Time

Hi friends!  Sorry it has been so long!  A lot has happened since I last posted. Biggest news of all is I turned 30!  Wowzers!  When did that happen?? But honestly, I feel just the same as I did when I was...27.  So how did I celebrate?  Well I hate to disappoint you but the actual day was pretty low-key.  My sister Deanna and her friend Jill had come in the days before so we did the typical tourist-y things with them.  Had my first experience with what they call SUP (stand up paddle) boards.  I did better than I expected but sadly I never made it to the "stand" part.  I did manage to sit and keep my balance so that was an accomplishment. And we saw some sea turtles while I was SDP (sit down paddle) which was pretty cool.  On the actual day I wasn't feeling very well and since I was pretty sunburned the the day before we spent the afternoon indoors.  In any case it was a lovely day and here's to another year!

I guess you could say that I am adjusting better to life here.  The food situation is still a problem but I am finally finding the "one thing" at each restaurant to order.  I certainly am rarely satisfied after a meal but at least I can eat something.  I have also started cooking. That is not an easy task if you saw our kitchen but I am managing. 

We are going to the beach a lot.  We are hiking a lot.  We are driving a lot.  When you have all these activities at your fingertips you almost feel a sense of pressure to get out and do things.  At the same time it gets a little exhausting.  I know, right?  Beach time can get exhausting?

The girls are adjusting well.  They feel like they are home.  How do I know?  Well you could say they are a bit territorial.  "How dare another dog think they can walk in front of the house without our permission? I'll show them!".  Then barking ensues and everything else.  One of the adjustments they have had to learn is not to react to every sound.  In Chandler, there was rarely a day we had the windows open.  Yes, even for the 2 weeks in spring or fall, when the weather permitted open windows, we just never did.  (Something about Chad wanting a constant 73 degrees in the house.) So the girls have not really experienced all the sounds that go on outside without their knowledge.  Well now that we live with the windows open, they have had to adjust.  Every car door does NOT mean its a burglar.  Every bird cherp does NOT mean a bird is entering the house.  However every dog collar that jingles DOES mean that they are trying to overtake our property so we must stand our ground or else!! -The last one there is the ongoing problem but they are getting better.  Abby LOVES the sand and beach.  When she gets in it she turns to this crazy dog and starts running wild.  Lana not so much but who's really surprised?

My patents visited in early February which was nice.  We went whale watching and saw some incredible sights.  Whales coming completely out of the water in their breach. And not just once.  Over and over again.  Very cool.

Well off to do adventurous things because that's what everyone thinks you do when you live here!  (read: back to sleep.  It is 4:04 am)

Arrived

I have been on the island a little over a week now.  I will recap the adventures while on the island to date:

Moving day (aka Christmas): I held it together pretty well that morning.  If your reading this, chances are you know my greatest concern was the health and safety of our 2 dogs.  I made it all the way until the ticketing counter, at which point I fell apart.  Long story short (I will detail the specific process later) the girls arrived safe and sound.  On the day we arrived the weather was a bit dreary.  Chad brought us back to our home.  (We are renting a 1bd/1ba apartment off a main house in a beautiful upper class neighborhood.  Since we were unfamiliar with neighborhoods we decided it was worth paying a premium until we knew a bit more.). I walked in and realized, just then, how small it really was!!  We went to a local cafe that was open Christmas day and had a late lunch.  I crashed pretty early since I was: 1) still trying to get over my illness, 2) still on Az time, and 3) had about the most stressful day of my life.  My first order of business was to get creative and organized.
The next few days consisted of organizing and laundry.  Buying gizmos and gadgets to help with the ease of adjusting to our new living quarters.  Chad got sick the second day with a cold as well.  Friday we noticed Abby was acting unusual.  She tried to jump on the couch but didn't make it.  I gave her some pain meds and hoped it would go away.  It didn't and by Saturday I was urging Chad that we take her to the Vet.  Luckily I had already researched a Vet I wanted to take the girls to so that was out of the way.  This vet office is 24/7/365!  When I called I could either schedule an appt for 930pm (?!) or we could do a walk-in.  We chose to do the walk in and had the greatest experience with this office.  The vet was actually on the floor with Abby watching and diagnosing her.  Turns out we are glad we took her.  She had an bulging disc in her back.  At this level it should heal fine with some meds but we have had to limit her to a crate most of the time.
Finally once she was improving I could focus on some other things.  The house was under control, the weather has been less than tropical, the food is just short of awful!  So I made a few stops to purchase some basic food items to make a few dinners.  Lets just skip the details and just trust me that it did not go well.  I don't know if it was my headache, the chicken enchiladas or a stomach bug but lets just say that I vomited a number of times the following day (including in my new car!!)  So now the thought of anything homemade makes my stomach quiver.  That has left us back at square one with the one notch above awful food. 

