Getting Health Insurance

This will probably be less 'interesting' and more 'informative'. Air quotes. This is also a lot longer than I had intended. I guess I'm really detailed.

March 15 was the last day of my job in NYC because soon I would be starting a new adventure in (way too) sunny Southern California. Once you quit your job, you have health insurance until the end of that month unless you strike up some kind of deal to keep it. My deal would cost me over $200 a month so that was a big fat hell to the no. I'm still pretty young and fairly healthy so I thought "What's a few months without health insurance?". I'll just get a job and get health insurance through them. Somewhere between April 12 and April 15 - when I flew from NYC to Houston to Dallas and then drove from Dallas to El Centro, CA - I got hemorrhoids. *cue dramatic music*

If you don't want more details on that, skip this paragraph.

Hemorrhoids aren't the most unpleasant of diagnoses but they are quite uncomfortable. The pooping blood was a little alarming at first but it's mostly the infrequent bowel movements that can ruin a day. What would most often happen is after I would wake up and throughout the day I would have to suddenly use the bathroom. I was (and am still) going about 4-5 times a day. At night there is always the sensation that I have to go. It's not a strong but it's strong enough to keep from being able to sleep soundly. Some days I thought I could just endure. Others I knew I wouldn't be able to work a job while this was still going on. I was barely sleeping and my sleep schedule has become way to erratic.

Back to health insurance.

I believe it was April 22, one week after arriving into CA, that I was doing extensive research on health insurance. I found a few suitable options. Since I had no income, I was able to apply or something called Medi-Cal. I spent the rest of the day filling out all of the forms, gathering the necessary documents, and researching health insurance. That Sunday, I received an email saying that I did not qualify for some form of health insurance. "Ok. Whatever. I already knew that..." It also said that someone would contact me if they needed any additional information. I believe it was Wednesday or Thursday that I still hadn't heard back from Medi-Cal so I decided to look up who I could call and I found some agents. At this point, I was ready to pay for one of the $50-$100 a month options that I saw so that I could just get my issues resolved and wasn't sure why I was already jumping through so many hoops.

I chose an agent at random because I didn't think one would really be better than another. I called. No answer. Figures. I called back later and his secretary/assistant/someone that works for him answered. She said that he was with another client and that he would call me back. I waited until Friday and still hadn't heard back so I chose a different agent and called. She picked up right away and was very helpful. Unfortunately, all she said was that agents were just there to help someone fill out the online forms. She also said that it would take at minimum (MINIMUM) two weeks for the information to be filed depending on the social worker's case load and how backed up they were. She said to wait another week or so and maybe give them a call to help ease it along. Fantastic.

I got a call that Monday, May 2, from my social worker stating she had received my paperwork and was wondering if I was still interested in the process. Yes! Yes! Yes! (Side bar: turns out I had received a letter in the mail with info the week before but since we had just moved there we weren't exactly privy to checking the mail regularly yet.) I spent that week playing phone tag with the social worker and gathering all the materials I needed to turn in to complete the process. She never answered when I called but she did always call me back which was nice. That Friday, I thought I needed to make an appointment so I called early to try and set one up. She never responded so I thought I should probably just go hand in all of the paperwork anyways to get it rolling. Turning in the paperwork was almost exactly like waiting in line at the DMV. You go to the counter, you get a number, wait for the number to be called, do your business, leave. And, of course, as soon as I got home I realized I forgot to turn in my proof of residence. But it was a Friday afternoon. I was exhausted. That could all wait until Monday.

That Monday, May 9, I got a call from my social worker at the earliest time in recorded human history - 8:22am. She was out on Friday and returning my call. How nice. I still don't have a job yet so you can bet that I'm staying up late and sleeping in. It was a good chance to check in though. I told her I turned in the information and that I would be stopping by later with my proof of residence and she said that now I would just have to wait to receive information in the mail. Ten days later I received information about healthcare and that I was approved and that I would have to choose one. I called my social worker terribly confused because I wasn't sure what I was choosing or even how to do that. The next day I received the holy grail. My health care packet with all of the information I need! It gave info on health care, where to find more info, how to choose, what benefits, etc. The part I was supposed to mail in to choose which health care plan was all in Spanish but besides that it was all good. Plus, somewhere in the packet it said I could just call so I wasn't too worried. But at this point, it was already Friday afternoon and the office was closed so I spent the weekend reading the material.

Monday, May 23, I call to choose health insurance. It's very quick. They are very friendly and helpful and answer all of my questions. I had to choose a Primary Care Provider (PCP) so I chose one that was close that's main focus was Internal Medicine (and cosmetic surgery??). The representative said it would take about 7-10 days for me to get my insurance card and it would come with more information. Since the following Monday was Memorial Day, I figured (hoped) I would get it in the mail on Tuesday and push the ball further on Wednesday.

Everything arrives on Tuesday as planned except my PCP is listed as someone completely different than who I chose. Not wanting to put up a fuss (especially since nothing else has really been smooth) I went with it. Wednesday morning, June 1st, the day my insurance is set to begin, I call to set up an appointment. The receptionist informs me that this doctor only takes Molina insurance (the one I chose) on Monday mornings and Tuesday afternoons. WTF??? That's sketch... But she said that I could go and fill out the new hire paperwork. I went to do the paperwork and she's looking up my insurance and apparently it isn't activated yet. She can't set up an appointment until I have insurance. Ok. Fine. I go home, call the insurance, and try to sort it out. They let me know that there was some kind of hold but it should be fixed now. I call the doctor but it's still not fixed. So, I ask when the next appointment would even be and they tell me it's early July. Hells no. Good-bye. I call the insurance again to switch my PCP. Apparently it was set up to be automatically assigned which makes no sense. They were helpful and switched and I was like "Yay!". I call the new doctor to set up and appointment but they can't give me an appointment until my insurance says this doctor's name... But the good news is there is an opening the following Monday. I'm exhausted so I wait until the next day, set up the appointment, and then go about my business.

