I've decided that every Friday I'll post something yummy that I've made this week to share with all of you! This one is a variation on a recipe that I found in Martha Stewart's Food magazine.
Ham & Mozzerella Panini (*Hubby Seal of Approval*)
Ingredients:
A loaf of italian bread
Deli ham
A block of mozzerella cheese
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
How To:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sliced open the loaf of bread. Layer slices of mozzerella, ham, and basil (if you don't like basil, I guess you could use spinach), as much as you think you'll want. It helps to layer the cheese next to the bread, so that the sandwich stays together better. Season with a little salt and pepper and close the sandwich. Brush the top of the sandwich with a little olive oil. Put the sandwich on a baking sheet and top the sandwich with another baking sheet (it's the sneaky way to make a panini without a panini press, haha). Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Slice the loaf into sensibly-sized sandwiches.
*Some advice: Use the basil sparingly, since the flavor is very strong. Also, the key to making this taste outstanding is a really well-made loaf of bread!
I made this a few days ago, and Hubby went nuts over it- he even liked the basil, which I thought for sure he'd pick out.
6/27/08
6/25/08
First tooth!
Yesterday, LB's first tooth popped through, finally! We figured it was coming since he had been so cranky in the past few days. It's just barely poking through, so it's hard to see, especially because he likes to stick out his tongue when you're trying to take a peek. But, it's definitely there, and he's been chewing on stuff like mad. He has an affinity for objects that shouldn't be in his mouth, like computer cords, mom's hair, and the dog's toys (ugh, so gross... I almost threw up when I caught him doing that). It's irrelevant to say that I hope this stage doesn't last too long, because he needs to get 20 or 30 more teeth, and I'm sure they'll all take their sweet time, just like this first one.
He's also getting ready to crawl any day now. He's mastered the push-up-on-hands, bring-up-both-knees, rock-back-and-forth. He looks kind of silly doing that, like he's about to take off down a luge head-first or something, but it's still cute. And now that he constantly has objects in his mouth, the noises he makes are sounding different, almost more english-like, actually. It's crazy to think that just a few months ago, all he did was look at things, eat, and poop (oh, and cry... can't forget about the crying). Even though I feel like it's going by fast, I love this age. Hubby is getting more and more involved with LB, especially now that the baby can actually interact with him, and Hubby gets a huge kick out of it. Yesterday, he pretended to chomp on LB's fingers for 30 minutes, and LB laughed the entire time (like huge belly laughs, not just he-he chuckles). So cute.
He's also getting ready to crawl any day now. He's mastered the push-up-on-hands, bring-up-both-knees, rock-back-and-forth. He looks kind of silly doing that, like he's about to take off down a luge head-first or something, but it's still cute. And now that he constantly has objects in his mouth, the noises he makes are sounding different, almost more english-like, actually. It's crazy to think that just a few months ago, all he did was look at things, eat, and poop (oh, and cry... can't forget about the crying). Even though I feel like it's going by fast, I love this age. Hubby is getting more and more involved with LB, especially now that the baby can actually interact with him, and Hubby gets a huge kick out of it. Yesterday, he pretended to chomp on LB's fingers for 30 minutes, and LB laughed the entire time (like huge belly laughs, not just he-he chuckles). So cute.
6/24/08
Maui
So, I wrote this nice post detailing our first family vacation to Maui and how wonderful it was and what we saw / did..... but when I hit "publish post", I got a cute little message about not being able to connect to the internet, or some crap like that, and lost the whole thing.
Grrrrrrr....
I'm not really in the mood to retype it all, but here's an overview. We arrived Friday night and stayed through Monday morning, so all day Saturday and Sunday were devoted to seeing the island. We drove up Haleakala Crater- it's over 10,000 ft to the summit! That's about 1 and 1/2 times taller than Mt. Washington! We saw the resort area on the south side and drove to Polipoli State Park (well, we half-drove, then had to walk 3.5 miles to the park, since it's a 4 wheel only road).
It was a lot of fun- being on Maui is like seeing different parts of the world all in one day. The hike through the woods reminded me of NH, the arid desert looked like Africa, and the jungle looked like something straight out of the Amazon.