So here we are...7:19pm.  No idea what to have for dinner.  The thought of having to eat fast food again is enough to make me anorexic.  Pizza is about the only thing I can stomach here.  That and shaved ice ;)  

**As a side note...the President and his family are staying 3 streets away from us!!  Yesterday we were going to Subway and I noticed a man with one of those clear spiral earpieces standing against a pillar.  As soon as we passed I asked Chad if he saw that and he didn't see the earpiece but did notice that the man was wearing a bullet proof "vest" under his casual attire.  So we walked back by this time being more observant.  He was outside a nail salon (just a strip mall one) and we saw a group inside which I assumed must have been the Obama girls!  We started noticing the government SUV's and other secret service men around.  So with a close eye we watched and ate and then waited and waited some more.  I had my phone camera ready so I could snap an photo at a seconds notice.  We continued to wait and wait watching and observing the switch in secret service men and their positions.  While we were still waiting longer, there were some dogs near us who began to bark and get in a fight with another dog.  And what do you know we look back after watching the dog altercation and all we see are the suburban doors shutting!!  We missed it in that instant!  Ahhhh!!!  So we walked by real slow while getting the stink eye from the secret service.  I resisted the urge to take a pic of the car.  I didn't want to push it. 

So far, my time has been less than ideal.  I figure this is normal and will get better.  Maybe if we start with the weather and I have the chance to go to the beach!

While getting checked in

On the way to our new home!

Day 2 (the only sunny day)

A cold

Does this ever happen to you?  Just as you are about to leave on vacation you come down with something?  I have spent many vacations sick in bed.  Well I guess this is no different.  My last day of work was this past Thursday and apparently in just the nick-of-time a kid passed something to me.  Lame! So now I am sniffling, sneezing, and coughing my last three days away here in Arizona.

On the brighter side I have a car waiting for me on the island!  We spend the better part of the week waiting for the seller to get the title and poor Chad spent the better part of Saturday waiting at the DMV to make the sale.  But alas it is mine!  And guess how much my insurance is?!?!  (This just tops off my last post about the gallon of milk!). $34 per month!!  And it's a turbo! *happy dance*  Who says the cost of living is outrageous?! Not me!  I think I need to name her.  I wonder what I'll call her? 

I am spending the last few days finalizing my bags and checking their weight.  Getting the dogs their health certificates and medication. Eating as much mexican food as one could eat! 

I almost missed...

That yesterday is one (ONE!) month away from the big day!  I am starting to feel overwhelmed with the idea that everything I have left (from after when Chad and I did the big purge) is either coming with me or I'm leaving behind.  The idea that I have only 100lbs of available luggage capacity is very limiting.  Everything I look at, I ask myself  "do I have space (or weight) for that?"
Time will tell I suppose!  Let the countdown begin!

Cost of Living

The most common first reaction we get is..."I hear a gallon of milk costs $9" as if to warn us of impending doom.  To which we reply "then I guess it's a good thing we don't drink milk!" :)

I firmly believe that if you make adjustments, things will work out.  Yes, the cost of living is slightly higher, and I really mean slightly, but you are living in Hawaii! Of course they will and they should!  But it's all relative.  I would almost venture to say that through our research (and Chad already living there for over a month) it is either right on par, or slightly lower than California.  However, like in any give and take relationship, there will also be some "takes" (or reductions) in cost.  To me, Arizona does not have a lot of "free" entertainment.  I feel like all I do is: eat out, shop and go to movies.  That all costs money!  In Hawaii you not only have the ocean, but this one you can swim, snorkel, surf, SUP (stand up paddle) in.  You get to go hiking in beautiful mountains and volcanoes...and the list goes on. 

So if you think we are crazy, that is ok with me.  But I feel we will be ok.  In fact I think we will be more than ok!

*and in case you're wondering, here are the costs of some items when I was there in Oct:

• Milk: $4.25
• Gas: $3.95
• Pair of sandals (or slippers as they call them) at Costco: $11.95
• 2 tacos at Jack in the Box: $0.99
• Cheeseburger at McDonalds: $1.00
• An iron at Walmart: $8.99

Countdown

Well I suppose now is as good of a time as ever to announce: I am moving.  After spending what will be 29 years and 10 months in my home state of Arizona, I am making a change. 
On December 25th (yes, Christmas day) I will make a new home in Kailua, Hawaii.  Kailua is on the island of Oahu, about 20 miles northeast of Honolulu.  It is a coastal city...or so it appears on a map.
Stay tuned...lots to come!