The Cut and Run

It's interesting that after less than a year in the Hollywood area I'm ready to cut and run for Malibu. Next I'll just sail out to sea.

It's like all my dates cutting their losses once they realize I may not be interested. Even when they come on strong, they are just GONE when things don't heat up quickly. Whatever happened to friendship, I ask you. I have managed to remain friends with only two of those guys.

On the other hand, what am I gonna do, throw a party for myself, three single female friends, and twenty-five of my former dates?

On Sunday I had a brunch date at Urth Cafe in Santa Monica, and we discussed how unlikely it is to run into people you know in Los Angeles. Afterwards, as we were walking to my car, this woman I met on Friday drove by and started honking and waving at us.

Or Maybe Not, Part II

On Wednesday I was offered the position at the headquarters of the megastore, so Thursday morning I visited the library in WeHo to meditate on my decision. After checking the place out, I decided that working in WeHo was indeed appealing (and that I needed a better salary) and turned down the megastore job offer.

Then yesterday I found out that the 90-day temp librarian position will not, in fact, automatically go permanent in WeHo and that the process of being considered for that position is similar to the process with the city. I have to interview to be placed on a list of contenders, and if I make that list I will go through two more interviews from there. This was unclear to me initially...

So, closing out my year in L.A., I am left with still more uncertainty. Ah, decent health coverage, will I ever see you again? On the positive side, I had a couple of other possible jobs in the works, and this leaves the door open for them. The library interviewers had also told me that there was a position open on Catalina Island, but I'm not ready to live on an island (but talk to me in a few years). There are positions open in Malibu, though, and I just might be willing to move out there.

Honestly, though, it would be nice if my renters in Austin were moving out in December so that I had the option of returning if I am still without a permanent job at that point.

Deja Vu

Went to a party in the Hollywood Hills on Saturday with my friend A. It was a "Burning Man" crowd-- hula hoops, tarot cards, dreads. I felt like I was back in Austin.

I enjoyed having the last two weeks off but am now back in limbo, with that Sopranos finale intensifying my sense of drift. My interview with the library won't be scheduled until after the 25th, and I haven't heard anything back from the new entertainment temp agency yet.

I did drive up to Burbank yesterday to check out a digital media company where one of the men I've been on some dates with works. There are only three such companies in the U.S., and this one is the largest. I don't have a grasp on everything they do, but in a nutshell, well, they digitize media. One aspect of that is the restoration of film; I saw someone working on a film in which a young Scott Baio played a Little Leaguer. All that time, effort, and equipment, so a preteen Scott Baio can be restored for our viewing pleasure. Yet it was an impressive place.

The drive up there took me around 35-45 minutes, but then I wasn't driving during rush hour. Burbank isn't on the same walkable, human scale as where I live; it's the land of office parks.

I'm driving out to Point Dume today in Malibu to go swimming. I believe that's Planet of the Apes territory.

The Long Goodbye

In celebration of my last week at work, I checked out a Robert Altman dvd from the library called "The Long Goodbye." Elliot Gould plays Philip Marlowe as he tries to solve a murder in Malibu.

Dvds only check out for two days here and there are no renewals. It's a tough town.

Back to the Beach

I had an interview with another temp company this morning. Headed back over to Westwood, the area of town I'd been temping in. This interview was a great experience; I really liked the staff and felt they were very supportive and agreeable. I got a call from yet another agency this morning, so I may be interviewing again this week.

I had to take all the computer tests again, so after the process was over I felt the need to hit the beach! It's been almost six weeks since I've been to the coast. I haven't wanted to go on weekends due to the crowds and the traffic. This time I took the 101 and exited Topanga Canyon Road to get to Malibu. I stopped and hiked Topanga Canyon for about an hour and then drove through the tiny town. It's a little slice of hippieville bordering the multi-million dollar homes in Malibu. But, let's face it, the modest houses in Topanga are probably astoundingly expensive. Then I drove on down to the water and strolled along the beach for a while.

Then, of course, I had to drive back in traffic, but I didn't hit the road until 6:30 to avoid the worst of it.

My plan is still to get busy with some short-term temp work over the next couple of months that will leave me with occasional weekdays off to continue exploring around L.A. I'm hoping to have found a full-time job that I'm enthusiastic about within 3-6 months. I could also go back to the "personal assistant" agencies at that point with a great deal more knowledge of and work experience in L.A., but I'm thinking now that I am just going to find a good job fit through temping.