Monday, June 6, the day of my appointment. It's been 45 days since I signed up for health insurance... I can only imagine a scenario in which I have less money and/or my symptoms were worse. My appointment was at noon but I arrived early because I had to run some errands. I walked out at 11:58am. The doctor was very straight-forward and quick. I was prescribed some meds and I was on my way. I didn't know which pharmacy to choose so I chose Walgreens because I'm at least familiar with it. An hour later, I go to pick up my meds but Walgreens doesn't take Molina. What? And they made it seem like they wouldn't even give it to me. They said I could transfer my prescription to the Rite-Aid across the street. I called the Rite-Aid at least 10 times that day to get it transferred. Of the 10 they answered maybe 3 and finally the last time they said it would be handled and I could pick it up later that day. I would receive a text letting me know it was ready. It was late, I had no text, and so I just waited until the next day. I called about 4-5 times and finally got an answer. The last time I called I was heading out the door to go anyways but they let me know it was ready. I picked up the meds (which cost $0) and my journey was finally complete!

Takeaways:

• Ask a lot of questions. You can never ask too many questions.
• Confirm your doctor, pharmacy, and anything associated with your health uses your insurance. If not, ask what kind of insurance they do take. You can never have enough info.
• Start the process early especially if you aren't fortunate enough to have a job that provides health insurance. You never know what could happen.
• I'm sure there are more.

Welcome Back

Oh, hey.

It's been about four years but I think I may start this up again. I'd love to go back and fill in the pieces I've missed but I don't think it would be as authentic or genuine since I likely don't remember and would flub details. Also, I just moved cross-country so it seems like a fitting time to start writing about my new adventures. So, let's talk about how I got here.

I left NYC on Tuesday and moved to El Centro, CA yesterday. I was in NYC via DC via Miami. Tuesday before I left, I had breakfast with my good friend Stacey (we went to grad school together). After, I had second breakfast with my former roommate (Ana) and her boyfriend (Graham). We watched some Parks and Rec and I finished packing. Then I got into a Lyft, went to the airport and flew to Dallas. Exciting.

My current roommate's (Angelica/Gel) parents live in Dallas and, since she was in training in Georgia, all of her stuff was there. So, I met her in Dallas so we could drive all her stuff (and us I guess) to CA. It's was as exciting as an 18 hour drive sounds. We left at 2pm CST and arrived at 9am PST. So, with stops and everything, our 18 hour drive was 21 hours. It wasn't all terrible. I tried to take some pics but most of the trip was in the dark. We passed these huge windmill farms, an oil refinery, and lots of solar panels. I saw the sunset and the sunrise. I think I slept for a total of 3 hours. It was exhausting.

We get to El Centro (EC) and unpack all her stuff and we are both nearly dead and so we try to nap. Didn't last long because some contractors arrived and then Gel's brother (Mikael) came. So, we all hung out and went grocery shopping. Soon after Gel's girlfriend (Ashley) came and we drank and watched TV. We decided to play games but, since we didn't have any, Mikael and I were tasked with going to Target and getting some. We stopped at Gamestop first but my gaming systems aren't here yet so we thought it pointless. Then we went next door to Coldstone and shared some ice cream. Next door to Target was a 99 cent store so we went there instead. Ended up buying a lot more than a deck of cards but it was all hella cheap so who cares. And Mikael ended up paying for the ice cream and the other stuff anyways. He has a crazy big butt.

We get back with the cards and drink more and play drinking games. Ashley and Gel went to bed early but Mikael and I stayed up watching Netflix. It was barely 10pm and we weren't ready for bed yet so we decided to see what EC nightlife has to offer. Spoiler alert: not much. We got into an Uber and went to some bar that was inside a Denny's/hotel. We played some pool and drank a bit. My lack of sleep was finally catching up and I was a bit delirious. Then we went to Denny's (OMG I'M SO HUNGRY AND I JUST REMEMBERED I HAVE FOOD FROM LAST NIGHT.) and finally came home. Now I'm up fairly early because I guess I'm still on East Coast time. But my stuff arrives today! I can play video games!!

Now you're all caught up.

tl;dr - I moved from NYC to El Centro, CA.

Ready to Leave

Well, my celibacy didn't last too long but I honestly think it will stick this time.

Friday night, I was about to go to bed when I get a message from Kyle asking me to go out with him and a friend. Sure. Why not? So, I get ready and meet them at Buddy's. He introduced me to his friend Mitch (terrible name) who was pretty cool. The club was insanely hot and the music was pretty bad so we decide to leave and go to Kyle's place. Candice, her boyfriend/husband/whatever, Tim, and her cousin, Lisa, were all there. All of which were very annoying. Mitch seemed to be the only cool one so throughout the night he and I were talking and such. People are drinking and doing cocaine, neither of which sound appealing to me. After a while, I'm pretty tired (considering the sun is rising) and for about an hour or so we keep discussing what we are going to do in terms of sleeping. Kyle kept insisting that either me or Mitch could sleep/lay in his bed, but not both of us. Because he didn't want us having sex. As if.

