Stalker

Well, I never thought this would happen to me but I officially have a stalker. And its ruining my life already.

I decided to go to a couple church activities to get to know more people out here, because people in the FX world are hard to deal with sometimes and can actually be pretty mean. So, like I said, I went to church, and a Family home evening activity. I met a boy there, He's a new convert to the church, has sleeve tattoos, kinda quiet, but seemed nice. I usually tend to gravitate toward people like that naturally, so we started talking a little bit during those two activities. By the end of the second activity (FHE) he was really friendly and asking me to stay and play volleyball with everyone. I had already told another group of kids in the ward I would go out to dinner with them, they invited me first.

I felt bad about it, So I found him on Instagram, added him and told him sorry lol. We started talking, and he asked if we could hang out sometime. I have been kind of getting desperate for friends, as moving to a new state completely alone can really freaking suck. So we hung out on Wednesday. He picked me up in his Tahoe, and we drove to a random place chalk full of dirt mountains and desert land. It was cool, the moon was full and it casted a really pretty light down on these mini mountains.

But the longer I hung out with this kid the weirder things started to get. Right when I got into the car, I knew he was nervous. He was speaking a million miles an hour, and rambling like Ive never heard before. It didn't bother me at first, like I said, I just thought he was nervous. But as the night progressed, things started getting stranger and stranger.

We found a paved road on a hill and sat down, we had a great view of the moon and we talked for a while. He kept trying to hold my hand and touch me in any way he could, but I kept telling him to ease up because I didn't even know him. He listened for a little bit, told me his life story, and ill admit its a really sad and messed up one. It made me hurt just thinking about some of the abuse he has had to take, and I empathized with him. After his stories were over, he turns to me and stares at me for a good 15 seconds before saying "I've seen this before."

I ask him what he meant, and he replies "I've had a dream about this night before, with the woman of my dreams, but she never had a face...until now" I just stared at him, what the hell do you say back to that? I've known this kid for like 10 hours? I laughed it off, and started talking about other things. We got on the topic of mormonism and how I felt about it. I told him how I really want to start getting back in church and get back on track with things, and he cuts me off to say the most terrifying things I have ever heard.

"I could definitely see us getting married. and soon. Well, not soon, I would wait at least 2 months before we got engaged. But I definitely see a future with us." My eyes Bulged out of my head. "What??" Then he says "I like you. But I hate having competition with other guys so I need to know that you like me and only me, I don't want you dating anyone else. I need to be able to call you mine." This kid is a freak.

The whole way back to the car he was talking about how I need to be his and how our kids would be so cute, how he believes in love at first sight and the moment he laid eyes on me he "knew" I was special and he fell for me, etc. I was silent through most of it with the occasional awkward laugh thrown in to break up the tension. I had no idea what to do. Is this kid going to murder me?

We get in the car and he starts playing tons of Emo/Screamo songs that "remind him of me" and I had to sit there and listen, acting like I was interested in this shit. Finally, he listens to me and decides to take me home because I had work at 4:30 am. He drops me off, says he misses me already, and by this point I can't get out of the car fast enough. I walk up the stairs to my apartment and...its locked...and...I forgot that I left my keys inside. Usually my roommate leaves the door unlocked so I didn't think to take my keys. F*CK.

I go back down the stairs and of course this weirdo is still waiting there for me for some reason. I tell him what happened, and we try to figure it out. My roommate wouldn't answer the door, the banging on his window, calls or texts. I was completely locked out and had work in just a few hours. So, unfortunately I had to sleep in his car with him in the UFC gym parking lot. But we all know I didn't sleep. No way. 5:45 am rolls around and I tell him thanks and goodbye, and I start my eternally long 8 hour work shift. I want to cry. I have already been up for 24 hours at this point, and I'm exhausted.

I get through about 5 hours of my shift and I can't take it anymore I'm so tired. I ask to go home and they let me, except I almost had to walk 5.5 miles home, because my keys were in the apartment. Luckily I got a ride home from Carlos, and I texted my roommate to leave the door unlocked for me when he went to work. I got home at about 10:30 am, and crashed HARD until 5 or 6 pm. I woke up to 30 text messages and 6 missed calls. I was so confused, but as I read I realized what had happened.

THIS CRAZY ASS STALKING GUY literally came into my work after I left (about 3:00 pm) and was asking the Manager where I was. My manager thought he was creepy so he wouldn't tell him, and after leaving my work, apparently he freaked out and sent me all those messages asking where I was, who I was with, why I wasn't at work, etc. I was shocked, scared, and pissed the hell off. Who does he think he is coming into my work like that? I let him know real quick that if he ever did that shit again he would regret it.

I don't know what to do, this guy is in my ward, he knows where I work, where I live, my name, he has everything he needs. Im genuinely scared that he's not going to leave me alone. Im going to talk to my bishop about it this Sunday and hopefully he will have some good insight on what to do. But seriously, I can't catch a break. Ever since I moved here my life has been insane. lol.

So theres that.

UFC shenanigans

I went into the UFC gym at 3:30 or so, and I knew I was supposed to ask for Torrence. Of course with my luck he wasn't there. But there was this Australian guy working the front desk, So I spoke to him. His name is Mike, and I had no idea that he was the owner. I explained my situation, and he told me Torrence would be in in a bit. I asked for a tour of the gym, and as he gave me one, I was running my mouth like a mower. I got wayy too excited about fighting (I've always wanted to fight/train) and looking back, I probably looked like an idiot.

