So I've been getting complaints about not writing! Plural, so no one take it upon themselves to think "I was only sayin..." haha. But seriously, it's because we technically have no internet. It's fussy so I wasn't sure if I could try and I definitely won't be able to do pictures. HOWEVER. Time Warner apparently called up John and said we should be getting it THIS SATURDAY as opposed to the 17th, so rest assured- more news then.
Until then, I'm bored out of my mind in Hawaii while John has started work. I have another job prospect but I'm not sure how it'll work out so that's the only info you're getting. I have to catch you up on the lovely Hail/Farewell BBQ we went to and the lovely ladies I met and am going to lunch with tomorrow- but I'll do that come internet time as well. I suppose posting now vs then isn't a big difference, but if I lose this text it can be easily written again as opposed to a much longer entry.
I need to get cash so I can jump on the busline and cure my boredom. And a job... that would help.
We're nearly all moved in but still have small annoying piles of junk lying around. Some of which is stuff to be hung and books to be shelved on, currently, non existant shelves.
Pictures will come by next week.
In the meantime, send us cookies at
98-711 Iho Pl. #504
Aiea, HI 96701
Love!
Mer
P.S. Although you don't know this, my point was just proven. The internet I'm using just crashed for the 800th time. And 801st. Highly annoying. I can really only do simple things. I've gotten onto facebook ok, Gmail is iffy and whiny but it works something. This however, is being a pain.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Random
We got new bulbs and cleaned the glass cover for two of our overhead lights and WOW does that make a huuuuge difference. You can actually see artistic light designs and the bulbs inside! You can see through the glass! Haha oh man. Everything else is beautiful but those were not. Now they are
P.S.
Oh! P.S. We aren't getting internet or cable installed until October 17th and I'm currently "borrowing" someone else's. So I don't know when or if I'll be back on until then.
Moving Day
So yesterday was a very very very very long day. We got up around 6 and ended up going to sleep around 9:30/10 cause of exhaustion. The movers came around 8:30 but there was construction we didn't know about so they had to go back and get a van. I have no recollection of what happened in the meantime but at some point John left to do a variety of errands. I was left to try to register his truck with the complex and direct the packers when they showed up.
Got the registration done but apparently they have insanely strict guidelines with the parking that they only recently started to enforce. It's ridiculous. All vehicles MUST be within the painted lines. John's bumper sticks out so now he has to park along the street outside the gate. However, if I get an island junker then I get the spot! Muahaha.
But anyway. The whole day consisted of me directing the movers and pointing out that some boxes we're ours all while John was out picking up needed items like fans, trashcans, and drying racks as well as my list of non-food Kitchen necessities. He also picked up all furniture that we bought 2 days ago at the NEX. Well all but the sofa/loveseat set. After the movers left, we carried all that stuff up the elevator and went back to the next to tackle the sofa, oh and the dining room table.
Wow. Carrying those things is very difficult. We carried the loveseat, while still wrapped with all it's cushions, to the elevator and magically fit it in and then pushed it to our room. The Sofa was a different story. It doesn't fit in the elevator. It's a nice long sofa. Well we first drove it to this empty spot by the elevator so it would be closer to the stairs. We couldn't do that earlier because the loveseat was on top of the sofa and making the truck too big to fit into the parking lot. Well this time we came to our senses and completely stripped the sofa of all it's protective wrapping and cushions. It was MUCH lighter that way. Well we carried it to the stairs and it wasn't going in. No way no how. John went down a flight and discovered there was no wall on the flight down so we carried it back to the truck, loaded it, and drove down a flight. Somehow we got the sofa into the stairwell and ended up just standing there because it seemed absolutely impossible. The staircase was probably only 3 inches longer than the sofa and was completely 180 turns. I refused to believe it was impossible. Somehow, with much turning, pivoting, and flipping we got the sofa upstairs.
I'm pretty sure the sofa incident is why, after grocery shopping, dinner, and finding towels, we went straight to bed and sleep at 9:30ish. I fell asleep quicker than I have in years. I was even drifting asleep before John and that, my friends, it extremely rare.
Ok back to unpacking! As you can see in the photos, I shouldn't be taking this long of a break. I ate lunch though so it wasn't all time lost!
Got the registration done but apparently they have insanely strict guidelines with the parking that they only recently started to enforce. It's ridiculous. All vehicles MUST be within the painted lines. John's bumper sticks out so now he has to park along the street outside the gate. However, if I get an island junker then I get the spot! Muahaha.
But anyway. The whole day consisted of me directing the movers and pointing out that some boxes we're ours all while John was out picking up needed items like fans, trashcans, and drying racks as well as my list of non-food Kitchen necessities. He also picked up all furniture that we bought 2 days ago at the NEX. Well all but the sofa/loveseat set. After the movers left, we carried all that stuff up the elevator and went back to the next to tackle the sofa, oh and the dining room table.
Wow. Carrying those things is very difficult. We carried the loveseat, while still wrapped with all it's cushions, to the elevator and magically fit it in and then pushed it to our room. The Sofa was a different story. It doesn't fit in the elevator. It's a nice long sofa. Well we first drove it to this empty spot by the elevator so it would be closer to the stairs. We couldn't do that earlier because the loveseat was on top of the sofa and making the truck too big to fit into the parking lot. Well this time we came to our senses and completely stripped the sofa of all it's protective wrapping and cushions. It was MUCH lighter that way. Well we carried it to the stairs and it wasn't going in. No way no how. John went down a flight and discovered there was no wall on the flight down so we carried it back to the truck, loaded it, and drove down a flight. Somehow we got the sofa into the stairwell and ended up just standing there because it seemed absolutely impossible. The staircase was probably only 3 inches longer than the sofa and was completely 180 turns. I refused to believe it was impossible. Somehow, with much turning, pivoting, and flipping we got the sofa upstairs.
