Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Welcome Home - well, sort of...

So, I figure that if I don't use the time I will have on my hands here in L.A. to do some kind of writing I will really be missing a huge opportunity, right?
So, to bring you all up to speed; I am in Los Angeles with Jacob for two months. Essentially to "log in" time on my green card. Rightly - or wrongly - the U.S. immigration service requires that those who hold permanent residence, such as myself, need to actually spend time here or they consider you to have abandoned your residency. So, after my two-year travel document (I-131) expires early next month I will need to be a little more present than absent. Fair enough, I get it, I just wish it were different.
We'll be on our own until Dec 30th when the Boy will join us. He has a conference in Palm Springs the first week of the New Year, and then (we hope) interviews will be able to be scheduled as well. Then, we'll all travel back to N.Z. together.
So, last Wednesday Jacob and I arrived in L.A. for an extended stay. It's a wonderful opportunity to catch up with family and friends, and the numerous things about life in the U.S. that I have missed this past two years in New Zealand. It is also good to come back for a while as in all likelihood we will all be moving back to the U.S. mid-2011 when the Boys current job is up.
He is in the midst of applications and interviews. We don't really have much of a choice, but there are some positions that would be very attractive to us both. we're keeping details under our hats (kippot?) for the time being as it is all very early in the process. No point getting excited before it is necessary, right?
We spent the first week with the mother of the Boy in Marina Del Rey, and have now moved into a cute little holiday rental in Silverlake, a part of the city I have always wanted to live in! The apartment is a funky, eclectic, cottage-like place in the lower level of a 1920s house, on a residential street, near most everything we'll need. The Zoo, the trains at Traveltown, and Griffith Park (one of my favorite places in the city). It is about a 45 minute drive to one grandparent, and about 30 minutes to the other. An easy walk to Trader Joes, a slightly longer one to Coffee Bean, and a decent schlep to Sunset Junction and all it's hipster hang outs.
We have a kitchen, laundry (with washer & drier), cable TV, DSL, a nice sized living room (with plenty of plays space), a small bathroom, and a comfortable cozy bedroom. The windows face out onto the street across a grassed lawn towards the south (so it is nice and sunny). It is perfectly adequate for the two of us.
Jacob seems to be adjusting well. He has adjusted is sleep patterns nicely, and aside from a bit of a runny nose and sometimes cough is well. I'm feeling pretty good now too after a few nights of messy sleep.
Last night (our first night here) we had dear friends come by to visit who bought dinner. It was lovely to see them, share a meal and a glass of wine, and catch up, knowing that we'll have lots of opportunities to see each other while we are in town.
This morning after breakfast we took a walk to the local Coffee Bean, shared a cranberry & orange muffin, and then strolled on to the Hospital where I worked up until Jacob was born. After convincing the security guy to let us in (it wasn't easy), we popped here and there seeing numerous well-loved friends and former colleagues. It felt so nice to see them and have them meet this funny little two year old boy. He did pretty good, but by the time we'd been there about an hour he was ready to head back for the morning nap.
So, I have laundry in the machines, a cup of tea steaming next to me, and my fingers tapping away as fast as they can...all in all a good morning. I think we are going to hit Traveltown this afternoon and see if a certain someone likes that. I think he might just explode with delight!