I finally just say I'm going to take a cab home and Mitch agrees it's a good idea. I live on the way to his place so he was just going to stay the night with me and then go home in the morning. We go back to my place and  figure out the sleeping arrangement. It ended up with me and him cuddling in my bed. We start to talk and it turns out we have a bit in common (even though he does drugs) and I'm a top and he's a bottom. So he have sex for a bit but since he's done drugs there is no way he's getting off. How do I find these guys?

We finally go to bed around 8am and wake up a little after noon or one to go to the mall. He lives near there and he has to go there to pay his phone bill. We spend the entire day at West Edmonton Mall and it was actually a pretty good time. Finally at 8pm, we go our separate ways and I head home to meet up with Lindsay who is going out with me to a club later. We're drinking, watching Dexter, watching YouTube videos, talking and getting ready. It was a lot of fun. We decide it's time to leave and the two of us head off to Flash.

I kid you not when I say every single person I've pretty much met or fooled around with was there that night. In my head I was thinking "Oh, I haven't seen Fatah yet." I turned around and he was walking in. What a complete night. At Flash, we meet up with Mitch and his good friend/"older brother", Rahil, and the four of us have a pretty good time. They want to leave to wait in line at Y After Hours before it gets busy.

Cover was $26. Fuck that. Mitch was nice enough to pay for me though and I gave money to Lindsay to help her. The club was so bad. The real reason Mitch and Rahil wanted some E. So, they get their fix and after an hour or so we leave. Rahil insists on driving Lindsay home. Barely even ten minutes into driving, Rahil starts tweeking out really bad and Mitch has to drive. Lindsay gets home safely and the two of them end up at my place. Rahil is a fucking mess. He's really antsy and sporadic and I'm really not sure how to describe it. After several hours, I finally evade them and go to sleep in my room while they are in the living room.

I wake up maybe one or two hours later to the sound of two kisses and my name. I go to the living room to see what's up and Rahil is naked putting on his clothes. Mitch is in the bathroom going number 2 which is usually an indication that he just bottomed. So I confront Rahil asking "what were you guys up to?" "What does it look like?" I finally got him to say that they had sex. So I confront Mitch and he denies it saying that Rahil only wanted him to ride the dick and Mitch said he's not a cowboy so he wasn't going to do it. There were three empty condom wrappers and a piece of a broken condom and lube on my table. I think it's pretty obvious what happened. I'm upset at this point but I'm not even mad. I guess deep down I expected this to happen.

They decide to go to the River Valley and invite me along and plead to try to get me to go. I can't believe how serious they are. Several hours later after a nice day of rest, I called Mitch to ask what he was up to and I really wanted to talk to him sober. He said he had just gotten to the River Valley. Apparently when they left they got pulled over and Rahil hit a sign when getting over. So they dealt with that and then went to a gas station to sleep it off. Mitch says he doesn't even remember leaving my place or much of last night. So I asked him if he had sex with Rahil and he said he didn't know. I told him that he did, several times, and that I hope he has a good life. I was strangely polite about everything...

I just honestly can't believe I keep finding myself in these kinds of scenarios. It seems like every gay person in Edmonton does drugs. Most gay people here are such low-lifes. I am ready to leave Edmonton and be back in Miami with real, true, high quality friends. One of the worst parts of Edmonton is just how alone I feel. I can't call any of my friends. I have no friends here. The people I've met outside of work are just generally shitty. It's just a pretty miserable existence.

12 more days until I leave Edmonton.
16 more days until I'm back in Miami.

Celibacy

Not to be confused with cell-ibacy where I was without my phone for four weeks. :(

On Sunday, I cammed with a guy from Costa Rica, Francisco. We've been talking for months now (not exactly sure how we met but he does visit Miami occasionally). I know he really likes me. He's told me so. He's really cute and he's a dentist. If he worked out then I'd probably be head over heels. He told me he hadn't had sex in a really long time because he was waiting for me. A notion I'm sure is not entirely true but I guess it was kind of sweet nonetheless. He also told me he loved me. English is not his first language...

It really got me thinking. If he is waiting for me then why should I not wait for someone special. I should wait for something substantial. I'm becoming more tolerant of people's petty flaws. What once annoyed me can now be overlooked. And I'm getting to a place to where I can have sex with someone and still want to see them again. For once in my life I really feel as if I could find love and be able to hold on to it.

Later that evening, I texted Mario and his initial response was asking when we were going to hang out. I met Mario at a club early into the summer. He's a very attractive guy from Ecuador. They were playing some Latin songs in the club, me being from Miami, him from Ecuador, we were the only ones that seemed to know the music. So we naturally bonded and started dancing together. We chatted for a bit but then he had to go. About a month later, I saw him at Edmonton Pride and we started chatting again. We exchanged numbers and what not. So we decided to hang out and I thought this would be the perfect time to practice not hooking up. On Monday, we went to Mongolia Grill and to Marble Slab. I had a really nice time. I felt we connected really well. I want to surprise him by taking him to the roof of UofA's tallest building to watch the fireworks on Canada Day.

Yesterday, Binh texted me after having not spoken to me in a couple of days. I told him about going out on Saturday and his only response was asking if I met any cute boys. This kid who barely knows me seems to think that's my sole purpose for going out. I shrugged it off and mentioned I had hung out with a cute boy (Mario) the night before. He then called me a slut. (He actually called me a 'sloot' which was a mildly amusing typo). He then asked if I wanted to go to the mall with him later that afternoon. I agreed to go but in hindsight I'm kind of glad I napped through it.

