Time for a new cell phone?

So my phone just shut down w/o warning again. No "battery low" warning lights or beeps, just OFF. It happened while on the phone last week, and now as I was setting my alarm for work tomorrow.

Better set a back-up alarm...

[Pic: overlooking Fort Derussy]

There goes that funk again...

Aloha,

I've been in a bit of a funk again, for various reasons I'm sure. One reason is because the clouds have been rolling in a bit, and less sunshine means less energy and smiles from me. My husband just asked me the other day how I survived living in Seattle for so long, lol. Between the lack of sunshine and lack of heat, it is quite amazing. Another funk property to add to the equation is that it is pre-that-time-of-the-month, yep, pretty much always low around this time. Emotional too; I was watching ABDC and crying at anything inspirational or life struggle they discussed - gEEz Louise. 

A big downer though is that there was another death in the family: the mother of two of my half siblings did pass away about a week ago. I can't believe this year. I'm seeing death not only in my family but in the families of a few friends as well. It's such a crazy life stage to be in where so many people are getting married and there's babies being born, yet we also experience more death than we probably ever have as well. How can it ever balance? I say I trust God with my life and the lives of those I love but then why doesn't that bring me more comfort when I'm faced with death? I cling even more to those lives around me and even my own, rather than clinging more to Him.

On a lighter note...

My hubby and I both have the next 3-days off together. The goal is to finally use those left over time share vacation points. I did try to get to Seattle, but that was out of the question financially and points-wise because it's "peak" season. This fact also made me a little sad but I know I'll visit home soon enough. We didn't get around to booking anything locally last week (because we were catching plenty choice waves) but we'll be calling tomorrow morning first thing to book a hotel somewhere on O'ahu, preferably a different shore than ours. Hopefully it'll be somewhere we can surf, but if not, either way we'll have mucho quality time. Love it. 

I've had a lot of quality phone time with my lady friends back home, which has been great. I had a phone date almost every day the last 5-days! So good. I miss my friends and family a lot, and am so thankful to be able to keep in touch as much as I have been. I'm feelin' the love and I hope they are too. 

Well, I feel like most of this funk was shook off today - more sun, time with boo, phone date, a walk, a workout, and I finally smashed the mosquito that's been chewing up my arms and legs. (sUckA!)  

***45-minutes later***

So I got the mosquito and I was all glad right? WELL that was short-lived as I look up and scurrying across a side table is a cockroach. About 3/4 of an inch long, not huge but ew. Not adjusted to seeing those guys and probably never will be. I grabbed the Raid can and sprayed him once. He got to the couch and I sprayed him again, then I lost him. I hunted that thing for a while and sprayed around the whole apartment...moved the couch, the table, covered and sealed every bit of food or spices we have, double-checked each area of the apartment. Took me a while to realize he was on his back behind the couch, dying. I drowned him in Raid to make sure, and have checked on it every 5-minutes to make sure I finished the job. The puddle around it should do the trick. Now that I've thoroughly sanitized my hands and all food zones, I guess I can sleep. I'm worn out.

2 awesome days at the beach

That is a video my hubby took when we visited Kailua Beach Park yesterday afternoon. Such a great spot there. We even saw a big ol' turtle when we went out past the mouth of that channel. So cool!. Of course, we love turtles. We pretty much scared it away by swimming towards it all excited...Sorry Mr. Turtle.

We hung out waterside, swam a little, walked in the shallow channel which had fishes and a little current. There were a lot of kids, but they were funny to watch, especially the ones that were new to the beach. The drive to and from had some pretty sights too [see pics below]. We've drove through the same area several times, but I'm usually car sick by then so this time was better for me.

That was yesterday...

Today was even cooler because we found a long board for me to surf (best for Waikiki, and best for new surfers). The guy is moving back to the mainland and was selling is 8-footer for only $100 - yes, that is a very good deal. We almost bought a new board at a good but not better price in Kailua surf shop but thank goodness we chose to shop around. A couple little patches of fiber glass and we were out surfing together, me and my honey. I caught waves on my own today and made it to a crouch on a wave. I always wait too long because I don't feel stable to stand when the board is moving so fast. But I'll get there! :D I don't have pics yet, but you know I will as soon as possible. 

We also stopped by Pearlridge Center today and picked up new swimsuits for us since neither of us had bought new ones for years. Got one for me that is much better suited for surfing - less moving parts and smoother seams. It's koo to get the kama'aina (i.e. local) prices at surf brand stores...hehe. 

