Well I think it's about time, don't you?

Sometimes I worry that I will alienate my ever-dwindling blog-reading audience by not posting for 12 days. After all, I could probably just talk to Matt and Karen and catch everybody up on my life (that is if my lovely sister would ever get on Skype).

But I like to write. Sometimes I am just too tired from staring at a computer all day and then coming home and staring at a computer to try to apply for jobs, and I think maybe I should just stop blogging, but I am not ready for that yet. (I have to blog so I can write really long sentences and use parentheses - both of which I cannot do at the paper - although I can use dashes.)

My time in LA and at the paper is nearly up. I'm not sure what to think about that. I'm certainly not excited. I'm also not really sad. I have no idea what I should do with my life. How can I be content at some water-related consulting job (which has not yet been offered to me) when there are so many great opportunities for environmental and science communication out there? How is it possible for people to have two-career families? I know they do it all the time, but it is just so difficult. I feel like if I don't get into the writing and communication field right now, it will never happen. I feel like I have momentum now. What will happen in 2 or 3 years? Maybe I will want to do something completely different anyway - that has always been the case until now.

Anyways I am currently jobless and aimless and heading toward penniless if things don't change in the near future. But I am glad I got to have this experience. I am glad I got some me-time (in a good way, not in a sitting home alone in Socorro and feeling sorry for myself kind of way). Hopefully the future will fall into place as it always has for me before.

I also want to bring 2 dogs home with me. Of course I can't do that since we don't know what we are doing with our lives, but I would like to. I will try to remember to take pictures of them another day. One is an elderly dalmation who needs more attention and an owner who believes in vets. The other is new to the doggie hostel, a young shepherd who got hit by a car and broke her leg. She loves playing ball and would be excited for people to play with her more often and take her out walking and running. And maybe train her. And she doesn't bark - big bonus. However, she's not even fixed so that's a problem. I can just see all the vet bills piling up. But they're so cute. Matt thinks maybe we should try having an animal before we decide to have kids to see how that goes.

What have I been up to for the past 11 days? Not much. Mom came to visit two weekends ago.
We checked out the Getty

UCLA

Marina del Rey (boring)
and Santa Monica

During the week I went out to Borrego Springs with a photographer and got drenched in a monsoon - in a place that has recorded about 1/2 inch of rain in the last 12 months.

Matt showed up Friday afternoon.
We went hiking

visited CityWalk
drove through Santa Monica Mountain NRA and Malibu
tried to go for a walk on the beach but instead I got stung by a bee on the bottom of my foot (and I'm not yet fully recovered - thanks for asking)

went to a pathetic Tigers game.


This week I am writing for science and health since my editor is now gone. These stories are much shorter and faster - I wrote 3 in 2 days. Not quite as stimulating, but still good experience.

7 more days left of work. I have to apply for jobs, finish my fellowship reports, pack up my room, and have a little fun before I leave. Looks like I'll be a busy bee.