I've never really complained about being called a slut before but something about this person I've barely known for two weeks assuming that's how I spend my free time really upset me. I think what upset me the post was how just on Sunday I decided to reshape my lifestyle and now just two days later, this. He claims it was a joke but isn't that what everyone says? Yes, I will admit, I've had my share of sexual encounters in the past but I don't think it's ever justified to be called a slut. It's not an empowering word and I don't think people are trying to 'take it back'. I've actually been told that some people just automatically assume it about me because of how I look. Which, in my opinion, doesn't really make sense either. 


So, I'm really going to try and lead a sex-free lifestyle and maybe this will help my reputation. It'd be nice if the world were a little less judgmental. 

Your Love is My Drug - The End

When I woke up, I thought I had been asleep the entire day. It was only 9:30am. Damon got up and left and we moved into Rico's bedroom. It was pitch black in there which definitely made it easier to sleep. So, we laid around all day. Lazy Sunday. Talked a bit when we weren't sleeping.

Then suddenly...

I woke up to being kissed. It was a pretty nice feeling. We made out for a bit. Got hot and heavy. Then sexed. Afterwards we talked about what we liked sexually and about other things. We talked about how I wasn't going to look for any other guys and how he wish he could show me all the love he had to give to me. It was really sweet. Then we sexed again. Somewhere in all of that we walked to Subway. Then came back and sexed a third time before I headed home.

That night, he went to the gay club with his friends. He later told me that he danced shirtless with some guys and ending up making out with one. I wasn't upset but he thought I hated him and so he deleted me from Facebook. The lowest of the low. We've been arguing/bickering all week. He came over last night and we tried to be friends but he likes me too much and now things are just awkward. He left his necklace (because we sexed again) and I returned it today, probably the last time I will ever see him.

It was nice to know you, Rico.

And scene.

Your Love is My Drug - Day 2

However, as soon as I lay down to sleep, I start hacking up a lung. I hadn't eaten in a really long time so I knew there was nothing to throw up. I get over it and just go back to bed. I don't know who the fuck does construction inside of a residence hall on a Saturday, but i wanted to beat the people in the room next to me. Throughout the day a large drill would sound making it nearly impossible to sleep through. Around 2:45pm, I get up and try to get my life together.

After I showered, I just felt really alone and wanted to talk to anyone I could. Naturally, no one responded. After a time, Chevi responded and we decided to go get some food since neither of us had eaten. We went downtown to Earl's and drank and ate some. After, I had him drop me off at Rico's work because I wanted to talk to make sure everything was ok. Bistro was closed. Rico skipped work... So I just went across the street back to my friends. We had a going away party in a couple of hours. I got ready before hand so I went to his place to nap.

The time for the party comes. We go to the restaurant and it's hot as balls. It was Pink and Black themed so everyone was dressed up. After, we went back and drank before going to the club. It always takes this group seemingly forever to get ready and go out. Jackie (who looks exactly like Ke$ha) and I were a little annoyed so we start to just leave. Others follow and eventually we are all out the door. However, no one knew where the club was. Rico was at Buddy's again and I considered joining him. Well, Rico was behind Buddy's with Damon drinking and doing more yayo...

We make our way to The Commons and there is a line to get in. No one particularly wanted to go. Sebastien (the party host) and Starr (the girl leaving) finally show up. I tell them that I'm going to Flash to meet Chevi. A little heated argument and Sebastien asks Starr to go for a walk and they never return. I leave with Chevi and walk to Flash. Stephen texts me asking me to wait. I thought he wanted me to come back but it turns out the group wanted to walk with us. We walk into Flash and everyone is already there because they had cabbed. Poor Jackie was left at The Common because we thought she was with Sebas and Starr :(

Stephen gets pretty hammered (his birthday was at midnight). Our group decides to leave. We drop Stephen off at home and proceed to a house party. It's on the same street as Rico's house so I call Rico and meet up with him and Damon but not before doing a line real quick... I meet with them and we walk around the block a few times. Rico's roommate is asleep so we can't do much but watch movies on mute. Damon goes to lay down and Rico and I wait for his roommate to leave. Around 6:30am, the roommate leaves and Rico and I lay down to sleep. Even though his apartment was also hot as balls.

Your Love is My Drug - Day 1

My weekend = love, drugs, and Ke$ha.

I met a boy, Rico, on Friday and we hit it off pretty well. He works at an internet cafe and it's usually pretty chill so he suggested I stop by. Since he literally works across the street from my friend's house (where I was stopping by after), I obliged. We chatted for a couple hours and really hit it off well. He was supposed to come over after work and we were going to cuddle and watch movies but I'm unnaturally good at convincing people to go out to clubs. So, I go to my friend's and Rico meets me there and the two of us go to Buddy's.

We dance for a while but Rico had to get some money from his work to pay someone back. In hindsight it seems a lot more sketchy than I originally thought. We return to the club and my other friends are no where to be found. Rico and I decide to go outside for some fresh air and he sees an 'old friend' who slips some yayo in his pocket. We talk about it for a bit and as Rico is about to give it back I suggest we just do it. We go to sit on a bench and finish the bag. After that, I suggest we just go home and we begin the walk back.

Word vomit ensues. I'm telling Rico everything about my entire life and he's sharing intimate details about his. My heart is racing. I'm out of breath. But it was my mission to just make it home. We get home and after the walk I just feel an immediate connection to Rico. Nothing like I had ever felt before. I'm convinced it was the high but I liked where I was. We stripped to our underwear and played some of our favorite songs and just danced and cuddled. He was incredibly sweet. He wanted nothing more than to take care of me and be there for me. Apparently the only way to sleep after is to drink but I had nothing. Conveniently, his ex now turned friend calls. Soon after, I have a another guest in my room.

