Holiday wrap-up

Happy new year, everyone!

Before I talk about the things I did this week, I want to address what I didn't do.

Unlike many bloggers, I didn't write a reflective post about what I learned or how I grew in 2008. I wrote something similar to that on my blog anniversary, and I think after four years of this thing, the subject of my maturation has started to get a little stale. But I have been personally reflecting, and it occurred to me that while nothing major changed in 2008 (same job, same apartment, same social status), I made a lot of smaller personal changes I think will have some impact on the future.

On that note, I also didn't make any resolutions. I thought of all the things I did in 2008 that I never could have predicted I'd want to do back in January - take up yoga, go to Peru, sign up for a writing class - so I didn't think it made sense to come up with something now. My whole life, the biggest changes have occurred practically without warning or any planning on my part, and right now, it seems appropriate to just keep my eyes and mind open to opportunity.

Finally, I also didn't go to the gym! Since I met my December mileage goal more than a week early, I gave myself the week off from running, and did yoga only three times in ten days. It was a nice change not having that obligation in the back of my mind, and opened up so much time in my schedule! It was also nice not harboring guilt on the couple of days I was hungover and sleep-deprived and really just wanted to lay on my couch. My mind hasn't been so guilt-free in years. It was like taking a vacation from myself!

As for what I did with all that free time?

Most notably, I got a dining room table.

My dining area is pretty small, so when I moved into this apartment, I purchased a two-seater highboy with matching bar stools. It sounds like an odd choice now, but I wasn't throwing dinner parties back then, and, after coming from a 300 square foot Manhattan studio, I was excited just to have a dining room. I couldn't begin to overthink the furniture.

The highboy was also where I kept my laptop and did all of my writing. It wasn't uncomfortable, per se, but the stools had no back support and the table wasn't wide enough to hold much more than my computer. I've wanted to upgrade for a while, but I figured I'd be buying/moving soon, and I should just wait until then. Well. Now that I have this writing class coming up, I really wanted a more comfortable space in which to work. I'm likely not buying a condo until the economy stabilizes, so I figure I can get at least a semester of classes out it.

I didn't want to spend a lot, so Friday morning, I dragged my friend Lauren up to the Burbank Ikea. The last time I went to Ikea, I was still living in New York, and the crowds and the kids and the chaos at the loading dock made me swear I'd never return. Oh, how time forgets. No. Actually, this experience wasn't bad at all. There was no traffic, parking was fine, and we got there early enough as to avoid the masses. The lines were long and furniture maze was still annoying, but, all-in-all, it was a fine experience.

Until.

I got home and had to put everything together. And realized I'm way too old for make-your-own-furniture.

Lauren came back and we both set up the table. It was mostly simple, save for a few screws that didn't want to go in, but we managed okay and I'm fairly confident I can eat and work at this thing for a few years without incident. I can't say the same for the chairs. We each took a turn trying to assemble the chairs, and we both agreed that there is no way the front legs will ever be stable. The directions call for a wrench to secure the washers on the screws, but I got a wrench and I applied elbow grease and nothing changed. Except the angle of the legs when I sit, which probably doesn't bode well for their future.

It turns out, I also got the wrong slipcovers. I was devastated when I realized this. Yes, the Ikea experience had been okay on Friday morning, when half of LA was still on vacation or back at work or maybe even just sleeping in. But returning once the city was back to normal? Fuhgettaboutit. I'm going to have to wake up early one day next weekend and just be there when it opens. That's the only way I can deal with doing it again. That, and maybe a sedative in my Starbucks.

When I wasn't working towards home improvement, I was having a lot of fun. New Years Eve was spent with Nicole, first at a dinner party, and later, at a house party. Friday night was another late night with Miya, partying at Foxtail, and later, at the SLS Hotel. In between, I had two (mediocre) dates, watched two (bad) movies, ate lunch with two (good) friends, and started one (very good) book. I did a lot, and yet feel very relaxed.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and a satisfying start to the new year!