Moving South

As the crow flies, our new home in Redondo Beach is less than twenty miles from our current location in West L.A. Although it may be hard for non-Angelinos to comprehend, this move constitutes a complete regional shift around here. It all comes down to traffic--the congested surface streets and clogged freeways of this city make traveling less than twenty miles an hour-long drive most of the time. I know all of this, of course, but it wasn't until this week that I started to think about our move in more concrete terms, and I realized this change in our base of operations is going to have an effect on more than our commute.

For example, one of my first belated realizations was that we're losing all of our awesome West L.A. delivery options. We currently have a stack of take-out menus nearly three inches thick. Having grown up out in the country where no one delivers, being able to just pick up the phone and order dinner has been one of the perks of living in the city. Alas, we will be saying goodbye to places like Gaby's Mediterranean (my particular favorite) and Chili Thai. Another change will be switching our medical group to one based in the South Bay. Driving to West L.A. for doctor's appointments would turn an errand that should take a couple of hours into a day-long excursion. (Also, I don't want to even think about a late night drive from Redondo Beach to an urgent care center in West L.A. when Liam gets sick.) Other repercussions will be felt in our social lives and circles. No doubt we will see our L.A. groups of friends less, and will see more of those who are located closer to our new place. One other significant factor--if you have lived in the city proper awhile--is that the decision as to whether or not you will go someplace will not be dictated by the parking situation. So many places in the city have no parking, scarce parking, or outrageously expensive parking that it truly is a consideration when you plan to go somewhere. In the South Bay, however, parking lots and free parking abound. I'm sure there are other incidental consequences to this regional relocation that I'll realize with time, but these are the ones I can foresee right now.

As for more negative consequences, the biggest will be longer commutes for Eric and I since he works at UCLA and I work in Malibu at the Getty Villa. Those daily drives to and from Redondo Beach will no doubt take every bit of an hour, if not longer on some days. Still, if you consider we're taking on a longer commute in exchange for eliminating the distance between us and our child care provider, it's well worth it. I'm sure Liam will also appreciate not having to spend two hours a day in the car, and I will definitely appreciate not having to spend four hours a day in the car. As it is I've only been doing it for about a month, and it is absolutely exhausting. Add to the daily traffic stress the stress of packing and preparing for a move on rather short notice, and you have one heck of a frazzled Amber.

We're almost there, though--just a few more days...

California Anniversary

If you've been a long-time reader of my blog, you may recall that September is a month of anniversaries for me. September 9th marked my fourth year at the Getty Villa, September 24th is my wedding anniversary, and today--September 11th--is my California anniversary. Nine years ago today I signed the lease on my first L.A. apartment and began to build a life out west. It's been nearly a decade now, and I can say that most of that time for me was about trying to reconcile my Midwestern past with my West Coast present. (As discussed in my 2009 anniversary post.) Each year I try to reflect and see what--if any--new insights I've gained after one more year. At last, after nearly a decade, I think I can say I no longer feel like an Illinoisan in exile. Instead, after all this time, I feel more of a hybrid status--not quite fully here or there. No doubt the coming year and our move to a more suburban location outside of the strict urbanity of West L.A. will change things. Part of the reason L.A. has always chaffed at me a little is that I can never full reconcile myself to the fully urban lifestyle that comes with living in West L.A. The more I think about it, the more eager I am to get out of here. I think I will like it much better in the South Bay, but we'll see what I have to say about it next year!

Changes

There are big changes happening fast for the Wells family these days. This week Eric was officially offered--and accepted--a full-time position as an academic counselor at UCLA. He's been working in this capacity on a part-time basis, but now he will be doing it full-time. Now that he will have a full-time job he will no longer be a full-time graduate student, so we need to move out of UCLA's family housing. The housing market in Los Angeles can be frustrating and intimidating, but a few hours of online research turned up a gold nugget--a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment in Redondo Beach.

Redondo Beach is Eric's hometown and is located about fifteen miles south of L.A. in an area known as the South Bay. Our key motivation to move out of West L.A. is to be closer to the Wells house, because that is where we take Liam for daycare. (His Auntie Heather watches him.) Attempting to make this arrangement work while living fifteen miles to the north in West L.A. has been nightmarish--fighting rush hour traffic for four hours a day (West L.A.-Redondo Beach-Malibu in the morning and Malibu-Redondo Beach-West L.A. in the evening) is no way to live. Moving to a place in Redondo Beach means we can give up this horrible daily traffic struggle, so finding an acceptable available apartment in the area is nothing less than manna from heaven.

