December Recap

My apologies for not keeping up with my posts. December has been a blur packed with travel, friends, holidays and course the four letter word...work. We started the month of by celebrating Nic's birthday on the Big Island. We had a blast exploring waterfalls, rainforests, lava and cattle farms. I also took my first and last ride in a helicopter. That was a bad idea. It pretty much panned out the same way deep sea fishing did for me. My favorite part was exploring the exotic waterfalls and getting rained on in the rain forest (odd).

This month we also had some special guest appearances. Kipp and Jason came to stay with us for four days and of course the Three Amigos had fun being boys and nerding out. Neither of them had been to Hawaii before so it was fun showing them around and so good to wake up to their company. Just a couple days after Kipp and Jason had to fly home we got to spend four more exciting days with our partners in crime, John and Shannon. And yes I did nerd out with Shannon. The first night our mouths couldn't move fast enough to catch each other up on everything. We spent most of our days snorkeling, playing in waves and laying in the sun. My little Indian was darker than me after the first day of being here. Bitch.

Amongst all the excitement and travel I also got my first promotion at work. I have already hit the ground running with new tasks and duties which has been keeping me very busy. Not to mention this is our busiest time of the year. I am a slave to furniture I have decided.

And due to my heavy work schedule right now and not being able to be with family Christmas for us was about as exciting as Groundhogs day. The holiday is just not the same in 80 degree weather and without family. Plus, Santa walks around in a Hawaiian shirt with his belly hanging out which pretty much ruined it for me from the beginning. I keep telling myself that my Christmas will come in January when my family comes to visit. I cannot wait!

Thanksgiving '09

We finally experienced our first holiday here in Hawaii. Although we live in paradise sometimes it's not paradise without family and your closest friends, especially on holidays. We decided the only way suppress our desire to be home was to do something we knew we couldn't do at home. We decided to snorkel Hanauma Bay. If you have never snorkeled this bay before, please put it on your top 20 things to do in your life. It is beautiful. I am pretty sure I saw a mermaid too.

After snorkeling we went and had Thanksgiving brunch at one of our favorite hotels, Kahala Resort. This is where all of the celebrities and famous people stay at when they come to Oahu. One time when we were there everyone though Nic was Tito Ortiz so we got extra special treatment. The spread was unbelievable and of course the view was stunning. They also have a big dauphin pool here so we got to hang out with the dauphins for the afternoon. My favorite part though was their living room. They has fresh noble pine
Christmas trees that they imported so the whole room smelled like Christmas. The the trees were stunning. I am quickly learning how fortunate I was to grow up in the Northwest. I am probably going to bring my sleeping bag next time and wait for Santa underneath these Christmas trees.

Our First Visitors, the Fritzwalds

We had our first visitors last week, Larry and Phyllis. We were both so excited to see them and of course our week together went by too fast. Saying goodbye almost was just as hard as the first time. They hadn't planned on coming as early as November but we encouraged them to do so as it was their 26th wedding anniversary which sounded like a good enough excuse to come to Hawaii as any. I am pretty convinced that my parents and Nic's parents were separated at birth because being with them always makes me feel so much at home with my family. And I am sure you could image the amount of incredible food and booze that we consumed in last week. I am scheduled for my kidney transplant tomorrow.

Our first day together we took them to our favorite beach, Ko'olina where we snorkeled and swam. Phyllis refused to go in the water without her floatie which of course became the gateway of "let's make fun of mom" day. My favorite scene was when she tried to sit in her inner tube and of course went ass over tea kettle. Not once, but twice. It was perfect. We also got a good laugh at Larry in his snorkel gear. We named him "Great White" like a giant beached shark. Later that evening we came back to our apartment to play a few rounds of Yahtzee before catching the fire works. I proceeded to introduce them to my house rules of for every full house rolled results in a social and points for a Yahtzee can only be received if the roll is followed by a dance. You will be surprised as to how many full houses are rolled in a single game. Needless to say we didn't make it to the fire works.

