I'm a runner!

Or I will be very soon...I've signed up to train for the Los Angeles Marathon in March and need all the help I can get raising the funds ($2500!) So click on the link I'm providing (or copy & paste it up top) and donate all the money you have :)

Help me help others! THANK YOU!

http://www.active.com/donate/tntgla/chelsbels

I'm Fancy Pancy

I'm a cool, hip, L.A. chic now. I went to my first movie screening. Ooh la la. Yeah, have you ever read an article and they were like "oh we changed the ending because audience screenings didn't go well" or they changed something else. Well yeah that's what I did last night.

What this actually means is that when I went to a movie the other night, afterwards people were standing outside handing out fliers for a movie screening. So I thought, what the heck, I will go. The movie was called "Michael Clayton" and it stars George Clooney. It was good. Anyway, afterwards you just fill out this form about what you liked or didn't, what you would change, if it was too fast or too slow, etc. And it's free.

Upon leaving I was handed a ticket to another screening for a different movie. It's not titled yet but it has Ryan Reynolds, Emily Mortimer, & Stuart Townsend, and is supposed to be funny. So I guess we'll be heading to Burbank tomorrow night for that. It's a nice hobby, seeing movies for free months before they come out. There's one nice thing about L.A.

New Apartment Pics

Here's a link to the pictures of our new place:

share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=9IZMWbVw5YvY

Coming to America...

Yeah that's how I feel everyday as I drive home from work, that I am coming back to America! I have 32 kids on my caseload, by looking at last names alone, at least 16 of them are Asian, 13 are Hispanic and that leaves 3 kids whose last names I can't tell what they are... Today I was in a classroom and there was 1 white kid, no black kids-- everyone else was Hispanic or Asian. It's just an odd thing to get used to. I mean don't get me wrong, last year I had a lot of Hispanic kids, I'm in Southern California, it's normal, but this is crazy. I hear & see more foreign languages on signs than in English, and the English I do hear has a really heavy accent and sometimes I can't even tell they are actually speaking English because the accent is so heavy. But that's just where I work...head back towards where I live--which is actually less than 10 miles-- and the signs are in English! (Maybe some Spanish ones but that's normal) And there's actually a variety of people, not just 2 major groups. It's so strange. The other day I was walking around this school and guess what flashed into my head... you know those infomercials about feeding some hungry kids for like 25 cents a day...I felt like I was in one of those countries!! Sounds kinda horrible but it's just so weird.

Going, Going, Back, Back to Cali Cali

Ok, we're actually already back, but now I have internet service! Watch out world! (And those are words to a song up top, it's not an accident that it's all twice!)

Kidding. So the trip home was good and long...maybe too long because I got used to being home and now I'm bitter about all the things I don't like about California. I'll get over it soon I'm sure. I don't really have any choice. Those things being that everything takes longer-- driving, lunch, waiting in lines...that sort of thing. And the sky in fact is not blue. It's brownish. And the grass is not in fact green. It's brownish. Everything is brownish. I knew this when I left but you know, after being around an actual blue sky and green grass it kinda pisses you off.

The good things...we got the apartment we wanted & we're all settled. It's bigger than I had imagined (just so I wouldn't be disappointed). We live on top of a mall. Our balcony overlooks a fountain and Mimi Maternity and Coach, and Footlocker is just across the way. The overpriced grocery store is just down the elevator, the post office is across the street and the library is 2 blocks away. Target is only 4 blocks--- so that is all very cool. We get to walk places :)

Work...today was the first day and I was completely overwhelmed. But I think that's standard for any first day. I won't get into the details other than it's much different than where I was for good & bad. Give me a couple weeks and I'll get to my kids and all will be well with the world again. As for right now I have a pounding headache. And want to fast forward. It's a much smaller area=good, I'm the only therapist=challenging, they don't have any materials=bad, I get to pick what we order=good. Just stress, good & bad.

I'm going to try & get some pictures up of that place later today, keep in mind it's not complete :)

Miss you all