I can't say I entirely wanted this third person here but he was nice enough. I really just wanted to be with Rico and talk and cuddle and do whatever people do when they can't sleep. Damon brings over booze and Dexedrine and we are just sitting around talking. The next part annoys even me so there won't be full details. Rico starts to freak out because he realizes I'm leaving in just a month and we had already formed this connection. Damon convinces him to just soak up the good moments. And I am sitting there listening to both of them talk about me as if I'm not. Still having a freak out, Rico insists on just going home. They both leave and it's 9am and I think it's time for bed.

Have to Play the Game...

If you want to win.

I went on a date last night with a less than pleasant guy. I had just got home from work and I wanted to nap but said guy wanted me to meet him at 4:50 to go to an improv show. I overslept a bit and rushed to meet up with him only to find out the show started at 7:30. I could have slept for another hour. We had two hours to kill and he had not made any plans in that two hours. We walked down Whyte Ave trying to figure out what to do and settled on drinking at The Next Act. In all honesty, I did not need to drink or eat before the show. I have been trying to save money (he offered to pay for the show). While we were sitting there he kind of hinted that he wanted me to pay for this round of drinks and the snack we got. Hell to the no. Don't invite me on a date then ask me to pay... I failed to mention this guy was really awkward and terrible at conversations...

We finally made it to the improv show. I found out this guy goes about weekly to the improv show. No judgment... It was an international competition. This show was between a team from Toronto (one girl was so freaking funny. I want her as my best friend) and a team from Atlanta (the winners!). The second half were these two guys that were not really that funny. I think everyone's buzz had died. After the show, we went our separate ways to probably never cross paths again.

After an unsuccessful date, I didn't exactly want my night to go to waste.

Conveniently, a guy I had been talking to messaged me and wanted to hang out because he was leaving for the states for three weeks. He asked what I wanted to do and I said I was up for nearly anything. He stated that he was tired and we would probably just cuddle and sleep. Deal. I can do that.

He comes to pick me up (although totally inept at following directions) and takes me to his place. He knew I had to be at work at 8am but still said I could stay the night and he would take me home. We arrive to his place and soon after he starts kissing me neck. Great. Another hook up. So, I indulge him... We start getting into it and he does this awesomely douchey move here he pushes my head down signaling he's ready for me to suck his dick. Are you serious? Are people still doing that? Well, he did it twice and he hadn't even sucked me once. Whatever.

We start to get into it even more and he leans over me and says, "I want to top you." Wow. He knows full and well that I am a top. Here's my thing - if you are versatile, and you are hooking up with a top, don't expect to top. If you can derive pleasure from bottoming, then do that. He stated a few times how he wanted to top me and how I was "missing out". Prince Charming, right here. Of course, he still tried... He finally did ask if I want to top him but there wasn't much follow-through. So, after an hour or so of him jacking off, we finally decided he wasn't going to finish, so I did and we went to bed.

His bed was comfortable. His pillows were not. His alarm was set for 7:20am to allow ample time for us to take me home. Well, he snoozes it and at 7:30am it goes off again and he snoozes it again... I get up and start nagging him reminding him I have to be at work at 8am. "The stars have to align for me to get out of bed. I'm not a morning person." Dude. Get the fuck up. Ain't nobody got time for this.

He finally gets up and out of bed (7:42am) but then proceeds to get full on ready instead of just taking me home. He didn't have to be at work until 9am. So I get to sit there and watch him get ready and even eat a bowl of cereal. Sometimes you truly just wonder why people are single... We finally leave at 7:55am, I get into my apartment and quickly freshen up to go to work.

Well, I stroll into work 10 minutes late and everyone is stern and almost sad looking. I know people are not that upset about me coming in late... I later found out that there was a shooting/robbery in one of the residence halls while I was away. Three lives lost and another in critical condition. More about it here. So my office is pretty stressed and it's been a hectic morning.

What an eventful 16 hours.

My Phone Came

And so did I.

I had gone nearly four weeks without a cell phone. Anyone growing up in this day and age can tell you that is an impossibly long time. There had been a slight hiccup, and with international travel... Regardless, my phone is safe and sound in my hands. I have been reconnected to the world.

Not having a phone for so long really got me thinking though. Before phones, conversations had to have been really intentional. You can't just meet a guy or gal, exchange numbers (or add to Facebook), and stay connected that way. If you really liked someone, you must have done every effort to never let them go. If you gave someone your mailing address, I imagine it would still take weeks between each correspondence. I can almost see how being amorous was frowned upon. You wouldn't want that one guy/gal slutting up the whole town preventing people from sending letters.

I am really going to try and be more intentional with my conversations in hopes of finally finding that one. I'm turning to a life of video games to ease up on my sluttiness.

Great White North

Now I get why they call it that. There really are so many white people.

I've been here for a mere 10 days and so much as already happened. I met some cool friends and was already drunk within the first 24 hours. Had to walk an hour home several times. Been offered drugs. Escorted. You know. Very typical Canada things.

I have a pretty awesome job with Residence Services at University of Alberta. The people are really cool. I already think that I will keep in touch with the people I've met from my job. We are supposed to go camping at some time next month.

It's a really short post but I fully intend on updating with great stories of the Great White North.

