Fun friday

Oops I just realized I did not post today. Greetings from my comfortable bed. Oh how I missed it these past 48+ days. Hope you have a good weekend. Thursday the internet is getting hooked up.

Waiting

I'm typing this as I'm waiting for my car's one month check up. The waiting room is full of interesting people. Not to mention me trying to work my iphone.

As for the move it was ok. A couple of glasses broken nothing major that I have found yet. I just tried to type with my thumbs like the pro's type not a pretty picturce!

I don't have Internet set up yet,so this way will have to right now.

Thanks for your comments on the move and I promise photos soon. I was very happy unpacking my treasures, and thinking of Brussels.

Banner

I have add a new banner on the side of my blog about pet adoption. The art work is by the same artist that did the famous posters of President Obama. Here is link for art work and if you would like to add it to our blog. http://muttslikeme.adoptapet.com/

Incase some of you didn't know we found Foxy on Petfinder.com, she was 2 1/2 years old and I'm busy looking for a sister for her.

Electronics

Today we get our Fridge and Washer/Dryer delivered and hooked up. Could someone kindly tell me why people in California take their Fridge with them when they move?? I have lived in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Belgium I have never had to move my fridge.

Sunday I vacuumed in anticipation of our goods arriving on Monday (I will blog about that later it may be a while I haven't hooked up our Internet to the house yet) We got a really nice vacuum however I haven't vacuumed in years (like 5)...well I didn't move quick enough and I vacuumed up the cord to the mini blinds. That is when Joe took over the duties.

Manic Monday

Today we have movers at our house and boxes everywhere. Stay tuned...

Fone Friday

I just got my new cell phone...It is a iphone. Yes I know I can't even work my ipod and now I have a ipod on a phone. I haven't really used it yet cause I'm scared but I did get the leather and plastic cover to protected when I drop it.

Have a good weekend.

Mount Hollywood

Us at Griffith Park before we went on a hike. Yes I went hiking...notice my nice hiking apparel. I have since gotten some new shoes but still working on the attire. You know I'm not a outdoors/woodys person, but Joe and Foxy love it so i'm out voted. Atleast it was in LA the other trails we have gone on are around here. (Valencia)

Us with the hollywood sign in the back

The trail we took


Proof I made it to the top!

You can see all the trail through the smog

foxyland

We found a doggie park!

Bonjour...Hi How are you...you smell nice...

Miss Fancy Pants...Yes she is wearing pants, army pants to be specific, hard to see under all the fluffy fur.

We have been visiting this park almost every day...however the section for small dogs 25 pounds and under, some of the owners can't quite read the sign for small dogs and allow there Pit Bulls and other big dogs to play in there. Yes I know some of you love pit bulls (you can let your dogs play with them) however I don't want them in a fenced in area with Foxy and bunch of dogs under 10 pounds. The other day Foxy and we leaving cause a pit was coming in...it went running over to the small dogs and pounched on then started to knock them down and playing really rough. I saw then alot of other dogs were leaving, It sad that others had to leave just because of one dog.

A new Day

Today starts a new chapter in America. Good Luck President Obama.

A houses

This is our house for the next couple of years. Is it perfect not really but close.


In the photo below you can see how blue the sky is...sorry people in Belgium but it is like this almost every day, unless you go to the valley or LA then you have the smog, unless you have the Santa Ana winds then that clears it all out.

There isn't a pool in the back yard or in the neighborhood association - I know the other house in the running had a rock pool in the back yard and I turned it down. Our Landlord did however give us a key to his neighborhood pool that is a 5 minute drive away.

The kitchen is o.k. our new fridge and washer and dryer will arrive on the 27th and our landlord put in a new nice dishwasher. I think he could see i didn't approve of the dishwasher or the carpet so sunday in the dinning room he is puting in hard wood. Now I just need to work on him adding it to the living room and we will be happy.

The container was suppose to land 16 and with monday being a holiday for some we will find out the status on tuesday. Hopefully this weekend we will be unpacking tons of boxes.

I will take photos of the closet and the back yard this is what sold me on the house-please when you come and visit don't except much from this house it is in need of an update. I'm going to do my best to put our touches on it to make it wonderful.

It is about 10-15 minutes closer to LA/Studio City. Sherman Oaks. Which is a good feature we both liked. If we had taken any other the other houses we would be on the freeway for 2 or 3 more exits. Watch out city we are coming again soon!

Fun Friday

"Life is beautiful"

Movies

When we lived in Brussels I could count the number of movies we saw on one hand. Since we have been here we have seen 3. I recommend the Brad Pit movie "Benjamin button" the other one is "Grand Torino" with Clint Eastwood.

The first movie star I have seen was Dustin Hoffman. We went to see last chance harvey a couple Sunday's again and he did a Q & A after the movie. It opens up this Friday and is a good chick flick. Joe liked it but thought it was predictable.

My very bad photo of Dustin talking with the film critic from USA Today.

The next time I go to one of these I will bring Joe's good camera.

Pink's

On new years eve day we had lunch at Pink's in LA.

The front of Pink's - the line goes around the corner

Foxy and Joe waiting in line - the women behind us were driving me batty talking about orange county where they lived and how pissed they were that someone put an ad in some paper stating they were giving away free home massages.

