my new job...and wedding pics

This morning at about 8 am I returned home after my first 26 hour shift with my new job. Not very fun. There's nothing particualarly bad about it (except in the whole 26 hours we only had 2 calls (which my partners did say was odd)...which some may like, but is awfully boring for me...it does me no good to be paid to just sit around a station...if I'm going to be paid a measley $9/hour, I'm going to at least be doing what it is I'm there for, and that's to be with patients), it will basically be the same as my last one...but I just don't want to do this work anymore. Can I please, just work in the hospital in my neighborhood? I applied there today for a transporter position...a menial task...but it would get me in. I've got to be back there again at 6am tomorrow, and then again on Friday morning. Being up before 6am 5 days a week also isn't my idea of fun! But, for the moment, I am at least getting a paycheck, and I guess sometimes that's got to be done.

On another news front...my heart has been really heavy for prostitues lately. Today I begun my research in this area. I found a couple of organizations that I'll look into more on my next day off. It just so happens that out of the handful of links for California that the website on human trafficking(humantrafficking.org) listed, two are right in my neighborhood - pretty cool! Then there's also police stations and city representatives to search out also. And then the only other thing to do is take to the streets and see what can be seen (I know my family, this makes you nervous)! I think I've found a few volunteers here to go along with me, which is a God-send.

And onto other matters...I had a request for pictures from Krista's wedding...unfortunately Amy has most of those, but I did happen to have one of the OG Campbell Street Girls...(and it makes me so happy to hear that people actually read this!...and Jen I realize that I owe you an email!) You may notice that I'm in a tank top and pants...not my usual wedding attire...but this was no normal wedding! Krista and Matt love having fun outdoors...so after the ceremony we changed clothes and did some square dancing and games on the grass! Much fun was had by all!

2 posts in one day!? What is the world coming to?

I know this is unheard of (check below for new home pics)...but I was just sitting here pondering...and thought is was time I shared some thoughts of mine...

and f.y.i....yesterday Thailand's prime minister was ousted by a military coup...it can sometimes take me awhile to get the news since I'm never around tv's...but it's really amazing the major things going on in the world that we have no clue about. And when I did read more indepth about the Thailand coup...there's peices only I could understand because I was in Thailand and knew some background-the telling in the news just doesn't do all the angles justice.

on to my ponderings...

You know, when I moved to Oakland…I never missed vegas. In the bay area I never longed for the familiar…maybe because I never liked vegas much. Anyways, I was just sitting here longing for the familiar. People, places, family, whatever. And I was feeling pretty lonesome and helpless…because its not like I can visit anything or anyone familiar to me here yet! I was thinking how if I could be anywhere, doing anything at this moment, I’d like to be sitting here on my bed curled up with my old dog, Zoot. Then I realized a hug sounded good. Then I realized that today, one of my little neighbor girls gave me a hug, just a couple of hours ago. Like a little angel she was there. And she actually gave me 2 hugs and clung on to me and I remembered feeling just a little awkward in the moment because it was such a long hug…but now that I think of it, I really needed her touch, and that was a gift.

On to another subject. I’m looking up this guy, Joseph Lister (like Listerene.) My microbiology teacher told me to look him up just for kicks…and like a total geek, I was doing just that on a Saturday night! So anyways, Lister is the guy who first innovated aseptic surgical technique. Now, this may not sound like too huge a deal – but it was back then! This was back in (really the not too distant past, the mid-1800s) the times when people didn’t even know what caused disease. Or why, when a piece of meat was left out, did it go bad? They didn’t know about bacteria. So this guy Lister, early on in his career, saw a problem. The problem was that more then half of the people undergoing successful surgery, later died of infection. Lister, as well as other scientists of his time, were seeing things awry, asking questions, finding out the answers, and thereby changing the course of history!
Fast forward to present day. Sure there are still scientists exploring the minutia of the natural world and how the body functions…but really, that all looks a lot different from the good ol’ days of the 1800s – somehow it’s just not so clear cut anymore. However, in the moment that I was grasped by amazement for the way these scientists were questioning, and probing, and thinking in terms of completely asinine theories (or so it was thought, until they were proved to be geniuses)- I was at the same time grasped by another thought of who is taking the role of these innovative, life-seeking scientists today? The time for that sort of science has passed…but there remains to be many things figured out in this world – and there persists these human misconceptions/un-understanding of our world! Why can’t it happen in dealing with poverty? Why can’t it happen in healing truly broken people? Being a social scientist as it were. Where are the innovative social scientists!?….observing and questioning the ill structures in the world and giving their lives over to finding the answer/solution to the question. Not every scientist out there was a success…many were trying to prove bunk theories….but if there weren’t scientists, all urging each other on and working off each others findings…we’d still be dying of plaques and thinking that meat rots because it caught a bad spirit!
I want to be a social scientist.