This is All That

I was supposed to go to TigerHeat (some gay club) last night but let's say that didn't exactly happen. Everyone kind of backed out at the last minute. Oh well. I had to be into work early today so it was probably a good idea I didn't go out last night. Work today was pretty boring. Event Operations couldn't delinen beds properly and I'm pretty sure they are just dumb. That's all I'll say about that.

I had my first check in today: National Cheer Association. It went by pretty smoothly. It's a conference to teach the staff that will teach at cheer camps. They seemed okay enough. They were all pretty nice. At the same time MAWS (Marijuana Anonymous World Services) was checking in at the same time right next to me. It's an organization that helps people become sober (I think...). They were all older and more laid-back. Who is surprised. But most importantly (!!!!) I was sitting next to Lori Beth Denberg!! Normally an intern will check in a conference but she was the one checking in the group. If you're wondering who that is, she's from All That. She went by LB so I wasn't absolutely certain at first. But she looked just like Lori Beth so I looked her up and sure enough it was her. She's quite funny and SHE KNOWS MY NAME!!! It was a truly wondrous experience. I'm going to bring it up in the office tomorrow and if I see her again I'm going to actually talk to her.

Oh, WACAC

Short story long, my friend William who is from Maine but who just graduated from Clark University and spends every summer in LA/Fresno is moving to Fresno was well moving to Fresno... How awkward of me... Anyways, he was going to visit me in LA as a pit stop before he continued on to Fresno. He has lots of cousins in the area so no, he wasn't coming solely to visit me. It was just convenient. Apparently a lot of people thought otherwise and it caused a lot of confusion. His younger sister was helping him move to Fresno and also visiting for two weeks. This is where the fun begins. Note: I use the term fun loosely.

It was a pain to try and tell William where I lived and that's all I'll say about that. He already was having a bad day since he just flew in, his tires were messed up from shipping his car, he nearly lost his keys, he wasn't raptured. Pretty depressing stuff. So, he gets to my place and I tell him that Andi (another intern) is cooking a big dinner for some other interns and her friends and I've already paid for him to go and afterwards there is Grease sing-a-long. (!!!! More on this later) He was totally down for the idea. We're just hanging out, getting ready until it's time for dinner. We go and eat some amazing pasta and then on our way to Grease he tells me that his sister really wants to do all of these things in the city and that they don't think they will have time to do them if they go to Grease. Bitch bettah recognize I'm not missing Grease. We decide it's best if they just spend time together in the city and when Grease is over they will come back and we'll all go to Weho to party some. Well, I get a text (after about an hour) saying his sister is freaking out about some stupid shit and that they are just going to go to their cousins for the night. Quick back story, I took off of work today so that we could go out last night and have today to do touristy things. Whatever. Not to say he ruined my night and today... but he kind of did. That's all.

Back to Grease. WACAC (not sure what it stands for but it's a conference for high school academic counselors in CA and NV) is currently our only conference in house and we (the glorious four[ious]) got word that they would be having a Grease sing-a-long. Naturally we were going to crash it. After dinner we all head over there and have an amazing time. After having already drunk some dranks, we discover the open bar they set up. Jackpot! We're singing and dancing and having an overall great time. Nilani starts to get a little crazy and says she has to leave or she won't wake up for work in the morning. Mike, being the gentleman that he is, takes her home and Andi and I are left to finish off the movie. It was a perfect evening which later turned into a perfect night. Wink.

Today, my off day, was not an off day. Oh!! But before I talk about work. FIU calls me at 8am basically saying they can offer me an assistantship for the fall. Good bye Peace Corps and hello normal life! So, I go to this meeting at 11am, I'm so bored that I just decide to go into work. I stay until about 3pm. My Zipcard came in today so I can now rent Zipcars and actually drive around. So I did. Ashley and I went to Target, which is connected to a mall. I only had an hour before I had to return the car so I went to Macy's to look for some khaki pants. Blah blah blah my day was boring... Until... (!!) WACAC was having a party!!! I discovered it earlier while I was working and immediately went back to the other interns to tell them we had to go. Just went my night was getting boring, Andi texted me and said that she and Mike were going and that I should go. I did.

The party was hosted by SubLime which, cleverly enough, decorated with green lighting, had an open bar with lime drinks, and catered with lime desserts. It was really fun. They were playing some 70s and 80s music and then they had a live band that played the same. It was a pretty great experience. Overall, I can definitely see why California is the way that it is. These are the counselors that are guiding California's youth. It is no wonder California is in the bottom ten every year. If these past few nights are any indication of what summer is going to be like, this is going to be one fucking epic summer!

First Weekend

Well, this weekend has essentially been a whirlwind. That is pretty much the reason I am not updating until Monday... Plus work and life are both exhausting. /cry

Thursday night was an interesting one. My neighbor, her friend, and I went to Santa Monica 3rd St. Promenade to go shopping and essentially just to hang out. We had a great time. Then, I had a friend (Marq) who also brought a friend pick me up and take me out for my first experience in Weho. Weho (West Hollywood) is like the party district. We kind of toured Beverly Hills and everyone on the way. I saw Christina Aguilera's house. That was cool. So, we finally get to Weho and the magic begins.

By magic I do not in fact mean magic.

Marq is the kind of guy that always makes the pouty lip/fishy face in pictures. But the worst part is that he kind of always has that face. He's also a really bad dancer. That aside, he bought me drinks so whatever. We went to four different bar/clubs and just hung out. At one of them a guy's friend came up to me and introduced me to the other guy (Adam) saying "Oh, you have a stalker." Normally someone would see this as a red flag. I of course see it as an open invitation. I need to fix my filter.

