Where did the last few months go?

You could never tell by my increasingly infrequent posts, but 2007 was probably was one of the best years in recent memory. Briefly:

October: Having the family back together, since my brother got married and moved back
June: Visiting another country again -- Canada counts, right?
Later June: Being one of the first on the island to own an iPhone
November: Getting the most beautiful Christmas tree (at a discount!!) that Rocky Raccoon and I have ever had
December: Surviving and having the best time at the My Chemical Romance concert
All year: Owning Apple stock has been verrrry rewarding

End of summer stuff

Today I viewed some of my cousin's pics she put on PhotoShow, so I figured since I had to create an account to view 'em, I might as well throw up some of my own from this summer. *sigh* Never got around to formally putting them on Flickr or on a webpage. The most tedious part is going thru hundreds (if not more!), watermarking, and editing them..so here's a snippet:

More ways to squander the summer

Other than fiddling w/my iPhone

Summer vacation ends (and school starts for teachers) in exactly two weeks. So you'd think I'd be making the most of it, soaking up the sun, gettin' things done -- but nope.

Here's what I made today out of recycled floppy disks and the back side of calendar pages. I mean, do you know ANYONE who uses either of those? I guess I could count it toward my little effort of going green. Want to try your hand at it? Here are more ways to recycle floppy disks.



I took a look at my stash of never-to-be-used-again floppy disks and figure I might be set for Christmas gifts this year!

PS: To friends who actually bother to read my blog -- you know I'm kidding...

Today's bank freebie

Not quite as cool as getting a free iPod Nano and cashing it in for over $150 at the Apple Store, but this latest toy is pretty nifty. Non-battery-operated crank LED emergency flashlight w/radio, cell phone charger, and siren. For free, well, for opening a cheapie basic checking acct that I will never use and will close as soon as I'm able (increased from 90 days to 180 days, but I don't care).

Ooh, Christmas gifts ;) Wonder how many cheapie checking accounts they'll let me open!

I've been AWOL

Aside from the occasional postings about my cat, clothes, and concerts, I guess it's taken me this long to realize I really don't have all that much to say. A focus would've helped, but ohwell.

Life and work kind of get in the way. There've been changes, and I've realized I need to roll and grow with them.

Going analog might not be a bad thing. Bought a moleskine notebook recently and modded it a bit:

Frugal domain renewal

A few of my domain names were up for renewal, but I couldn't see paying full price. I crave discounts, and I refuse to participate in the slight-of-hand mumble-jumble that entails buying super-cheap names from one company and purchasing DNS services from another; I'd rather have it all under one roof.

So tonight I went to the site that my domains are registered under and removed the private registration option that I had paid for when I first registered them. When I refreshed the page, the price for new private registration (as opposed to renewals) was on sale for $2 less, so I re-purchased them. Then I searched the web for promo codes, and was surprised how easily I found some. I decided to use one that would reduce my domain name renewals themselves a couple of bucks less each, and renewed each for a couple of years, saving a decent amount of cash in a single transaction!

Movin' my pennies around

I wanted to look for a new deal, somewhere I could park some money and get a freebie in return (like I did w/the iPod nano in Oct.), with a very decent interest rate, of course. Not one to rest on my lowly teacher-income laurels when it comes to penny-pinching, I hopped on the task today.

I gave up on the freebie search, but discovered that HSBC Direct has a 6% promotion through the end of April. To take full advantage and throw enough $ in it, I'd have to move some of my other pennies around, dust off some idle financial resources..and take a deep breath.

While I was at it, I took actions to get my free online bill paying (can't live w/o that) through another one of my accts, and moved maturing CDs (no, not the musical kind) around to take advantage of higher rates. Other changes are in the works.

Also filled up my tank using a 5¢-off-per-gallon coupon while I was in the penny-saving mode.

My unsolicited advice: Take advantage of the HSBC offer while you can!

Brief trip, briefer synopsis

I've lamented before how the hardest part about returning from a trip is going through all the pictures and deciding which ones to use. I took the easy way out this time:

Last Flight Out

yeah, that's the title of a Butch Walker song

I saw Butch Walker and his new band in SF and Anaheim last week, and took four planes going there and back. My suitcase barely made it under the limit, and my contact solution was confiscated (even though saline solution is permitted, according to the TSA site). I missed being able to carry on bottled water, but was able to get enough to drink on the first three flights. For some reason, the leg from LA to Hawaii was a dehydration flight, but at least Hawaiian Airlines still feeds its passengers.