The remainder of the week was spent site seeing, introducing them to our new Hawaiian life and creating unforgettable memories together. One morning Larry volunteered to drive me into work. I told him that if he is going to be taking Nic's position then he also has to cook me breakfast and make my lunch too (yes, Nic really does this for me every day). I woke up the next morning to eggs, toast and coffee and a lunch menu. Nic got demoted when Larry picked me up from work the next day with a cold cocktail ready to go for me in the car. I have revised this job description.

HNL Halloween '09

Sometimes I forget how big this city is until everyone comes out for events like Halloween. Or maybe this city really isn't that big, we are all just confined to one small area. Whatever it is small spaces + big population all trying to achieve the same thing = chaos. I have never seen anything like Hallloween here in Honolulu. We started off in Chinatown as word on the street was that was the place to be. Plus, it is only three blocks from our apartment so we walked there. They had the streets blocked off, five stages of music, endless beer gardens and of course all of the bars packed with people as well. Our goal was to eventually make it down to Waikiki however cabs were not even driving there due to the chaos. It was a blast but we spent a lot of our night just trying to navigate through the sea of people. I am glad we did but next year maybe we will settle for a house party.

I ended up recycling one of my burlesque costumes and went as a pirate. (No, a sexy pirate in effort to keep up with Shan.) Nic went as a Greek god. It was something we threw together at the last minute and of course he looked awesome. Three of our friends met us at our apartment where we all got ready together and got our prefunk on. Leena went as a 50's housewife, Liz went as a flapper and Olga was a glamour girl. We finally called it a night at about 2 am and stumbled back to our place. Sunday morning was a little rough.

Hawaii, meet Nicky Croon.

As many of you know Nic has swooned half of America with his dreamy voice. Okay, well maybe not half but pretty close. Back in Portland he was known as Spank Sinatra. We had a standing gig at Hawthorne Theatre as Sugar Q where he was our host and he would sing crooner songs in between our acts. He killed it.

When we came to Hawaii in June for my interview we thought how fun would it be if Nic were to get a singing gig in the fancy restaurant and wine bar at my work. It was a little bit of pipe dream but fun to think about. Well kids guess what. He has a standing gig now there. I swear there is nothing he can't do. Starting next Saturday he will be singing there every Saturday night as Nicky Croon. Although we loved him as Spank, we knew his former name might not be appropriate for this type of gig. Also, have to give a shout out to my friend Leena who has made this happen for us. High five girl.

John, you've been trumped.

Kim: "JJ, ask me what I did last night. I dare ya."

JJ: "Fine. Kim, what did you do last night?"

Kim: "Oh nothing much. Just cruised Waikiki on our new Nightster. In a tank top. What did you do last night?"

JJ: silence...

Home Sweet Home

Last night was our first night sleeping in our own bed again. I have been longing for this day. It is so nice to have actual furniture to sit on and dishes to eat off of. I was starting to feel like I was back in college again. Note to self though; when moving to an island don't ship your furniture. I think just about everything took some type of beating. I guess if you think about the 1,000 times our container got picked up, moved and dropped from Portland to Seattle to Honolulu and God knows where else, you kind of have to expect it.

Our apartment is starting to really feel like home. We set up the living room last night so we could watch our first movie together in our new nest. I voted for Top Gun but of course lost to a surfing moving with hot chicks in bikinis. Here is a sneak peak of our new place. I will be posting a virtual tour as soon as we finish unpacking, which should be this time next year.

Coming Up For Air

Sorry, I have been making out with my new husband for the past week. I forgot how much attention we required from each other. Especially when we haven't seen each other for the past month. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was when we walked off of that plane. Damn is he a handsome man. It feels so good to wake up to him every day again. We have been having a blast together and he makes me laugh so hard. Our furniture is floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean right now on a container so the only furniture we have had for the past few weeks is an air mattress. It is so sexy. We have to pump it up every night. Each night Nic goes, "Pump, pump, pump it!." (just like the Bump It commercial). It has been fun showing him the island and he has made a few discoveries on his own too. Yesterday we went up the the North Shore where all of the beautiful beaches are. The waves are already up to 20'! We spent our afternoon at Turtle Bay. Although I miss the Autumn leaves and Oregon's fall beauty, I get to have this at my finger tips.
Each day feels like a vacation even though we both still have to work. There are new foods to eat, people to meet and beaches to explore. I can't wait to share this with everyone.