I'm pretty sure the sofa incident is why, after grocery shopping, dinner, and finding towels, we went straight to bed and sleep at 9:30ish. I fell asleep quicker than I have in years. I was even drifting asleep before John and that, my friends, it extremely rare.
Ok back to unpacking! As you can see in the photos, I shouldn't be taking this long of a break. I ate lunch though so it wasn't all time lost!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Starbucks
Well here I am in Starbucks, for who knows how long. Did you know free Wifi is getting less and less existant? Isn't Starbucks THE place to go for free Wifi? Well not anymore. Now AT&T insists on charging $3.99/2 hrs unless you have their service at home. Or $20 a month which would be worth it if I intended to do this every day. Hopefully, I don't but come to think of it- I might. Blah. John's at work and we don't move into our much closer apartment until Wednesday or Thursday which means, in order to save him gas and to be sweet, I'm waiting in a nearby Starbucks until the Navy is done with him for the day. He's on the second day of the check-in process so he'll be there anywhere from an hour to an entire. Hopefully the former, I definitely don't want to be here all day. Though I did luck out that this Starbucks is about a block away from the mall. I'm not sure if it's a block or not, it's the rest of this little strip of stores and then the entire parking lot, and I'm there. Only we've been there 3+ times since we got here so I'm a little tired of it. It just happens to be near most of the places we've looked at which made it a convienent go-to place to kill time.
Let's see. What don't you know? We have an apartment, we're engaged, he's starting check-in, and I am waiting to hear from Victoria's Secret. All-in-all things are going well. In an hour I'm going to call Philip Rickard and see if the "Graphic Assistant" position is still open and hopefully set up an interview, but we shall see. I'm super nervous.
I also have a lot of butterflies when it comes to this wedding. So far we've been pretty happy with the idea of early October, 2010 (9th maybe, possibly the 2nd) in Pennsylvania since PA is just so darn beautiful in the fall. And I have some connections and preferences when it comes to where and the officiant. Hopefully Rev. Zanicky will be able to do it! He's the only one I really care for and my old church is beautiful. It turns out that they have a website with some pictures so you can check it out at My church.
I've been stressing out about reception places mainly. I have an idea but it's a friend's perfect yard. First off I have to ask and second, if it's outside- would it be too cold? Would weather force us indoors to a tiny little place that makes it far less exciting? Would the drive be too far from whatever hotel people will be staying at? AND If we had it at the hotel- the price would probably sky rocket. Ew. I'd rather stay cheap. I guess I could just flat out ask and set the date so I can call the church and blah blah. It's only a few days in. According to The Knot I have 382 days.. or something. I'm just, nervous. Most of you know how I am. Stressing out is a special skill of mine. It's how Jill and I bond.
Well anyway.
John and I are currently in the process of furniture shopping. We have bathroom 1 taken care of. We did that yesterday. It's green and bamboo themed. The accessories are really nice and we both like them a lot, so that's always good. We found some furniture at the next that we both really like. They're from Ashley Furniture's "Urbandale" collection. We liked the dining room set, the coffee table, and the end table. We're also looking at a sofe/love seat set. We shall see though. Once he's finally done we're going to the furniture store across the way from here. We'll check the prices and see what's worth it.
Hmm. I suppose that's it. I have tons of spare time now so I suppose I'll research weddings. Who wants to fly out to Hawaii and wedding dress shop with me? I need friends!
Let's see. What don't you know? We have an apartment, we're engaged, he's starting check-in, and I am waiting to hear from Victoria's Secret. All-in-all things are going well. In an hour I'm going to call Philip Rickard and see if the "Graphic Assistant" position is still open and hopefully set up an interview, but we shall see. I'm super nervous.
I also have a lot of butterflies when it comes to this wedding. So far we've been pretty happy with the idea of early October, 2010 (9th maybe, possibly the 2nd) in Pennsylvania since PA is just so darn beautiful in the fall. And I have some connections and preferences when it comes to where and the officiant. Hopefully Rev. Zanicky will be able to do it! He's the only one I really care for and my old church is beautiful. It turns out that they have a website with some pictures so you can check it out at My church.
I've been stressing out about reception places mainly. I have an idea but it's a friend's perfect yard. First off I have to ask and second, if it's outside- would it be too cold? Would weather force us indoors to a tiny little place that makes it far less exciting? Would the drive be too far from whatever hotel people will be staying at? AND If we had it at the hotel- the price would probably sky rocket. Ew. I'd rather stay cheap. I guess I could just flat out ask and set the date so I can call the church and blah blah. It's only a few days in. According to The Knot I have 382 days.. or something. I'm just, nervous. Most of you know how I am. Stressing out is a special skill of mine. It's how Jill and I bond.
Well anyway.
John and I are currently in the process of furniture shopping. We have bathroom 1 taken care of. We did that yesterday. It's green and bamboo themed. The accessories are really nice and we both like them a lot, so that's always good. We found some furniture at the next that we both really like. They're from Ashley Furniture's "Urbandale" collection. We liked the dining room set, the coffee table, and the end table. We're also looking at a sofe/love seat set. We shall see though. Once he's finally done we're going to the furniture store across the way from here. We'll check the prices and see what's worth it.
