9-0-2-1-Himbo

Three months ago, I helped my friend, Chandler move into his new place, and to show his appreciation he took me to get a psychic reading. This was no ordinary storefront palm reader, he goes to a bookshop in the valley where in the same trip you can replace your deck of Tarot cards, stock up on Devil's Shoestring and Dragon's Blood, take a meditation course, and get a reading from one of 40 psychics. From a catalog of videos on the bookshop's website, I chose Forest (a pychic) to read my cards. In the days leading up to this point, I had undergone some big changes. I was faced with the realization that I needed to end some realtionships, and work was among them. When Forest asked if I had any questions, I asked if I should take this opportunity to move to New York or Madrid, or maybe Paris (all on my bucket list). Forest predicted that I would find the right job in LA at the end of the summer (among other predictions), warning me that I would have some "oh shit!" moments along the way, but she advised me to stay calm and enjoy the whole summer off. She also said something about my moon in the house of some... thing?

So here we are, a few "oh shit!" moments later, the end of summer approaching, and a few days ago I received a phone call with a job offer that is all too perfect. I'll be working at the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills. A three month hiatus was SO, so nice and much needed but I am stoked to be working at the SLS, especially because I get paid to be on Facebook and Twitter.

Eat, Pray, Luau

I've been spending my weekdays hanging out with a 6 month old and a 7 month old. I have a couple of friends who live in the same apartment community and each have puppies: Duggie, a 6 month old golden retriever, and Milly, a 7 month old dachsund/beagle. Duggie and Milly spend the day play-fighting, requiring very little from me. I'm basically that guy who walks them when they need to go for potty breaks.

Between potty breaks, I surf the web, listen to NPR, lay out at the uber-posh pool with the neighbors (all actors, who don't seem to be working on anything at that moment), or lately, reading "Eat, Pray, Love". After Duggie and Milly himbo-sit me, I hang with their owners, Chandler and Monica. I spend so much time there that Chandler invites me to the community events every other week (i.e. Pizza parties, fashion shows, wine and cheese nights). This week: full on luau with fire dancers and everything!

Now, I know what you're thinking, "Eat, Pray, Love" seems like an odd choice for a 27 year old guy. It was recommended to me by a couple of (girl) friends but not knowing much about it, I disregarded it because it sounded like a baby shower at the pink house on the corner of Estrogen Avenue and Lilith Fair Lane. Well, I'm at Monica's the other day and I see a stack of books, at the top of that stack, staring me in the face: Eat, Pray, Love. I figured I'd skim through the first page just so that I am sure it's not for me, but before I realized it I was a third of the way through the book.

I have to admit, I am REALLY enjoying it. It's split up into 3 sections:

1. Eat

2. Pray

3. Love.

The author goes to Italy for four months to try to remember how to experience pleasure, by eating her way through Rome (-- um... yum! Sign me up). Then, India for another four months in search of God, meditating her way to divinity. Thirdly (the part I'm about to finish), in order to find balance in her life, she spends yet another 4 months with a medicine man/artist in Bali.

The book found me at just the right time, I have nothing but free time these days, which I am so incredibly thankful for, so I have time now to think about stuff like spirituality, work/life balance, happiness, love. Not knowing anything about the book, it seems like I was already on my own Eat, Pray, Love journey. Well, certainly the 'Eat' and the 'Pray' aspects. I'm cooking a lot these days, last week I learned how to make Mexican rice and refried beans. I am adding meditation and yoga to the mix, which will help on the spirituality front (or, so I've read). I don't think I'm capable of throwing mysef at 'Love' just yet though. Balance: si. Love: never really been one of my strong points. But I'm hoping that with 'Eat' and 'Pray', comes Love. Or maybe I'll just attack it later, so for now, I'm funna Eat, Pray, Luau.

Midnight Train To Nostalgia

I try to live in the present as much as possible these days, but today I find myself on a midday train to nostalgia. La Sandy, one of my closest friends, is celebrating her birthday. She wanted to take it back to the good ol' days, our rockero days, when we used to drive to Carlos O'Briens in (don't judge...) San Bernardino and wear Dickies jackets and listen to The Smiths and Moenia. Our tight-knit group is now dispersed, but we're gonna come together at some characteristically shady town, and allow ourseves a flashback to the late 90s/early 2000s, our high school/post-high school glory days.

Locale has hardly changed, I'm expected to go to Club Ritual @ Spike's in Bellflower. My initial thought: "Umm... No thanks". When expressed my concerns about driving in Bellflower to La Sandy, she suggested a take a train. In other words, I'd be leavin' on a midnight train to Bellflower. Pretend single-tear down the left cheek. No doubt it'll be fun, I always end up having the time of my life when I get together with my old friends.

Now I must figure out what to wear... I don't have Dickies anymore.

-Him

Dancing On My Own

A friend of mine posted this video on Facebook and I couldn't resist putting it up for you guys. Perfect timing too, if my life were a movie (well... it will be one day) this would be the soundtrack to the past couple of days ;) Anyway, Robyn is brilliant, I'm not sure why she's not more famous but glad that I know about her.



Cheers,

Him