- I went to Disneyland with my ENTIRE family- on a bus!
- I got to see the ocean for the first time in years!
- I went to Seaworld for the first time ever.
- I went to girls camp and survived.
- Amy came to see me. I haven't seen her in forever!
- I went to a MoTab concert at Red Rocks and cried when they played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes.
- I learned how to blog.
- I was introduced to Big Fat Cupcake. Oh. My. Gosh.
- I met with a literary agent and she said I didn't suck!
- I *sort of* participated in Relay for Life.
- Cindy came to visit me and tried out for American Idol.
- I edited a whole novel.
- Dianne and I went to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! It was totally awesome! I giggled like a little girl.
- My parents *finally* came for a visit!
- Lisa and I went to Seattle and stayed in the most ghetto hotel ever imagined.
- I drove with my favorite travel buddy to Port Angeles and Forks
- I spent a couple of hours at First Beach in LaPush.
- I wore a sweatshirt to the beach for the first time in my life.
- I spent time in the hospital with a sweet little girl who was diagnosed with Leukemia.
- I shared what is most important to me with someone who *was* important to me and never heard from him again.
- I got fired from a job I hated.
- I cried a lot.
- Jessica came to see me and we had the absolute best time ever!
- I laughed a lot.
- Jessica introduced me to garlic cheese spread which may lead to my demise.
- I went on a Jane Austen scavenger hunt.
- Came home for a visit and ate Nutella for the first time.
- My friends took me to the circus for my birthday- first circus ever! I have awesome friends.
- My uncle died.
- Two of my sisters and one niece came to see me.
- We saw Wicked (absolutely indescribably fabulous).
- Went to the Hammond Candy Factory and watched them make Lollipops.
- Hanna and I went to Hawaii (with a friend of hers).
- I laid on the beach and fried like an egg.
- Jona was in Hawaii the same time as me so I got to spend some time with her!
- I lost my camera.
- I bawled my eyes out at Pearl Harbor.
- I made Thanksgiving dinner and no one died.
- I got a job and worked for five days over a series of three weeks then quit.
- I came home and spent the Holidays with my Idaho friends and family.
- I got a cute new baby nephew! He's so darn sweet!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Good Bye 2009!
Ahhh.... the last day of the year. There is something so refreshing about a new year. It's just another day- but for some reason it feels as if things are starting all over. And I can't say I'm sad to see it go. Although, sitting here thinking about all the crappy things that happened in 2009, it was in fact, a pretty awesome year. Here are some things that happened- the good the bad and the unattractive:
Monday, December 21, 2009
I'm ready for my close up, Food Network!
A few weeks ago I stupidly entered a ward cake decorating contest. My friend and her mom bailed me out by helping me make this. The theme for my ward party was Whobilation so I had a Who-ish cake in mind, but they really took the cake (if you'll parden the pun). I made the doors and the door knobs. I also made the present hanging from Mount Crumpit. That's about all I contributed to this absolutely fabulous cake. Of course, everyone in my ward now thinks I'm a cake genius. Oh how wrong they are. I really just wanted them to teach me how to use fondant. I grew up in a buttercream home and have never even seen the fondant process- besides on TV (Ace of Cakes RULES!).
I came to Idaho just in time for my sister's birthday and decided to strike out on my own. This is my very first solo attempt at fondant- which I made myself. I didn't get the store bought kind!
As you can see, there is lots of room for improvement (you cant see all the oopsies on the back), but I think for a first attempt that it's not half bad. I can see why fondant cakes are twice the price. This sucker was so time consuming. My sister thought I was kidding when I told her it took six hours- just for the decorating. Of course, I didn't know what I was doing. I'm sure with practice I'll be able to shave time off... and make it look better.
I came to Idaho just in time for my sister's birthday and decided to strike out on my own. This is my very first solo attempt at fondant- which I made myself. I didn't get the store bought kind!
The little fairy on top was made by my 10 year old niece. She was so excited to give her mom an awesome birthday cake!