Hmm. I suppose that's it. I have tons of spare time now so I suppose I'll research weddings. Who wants to fly out to Hawaii and wedding dress shop with me? I need friends!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Comments
Oh and in case you didn't know, there's a little place at the bottom of each post for someone to comment. It allows anonymous, just sign your name at the bottom so I know who it's from. Hooray!
APARTMENT!!!!!!!!!!
We got an apartment! It's Colonnade on the Greens. Our apartment is on the 5th floor (one about street level). It's in the small building RIGHT next to the pool. Which is really nice.
Ok. So the second image is ALMOST what we got. It's actually a 3 bedroom! Let's see- the left side is a little bigger and cut up into 2 bedrooms and a bathroom in the middle. The kitchen is BEAUTIFUL. Granite counter tops. The view is of the street so it's not exactly beautiful or private but if that's the only issue- we'll take it. It's really not that big of a deal. The master bedroom is fabulously big and so is the WALK IN closet. We can each take one side, easily I'm sure. The actual place has many amnenaties. Pool, jacuzzi, tennis court, racketball court, paddle ball court, BBQ area, actually two- there are grills by the pool, too. Lots of things to do. The walk to the bus stop is less than a mile and up hill so I'll get a little work out before work but thankfully it's downhill on the way home. It's such a lovely place. It looks like they renovated everything recently. The kitchen is definitely the nicest one we've seen. The bedroom is huge. The bathrooms are both full and very very nice. We have a corner APT so not too many passerbys and the landlord told us that they were contemplating a screen door and we instantly said that would be wonderful.
We're very excited. We move (hopefully completely) into it and get the keys and everything on Wednesday so I'll have pictures up by then. Yay! Finally!
Ok. So the second image is ALMOST what we got. It's actually a 3 bedroom! Let's see- the left side is a little bigger and cut up into 2 bedrooms and a bathroom in the middle. The kitchen is BEAUTIFUL. Granite counter tops. The view is of the street so it's not exactly beautiful or private but if that's the only issue- we'll take it. It's really not that big of a deal. The master bedroom is fabulously big and so is the WALK IN closet. We can each take one side, easily I'm sure. The actual place has many amnenaties. Pool, jacuzzi, tennis court, racketball court, paddle ball court, BBQ area, actually two- there are grills by the pool, too. Lots of things to do. The walk to the bus stop is less than a mile and up hill so I'll get a little work out before work but thankfully it's downhill on the way home. It's such a lovely place. It looks like they renovated everything recently. The kitchen is definitely the nicest one we've seen. The bedroom is huge. The bathrooms are both full and very very nice. We have a corner APT so not too many passerbys and the landlord told us that they were contemplating a screen door and we instantly said that would be wonderful.We're very excited. We move (hopefully completely) into it and get the keys and everything on Wednesday so I'll have pictures up by then. Yay! Finally!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Apartment Hunting
Apartment hunting is NOT fun. I'm still on cloud nine of course, but that doesn't make me any less frustrated.
Colonnade on the Green was nice, but it was a little dirty/scrungy. The bedrooms were also rather small. It was very serene and pleasant but probably would keep me pretty lonely. It just didn't have the feel some of the others had.
Park at Pearlridge room 1602 (or something like that) was very nice. However it was on the 16th floor. The view was beautiful. However, that building is built kind of like a square donut. So there is a drop on the inside as well as outside the balcony. I couldn't handle the inside. The lines created by all the floor made my stomach churn. It's a pain in the butt to be scared of heights, but I can handle it on many occasions. Just.. not that one.
The next one was in the same building, but on the 5th floor which was much much more doable. It also turned out to be one of the bigger ones. It was BEAUTIFUL. Perfect in everyway. We got the application, filled it out, and when we called to ask a question we also double checked that pets were allowed. We've only called up places that advertised that they were. Turns out they had lied and they aren't. This was an extreme disappointment. However, after the rest of our searching this is still the top one. I really really hate to give up my cat, but I don't really want to live in a scummy place either. :-(
I don't even know what comes next. Basically a stream of dirty places in not so comfortable areas or one nice place RIGHT next to H1 the most busy highway in HI. Aka very loud. We're both getting worn a little thin, I think. So it's nice to relax right now. Relaxing brings good things, yesterday is proof of that! :-D
Tomorrow we have an appointment at 4. It's a schedule viewing for a couple people so this is a new experience. With the way the guy has responded to questions, it seems like it's a rather elite place so hopefully we'll like it. There's also one that has a lot of promise, well as much as one without photos can (the Pearlridge one had no photos so I'm not too worried) but we're waiting to hear from the guy. The tenant moved out on Thursday and it's currently getting cleaned. Hopefully we'll be able to see it this weekend. I think there's also one more we're waiting to hear about. This will probably be the end of the hunt. I'm not sure yet.
John has started his check in process, so Monday morning the Navy steals him away for anywhere between 2 hrs and a whole day. Fun fun. We really hope to find a place by then.
Oh! And Victoria's Secret called me for a preliminary screening about my transfer. They mentioned a full-time bra specialist or bra fitter position open (2 different things) that I may be able to take! How fun! They told me that they'll be calling within 2 weeks about it, so that's a nice thing. I had only left a message the day before so it's nice to get a pretty quick response. And, as expected, they were pleased to hear I have experience with the store.
Alright I'm off!
We've been crazy busy so I don't know when I'll write again.
Love you all
-Meredith
Colonnade on the Green was nice, but it was a little dirty/scrungy. The bedrooms were also rather small. It was very serene and pleasant but probably would keep me pretty lonely. It just didn't have the feel some of the others had.
