Oh, Alameda

I think I love you.

Zac and I applied for an apartment in Alameda this weekend, and we cannot wait to hear if we get to call this place home! It came about kind of unexpectedly, after looking at places all throughout the bay area, when this semi- affordable (for bay area standards) place came up in the little island east of SF, we figured we'd check it out. We were mildly familiar with the area because Zac's brother, Brett, had lived there a few years back. It's close to the city, where Zac is currently commuting 3 days a week, and I keep seeing job opportunities for myself in Oakland (just next door), so we figured it had some good potential.

Well, we ended up falling in love with a little 2 bedroom triplex just a few blocks off of Park St, the town's main drag. The area is filled with antique shops, young families like us, and last Saturday, apparently, a vegetable festival. And random fun fact: Alameda has one of the nation's best flea markets! I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but please, cross your fingers, and your toes, that we get this place. We really want it.

Sending lots of love to you on this Monday night.

(pictures above all found via Pinterest)

My Gym

James joined My Gym yesterday, which sounds so funny because don't you just imagine him around a bunch of free weights and treadmills? :) It's actually a gymnastics sort of toddler "gym" similar to Gymboree, but better in my opinion. I met a nice mommy at Santana Row the other day and she told me about it. Being the "out and about mommy" that I am (I'll explain later), we thought we'd check it out. He wasn't too into circle time, but he'll get there. He loved the trampolines and the mini basketball hoops though (that's my boy!)

All of the photos I took at the gym ended up blurry (of course), so I'll leave you with this little gem from the other day:

Anyway, I've missed you! Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying spring time wherever you are. xoxo

What I'm Reading:

A Fighting Chance by Elizabeth Warren.

Being unemployed has it's perks and it's stressors. One perk is that I get to check out quaint little bookstores with James when we're scoping out potential neighborhoods to live in. Yesterday, while doing this, I picked up Warren's book. I was looking for Ralph Nader's new book after hearing him on NPR, but I guess it wasn't out yet. Anyway, who knew I was so into political books,? But I so am. And listening to Nader on the radio was inspiring as well, he's a very intriguing speaker and I can't wait to read his book next. But first, I'm super interested in learning more about Warren's insights and life as well- I've only read the first few pages and can already feel the social worker in me getting fired up!

Anyway, I know I've been gone a while, are you reading anything new?

For fun

I haven't even seen Footloose, or even a full Jimmy Fallon episode. But this video made me smile:

Makes me kind of want to watch the movie just for the cheesy 80s vibes. Plus it would be fun to celebrate turning 30 the same year as Footloose!

Changes

In case you didn't know.. I'm moving from Los Angeles, from where I've called home for the last 9 years of my life since my dad died and my mom moved here, and I officially didn't go "home" to Las Vegas anymore. I've grown up here. Not in the adolescent way, but in that twenty something way. It's where I met my husband, got married, had my first baby, lived in the same apartment for more than five years, it's where I met some of my best friends and was still able to stay connected with friends far away.

And, I'm okay with leaving. Maybe it's what's left of the wanderlust in me, but I welcome the change. I don't want to live in the same apartment building for thirty years like my dad did. Although I love that he did. He was living his dream, acting in LA. And now I'm living mine. I'm going to have a "big" family, live in the 'burbs, but close enough to the city, and hopefully buy a house and save up enough money to travel the world bit by bit. That sounds like a pretty good life to me. But I'll still miss my first true city love, Los Angeles.

Place has always held a lot of importance for me. And this goodbye is going to be hard. I've got a lot going on, but I hope in the crazy mix of all the responsibilities associated with moving your life to a new place, I get to take a minute to think about how this old place has shaped me. And I think to properly say goodbye to it, I need to reflect a bit on where I've been and where I am now. Who I am now. That's a tall order. Thanks for letting me do it with you.

What's going on with you lately? Any changes?

Do you like a girl in glasses?

As you may know, I wear glasses. Everyday. I think it's been about two years now. So last week, after forgetting what my face looks like because I always have my Paul Smith's on, I got contacts. And this weekend I spent nearly two and a half hours trying to get the darn things in and out of my eyes. Although I think I'm getting the hang of it, I don't know how much more patience I have in me. Maybe I should just get these new glasses instead?:

(I'm thinking tortoise shell full frames or retro semi-rims)

At first, (as I was about to pull my hair out in frustration with the contacts),  Zac was like: "oh honey, you'll get it, don't worry". And after two hours, it turned into: "maybe contacts just aren't for you". Well, I'm not one for quitting, but I also don't like to torture myself. I'll let you know what happens.

(top photo found on pinterest, bottom photo/ frames from warby parker)

Where to Eat Wednesdays: Connie and Ted's

Connie and Ted's is a fairly new place that my friends recently introduced me to after seeing The Book of Mormon at the Pantages (!). The food is seriously legit. I ordered the lobster roll sandwich with coleslaw (Zac contributed the fries).  AND I got to start with a few oysters, my fav! You should try it.