So this guy and I are talking. We exchange numbers. Then we go our separate ways. I was hardly doubting to ever even hear from him again. But of course, later than night he texts me and asks me to meet him at the world famous Abbey. So, I ditch Marq and go to meet Adam who I found out is actually a soon to be big time director. I'm basically walking around Weho alone, going into bars alone, and standing around. Alone. No bueno. I finally find Adam and we pretty much immediately leave to go back to his place to cuddle. More red flags than a UGA football game. (I know they aren't red but for this purpose they will be). In my defense, Adam is pretty attractive, great smile, great body. I wasn't completely in the wrong.

So, we get back to his place and we start watching a movie and cuddling. It seemed like a great movie but I was passing out while watching so I suggested we just go to sleep. I honestly did want to go to sleep. Since I got here I've just wanted to sleep... Didn't happen. He says, "Come here." We start making out. One thing leads to another. And then soon I had officially taken my first black guy. I took it like a champ too. I was half expecting a victory belt afterwards. He pulled some pretty douche bag moves though so I was pretty much done with him after. For those of you wondering - he was safe. He had just been tested and still had his papers in his pocket. I'm not that big of a fool. We then proceed to actually fall asleep. Except. I could not fall asleep. His bed/pillow were way too soft so I proceeded to lay there until 7:50am when the alarm goes off.

This now takes us to Friday.

I had to be at work at 9am. I go in. Drudge through the day. Get off work at fourish. Run some errands. And then nap until midnight. This pretty much takes us to Saturday because after my nap, I chatted with friends and then went back to bed.

Ashley (my athletic neighbor) and I have been trying to plan a bike trip down to Venice Beach. My bike sucks so it's been difficult. We also have been trying to figure out bike paths for days. We woke up early Saturday to get to the beach and walk around a bit. Well, my not so athletic roommate (Stephen) who does not have a bike overhears us and is then of course invited along to come with us. So we then decide to take the bus again. We prepped better this time and now have a firmer grasp of the bus system. We got off at the appropriate stop and proceeded to Venice Beach!

We walk about a mile to Abbot Kinney which is a long strip of shops and restaurants. We stopped at this really nice diner that had the most amazing bagels. We kept walking and I encountered my first food truck. It was a Korean taco or something place. It was incredibly delicious. We finished walking the full length of A. Kinney and turn onto Venice Beach. Ashley had been on a mission the entire week to find certain items for her trip to Vegas next weekend. This is why we have been shopping so hardcore like. So, we walk to the beach and then walk up and down the strip looking at all the vendors and the stores along the way. I'm starting to get burnt so we proceed back to a bus stop to take us home.

Well, we walk all the way from Venice to the Marina (no short walk) and just decide to eat there. Finding the place we wanted to eat required another long ass walk. After we had eaten and rested a little we decided that since we were so close we might as well just walk back to LMU. We couldn't exactly find a path so we just decided to take the bus back. By this point we had probably walked a total of 7 miles. Which is a little ridiculous if you ask me. And you aren't because you can't. But I'm telling you anyways. Not letting a short walk deter us from having fun, we were already making plans for the evening.

Saturday night...

Ashley and I started our night off by riding our bikes to a liquor store. We are two classy ladies. So, we get back and drink some dranks and wait for our ride to take us back to Weho. One of the awesome interns has friends that were playing in a show at the Roxy so we hitched a ride with them. We get to the Cantina and find some good drinks and meet some cool people and just end up hanging out with them for the rest of the night. Then we get to the Abbey and the real shit show begins. We get inside and there are practically naked go-go dancers and Ashley is intent on dancing with them so she basically fights her way to the stages and makes her way around dancing with the different guys. There's an overhead pole/bar that they use to dance with - this comes into play later. We make our way around the huge club/bar dancing and walking and drinking and talking. We get to the lounge area with various couches and start dancing on those. We see the bar that the go-go dancers use spanning across the ceiling so we jump on that and start swinging and using it to dance. Ashley jumped for it in her heels, completely missed and then twisted her ankle. We were a huge mess...

So we leave and meet up with our other friends and walk about a mile to a diner. Ashley, Ms. Mess herself, walking with a twisted ankle and being completely sloshed was a site. We get inside and she is practically passing out. Her head fell down and she just kind of drooled all over herself. It was funny in a really sad way. So we get her to go to the bathroom and we're all fine. We eventually make it back to the car and continue home in a happy manner.

Sunday morning our friend Scott was playing in a softball game at 8am. Yeah. Didn't quite make that one. We still met up with him at his softball fundraiser which to our dismay was at another bar. I think I'm destined to be an alcoholic. We hang around the bar and meet some interesting people. One guy thought I was in town for the entertainment business because I have that 'model look'. It pretty much made my night. We just hung out trying not to pass out. And that pretty much concluded our night. We went to Target afterwards and I got home and did some pretty exciting things right before bed. And that was my first weekend in LA. If everything else is that crazy I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up.

Welcome to the land of fame excess...

Well, I've decided to blog about my summer adventures in Los Angeles, California. So, for all 2 of you that are reading... yay!

I arrived last Saturday after graduating, saying good bye, and then a five hour, freezing plane ride. But at least I had leg room in the exit aisle. It's the little victories... After arriving, my supervisor took my roommate and I to the bar that Moe's from The Simpsons was modeled after. Apparently one of the drawers or creators of the show went to LMU. Which leads me to what I will be doing this summer: I am a summer conference intern at Loyola Marymount University. The other interns I'm working with are super awesome! We have ITT (intern time together). We're going to be BFFS (best friends for summer). And I'm done...

