Tom Watch, Day 4

Houston, we have a lift off. It's been confirmed by me, with my own two eyes. He does exist.

It all happened yesterday. I was sitting in my cube rocking out to my co-workers 130 gig iTunes library when i peeped over my cubicle and saw a tall man with brown hair walk by. I stood up. I saw his face. It was Tom himself, in the flesh!

However, Mr. Tom was simply walking down the hall to the reception area. He was not looking around or turning his head towards "the new girl's" cube. He was actually staring at the ground. It must be weird walking around a building with 300 people who work for you and thinking to yourself, "Wow, I created all this." He has influenced so many. It's gotta be cool, but weird.

Today I was walking to get my lunch (my free catered lunch I might add) and there he was again walking the opposite direction in the hallway. It was confirmed: we were going to walk past each other. I got nervous and turned red. Yet I stayed confident and told myself I'd look him in the eye and say hello as we passed. I did it. I smiled, and said hello. He smiled back and said, "Hi." Mission accomplished!

Maybe one of these days we'll be formally introduced.

Tom Watch, Day 2

I've now officially been at The Space for two full days. Still, no sight of Tom. His name was mentioned in a meeting yesterday and my ears perked up. No Tom. Today I was given a tour of the second floor and Tom's area pretty much has its own receptionist and bodyguard. He also has like, four assistants. I have seen them, but not him. I have also been secretly hoping to brush elbows with him by the water cooler. Still no luck.

I told my supervisor and some colleagues today that I thought Tom was fictional. They all gasped and were silent. Ten minutes later, my boss pulls me aside and says "Can you come with me for a second?" He said it kind of quietly, so here I am thinking he's either reprimanding me or he's taking me to meet the man himself, Mr. Tom. Since it's only my second day and there's not much to screw up, I figured it was the latter. I was so excited my face turned red. Tom Tom. The founder himself in the flesh. Like, whoa.

Instead, I was taken into a supply room. This room was filled with swag. T-shirts, hats, posters. You name it, it was in there. I was allowed to take whatever I wanted. Normally this awesome act of kindness would have thrilled me. And the thought of doing all my christmass shopping in this room was ever so tempting. However, I couldn't help but feel a slight bit of disappointment. I thought I was meeting Tom, and all I got was a lousy sweatshirt.

Oh well, there's always tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day after that.

To Be Continued...

A guitar strikes a chord..

I've written a series of thoughts over the past month that I'm going to most likely compile into a short non-fiction story. Here is one piece of the puzzle:

"Where's the passion gone in our hearts?
Lost somewhere in the grind
It's time to bring it back
It's time to unwind
Find what we lost
It's time
It's time to bring it back"

I've done a lot of unwinding in my life over the past month. I never felt like I lost my passion, but the flame in my heart that once burned so bright was down to only a flicker. I was tired. Jaded. Spent. I took some time getting to know myself again and you know what? I liked what I found. I realized who I am outside of my work. I spent a lot of quality time with friends whom I hadn't been around much because I had been so busy. I rekindled my love for surfing. I became obsessed with riding waves all over again. Now I appreciate my days at the beach more than ever because I will be restricted to weekend warrior status for the next few months. I started to actually enjoy the game of football. I even began to blog almost daily.

When I think about not snowboarding as much this winter, I get sad. But then I remember Mammoth is only a four hour drive away and I will always have people to drive up with and a place to stay. That makes me happy. I want to go to Whistler in March. I know that no matter what direction my career goes in, I will always continue to make time to do the things I love to do and what have made me who I am.

That's right. I'm bringing awesome back.

Downsizing Part Two

I thought I was serious about downsizing before, but now I'm getting super serious.

I started reading this book:



In true minimalistic fashion, once I am done reading this book I will be giving it away to someone who may find it useful in his or her own life. Any takers?

A Change Will Do You Good

Aside from my friends whom I will miss dearly, here are the top 5 things I will miss about living in San Diego:

1. Waking up at 7 and being in the water by 7:10
2. People who look up, smile, and say hello when they walk by you in passing.
3. My entire life being enclosed in a 2 mile radius
4. Flip flops as the norm
5. Sunsets

*Note: These might change as I get used to life in LA and start noticing more differences


Now here are the top 5 things I am looking forward to about living in LA:

1. Only 4 hours to Mammoth instead of 7
2. A city with tons of energy, culture, and a vibrant nightlife
3. Working for an amazing company and learning tons
4. A queen bed.
5. Bailey!

and last but not least...Traffic ..pause... NOT!