As you can see, there is lots of room for improvement (you cant see all the oopsies on the back), but I think for a first attempt that it's not half bad. I can see why fondant cakes are twice the price. This sucker was so time consuming. My sister thought I was kidding when I told her it took six hours- just for the decorating. Of course, I didn't know what I was doing. I'm sure with practice I'll be able to shave time off... and make it look better.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
So many movies
I am one of those weird people who can only watch Christmas movies after Thanksgiving and before New Year's. January 1 hits and the movies get put away till next year. I don't know why. I've tried to get a head start on my list for the year. But I still have tons to go.
So far I've watched:
So far I've watched:
*Extremely weird movie, but somehow it turned into a Christmas staple*
*Who doesn't love this movie, seriously?*
*Oh how grateful I am they came out with this version. I liked the cartoon, but this is amazing!*
*One of the few Will Farrell Movies I actually like!*
*There is no Christmas without Bing*
*Only because I too am a misfit*
*Oh... I LOVE the music. This is my "put up the tree" movie*
*again, totally identify with the character. I am the "victim of unrequited love. The walking wounded. The handicapped without the advantage of a great parking spot"*
*I just like to sing the Miser Brother song (and Blue Christmas at the end)*
*HAHAHAHAHAHAH*
*It never ceases to amaze me how tiny Vera Ellen's waist is... and her neck. Did she ever eat, seriously?*
*I can't always afford the stage play- and it doesn't come near me now anyway, so this is the best alternative. make sure you watch the encore in the special features.*
*Bawl your eyes out and remember that even though it sucks to be "alone" on Christmas, we never are really alone. We have been given the greatest gift anyone has ever offered.
I still have yet to watch:
*This is probably my favorite Rankin/Bass cartoon (although the Santa creeps me out a tad)*
Yes, I chose this one on purpose. As much as I *adore* Patrick Stewart, I'm afraid Mr Magoo is my favorite Ebenezer Scrooge. This was my first contact with Dickens as a kid and it's stuck with me.
*An obscure made for TV movie but it feeds my imagination that some fabulous rich man will fall for me- the unfabulously ordinary girl next door*
This is my all time favorite. Not only do I love Charlie Brown (ok, and I identify a little with Lucy) but who can make it dry eyed through Linus bravely telling the world what "Christmas is all about?" One of the best moments in TV history.
*bad acting and kind of lame, but rather a tradition*
This is the only Frosty I like, I've seen others try, but they fail.
*This is the only Christmas sequal I like. "We're gonna have a weddin!"*
*I pray all the time for a George Bailey experience. It would be so nice to know whether or not I serve a purpose.*
*I always thought Jessica was so pretty. I like knowing the romantic story behind Santa.*
*I like this one but it makes me sad, he loves her but...*
*We're getting scammed by a kindy-gartner*
I'm sure there are more, but this is all I can think of. Although some you may think are missing I left them off on purpose (i.e A Christmas Story, Yes Virginia There is a Santa Claus, Miracle on 34th street, Christmas Vacation) because though entertaining- for the most part- they are not essential to the completion of my Christmas Experience.
I need to get out more.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Let the Season Begin!
I have been overwhelmingly filled wtih Christmas Spirit today. I'm just happy. Here are a list of things that are making me smile today.
- The lady at Khols who was wearing a fur coat... and flip flops
- Christmas Music on the radio
- Singing along with said music
- Really good literature (I'm reading the Chronicles of Narnia)
- Spaghetti for breakfast
- Watching a three year old boy hold the door for his mom
- Free internet at the library
- Waking up after having dreams of Hawaii (that may sound sad, but at least I can dream about it now, where before even the idea was beyond my dreams)
- Texting my little brother
- Knowing that around 5:00 Jess will text me and ask me how my day was
- Getting excited to go home for Christmas
- Paying rent (weird, I know, but it's not borrowed money!)
- Thinking about what I want to get people for Christmas
- Trying to decide which Chrstmas movie to watch first tonight
- Rehearsing for my singing group's debut performance this Saturday!
- My new Purple Shamrock that a funny old guy in my ward brought me... planted in an egg shell.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Aloha and Mahalo
Aloha!
