9

The weekend was bright with promise. Glorious summery days perfect for exalting in the outdoors. And, unlike my usual self, I did not squander it (likely because I know just how few such days remain to burn before the doldrums begin). Spent Saturday with my parents at the Polish festival which was, sadly, not exactly an entire day's worth of exploration. They did boast some spectacularly authentic and delicious food however. Sunday included a walk for ALS and a surprise free feast of sorts provided by Legend homes who were trying to drum up interest in their new builds. As they are attempting to build more green, the event included organic food and desserts from a local company, some representatives from various 'green' themed building suppliers (solar panels and the like) and, most notable of all, FREE organic beer! Is there a better thing than free food and alcohol?!?! I dare say not!

Today Tia took a much needed day of repreive from her job and we decided to go see a movie (also free thanks to the aforementioned event). Sadly, free may have been to high a price to pay for the movie. We saw 9, which was quite interesting visually, but lacked.......well, just about everything else including a comprehensible narrative or a particularly novel premise. We strongly considered just leaving....and probably should have. Ah well. At least the popcorn was good.

Tomorrow to the big hospital as part of the float or die campaign we are running (well, float to another hospital or forfeit your hours anyway). I am looking forward to it like I would look forward to sitting through 9 a half dozen more times. My hospital is just more, well, civil. The other hospital is huge, confusing, and frequently too dramatic for my tastes. Just have to make it through 2 more shifts there though. Wish me luck.

houses and needles and anxiety

Today I did my first official yard work on my own home (well, 359 more payments and it is mine anyway). It was actually rather........er, gratifying. Kind of like the first time you wash your first car. It helps to feel that way sometimes when the rest of the time it feels like your paychecks are built over a house shaped drain and you have anxiety attacks paying the mortgage. But other than that, things are progressing well.

Its weird how responsibility sneaks up on you. All the sudden I have a house payment, student loans, and a car payment and my job is no longer a means to an end but instead something that I actually help define myself by and aspire to evolve within. Even relationships change and become partnerships as much about enjoying each others company as dealing with the trials and tribulations that life brings. I try not to be too frequently introspective about it all though (see above: anxiety attacks).

Work continues to be an enigma. I spent the weekend on my own with the sky high stress levels that incurs (being the so-called last line on anything will breed that). I was asked this weekend to put in a central line on my own. I, of course, balked. I don't even know how to put on my surgical gown without losing sterility on my own because ALL my training has been performed with another person in the room. All of the lines are put in, except in cases where no one else is available, with a second person. Thankfully with enough shuffling, cajoling, and other feats of persuasion, I was able to push off the line until afternoon help arrived. Sadly, the line was a failure anyway. They seem to fail as often as they succeed based upon my observations.

Well, I was stabbed with my allergy shots today.......so I am going to shuffle off to a likely snorefest (my allergies are awful the day of the shots). Hopefully Tia falls asleep first.

where do the hours go?

I am not speaking metaphorically unfortunately. They have been shaving away hours of late at work to make budget at the hospital. I understand the overarching goal, but my understanding is that the department I work at is, was, and continues to be profitable. So, while we ought to chip in for the cause by increasing efficiency, it seems rather less than intelligent to shave staff hours to the point that we are unable to do all of the things we are tasked with. We are supposed to keep our clinic patients happy and healthy while still maintaining our presence on the floor. But, take away a few people a shift, and you have to start making tough choices in how to allocate resources.....someone ain't gonna be happy. WE shall see how this story unfolds, however it will cease to interest me if I can't earn enough money to continue working there.

So, house coming together/work coming apart. Tune in for details as events warrant.

Home at last........at last

Well, the move is now past tense...though the unpacking remains. And will likely remain in bits and parts for some time. Of course, that is the nature of it and, with hope (perhaps misplaced due to my nomadic manner) there will not be another address for some years.

I adore the home, though it still does not feel like we really own it. We both expect that we shall return home one day to find the old owners have returned from some extended holiday and our trespass is at an end. It is such a difficult concept to wrap my brain around. I remember feeling the same way when I bought my first new car. For months I couldnt believe that the dealership had presumed that I had the ability to pay for it. Like I had duped them somehow.

I look forward to finally putting away the last of the boxes and hanging up some pictures and making it our own. I will definitely be sharing it at that point.

In other news, I am still recovering........and thankfully quite well. I still have the stamina of an elderly person and fatigue quickly. It is amazing how quickly the body atrophies, and how slowly it builds. I keep wondering how this imposter got hold of my body and ran it down so much.

I will write more when time avails. For now, slumber calls.

Roses and Thorns

Used to play a game after trips called roses and thorns. Thought I would bring it back blogger style. Roses (best parts) and thorns (worst parts) of Hawaii

Roses:
- verdant mountains shrouded in clouds
- Puka dog - SO GOOD!
- Plate lunches - carb lovers heaven
- Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay
- ABC stores - they sell EVERYTHING (and are more numerous than Starbucks here)
- lounging with Tia on the beach with a good book

Thorns:
- lizard poop - they are quite, er, prolific
- giant centipedes - I thought it was a snake
- hot hot heat
- sunburns despite liberal applications of SPF 45
- the high cost of grub

All in all, it was a really good experience and i am excited that I finally got to see Hawaii.

time for bed. One more day of work and then Friday is the big moving day. God help us. Experiencing the collision of the joys of new home ownership crashing into the horrors of packing and moving.

Puka Dog (Broke da mout)

I love hot dogs! I dont know how I can say it more emphatically without resorting to a weird font or 36pt bold faced type. Always have, always will. Just yummy (if somewhat mysterious) goodness.

Got to try Puka dog today (broke da mout is pidgen for delicious), and it was relevatory. Had some kind of banana relish and a spicy lemon garlic sauce slathered on it inside of a sweet roll. So unbelievably good! Have been craving one since seeing it on the Travel channel. Better than anticipated.

http://www.pukadog.com/menu

Staying another day in WAikiki.........off to play in the sun and enjoy the day.

96

Wow, how is it already Thursday? The vacation, like any time spent doing whatever you want instead of what you have to, is flying on by. Time for a brief update.

Spent the morning hours attempting to eat at a minuscule, but evidently hugely popular, breakfast place. Gave up when it became apparent that we would likely be eating lunch there instead with the wait stretching into hours. Headed back to the condo, both of us somewhat irritable from the heat and the accompanying sunburns. So, we decided to splurge a bit and get a hotel on Waikiki for the night....smart move all around.

First of I have to say that I LOVE, ADORE, and am OBSESSED with AC at this point and am thrilled to be sleeping in it again tonight. It cools down somewhat at night, but I already run warm and it is an adjustment. So, we hotwired a hotel and ended up in a pretty nice establishment near the heat of downtown. Spent the majority of our time wandering around the myriad shops, and eating an assortment of fried sweets (testing my new GB-less GI system.....which seems to be improving markedly) at the farmers market before heading to a beach front restaurant where we sipped tropical drinks festooned with pineapple and paper umbrellas and listened to a Hawaiian band play. Exactly what I thought Hawaii would be. Color me very impressed and thoroughly happy.

Now for another Mai Tai :)

72

Rough winds and an angry sea today. Sunburns all around in spite of an apparent lack of direct exposure by either of us. The melanin impaired are not safe here :)

Saw Julie and Julia. Though it seemed a bit, well, incomplete perhaps..........it was quite charming and thoroughly enjoyable. Plus, the theater had AC.....double bonus on a hot day.

48

DAy 2 was a lot of fun........in the relaxing kind of way that we all wish vacations could be while we are scurrying about trying to tick off things on our vacation to-do lists. We spent the late morning/lunch hour wandering around an indoor/outdoor mall in Honalulu and the bulk of the remainder of the day lying down in a park reading, watching the clouds, and occasionally wandering around in the bathwater of the bay. Simple and enjoyable.