Okay so the song quote was a bit of a cop out, but come on...it's Oscar the Grouch. One of Sesame Street's most lovable characters.

So the reason I love trash is due to the lack of space in the endeavor to get rid of our moving refuse. In So Cal, as is the norm in a lot of California apparently, you pay for trash. For each can, you pay a certain amount. Luckily, our landlord pays for the trash, but between the 2 units, we only have 2 cans. This means that disposing of bulky items like our bubble wrap or boxes, is very difficult without taking away your precious space you need for throwing away the day-to-day garbage. So, we've tried giving away some of the boxes to folks who, like us, are trying to move on the cheap.

I think my major complaint, as I have said before, is the traffic. I have noticed that there are side roads which you can take such that if you need to sit in traffic, you are looking at the Pacific Ocean or lovely hills as opposed to construction or lots of other people going in the other direction.

Adjusting to a new job is a difficult task as well. I have spent the last ferw days trying my best to fit in. It feels a lot like high school all over again. There are the cool kids, the kids who earn a lot, the manager kids who boss everyone around and of course the slacker kids. I'm trying not to let the casual atmosphere affect my East Coast sensibility. Since when are flip-flops considered business casual??

The other thing that I am starting to feel after a very pleasant rendevouz with my folks for my birthday is that time spent with family has a new feeling of urgency. It is as if every moment must count. I am not saying that every conversation has to be deep and meaningful, but rather, as if each minute that I am able to spend with family, I should take it. Each letter I get, birthday card received or email from folks back east is very dear to me. I know that sounds hokey and perhaps downright cheesy, but the truth can be that way sometimes.