My final two months of 2009 were positively the hardest. In 24 hours, I had gone from not knowing I was looking for a new apartment, to having one. I had to break the news to my roommate who seemed hellbent on avoiding me. Three days later I had to tell her she had 27 days to find a new place.
In the craziness of my work schedule, I had 1/2 day to paint my new place. I managed to arrange going to work late so my friend Javier and I could paint. He had offered to help, and after pushing back the time twice, he ended up no-showing. Since I didn't know what I was doing, I couldn't do anything. Day wasted.
You thought your place was gonna get painted, Amanda? PSYCHE!!
A week later, I had one morning to move all the big stuff. I had 5 friends lined up to help, I reserved the moving truck for 8 am because I had to work at 2pm. When we showed up to get the truck, the place was closed. A few panic attacks later, I found another truck and we were on our way. Oh, and yes....the first place (Budget in case you're wondering) charged me anyway and I'm still trying to get my money back.
You think planning ahead will prevent folly? PSYCHE!!
Moving everything was challenging as I'm on the 4th floor of an old, old building. There's a teeny, tiny elevator which helped a little, but some of that jazz had to be hauled up the stairs. All I can say is those dudes must love me. That, or I'll be dishing out massages for the next decade. I was trying to call out from work, both because I wasn't done moving, and because my body was exhausted from hauling stuff all day. I ended up getting called in to work the last part of my shift and got lost on the way because I didn't know the neighborhood yet. It was an in-room massage, short for you will be hauling a massage table to a hotel room. (Because I hadn't carried enough crap that day.)
You're gonna have the day off because we all understand moving is a big deal Amanda. PSYCHE!!!
A few days after moving the big stuff, I had to go out of town. Unfortunately, I realized my deadline to be out of the old place was while I was going to be gone, so I had 24 hours to have the place cleared out, cleaned up, cable boxes returned, and keys turned over. And yes, thank you roomie for abandoning crap there for me to get charged for. Awesome. I scrubbed that place endlessly, hauling load after load into my car during the heaviest rainstorm LA has had in years.
Think cleaning a nearly empty apartment will be easy? PSYCHE!!
Think your roomie is going to be respectful and help you, and at the very least, get her shit out of there? PSYCHE!
I was supposed to drive to Phoenix the same day all that crap had to be done. I was going to attend the last of my Tony Robbins seminars. As the hours passed by, right before I ripped the modem from my barren apartment, I booked a last minute plane ticket to Phoenix. It was too late to drive....I had to act fast.
Starving and exhausted, I still had to get food, return the cable boxes, pack my stuff, and somehow get to the airport. I decided to leave the old apartment keys there for the landlord to find. I just didn't have time....
My phone died in the middle of this madness, and I had to wait until I got home to book a ride to the airport. I called a couple different companies, and no one had availability. It was 3pm, and I had to get picked up by 4pm to make my flight. I bit the bullet, and paid a little more to have a town car pick me up directly. It was the only way I was going to get there. One hour to eat, shower, and pack for a weeklong trip. Shit.
Miraculously, I pulled it off. My hair was dripping wet, and my nerves were shot....but I made it.
The driver got me to LAX right on time. I got to the gate, just in time to hear that the flight was delayed 30 minutes. Okaaaaay. I got to enjoy Pinkberry as I waited (frozen yogurt). Then it was delayed again. And again.
Think the drama will be over once I get to the airport? PSYCHE!!
Several hours later, I was on the plane. As the place was descending, the wind storms in Phoenix prevented us from landing. We were being diverted to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Are you kidding me with this? Bad weather in Phoenix? Does that happen?
I can tell you it does.
Booked a flight to Phoenix. PSYCHE!! You're going to New Mexico.
With the exception of E's birthday bash, our chola style Cinco De Mayo party, and a few great days in Hawaii, this story is sadly indicative of what 2009 was all about for me. A sad mess of bullshit and disappointments. (Notice the lack of posts for the remainder of the year.) The great part about it, aside from the year finally being over, is that 2010 is gonna rule! It has to. There's nowhere to go but UP!
Here's to a great year ahead!!! PSYCHE NOT INCLUDED!!