Wow, Sometimes it's great to be unemployed. I have the freedom to come and go as I please. A few weeks ago, my roommate/friend, Hanna, asked if I would like to go to Hawaii with her. She was going with some friends and they backed out. Who is going to say no to a cheap trip to Hawaii? I'm poor- not stupid.
We were going to leave the 5th, but it turned out better to leave the 4th. Sweet! Extra day in paradise! The flight was looooong and boring. It was too early in the day for me to be able to sleep so I sat there the whole time and didn't move. At least I was next to someone nice, but not overly chatty. It was wonderful to arrive in Honolulu and be slapped right away with the humidity. I knew then that I was going to enjoy myself no matter what. It had just snowed a foot in Colorado a few days before and I was only too happy to leave winter behind.
The first thing I bought was a flower for my hair. I wore it every day after that. The first night we were there we just wandered Kalakaua Ave. Waikiki is far too touristy for my taste. I would recommend to anyone going- to avoid Waikiki like the plauge. Oahu is nice, but steer clear of that part. I felt like I was in just another random (although hot and humid) American city. Stores like Prada, Gucci, Fendi and Hermes lined the streets. Stores I couldn't shop at even if I did have money. The only thing I can wear is their scents! I did enjoy going into Tiffany's and Cartier though... I do love me some sparkely diamonds. Mmm...
The next day Hanna and I went to Waikiki beach. The section where we were was really calm. The surf was way far out so by the time it got to shore it was small, managable waves. We just sat on the edge of the water and looked for shells. Not much to be found there. The largest one we found was still smaller than a dime. We built the coolest sandcastle EVER and got the sunburns from hell. Later that day Hanna's friend, Ryan joined us. Again, we just wandered Kalakaua. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate shopping?
As fate would have it, my good college buddy, Jona and her husband figure were also in Honolulu for the weekend. Since Hanna had made no real plans, we decided to join Jona at the Zoo that friday. It was so fun to spend time with her. I don't get to see her often... hopefully more often now that she has moved back to Idaho from Seattle. Anyway, the zoo was fun. I took lots of amazing pictures of critters and flowers. That night we met Jona and her man at the beach where she persuaded me to go out further into the water than I have ever gone before. It was scary, but I'm glad I did it. Like I said before though, it was calm water, but I dont like water I can't touch the bottom of.
Sadly, that night I lost my camera. I was taking pictures of the mediocre sunset and somewhere between the beach and the hotel my camera fell out of my pocket. It was my own fault, really. I should have taken better care. I didn't care about the pictures so much, and the camera itself probably wasn't worth a ton- but it was my parents gift to me for graduation so I was pretty sad to lose it. I ran back to the beach but it was too dark. A man with a metal detector helped me for a while but even he couldn't find it. I think it was picked up. I hope whoever took it makes lots of good memories with it- and doens't let thier guilty consience tear at thier soul. We went to dinner that night with J & J and mourned my lost camera. But luckily, Jona is amazing and she brought TWO cameras with her on the trip so she let me use her old one for the rest of my time there. Thanks a jillion kabillion Dearest Jona!
Saturday we went to the Aquarium with J & J. I saw some critters I had never even heard of. One in particular, the Leafy Sea Dragon- was the coolest thing I've ever seen.
I'm afraid this picture doesn't do it justice. It was yellow with purple fins... it was the craziest thing ever.
One thing I did get go see was the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a. I practiced saying that for three days before I went so that I could use it in a conversation.
I was so proud when I finally got to use it.
After the aquarium, we parted ways with J & J. They had thier own fun things to do. We were supposed to meet up again, but it wasn't in the stars. sigh...
That afternoon we caught the free bus to Hilo Hatties. It's a big Hawaiian store full of everything souvenir-y you could ever want. Including a size 400X Hawaiian shirt.
I think it holds a record of some sort. Sadly the picture doens't really capture how big it is. I should have put a person in the picture to compare
The next day we caught a bus and went to the Aloha Stadium. They have an outdoor swap meet there every Sunday. They sold all kinds of crap. Some of it authentic...
and some not so much.
There was a guy there carving the tiki gods, and his mother or grandmother weaving baskets, hats, etc from palm leaves. She said she's been doing it 50 years. It was amazing.