Park at Pearlridge room 1602 (or something like that) was very nice. However it was on the 16th floor. The view was beautiful. However, that building is built kind of like a square donut. So there is a drop on the inside as well as outside the balcony. I couldn't handle the inside. The lines created by all the floor made my stomach churn. It's a pain in the butt to be scared of heights, but I can handle it on many occasions. Just.. not that one.
The next one was in the same building, but on the 5th floor which was much much more doable. It also turned out to be one of the bigger ones. It was BEAUTIFUL. Perfect in everyway. We got the application, filled it out, and when we called to ask a question we also double checked that pets were allowed. We've only called up places that advertised that they were. Turns out they had lied and they aren't. This was an extreme disappointment. However, after the rest of our searching this is still the top one. I really really hate to give up my cat, but I don't really want to live in a scummy place either. :-(
I don't even know what comes next. Basically a stream of dirty places in not so comfortable areas or one nice place RIGHT next to H1 the most busy highway in HI. Aka very loud. We're both getting worn a little thin, I think. So it's nice to relax right now. Relaxing brings good things, yesterday is proof of that! :-D
Tomorrow we have an appointment at 4. It's a schedule viewing for a couple people so this is a new experience. With the way the guy has responded to questions, it seems like it's a rather elite place so hopefully we'll like it. There's also one that has a lot of promise, well as much as one without photos can (the Pearlridge one had no photos so I'm not too worried) but we're waiting to hear from the guy. The tenant moved out on Thursday and it's currently getting cleaned. Hopefully we'll be able to see it this weekend. I think there's also one more we're waiting to hear about. This will probably be the end of the hunt. I'm not sure yet.
John has started his check in process, so Monday morning the Navy steals him away for anywhere between 2 hrs and a whole day. Fun fun. We really hope to find a place by then.
Oh! And Victoria's Secret called me for a preliminary screening about my transfer. They mentioned a full-time bra specialist or bra fitter position open (2 different things) that I may be able to take! How fun! They told me that they'll be calling within 2 weeks about it, so that's a nice thing. I had only left a message the day before so it's nice to get a pretty quick response. And, as expected, they were pleased to hear I have experience with the store.
Alright I'm off!
We've been crazy busy so I don't know when I'll write again.
Love you all
-Meredith
What are you doing!?
This has been one crazy week! And yesterday was a very good day, haha.
We went around to do some Navy errands and came back around 3:00 and had some time to kill back at the house in Kailua, so of course I forced him to take me to the beach nearby. It's a very serene beach. The water is incredibly blue, the sand is extremely soft, and everything about it is warm and peaceful. There were people there but not exactly what I'd call a crowd. It was pleasant. We walked up it and then back. It was a nice change. I really needed that after all the frustrations that come with apartment hunting.
After the walk, I wasn't ready to leave and we still had time so we sat down to watch the waves. John was sitting against a tree so I sat in front of him and leaned on him. We were sitting there for a quite a while. Enough for a couple random phone calls and to just watch and take in Hawaii. It's all still rather surreal here. Well as I was looking over the ocean John's arm comes around and poof- there's a ring box in front of me. I think my first thought was "What is he doing? Is he about to show me his class ring or something?" and then he opened it and there, inside, was a beautiful engagement ring. Well I obviously responded with "What the hell are you doing!?!?" "Holy Crap!" "What's going on?!" and another row of holy craps in there... haha. I was NOT expecting that. He then leaned over and asked me to marry him. To which I responded with "holy crap!" again haha and of course "Yes".
SO.
John and I are engaged! It's very exciting!
Yay :-D
We went around to do some Navy errands and came back around 3:00 and had some time to kill back at the house in Kailua, so of course I forced him to take me to the beach nearby. It's a very serene beach. The water is incredibly blue, the sand is extremely soft, and everything about it is warm and peaceful. There were people there but not exactly what I'd call a crowd. It was pleasant. We walked up it and then back. It was a nice change. I really needed that after all the frustrations that come with apartment hunting.
After the walk, I wasn't ready to leave and we still had time so we sat down to watch the waves. John was sitting against a tree so I sat in front of him and leaned on him. We were sitting there for a quite a while. Enough for a couple random phone calls and to just watch and take in Hawaii. It's all still rather surreal here. Well as I was looking over the ocean John's arm comes around and poof- there's a ring box in front of me. I think my first thought was "What is he doing? Is he about to show me his class ring or something?" and then he opened it and there, inside, was a beautiful engagement ring. Well I obviously responded with "What the hell are you doing!?!?" "Holy Crap!" "What's going on?!" and another row of holy craps in there... haha. I was NOT expecting that. He then leaned over and asked me to marry him. To which I responded with "holy crap!" again haha and of course "Yes".
SO.
John and I are engaged! It's very exciting!
Yay :-D
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Land Ho!
Well, I'm in Hawaii! It's such a crazy thing. I look around and see amazing and beautiful sights but can't really connect "Hey I'm living here now" to all of them.
I got in last night around 2:30 (8:30EST) and everything went smoothly. Unfortunately I got sick the day before so I'm not feeling great. It has helped me sleep though. I was able to get to sleep around 9 on Monday so waking up at 4am ended up not being too difficult!
My bags weighed 49.5 and 50 lbs so all my struggling to make sure I wouldn't pay the airlines extra worked out perfectly! Also, when I got to the gate they said that if we had bags that were a little big or we just didn't want to deal with them they'd check them at the gate all the way through to my final destination for FREE. So I did that. It was nice to not have to deal with my third bag. They all got through to HI right on time and nothing is missing. What a great great thing, haha. It was a relief to see my "carry on" in the baggage claim. That's the one I was most worried about since it was put in separately and had more of the important things, but I got that one first! Woo-hoo!