Welcome! Beinvenidos!

I know you've all been eagerly awaiting pictures of my new place...but I've been a busy bee! Last weekend I was up in SF for a wedding, which was fabulous. It was so good to see some familar friends and places (albeit a little confusing to be in a place which was at once so familiar but also not my own.) This past week I've been settling in, getting a job (yea!), and exploring my new little 'hood. I'll be starting my new job on Monday, working on an ambulance again. I'm looking forward to having a 'work world' again...and having contact with patients - I've missed that these past couple of months. And other then that, there's not too much to say, just kinda getting settled in and meeting folks and so on and so forth. So here's some pictures...starting with the family room (which is luckily big enough that Kim and I both have our little personal corners (neither seen in this picture) and then common space more in the center), and then to the left is the nook and kitchen and on the other side of the family room is the bedroom and bathroom, seperated by the fabulously girlie "dressing room." Tada! That concludes the grand tour. It really is a great little place, we love our neighbors, it's exciting!

**Car update:** My little Stude runs on a 6V battery system instead of the 12V we were using. Not good! The ignition coil is blown out by the extra charge of battery, but luckily nothing else seems damaged, so a little electrical adjustments need to be made! But good to know...we'd been unsure about the voltage, but the coil seemed burned up after our first few trial starts in which it started particularly quick and the headlights were very bright. My dad took the coil out and saw that 6V was actually imprinted on the outside, however had been hidden against the firewall...the answer we were pondering was nearly in front of our eyes!
I'm looking forward to bringing er down to LA!

swwweeeeeeeet!

I'm all moved in! Yesterday was our official move in day, and even though we had doubts as to how it would all work out...it couldn't have gone better!! It couldn't be a better place and it feels so good to be in my actual new neighborhood now! We've already been greeted by a few of our neighbors, and even received a couple short lessons in Spanish!
I couldn't be more grateful for the fabulous support my 'new crew' down here in LA has already provided. I know they've been watching out for us and praying.
I'm sitting on the edge of my seat to see where things turn next!

the hills are alive...ah ah ah ah...

Glorious sabbath yesterday! Kim and I drove out to the San Gabriel Mountains to a trail our friend Paul pointed us towards. Unfortunately that trial was very inadequately marked...but it did provide some good rock climbing spots...which was super fun. So then we went to another trial head and found a fantastic spot for quiet reflection. It had a fantastic view (as seen in pic) and as I sat and contemplated awhile, I think I heard that I'm going into a season of learning. I feel like there's alot of people here that are so much further than me...and I feel like I have alot to learn from them. It's a bit of a unique position for me - but one I'm super excited (if not a bit afraid) to step into!
Yesterday cousin Judy and I got to hang out! She's in the area going to Azusa Pacific...super cool to be close by!
Our place is supposed to be done tomorrow afternoon!

home sweet home...almost

I wrote in my diary a couple of days ago that it felt as if all the peices to a puzzle had been thrown up into the air, and it was as if I was trying to organize them all as they came down, so that when they landed they would fit together as they should. Well...the peices have been in the air, and they're beginning to come down, and I think they might be in order. Not much thanks to my doing of course, these things are fairly out of my control and I've just been trying to stay flexible and see what God has in store.

Earlier this week we signed a lease on the apartment we wanted. It's a super great location, exactly where we wanted to be, in fact in between two places where two of our friends live. In fact, it's pretty cool, because our kitchen window looks out onto this main little corner in our 'hood. And it's also this great little complex, probably like 15-20 apartments in this complex probably built in I would guess the 30's or 40's. There's a little courtyard in the middle of everyone's place. It has palm trees and this great old fountain that isn't running...but I have big plans for its renovation already. Both the living room and bedroom of our apt. has a great old window, the taller ones, with the boxy panes and stuff. So...we were hoping to move in Sunday, but because of the cleaning and stuff that needed to be done before we moved in, we're hoping that we'll be able to move in on Tuesday.

