Cali Bird's

Jim is lame ;)

2009-03-05T22:20:00.000-08:00

OK, so I was randomly catching up on some blogs...updating myself on babies, family, and friends as I do every so often when I get a chance and am a little home sick for the midwest....when I was surprisingly not shocked to see my lovely husband, Jim, had yet to update our blog he was so adamant about creating about 5 or 6 months ago and stopped writing in shortly thereafter! So I have hacked my way into the blog and am going to try and update anyone who stills checks on this sad blog! :)
We FINALLY moved out of my parents' home. I love my family, but I love my own space even more! We are renting a loft in Long Beach, so we are not that far from my family. I had forgotten how comfortable our couch and bed are and am sooo glad to be able to enjoy them once again. ....I will leave it at that! ;)
Since the economy has only gotten much worse since we moved out here, Jim has reluctantly taken a job serving at The Melting Pot in the area. He continues to search for something more along the lines of ....well his dream. I feel a new wave of motivation coming his way so I am hoping some new progress or plans for the future will stir his soul and move us in the right direction. I, on the other hand, am nannying my niece and nephew, Maya and Magnus, and am consciously procrastinating on re-entering the professional social work world since I was so unhappy in my job before moving to CA. I want something more and since I am not sure exactly what that is just yet I am applying to go back to school to get my masters. College here I come!!! ...And besides who would want to be a working adult when you could have craft time and naps every day?! It's genius really. :)
It has been great to be back in LA and see some old faces and hang out with old friends. Our best friends, Robin, Michael, and Caitlin have finally gotten Jim over some of his shyness and he has actually sang karaoke...more than once!!! I, however, will probably only ever sing karaoke while seriously intoxicated....and trust me, you are grateful for that! I will have to find some great photos of our fun times in LA and post them soon for all to enjoy. I definitely have some karaoke shots to share!!!
LUCY!!! I almost forgot our little one!!! She is great and loves LA. I don't think she misses the snow, but I sort of did this year. She seems much happier and much more well-behaved since we moved into our own place. She ....well she's a dog, guys! What else is there to say?! Haha
I think that about sums up the last few months in a nutshell. No baby on the way this year like so many I know, but if you are lucky I will keep up on this blog a little more than Jim....no promises though!!!
Love and miss you all...xoxoxo

Hawaii etc.

2008-09-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

Back Again....well the interview went well at House of Blues. Hopefully I'll be hearing back from them this week if they want to set up a second interview...everyone keep on praying and crossing those fingers.

Now for the good stuff....Hawaii!!! It was awesome and tons of fun. We stayed at the Hawaiian Hilton Village in Wakiki....super nice, but pricey. If anyone is planning on going to Hawaii....either brace yourselves now, or save up...big time. Here's the view from our 15th floor corner room.

Our room ended being the best of all the rooms due their computer's being down, and they couldn't make the room keys for our original room....we didn't complain!

After finally arriving to the room we wasted no time getting outside in to the pool. The one good thing about a 3hr difference from PST and 6 from EST....we had all day ahead of us!! After having a couple "umbrella" drinks we got cleaned up and went to a Luau.

It was fun, I couldn't help but feel like the entire production was kinda cheesy and brought shame to the traditions of the Polynesian people. I told myself to lighten up and enjoy....so I did. They had hula lessons for the kiddies...young and old alike.

We had a great dinner and very enjoyable entertainment of Hula Ladies, Musicians, and yes Fire Dancers!!! Plus James Gandolfini was one table away....

And no I didn't take this picture...Dave was our personal paparazzi.
Plus some of the ladies found some hunks!

The next day was Andi's 21st birthday!!! After spending the day by the pool and ocean she was alittle tuckered out...oh and the umbrella drinks helped too.

We all got ready and went to Duke's, a local dinner hot spot.

Day 3 was by far my favorite....because we went golfing!!! I was bummed we only went once while we were there, but with 15 of us we needed to fit a lot in.

Seven of us played the Klipper Course in Kaneohe and it was the most breath taking view.

We spent the next few days lounging around on the beach and the pool just soaking up the rays and having fun doing nothing.

Some of the family made the trip to Pearl Harbor...I didn't wake up in time, which I know regret.

The rest of our vacation included Pat participating in a 2.38 mile Roughwater swim!!!

You can tell he was super excited to have his picture taken so soon after such an exhausting race...he finished in 1 hr 35mins....over 700 people took part in the 39th Waikiki Roughtwater Swim.

We also took a day trip to the North Shore for snorkeling and sight seeing.
On our way back we found Ching's Shrimp Shack, an awesome roadside lunch bus!!! Sorry no pics I left the camera in the car. If you find yourself in Punaluu, HI stop by and get some shrimp and Mahi Mahi!!

Our last stop before the airport was Cheeseburger Waikiki for one last umbrella drink.

We had a great week in beautiful and sunny Hawaii!!!

Now back to reality of job hunting and settling in. Keep you updated soon!!!

Love to all,

Jim and Danni

JOB INTERVIEW!!!!!!