I wish I'd had money and justification to buy something like this.
Also that day we went to Pearl Harbor. Hanna didn't want to- but I did and no one had any other suggestions. It was either that or go back and wander up and down Kalakaua (and we all know how I feel about that street)
I learned a lot. They have a video that talks about the Day that Will Live in Infamy, then they take you out to the Arizona Memorial.
Looking at the wall of the fallen, I cried. I thought of all the mothers, sisters, daughters, who lost husbands, fathers and brothers that day. I don't know how I would handle that. I'm all for supporting our troops and fighting for freedom and keeping that freedom, but I'm secretly glad that my father and brothers never served. I would be a nervous wreck the whole time they're gone.
I cried even more when the guide explained that many of the survivors have chosen to be burried at sea with their shipmates. When they die, they are creamated and then at a ceremony at the memorial, they are taken down by divers and placed in the hull of the ship. I think that's beautiful. From what I understand there is one remaining survivor. One just died last month and will be burried there in March.
Monday we rented a car and drove up to the north shore. The waves there were amazing! We had heard that the waves on the North Shore were more than 20 feet high. That was not the case, at least when we got there. But they were definitley bigger than the piddly waves at Waikiki. So we changed and played in them.
Even the sand was different. At Waikiki, it was typical sand. At Sunset beach, it was smoother, softer, it was wierd. I'd never seen sand like it before.
We played in the waves, and burried Ryan in the sand (he's a good sport)
and then I took lots of sunset photos. I was trying to get the perfect one, and now I have so many I can't delete them.
sigh...
The next day we drove back up toward the North Shore but we stopped at the Dole Plantation. It was fun. They have the world's largest maze so we tried our hand at it. I think it took us 44 minutes to get through. I just kind of followed. Too many Chiefs, and all... you know. (btw- borrowed the pic from the Dole site... I *wish* I could have gotten an aerial view of it)
Then we shopped in thier store and ate a delicious Dole Whip. It was heavenly.
We headed after that up to La'ie to the Polynesian Culteral Center.
I took so many pictures here that it would be crazy to put them on my blog- so go to my FB page and you'll find them there (eventually). We took the Ambassedor package, which included a guided tour, dinner and the big show, HA at the end. Note to anyone thinking of going- get the ambassedor package- but plan on going two days. The tour was awesome, but we didn't have time to do anything else. They have little activites and stuff for you to do at each of the "islands" and we didn't have time to do any of it. We didn't even make it to all of the islands. We passed throgh Tihiti only getting a sample of cocoanut bread and the recipe (awesome bread, by the way).
With our package we had a choice of either a luau dinner or a fancy dinner with stake and shrimp. Who would go to the PCC and get a stake dinner instead of a luau dinner? Crazy.
I got my first official Lei and they pulled the pig out of the ground.
I don't think we actually ate it though, there were a *lot* of people there and there is no way that litlte piggie would feed us all- at an all you can eat buffet. The luau dancing was amazing,
as was the food.
Yes, the roll is purple. It's Taro bread, very sweet and super yummy. The purplish blob toward the back is Taro salad. I guess Taro is like a sweet potato. It was like a very VERY sweet potato salad. Kind of weird- but I tried it. In the little cup is Poi. Not gross- but not tastey. I even ate it with my fingers to make it authentic. The pulled pork was amazing as was the teryaki chicken and fresh pineapple.
The main evening show, HA, was amazing. it had a beautiful messege of family (yes, I cried). The dancing was phenominal- even the little kid who coudlnt have been more than 7. (sorry about the fuzziness. No Flash Photography, and all)
At the end, some fire dancers came out as well as a guy who is a fire and knife dancer. We'd seem him earlier in the day doing a presentation in the Samoan village.
He's little, but solid as a rock and I would not want to meet up with him in a dark alley with him mad at me.
The PCC is a must see for anyone going to Hawaii.
Wednesday was to be our last day so we kept the car a little longer to do some other things. We drove to the south east side of the island to Blow Hole and Hanauma Bay.