LB slept well, which was a huge relief- I had visions of camping out in the car after the hotel kicked us out for having a screaming baby. The ferry we took from Oahu was huge and very beautiful, although I felt a little seasick when we departed the channels and entered the ocean.
I will post some pictures up on myspace, facebook, and snapfish for you all to see. Let me know what you think!
Grrrrrrr....
I'm not really in the mood to retype it all, but here's an overview. We arrived Friday night and stayed through Monday morning, so all day Saturday and Sunday were devoted to seeing the island. We drove up Haleakala Crater- it's over 10,000 ft to the summit! That's about 1 and 1/2 times taller than Mt. Washington! We saw the resort area on the south side and drove to Polipoli State Park (well, we half-drove, then had to walk 3.5 miles to the park, since it's a 4 wheel only road).
It was a lot of fun- being on Maui is like seeing different parts of the world all in one day. The hike through the woods reminded me of NH, the arid desert looked like Africa, and the jungle looked like something straight out of the Amazon.
LB slept well, which was a huge relief- I had visions of camping out in the car after the hotel kicked us out for having a screaming baby. The ferry we took from Oahu was huge and very beautiful, although I felt a little seasick when we departed the channels and entered the ocean.
I will post some pictures up on myspace, facebook, and snapfish for you all to see. Let me know what you think!
6/23/08
Mustangs and Sebrings and Jeeps, oh my!
Hubby and I just got home from a long weekend in Maui. We took the SuperFerry over from Oahu, which wasn't bad. I took a Dramamine the first time and ended up pretty queasy, so on the way home, I took two... which made me sleep about half the way.
We drove up Haleakala, which is a huge crater about 10,000 ft up (just to give you reference, all you New Englanders, Mt. Washington is only about 3,000 ft). We took this really steep and winding road then walked around the perimeter of the crater for a little bit. At the summit, you can see two peaks of the Big Island, Lanai, and Molokai. Plus there is a flat-topped peak which has a weak magnetic field around it, but the magnetism is strong enough to throw off a compass- pretty cool. Also, there were a ton of astronomy observatories- one of them is used by the goverment to track all 8,000+ satellites orbiting earth (yes, 8,000.... I didn't believe it at first either).
We also drove halfway to Hana, but I was getting a little motion-sickness going on, so we turned around and went back. We stopped at Paia, which is a little hippie town full of art galleries and little restaurants. And of course, we stopped by the south side where all the resorts are. Ironically, that side of the island is the least attractive. It's very arid and brown, nothing like the lush green jungle you can find in other parts of the island. But, we had to go there to go to Lush!
Yesterday, we found a park called Polipoli State Park. You have to drive up this windy (as in twisty) road for 9 miles, and the last 3.5 miles is for 4 wheel drive vehicles only, since it's not paved. Hubby, LB, and I parked the car on the side of the road and did the walk, but boy did it take a lot out of me! I'm still recovering. LB found it fascinating on the way there, looking at the trees and animals, but fell asleep on the walk back (lucky him).
So I suppose you're thinking, where did she get the title for this post from?
Maui is full of tourists, and most of them rent cars. For every ten cars you see on the road, at least one of them is a Mustang convertible, Sebring convertible, or Jeep Wrangler. I even made a bet with Hubby, and sure enough, that tenth car was a Mustang! It was pretty funny to pick them out- at one point, on the road to Hana, we were behind a Mustang, who was behind a Sebring, who was behind a Jeep. Trifecta of tourism!!!
We drove up Haleakala, which is a huge crater about 10,000 ft up (just to give you reference, all you New Englanders, Mt. Washington is only about 3,000 ft). We took this really steep and winding road then walked around the perimeter of the crater for a little bit. At the summit, you can see two peaks of the Big Island, Lanai, and Molokai. Plus there is a flat-topped peak which has a weak magnetic field around it, but the magnetism is strong enough to throw off a compass- pretty cool. Also, there were a ton of astronomy observatories- one of them is used by the goverment to track all 8,000+ satellites orbiting earth (yes, 8,000.... I didn't believe it at first either).
