Thursday, April 29, 2010

The Universe Must Be Balanced

Have you ever felt as though if you became too happy, something bad would happen to balance your universe? I have thought about this at various times when I have an incredibly satisfying morning, then the afternoon goes terribly. Or similarly, when you are very bored, then become very busy... it seems that balance is the trick.

Today I upset the balance of the universe, and it led to a small disaster.

I found a beautiful apartment to move into - it's called a treehouse. The location, less than a block from a reservoir, could not be more picturesque. A huge glass sliding door makes up the front wall of the apartment, which opens onto a huge porch, overlooking the reservoir, hills, houses, and of course, trees. The apartment is part of a community where we share a lap pool and hot tub in the center of three homes. A famous architect designed this community, thus, I view my apartment like I live in art - the architect's art. The serenity is unmeasurable. So, I don't live there yet, but I will in mere weeks. Can't wait!

Oh, but it's too much happiness...

I came home and parked my car in the street near my house so other roommates would not park me in during the one hour I was in the house eating dinner before leaving for yoga. (At my current house we have space for 3 cars off the street but one car blocks the others in when all three are parked, thus, you risk being blocked in. In that case, you can trade places but it involves getting the roommate out to move the car. I avoided this possibility by parking on the street for the hour.) Convenient, easy, quiet street.... so I thought. When I went outside in an hour to get in the car and drive to yoga, what did I see but a huge dent over the front driver side wheel. Someone had backed into my car (or something). That perpetrator did not leave a note or ask around about who owned the car. I asked the neighbors if they saw anything and no one did. Unfortunately other nights guys are sitting on their porches, but not tonight. Instead I took to detective work and looked at the bumpers of the cars parked up and down my long residential street. Basically 3 out of 5 cars had scrapes and scratches and dents and oopses on their bumpers. It could be pretty much anyone in the city of L.A. This city terrorizes new cars with scrapes. My detective career may have just ended.

The universe made me the victim of a hit and run... but now the universe is balanced again.

Sigh. I called my insurance, made a police report, and now wait until tomorrow to see how much it will cost to fix and whether my insurance will go up as a result. The police labeled my case a misdemeanor hit and run. What a pain. Moving apartments is expensive (fronting deposits, moving expenses, buying necessities, etc) which makies the payment of any insurance deductibles unpleasant right now.

Life is expensive. But I'll pay for the universe to find it's center balance. In one week, all will be fixed and I will be that much closer to living in a treehouse.

The one positive thing that came of the "hit and run" was that I stayed home from yoga and watched Modern Family. Best show ever!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

First Rattler



This past weekend I joined a backpacking expedition in the Santa Rosa Wilderness Area. We hiked Martinez and Sheep Mountain and spotted this rattle snake about 20 minutes shy of returning to our cars. Glad to have made it back!



I took many pictures of desert flowers.



California Adventures

Over spring break my sister visited. We whale watched on a boat tour - seeing sea lions, a whale spouting water and swimming near the boat, and dolphins. The second weekend, we took a drive to Sequoia National Park and where the giant trees greeted us with several feet of snow. On the drive back home, we stopped at a local orange stand for the best orange I have ever tasted, fresh from the tree.