There are a few other advantages to this place as well. It is in a building that only has three other apartments, where two other families and the property owner live. Given that the other tenants are young families, it seems like we would fit right in. The apartment is within walking distance of the beach, lets in lots of natural light, the carpets are new, the bedrooms are spacious compared with our current apartment, there are large closets, and the apartment comes with a small garage we can use as storage space. (Storage space is of paramount importance in apartment living, so this is was a big selling point with us.) The sacred triad of big city apartment hunting is accounted for: ideal location, rent within our budget, and plenty of storage space.

While the pros definitely outweigh the cons, there are cons. The building was built in the 1970's, and it looks like the appliances, cabinets, fixtures, etc. have not received much TLC since the Carter administration. The electric stove/oven is small and so is the dishwasher. The kitchen cabinet exteriors and interiors are scruffy-looking, and there is no refrigerator. The bathroom only has under-the-sink storage, the mirror looks aged, and so does the bathtub lining. There is also a large yellowed stain on the bathroom linoleum. These signs of age make for a rough-around-the-edges first impression, but they are not deal-breakers. First of all, we were told we could make improvements at our own expense if we so desire. Second, I think these factors will be less apparent once we move in and add our own homey touches (e.g. a rug on the bathroom floor). Third, more important factors like the location, cost of rent, and accompanying storage space completely trump such cosmetic concerns.

The more I contemplate the idea of living there, the more excited I am at the prospect. The availability of THIS apartment at THIS location at THIS time is a sweet, serendipitous circumstance that has been dropped in our laps, and I can take a hint. So, if the property owner will have us, we will happily yield to serendipity and make this apartment our new home. Stay tuned...

August Adventures

Since his earliest days Liam has been an occasional visitor to the museum, making friends and basking in all of the attention from the ladies around the office. In the beginning when he was immobile, it was not only fun but easy to have Liam around--I could lay him on a blanket by my desk, and he could play with toys and amuse himself. Now, however, his visits are another kind of experience entirely. Compared to our home the office is a no fences, spacious playground, and--to the delight of my friends at work--Liam loves to explore. No doubt he will be a seasoned museum-goer by the time he's a year old.

Getting around at the office.

Hanging out with Mommy at the Villa is a hit with Liam.

The fun wasn't limited to the office this month. My sister and her husband came out to California to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, spending some time with friends in the Napa Valley area, and then stopping by L.A. to visit us on their way back to St. Louis. It's always nice to have visitors, and Eric and I enjoy hanging out with Erin and Ethan, so we did our best to make the most of our time together. Eric and Ethan enjoy the chance to engage in some guy-talk and commiserate on what similar experiences they've had (in some ways) being married to Myers girls, and Erin and I have fun reminiscing and laughing about how we married each other. (Let me explain that. What we laugh about is that, personality-wise, Eric is more like Erin, and Ethan is more like me--ergo, we married each other.) As always, I appreciated the time we had to visit and I wish that we lived closer so we could spend more time together. Since Erin and Ethan had already had a busy vacation week up in Napa, we kept things low-key, but we did spend a day at Disneyland and make a trip up to the Getty Center because those are two places Ethan hadn't visited before.

With Daddy on the lawn at the Getty Center.

A smile for Uncle Ethan.

Liam and Aunt Erin at the entrance to Disneyland.

Sisters.

Liam looks like he's getting tired of having his picture taken...

In line with Daddy for Pirates of the Caribbean.

Erin and Ethan in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle.

Everything's all fun and games until
 someone gets a poopy diaper...

As you can see from the pictures, a good time was had by all!

Nine Months

Liam is now nine months old. As the saying goes, time flies. So does memory, apparently. Looking at this active, curious, jabbering baby before me, I have a very difficult time trying to remember what it was like when he was 3 or 4 months old. The transformation from newborn to six-month-old to nine-month-old is so amazing and fast, it's no wonder seasoned parents say that the entire first year feels like you've hopped a ride on a runaway train!

By this time the early mornings, long hectic days, and late nights are routine and I have a hard time remembering what life was like when I could stay up late and sleep in or just pick up and go on a whim. I suppose that's probably for the best! There are days when I handle work and mommy duties so well I feel like Supermom, and other days I feel like I barely get by with both. In the end I suppose all you can do is the best you can and hope your kid turns out alright in spite of you.