Week 2 – Reality is beginning to settle in

Here we are at the end of Week 2 and ‘reality’ is beginning to settle in.  I shuttled Jordan back and forth to her job in Silver Lake every day and got a real taste of the LA commute.  When it rained really badly Monday and Tuesday things were particularly challenging.  Having never really had to commute very far, I just don’t understand how all of these people do it every day.  I guess you can get used to anything!

On the plus side, I found a really cool neighborhood coffee shop/bakery, Café Tropical, right on the corner where Jordan’s office is.  Apparently it’s a neighborhood institution in Silver Lake.  They had great pastries and café con leche’s!!  I wish I would have found it sooner.  But, Jordan is now finished with her training at the clinic in Silver Lake so there won’t be any more trips out that direction.  She starts her job at the main clinic in New York next week.  (Parttime job – she’s still going to school)

I visited my old house to pick up something from the new owner.  I must say, it was a bit bizarre walking into the place with different furniture, etc.  But, all of my business there is now done so it’s time to move on.

My bicycles are in my storage unit but I managed to go over and break out my touring bike and go for a 26 mile ride on Saturday.  It highlighted one of the major challenges I will face this year – how to get in enough training for the two rides I’m signed up for!!  It will be a real challenge.   I am scheduled to do an 8 day ride up around Glacier Park in July (fully self-contained, i.e. we carry all of our gear with us!) and then, of course, there is the major undertaking in Australia in early September.    That’s certainly one of the advantages of SoCal, you can ride year round.  I’ll just have to find a gym in New York and spend a lot of time on the stationary bikes!!

Today, reality really began to set in because I had the pleasure of going to a laundromat for the first time in decades.  One gets pretty spoiled when you have a washing machine and dryer just a few steps away in your house!!  So, I found myself at the ‘Happy Bubbles Laundromat’ in Studio City.  It was actually a very nice laundromat but still a bit strange.  First world problems for sure!!

Next week at this time, I should be sitting in my apartment in New York City!!  That’s just amazing to me and probably when reality will really kick in!