Not too long after I loaded myself up. Laptop and 30+ lb carry on on my back, huge rolly duffle right the right arm and my hard shelled black guy on the left. I trudged from Baggage claim F-2 to H-3 and actually had a hard time breathing. There were baggage carts, and in fact I was right next to them, but $3 to use one for 5 minutes seemed ridiculous. I'm stubborn when it comes to things like that. Well I made it over to baggage claim H since that's where John's stuff was and then he calls. He had gone over to F! I informed him I wasn't moving again so I waited, haha. I needed to catch my breath. Ah- prior to all this I had picked up two fresh flower leis for us since I knew they didn't great people anymore. Well John came over to H with a guy in Khakis named Michelangelo. He was the first guy of John's command to show up to greet us AND he's from DALLAS, PA! It was very exciting. We obviously bonded. After greetings and some chatting, two more guys showed up named Dan, and Tom. Tom brought us leis as well, thinking ahead. So John and I ended up each having two, and happily they were all different. As they greeted and asked similar questions, the last and final guy (another Tom) came in to greet John. This Tom is the Navigator. That's all I know about that, and his name tag said so. It was cool to meet the guys and I'm sure it helped John a bunch as well. It'll give him a few familiar faces once he gets to the boat and that's always helpful.
Wow I still can't believe it's 6:30 am and I'm awake. Though I guess on my body clock it's 12:30 and I did go to sleep at 7. I'm looking fwd to showering soon, but I figured I jot down some things. John went off with Bryan (the guy with whom we're staying with) to go to base and pick up a rental car. They're cheaper there. So I figured I'd write now while I was free.
Side note: The flights went well. I ended up having a while row to myself during the first flight so that was very nice. I slept part of that time and read most of it. I brought a new Juliet Marillier book (her Sevenwaters Trilogy is my favorite and this is a random new 4th book) and that was perfection. I never got tired of reading and in fact, finished the book by the last hour of the last flight. It was good. But yeah, there was a little girl in the aisle seat, no one in the middle, and I in the window. The girl ended up sitting with her brothers and mother in the row next to us so the majority of the time the row was all mine. It was nice. It wasn't the same for the second flight, but that flight wasn't too bad either. I think it's a lot nicer than driving a long way. You can change position and move around slightly more, as long as you don't hit the person next to you, and that improves the situation. All in all, the flights weren't so bad. I've had worse.
Well today brings apartment hunting. We're looking at one at Colonnade on the Greens at 11 (5EST) and then two at Park at Pearlridge at 2:30 and 5. These are the three nicest we've seen online so fingers crossed! They all allow pets. Of course. I won't look at one that doesn't and John's accepted that haha.
I got in last night around 2:30 (8:30EST) and everything went smoothly. Unfortunately I got sick the day before so I'm not feeling great. It has helped me sleep though. I was able to get to sleep around 9 on Monday so waking up at 4am ended up not being too difficult!
My bags weighed 49.5 and 50 lbs so all my struggling to make sure I wouldn't pay the airlines extra worked out perfectly! Also, when I got to the gate they said that if we had bags that were a little big or we just didn't want to deal with them they'd check them at the gate all the way through to my final destination for FREE. So I did that. It was nice to not have to deal with my third bag. They all got through to HI right on time and nothing is missing. What a great great thing, haha. It was a relief to see my "carry on" in the baggage claim. That's the one I was most worried about since it was put in separately and had more of the important things, but I got that one first! Woo-hoo!
Not too long after I loaded myself up. Laptop and 30+ lb carry on on my back, huge rolly duffle right the right arm and my hard shelled black guy on the left. I trudged from Baggage claim F-2 to H-3 and actually had a hard time breathing. There were baggage carts, and in fact I was right next to them, but $3 to use one for 5 minutes seemed ridiculous. I'm stubborn when it comes to things like that. Well I made it over to baggage claim H since that's where John's stuff was and then he calls. He had gone over to F! I informed him I wasn't moving again so I waited, haha. I needed to catch my breath. Ah- prior to all this I had picked up two fresh flower leis for us since I knew they didn't great people anymore. Well John came over to H with a guy in Khakis named Michelangelo. He was the first guy of John's command to show up to greet us AND he's from DALLAS, PA! It was very exciting. We obviously bonded. After greetings and some chatting, two more guys showed up named Dan, and Tom. Tom brought us leis as well, thinking ahead. So John and I ended up each having two, and happily they were all different. As they greeted and asked similar questions, the last and final guy (another Tom) came in to greet John. This Tom is the Navigator. That's all I know about that, and his name tag said so. It was cool to meet the guys and I'm sure it helped John a bunch as well. It'll give him a few familiar faces once he gets to the boat and that's always helpful.
Wow I still can't believe it's 6:30 am and I'm awake. Though I guess on my body clock it's 12:30 and I did go to sleep at 7. I'm looking fwd to showering soon, but I figured I jot down some things. John went off with Bryan (the guy with whom we're staying with) to go to base and pick up a rental car. They're cheaper there. So I figured I'd write now while I was free.
Side note: The flights went well. I ended up having a while row to myself during the first flight so that was very nice. I slept part of that time and read most of it. I brought a new Juliet Marillier book (her Sevenwaters Trilogy is my favorite and this is a random new 4th book) and that was perfection. I never got tired of reading and in fact, finished the book by the last hour of the last flight. It was good. But yeah, there was a little girl in the aisle seat, no one in the middle, and I in the window. The girl ended up sitting with her brothers and mother in the row next to us so the majority of the time the row was all mine. It was nice. It wasn't the same for the second flight, but that flight wasn't too bad either. I think it's a lot nicer than driving a long way. You can change position and move around slightly more, as long as you don't hit the person next to you, and that improves the situation. All in all, the flights weren't so bad. I've had worse.