We also drove halfway to Hana, but I was getting a little motion-sickness going on, so we turned around and went back. We stopped at Paia, which is a little hippie town full of art galleries and little restaurants. And of course, we stopped by the south side where all the resorts are. Ironically, that side of the island is the least attractive. It's very arid and brown, nothing like the lush green jungle you can find in other parts of the island. But, we had to go there to go to Lush!
Yesterday, we found a park called Polipoli State Park. You have to drive up this windy (as in twisty) road for 9 miles, and the last 3.5 miles is for 4 wheel drive vehicles only, since it's not paved. Hubby, LB, and I parked the car on the side of the road and did the walk, but boy did it take a lot out of me! I'm still recovering. LB found it fascinating on the way there, looking at the trees and animals, but fell asleep on the walk back (lucky him).
So I suppose you're thinking, where did she get the title for this post from?
Maui is full of tourists, and most of them rent cars. For every ten cars you see on the road, at least one of them is a Mustang convertible, Sebring convertible, or Jeep Wrangler. I even made a bet with Hubby, and sure enough, that tenth car was a Mustang! It was pretty funny to pick them out- at one point, on the road to Hana, we were behind a Mustang, who was behind a Sebring, who was behind a Jeep. Trifecta of tourism!!!
6/17/08
Some favorite recipes
At the suggestion of a friend, I have decided to post some recipes that I have tried and are actually doable (in other words, for the culinary-challenged). Here are a few, and I hope that you like them as much as I did!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wicked Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients:
Thinly sliced chicken breasts
Deli ham (the kind you make sandwiches with)
Swiss cheese (again, the kind you make sandwiches with)
1 egg, beaten
Breadcrumbs
How To:
Layer ham and swiss cheese on top of chicken breast. Roll up chicken and stick it with a toothpick to hold it together. Dip the chicken in beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs to make it all nice and crunchy. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apple Crisp (It's a good way to use those apples that are about to get a little too ripe)
Ingredients:
4 medium cooking apples (like Granny Smith or Rome), sliced
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
How To:
Heat oven to 375. Grease 8x8 pan and spread apples in the pan. Mix remaining ingredients well, then sprinkle over apples. Bake about 30 minutes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Italian Chicken and Couscous (makes a lot, but it makes yummy leftovers)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can stewed tomatoes, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 zucchini, chopped
3/4 cup couscous
How To:
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and cook garlic, stirring frequently. Stir in reserved tomato liquid, chicken, onion, oregano, and pepper. Heat to boiling then reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Stir in broth, heat to boiling. Stir in zucchini, couscous, and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with a fork, and remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
ground pepper
1 1/2 cup feta cheese
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
How To:
Preheat oven to 475. Scrape out centers of zucchini to form "zucchini canoes". Set aside centers. Arrange zucchini cut sides down on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, then remove from oven. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cook 3-5 minutes. Add zucchini centers and cook about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in feta and tomatoes. Turn zucchini canoes over and fill with mixture. Bake about 20 minutes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wicked Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients:
Thinly sliced chicken breasts
Deli ham (the kind you make sandwiches with)
Swiss cheese (again, the kind you make sandwiches with)
1 egg, beaten
Breadcrumbs
How To:
Layer ham and swiss cheese on top of chicken breast. Roll up chicken and stick it with a toothpick to hold it together. Dip the chicken in beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs to make it all nice and crunchy. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apple Crisp (It's a good way to use those apples that are about to get a little too ripe)
Ingredients:
4 medium cooking apples (like Granny Smith or Rome), sliced
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
How To:
Heat oven to 375. Grease 8x8 pan and spread apples in the pan. Mix remaining ingredients well, then sprinkle over apples. Bake about 30 minutes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Italian Chicken and Couscous (makes a lot, but it makes yummy leftovers)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can stewed tomatoes, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 zucchini, chopped
3/4 cup couscous
How To:
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and cook garlic, stirring frequently. Stir in reserved tomato liquid, chicken, onion, oregano, and pepper. Heat to boiling then reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Stir in broth, heat to boiling. Stir in zucchini, couscous, and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with a fork, and remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
ground pepper
1 1/2 cup feta cheese
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
How To:
Preheat oven to 475. Scrape out centers of zucchini to form "zucchini canoes". Set aside centers. Arrange zucchini cut sides down on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, then remove from oven. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cook 3-5 minutes. Add zucchini centers and cook about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in feta and tomatoes. Turn zucchini canoes over and fill with mixture. Bake about 20 minutes.
