Aloha!

Well, Oahu was a blast! We had alot of fun, sun, food, and adventure.

We arrived on Saturday the 4th and had the pleasure of watching an amazing fireworks display that night. But our first treat was lunch at Sam Choy's restaurant on the way to our hotel. I had the best plate lunch with the very best Mahi Mahi. There was rice and spam and beef and chicken but the fish was moist and flavorful. I think it's my new favorite. We spent an entire day at Pearl Harbor which was both humbling and awe inspiring. The Arizona memorial really rips at your heart and the USS Missouri is a reminder of what our resolve as a country accomplished in the end. This was the ship that the Japanese signed the terms of surrendor on.


We hiked to the top of Diamond Head which has a breathtaking view from the top. The guys went parasailing and had quite a scare. A big windy sqaull came in just as their shute was at the top of the line and it was so strong that it ripped a hole in the sail and took the guys on the boat along time to get my guys back down to safety. It was not a pleasant experience for either of them. However, our snorkel trips, swimming and just walking on the beach proved to be just right. We also went on a boat trip to swim with dolphins, which is where Sean got sunburned. It was awesome. While they were snorkeling with the dolphins, I was taking photos of everything. It was amazing. Sean ended up spending the last day there with his arms covered in bandages due to his bubbling burns. Ouch!








The pictures above were all taken at our hotel. It was a gorgeous place to stay.






The pictures above are from the sites at Pearl Harbor. It was the Arizona, the USS Missouri, and the USS Bowfin sub.




The picture above was from when we went to snorkel with the spinner dolphins. I'm glad I stayed on the boat and took pictures.





The last one is a shot of Diamond Head from the beach at our hotel.



Happy viewing!

Aloha on my mind

Well, we're only 4 days away from 85 degrees, sandy beaches, snorkeling, and some much needed and deserved R & R. I have been out of work now for 4 weeks and have worked my arse off nearly the entire time on landscape projects outside and organizing projects in. It's time for a break.

I went to the Worksource office today for a mandatory orientation session on how to fill out the forms, how to use the worksource resources, how to look for a job, etc. I would say it was somewhat helpful but I already knew most of what was discussed. Unlike back in the day when I was on unemployment, about 18 years ago, you now have to keep a log of every job you apply for and you have to apply for a minimum of 3 per week. The worksource website has a ton of search options and links so I will be able to utilize those resources. That means I will have to go on line while I'm in Waikiki. The hotel has a business center with free internet so it should be no biggie.

When I get back from Hawaii, I will need to get back to networking and looking a bit harder for a job. I'm really hoping to be back to work by the end of August but with the current unemployment environment, it could be alot longer than I want. We shall see what happens.

3 weeks since the layoff

An amazing thing happened this morning, I had to stop to think about what day it was today. That was a very strange feeling. Not having a place to go each day is both a pain and a pleasure. I am really enjoying hanging out with my hubby and son so not having to be at a job each day is good in that regard. But trying to let go of that sense that I SHOULD be going somewhere important is difficult. I think I'll probably get past that point right about the time that I find a job and have to go back to the whole "routine" thing.

Time to go play on the Wii.

The Great Landscape Project

If I were younger and could stand the heat, I might be tempted to go into the landscape business. But since neither applies to me, Thank God! I think I will leave it up to the experts. In the meantime, the following pictures represent just a small portion of a front and back yard project that took about a year and a half. The added bonus besides being pretty to look at is I get some new muscle mass and have lost a bunch of pounds. Woo Hoo!

The first picture is the view of our house from the road. The next two are before and after of our front garden along side the road.

The two areas above are right in front of the house.

This one is in the center of the front yard.

Now we're in the backyard. The photo on top is the east side of the yard, unfinished. The second photo is the finished product. The next two are the before and after of the south east corner which is at the end of the row of blocks above.

The next two photos are of the northeast section of the fenceline before and after.

The next two photos are the before and after of the south west side of the yard. The after photo is just the corner section.

The west side again but this time the after picture is of the northwest corner of the yard.



The next few pictures show the center half circle just off of the end of the deck in a before, during, and after process.

The last picture shows the deck that we built and over to the right is the shed that we built from scratch.

To look at the finished landscape projects you would think it looks easy. I'm here to tell you that it is extremely labor intensive but in the end it is all well worth it.

On to the next big project.