Three Weeks of Catchup...

Okay, first some photos of view of the 405 freeway from the Getty Center, the gardens and the Getty Museum which sits up high over the 405 Freeway going north, right before Mulholland drive. You take a tram to the museum and there are these fabulous gardens and architectural granite/modernish buildings which houses paintings, sculpture, historic furniture (which makes me think that people a couple hundred yrs from now will be viewing our stuff in a museum). This was my first visit to a "new LA" site meaning that I haven't done the touristy thing in a few months, since the summer, with everything that has gone on-travel, work, sickness, mourning, etc. My brother is coming to visit over x-mas and New Year's so I will do a whole lot more which I am excited about-such as touring the movie studios, etc. Whether we do the Jewish thing and eat Chinese food and see a movie on x-mas, I don't know, but I am making a to do list of sites, a friend told me that the Beverly Hills Grove-a farmer's market, outdoor shopping center has fake snow around x-mas, that would be interesting to see. I don't miss the cold weather of the ecoast and living in LA, you do see the fall colors on the leaves so that works out.
I spent this weekend totally chilling out-actually not really leaving my house but watching 20 hrs of dvds of Grey's Anatomy-yup, I am hooked. And like most series, I have to watch it all in one sitting. But then, I have been overstressed and overtired the last few weeks so it makes sense.
I made a short trip to Tucson for Tgiving, nice to see some friends but it was too short of a trip and my mind was distracted-having gone without much sleep in the weeks preceding b/c of grants and deadlines, then driving back at 4am on Sunday so as not to spend all day stuck in traffic on the I-10. So I came back pretty tired and had to start work immediately on some grants. I finished everything by the end of that week but then had to prepare for a talk which I didn't put much energy into having depleted reserves. To make matters worse, there are some project problems so I haven't been that enthused lately. I want to make new resolutions for the New Year which include having more of a balance-doing some tutoring or teaching.
As for fun things, I have been sampling more international cuisine around town-Nepalese food, the best Thai food near Venice beach courtesy of a visiting friend from high school, seen a couple of plays, movies (The Fountain-good but bizarre; Casino Royale in Tucson-excellent!), there are some holiday parties coming up too...
My work stress has largely abated which is nice but I will be glad to leave the fall mentally and enter winter. I turn 32 in early January which is a bit freaky to think about. After all, when you can remember being 16 and wondering what you would be like at 25...

Julie