Flight HA25

Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. The man of my dreams will finally be joining me and our Hawaiian life. I cannot wait to be in his arms again but mostly excited that I won't have to eat Hot Pockets anymore. He rocks in the kitchen just like he rocks my world. Nic touches my life in a way that gives me purpose. I once told him while we were dating that "I never want to spend and day of my life without you and that one day I want you to call me your wife." I think what I meant to say was, "I never want to spend a day of my life without you but if I have to I better be called your wife." I never thought I could make it 33 days without him but I am proud of both of us for staying strong and believing in each other. If this is any test towards our marriage we are passing with flying colors. I cannot wait to grow old with him.

Bittersweet

Tonight could have been the hardest night for me yet. Although I had a great night parading the streets of Chinatown all in good company of art, friends and spirits, what paraded back home was far more special. Once again our sanctuary was packed with all of our dearest friends and family for Nic's last DFiVE9 show and his going away party. Although I was strongly tempted to fly home for a few short hours so I could be there to embrace the moment, I knew tonight was for him and not for my surprise appearance. So here I lie, on my air mattress alone with the exception of a lizard (for reals) I found in the kitchen hiding behind a bottle of wine. I will call him DFiVE9. I miss you Portland.

p.s. Shan, Google DFiVE9 under images.

Bringing it back

So with this new job there have been some challenges. I now have 80,000 (not exaggerating) square feet of showroom to cover all while carrying a tape measure, cell phone and notes at all times. I am like a moving desk. And of course NONE of my dresses have pockets in them and really sticking a tape measure in my bra is uncomfortable plus it looks bad in front of clients. So instead I decided to bring this back.....
the fanny pack! Seriously it kicks ass. Now, if only I could wear denim to work...

SK808

Something else worth sharing is this graphic design competition that I entered for a big Roller Derby tournament that is being held here in Honolulu in January, 2010. The competition was to design a logo for the t-shirts, banners, marketing materials, etc. I just found out today that I won! Woot! Here is my design I submitted.


I win 1 million dollars, 56 new packs of fish nets and a new set of skates. Okay not really but I do get my design plastered all over Honolulu and recognition at the event. Mom, I'll save you a t-shirt.

Hiking Nuuana Pali

I had the day off today so I decided to go for a 3 hour hike. Working and living in a dense city can start to get under your skin so I have found that the best cure is to get a way from it for a few hours. It was so refreshing and one of the most beautiful hikes I have been on. I climbed to the very top of the mountain and the payoff at the end was awesome! I didn't die from a heart attack or get lost. Oh, and the view was pretty spectacular as well.

Apparently I really am a giant.

Dude, if I had a quarter for every time someone asked me "Wow, how tall are you?" since I have been here I would make Oprah look poor. It's like I'm in Munchkin Land. I guess it doesn't help that 85% of the population here is of Asian descent who love their flats and then there is me who pushes 5'8" and then throws a 6" heel on top of that. But still, it's like I am a freak of nature. This was me at the mall yesterday.

Back to School

Yesterday was my first day back to work and at my new job. I was of course nervous going in mostly because this is the keystone to our move to Hawaii. The minute I walked into the showroom I remembered every reason why I was so excited to be working for this new company. John Judy if you are reading this you are going to salivate over my new office. This place drips with sexy furniture. Here is just one of the lines I will be working with B&B Italia.

Everyone greeted me with a smile and there is a good handful of people that already have invited to me social functions with them and their friends. Tomorrow night I am attending a fashion show with a couple of the girls after work. Our showroom also has a fancy restaurant in it, wine bar and event hall that turns into a club during the weekends (I know, weird) so I am feeling quite confident that I will be able to meet lots of people just by being at work. A couple of my co-workers are from Seattle and Portland so we have had a chance bro down about NW living.

