Annual Report

I know. You’ve all been on pins and needles, wondering if I was ever going to get around to that yearly report on how life is going in the great state of California. “Please, Geoff!” you’ve cried. “End this torturous waiting! Your public needs to know!“

Very well, public. I shall give you what you crave, following the same grading scale from last year, just to give it a little consistency.

Overall, I’m going with a solid B, a pretty decent jump from last year’s C+. I’ll kick it off with the areas that saw the most improvement.

Housing: A-

Probably the biggest event of the year was buying the townhouse. We were able to stay in Burbank, and in the same school system, providing some much needed consistency for the poor kid we dragged three time zones across the country. It’s a great place, and we’re slowly making little improvements here and there that make it feel more and more like home. Eventually we’d like to do a big old kitchen remodel, but that’s still a ways off.

Why the minus? ‘Cause it ain’t frickin’ cheap, that’s why. One day, mortgage rates will drop to a level that makes refinancing our current loan a reality, fractionally alleviating some of the financial burden. But that day does not seem to be in any hurry to get here.

Work: C

Another improvement! Though, to be fair, it was a low bar to clear. I’m still at the same job, working for an audio entertainment platform, but I’m no longer saddled with having to write a batshit crazy 6,000 words a day. That’s a good thing, but what is less good is that there are stretches where I’m really not writing at all. I accepted a promotion back in May that gave me a significant pay bump, but it also changed the nature of my job, making it more editorial/managerial. Not exactly what I want to be doing, but kind of de rigueur for most institutions — move up the ladder, do less of what you really love. Also on the negative side, the culture at this place ranges from “meh” to, “Does anyone know the number for a good labor and employment attorney?” Working from home, I don’t have to bump up against it every day. But when I do, whoo-doggy. Do I have some stories.

So, better pay (yay!) and less stress (huzzah!), but tempered with not writing all that often and working for a bunch of panicky, incompetent dickbags.

Maybe a C is generous.

Weather: D

Southern California? I’m gonna need you to get your shit together.

Our first year here, the area experienced one of the wettest winters on record. It was a good thing, putting an end to a historic, multi-year drought. But, you see … I was told there would be sunshine. And there wasn’t. For four straight months. Boo.

It took forever for sunshine and warm weather to return, and when it did, it returned with a vengeance, heaping day after day of triple degree temperatures upon us. Wet and freezing or dry and broiling. Those were our only options. Um, what happened to 72 and sunny? I’m pretty sure I read that in the brochure.

I had hoped that the weather would be more temperate in year two, but noooooooo. A strong el nino ushered in another season of non-stop rain, which dovetailed into another trip to Hell’s front porch. Meteorological fall? Yeah, I’m looking at a high of 106 by mid-week. Take your pumpkin spices and shove them into every sweaty orifice you can find.

Social life: B+

This is the only category that slipped a notch, and it’s entirely on me. I’m terrible at staying in touch with people and would really like to make an effort to do better. But we do have good friends and a good support system out here and I’m thankful for that.

Family: A

This has stayed consistent. I can’t see it changing. They’re wonderful, and I am a very lucky man.

How y’all doin’?