Well today brings apartment hunting. We're looking at one at Colonnade on the Greens at 11 (5EST) and then two at Park at Pearlridge at 2:30 and 5. These are the three nicest we've seen online so fingers crossed! They all allow pets. Of course. I won't look at one that doesn't and John's accepted that haha.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman
Let me tell you about one of the best weekends of my life
So, this may not be an adventure from Hawaii but it's an adventure none the less. Mother and I went to NYC on Friday for a last splurge before my move. A few months back my friend Cara told me about the play "A Steady Rain" and I instantly had to go. Very fortunately I snagged a ticket for September 11th. It was a preview but that didn't matter to me. The opening night for the previews started the 10th and I move the 15th so this weekend was my only chance. It was AMAZING!
We left Wilkes-Barre at 7 am, which is not ideal, but the bus ride tends to take three hours so I slept. When we arrived we checked into the Mayfair and were on our way. The hotel was fabulous by the way, but not important to my story. We had no plans and ended up touring the NBC studios which was also very cool. Then we had a nap and at 5:30 we went to the Theatre. It was early yet so we ate at Junior's since it was right next door and promised baked goods. Later on I found out that the Junior's in Brooklyn is actually THE place to get NYC cheesecake. Thankfully I had gotten devil's food cheesecake and it really was the creamiest and best cheesecake I've ever had. I couldn't finish it, it was so huge! It was like a normal cheesecake stuck inside a moist dark chocolate cake and frosted with this fudge-like frosting. Yum!
By 7 we were waiting outside the theater for the 8 o'clock show. We were seated at 7:30 and all was going very smoothly. The play was fantastic! It consisted only of Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman with minimal props (two chairs) and minimal backgrounds. They had one and a half hours of dialogue with no break and seemingly no mistakes. If they made any, then I had no clue! They did brilliantly. It took a minute to switch from reality to the story they were telling but that's normal. I definitely got into it within a few minutes. They were brilliant, as expected. How could it not be? It's two amazing men in a cop drama on Broadway. Three of my favorite things! Or would it be four?
After the play I felt the need to hide in an empty cove to not get trapped in the sea of people leaving the theater. Then it seemed like things were going on to our left so we headed over there and low and behold it was people waiting to see the men leave the theater! How exciting! So, of course I joined in. Daniel Craig came out first and it was AMAZING. I mean, he's my absolute favorite actor and has been for a long time. Hell, John's first gift to me was Layer Cake! Unfortunately DC was in a hurry so he only signed a few and then ran away. It broke my heart.
Hugh Jackman came out shortly. He's such a sweetheart and very very handsome. He was smiling and winking and stayed a little longer. I even managed to get his autograph! A lady in front of me grabbed my Playbill while he was nearby and handed it to him. It was very sweet of her. All in all it was a good night, only I was heartbroken that DC was RIGHT THERE and I was unable to get his signature as well. Hugh Jackman doesn't even compare, in my heart haha. Mother and I decided that we'd look up the next day's show (I was certain there was a matinee) and get there a bit before it was due to be out and try again.
Well the next morning we got up at 6, again, in order to see the Statue of Liberty! It was exciting. I've lost count of how many times I've been to NYC yet I've never actually seen her. It was exciting and now a check off my list of things to see and do before I die! Hooray! It was a good trip and went smoothly. Afterwards we had a lot of time to kill before 3. I had found out the night before that there was indeed a show at 2.
My friend Corey now lives in NYC. He's fabulous so we decided to meet up at the theater since it was a free thing to do. He does live in NYC after all... haha. He showed up at bit late so Mother and I just hung out like typical fans haha. I've also learned this weekend that not ALL New Yorkers are horrendous and rude. Some proof came from Friday but Saturday also proved it. While the two of us were waiting a guy came out of the stage door that I recognized from the night before. He was helping with the security and also seemed to primarily stay by Daniel Craig in case of any danger. I thought I overheard his name to be Keith while he was on the phone. I have a terrible habit of listening in. I don't intend to but it happens often. So even if it's wrong, I'm going to refer to him as Keith. He was a doll. I saw him walk to the end of the theatre so no one else was near so I went over to him and asked if DC was going to come out after the play today. I knew it was only the first show of the day and some actors tend to just stay inside and relax. He admitted to me that he didn't know and he wasn't just saying that because of his job. I told him my little sob story about being there the night before after the play and missing Daniel, etc. I felt the need to explain myself- I often do. He was very kind to me but then had to go inside.
Mother and I continued waiting and Corey showed up. That was very cool. It was nice to see him again before I left. I don't see him nearly as much now that he lives in NY, so it was a good change. Crowds started to form, but they weren't too big for a while. Keith came out of the door, caught my eye, and mouthed to me that they'd be coming out. It calmed my nerves but started up other butterflies haha. It was SO EXCITED cause this time I was in front. Oh man it was wonderful. Daniel came out first again and stayed much longer. It was so nice. He signed a ton of things and Keith kept catching my eye and nodding at me. I knew he was telling me not to worry, that Daniel would get to mine. Haha. He didn't have to do anything to make it happen, he was just reassuring because he did. I got his autograph and it was amazing. I was the last one on our side and quick, but it happened and it made my life. Hooray! Then they went back inside. They weren't even leaving! He came out just to make the fans happy and then went back in. What a sweetheart.
