Day one O'ahu

Well I made it! After 5 hours of flight, 1 turkey sandwich, 1 Koh Hawaiian Ice Tea, 1 Lion’s Coffee (Hawaiian grown). We landed on island that was a balmy 89 degrees. Just being able to move and stretch out was all I was really concerned with at that point. It wasn’t until lugging around my luggage (I wish at this point I had a cabana boy!) and then waiting in line with Alamo for an hour to get my car could be looked at as not so good points of the day. The worst part of the day; walking out and seeing that I have been given a Pontiac Vibe as my car for the week (WHAT!!) Well I decided to drive around and try to get lost haha. Let me tell you they shouldn’t call it Interstate H1, and H3 for more than 1 reason (the obvious is that they don’t connect any states) but b/c the speed limit on these supposed routes is between 35 and 50. Uggggghhh, but of course no one runs that slow. I took a drive down Lagoon drive and saw this really cool lagoon, and then at the end by an airport is a parking lot that I pulled into to look at directions and figure out where I was and where I wanted to end up. Well, I had 2 F16’s take off over my head and I was parked to a new Pontiac GTO. Mommy do I want that car, maybe not in yellow, but I want that car. The first meal here I decided to stop at Wendy’s (I just about hit up MCDs but figured I could have done that in North Bend. Good news, my meal cost about the same it would have in Seattle (huge sigh of relieve), also gas prices the same, not 5 bucks a gallon. So now I just have to compare food prices. And I figured while I was at it I would go into my first store on the island. Hmm… what ever could it be… howsabout the Honolulu Harley Davidson dealership. That’s right kiddies, momma is making you proud. Of course, the picture I took outside after word makes it look downright heavenly. Of course I will have lots of nifty photos on my spaces website. http//:www.spaces.msn.com/members/icydol/ Until later aloha.

Good-bye

This is the final blog from mainland, the next time I talk to you will be from Oahu.

Well, I know that a lot of people don't like good-byes, but I for one like them. If everytime I moved on and didn't say good-bye then I would have missed opportunities for closer. Even though I know that it isn't permanent, others will move on to bigger and better ventures. And while they may not have wanted to say good-bye it would be a good thing that it is done.

I have been thinking about how much I have changed in the 4 years that I have been here in WA. I am ABSOLUTELY not the person who came here. I don't know what happened to her, I am sure that I have her somewhere deep down inside. The biggest changed came about a year and a half ago. When I actually decided I should get a social life and started to hang out with people from work. They can tell you that when I first came here I was a quiet, shy girl, who went to work, didn't talk to anyone, did the job, and went home. My experience at the FHL again changed my perspective on things. My eyes were open wider and life's pieces started to fall in place. Since then I have made myself much more of a people person. I have grown both internally and externally.

I have many people to thank for this amazing transformation. Like a catapillar to a butterfly (or in my case a moth lol), I have morphed into a person I never thought I would ever become, but am glad that I have become this person. You all know what part you have played in my life and just how significant your contribution meant. I love you all in some way (yeah, you all know I am not the mushy one and I don't use those words unless I mean them). Affection from me is shown in 1 of 3 ways; a hug, rubbing your head (if you have short fuzzy hair), or biting on your shoulder. :)

So... you all know how to take this, and I guess I have said what I have needed to say. I hope everyone the best if your ventures make us part ways for this to be the final, but if not. You know we'll hook it up when I see you again.

Hugs, bites, and headrubs until then.


"Wake up Blade; this is your rescue" ~Hanibal King (Blade Trinity)

uggh.. and I thought my head hurt last week

Well, it was my final Tuesday night at Doofers, how sad. But I will say it was an awesome night. The afternoon started off with a dip in my friends pool, we hung out, chilled, and just relaxed. After a bite to eat, we headed to the bar. For usual pitcher(s) of beer, darts, good laughs, and music. I finally got back into the swing of things with darts and won 3 of the 4 games we played. WAHOO!! There were a few misfires on the juke box due to mishit buttons (who would have thought after having a few beers). After being there awhile we decided we would go back to my friends house and chill in the pool again, literally. So, we run to the local QFC get some beer head back. It was soo much fun. What a great night. Beer, a pool, great company. I am sad that I have to say goodbye soon and that was the last full fledge Doofers night, we really should have gone to Shari's early this morning, but all in all great night, great times.