6/16/08
Happy Father's Day
So yesterday was hubby's first father's day! He was coming off duty from the day before, so he got home late in the morning. We took the little bundle and the puppy up Makapu'u Point, although the puppy only made it about 5 minutes, so he and hubby had to turn back. Poor thing- his paws were getting too hot!
We also went out to dinner to California Pizza Kitchen, which with a baby is high class dining for us. Actually, I shouldn't say that, because the food really was good. LB was in pretty good spirits the whole time, and hubby wore the present little bundle picked out for him- a black t-shirt with the tyrant sensei from The Karate Kid with the phrase "Sweep the leg" printed underneath. We took turns holding the little bundle so we could each eat, which was a nice change!
Once the baby went to bed, hubby and I watched Juno (yes, we're behind on the movies, so what), then a few episodes of Robot Chicken. It was a nice day to spend some time with all three of us together.
We also went out to dinner to California Pizza Kitchen, which with a baby is high class dining for us. Actually, I shouldn't say that, because the food really was good. LB was in pretty good spirits the whole time, and hubby wore the present little bundle picked out for him- a black t-shirt with the tyrant sensei from The Karate Kid with the phrase "Sweep the leg" printed underneath. We took turns holding the little bundle so we could each eat, which was a nice change!
Once the baby went to bed, hubby and I watched Juno (yes, we're behind on the movies, so what), then a few episodes of Robot Chicken. It was a nice day to spend some time with all three of us together.
6/14/08
I am jobless???
I was just updating some things on this page so it's not so boring, and I wanted to update my profile a little. The page asked me to choose a field under "Work", then list my occupation. Well, I had a really hard time finding a category for "Work" to fit myself into.
I guess I am in accounting, since I am in charge of our budget and finances. I could also be in automotive, since I do all my own work on my car. When I can't, I outsource those jobs to Hubby. I definitely consider myself part of the arts category, for obvious reasons.
I am in banking- I allocate which money goes to bills and savings. I am in communications- I communicate in certain different ways with friends, family, and babies. I am in construction- we are refinishing a trunk and a table we bought second hand.
I am in education, obviously, but even though I do not get paid to teach other people's kids, that doesn't mean I don't teach my own. I am in environment- I go out of my way to recycle since Hawaii doesn't have a recycling program, and I never litter. I am in fashion- I keep up with the latest trends and make sure my family's clothes look presentable in public.
I am in human resources- I play psychologist to friends and family and inevitably to our son when he's old enough. I am in military- being a military spouse is not as tough as being deployed I'm sure, but it's pretty close and an important part of the military families. I am in science- I am busy trying to figure out how more poop comes out of an infant than food goes into his mouth, and I experiment with putting different foods and tastes together, even if it means blowing up the kitchen.
I am in sports/recreation- I help LB learn to crawl, grab things, and stand, and I exercise Puppy. I am definitely a student- I'm still learning how this whole mommy thing works sometimes. I am in telecommunications- I have a facebook, myspace, youtube, blog, and snapfish all in attempt to keep family and friends up-to-date with the baby and our family.
I am in tourism part time- when people come to visit, I usually spend a lot of time showing them around and driving them to cool places on the island. I am in transportation- I drive the baby everywhere and sometimes I drive Puppy around, too. And lastly, I am definitely in the non-profit category- I do all of the above and don't get paid a dime!!
So, here's my question: If I can do all these jobs, which category do I fit into? And here's another question: Why not have a "mommy" category, because from what I can see, we mommies do an awful lot!
