Post 80: Utah and back

Well, clearly I am already back from Utah. However, this post is just about before, during, and after my time going over to Utah. But first….a pet update.

At this point, Chiyo just started to come downstairs by herself. Tucker was loving on his favorite toy as seen below….but moments later, Chiyo came down and slobbered on it full-on. Neither Aki or I wanted to touch it because it was so wet.

Nacho still has mating issues and I am trying to separate him from that. He needs to know that we are friends, yo!

The good thing is, Tucker is at least understanding that you do not try to play “capture” with this bird. Lesson learned, and all four paw are intact. Even though he looks like a loaf in the background.

Ahhh yes….the Air shipment came rather quickly, so Aki and I unpacked it all. There was a lot of paper that was of quick use to Tucker.

….and Chiyo.

CHONKY!

I have been trying to prep for going to Utah at the same time as organizing the apartment. It is going very slowly and I am constantly and consistently overwhelmed.

So I would take walks now and again. The flowers in the apartment complex are really pretty.

So this is the vacuum that I have been using. This thing is fucking awesome. It is worth the money for me for sure. Apartment is still mess at this point.

….apartment is still messy NOW.

Found a cat toy thing….it has catnip so naturally….

In the midst of all this cleaning, I have started running (trotting) and been pretty good with going to Orange Theory Fitness. I really like the classes….never the same thing. :)

I was invited to interview at a pretty cool company in San Jose. I liked the people and the project they were working on….the location was a different story. I know the distance is far, but the location itself made me very uneasy in DAYTIME. I saw 2 bikes getting stolen and one person shooting up…heroine…I think?

Normally what I would do in a far commute, is go ridiculously early, then head to a gym. After that, get a coffee and go into a meeting room and do my own art or something until people came in and it was time to work. I was just not feeling it here.

Doesn’t matter anyway, because they were looking for someone with a different background. NO WORRIES ON MY END. But they were really cool people. I hope the game does very well when it comes out.

That was a Monday. Now, Tuesday, I thought that I had to meet up with an old coworker in SF. They are in a really good location where I would feel safer. Though, the meeting was on Wednesday, and I made a boo-boo. I just came back the next day and we chatted and had a burger. :) It was a remarkably nice day in SF both days. Needless to say, I did not get any cleaning done all three days and felt like shit because of it.

Chiyo is starting to come down stairs more often now. They sniffed each others noses in front of us, so that is a good sign.

I got up at around 5:00am on Monday, July 22nd and headed over to Peet’s coffee since they are close and open at 4am.

Got my coffee and ready to head out. The sun is starting to rise, so hopefully all the little animals that like to run around the road at night are finished.

Here are a bunch of photos I took while kinda driving……It was really neat seeing the different landscapes. They seem so similar, but they really have their own look and feel. There are some beautiful muted colors that pop with the brilliant blue sky. I do like the drive.

Getting into Utah, the temperature was outrageous. The car handled it really well though. Also, I was surprised at how little I had to fill the tank. The Subaru Forester Sport is a fucking amazing car. I love it!

In Utah, still with the sun out, I decided to take a walk to see if the Dancing Crane is still there. It is hot AF out. I saw some pretty neat flowers as I was passing.

I was staying at the Extended Stay in the heart of the Sugarhouse district. It is in a really good location. The only shitty thing is, that is shares a parking lot with Chick-fil-a….and the entrance gets backed up with cars just trying to go through the drive through.

The next morning (Tuesday, July 23rd), I went to get a London Fog at Sunset Coffee. They make the BEST London Fog on the planet. I had to get the largest size. :)

The Wasatch Mountains are so pretty from this location. I really do miss Utah though.

I went to the storage unit just before 9am. I noticed that there was a yellow broken take and a blue lock on my unit. I didn’t remember putting on a blue lock. So, of course none of the keys I brought worked. I figured I would go in and check with the worker once the office opens at 9:30am. I went over to Target and hung out….peed….got shit I didn’t really need, and went back.

There was a guy on a bike waiting to get in to the Storage Unit office. I followed in shortly and waited to the side as this guy was just screaming at the lady. Apparently, he was evicted for sleeping in his unit….which is illegal. He was warned countless times and was given like 2 months notice….he kept sleeping there. There was another person who was doing that too. But this dude was full-on screaming at this lady just doing her job. His name was Doug. He just kept asking if she was happy she was kicking him out. Crazy.

