK between a few girls in the office. I told Elsa that I missed going to work with her, so she should pick me up in the morning and I’d just wait in the car until she got out of work, and then she could drive me home. She said she thought she could sneak me into the office and I could hang out in the file room. This went back and forth with Stacie saying no one would find me in there, because no one goes in there anymore, and me saying they could bring me lunch and a coffee from the coffee cart (which I really miss, by the way). Then, I said it would be just like Anne Frank, but without the Nazis! They really got a kick out of that!
Anyway, Elsa said things at work are very slow and they’re not hiring permanent, temp, consultants, etc. Everyone’s cutting back wherever they can. It’s not a good time to be unemployed, that’s for sure.
When Elsa came to pick me up she came up to the apartment. It was the first time she’d ever been inside. I’ve never been to her house either, but she has two dogs and a cat, so there’s a reason. I told her I felt bad that she had never been to the apartment, after being friends for almost a year, but it’s just that when Eric was here he wasn’t really up for company, and once he was gone I just never had the opportunity to invite her. I was embarrassed, because my laundry was all hanging on the line, but she said she was glad she got to see it, because she got a kick out of seeing all my pajamas hanging on the line – Betty Boop, records, and cereal boxes!
She drove to Haiku and we had the most delicious dinner. We started with Miso Soup, Shumai and a Coma, which is deep fried jalapeno with cream cheese and spicy salmon. It is SO delicious. We also got a Spicy Crunchy Shrimp Roll and a spicy tuna roll. We couldn’t even finish the last roll. We were stuffed, but it was SO good! We talked a lot and filled each other in on what's happening in our lives. Elsa is a sweet, beautiful girl and I feel so lucky that I got the job I did, because I met her and we became friends. She's smart, and funny, and a pleasure to be with.
When I got home I called Jimmy and we talked for a while. I told him I was wishing I had some STARBUCKS and was tempted to go out and drive there. He said, “Go for it!” So, I did!
As I walked to the parking lot I looked up and noticed that the moon was SO bright it was like a spotlight in the sky. I stared and stared, because I just couldn’t believe how bright it was. Then, a few minutes ago I read on YAHOO! that tomorrow is the “biggest, brightest full moon of the whole year.” Wow! Tonight’s was already REALLY big, full and bright, but be sure to look up at the sky Saturday night! You don't want to miss it!
I was through the drive-through and back to the apartment in 15 minutes and then had a great drink while I worked on my decoupage project for the next 3 hours.
So, as you know, I started my decoupage project last night and I was very enthusiastic about the results so far. This morning, I woke up at 8:00am and was just lying in bed thinking about it. Suddenly, something came to me. I’m an idiot!
Last night, I started with the bottom of the box (which is like a shoe box) and put the lid aside, so it wouldn’t get dirty, or get glue on it. All of a sudden this morning, I realized that I forgot to take into account the lid closing over the top of the box. The lid covers the top inch-and-a-half, so everything I put at the top would be covered when the lid was on! If the lid was off most of the time, or if the box would be displayed open, it wouldn’t be so bad, but she would only open it to put something in or get something out and it would almost always have the lid on, which means you’d see the middle of a picture and the top would be cut off! Also, when I tried it, I found that having the pictures go all the way to the top made the box lid hard to get on and off. That would never do!
I decided the only thing to do was start over. I took some of the pictures and memorabilia that I had reproduced in color and made more color copies. Then, I went to MICHAEL’S and bought another box.
This time, I put the lid on and drew a pencil line all around on the box, so I’d know where to start my pictures. Then, I put blue painter’s tape all around the top, so it would stay clean. The first box was all white, but this one was red, so at least the exposed, un-decoupaged top would be decorative.
So, tonight I completed the whole bottom of the box and just need to do the lid and the very bottom of the box (which you won't really see, but I decoupage anyway!). Two things happened.
First, when I removed the painter’s tape (which I had already experimented with on the old box and seemed fine), the red paper on the box ripped in two places. Then, when I put the lid on, some of the red was visible. I realized that when I made my pencil mark I put my hand on the top, to make sure it was steady and I probably was pushing it down harder than it normally sits. Oy!
I decoupaged a few pictures over the rips (which – fortunately are on the back of the box) and still haven’t figured out what I’m going to do about the red parts that show on the one side. It’s weird, because on three sides it’s perfect and you can’t see any red, it’s just one long side of the box where the red shows.
I’m such a perfectionist, so it REALLY bothers me. I’ll have to be very clever. I hope I’m up to it!
Tomorrow I’m going to have lunch with Rosemary at a great Chinese restaurant on Convoy Street. I know I’ve mentioned Convoy Street before. It’s off Balboa and just about 3 or 4 miles from the apartment. It should be called “Asia Town,” because every kind of Asian food you can imagine can be found on Convoy Street – Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese. It's a really fun neighborhood.
Eric and I went to two Vietnamese restaurants on Convoy and I think I went to another restaurant with someone else, but I can’t remember who or where (I'm really getting old!). Anyway, we’re going to a place called IMPERIAL HOUSE, which she highly recommends.
I’ve only had Chinese food about 3-4 times in the last year-and-a-half, so I’m really looking forward to it!