Catching Up With the Monkeys

Happy Fourth of July!  Ok, not quite, but most of you will read this tomorrow, so there.

In an odd way, I feel that I've let a lot of you down by not updating you.  I'm not talking about what I eat and where I go but what I'm doing with my life.  I realize that a large percentage of you probably just check in to see where to dine next, but I now know there is a decent number of people who still wonder how I'm actually doing.

I'm fine, people!  Life is good!

Maybe you were hoping for more than that.  I know your type -- the demanding lurker who never comments but hangs on every word I type.  Sometimes I don't even know why I talk to you.  You never respond.

I'm a sucker, aren't I?  At the heart of it, you are a voyeur, and I am an exhibitionist, and I do this even though you give me nothing in return.  I shake my fist at (and write for) you.

It has been an extremely long time since I talked about personal stuff, so here's a list for you, you dirty nosy lurker:

(1) Work.  I got a very minor promotion at work about a year ago.  New title.  Marginally better pay.  Reserved parking.  Kind of.  I have to swipe my card to get into the lot closest to the office doors.  My job is pretty much the same, though, and I still get wet when it rains.  I'm just an ever-so-slightly-better-compensated drone.  This is rather unexciting non-news.

Far more exciting is the fact that Mr. Monkey got a new job at the end of 2011.  He is now Chief Operations Officer of a small company.  Applause!

(2) Home.  The Monkeys moved.  We went from the urban hustle and bustle of Downtown to sleepy suburbia.  Yes, folks, we are in suburbia now.

It's a mixed bag.  I miss being steps away from good restaurants and the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, and concerts.  I also miss being fairly close to everywhere in Los Angeles.  Our move has added an extra 10 minutes to any trip to Hollywood or the West Side, which really isn't a big deal, but it's a marked difference when I'm driving home from dinner or any other sort of fun over on that side of the city.  Saddest of all, our neighborhood is a black hole for food.  Tragic.

But.

Mr. Monkey's new commute to work is just 10 minutes.  And it's really nice to have twice the amount of space that we used to have.  I enjoy no longer sharing walls, floors, and ceilings with other people.  Also, our house is kind of cool and different from most houses in our 'hood.  We built an interesting deck and trellis in our backyard, and our indoor amenities are rather modern.  We even have water that comes out of the ceiling to fill our bathtub.

Slowly but surely, we are furnishing.  More slowly than surely, to tell you the truth.  I'm perfectly happy with a minimalist feel, but it seems to drive certain guests crazy.  ("Put something on your walls!")  I'm ok with that.  You don't live here.  I do.  And I'll get to it.  Eventually.  There's really no rush to make our home look like a snapshot of 2012.

(3) Family.  Little Monkey Niece is six, and Little Monkey Nephew is two.  I bet some of you didn't even know there was a Little Monkey Nephew.

Well, there is a second LMN now.  See?  My OGLMN is the sweetest little girl.  She always compliments my shoes and nail polish.  She even called me "exquisite" one night.  Good vocabulary!  LMN2 is the opposite of OGLMN.  LMN2 mostly grunts to communicate, and he loves to eat.  My kinda kid.

My own little brother is now supervising producer of his television show.  Like the Monkeys, BroMo is also a new homeowner.  He bought an awesome house in the Hollywood Hills, complete with a breathtaking view and a secret bookshelf-wall-passageway to an incredible, sexy, moody bar area.

Mama Monkey is still the best math teacher at her school (and probably the district) and is beloved by her students.  She and her husband continue to travel.  They left for Croatia and Slovenia today.

Papa Monkey finally retired from his medical practice and now lives with his girlfriend just six minutes away from us instead of way out on the sun.  This makes many things more convenient, including, but not limited to, coordination of family meals and mail collection when we're traveling.

(4) Travel.  The Monkeys went to Europe for the first time together earlier this year.  We'd been without each other, but this was our maiden voyage together to international cities sans wildlife and nature.  Mr. Monkey had to suffer through museums with me!  The horror!

The only animals we saw were on our plates.  Those animals were really delicious, especially in Paris.  This vacation was definitely different from our other adventure-packed international trips.

(5) Sports.  The Monkeys witnessed the Kings win the Stanley Cup with my friend, KingsGirl. I highly recommend watching this video until at least 0:13.  This was undoubtedly the most thrilling sports event I'd ever attended in my entire life.

We are now season ticket holders.  Scoot over, NBA.  Make room for the NHL.

How do we still have time and money to dine well?  I don't know.  I should probably have less fun and monitor my bank account more carefully.

Nah.

Happy Independence Day!