Everybody's Working for the Weekend!

I jumped into my new job on a Monday.  It started with me meeting my team who brought me breakfast, then meeting with HR, then meeting with just about everyone else.  My team was/is in the middle of a huge launch so I was kinda thrown into the mix...My team is super cool.

Starting from the top, Stacy is our assistant media director and the "team lead."  She is in her early 30's, late 20's and is really nice.  She knows a lot about the client, company, LA in general.  She's really nice and super positive.  Elizabeth is the other assistant media director is from Bethesda, also late 20's or early 30's.  Karen is our Campaign Optimization Specialist.  I think she and I are actually a lot alike.  She's in her late 20's.  Under Karen is Bryan (my boss) and Courtney.  Courtney is in her mid 20's and is from Hawaii.  She speaks in Pidgin a lot...the other day she said "Dat pow brah?" meaning "Is that finished?"  She had to translate to everyone.  It was pretty funny.  Under her is Andy.  He's 23, from Kansas City and really into pop culture.  He goes out every night and knows everything about Lady Gaga, The Real Housewives of New York...My boss's name is Bryan.  He's from Houston and is super cool.  He is very positive and never seems to get flustered.  I'm not sure if it's the West Coast or if it's Bryan, but he has the mentality that we are only two people and can't do everything in one day.

I started work in the middle of a huge campaign launch so I was kinda thrown in and told "do this, we'll explain it later."  This coming week should be a little easier, but we've been working extremely long hours.  Luckily I get paid overtime!

My first week at UM, we were invited to Mastro's, a steakhouse, in Beverly Hills.  The Washington Post took us, coincidentally.  This place was like a Ruth's Chris...I had a filet and it cost $36.  It was wonderful food and it was a great introduction to LA.

 I have to say that Los Angeles has many more perks than DC did.  So far I've been invited (for free) to the dinner with the Washington Post, a party at the Forever Hollywood Cemetery hosted by MySpace, the official opening night of "This Is It", the Michael Jackson movie, Cirque du Soleli's Kooza in Santa Monica in December, a screening of the movie 2012, a bar crawl in Hollywood by TMZ, a dinner someplace fancy by Sports Illustrated...and I've only been there for 2 weeks!!  It's unbelievable!!

Also last week, my boxes were delivered.  I got everything unpacked last weekend.  There were MAJOR issues with the movers, so for everyone reading, do not use America Vanline (based out of Owings Mills) for your next move or you might have a 300 pound Russian dude coming after you.  I may or may not have a hit out on me by the Russian Mob.  Just sayin...

Like I said everything was unpacked last weekend...What took me a week to pack took me 2 days to unpack.  That's pretty cool.

Kitchen looking to the window

Kitchen from the window looking back

Table and Pictures

New microwave!!

Looking out towards the windows, Main Room

Computer Corner

My bed and dresser, looking back towards the front door

My closet (behind the mirrors) and blue chair

Dressing room (the back wall is a mirror, it isn't that cluttered!

Bathroom

Entry Way

I don't have all of my pictures hung yet, I need to find a man to help.  I'm pretty sure the walls are brick with drywall overtop because the nails/screws won't go in all the way.  My neighbors aren't bad, but my monkey welcome mat was stolen and the neighbor to the right of me plays club music pretty loudly during the day.  I'm pretty mad about the floor mat, but what can I do?  The club music is only during the day, so even that doesn't bother me.  Everyone I've met in the elevator seems really nice so far.

My work building is really cool.  The other people in the building are OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network), Fuzzy Door Productions (Seth MacFarlane, the creater of Family Guy and American Dad's company).  Across the street is the E! Network and Ryan Seacrest broadcasts a show that overlooks the courtyard in between our buildings.

The sign for my office building

My building from across the street

This weekend, I went up to Hanford to hang out with Kerry and Reagan for Halloween.  I wore my awesome Bumblebee costume that I could barely sit down in.  Reagan was a peanut because Kerry calls her "Peanut".  I left Saturday morning and got there around noon.  We immediately started carving pumpkins.  Reagan was less than thrilled with the orange goop on the inside, so she quickly found other ways to keep herself entertained.

She was curious about the big orange things, but didn't want to play with us...

Ewwwww!!!!

Our finished product

Reagan took a nap and Kerry and I hung out.  Finally, we all got dressed and Reagan and Kerry went trick or treating while I stayed home to hand out candy.  Reagan seemed to love trick or treating.

Reagan came to her own door to trick or treat

She liked counting her candy

In, Out, In, Out...

Bee and Peanut!

I know I'm shamelessly exploiting my niece here, but HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!