We drove to Diamond Head but it was too late for us to drive it, let alone climb it. (darn it all)
That night we headed back to the airport. It was sad. I really didn't want to go. We dropped Ryan off becuaes his flight was before ours. We took our car (I named her Lilo) back to the rental place and got the shuttle. Hanna got her ticket no problem, but for some reason, I was not registering. We had to talk to the manager and somehow my reservatoin got cancelled. The way Hanna's buddy passes work has recently changed. It used to be all electronic, but now a person has to approve it (I know, going the wrong way, huh?) and the office was closed. There was nothing we could do but try to find somewhere to stay.
On the wall at the airport they have adds for companies who help you find cheap hotels. We didn't need much, we only needed a place to sleep. So I called. They gave me a name and an address and told me when I got there that if they didn't ahve record of the reservation to look on the fax machine... anyway, so we get there an hour later (we had to go all the way back to Waikiki) and they have no record of us- nor any vacancies. Ummm... I guess the company we booked through didn't confirm the reservation, they just sent us over. So the guy called a sister hotel across the street to see if they had anything. They took us in (poor pathetic travelers that we were). It was a few more dollars than the other place would have been, but OH MY GOSH it was nice! Compared to the place we'd been staying all week- this place was awesome.
We were on a corner so we had three balconies, we had two huge beds (we'd had a room all week with three twin beds, so it was nice to be able to roll over without fear of falling off), and a full kitchen. It was heavenly.
On our "bonus day" we did a little shopping (yay) and wandered through the beach front hotels. Some had animals- flamingos, penguins, turtles, and all had amazing flowers. I'm afraid I got a little carried away with flower pictures. I have a thing for Hibiscus and now I'm rather in love wtih Plumeria and Orchids. But there were some crazy-A plants that i've never seen before- even in pictures.
We said goodbye to Waikiki that night and headed back to the hotel to wait for our shuttle. We still had time, but we were so tired. Next door to the hotel was a nail place so I suggested pedicures. It felt so nice.
We went to the airport that night and got on the flight without a hitch. The flight back was uneventful. It's alays hard to sleep on a flight, but I managed most of the time. I mean, it was not a restful flight by any means, but enough to make time go by a lot faster.
It was so lovely to be in Hawaii. I can't wait to go again. Maybe I'll move there. I would never have to worry about shoveling snow- which is exactly what I came home to (frown). Sometimes, when I sleep, I can still feel the ebb and flow of the ocean against my skin and it lulls me to sleep. So while I'm stuck in the winter of Colorado, I'll dream of eternal summer in Hawaii.
Wow, Sometimes it's great to be unemployed. I have the freedom to come and go as I please. A few weeks ago, my roommate/friend, Hanna, asked if I would like to go to Hawaii with her. She was going with some friends and they backed out. Who is going to say no to a cheap trip to Hawaii? I'm poor- not stupid.
We were going to leave the 5th, but it turned out better to leave the 4th. Sweet! Extra day in paradise! The flight was looooong and boring. It was too early in the day for me to be able to sleep so I sat there the whole time and didn't move. At least I was next to someone nice, but not overly chatty. It was wonderful to arrive in Honolulu and be slapped right away with the humidity. I knew then that I was going to enjoy myself no matter what. It had just snowed a foot in Colorado a few days before and I was only too happy to leave winter behind.
The first thing I bought was a flower for my hair. I wore it every day after that. The first night we were there we just wandered Kalakaua Ave. Waikiki is far too touristy for my taste. I would recommend to anyone going- to avoid Waikiki like the plauge. Oahu is nice, but steer clear of that part. I felt like I was in just another random (although hot and humid) American city. Stores like Prada, Gucci, Fendi and Hermes lined the streets. Stores I couldn't shop at even if I did have money. The only thing I can wear is their scents! I did enjoy going into Tiffany's and Cartier though... I do love me some sparkely diamonds. Mmm...
The next day Hanna and I went to Waikiki beach. The section where we were was really calm. The surf was way far out so by the time it got to shore it was small, managable waves. We just sat on the edge of the water and looked for shells. Not much to be found there. The largest one we found was still smaller than a dime. We built the coolest sandcastle EVER and got the sunburns from hell. Later that day Hanna's friend, Ryan joined us. Again, we just wandered Kalakaua. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate shopping?