Gotta work early, but wanted to share a summary of my exciting times. Good night friends ♥

 [rainbow from Felicia residual rain]

It's been funky

I have been in a sort of funk for the past week or so. I realized my fatigue was because I was about to get sick. Sick I was for 2-3 days. Of course, this was perfect timing for my new job. I've worked two shifts now, and things are going well. I like the atmosphere and I've worked with only 2 other co-workers so far (not counting my boss, and the girl who just had her last day). I'm anxious to finish all my training and get into a groove at work - y'know, when it flows and you don't have to think so hard about your every move.

I also can't wait until those paychecks start coming in...mm-hm...

I'm not sick anymore, but my congestion is either a lingering part of my illness or I'm going through some allergies or a/c is murdering my sinuses. We don't have a/c in our apartment, but it's almost everywhere else...bah.

I'm still feeling a little out of sorts emotionally/mentally but felt more at ease after getting outside and spending some quality time with my hubby at the beach and eating dinner tonight. We wanted Indian, but Maharani Indian Restaurant (awesome reviews) was packed and out of naan. We know to go there a little earlier and probably not on a Friday night. So we circled back to a Thai restaurant, Chiang-Mai, since I still haven't got my fix for that yet either. Sadly, the curry portions was sad, and overall the palette experience is not one we plan on repeating.

Our vacation club gives a certain number of points per year and 1/2 but ours are set to expire 8/31/09 - AH! We're trying to use them up asap, and are even willing to stay somewhere on the same island, just to not let them go to waste. Maui is our goal but we'll see. We're even considering selling them, it's just that it's very last minute for anyone who would be interested in buying of course. Guess we should've jumped on this sooner. Oops.

Yesterday was my mom's birthday and I wish I had been there. She did get my gifts I sent her on time though, which is always good because you never know about that usps. I wish I could use my time share points for a plane ticket home! Especially since my cat, Turtle, is now living at my mom's and after day-2 her cat is still a little aggressive towards mine. We'll need to have more patience with the lil animals, but I don't want it to escalate to an actual cat fight. So far, nothing dramatic, but my poor cat is definitely stressed out there so far. My poor baby!!

*Good night TV Land*

Watched Corky Romano tonight...

I don't know if this movie will ever not be funny to me. :) This is one of the funniest parts EVER!

Mostly about yesterday...

 

Yesterday was another long and eventful day. First, I had my orientation at my new job. Met a few new co-workers and things are just looking great at this new place. Not that I expect it to be perfect, but at least I'm not dreading my first day of training - always a good sign.

After the fairly brief orientation, Jason and one of his cousins picked me up to begin our day's adventure. We were on a mission for Giovanni's garlic shrimp truck at the North Shore. SO worth the drive and car sickness endured on the way. That truck is not something to be taken lightly or passed by. Mm-mm! After we satisfied our fiendin' for those amazing garlic shrimp scampi, we headed to the Dole pineapple plantation for dessert: fresh pineapple ice cream (well, more like sherbet). It was my first time at the plantation, and I wanna go back! Not only was it some gooood ice cream, but there's a small garden/trail where you can take funny pics. 

 

 

 

We took the scenic route to the north, had a really good time, but we took the shorter route back home so as not to lose our minds.

 

[top: on the way there, bottom: on the way back (2nd rainbow so far!)]

Right now I'm sitting by my living room window listening to the wind rush by. There are 2 storms just southeast of here, which have been causing some strong winds. Luckily the storms are dying down as they approach these Hawaiian islands. Hurricanes and/or tropical storms may be common over here, but I'm from Seattle, and the only time I hear about hurricanes is when they're tearing a city apart. Over here they report it as the weather report (until it would pose an obvious threat).

The extra winds do help keep it cool, but that was not what I wanted as I tried surfing on Wednesday. I dunno if you wanna call me a wimp, but I do not like being cold, lol. Anyways, that was my 3rd attempt at surfing, I did catch a lot of waves, but still didn't stand up. Took a couple good spills but no reef injuries yet. Hopefully it won't be so crowded next time.

Back to yesterday...

After a nice nap with boo, we watched both of the final episodes of So You Think You Can Dance. YAY for Jeanine!! She was my favorite for most of the show. Yeah, I called it for sure. I've been really emotional lately for some reason (which does happen to me off and on so NO I'm not pregnant). Point being, I cried through the show for different pieces and even just missing dance and friends...then I got pics of my cat back home, Turtle, which I did post one last blog, and cried about that too a bit.

Oh, and we finally did get our laundry taken care of for the first time...yep.

P.S. I have not received information on my half-sister's mom. I will post as soon as I know anything.

P.P.S. Pics from Wednesday's swimming antics...