Foxy and I in line, we were getting closer to ordering our dogs.

Yummy Yummy Yummy - but not as good as a Chicago dog at Wrigley or at a Sox's game.

shocking size

So now that we have been in the US for a couple weeks my culture shock is kicking in. The shock is not is the areas I thought it would be in, like driving and suburban life. The problem is the grocery store and how stranger say hi and tell you their life story.

The size of the packages and pop here are crazy. The biggest thing we are in is the size of the bread slices. Yes we could get it sliced to what we like, that is if they had good european bread here. We are just buying the packaged bread right now till we find all our favorite stores. When I have one slice of peanut butter toast for breakfast it is like having 3 slices of bread, not to mention the wide slots of the toast - I guess they are not for just bagels anymore.

As for the TMI issuse remeber we are from Minnesota where people never say hi to you and stick to their groups usually from high school. I have heard about a man's wife leaving him to go back east, from a guy telling about a neighbors dog jumping out the second floor window to our car dealer sharing about his wifes operation on her back.

These are just a couple of our observations for now.

China Town 4 Christmas

We had a great meal at this restaurant. We ordered a assorted meal for 2 that could have feed 6.

First course soup

Second course spicy fried squid

Main dish-chicken in a garlic sauce with eggplant

Plaque honouring the people

The empty area, why you ask...because it was cold and rainy. I almost thought I was in Brussels. Can't wait to go back in nice weather to explore the area more.

Fun Friday

This was taken outside the La Brea Museum. It is a mother stuck in the tar, what you can't see very well is all the tar in the lake. It is sad to think this is how some of the pre-historic animals died.

Our First

Tonight we experienced our first eathquake. It was a small one that just shook the couch for a few seconds, nothing major however I was kind of hoping I would never experience one. Below is the blurb from abc 7 web site.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- An earthquake could be felt in the Southland from San Bernardino to Los Angeles at 7:49 p.m. Thursday.
A 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck within 1 mile of San Bernardino at 7:49 p.m. Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake was first reported by the USGS as 4.9 magnitude, then as 5.0.
No injuries were reported. A 3.3-magnitude aftershock follow nearly an hour later, followed shortly after by a 1.7 aftershock. The USGS reports were preliminary

New Years Eve

Hi Everyone, for NYE Joe, Foxy and I went downtown LA. We stayed at the Sheraton Downtown, which I just picked it because they accepted dogs (the only one in downtown) plus it was close to the Disney Concert Hall.I thought it was but the front desk said we shouldn't walk at night around downtown. Our room was a really nice corner room (upgrade I think) with floor to ceiling windows on 2 walls. The only thing was it was a handicap room and had a weird magnet lock that wasn't very secure. I didn't want any one to take my little dog when we were out having fun.

For dinner we ate at Adoro, not in the zagat LA book but really good Mexican food. Strong margarita's, great staff (Javier) and quiet.

Then we were off to the Disney Concert Hall to see Pink Martini. They are from Portland, OR. http://www.pinkmartini.com/about/pm_about.html check out their web site for more on them.



They played 2 shows that night we had tickets to the 10:30 show which I was pleased with. I love seeing concerts on NYE but the are done by midnight then what! Even in Minneapolis I would get the gold packages with the meet and greet after the show for Marc Cohn but that was even done around 11:30 then Joe and I would rush home so we could be there for NYE.


Both Joe and I were tired and barely made it through the show, but the lead signer had a cold and was ready to pop out a baby any second not to mention this was her second show of the night, so we really didn't have anything to complain about knowing that she was exhausted too. The show was great she sang in many different langeues and a few my mom always sang. (tea for two, Que sera sera and one song that goes Valerie, Valeria,Valerie Valeria ha ha ha.)


After the show we walked outside and grabbed a taxi just like that. Which is amazing to me because you could never get a taxi on NYE in Chicago. I walked home many NYE freezing all the way.


Hope you all have a wonderful 2009!


I'm still on Joe's lap top at night and not very good at arranging pictures, so I just added them at the bottom. The Disney photos inside and out are from the web. I got in trouble for taking photos in the concert hall. Oops.


Almost forgot I wore a black cocktail dress with my black mink shawl. Joe wore a black velvet jacket with a white and black pinstripe dress shirt and of course black pants.

Inside of the hall

Outside of the Disney Concert Hall

This is showing the cheap seats they are like bleachers and at the back of the band

Pink Martini

My travels

Photo's from my cross country drive

Tried to find the Pony Express Station but all that happed was a drive around the town in a circle.

Mountains and snow

My odometer at the end of the trip

Tar not stars

Our first trip to the city we visited the La Brea Tar Pits.

The museum had a bunch of very old bones found in the tar.

Liquid tar oozing up from the ground

Me in front of a Wooly Mammoth skeleton

Lots and lots of skulls


A close up of one of them.

Joe sticking his finger in the tar, followed by "this is really sticky"

welcome

Welcome to our new blog. Carnet means notebook in french - this is our notebook of California. Hope you all enjoy our blog.
Here are some photos of Foxy in our temp housing.

Mom I love looking out the window. Our temp apt is on the 3rd floor.

Santa found Foxy in California.

Our Christmas tree with ornaments I made.