"It was great, she let us put dollars in her what not!" friend who wishes to stay anonymous

How pumped am I

Now I know this sounds a little silly, but how pumped am I that I just found that courtTV is running reruns of FastLane. So many good things in all one place. 1) Peter Facinelli, 2) good music, 3) Fast cars, 4) Beautiful cars, 5) Beautiful woman, and 6) Peter Facinelli!!!! All that goodness wrapped up in one good little package. Yes, I understand that the acting isn't exactly prize winning, but who needs that. The show is enough to make me set my computer aside and not touch it for a full hour (unless I get bored with commercials, like right now). Well anyway back to the show. Now if someone will start playing John Doe reruns.

What a great video

Last night among all the partying the laptop came out, ohh wait, it never got put away 'cuz I am a geek like that. Anyway, one of my friends showed me a pretty cool website of videos and of course one video title in particular caught my attention. Check it out, this is of course what I would absolutely love to see someday. And it is no wonder why they are hard to find.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/octopus.html

"As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world... as in being able to remake ourselves." ~Mahatma Gandhi

uggghhh.... my head hurts

Well, the long absence of parties at my house has really been sad, but that of course is b/c my neighbors complained. Last night I hosted a quaint party that was a lot of friends. My good friends invited and the riff-raff told that I didn't get clearance from the neighbors for a party (which was actually true). But we had a good time, good food (who can resist my hotwings besides the vegetarians), pool, music, singing and dancing (no lamp shade on the head, but I sure that would have been if there was one around).

Amiss the few awkward moments the night went off pretty well. The highlights was Charles rendition along with Bohemian Rhapsody (got that on video!!!), and Sarah cleaning her pool cue with 0000 steel wool and asking "like this" (I wish I had her rubbing her stick down on video :( ). Ryan and Lauren I STILL need those release forms signed j/k.

Thanks to all for making the night fun, full of laughs, and memorable. This is definitely one of the things I will miss the most when I am gone. (of course if you want to see some of the pics from the night visit www.spaces.msn.com/members/icydol/

"It is possible to believe all the past is but the beginnings of beginnings...." ~HG Wells

Awww the return of routine, well sorta

What a nice and pleasant return to some sort of normalcy. I mean being able to cook a good meal, which I could tell that my brother missed tremendically with the busy schedule I have been keeping. I made Italian chicken over penne on Monday night and even for me it was great to be back in the kitchen. Mark was so pumped about the meal that he started boasting that he knew what he was taking to work for lunch on Tuesday. The simple things that make us happy, both him and I.

And another simple pleasure that I have missed much over the past 2 months. Tuesdays at Doofers has returned (at least last night and next Tuesday). It was nice to go in sit down with a group of friends, order a few (haha a few) pitchers, play darts and BS. It was a bit rough at moments last night as realization did set in for about half an hour about what will happen to me and the scariness of leaving, but you know I had to kick that in the @$$. Instead conversation went to the normal playce it does on Tuesdays: strippers, porn, and sex lives... Good God they really do think I am just one of the guys. And as usual the topic of my sweet Kate was brought up, just to remind me, but to rectify myself all I have to do is start talking about the hot (male) bartender at The Brick, and of course listing off my babies daddies... Jason Statham, Derek Jeter, and LL Cool J. Yeah in my DREAMS!

The New and Improved Dive buddy

Well, he may be a bit small, but he comes with his own DPV. I am talking about Scuba Steve as he has been named. Heidi found him on Friday night at the Diver's fair in Seattle (to see pictures check out my other blog www.spaces.msn.com/members/icydol ). He is a cute, little, okay for a toy not so little, self propelled diver (I would say about a foot long). Excitement for Scuba Steve seem to run pretty close to the excitement about glowsticks, but this one I can relate too especially since I had many bath toys from boats to a scuba guy and gal with their own raft. I also had the whales that you pulled the fish out of their mouth (on a string) and they chased it down once in the water. Scuba Steve where every you are and what ever you do best of luck to you!