I guess I am in accounting, since I am in charge of our budget and finances. I could also be in automotive, since I do all my own work on my car. When I can't, I outsource those jobs to Hubby. I definitely consider myself part of the arts category, for obvious reasons.
I am in banking- I allocate which money goes to bills and savings. I am in communications- I communicate in certain different ways with friends, family, and babies. I am in construction- we are refinishing a trunk and a table we bought second hand.
I am in education, obviously, but even though I do not get paid to teach other people's kids, that doesn't mean I don't teach my own. I am in environment- I go out of my way to recycle since Hawaii doesn't have a recycling program, and I never litter. I am in fashion- I keep up with the latest trends and make sure my family's clothes look presentable in public.
I am in human resources- I play psychologist to friends and family and inevitably to our son when he's old enough. I am in military- being a military spouse is not as tough as being deployed I'm sure, but it's pretty close and an important part of the military families. I am in science- I am busy trying to figure out how more poop comes out of an infant than food goes into his mouth, and I experiment with putting different foods and tastes together, even if it means blowing up the kitchen.
I am in sports/recreation- I help LB learn to crawl, grab things, and stand, and I exercise Puppy. I am definitely a student- I'm still learning how this whole mommy thing works sometimes. I am in telecommunications- I have a facebook, myspace, youtube, blog, and snapfish all in attempt to keep family and friends up-to-date with the baby and our family.
I am in tourism part time- when people come to visit, I usually spend a lot of time showing them around and driving them to cool places on the island. I am in transportation- I drive the baby everywhere and sometimes I drive Puppy around, too. And lastly, I am definitely in the non-profit category- I do all of the above and don't get paid a dime!!
So, here's my question: If I can do all these jobs, which category do I fit into? And here's another question: Why not have a "mommy" category, because from what I can see, we mommies do an awful lot!
A little guilt trip and a cute puppy
Last night, Hubby and I were chilling out in the living room and I suggested that we don't turn on the TV at all that night. My reasoning was to spend some time together instead of zoning out to Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader or some other crappy show, but we ended up doing our own thing anyway. He surfed iTunes and Facebook, and I entertained myself with a parenting magazine, while shooting annoyed glances at him.
At around 9:30, he said, why don't you come over here and sit with me on the couch? I said fine and I sat next to him. He had a couple of beers in him, so he thought he'd be funny and try to tickle me after I made some smart remark about his college. He said something like, oh you can poke fun at me and I can't poke fun at you? That's when it all just came flying out my mouth.
"Really? You never poke fun at me?.... How about when you make fun of where I went to college? Or my major? Or that I'm a dork? Or my weight? Or that I can't drive your truck?"
I would have kept going, but the look on his face said he was starting to feel bad about all those little comments. It was kind of like a defining moment for us- I think he really realized how much those stupid comments irritates me! We'll see if any of what happened last night sticks with him.
And now for something completely different... We finally found a groomer that doesn't make Puppy look like a friggin show dog. The place we took him to before never cut the hair on his face or tail, but they would nearly shave his body, so he looked all disproportionate and frou-frou. They also took 8 hours each time... ridiculous. So I decided to try a new place in Kaneohe, and they did a great job. He still looks pretty much the same, just with shorter hair, and now the poor thing can finally see! I swear the other place didn't use shampoo- it smelled like all they did was rub car air fresheners on him. But this place used some nice shampoo, so he actually smells good! Five stars, two thumbs up, I highly recommend them.
At around 9:30, he said, why don't you come over here and sit with me on the couch? I said fine and I sat next to him. He had a couple of beers in him, so he thought he'd be funny and try to tickle me after I made some smart remark about his college. He said something like, oh you can poke fun at me and I can't poke fun at you? That's when it all just came flying out my mouth.
"Really? You never poke fun at me?.... How about when you make fun of where I went to college? Or my major? Or that I'm a dork? Or my weight? Or that I can't drive your truck?"
I would have kept going, but the look on his face said he was starting to feel bad about all those little comments. It was kind of like a defining moment for us- I think he really realized how much those stupid comments irritates me! We'll see if any of what happened last night sticks with him.