2008-08-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

After freaking out that I might not find work and the whole move would be for nothing...I received a phone call. Only one day after applying online for a few positions at House of Blues I received a call and now have my first LIVE interview since 2003!! I'm super excited and;of course nervous, but this would be a great opportunity. The position I will be interviewing for is the Foundation Room Sales Coordinator. On paper it looks like I'd be assisting the Sales Managers...glorified secretary?...maybe. I would also be involved in the preparation and execution of events at the venue. The Foundation Room is the VIP room at the HOB...so a great way to network with more people. Anyway everyone keep their fingers crossed and pray!! The interview is this Tuesday @ 3pm(6pm EST), I'll keep you updated on how it goes.

Our Cross Country Journey (OH to CA in 5 days)

2008-08-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!! After finding out Andy and Hadassah started a blog to keep everyone posted on their journey together, we thought it would be a great way to let everyone know how we are doing as well.

Day 1 8.14.08

After tearful goodbyes in Columbus and Cincinnati we filled the car with gas and set out West. Our destination for day 1 was Bridgeton, MO, just NW of St. Louis. Let me just say right now, as much as I have enjoyed living in the Midwest, it's a boring drive.

So I enriched my mind with NPR all the way from Cincy to outside Indy. Other than the current events of the day, I learned alot about the production/destruction/reintroduction of the electric car. Most notable, Tesla (no not the 80's hair band) has created a roadster which can go 0-60 in 3.9 seconds!!! It can reach speeds of 125mph, travel 220miles between charges, and only needs to charge for 3.5hrs. Pretty amazing...however, the major downside is the price tag....$109,000. But don't let this get you down, I will gladly accept this as a gift....no worries.

Day 2 8.15.08

Leaving Bridgeton we made our way on I-70 towards Hays, KS. Again, the drive was pretty flat and kinda boring. Luckily, before we left Ohio I purchased a hand-held DVD player to make the 5 day trip seem shorter. Danni absolutely loved it!! I'm sure I would have enjoyed it as well, but I did all the driving. In fairness, she offered to drive everyday, but I turned it down.

Upon our arrival in Hays, KS, which was not a bad location to end our second day of travel, we took Lucy for a long walk through the surrounding neighborhoods. From what I gathered, Hays is a farming town with the lowest crime rate in Kansas, and they have much to offer to history buffs at Fort Hays. Which was an important U.S. Army post from 1865 to 1889. It stationed troops to protect stage and freight wagons on their way to Denver. Nice place...I would recommend it to anyone traveling through Kansas.

Day 3 8.16.08

I woke up early and decided to enjoy the peaceful Kansas morning by taking Lucy on a big way down the main drag. Along the way she made friends with local joggers and walkers...as usual. The carnival was in town!!! Lucy wanted to become a Carny, but I convinced her a leisurely life in the California sun would be a better career choice.

Back to the car!!! As we leave it starts to sprinkle and the growing dark clouds foreshadow the up coming storm.

It rained most of the third day, which was fine on the flat Kansas/Colorado roads before Denver. It was after Denver things got tense with slippery conditions in the mountains and not to mention....cold! I'm not a professional meteorologist, but there shouldn't be snow on the ground the second week of August!!!

Frisco, CO is beautiful!!! Despite the brisk 40 degrees and drizzle we went walking (in shorts, because our long pants were packed) when we arrived and at 6am the next morning...hoping to see an awesome sunrise over the Rocky Mountains...to our dismay there was too much overcast and clouds. Still an amazing place I would love to visit again soon!

I've started working on convincing the old man to purchase a place in Frisco...maybe these photos will help

Day 4 8.17.08
As previously mentioned we woke up at 6am on Sunday morning to take a scenic walk before our trip to St. George, UT. After grabbing some coffee and muffins at the local Safeway we packed up and hit the road.

Although it was the longest day (9.5 hrs) it was probably one of the best. The breath taking Rocky Mountains, ski resorts, and twisting Colorado River made the trip. I'm tempted to fly into Denver and drive to Utah to see everything again...it's that great! Tree lined roads turn to rock sculptures and the 40 degrees quickly increased to 90.

I keep thinking how long did it take to construct this highway? The time and man power it must have taken to build I-70 through the mountain terrain boggles my mind.

Danni takes the wheel with 120 miles until St. George...I gave up control...for once. We arrive at the Budget Inn and Suite (which I highly recommend if anyone finds themselves in St. George, UT) and continue with the routine we've followed the past 4 days. All the hours in the car begins to wear on us so we go to bed early and wake up at 6...again...but this time it feels different. We were almost there!

Day 5 8.18.08

It's our final day of traveling...and even Lucy's excited!!!

We have come so far and seen so much, but it can't seem to come soon enough. All of us want to get out of the car, but we don't. We filled up the tank and didn't stop until we reached the promise land...except for the time I missed highway 10 in California...yea I made a mistake...hehe Danni won't let me live it down. Oh and how could I forget....Carrot Top is playing Las Vegas if anyone is interested...yeah I didn't think so. At 1:15pm PST we finally arrive!!!! We walk right in and are warmly welcomed by a fraction of the Murphy household. We spent the rest of the day being lazy and decompressing from the hours confined in our mobile prison cell. This is the view from our backyard...ok it's Danni's parents backyard.
We're extremely excited to be here, but also anxious for what the future holds.

One thing is for sure....Lucy's enjoying all the attention and luxury of a Hollywood Hound.

Well next week is Hawaii....yeah it's a hard life, but someone has to live it. I'll keep you updated after we get back. Miss everyone already and hope to see some visitors soon!!

Love to all,

Jim and Danni