?July 10 ?

10:00 (LA) I didn't go to work after all: I turned her down in favor of the chance to get a new job. Vika - The photographer let us down as always... Sad.

13:30 (LA) Vartan's call caught us off guard: we weren't ready. Getting ready in 10 minutes, we went to the meeting.

The meeting turned out to be pleasant: young people of pleasant appearance were waiting for us by the car: handsome, tanned and, most importantly, very cheerful:) Due to the fact that this trio had very hungry stomachs, it was decided to discuss the details of future work in a restaurant nearby.

14:00 (LA) "CheesCake Factory" turned out to be a quite pleasant establishment: we were modest and refused breakfast-lunch, but they still ordered us delicious fruit cocktails... Mmm...

The guys spoke mainly in English, but as it turned out after the first piece of food they ate, they speak Russian without an accent. Why were they showing off, one wonders?

Having laughed from the heart, we remembered the original purpose of the meeting: work.

Work as a salesperson in a "Smoke Shop", they sell not only cigarettes, but also smoking mixtures. The clients are for the most part "stoners" (by Vartan's own definition), perfect English is needed... But the salary is $10 an hour - one couldn't even dream of such a thing...

After another half hour of wonderful dialogue, topics were discussed that had absolutely nothing to do with the vacancy. I turned out to look like some actress known to them (but completely unknown to us)! Wow:)

One never wants to say goodbye to pleasant people, but one always has to - having promised to call and set a day for an interview with the boss, Vartan and his friends left...

"I'm in love" - I say to Tanyukha for the hundredth time during the trip...

16:30 (LA) We are preparing a surprise for our beloved Alenka - she is the birthday girl tomorrow. We are combing the "Party" store up and down: it is simply a PARADISE for parties of any orientation and any scale! There is EVERYTHING there for holding a Birthday, Wedding, Halloween, Christening, Stupid Drinking Party, etc. Various cartoon characters, bright balloons, cocktail glasses with intricately twisted straws, necklaces in Miami Beach style... What a pleasure it is to walk around and look at all this, touch it, try it on - we had only seen such things "on TV" before.

17:00 (LA) Gula's nephew Ferruz called. He promised to meet with us today, but his work did not allow these plans to come true: apologizing, he promised to definitely hang out during the week.

18:00 (LA) We stopped by and bought Sveta... A BIG WATERMELON)

19:30 (LA) How we dragged it home remains a mystery to this day, but I managed to finish almost the whole thing in the evening:) I blamed myself for it all night:)

20:30 (LA) Gula called us to work!!! There is happiness in life - it cannot be otherwise:)

From the evening we prepared for tomorrow's meeting of the birthday girl: a pink tablecloth (favorite purchase to date) and pink balloons all over the kitchen! The same pink gift and pink candles on a not-quite-pink (baker's oversight) cake) We hope our princess likes it!

?July 11.

?09:00 (LA) Almost overslept! 10:00 (LA) Only now do I realize how much I missed it. I'm so used to this job, and more, probably, to these responsive and caring people. I'm comfortable here!!!

13:00 (LA) We are giving away another to go - the largest in all the time I've been working - for $750!!! How we managed to finish it!$)

15:30 (LA) They won't let me go early - a big banquet is being prepared, and I wanted so much to meet the birthday girl at home in person:(

23:00 (LA) Happy Birthday, Alenushka!!! Our diamond queen;)

23:30 (LA) Count your money without leaving the cash register... I never followed this advice - and that's how I got caught. They didn't pay for two hours of work. It's a shame. I gathered my courage (which doesn't look much like me) and called Gula, asked a question. Phew, everything worked out - they just miscalculated. She apologized a lot and praised me for my attentiveness:) They promised to compensate!

July 12

?11:30 (LA) The day has begun.

We call Vartan - he promised to call back, as he is busy.

We call Vika - she said that the vacancy will only appear in August.

We call Vitaly: here is a funny story in general - having read an ad on the Internet "recruitment for moving is underway", I translated this word in Russian transcription as "cinema" (here recruitment for extras in films, for applause in shows, etc. is very common). And it turned out that "they don't take girls". Opening the dictionary, we laughed for a long time - this work is related to moving!!!

14:30 (LA) It's somehow sad: Vartan still hasn't called back. Alena persistently sent us on a search - sitting at home and folding our hands, we won't achieve anything! 15:00 (LA) Vartan called back - the vacancy is already taken: which was to be expected...

We got together and went... on a search!

15:30 (LA) We walked around Magnolia St., Ventura Blvd. and filled out another "batch" of resumes. Our contacts will soon be with ALL employers in Los Angeles:)

18:30 (LA) For the third time we visited "Party City" - this time with the goal of getting one, but such a cherished and long-desired thing for Tanya - a hat with tubes:) This is such a thing that everyone has seen, and at least once everyone wanted to try on! - A hat, on both sides of which holes for glasses are attached. Tubes for "drinking" are lowered into them, the second ends of which are led to the mouth of the wearer) Aaaa - this is SUCH a thing for parties, simply indispensable!!!

And now it's Tanya's:)

20:00 (LA) We are enjoying the view of the glowing windows of the chandelier and sconce store. These lighting fixtures seem to be intended for castles and palaces: words, of course, cannot convey with what rapid brightness their highlights shimmer, strikingly contrasting with the darkness of the night... But we watched this spectacle for about twenty minutes, opening everything (I - my mouth, and Tanya - the camera lens)...

22:30 (LA) At a family meeting, it was decided that tomorrow we are heading to Universal City! In search of work, of course) U