Anyway, I talked to the lady and she said that it was broken into Feb 9, 2018. I told her that I was out of the country, but they did try calling. So she had put a lock on for me and had the keys. Which was great, because I was a little worried that I would have to wait for someone to come around with bolt cutters and the next day (July 24th) was a holiday (Pioneer Day) that is only in Utah. Go figure.

Looks like NOTHING was taken and I was a little disappointed because I still have all this work to do. But the lady that works there noticed my bird cage and I just gave it to her! She can use it! YAY! I did find out, that the dude just took like my front bike tire…NOT THE WHOLE BIKE. But the bike tire was all busted up anyway. What an idiot. Apparently these folks look for tools to sell. Jokes on him, all the tools are buried behind all these rows and rows of wire racks and art supplies. LOL.

I did a donation run with some of the items I cleaned out and dumped some others. I then went over to the Dancing Crane. They really limited their menu…so I just had a salad. It was good and the dressing was amazing…..but I was sad to see the serpentine bowl go. I wish I knew what that dressing was.

OH YES!!! Before going to the Dancing Crane (I think)….I went to the Best Friends Animal Society to donate a shit load of towels and carriers. The California one was overly picky, but I feel that the Utah BFAS will be able to use them. I am a big fan of this organization. <3

I was able to get some time from the stylist I used to go to in Utah. She was taking Pioneer Day off (good for her!) and fit me in at 6:45. Was so happy! On the way home it looked like it was goin to rain….and it did.

The next day, I went over to Sugarhouse Park and walked around. I meant to run, but my lower back was not being very nice to me. Rat bastard.

I popped over to Barnes and Nobel just a block away from the hotel and got a ridiculously sugared drink…..which was ridiculously delicious. lol. I love this cafe. I love the environment. <3

I am so fucking happy California is getting Barnes and Nobel back! I hope it stays!!!!!

Took a walk over to Dancing Crane this time and caught a little bee hooking up with some flower. :)

Beautiful (but hot day) in Utah. I did go to the storage unit before all this walk and tore down 4 wire racks and kinda organized the place. So now when Aki and I get there the week of August 5th, we can just go to town with it.

I went on my walk and more flowers……

Dawn of when I am heading back to California on Thursday, July 25th. I am at Sunset Coffee again, getting my London Fog. It was as delicious as always.

Not as many pictures coming back to California as there were going. But still pretty.

Stopped at the Salt Flats to pee….This truck is highly confused.

That deep blue sky at the salt flats, tho!

More pictures of Nevada.

Coming back home, Tucker was happy to see me and was super playful.

Chiyo being sexy. She is still CHONKY.

Did a lot of basic errands when I came back. Friday, we dealt with the internet and the Cable. Xfinity folks were super helpful at the shop. When I was on the phone with Xfinity, the guy just went on and on and on and on……I was on the call about 45 min. But we just went into the new store that is in the new plaza with Whole Foods. It was really impressive, I have to say. The staff was friendly and they were quick to helping people. No more of the one giant line waiting for 1 of 2.5 staff members to give you shit.

We set it up and promptly watched something on Aki’s laptop…..

My desk came in on Friday, but we put it together on Saturday. It fits and works perfectly.

Now, I am trying to organize all the shit that I brought back.

Tucker does not care tho.

I will say, time is feeling kinda weird lately. Like, I was just in Utah last week….less than a week ago, but it somehow feels like ages ago. For Japan, I can’t believe I have been back a month already. It feels like I have only been here a couple weeks (half the time), but I can’t remember where I have been before that. My logic tells me I have been in Utah and Japan for the past 4.5 years….but I can’t remember the feelings of being in Japan. I know I miss the accessibility of so much around….but those things are also a major distraction to things I want to do. The problem is….I don’t know what I want to do.

I do feel like I want to paint…but everything is so upside-down and congested with clutter here, I am torn. I feel like I can’t get on a good schedule because there is too much around and I can’t access my stuff easy. I don’t have places where I normally put things, like my coat, shoes, etc. Every time I get an area decluttered, I have to use that space to declutter another place…..

I am supposed to get my shipped stuff in too shortly. I assume in a couple weeks….so MORE SHIT. But I hope to get the main stuff organized here so all that stuff actually has a place to live. On top of all that, I am applying for jobs.

For the big stuff and the storage unit, I am going to call 1-800-got-junk and have them remove it….because I don’t want to deal with that. It’s too much for me. Anyway, Aki and I will head over to SLC to do the next round of the storage until next week. :)