It's my turn

Meryl and Harold are back on the east coast and not sweating nearly as much as they were this past week. They picked me up at the airport on Tuesday and since then it's been a whirlwind. I will let them fill everyone in on our sightseeing adventures.

The first thing we did was go to the house where I am renting a room. I found the room for rent online and agreed to rent it sight unseen. Needless to say I was pretty anxious about finally seeing it. The move has been pretty effortless on my part so I was waiting for the downside, such as I mistakenly rented a room in a crack den and my room would be a cardboard box. Luckily this was not the case. The house is beautiful, a typical California ranch, and my room is pretty awesome. I knew it was fully furnished, one of its major selling points, but what I didn't know was that my landlady was nice enough to supply me with pillows, sheets, and a comforter,...and a tv....and satelitte connection...and a dvd player....and a walk in closet. Whoo hoo!! I was relieved.

The people I am sharing the house with are pretty cool. One is a junior and the other is a senior at undergrad. Then there's my landlady and the two dogs. It's pretty cozy. I only share a bathroom with one other person which is really nice. All in all, as of right now, I really lucked out.

My parents met my landlady, Kim, and they really liked her. When my mom got up from the couch she did her typical "Oy". Later that night Kim knocked on my door and asked me some random question then she hesitated and asked "are you Jewish?" I replied my usual way where i say it's kind of complicated and that my mom is Jewish but I was baptised and confirmed Christian but we basically still celebrate everything. She then told me that she is Jewish and that maybe that would make my mom feel better about leaving me here. ha! so cute.

I've been to orientation and have already picked classes. I am taking two classes and they are both on Monday and since this past Monday was labor day I don't have classes until next Monday, pretty sweet. Now the question is what to do with my time? I have thought about walking around with a sandwich board around my neck that reads "From New Jersey, need friends." but I decided that that is pretty tacky and ranks up there with the time my parents walked around a store up at UMass and shouted "This is our daughter, will you be her friend?" Instead I will bide my time looking for a job AND laying on the beach. We are in the middle of a heat wave right now...It hasn't been under 100 degrees since I got here so I am either in air conditioning or driving to the coast, where it is at least 20 degrees cooler, no lie.

I am still trying to work out the internet kinks at the house so my access is spotty at best but that should be figured out by the end of this week. Miss me lots!