This week has basically been filled with ice breakers, training, and free lunch. Now that the free lunch and ice breakers are over, I get to sit through meetings I almost feel I could run. But it's the price you pay. Our first conference is Monday so things will really start to pick up then. I think this summer is going to be so awesome! Conference Services has been giving me so many awesome things too: a bike, pots, pans, silverware, other utensils, bedding for my other bed (I have my own room and two beds), shirts, and a Zipcar. Ahmahzing.

And we're pretty much caught up to today. Except, I rode my bike to the store and back yesterday. It. Was. Torture. Now we're caught up.

Today I was taken to lunch at a place that served popcorn instead of chips. I died in Heaven which caused some eternal paradox and sent me back to Earth. It was at Tower Pizza which is also a sports grill. It was pretty crazy. I got BBQ Chicken Pizza which was nothing like YourPie's pizza of the same name. Given the choice, YourPie.

While I was sitting through a meeting, Ashley (a fellow intern from USF who is working with judicials) asked if I wanted to brave public transportation and go to the mall. Never one to pass up an adventure, I gladly said yes. With my roommate (another intern from Old Dominion working with housing facilities) in tow, we set off to get to the mall. We were too afraid to take bikes and we felt like walking would have taken too long (lies) so we set off for the appropriate bus stop. Ten minutes later we arrive, get on the bus (at least they're always on time) and try to figure out where to get off. It was one of those things where we had to get off a bus to get on to another bus. We find the right stop and immediately try to hail a taxi... Buses are pretty much that bad. Maps don't tell you anything. Bus drivers have pocket knives to cut anyone who asks questions. And Liza Minnelli was sitting in the front seat... Welcome to California.

We see a cab pass by and immediately call the number. "We don't service that area." Then what the f are your cabs doing driving around? Giving up we decided to wait for the next bus to take us to the mall. We are clearly not from here. Long story short, we make it to the mall, I bought jeans and a pair of shoes for $75, and I'm never taking public transportation again. The ending of the story was anti-climactic but so are most of my sexual encounters. Hi-oh!! Not really... Anyways. I'm excited to see what LA has in store for the summer!

Practicum - Day 11 (Final Day)

Today was my last day working at the Georgia Center so I really wanted to make the most of it. I went in a little early so I could be there during peak hours. During this time, I helped with making drinks and any other tasks they assigned. I made yogurt parfaits completely by myself. I even chopped the strawberries for them! I also made a drink (for myself) with no help and it was incredibly delicious! There were moments when working at Georgia Java was actually fun. I will definitely missed the people I have worked with but I'm not entirely certain I will miss the actual work. Good-bye, Georgia Center.

Today's completed hours: 5
Hours left to complete: 0 (!!!)

Practicum - Day 10

Today was my first day working with food and beverages. I worked at Georgia Java. As with all first days, I went through a mini orientation to become familiar with all of the equipment. And, like every other department, I was told that I wouldn't be working at the computer (cash register) because it was unnecessary to train me. There were many periods of down time so during those times we discussed how to make different drinks, different food inspections and regulations, and all things coffee. There wasn't much I could do so I helped out in every way possible.

Today's completed hours: 4
Hours left to complete: 5

Practicum - Day 9

It was my final day working at the front desk. There were a normal amount of check ins scheduled for today but for some reason nobody was checking in. Needless to say, it was a very slow day. We finished stuffing the envelopes with coupons. I think I stuffed over 1000 envelopes total. Other than that, it was very similar to my last day: I answered phones and courtesy calls to those who had checked in. I scheduled a time to work at food and beverages to get my last hours in for my practicum.

Today's completed hours: 4
Hours left to complete: 9

Practicum - Day 8

Today was my second day working at the front desk. I continued to shadow my supervisor as she checked in people. All workers were also given the task of stuffing key envelopes with coupons so I mostly worked on that during any down time. I also began answering the phone today. I was really nervous at first but I quickly caught on. I didn't know the answer to any of the questions asked but it was still helpful to have someone answer the phones during high traffic times. Also, 20-30 minutes after a guest checks in, the front desk will send out a courtesy call to make sure everything is alright with the room. I was also nervous to do this at first but after the first one or two I got the hang of it.

Today's completed hours: 4
Hours left to complete: 13

Practicum - Day 7

It's been nearly three weeks since working on my practicum but I started back up today. Today, I began working at the Georgia Center Hotel front desk. I was told that I would not be allowed to do check-ins because it would require too much training for the little time that I would be interning at the Georgia Center. Upon arriving, I did receive a basic training over all of the tasks a student worker. I was taught how to make keys, how to make parking deck passes, and received a very brief training of how to check in a person. For the rest of the time, I shadowed my supervisor and learned more about working at the front desk and about the check in process.

Today's completed hours: 4
Hours left to complete: 17

Practicum - Day 6

Today was my final day working with housekeeping. I worked with a completely different supervisor again today and, like the previous two days, it was pretty much exactly the same. She said she fell a week ago and was having back problems so half way through we had to take a break. During the break, she showed me the computer system and how to use it. Being a housekeeper (especially a supervisor) involves a lot of walking between the different floors; they are on their feet all day. It doesn't seem like something I would ever really be interested in doing. Next week I think I begin working behind the front desk.

Today's completed hours: 2
Fake hours completed: 1
Hours left to complete: 21