Jonah and the Whale

Well, the last couple of weeks have been nothing less than a whirlwind. Josh got laid off from his company almost a year ago to date. That was tough because we were in a place where we didn't have family and our close friends could be counted on less than one hand.

As the year drug on, through the snow and ice storms real estate really picked up for me. I did very well for myself in a very small amount of time, but my heart was not in it. I was not driven enough to get up in the morning and aggressively look for clients; I am not a fan of whoring myself out for free. These people have to pay me what I know I'm worth. Anyway, our plan was to move back home, meaning Florida. We visited and loved being close to family and friends. We searched for apartments, jobs, and schools. Our minds were made up, then the Coleman Company called out of the blue (any camping item that is not made by L.L. Bean, Lands End, or Northface is made by Coleman). They contacted Josh before the position was posted on any of the major job sites. He was the first interviewee and felt really confident, what did he have to lose, we were going home if it didn't work out. This was a win win, family, beach, friends, sun and culture or job, experience, money and benefits. The interview went really well and they said they would let him know in a couple weeks. Well, a couple weeks turned into a couple months. We were OVER IT!

An opportunity for us to move back to Los Angeles arose, Josh passed up multiple freelance opportunities while waiting on Coleman. Together, we decided it would be best to move back to the craziness that is known as LA. It would be beneficial for both of us, he could work and I could begin culinary school. Once again, a win win situation. We planned a visit to look for apartments and check out the culinary school (Le Cordon Bleu). I scheduled our days down to the minute and of course, because I set a plan, it blew up in our faces.

We strolled through Pasadena and found an apartment we loved. It is a completely green complex. If you own a hybrid vehicle, you got a closer parking space. All of the appliances are energy star rated, and best of all, there is an equity program where the leasing company matches 20% of your monthly rent and puts it aside for when you are ready to build or purchase a house. We were so excited. One of our favorite places to eat is http://www.homelosfeliz.com/. Because LA is so massive, we went back to the hotel to search for the address on the Internet. I went down to the lobby while Josh chilled out (less than 10 minutes). The time it took me to search for the restaurant, get on the elevator and climb back to the fourth floor, the Coleman Company called and wanted to extend an offer to Josh. SERIOUSLY! I, for once in my life, was totally speechless. Josh was beside himself, so we went to lunch and he proceeded to get drunk. He is probably the best drunk there is because he is never sloppy and always funny. I guess it is also good because it doesn't take a ton of booze to get him drunk so he sobers up pretty quickly too. Another win win situation.

After some negotiation with Coleman, I guess we will be staying in Wichita for the time being. My dreams of being a cross between Gordon Ramsey, Anthony Bourdain, and Cat Cora are on hold for the moment. This is a little bitter sweet. I am excited for Josh and our future. Who knows what is in store for us. Things obviously have a way of working themselves out...