And now for something completely different... We finally found a groomer that doesn't make Puppy look like a friggin show dog. The place we took him to before never cut the hair on his face or tail, but they would nearly shave his body, so he looked all disproportionate and frou-frou. They also took 8 hours each time... ridiculous. So I decided to try a new place in Kaneohe, and they did a great job. He still looks pretty much the same, just with shorter hair, and now the poor thing can finally see! I swear the other place didn't use shampoo- it smelled like all they did was rub car air fresheners on him. But this place used some nice shampoo, so he actually smells good! Five stars, two thumbs up, I highly recommend them.
6/11/08
What I Love/Hate About Hawaii
This may sound stupid- I know people are going to think I'm crazy to find anything wrong with paradise, but here are just a few things that have been bugging me lately about living on the island.
1. Everything has to be shipped in. If you can't find it on the island, you have to pay out the ass to have it shipped over.
2. Hawaiian commercials have the same professional quality as a high school AV club's production. PS- There are these places called "acting schools".
3. We are six hours behind EST, which is the time zone where most of the people I know live. That also means "live" television is never live (we can't vote on American Idol- boo!).
4. There is no Target, Victoria's Secret, H&M, CVS, Olive Garden, TGIFriday's, Bath and Body Works, Dunkin Donuts, Hardee's, The Limited, TJMaxx, etc. On any of the islands.
5. The attitude around here is a little too laidback. Hardly anything gets done on time- there's constantly construction everywhere.
6. H-1 sucks. Highways usually suck, but it seems like it's congested all the time.
7. The speed limit around here is 50 on the highway... and people drive slower than the speed limit.
8. There is only one season- summer. Doesn't sound like a bad thing, right? But I really do miss the other three seasons.
9. Most hawaiians are ridiculously under-educated. This is because hawaiian schools are some of the worst in the nation. And it's insanely frustrating.
10. Bouncy houses... everywhere... f-ing annoying.
11. Hawaiians can be too overly proud of their culture. I find that anything new or different, they usual oppose to it (SuperFerry, the rail system).
12. Getting off the island to go anywhere will cost an arm and a leg, especially back to the east coast.
13. You can drive around the entire island of Oahu in less than a day. And since it's an island, you can't drive to another state.
14. Tourists are everywhere!
15. A small percentage of kama'aina are very nasty to anyone that is not hawaiian and will yell it in your face.
16. There are bums and homeless people all over the island.
And here are a few things that I love about Hawaii.
1. There aren't too many animals to be scared of- no snakes, no alligators, no killer bees.
2. The spirit of aloha is generally everywhere and the kama'aina are very nice to malihini.
3. The hawaiian alphabet has only 12 letters, which makes it easy to pronounce and spell hawaiian words.
4. The city is kept very clean and has the lowest crime rate for a US city of that size.
5. It's beautiful- everywhere you go looks like a postcard and the colors are so vibrant.
6. The tourists are fun to watch and chat with, especially the japanese tourists who don't speak english.
7. There are plenty of military perks that relieve the stress of the expensive lifestyle. Example: a gallon of milk out in town is over $8. Yeah...
8. There's a lot to do here, especially outdoors, and it's either very cheap or free.
1. Everything has to be shipped in. If you can't find it on the island, you have to pay out the ass to have it shipped over.
2. Hawaiian commercials have the same professional quality as a high school AV club's production. PS- There are these places called "acting schools".
3. We are six hours behind EST, which is the time zone where most of the people I know live. That also means "live" television is never live (we can't vote on American Idol- boo!).
4. There is no Target, Victoria's Secret, H&M, CVS, Olive Garden, TGIFriday's, Bath and Body Works, Dunkin Donuts, Hardee's, The Limited, TJMaxx, etc. On any of the islands.
5. The attitude around here is a little too laidback. Hardly anything gets done on time- there's constantly construction everywhere.
6. H-1 sucks. Highways usually suck, but it seems like it's congested all the time.
7. The speed limit around here is 50 on the highway... and people drive slower than the speed limit.
8. There is only one season- summer. Doesn't sound like a bad thing, right? But I really do miss the other three seasons.