Fun Hawaii fact for the day: Hawaii is a billboard free state. State laws prohibit any type of billboard or large signage and advertising anywhere, even on street signs. I think even Wal-Mart's sign is in an 8pt font. Searching for street signs, addresses and building names has really been fun. I have become a master at U turns.

Culture Shock

I was warned before moving here that being blond haired and blue eyed would make me a minority in Hawaii. That is of course unless you are in the high tourist areas and then we are still a dime a dozen. Outside of that though I don't necessarily blend in. I have been asked a lot where I am from and of course there are those that try to guess. My favorite is one guy said I looked Hispanic. Really? I always thought I leaned more African American. I was also told today that I have nice elbows. What? Where am I? Oh yeah....paradise.

Day Two

You know you are in paradise when you wake up to a rainbow over your bed. I always tried to convince Shannon that she and John should move with us because Hawaii has rainbows and unicorns. Well Shan, here is proof #1.

I woke reddy to seek and destroy. My mission is to find a permanent place for Nic and I to live before he gets down here in October. I ventured out to several different areas and districts and then I hit jack pot...China Town.

During the day it's like farmer's market on steroids. All types of vendors line the streets and fill the stores with the delicious produce, fresh fish, meat, etc. It also has giant food courts where you can buy anything from pig's brains to shaved ice. Nic is going to love it. The night scene in China Town was aslo a treat. Some of the most adorable bars I have been in to with live music and martinis for $4. I have a feeling that we will be spending a lot of our time in this area. Mostly because Nic looks Chinese.

After a full day of exploring I went home to get ready for a bachelorette party for an ex-coworker of mine who is getting married here on Saturday. I am getting way too old for these type of things. I was by far the oldest one there...by like 100 years. I did make good use though of my penis straw by donating it to a homeless lady. I am sure some how she will figure out how to transform it into a crack pipe.

By 1 am (and I am still on Pacific Standard time so like 4 am) I decided I had enough Abercrombie and Fitch and called it a night. Now, there a good things and bad things about Hawaii. One of the good things is that there are not any spiders and very few snakes here. The bad news is there are cockroaches that you could probably put a saddle on. This was waiting for me when I got home.

Touch Down!

I am not sure what to be more shocked about. The fact that I have actually created a blog or the fact that I now live in Hawaii. This is for the countless times that Shannon has said, "Dude, just read my blog!" Okay and let's face it. Blogging really does become effective for long distance relationships.

Speaking of which today is my first day on the island. I won't go into detail on how I got here or why as this canvas is intended to document this journey from this day forward. I do anticipate, however, that much of my cherished life I left in Portland will be revealed through many of these entries.

I landed in Honolulu at 11:43 am (Hawaii time) from PDX. The flight went great other than the old lady next to me who snored for five hours. I picked up my rental car which is about two points better than a golf cart. (I swear the maximum speed this thing is about 75 mph before parts start flying off.) That probably is a good thing though considering my stellar driving record.

Anxious to see my temporary apartment I headed straight for Waikiki where I will be staying for the next month. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in as I was expecting to share a bed with the roaches for the price I paid for this place. As most of you know, Hawaii is not a cheap place to live. It only took me about 20 min. before I took down half of the decor. I am pretty sure they decorated this place in 1985 and haven't touched it since. My favorite space of the apartment is of course the lanai. I have a view of the canal, city and ocean! Plus, at 36 floors up I am pretty sure I can see Portland from here too.

After I unloaded my 1000 lbs of luggage I headed out to Safeway to get some snacks and household goods for my new pad. It is a good thing they sell hard liquor in grocery stores down here because the cost of food in Hawaii will make you want to drink yourself stupid. You might as well give your first born away for a gallon of milk. The good news is that they had a sale on hot pockets.

After Safeway stole my money I headed back to 3618 to enjoy the sunset and a cold Coors Light. Although the sunset was beautiful, it's lonely here. I am considering buying a volleyball that I can later name Wilson so I have someone to talk to.