It's coming together!

This morning, I attended the Alaka'i grand opening.  It was good to see my boys.  I met a lot of new people.  I made some really good contacts!  A gentleman, whom I met in October of last year, was there and offered to hire me as a contractor.  It would be a part-time gig that I could work when I want.  I really like the guy and his business ideas.  I'm going to do it!  I told my mom about it.  She and I both agree that pretty soon, I am going to have more jobs than I know what to do with.

There is a job at the Waikiki Aquarium for an Events & Membership Manager position.  I REALLY, REALLY want that job.  That would be too cool!!!  I plan on walking my resume in tomorrow rather than mail it.  

David is too cool.  He helped me move my boxes over to my apartment this evening.  My bed will be delivered and the cable will be turned on on Wednesday.  We will stay here tonight and tomorrow night.  But come Wednesday night, we will be at our apartment in Hawai'i!!!!!  We took a nap over there yesterday.  It is definitely in a much busier area than where we are currently staying.  

The good news is that there is a small shopping center just right around the corning.  It has a little grocery store, coffee shop, movie rental place, Pizza Hut, Sushi Man (which is delicious.  I at there yesterday!!!!), a Korean barbeque, Subway, another restaurant, a laundromat, and a little place called the "Vintage Wine Cellar".  I am in LOVE!!  I cruised through the Wine Cellar.  Oh... My... Goodness...  They had labels and wines of which I had never heard.  I felt like a kid in a candy store, all giddy and stuff.  I can't wait to get my place put together, go buy me a little treasure, and sit and sip it like I am a queen.  

Well, that is today's update.  I guess I'll post more later.

Mahalo (thank you in Hawaiian) for visiting!!!

F%cking with people

Day before yesterday, I took my daughter to view a childcare facility.  She fell in love with it immediately.  I paid the deposit and application fee, gathered all the required paperwork, and set off for the bus stop to return home.  We get on the bus and Trinity heads for the back (her favorite place).  I pull out the paperwork and begin the completion process.  After a few minutes, the girl beside us bursts into laughter.  I look up but do not inquire.  A few seconds later, the girl bursts into laughter, again.  When I look at her, she points to Trinity laughing.  I ask her what she did.  She just continues to laugh.  I go back to my paperwork as Trinity just looked at me and smiled.  I'll be damn if the girl didn't burst into laughter, again.  I asked Trinity, "What are you doing?"  Trinity slowly turns her head to reveal that she has her bottom teeth protruding on top of her top lip while rolling her eyes back in her head.

She was f%cking with people on the bus.  Do you know how many people that I would like to f%ck with on the bus?  LOL!!!  If only I, too, could get away with it...............

My daughter is so cool!! Who else would dance on a bus?

Wal-Mart

You can take the girl out of Arkansas.  But, I guess you can't take Arkansas out of the girl.  

I have been trying to get to Wal-Mart for about a week now.  After all, where else does one shop when in Arkansas?  I finally figured out how to get there via TheBus.  I packed Trini up and we went today.  I was almost giddy walking up to the doors.

Wal-Mart in Honolulu is much different than in Arkansas.  First, it is attached to a parking garage.  Second, the doors are inside the garage, somewhat in the middle between the two.  But oh, the familiar smell as we walked in.  Directly to the left were "Hawaii" knick knacks, hats, and t-shirts.  I have to say, the ABC and EZ stores are much cheaper for the same crap.   I had to stroll through just to look.  The layout of this store was totally different, too.  Also, I am used to a super center with a complete grocery store.  This had very little food compared to the mega-stores on the mainland.  

Still, I managed to rack-up a $100 bill with very little in my bags.  That is very MUCH like the stores on the mainland.  LOL!  

Trinity's Hawaiian Style 5th Birthday - Slideshow

Trinity's Fifth Birthday - Hawaiian Style

Today is Trinity's birthday.  Last night and this morning, I was feeling very melancholy as I have taken her so far away from family.  This morning, I took her to her new pediatrician.  As I sat looking out the window of his 10th floor office, I wanted to cry.  I looked at her playing and smiling and wondered if I had made the right decision.  

After the pediatric appointment, I took her to the Honolulu Zoo.  She had a ball.  She was very particular on which animals that I photographed her with.  She played at their playground for over an hour with some new friends.  Then, we went to the petting zoo.

After the zoo, I took her shopping for her birthday presents.  She picked out a yellow bucket with sand toys.  I picked her out a beach mat.  I asked her what else she wanted.  She said, "I don't want anything else for my birthday, Mommy."  How sweet!!!  How many five year olds say that?  I took her to the jewelry section anyway and asked if she wanted a necklace.  She picked out a pink, beaded necklace with little plumeria flowers.  I asked if she wanted anything else.  She said no.

After the shopping, we came home and had dinner.  I had baked her a three tier chocolate cake with chocolate icing.  I lit the candles.  As I sang Happy Birthday to her, she was looking at me square in the eye with the biggest smile.  She made a wish and blew them out.  But, she had me relight them several times and asked me not to sing again.  LOL!!!

This birthday was much different from what she is used to.  But, that was the whole point of this migration.  It was a great day!!

Free to Be

Well, we did it!  We escaped Arkansas.  We arrived last night at about 9:00pm Hawai'i time.  We were picked up and taken directly to the apartment which we will call home until we find our own.  My ten boxes were stacked up in the living room/kitchen/dining room (really small place) and took up most of the area.  I was relieved to see them.  It's funny how I am comforted by my things.......  We went to bed and awoke this morning at about 6:30am.  I prepared Trinity a makeshift breakfast.  We, then, dressed and headed out for our first adventure.  

We are staying in the punchbowl area, which is essentially in downtown.  OH MY GOD!!!  I had forgotten what it felt like to live in a city with a pulse.  We walked to the grocery store for a few provisions.  Trini was a little disgruntled that we were having to walk.  But, she handled it very well!  I was able to show her the ocean in the distance.  We also walked over an overpass to H1.  She thought it was cool to be walking over so many cars.  I was so very proud of her!!!

It is funny.  I am acting totally out of character for those who knew me in Arkansas.  Yet, I am more myself than I have been in years.  I had accidentally put on the persona that I guess I thought was expected in the 'metropolis' of Jonesboro.  Here, I am free to be whomever I want.  There, I had to stifle who I was.  

With $60 bucks (and it wasn't much) worth of groceries in my backpack, my daughter's hand in mine, and the burn in my gluts and calves (from walking uphill toward our apartment), I couldn't believe how free I felt.  It was as if I were a bird that was suddenly let out of a cage.  I had called a friend and was sharing our adventures.  She said, "Now remember, you are home."  It wasn't until our uphill walk back that I realized, I AM HOME.  This is not a vacation.  This is it.  

Damn skippy!