Summer Update

It has been over two months since my last post, so I figured it was time for an update. This will be my first post of the summer and now it's almost over. In L.A. it already feels like fall. We have had the most unbelievable June Gloom lately. The marine layer rolls in by 7 and sticks around until 8 or 9 at least every morning. I'm not complaining because I like this weather - it stays cool.

So a lot has happened this summer, but most of it has been pretty boring. Props if you stick around to read it. The insanity really started with an unexpected job change for Sam. It ended up working out really well (so far). It's a smaller firm than he worked at before and he says he likes it a lot better but is still getting the swing of things in the new office. He's also been putting in a lot longer hours. To be expected at this point - and totally a good thing - but sad for me.

His new job is also in Laguna Hills, leading me to the next big change. We have been planning to move for some time now. As much as L.A. is really cool and I do like it, we are both getting a little tired of the constant traffic, congestion, and stress that comes with it. Not to mention the astronomical rent. So we had apartment hunted for a while and decided on a place we like, but had to wait to see if they had an apartment open when our lease was up. In the meantime, I overthought it and decided I didn't like it anymore. It was beautiful, but there was not enough storage and the floor plan was such that there would literally be no where to put Dexter's litter box. The when Sam got this new job, I decided to expand the apartment search even further south. I was rewarded (although I'm going to be punished with my commute to Downey three days a week). I stumbled on an interesting place online, so we made an appointment the next day and went down. We were not impressed by the one bedroom we saw, but she told us the price of the two bedroom and we couldn't resist seeing it. It was PERFECT!! More storage than I could ever want and a downstairs entryway (like we have now) for Dexi's litter box.

So we are moving on Saturday and Sam has been staying several nights in the almost empty apartment on an air mattress because his work is literally 10 minutes away.

Another highlight of the summer was my trip back to the 'Burg' for a visit with family and friends. It was awesome. I spent the whole week at my grandmas (where mom was recovering from surgery). I got some good time in with mom and grandma. I also spent a ton of time with Em and the boys. We went to Sandcastle (a waterpark) - their "pool" and got to play in the pools and take a spin around the lazy river. I also got to try the new waterslide they put in that I had never ridden. Phin wouldn't ride with me, but I did get to hang out with Emily's friend and her little daughter who had a love/hate relatioship with the waterslide. She was terrified to go, but at the end she made a point of telling everyone, including the life guard how much fun it was. Too cute. This was the day I got schooled by Phin when I mentioned something about his "swim trunks." He said, "No Aunt Katie, this isn't trunks, it's my bathing suit." Oh excuse me.

Emily and I also went to Kennywood (an amusement park) just the two of us. It was great because we both have husbands who would prefer not to ride the rides we like (the roller coasters and anything else that's fun). So we got to ride all of the roller coasters and a few other rides sprinkled around in there. Another highlight of the day would have to be the potato patch cheese fries. You have to, really. It's not Kennywood otherwise.

Todd and Brenna even made it over for the weekend, since I didn't have time to go over to Philly. It was so fun all being together at Grandma's for a day. I also got to visit with some old friends (thanks to Kara who organized us all; I call her the cruise director) and hang out with my "other family" the Bovards.

Being back in Pittsburgh is truly culture shock. All the things that are so familiar are no longer normal. Like, there are weird things in Pittsburgh that shouldn't be allowed to be, and yet they are. And you never notice until you leave. Like the haphazard streets with no signage, houses that are absolutely in disrepair, and really bad highway drivers. But somehow it still made it more tempting to move back. Love that city.

There you have a summary of my entire summer. I'll try to put up a few pictures once I get them on my computer. The camera is packed in a box somwhere, and who knows when it will be found again. I can't wait until this move is over. Hopefully we won't have to move for a very long time - perhaps until we move into a house? Okay, that may be optimistic, but you never know.