9. Most hawaiians are ridiculously under-educated. This is because hawaiian schools are some of the worst in the nation. And it's insanely frustrating.
10. Bouncy houses... everywhere... f-ing annoying.
11. Hawaiians can be too overly proud of their culture. I find that anything new or different, they usual oppose to it (SuperFerry, the rail system).
12. Getting off the island to go anywhere will cost an arm and a leg, especially back to the east coast.
13. You can drive around the entire island of Oahu in less than a day. And since it's an island, you can't drive to another state.
14. Tourists are everywhere!
15. A small percentage of kama'aina are very nasty to anyone that is not hawaiian and will yell it in your face.
16. There are bums and homeless people all over the island.
And here are a few things that I love about Hawaii.
1. There aren't too many animals to be scared of- no snakes, no alligators, no killer bees.
2. The spirit of aloha is generally everywhere and the kama'aina are very nice to malihini.
3. The hawaiian alphabet has only 12 letters, which makes it easy to pronounce and spell hawaiian words.
4. The city is kept very clean and has the lowest crime rate for a US city of that size.
5. It's beautiful- everywhere you go looks like a postcard and the colors are so vibrant.
6. The tourists are fun to watch and chat with, especially the japanese tourists who don't speak english.
7. There are plenty of military perks that relieve the stress of the expensive lifestyle. Example: a gallon of milk out in town is over $8. Yeah...
8. There's a lot to do here, especially outdoors, and it's either very cheap or free.
6/10/08
Bankrupt!
Yesterday, Hubby and I auditioned for Wheel of Fortune. They are coming to Hawaii in September and were looking for couples for the show. I don't think we were what they were looking for, though! I should have been wary when the judge took a look at our marriage certificate (to prove we were married) and said, "Wow, New Hampshire...." During the audition, every couple got a turn to stand up and guess a letter, after one of the judges spun a little wheel-look-alike for them. When it was our turn, they let us guess a few letters, then the judge placed the arrow on "Bankrupt" and said, "Oh, sorry."
How is that fair?? That kind of pissed me off, because we were good, but I think once they saw us and how white we are, they didn't really want to get to know us. We were only one of three couples that got "Bankrupt", out of about 100+ people, haha! Every person that was picked was either hawaiian or asian. And even the clips they showed us from when they'd come to Hawaii in the past had all very hawaiian-looking people as contestants.
So, that was our Wheel of Fortune experience! We also had a written test where you had to solve the puzzles with only a few letters filled in. The test was really hard, but I got about half of them completed. Overall, we did pretty well based on talent, but I just don't think we were the type of couple the show wanted. The couples next to us and ahead of us were picked, and they were not very good at solving the puzzles.... maybe that's it. Maybe we were a little too good.
Well, I could dwell on it forever, or I could just say I had fun and I'll try it again someday.
How is that fair?? That kind of pissed me off, because we were good, but I think once they saw us and how white we are, they didn't really want to get to know us. We were only one of three couples that got "Bankrupt", out of about 100+ people, haha! Every person that was picked was either hawaiian or asian. And even the clips they showed us from when they'd come to Hawaii in the past had all very hawaiian-looking people as contestants.
So, that was our Wheel of Fortune experience! We also had a written test where you had to solve the puzzles with only a few letters filled in. The test was really hard, but I got about half of them completed. Overall, we did pretty well based on talent, but I just don't think we were the type of couple the show wanted. The couples next to us and ahead of us were picked, and they were not very good at solving the puzzles.... maybe that's it. Maybe we were a little too good.
Well, I could dwell on it forever, or I could just say I had fun and I'll try it again someday.
6/8/08
Just fitting into the stereotype
I swore I'd never be one of those mom's whose life completely revolves around the baby, and they can't talk or think about anything else. But, I'm finding myself being sucked into that. Last night, LB woke up hungry, so I went in to feed him. He obviously wasn't that upset about it, because he started falling asleep as soon as the bottle hit his lips. But he was sucking away, so I just let him sleep and eat.