As fate would have it, my good college buddy, Jona and her husband figure were also in Honolulu for the weekend. Since Hanna had made no real plans, we decided to join Jona at the Zoo that friday. It was so fun to spend time with her. I don't get to see her often... hopefully more often now that she has moved back to Idaho from Seattle. Anyway, the zoo was fun. I took lots of amazing pictures of critters and flowers. That night we met Jona and her man at the beach where she persuaded me to go out further into the water than I have ever gone before. It was scary, but I'm glad I did it. Like I said before though, it was calm water, but I dont like water I can't touch the bottom of.
Sadly, that night I lost my camera. I was taking pictures of the mediocre sunset and somewhere between the beach and the hotel my camera fell out of my pocket. It was my own fault, really. I should have taken better care. I didn't care about the pictures so much, and the camera itself probably wasn't worth a ton- but it was my parents gift to me for graduation so I was pretty sad to lose it. I ran back to the beach but it was too dark. A man with a metal detector helped me for a while but even he couldn't find it. I think it was picked up. I hope whoever took it makes lots of good memories with it- and doens't let thier guilty consience tear at thier soul. We went to dinner that night with J & J and mourned my lost camera. But luckily, Jona is amazing and she brought TWO cameras with her on the trip so she let me use her old one for the rest of my time there. Thanks a jillion kabillion Dearest Jona!
Saturday we went to the Aquarium with J & J. I saw some critters I had never even heard of. One in particular, the Leafy Sea Dragon- was the coolest thing I've ever seen.
I'm afraid this picture doesn't do it justice. It was yellow with purple fins... it was the craziest thing ever.
One thing I did get go see was the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a. I practiced saying that for three days before I went so that I could use it in a conversation.
I was so proud when I finally got to use it.
After the aquarium, we parted ways with J & J. They had thier own fun things to do. We were supposed to meet up again, but it wasn't in the stars. sigh...
That afternoon we caught the free bus to Hilo Hatties. It's a big Hawaiian store full of everything souvenir-y you could ever want. Including a size 400X Hawaiian shirt.
I think it holds a record of some sort. Sadly the picture doens't really capture how big it is. I should have put a person in the picture to compare
The next day we caught a bus and went to the Aloha Stadium. They have an outdoor swap meet there every Sunday. They sold all kinds of crap. Some of it authentic...
and some not so much.
There was a guy there carving the tiki gods, and his mother or grandmother weaving baskets, hats, etc from palm leaves. She said she's been doing it 50 years. It was amazing.
I wish I'd had money and justification to buy something like this.
Also that day we went to Pearl Harbor. Hanna didn't want to- but I did and no one had any other suggestions. It was either that or go back and wander up and down Kalakaua (and we all know how I feel about that street)
I learned a lot. They have a video that talks about the Day that Will Live in Infamy, then they take you out to the Arizona Memorial.
Looking at the wall of the fallen, I cried. I thought of all the mothers, sisters, daughters, who lost husbands, fathers and brothers that day. I don't know how I would handle that. I'm all for supporting our troops and fighting for freedom and keeping that freedom, but I'm secretly glad that my father and brothers never served. I would be a nervous wreck the whole time they're gone.
I cried even more when the guide explained that many of the survivors have chosen to be burried at sea with their shipmates. When they die, they are creamated and then at a ceremony at the memorial, they are taken down by divers and placed in the hull of the ship. I think that's beautiful. From what I understand there is one remaining survivor. One just died last month and will be burried there in March.
Monday we rented a car and drove up to the north shore. The waves there were amazing! We had heard that the waves on the North Shore were more than 20 feet high. That was not the case, at least when we got there. But they were definitley bigger than the piddly waves at Waikiki. So we changed and played in them.
Even the sand was different. At Waikiki, it was typical sand. At Sunset beach, it was smoother, softer, it was wierd. I'd never seen sand like it before.