Hugh Jackman came out afterwards. He is very handsome. He also signed many things and winked at lots of people. Momma is pretty sure he winked at her, haha, and is very excited about that. He stood right next to me! That was very pleasant haha. I didn't have him sign again since I got it last night. I could have, but I didn't. I was just enjoying the moment after that. Hooray!
What a wonderful wonderful weekend! And to top it off the people on our bus home were only going to two places to we got home in 2 hrs and 15 min instead of three! That was awesome!
I'm still on cloud 9. My Playbill is now in a ziplock so it doesn't get hurt and I'm most definitely going to frame it. Yay :-)
Photo Album
An Article about the play
So, this may not be an adventure from Hawaii but it's an adventure none the less. Mother and I went to NYC on Friday for a last splurge before my move. A few months back my friend Cara told me about the play "A Steady Rain" and I instantly had to go. Very fortunately I snagged a ticket for September 11th. It was a preview but that didn't matter to me. The opening night for the previews started the 10th and I move the 15th so this weekend was my only chance. It was AMAZING!
We left Wilkes-Barre at 7 am, which is not ideal, but the bus ride tends to take three hours so I slept. When we arrived we checked into the Mayfair and were on our way. The hotel was fabulous by the way, but not important to my story. We had no plans and ended up touring the NBC studios which was also very cool. Then we had a nap and at 5:30 we went to the Theatre. It was early yet so we ate at Junior's since it was right next door and promised baked goods. Later on I found out that the Junior's in Brooklyn is actually THE place to get NYC cheesecake. Thankfully I had gotten devil's food cheesecake and it really was the creamiest and best cheesecake I've ever had. I couldn't finish it, it was so huge! It was like a normal cheesecake stuck inside a moist dark chocolate cake and frosted with this fudge-like frosting. Yum!
By 7 we were waiting outside the theater for the 8 o'clock show. We were seated at 7:30 and all was going very smoothly. The play was fantastic! It consisted only of Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman with minimal props (two chairs) and minimal backgrounds. They had one and a half hours of dialogue with no break and seemingly no mistakes. If they made any, then I had no clue! They did brilliantly. It took a minute to switch from reality to the story they were telling but that's normal. I definitely got into it within a few minutes. They were brilliant, as expected. How could it not be? It's two amazing men in a cop drama on Broadway. Three of my favorite things! Or would it be four?
After the play I felt the need to hide in an empty cove to not get trapped in the sea of people leaving the theater. Then it seemed like things were going on to our left so we headed over there and low and behold it was people waiting to see the men leave the theater! How exciting! So, of course I joined in. Daniel Craig came out first and it was AMAZING. I mean, he's my absolute favorite actor and has been for a long time. Hell, John's first gift to me was Layer Cake! Unfortunately DC was in a hurry so he only signed a few and then ran away. It broke my heart.
Hugh Jackman came out shortly. He's such a sweetheart and very very handsome. He was smiling and winking and stayed a little longer. I even managed to get his autograph! A lady in front of me grabbed my Playbill while he was nearby and handed it to him. It was very sweet of her. All in all it was a good night, only I was heartbroken that DC was RIGHT THERE and I was unable to get his signature as well. Hugh Jackman doesn't even compare, in my heart haha. Mother and I decided that we'd look up the next day's show (I was certain there was a matinee) and get there a bit before it was due to be out and try again.
Well the next morning we got up at 6, again, in order to see the Statue of Liberty! It was exciting. I've lost count of how many times I've been to NYC yet I've never actually seen her. It was exciting and now a check off my list of things to see and do before I die! Hooray! It was a good trip and went smoothly. Afterwards we had a lot of time to kill before 3. I had found out the night before that there was indeed a show at 2.
My friend Corey now lives in NYC. He's fabulous so we decided to meet up at the theater since it was a free thing to do. He does live in NYC after all... haha. He showed up at bit late so Mother and I just hung out like typical fans haha. I've also learned this weekend that not ALL New Yorkers are horrendous and rude. Some proof came from Friday but Saturday also proved it. While the two of us were waiting a guy came out of the stage door that I recognized from the night before. He was helping with the security and also seemed to primarily stay by Daniel Craig in case of any danger. I thought I overheard his name to be Keith while he was on the phone. I have a terrible habit of listening in. I don't intend to but it happens often. So even if it's wrong, I'm going to refer to him as Keith. He was a doll. I saw him walk to the end of the theatre so no one else was near so I went over to him and asked if DC was going to come out after the play today. I knew it was only the first show of the day and some actors tend to just stay inside and relax. He admitted to me that he didn't know and he wasn't just saying that because of his job. I told him my little sob story about being there the night before after the play and missing Daniel, etc. I felt the need to explain myself- I often do. He was very kind to me but then had to go inside.
Mother and I continued waiting and Corey showed up. That was very cool. It was nice to see him again before I left. I don't see him nearly as much now that he lives in NY, so it was a good change. Crowds started to form, but they weren't too big for a while. Keith came out of the door, caught my eye, and mouthed to me that they'd be coming out. It calmed my nerves but started up other butterflies haha. It was SO EXCITED cause this time I was in front. Oh man it was wonderful. Daniel came out first again and stayed much longer. It was so nice. He signed a ton of things and Keith kept catching my eye and nodding at me. I knew he was telling me not to worry, that Daniel would get to mine. Haha. He didn't have to do anything to make it happen, he was just reassuring because he did. I got his autograph and it was amazing. I was the last one on our side and quick, but it happened and it made my life. Hooray! Then they went back inside. They weren't even leaving! He came out just to make the fans happy and then went back in. What a sweetheart.