Sooo much info

Okay, so this past weekend was chalked full!! So I decided to break up my blog into 2 separate entries. Even though they both will probably turn out incredibly long at least I will try my best to keep it short. This blog will entail home and work portions of the weekend while part II consists of the scuba portion of my weekend.

This was my finally weekend of work at my retail store. Friday was an interesting day b/c I thought most people knew, especially since our store is the gossip capital. I told them at our morning huddle that it was a pleasure working with most of them and that I was moving onto bigger and better things that pertain to what I have been studying. Some where in shock to finally hear this. Friday was a fun day with lots of joking around with people while keeping my composure. Saturday on the other hand seemed to be a day from HELL. Besides coming in from diving, I had someone call out and the floor had about 3 callouts. This meant very short staffing. If I need someone to come up and back up cashier, ha best of luck. All I could do was try to keep things together and lead the team. I didn't get everything done that I should have before I went home b/c it was just too busy. Sunday was a short day, but I again there were issues. I got there a little later than I liked (our boat got back later than I think was anticipated), and then when I went to change clothes. I zipped up my skirt, but guess what?? Unbeknownst to me, it didn't zip up. I walked across the salesfloor with my supergirl underwear showing. The security guy chased me down and told me I should fix that before I came back out(of course I just laughed it off and said "well, I guess everyone just needed to see supergirl panties tonight". Well, there was no fix so in my office I threw my shorts back on and rushed out to the salesfloor and bought some new pants for a 3 hour shift, the week that I take my spare clothes out of my truck is of course the time that I need them. Seriously, all I could do was laugh all night. I really didn't get much accomplished b/c I had short-timers and spent most of my time just closing registers down.. ahhhh to be done. It was nice to be able to get up this morning and not have to worry about work. But then I looked around and realized that there is so much I have to worry about this house. My plants were in desperate need of water, the dishes in the sink had become heaping with more by my chair and some by my brothers. Of course there is so much mail I haven't gone through, and paperwork I need to work on, and financial matters to tend too. Ugghh... All I can do is start on it and work on it through the rest of the week until everything is back in its place.

Part II

So... now onto the scuba part of my busy weekend. It all started Friday afternoon when I went in to pick up gear and buy some new gear for my next adventure. I arrive at Alki a little early (but that is always what I do), so I sat down in the grass and took some photos of the Seattle skyline; the night was very nice. We then proceeded on to the dive. I didn't feel to nervous, but that would soon change once we got in the water and started to descend. I had some issues, disoriented by the darkness and couldn't seem to figure out how to get buoyant enough to stay off the bottom without going straight up. I did settle down for awhile and got to see some cool things, a huge jelly, a bunch of shrimp that just stop in their tracks when you put lights on them. We did some searching in jars for octopi, but had no luck. Again, the experience was strange, but definitely didn't scare me away from trying it again. Saturday's dives went very well, I feel. I gained more control over my buoyancy control. Dive one was a deep dive and played with blocks to see if there was any notable sighs of being "narked". We all made it though the exercise quite well. The second dive of the day was a navigation dive, we used our compasses and plotted out a triangle and a square. I am sure I could have done better but I did come fairly close to where we started. Again seeing loads of cool things. Sunday, was the best day by far, We loaded up on a boat just before noon and headed out along the shores of Tacoma. Dive one, was on a natural reef and we saw many pycnapodia (sunstars), leather stars, a wolf eel (so ugly they are cute), a urchin bed followed by a encrusted sponge scallop bed. We then reboarded the boat and chilled for a while, we went to the Tacoma Narrows for the last dive. We did a drift dive at around 2 knots current strength. This dive was the one that I thought I would have the most problems with, but it actually seen the easiest (I am sure that each dive after this will seem the easiest as I get more and more accustom to buoyancy and what not). It was very fun just to let the current move you and to just look under the ledges and up on the shelves as well as seeing huge Nereocystis lukeana stipes and blades. The seaweed was just awe inspiring huge. Just reconfirms why I chose the career path I did.

Once again I want to give a shout out to my instructors for the advance class Jeremy and Heidi. Thank you guys, you two rock. It has been great workin' with y'all.