Worn out from a fun day

After observing a little bit this morning, and talking with the owner a lot, I am really excited to start working at this coffee shop. My new boss and I see eye-to-eye in many aspects of life and coffee. Very important and very FuN.

Met up with Hubby after and we went surfing. 1 rental board, 1 of his. It was a little windy for me, which made it colder and choppy (yes, I do get cold even outside here in Hawai'i). Good times, talked with a koo local surfer lady out there, maybe we'll see her again next time...

We went and ate lunch and Uncle's, then I felt the fatigue in my amateur arms start to set in. Took a nap while the boys got ready, then took those youngin's (9, 10, 18) to the beach with boogie boards and goggles. I watched them jump off the wall while I tried to save my skin from burning. Going to the beach once a day can be hard on my light skin, but twice made me a little worried. I'm ok though, no red today.

While they went to the pool, I made some chicken nuggets and brought 'em down. Then the boys & my boo played ping-pong while I began this blog upstairs.

I'm exhausted! But it was a great day. I love hanging with my boo and with the youngin's. I still have the motion of the ocean in my system so I'm actually kinda dizzy but nothing some chamomile can't calm I hope. I have orientation in the 9:00am, but since the 18-yr old youngin' will be staying the night, hopefully we'll still have time to wind down with a movie over here at our apartment...oh, and a snack too of course!

*Special note: It's my dear friends birthday back in Seattle, and I so wish I could be there to celebrate her life :) Happy Birthday J! Love you!*

...also, here's a pic of Turtle, sent to me today:

wow i miss this cat *sighhhhh

What a day

4 Aug 09

4:10am  Woke up feeling a little sick from lack of quality sleep on top of dreading heading to my up-selling, cap-and-apron-wearing, matching-socks-having, corporate cafe. 

4:23am  Called the asst manager who unfortunately did not answer, and I chose to leave a voicemail. Tacky? Maybe, but I didn't wanna have to call back! It was hard enough already, but I did break up with them via voicemail.

4:40am  Realized I was way too wound up to sleep right away; adrenaline & thoughts racing.

6:52am  Surfing the web a bit for jobs and FB stuff. I sent my resume and references to a local cafe (after researching the way they do business). Shortly after, I did go catch some more zzZZZ's.

Too long of a day to finish it frame-by-frame. Basically, I slept for a couple more hours. Woke up with an email reply from the cafe saying they would call me in the afternoon and would like to have me come by. Yessssss!

Went to the beach with boo for a few hours, then we got our car safety inspected (Hawai'i's version of Emissions Test). We passed and got our Hawai'i license plates on our car! Feelin' pretty local now. Even feeling like I have a better radar for tourist vs locals - haha. :) 

I confirmed an interview time of 7:00pm. Ate some hamburger helper and my boo dropped off at the cafe to meet him at the beach after. The cafe is owned by an awesome couple. I met with both of them and it went great. The wife is strongly against corporate coffee and concerns herself with conservation/recycling - my kind of woman! We hit it off and I'll be going back in about 7-hours to hang and observe operations to make sure it's a good fit for both sides. In no way do I want a repeat of my recent experience! Praying this is where God would have me, and that I would have peace if it is so. (...cuz I sure didn't have peace about the first job!)

So gonna sleep now since it's another eventful day planned ahead. I'll be meeting with the owner again as I observe, then going surfing with boo, then eating lunch at Uncle's, then picking up the lil cousin (beach, pool, etc), and eating all in between ;).

Sorry this was condensed. I had so much detail to share, but it's late (again).

♥Ah Hui Hou♥

A prayer request for my family

Since the day after I left for Hawai'i, and two days after my nieces funeral, my half sibling's mom has been in the hospital, unresponsive. Because of her status, they do not know exactly how she got that way. We know she has brain damage (frontal lobe) but we don't know how far she could ever come out of it or if she can even survive w/o a breathing tube. They're supposed to attempt to remove her breathing tube this Friday. A decision not lightly made.

 

*Please pray for my half sister's mom; for healing in God's will, that she hears when people pray over her, and that even if she can't talk her heart would be changed. And if she is to be fully healed, she'll be renewed in her mind to take better care of her health.

*Please pray for my bro & sis; The last month has been nothing but trials. Their relationship with their mom has been rough in the past, but that never makes these times any easier. Please pray that they would find peace and encouragement in this time. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am very troubled to be so far from home when all this is going on, just knowing how hard this is for my family. I love them and I have no words right now, which is easier to accept when you can just hug someone. Anyways, thank you for your powerful prayers.