We played in the waves, and burried Ryan in the sand (he's a good sport)
and then I took lots of sunset photos. I was trying to get the perfect one, and now I have so many I can't delete them.
sigh...
The next day we drove back up toward the North Shore but we stopped at the Dole Plantation. It was fun. They have the world's largest maze so we tried our hand at it. I think it took us 44 minutes to get through. I just kind of followed. Too many Chiefs, and all... you know. (btw- borrowed the pic from the Dole site... I *wish* I could have gotten an aerial view of it)
We headed after that up to La'ie to the Polynesian Culteral Center.
I took so many pictures here that it would be crazy to put them on my blog- so go to my FB page and you'll find them there (eventually). We took the Ambassedor package, which included a guided tour, dinner and the big show, HA at the end. Note to anyone thinking of going- get the ambassedor package- but plan on going two days. The tour was awesome, but we didn't have time to do anything else. They have little activites and stuff for you to do at each of the "islands" and we didn't have time to do any of it. We didn't even make it to all of the islands. We passed throgh Tihiti only getting a sample of cocoanut bread and the recipe (awesome bread, by the way).
With our package we had a choice of either a luau dinner or a fancy dinner with stake and shrimp. Who would go to the PCC and get a stake dinner instead of a luau dinner? Crazy.
I got my first official Lei and they pulled the pig out of the ground.
as was the food.
Yes, the roll is purple. It's Taro bread, very sweet and super yummy. The purplish blob toward the back is Taro salad. I guess Taro is like a sweet potato. It was like a very VERY sweet potato salad. Kind of weird- but I tried it. In the little cup is Poi. Not gross- but not tastey. I even ate it with my fingers to make it authentic. The pulled pork was amazing as was the teryaki chicken and fresh pineapple.
The main evening show, HA, was amazing. it had a beautiful messege of family (yes, I cried). The dancing was phenominal- even the little kid who coudlnt have been more than 7. (sorry about the fuzziness. No Flash Photography, and all)
The PCC is a must see for anyone going to Hawaii.
Wednesday was to be our last day so we kept the car a little longer to do some other things. We drove to the south east side of the island to Blow Hole and Hanauma Bay.
We drove to Diamond Head but it was too late for us to drive it, let alone climb it. (darn it all)
That night we headed back to the airport. It was sad. I really didn't want to go. We dropped Ryan off becuaes his flight was before ours. We took our car (I named her Lilo) back to the rental place and got the shuttle. Hanna got her ticket no problem, but for some reason, I was not registering. We had to talk to the manager and somehow my reservatoin got cancelled. The way Hanna's buddy passes work has recently changed. It used to be all electronic, but now a person has to approve it (I know, going the wrong way, huh?) and the office was closed. There was nothing we could do but try to find somewhere to stay.
On the wall at the airport they have adds for companies who help you find cheap hotels. We didn't need much, we only needed a place to sleep. So I called. They gave me a name and an address and told me when I got there that if they didn't ahve record of the reservation to look on the fax machine... anyway, so we get there an hour later (we had to go all the way back to Waikiki) and they have no record of us- nor any vacancies. Ummm... I guess the company we booked through didn't confirm the reservation, they just sent us over. So the guy called a sister hotel across the street to see if they had anything. They took us in (poor pathetic travelers that we were). It was a few more dollars than the other place would have been, but OH MY GOSH it was nice! Compared to the place we'd been staying all week- this place was awesome.
On our "bonus day" we did a little shopping (yay) and wandered through the beach front hotels. Some had animals- flamingos, penguins, turtles, and all had amazing flowers. I'm afraid I got a little carried away with flower pictures. I have a thing for Hibiscus and now I'm rather in love wtih Plumeria and Orchids. But there were some crazy-A plants that i've never seen before- even in pictures.
We said goodbye to Waikiki that night and headed back to the hotel to wait for our shuttle. We still had time, but we were so tired. Next door to the hotel was a nail place so I suggested pedicures. It felt so nice.
We went to the airport that night and got on the flight without a hitch. The flight back was uneventful. It's alays hard to sleep on a flight, but I managed most of the time. I mean, it was not a restful flight by any means, but enough to make time go by a lot faster.
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