The first is that I will never use UPS again. The regular old Post Office treated my boxes with more care than that ugly brown company could manage to do.
I had a box of large frames and sentimental paintings on canvas that apparently made it all the way to Los Angeles before someone in a big brown van PUNCTURED the box, breaking the glass, and then blamed me for poor packaging. Wow, I'm really sorry that I didn't package it well enough to withstand the force of a sledge hammer to cardboard. But beyond that, UPS decided it would be smarter to ship the box ALL THE WAY BACK to Champaign, IL (where I shipped it from just before picking up Melissa for our ride) instead of holding it in Los Angeles for pick up. TWO THINGS wrong with this: (a) shipping it all the way back will only risk it for more damage. (b) I don't have any way of getting to Champaign to retrieve the package, and therefore it must be re-shipped to me... and UPS is going to charge me for that (and this was the most expensive package I shipped, hands down). What's even creepier is that the UPS agent in Champaign seemed to be totally numb to my hysterical sobbing. Yikes. (also kind of yikes that I was as hysterical as I was but let's totally ignore that please). On the brighter side, my apartment is perfect and in the most beautiful little neighborhood. I'll have pictures of it soon but my camera is broken at the moment. Contrary to my expectations, I actually have a lot of things around me that I can walk to. A grocery store, a few little restaurants, and a sports bar. -a sports bar that, might I just say, actually plays the Boston Beanpot games on their TVs! Yay for Boston love! Yay for it being so close to my house! And if I'm feeling really frisky, I can walk three miles to the beach - though I'm considering buying a bike for that. Regardless, it's so nice to be able to go outside -in shorts- in February. I went for a jog around my neighborhood yesterday and the only thing running through my head was "I can't believe how not cold I am right now."
Roommates Greg and Justin are fantastic. Justin and I are both looking for work so we enjoy filling our days with trips to thrift stores to look for furniture for our apartment. It's a little bit bare at the moment - though I've dressed up a couple of folding chairs with oversized cushions. I knew those things would come in handy! Justin and I also have to figure out a way to transport said furniture, once we find anything good. Tricky.
Justin also has a Wii! And he programmed his Wii to be able to play any NES or Super Nintendo game that was ever created! And while watching him play some very archaic NES game I had this incredibly vivid flashback to a game I used to play when I was like 4 years old with my older brother.
(honestly it was like having a psychic vision - i couldnt quite make out what the game was about but i knew the main character was very short and there were flaming hoops involved and animals... so, a circus. also included in my flashback was the exact scent of our house we lived in at the time) So, naturally, I called Michael and demanded that he remember what game it was. He, too, had forgotten all about this glorious game until I brought it up. 
Thank god for older brothers - Michael figured out that the game is called "Circus Charlie." What's amazing about this particular game is that we played it when we were living in Tokyo... and this game was never released in the States (for shame, as it is the best game ever). SO! Justin, being the glorious roommate that he is, downloaded the game to his Wii in a matter of minutes. NOSTALGIA! I have never been so happy as I am when I jump that little lion-riding-clown through those flaming hoops of fire. It's kind of sad, but it's actually like re-living a little piece of my Tokyo childhood.In other news, Greg is part of couchsurfing.com so he occassionally hosts far off travelers who need a free place to crash. For the last two nights we have hosted a pair of New Zealand ladies, Jane and Leslie, and it has been great fun. They're great people and it's going to be fun hosting travelers and learning about all of their great adventures. (assuming we don't suddenly host a bad egg, but it sounds like the site is pretty well regulated and keeps the crazies away)
On the Kiwis' first night here we all went to the Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Club in Hollywood. We picked up our other BU Alum friend Ben on the way.
Two guys from the comedy group Human Giant were hosting it, and Ed Helms (of The Office) was one of the stand-up performers. It was pretty cool - and even better because it only cost $5. I was called up on stage for one bit (I had to prove that the cookies Whoopi Goldberg sent Paul Scheer for his birthday tasted gross) and one of the only reasons I was pulled on stage (aside from Ben literally pushing me forward) was that Rob Huebel noticed I was crossing my arms, which made it LOOK like I wasn't having fun (despite the laughing?) when in reality I was just FREEZING because I was sitting right underneath the air conditioning unit. So there you have it. When you need a little attention in LA, just act cold. (PUN!) Beach time! If you're reading this, please pray for my UPS package.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment