Back At It

It's been a while since I posted anything-it's hard to find something to follow that last post!-but I think about writing all the time. My best ideas almost always come at night when I'm trying to fall asleep and I fool myself into believing I'll remember my thoughts the next day. If I am lucky enough to remember them, I can compose a 3 page dissertation in the shower, but never actually get around to writing it down as I rush to get out the door to work. However, I miss writing. As many of my friends are finishing finals right now I'm reminded how much I love being out of school, but I do miss writing. So I will be writing more often. This is my return!

Vacation Horror

Not to be dramatic or anything, but I recently went on the worst vacation of my life.  The only vacation to rival it was Yellowstone when I was about 10 years old and was so sick I threw up in the hotel lobby and my oldest sister wouldn't even claim me.  That trip, much like this one, was spent hanging out in my bedroom most of the time.    In all fairness, it was not Hawaii's fault, nor was it my in-laws fault.  I will admit I was a little nervous going into the trip, I've actually never been on vacation without my family, and I didn't know what to expect.  We headed out bright and early to catch our flight and I wasn't feeling fantastic but I figured it was probably just the usual up-to-early-to-eat-breakfast unsettled stomach, but by the time we actually landed in Hawaii I was utterly worn out and run down.  We were taking family pictures that night, so as soon as we got to the house it was a mad scramble to make myself presentable and head out to the beach.

It was a bit of a circus wrangling all 21 of us, but the photographer was great and got some pretty good shots.  This is probably the best one of Ty and I; the wind was crazy and my hair was everywhere.  Thankfully we got through most of the pictures before the torrential downpour started!  We all huddled under a tree hoping it would pass, but we were utterly soaked and it was not worth continuing.  The next day started out cloudy again but we headed out to Hanauma Bay for some beach and snorkeling time!  That is when the fun really started for me.  It took our car about twice the amount of time to get there as the others as we had to make several stops for me.  Once we got to the beach I laid down on a towel and basically didn't move for the next few hours.  Tyler says I got in the water for a few minutes, but I honestly have no recollection of that!  Saturday, when everyone decided to do another beach day I opted to stay at home and sleep! Tyler was nice enough to bring me back a shaved ice and document the fact that I was in fact on the trip

not super flattering, but I was alive at least!

Luckily, the next day was Sunday and there wasn't a whole lot expected from me.  We went to church and then to the Laie Temple, which was beautiful.  After that I was allowed to just hang out and sleep again.  I was still having stomach bug issues (seriously, who gets the flu in Hawaii?!)  so I was on a fairly good diet of rice, saltine crackers and coke.  Not that I eat seafood, in fact I detest it, but when everyone else is eating fun island food coke is not what you want. Monday was the Polynesian Cultural Center, which was a little rough all around! I love the PCC, I've been a couple times before and it's one of my favorite places to go. It was a fairly rainy day, which sent many of us running for cover a few times and luckily it's not a guided tour so Tyler and I were able to still see all the things we wanted to while making sure I could take it easy and be within quick walking distance to a bathroom at all times. That night is when I finally started seeing the end of the tunnel!

We all met up to do the buffet and culture show, which was so fun(!), and that was the longest I spent without feeling like I was going to lose my lunch! Tuesday then became the best day of the entire trip for me! We went to a nearby beach to do some body surfing and boogie boarding.  It was a sunny day, everyone was happy at the beach, I kept all food down, and I remember playing in the water this time!  Ty and I played in the waves for a while, got covered in sand, finally soaked up some sun and even went to the Hukilau Cafe for lunch-I'm not joking when I say the best day of the trip.  We went to Pearl Harbor for our last day on the island, and something I'd been looking forward to for months.  I've been to Pearl Harbor twice and never had the chance to go out to the Memorial for the USS Arizona and it finally happened!  I was a little sick again, but enjoyed the day more than any of the beginning days so I'm calling that a win.  We were up bright and early at 4 am to come home and I cannot express the relief I felt at finally being able to come home.  You know how everything is just better when you're home, in your own space? I was looking forward to that with abandon! I was feeling good, eating well and then BAM one more curve ball.  

Nearing the end of the flight I was suddenly, overwhelmingly hot without explanation. I felt like I was going to lose it so I scrambled over Tyler, throwing my crochet project to the wind, and tried to make it to the bathroom to make sure I didn't ruin anybody's flight.  The flight attendants looked at my warily as I staggered to the back, my eyesight blurring into white.  I told them I thought I was going to be sick and they hurriedly tried to find me an empty lavatory.  The next thing I remember is laying on the floor with a flight attendant holding my ankles up.  I was still extremely groggy and I remember Tyler's sister, Ashley, coming back to help me (thank goodness for nurses in the family!) We were nearing the end of the flight so they moved some people from the seats nearest me to our seats closer to the front so Ashley and Tyler could sit with me the rest of the flight. They put cold compresses on my head, had me on oxygen, drinking juice, etc while people kept standing up in their seats to try to get a glimpse of the "crazy girl that passed out"!  The paramedics came onto the flight as soon as we landed and walked me off while everyone stared.  They ran tests on me: blood sugar, dehydration, asked about pregnancy (no, I'm not) and could not come up with an explanation.  But don't worry, they called me a wheelchair to get to the next gate!  

I'm pretty sure I'm not invited on the next family trip

CSI: NY

Welp, I finally did it! No it's not something to really brag about, it's not nearly as exciting as seeing Paul from the second row and I should probably be more embarrassed by it, but I'm not. I watched all 9 seasons of CSI: NY.  Before you go thinking I'm the laziest person you've ever heard of, understand that it took me a few months to finish all 9 seasons, I didn't just sit down for weeks straight and do nothing else!  First off, let me tell you I have an unhealthy relationship with TV.  Not in the sit-in-front-of-the-tv-eating-and-gain-30-pounds kind of way, mine is very different.  I developed my unhealthy relationship a few years back when I was living mostly by myself.  I was working full-time and doing school full-time at night, so you wouldn't think that coming home and being by myself would be that big of deal.  But it was, for me.  On Saturdays when I would be home alone I would turn on the TV (it didn't matter what show) so that I would feel like other people were around, which slowly turned into leaving the TV on at night while I fell asleep-again so I didn't feel like I was isolated. It has taken me YEARS to break that habit (and Tyler is very happy I did).  Being a housewife, for the time being, I have fallen into having the TV on during the day to keep me company again: while cleaning, working out, cooking, while working on projects. I never simply watch TV, I always have to be doing something in addition; I cannot even tell you the amount of headbands I've made, patterns I've started writing, journal entries I've made etc with the TV for company.  Sometimes I don't care what's on, but I am getting more picky.  Also, I absolutely love cop shows. I've watched so many that they have become predictable, some with redeeming qualities to actually make me like them, some merely entertaining for how bad they are.  CSI: NY is definitely my favorite cop show-pretty much of all time.  When it came out I wasn't really into watching TV all that much, I didn't follow shows regularly and I didn't even really have a clue what was on.  Thanks to the wonder of Netflix however, I now have access to pretty much any show I want to watch.
Let me tell you a couple things about CSI: NY and why it's my favorite show.  First of all, Mac. (Gary Sinise)  The show would absolutely fall apart without him. He's the dry wit, delivers some of the best/worst one-liners, keeps everyone in line and is the driving force behind the whole show.  My next favorite is the couple Danny and Lindsay Messer. They are one of my all-time favorite TV couples.  They work together, have the funniest little moments in the lab, talk to each other in the cutest ways, have some of the best sarcasm ever written.  And of course, Don Flack played by the very handsome Eddie Cahill-whom I've loved ever since his role as Tag, Rachel's very attractive assistant, on FRIENDS.  Let me tell you, he's just as attractive as ever and has a great role.  One major reason I love CSI:NY is because of the stories as well.  Again, they get predictable and a little repetitive after a while, but this show kept things changing all the time.  There were some seriously freaky ones that I then had to watch FRIENDS or Psych or something lighthearted after to get my mind off of it.  After finishing my now beloved show, I tried to watch CSI:MIAMI but I think it's too soon.  Don't get me wrong, I have a love for the Miami version but it is very different from NY.  Someday I'm sure I'll get around to it. I mean, who can resist Horatio and his absolutely terrible/dramatic one-liners?

For Paul

I was so close I could almost touch him!

I am still in shock over the events of last night! My head is seriously reeling with what can only be called the greatest night of my life. I was about to call this post the "best, greatest, most incredible, happiest, most unbelievable night" but decided some people might find that excessive.  If you've spent more than 10 minutes talking to me you understand I have a deep and abiding love (obsession?) for The Beatles, and most especially Paul McCartney. When Tyler and I were dating there were many occasions where I had to clarify that Paul would, at one point or another in our marriage, come first!  Luckily Tyler is a good sport and indulged me a little.  So when it was announced shortly after our wedding that none other than Paul McCartney was coming to town I did a little more than freak out.  While Tyler lives with my undying love for Paul, he's not willing to spend his life's savings on tickets (I would stop at no price to get close to Paul). So for compromise's sake we went with the best seats in the nosebleed section when selecting our seat choice.  While a little disappointed, I knew that as long as I got to be in the same room as Paul I'd be freaking out more than a 25 year old, 5 decades too late should.  I had the night planned: we'd get dinner and get to the venue at least 45 minutes before the concert started so I had plenty of time to fangirl out, get an overpriced t-shirt with Paul's face all over it and get to our seats so I could scope out the area.  I bought Tyler a Beatles shirt to wear before we went so he didn't feel so entirely out of place and the night got a little bit of a later start than I would have liked, but oh my laws did that work out for the best!  We pushed our way through the massive blob that was supposed to be the lines for fan gear, got the shirt I wanted and headed up the stairs to the nosebleeds.  As luck would have it, there happened to be a PR guy (or some other officially titled person) walking up the stairs at the same time.  As we reached the top of the stairs he approached us-Tyler was worried he was trying to sell us stuff-and offered us FLOOR SEATS ON THE SECOND ROW, CENTER SECTION!!! I about kissed the guy I was so excited! I started freaking out, to which he quickly replied "Save it for Paul!" We rushed down the stairs looking for the portal to the Floor Section.  I was shaking from the inside out, my stomach was in knots, my fingers were digging into Tyler's arm as we walked and I couldn't stop squealing like a little girl. There were about 15 of us that had been moved down from the nosebleeds to the front 2 rows and we all became fast friends-screaming, freaking out, one girl was even crying (no, not me-although I was veeery close).  We sat next to some very nice people, exchanged stories about previous Paul concerts and how we came to be sitting in those seats.  Turns out the people next to us spend $1500 A TICKET!  And here I was thinking I was the crazy one.  The husband was a little upset that we didn't spend as much as they did and actually got better seats, but we also didn't get the commemorative beer and backpacks (I do not feel jipped at all) So yes, the second Paul came on stage I screamed just like all those crazy girls in the first wave of Beatlemania.  I sang every song, I danced the entire time, I barely took my eyes off the stage (just to make sure tyler was still there) and had the most fun I've ever had in my life. He played for about 2 1/2 hours, had a fireworks, flames and confetti display in the middle of the show, paid tribute to his (first) wife Linda and his current wife Nancy, sang lots of my favorite songs and looked directly at me at least twice-it could have been more, but then again, he could have been looking at the chick next to me too. Even as we walked out of the venue I was squealing, jumping up and down, and couldn't wipe the foolish grin off my face. I woke up this morning still in disbelief, I've listened to nothing but The Beatles for the last week or so and have no plans to stop that streak. I want to tell everyone about it and show them all the pictures I took!!  I'll display a few here, just to prove to myself I was really there.

Eye contact, see it?!

It was a million degrees, but oh so fun!

Tribute to the late George Harrison

The most hardcore picture of Paul rocking out with flames around him!

I just found out wasps can BITE in addition to stinging. What kind of sick joke is this?!

Best of Friends

I love my family. Growing up in a family of seven kids isn't always the easiest of rides, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I always shared a room with at least 2 of my sisters and looked forward to college when I could finally have my own private space.  We fought over dumb stuff like Barbies and who's music we could listen to and who got to sit in what chair.  There were days when I contemplated what it would be like to be an only child, but more importantly there were days when I had a whole group of friends to play with that all lived with me.  I had older siblings to come up with enough mischief to keep us busy and a younger sister I thought I could boss around.  I always had a confidant when I needed one, a shoulder to cry on. As we've gotten older of course the squabbles over pointless things have died out and our bonds have grown stronger.  I can honestly say my sisters are my best friends, along with  my  mom.  I babysat my sisters kids today and after she got back we sat and talked for about two hours. Not about anything particular, nothing we needed to discuss or plan out-we just talked. I absolutely loved it.  Tonight I called my mom to talk about Fall Break (crazy that school is already starting and I feel summer just started) and that was probably the thing that we talked the least about!  We covered so many other topics: visiting teaching, her new patio table, soccer tournaments of nephews/grandkids, and of course the usual "mom-alies". I love it. I hung up with my mom and just sat for a minute reveling in the awesome-ness that is my family.  Ever since Tyler and I moved I've worried about us making friends in our new neighborhood, making friends together, keeping the friends we had.  I'm very glad I had a reminder of who is really important in my life, who will be there through ups and downs no matter what, who love me despite the awful way I treated them as a child, and whom I will always love talking to no matter the subject.

Awkward 24th

As I've become more familiar with my neighborhood I've become more comfortable running in the mornings (not without a quick text to my mom or someone who'd miss me, telling them the direction I'm headed and time I'll be back!) But I headed out last Thursday morning with the usual mass of bikers and suddenly realized there were an usual amount of joggers and they were heading the opposite way...and wearing yellow number bibs.  I was so confused until I saw the water station and the sign posted marking Mile 17 : I had inadvertently ended up running the wrong direction on the Pioneer Day Marathon course, OOPS!  I felt a little awkward, but I kept my head up and finished my run-with the added encouragement of a little old man in a wheelchair on the side of the street :)