Hugh Jackman came out afterwards. He is very handsome. He also signed many things and winked at lots of people. Momma is pretty sure he winked at her, haha, and is very excited about that. He stood right next to me! That was very pleasant haha. I didn't have him sign again since I got it last night. I could have, but I didn't. I was just enjoying the moment after that. Hooray!
What a wonderful wonderful weekend! And to top it off the people on our bus home were only going to two places to we got home in 2 hrs and 15 min instead of three! That was awesome!
I'm still on cloud 9. My Playbill is now in a ziplock so it doesn't get hurt and I'm most definitely going to frame it. Yay :-)
Photo Album
An Article about the play
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
P.S.
P.S.
I will continue posting pics to Picasa. I have a limited number of space so I'll have to start deleting Europe pictures. This probably only upsets me since I have a certain attachment to them, but in case you wanted to save some- you had better! If you look to the right there will be thumbnails of the most recent updates. Therefore, if you stop by you'll always know when new pics are up. Yay!
I will continue posting pics to Picasa. I have a limited number of space so I'll have to start deleting Europe pictures. This probably only upsets me since I have a certain attachment to them, but in case you wanted to save some- you had better! If you look to the right there will be thumbnails of the most recent updates. Therefore, if you stop by you'll always know when new pics are up. Yay!
One Week
Well, hello there.
So here I am with one week until departure. I'm getting incredibly stressed and nervous, as well as depressed. I've been packing for about a week now and struggling with how to get everything into two suitcases while keeping them under 50 lbs. I can fit more things in, but I refuse to pay the extra bill. I find it appalling that it's an extra $50 for one more pound or, if I just add another suitcase, it's $100. $15 for the first, $20 for the second (If I pay for it online- if not they're both another $5) and then $100 for the third. That's absolutely ridiculous. Therefore, out of spite, I'm mailing the rest. Even if it ends up being the same price, it's by principle. These prices are annoying. They're bearable when you have one suitcase for a trip, but ridiculous if one needs to move one's entire wardrobe. But anyway, I now have two suitcases partially packed. One is packed and done and not being touched. The other has work clothes so I'm living out of it as well as packing it. Logical, I know. I needed to know what would fit and what wouldn't, so that I could decide which things to mail.
Tomorrow is my last day of work. It's getting so close! I can't believe it's less than a week away! Thursday I have off so I'll do laundry, pack for HI and NYC, and relax. Friday is NYC to see A Steady Rain. Saturday we're going to the Statue of Liberty and heading home. Sunday I finish packing completely and prepare everything for go-time. Monday I have a Dr's appt and then Mom and I are off to Lansdale to stay with the grandparents.
I've been depressed mainly cause of the life change. I realize it's normal, expected, and just how life goes but that doesn't make it any less depressing. I've been saying goodbye to people since Friday afterall! That's no fun! Work friends, home friends, Jill, more work friends... and it's going to continue. It was good to have a short vaca to see some family before I left. It's a shame I couldn't see EVERYONE. Oh well. I'm moving to Hawaii- who wouldn't want to visit??? haha! Expect fun hawaiian gifts! If I can find and afford fabulous ones, that is.
FYI
My plane takes off at 7:10 am. Land in Phoenix, AR at 9:12 am (12:12pm EST)
Take off at 10:59am (1:59pm) and land 2:36pm (8:36pm EST)
Cheers for now
-Meredith
So here I am with one week until departure. I'm getting incredibly stressed and nervous, as well as depressed. I've been packing for about a week now and struggling with how to get everything into two suitcases while keeping them under 50 lbs. I can fit more things in, but I refuse to pay the extra bill. I find it appalling that it's an extra $50 for one more pound or, if I just add another suitcase, it's $100. $15 for the first, $20 for the second (If I pay for it online- if not they're both another $5) and then $100 for the third. That's absolutely ridiculous. Therefore, out of spite, I'm mailing the rest. Even if it ends up being the same price, it's by principle. These prices are annoying. They're bearable when you have one suitcase for a trip, but ridiculous if one needs to move one's entire wardrobe. But anyway, I now have two suitcases partially packed. One is packed and done and not being touched. The other has work clothes so I'm living out of it as well as packing it. Logical, I know. I needed to know what would fit and what wouldn't, so that I could decide which things to mail.
Tomorrow is my last day of work. It's getting so close! I can't believe it's less than a week away! Thursday I have off so I'll do laundry, pack for HI and NYC, and relax. Friday is NYC to see A Steady Rain. Saturday we're going to the Statue of Liberty and heading home. Sunday I finish packing completely and prepare everything for go-time. Monday I have a Dr's appt and then Mom and I are off to Lansdale to stay with the grandparents.
I've been depressed mainly cause of the life change. I realize it's normal, expected, and just how life goes but that doesn't make it any less depressing. I've been saying goodbye to people since Friday afterall! That's no fun! Work friends, home friends, Jill, more work friends... and it's going to continue. It was good to have a short vaca to see some family before I left. It's a shame I couldn't see EVERYONE. Oh well. I'm moving to Hawaii- who wouldn't want to visit??? haha! Expect fun hawaiian gifts! If I can find and afford fabulous ones, that is.
FYI
My plane takes off at 7:10 am. Land in Phoenix, AR at 9:12 am (12:12pm EST)
Take off at 10:59am (1:59pm) and land 2:36pm (8:36pm EST)
Cheers for now
-Meredith
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