No big deal, until a few minutes into the feeding. Something made him open his green eyes and glance at me with this complete look of innocence. He was still in the middle of a REM cycle, because he went right back to sleep, but I could have sworn if my heart had a voice, it would have sung. It was just so adorable, like he was just checking to make sure I was still there.
After all the fighting yesterday (he's learned how to wriggle just enough that I can't put diapers on him properly), it was just a very sweet moment that almost let me forget about the other stuff. He's sleeping right now, and I'm tempted to go in and steal another sleepy innocent look, but I'm too smart to wake up a sleeping baby!
No big deal, until a few minutes into the feeding. Something made him open his green eyes and glance at me with this complete look of innocence. He was still in the middle of a REM cycle, because he went right back to sleep, but I could have sworn if my heart had a voice, it would have sung. It was just so adorable, like he was just checking to make sure I was still there.
After all the fighting yesterday (he's learned how to wriggle just enough that I can't put diapers on him properly), it was just a very sweet moment that almost let me forget about the other stuff. He's sleeping right now, and I'm tempted to go in and steal another sleepy innocent look, but I'm too smart to wake up a sleeping baby!
6/5/08
A fat mommy is a happy baby
The gym on base has a childcare center, which is great for mothers, but they are only open several hours in the morning. Because the fitness classes are early, the only hour that is almost guaranteed open for LB is between 10 and 11am.... right during nap time. I've been ignoring that and taking him anyway, then he gets little or no nap, but I think I will stop that. I skipped the gym yesterday, and LB took two great naps, then slept until 7am last night only waking up once! When I disrupt his napping schedule, he wakes up two or more times a night. Soooo, I'm looking for a local gym that has more flexible childcare hours OR I will just be a fatass for awhile. :P Because I'm done with getting up a million times a night because the baby's overtired!!
6/2/08
PNEO = Happiness
Today was the first day of PNEO for Hubby. That's just some schooling he has to do which will take about two months to complete. But it's VERY different than the day-to-day life on the boat. He pretty much makes his own schedule, and the building is open 24 hrs a day, so he can study whenever he'd like. That gives him much more free time... although I don't think it will necessarily mean more time together.
Today, he did a few errands that he needed to get done (why he couldn't bring LB along is beyond me) and now he's out with a friend, most likely for the rest of the afternoon. It's a little frustrating that on his days off, he does whatever he wants which usually excludes LB and I, but I'm hoping that once PNEO gets underway, he'll actually spend some of those days with us. Okay, I'm sure people are thinking, just tell him to come home! But, I know that these things (working out, riding his bike, teaching a friend to ride a bike, etc) is very therapuetic for him, and he needs those things to stay mentally sane. I just wish he'd realize that I need to keep myself sane too! :P
Speaking of the baby, LB is getting smarter and cuter every day. Everything he touches goes right into his mouth, which is kind of cute, until he starts putting other people's fingers and their shirt collars in his mouth. He still doesn't like anything to do with turning or rolling left (aw, my little Zoolander), but we're working on that. He has a huge fascination with boobies, so if you're ever around my son, consider yourself warned.
Today, he did a few errands that he needed to get done (why he couldn't bring LB along is beyond me) and now he's out with a friend, most likely for the rest of the afternoon. It's a little frustrating that on his days off, he does whatever he wants which usually excludes LB and I, but I'm hoping that once PNEO gets underway, he'll actually spend some of those days with us. Okay, I'm sure people are thinking, just tell him to come home! But, I know that these things (working out, riding his bike, teaching a friend to ride a bike, etc) is very therapuetic for him, and he needs those things to stay mentally sane. I just wish he'd realize that I need to keep myself sane too! :P
Speaking of the baby, LB is getting smarter and cuter every day. Everything he touches goes right into his mouth, which is kind of cute, until he starts putting other people's fingers and their shirt collars in his mouth. He still doesn't like anything to do with turning or rolling left (aw, my little Zoolander), but we're working on that. He has a huge fascination with boobies, so if you're ever around my son, consider yourself warned.
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