Love,

Olive

The deal w/ my new job

So I got hired on the spot on my birthday on Friday. Great, exciting and needed. I specified part-time, no Sundays (with the exception of occasional evenings), and preferably off by 5:00pm. Very specific I know, but I prefer to put my ideals on the table and if they don't like it or want to improvise we can possibly negotiate. This method is more efficient than selling your soul upfront and getting scheduled every time slot you don't want to work. Anyways, the manger basically says that shouldn't be a problem. 

SO WHY did I just get a call letting me know I'll be working 40-hours from now until SUNDAY (on which day I'm scheduled all morning into the afternoon)??! I think the manager may not have worked with the asst mngr creating my schedule but there's a dropped ball in itself. 

To be honest, I like the manager and the asst mngr; they have amazing work ethic and a drive with enough skills to move them forward. I like that. I do admire that. BUT I have little tolerance for what it seems I'm getting into. This may not be the permanent work conditions but first impressions are everything - isn't that right Mr. & Mrs. Corporate Offices?

There's more...

Let's continue into the corporate aspects of this all. They would like to tell me what color socks and hair to have, how many piercings there shouldn't be in my ears, and that I should "suggest" (i.e. pressure) people into getting a large when they order a small. Everyone pretty much knows that I don't own many normal socks and you'll rarely find that they match! What do my socks have to do with the coffee? I come from Seattle, where the measure of a true barista is not what they're wearing but how their drinks taste and look. My coffee culture background may be rebellious, it may even be snobbery, but I'll serve you a picturesque mocha in a potato sack with bone through my nose, and you'll come back because it's the best mocha you ever drank. 

It may seem silly to some, but when you believe that coffee is about coffee, your bottom line will always be just that. In no way do I wanna knock someone who can work a job and do as they're paid to do, because that's what a good employee does. If I didn't feel so strongly I could do it there too, but this may end up being too much to compromise for me.

First Aloha Blog Post!

Wow, I finally got this going! I'll include many pics here & videos sometimes too. This blog is mostly intended to keep people back home updated with as much as I can post. In no way do I want this to replace personal messages or phone calls or webcam chats or etc. I value my Seattle family and as much as possible, I don't want distance to keep us from growing together.

Where to start...

I arrived Saturday 7/18/09, greeted aloha style with leis by my husband and RJ (his lil cousin). We stayed at his Uncle's that night so I could say hi to family. The next day is when I was first introduced to our new living space in Waikiki - a condo we're renting on the 27th floor of a building overlooking the Ala Wai Canal with views of the ocean [Above 2 pics: view of Waikiki, canal at sunset]. My honey picked a great building, very secure and it even has a parking garage and pool. *Thanks babe! ;)

We're settled now in our condo, which catches so much Hawaiian breeze that we don't need aircon. Various pics of our place are on my FB mobile albums uploads.

I am loving the temp and the beach. Most people know that I have issues retaining body heat, but that's not usually a problem here. I admit to wearing sweatshirts a few times a week, but hey, wutyugonnado?

[ Pic: 1st rainbow I saw since I moved here :)]

We've been attending New Hope O'ahu for the past couple weeks - a very large multi-campus church. The services are great but we're not set on staying yet. Searching and praying for a church that doesn't necessarily have to be smaller but very inviting and where we feel that call and welcome to serve.

We're keeping in touch with family in Seattle and making time for family here when we can. We even can pick fresh mangos from Uncle's tree! [Pic to the right] On 7/20 we celebrated J's Grandma's 81st birthday! [Pic above left] She seriously has more energy than me.

So now I'm looking for a part-time job with a flexible schedule (limited Sunday hrs, off by 5 always). I'm blessed to be able to stand pretty firm in that request since my husband has a good career. Praise 'im! I did get hired at as a barista at an impromptu interview on my BiRtHdAy [Pics below], however, as I spent time orienting for a full shift, this overbearing corporate coffee may clash with my liberal coffee culture lifestyle. This is another prayer point of course. 

 

[Pics: Waikiki fireworks, Fort Mall store, a collections of bday love, dinner at Todai]
 

Overall, adjusting to life here hasn't been too abrupt, except for not having my dearest family and friends and cat directly at my side. I'm trying to send a few postcards out every week so make sure I have your address so I don't skip you! :) I can see that making new friends and connections is going to take time, and a big thank you to those who have been referring me to people they know. I really appreciate that and will take the time to get in touch hopefully starting this coming week (or maybe after I get a job for sure). One other thing I'm lacking is daaaaancing. I'm getting exercise swimming, walking, trying to surf, and little home toning workouts but y'all know I gots t'dance!

Well it's real late now. Say ALOHA to Stitch! He's my homie and will be accompanying me in many pics.

♥AH HUI HOU♥