I've also still been interviewing this week, basically trying to decide which ambulance company is the best fit for me. There's a lot of shady companies here in LA, so I've been careful about who I would conisider. I think I've found the one I want to work for. They're called Schaefer Ambulance, and they're the oldest private company in the city, they've been around since 1932, still family owned. So I'll be finishing up with all the hiring stuff the as soon as I get back from the Bay Area next weekend.

Then...super exciting...is I actually got into Microbiology class today! Yay! I went this morning, figuring there was absolutely no chance I would get in - and I went to talk to the professor at the end of class and lab, because I'm going to be out of town next Saturday for Krista and Matt's wedding in SF, and for the first time in my life a teacher had pity on me! It was so cool. He asked me if I really needed the class, and I told him about applying for PA school's this fall and how I've already taken microbio but without a lab and how I need to have a lab...and then he just let me in! So...I'm officially a student again! Now I just need to pay for school...hmm.

So life is coming along here in LA, seemingly slowly but surely. I'm looking forward to getting more settled and getting more of a feel for my new 'hood!

YEEEEEHHHAAWWW!

Today (Tuesday) was quite an eventful day! I managed to get two job offers at my interviews and Kim and I accomplished filling out an application for the apartment we want...with hopes it may be ready by Sunday (a very high hope...but maybe possible!)
And to top it all off, I got to go see the Old Crow Medicine Show tonight. They are a fantastic group of young fellers doing old-timey, foot-stompin' good ol' bluegrassy-ish music! Good gracious did they sound hot!

The City of Angels

Kim and I arrived safely in LA, with a stop by the Mad Greek of course in Baker, CA. As soon as we got to town we touched bases with Kathy and she took us over to the apartments where there is an opening (yes, we have no apartment yet.) We had been given the apartment managers phone #, but were not very successful in getting in contact with her. So anyways, we got to meet her and talk with her about the dilemma. The thing is, there's a management company and there's not very good communication. Either the management company isn't doing their job, or perhaps the owner is trying to sell the place - which wouldn't be good for us. So...we now have the management companies phone and will continue on our trail with them on Tuesday.

In the meantime, there was really nothing to do but play this weekend. Later Friday night Kathy took us to a wonderful dinner of papusa's...which I'd been missing 'real' latino food since

leaving SF. Saturday I caught up on some R&R, Sunday we went to the beach, and Monday we went hiking in Santa Monica. I'm ready for my interviews tomorrow, and we'll just have to see what the next week brings! It feels good to be in LA (even though it's hot here!) This evening for dinner I tried the original Tommy's hamburger stand, which is right in my 'hood and a well known LA staple...it was delicious!

running with no engine

Weeeelll...September 1st is my moving date. And, as things go, the car needs a little more work. My brother, who's been directing my work, has been very busy at his own work the past few days, which means there's just more stuff to do...and, also as things go, it being a car that's sat around for the past number of years, there's always more to do than expected. However...super exciting, is that the car starts! She starts right up and sounds just beautiful. So a few more kinks and she'll be good to go. Nothing too exciting to look at in this picture, except everything is basically on there...and the valve covers are now a shiny blue (not the color of my choice, but really all that was presently available - and it looks like some of the original engine parts were blue also once upon a time.)

However, I can't sit around Vegas any longer. Kim and I are heading off (in her car only) to LA tomorrow (actually, I guess it's technically today.) If luck goes our way we'll have a place this weekend, which would be fantastic. We're both really looking forward to start back up our lives after being in a quasi- down time for the past 1-2 months. Then, I have 2 interviews Tuesday and 2 on Wednesday. No, not with an ER as I had hoped, they're all with ambulance companies...but I'm trying to open up my scope of expectations and take things as they come...and a job is a job! I might actually "switch to the dark side," to AMR, which is a huge corporate ambulance company - I took pride in my small private company in the Bay Area...but there are advantages to working for a large company, such as getting to work a unit along with a paramedic which means new and exciting calls.