Go Buckeyes!

I just learned how to watch the game of football 3 weeks ago. If only I had begun watching when I was a small child. Then I would have appreciated the OSU shirts and sweatshirts my relatives have given me EVERY year for Christmas since I've existed. At least now I can partake in the fun. Better late than never, right? Yesterday was fun.

Downsizing

Unclutter Your Life

In the process of moving I've taken a strong stance about what items will continue on with me in my next journey and what will not. I originally thought it'd be hard to part with certain things, but now I'm finding that there are very few material possessions in my life that I truly care about. Memories and people are the most important things. Okay, maybe even my surf and snowboards. Seriously though, it feels good to rid my life of clutter. I'm nowhere near being done, but I'm starting to see empty space in my room where possesions once lay. Emptiness in this sense means progress. And it feels damn good.

Leaving the Diego...

And joining my friends Kelly and Brandon from Beverly Hills 90210!

*cue theme song here*

Is that alright?

I've been listening to some great albums lately. In true High Fidelity fashion, here are my top five at the moment and why:

1. Muse "Black Holes and Revelations"
This band truly knocks me out of my chair everytime I listen to them. I really feel like they are reincarnated from the 70's. Heavy guitars with smooth, unique transitions creating a larger than life sound. In the words of my brother, "Matt Bellamy is a musical genius." There is no other band that sounds like Muse right now. I'm a fan.

2. Rise Against "The Sufferer and the Witness"
I haven't been able to stop listening to this record since I got it. It's the perfect length for running or just when I feel the need to burn energy. It's inspiring, thought provoking, and makes me want to fricking punch the crap out of something. Rock.



3. Damien Rice "9"
Only listed at number three because I haven't had the chance to fully digest the beauty of this album yet. But wow. Holy shit. I'm not kidding when I say I get goosebumps when I listen to the opening track. It's that good. Not released yet but check out my Myspace page to hear some of the songs.

4. Bouncing Souls "The Gold Record"
Straight up punk rock with an anthem twist is what you'll get here. I love the Souls because they are one of the few punk bands still around whose lyrics I can relate to word for word. If you listen to the Souls and you know me, you get it. I mean shit, they dedicated the last song on their record to all the songs that haven't been written or heard by others yet. If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is. Young hearts ARE made of gold, and this album will remind you of that.

5. The Bronx "The Bronx II"
Aside from the fact that the members of this band drip hotness, they also rock so hard they might rip your face off. LA lady, you always look so uninspired! Favorite tracks: Shitty Future, White Guilt.

Everything is Everything

"I've seen the future it changes before my eyes
And I know that there is something that's going to change in my life
I know something in my life will change again"

One of the best feelings in the world is when someone sees in you what yourself and others have seen all along. Yesterday I made a big decision, and my life is going to change significantly as a result. But I'm ready for it. I think change is best when it happens suddenly. Otherwise you have too much time to think things through and that makes the transition more difficult.

LA here I come!

Dogs are awesome

I'm in love with golden retrievers. I've lived with one all my life until I moved away from home at 18, so I know very little about a life without goldens. Bailey is the newest addition to our family. She is so awesome. I love her. I get to see her today. Eeeeeeee!

Go Vote

Today is Election Day. Regardless of your political affiliation, I encourage everyone to go out and vote. The polls close at 8pm tonight, so there's still time. I'm not one to openly share my stance on specific issues, but if you would like to hear more information on the propositions and candidates, I will be glad to inform you.

Now go out and vote. NO EXCUSES!

Road Trips

Other than going to live shows, I never feel more connected to music than while I'm on the road. You learn so much about yourself and others while traveling. I associate each song I hear with people and experiences. Driving on an empty highway in the dark night. Lost in thoughts. Best friends by your side. Listening to whatever the shuffle mix on your ipod will bring next. You're quiet as the lyrics to the music suddenly strike a chord in your own personal life, and you are overwhelmed with emotion.

Right now this song for me is 'Warning Sign' by Coldplay. Every time I hear it, I feel something. I get sappy. I think about things. It's not a sad thing really, but more like being filled with a longing. It's amazing music has the power to make you feel this way.

I am friends with an incredible group of people. We are all doing great things with our lives. I'm so lucky.

LT