Will things get better?

Life in LA is hard right now.

Thankfully, the raging fire is almost contained. But water mains are breaking all over the city. We're in a major drought. The economy bites.

More layoffs are coming and yet, for some reason, housing prices here are still insane.

I have a few friends who make GOOD money. And they can only afford to buy places in the valley. No offense but I just could not live in the valley. I rather move back to Connecticut. Between the smog and heat and general craziness of the people there, it just doesn't make sense for me. And it's not like places in the valley are *that* much cheaper or bigger or nicer than the west side. Ok, well maybe people move to the valley because they can afford a house there and not on the west side - so the houses in the valley are bigger and nicer than what you would get on the west side for the same money ($500-600K in the valley vs. $1 million for the same thing on the west side). Frankly, I rather move to Orange County. It's newer and nicer and cleaner and the public schools are better. (er, that's in the off chance I actually get married and have kids)...

Argh.

How can real estate prices still be SO high when so many people are out of work? Am I the only one who thinks it's insane that crappy, small, one bedroom condos with a view of another building are a rip-off at $300-400K??

Maybe everyone sane moved out of LA already...

And the entire entertainment industry is messed up. I feel like it will not recover.

Oh well.

I feel stuck.

It's amazing to me that the only people that regularly read and comment on my facebook status updates are friends from high school. I hate to say it but I just don't think people in LA care. Or maybe they all already have their own circle of friends that they care about. I've cut a LOT of people out in my life here in LA and I have no regrets about that. Flaky, self-absorbed "friends" are not friends worth having.

Why am I still here?

I don't know.

I honestly don't.

I guess if I had some help I would move but for now it's just easier to stay here, stuck, than to make some massive move cross country to Florida or back home.

Anyone want to help??

I mean, my friend said, "it's a GLOBAL recession. It's going to suck anywhere you go..."

But still, I can't help but wonder, if I couldn't find at least one or two friends if I lived somewhere else that had more free time and were more caring and giving than people here.

Is there "normal" in LA?

Some days I'm really amazed that I've survived in LA this long.

Why?

Because so many people here are crazy.

Not straight jacket crazy.

More like "just not quite right" crazy.

Sure, people are all unique. Different. Everyone has their quirks.

And perhaps "normal" is boring.

I have "normal" relatives. They are all married, with regular jobs, kids or no kids but just normal, everyday folks.

Not in LA.

Almost everyone I know is weird, quirky, odd, "a bit off" or something like that.

Why is it is so hard to find a nice group of "normal" friends?

I don't mean I need a group of friends that are doctors, lawyers, dentists and accountants. On the contrary, I love that I have a diverse group of friends that work in every field from entertainment to accounting.

However, since I seem to meet the most people through the entertainment business, finding a group of normal friends can be challenging.

What I would give to make friends that aren't white trash, angry, have a horribly negative attitude about life, or what not.

You are the company you keep - isn't that what they say?

So is it me?

Or are there just slim pickings in LA these days?

After all, in a city where you need to plunk down a half a million dollars to buy a house way out in the valley, who can afford to live here? Only the super wealthy or the super insane. I guess I know more of the later than the former....