First Few Days at New Place!

I moved into my place this past weekend and finally got my internet up and running today!  It's funny because I had the DirecTV guy come bright and early the day after I moved in since I wanted to be able to record True Blood by 6 pm on Sunday.  So that was all taken care of.  DirecTV is so cool - I have three HD DVR Receivers, and they are able to link the DVRs together so you can watch any show recorded on one DVR from another, which means you can record one show in one room and watch the show from a different room.  And it's like having 3 times the memory of a single DVR!  I only have one TV at the moment though, but I still have the DVRs plugged into each room so they can all be recording!  The HD Dish I have mounted on my balcony is a little big though.  I sure hope the HOA won't tell me that I have to take it down!

So internet was put on hold because I was going to get Road Runner but they check new customers' credit before giving you service for some reason (super lame).  And since I was still at the end of my mortgage process, I didn't want it to get messed up from somebody else running my credit.  My boyfriend was here when the Road Runner guy came, and he got the fastest internet.  I guess I'm able to download a huge movie within 3 minutes!  Kinda cool but I never download movies or anything.  Road Runner price is definitely better than AT&T or Verizon though.  For less monthly fee, you get faster internet speed.  The only thing is you have to buy your own wireless router.

Since I moved over to Sherman Oaks, it doesn't make sense for me to go to Equinox before work anymore since their locations are all out of my way to work.  And taking traffic into consideration, it would add on way too much time.  I'd have to be at the gym at like 4 am and be done showering by 5 to be able to make it to work - I work in investment management so our trading days start on East Coast time, hence I have to be at work earlier than the usual 9-5 work day people.  It really sucks because I was so used to working out in the morning - it just makes me feel so much better and have much more energy all day!  I've gone to the gym in the evening the past 2 days and not only were they ridiculously crowded, but by the time I got home it was already like almost 9 pm.  Really not much time to just chillax and be up early the next day.  Ugh.  I have to figure something out.  Maybe I'll just go running in the morning or get a work out DVD to do at home.  Maybe try out that PX90 stuff that all my friends on Facebook are raving about.  And then maybe go to the gym after work 1-2 days a week and on weekends.  I know that I could just join another gym nearby - I think there's a LA Fitness, there's a Gold's right by my work too, but I just don't think that I'd go.  I'm pretty sold on Equinox, especially since most of the other gyms in LA are so ghetto.  The last thing I want to do is pay $200 a month for gym membership (because I will not cancel Equinox, like ever lol) and not go to either one.  But maybe the LA Fitness in Sherman Oaks is nicer!  Decisions, decisions... why can't Equinox just open up a downtown location and solve all my problems??

Another change in my life is that I started taking public transportation to work!  Yes, I'm actually riding the Metro!  It's pretty awesome too.  Since it's underground, I never have to deal with traffic anymore!  I get on, and 20 minutes later I'm at work!  I never knew so many people took public transportation in LA until this week.  Gosh they really should extent their system further so more people can get off the street and clean up the horrible traffic around here!  There's nothing that goes to West LA where I used to live, and if there was, everyone I know would be taking it.  The traffic in that area is horrid.  They've had the plan to put subway lines there for years but others keep delaying it since it means even worse traffic in the meantime while they are building.  These people are so short sighted and piss me off.  If they hadn't been such whiners 20 years ago, we would be enjoying it today!  Anyway, I'm glad I'm able to take advantage of it now.  It comes every 5 minutes in rush hour, so it's very flexible.  The people who take it are all normal commuter people.  Well, at least during the times I've taken it.  I haven't seen any crazies talking to themselves or yelling at people yet lol.  I saw lots of those when I was in San Francisco where I grew up, and also in New York when I've visited.  The stations here all have cops patrolling, which is a little weird but makes it safer I guess.  And there's no homeless people camping out like at other cities.  The weirdest thing though I've found with the system in LA is that ticketing is all based on honor system.  You don't need a ticket to get to the platform.  So weird!!  They do have people patrolling once in a while and would fine you if you don't have a ticket (I haven't seen it yet), but it seems like it's a system that would be so easily taken advantage of.  I got a monthly pass though.  They call it a TAP card that is a hard plastic card that you keep and you can load and reload money onto the card.  If you register the number, then they will give you your balance back if you lose the card!  How cool!  Environmentally friendly too, and they won't get bent like paper ones would.  And it's a pretty blue color!  =)

So yeah, kind of lots of changes for me this week!  I'm still getting used to everything, and I'm still unpacking.  After I live here a little while I'm going to put a list together of things I need to get.  I just want to get a feel of the place first to see what I really need.  Hopefully the house warming "fund" from parents would cover everything!  I still haven't had time to explore the area very much either, so there's still lots to do!