While I was waiting for Torrence to get in, I went to the public library, bought a cute as hell red jacket from Goodwill, and took a small walk under the California sun. I came back about 5:30 and had my "interview" (lol) with Torrence. He asked me basic questions, and we ended by him telling me he would give me a call by Friday to tell me if I got the job or not. I drove home, and within the hour he called. I got the job!

I come in Monday-Friday 6am-1pm and do basic things like mop the lobby, keep the bathrooms clean, log appointments, answer the phone, you get the idea. I was trained by Brianna, and honestly she is freaking awesome. Brianna is 26, dating one of the Muy Thai trainers at this gym named Turbo, professionally rides horses, and was so much like me. We had a lot of fun talking for the few days she trained me. Unfortunately she had to leave because she moved away to Texas for her horse racing. Even though I knew her for 4 days, Ill miss her a lot.

The cool thing that happened here though was that after 2 days, the District Manager named Paul (a big ass scary ass Tongan man) came in and offered me a job as a sales rep. He and Torrence said they liked me and as long as I was okay with "taking money from people" I could have the job. I thought about it, and its just a sales job. People are smart enough to say no if they don't want something, and Im not a snakey person. So, I took it.

Im in "training" right now with Carlos, and Carlos is in the top sales. He's supposed to have been teaching me how to go out and approach strangers on the street about our gym, but instead we have been going out to In n out and going to parks and stuff. Which, Im okay with that, but in the end I need to know how to make money so Id like to actually learn something from him. But he hasn't taught me a thing. I have found out some pretty weird things about Carlos..

For instance. He prefers to drink alone. Its not that strange, but still I feel like it'd be quite depressing to drink by yourself all the time. He has a lot of anger yet he's really quiet and shy. Not usually a good combination lol, I just hope I don't ever get on his bad side. And then theres the fact that he likes to do Cocaine. So thats fun.

I was ordered to go out and "prospect" on my own and I absolutely bombed it because  I have no idea how to approach people on the streets. It was really embarrassing and I felt so dumb, and when I came back and told Carlos about it, I randomly burst into tears. I think the stress of everything I've been through this month was gonna make me blow and the prospecting is what took me over the edge. I felt like an idiot but I pulled it together kinda quick. Yikes right?

Other than Sales training, I've been doing a little bit of Brazilian Jiujitsu with Armando. I love Armando. He's 23, a skinny tatted out ex gang member. He's cocky as hell, but really a big teddy bear when you get to know him and he's all talk. He's a good fighter, so he's been teaching me. After one lesson, he said he was really impressed with me and loves how quickly I caught on, he was expecting me to be bad because Im "a girl". What a brat

After work sometimes I have been going straight to Creature FX (Marks) for some extra hours that he offered me.  it sucks and I'm working from 5 am basically to 7pm. I'm beat every time I do it. But its been fun because I got to work on an umbilical cord for a skittles commercial coming out in 6 months, and seam and patch some horse legs for a Movie (or TV series, idk yet) called Godless.

So this is life lately. Just working, training, crying, going through life.

Gangsta Pancakes

So, shortly after the fire, things naturally got crazy and weird as hell again. Lets dive in.

One night, and unfortunately I can't remember what night it was now, but I went to go hang out with Willy in Burbank at Timmy Nolans (a bar) with Nattalie and Joey. We didn't last long there, because Willy wanted to go to a going away party for his friend. The only information I was told about this party prior was that it was "a Pancakes party". So, OF COURSE I thought  it was a literal pancake..party.

We get to Zachs house, and as we're getting out of the car I ask "so what kind of pancakes are they having here? why are they throwing a pancake party haha?" yikes. Apparently "Pancakes" is the name of the guy who's leaving, So you can bet I got made fun of the rest of the night. We walk in, and immediately there was a weird vibe in the room. Not too horrible, but something was just...off. I shrugged it off and decided to try my best to be outgoing and talk to everyone, and I did. 

Most of these people looked pretty intimidating. They were either Hispanic or Tongan, tatted out, bald heads or dreads/long hair, wife beaters, the usual. Everyone was drunk and/or high so they weren't too closed off. We stayed for a few hours, and that was that. 

BUT heres where it gets weird (as if a going away party for a guy named Pancakes isn't weird enough) 

Not only did I go to this weird going away for Pancakes, but I had no idea that every person at that house party straight up were Gang Members. NOT ONLY were they just gang members, but they were RIVALRY gang members who absolutely despised each other. But, somehow, Pancakes was friends with both of these gangs, and so they (for the sake of being cool for pancakes) made a peace treaty for one night so they could wish Pancakes good luck.

So lets recap. I was literally at a "Peace treaty" Going away house party, for a Gang member named Pancakes, and the house was filled with Gang Members who have murdered each others friends before. HOW DID I END UP HERE

I found all this out after I left the house, and I could not stop laughing, it was just so ridiculous. I spent the night at Willys again, by the time we got done with the party it was really late. Willys really cool, we have so much in common. I feel really comfortable around him. I drove home the next day and started looking for regular work, because the industry has been really slow and full of spotty work lately, and I need to eat. 

I called a few places with no luck, but then I remembered that I had seen a UFC gym by my apartment driving one day, so I looked it up. I called and the front desk girl (Brianna) told me to send in my resume and they'd give me a call. I did within the hour, and didn't get any call over the weekend. So, desperate for a job and also a free gym membership, I called again on Monday and they told me to come in before 5:00 that day. 

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