Some delightful and not-so-delightful insights about airports, especially when traveling alone:

Good: Discovering the airport carries Starbucks' new Pumpkin Spice
Bad: Being forced to consume the entire grande coffee before boarding the plane
Definitely good: Sitting close to the rear of the plane and being able to tell easily when there's no line for the bathroom

Not-so-bad: Not knowing what kind of person you'll get as a seatmate
Good: Being asked to trade seats w/a person who's allergic to cats, getting to sit near the cat, and receiving complementary headset to watch a movie I actually wanted to see

Not-so-bad: Getting the attention of a cute little drug-sniffing beagle who was interested in the catnip in my carry-on bag
Bad: Breaking a nail while wrestling my 46.6 lb suitcase off the conveyer belt
Good: Warning guys who were blocking my way that I might knock them over (and break a nail) when I grab my bag -- and having them grab it for me instead

Good: Experiencing pleasant counter people and lack of crowds on 9/11
Bad: Tolerating TSA security newbies practicing on me "so they know that I know what to do"* on 9/11

* TSA agent trying to show that she knew what she was doing (after I was deafened and puffed in the chemical-detecting booth, and before she frisked and patted me down)

Half over

Not that I'm complaining (what other profession gets weeks off each summer), but this summer break is the shortest yet, and half of it has flown by already. But the best is yet to come: Butch's new CD comes out next week, and as Rock Star: Supernova's album producer, he'll be making more guest appearances on the show. I'll have to miss some episodes and will catch up later, but that's OK, because I'll soon be having a great time on vacation from my vacation. So no more blogging for a while, like I do much of that anymore, anyway :)

The best things in life are...

..redeemable with Rewards Points!

Nuthin' like closing a rarely-used credit card account and discovering there were enough rewards points on it to get five $25 Macy's gift cards -- and receiving them in the mail just before heading out for a combo birthday celebration/Macy's shopping night. Cute stuff from that night:



A close second: finding out the person you'll be traveling with to SF has more than enough rewards points for a free car rental!

Yes, I survived

Someone posted a comment on my other blog today, wondering if the diet had done me in since I hadn't blogged since I started it. It's just that I haven't had much to say the past four weeks, but now that school's out I'll probably start talkintomyself again.

A quick update of the past few weeks is below..might be WAAAY BELOW, depending on what browser you're using. Blogger did funny stuff w/the HTML table. Shows up fine on my other blog!

	The diet's officially over but I'm going to continue parts of it. Didn't lose quite what I wanted, and the get-together at Todai, a huge all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant, on the last day of the diet sure didn't help. That's OK, I just want to lose a couple more pounds.
	Summer vacation has begun, no more dirty looks til July 27th!
	Celebrated the end of school with yummy lychee martinis (and more) last night. Lychee's a fruit, so that's OK on my diet. Not too sure about the vodka.
	Butch recently announced four concerts in California -- see ya in September! His new CD will come out next month..but I'll be at a conference in Oregon when it's shipped to my home :(
	How'd my eyeball get here?

Day 1

Purification diet

I'm not one for dieting, but I could stand to lose a few pounds and this new diet will not only do that, it'll detox me, as well. If I can follow it.

It's actually a 21-day purification diet that involves taking a bunch of supplements w/essential vitamins and minerals, drinking their shakes, and eating organic veggies/fruits. Doesn't sound so hard, but I was kind of hungry today and my (non-organic) veggies and fruits didn't really satisfy me. But clearing out toxins is a good thing, and I weigh a little less tonight than when I woke up this morning.

Not sure yet if the hardest part will be swallowing 10 capsules three times a day or not drinking wine in the evenings.

Geezer needed assistance

I like words and don't like them to change meanings on me without warning. Lately I've been reading and hearing "random" used more and more often (hey, I don't hang with the cool kids, and I work at an elementary school on a military base in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where slang usually arrives on our shores late), so when I tried to explain its "new" meaning to another person last night, I needed some help. Turns out the definition is pretty random itself, according to UrbanDictionary.com, ranging from "irrelevant", "unrelated", and "unexpected", to something said "out of the blue by mindless teenagers". Several posts reflected these opinions:

"For the love of God, stop using this word. It's not clever, it's not funny and it's not original. You sound just the same as all the other clone-like teenagers who think they're oh so unique for saying it. Give it a fucking rest." and "Trouble is, being 'random' is predictable, boring, moronic and extremely sad indeed."

OK. So you'll never catch me trying to be hip at the risk of sounding clone-like, not to mention moronic and sad. Not that it ever occurred to me to even try out the word. I can't even speak pidgin properly, and I live in Hawaii where it's pretty much the State Language.

Where DO these things start, anyway?? A lot of new stuff originates from gamers, and those are actually interesting, but what lame-o came up with "random"??

My visit to UrbanDictionary.com was enlightening. In fact, I might add its Word of the Day to my blog. Today's is below, which reminds me, I have to revisit my state return because TurboTax took liberties and shortcuts with my information, and I think I could do better manually.

April 14, 2006
Taxgasm

A heightened state of excitement or ecstasy over the completion of any facet of the taxation process. Usually experienced by CPAs.

I am so excited about the new tax folders I am having a taxgasm!

After the storms

The weather's been gorgeous all week*. Tourists are back in the relatively sewage-free waters of Waiklki, potholes are being filled, cars are being dug out of landslides, yards and homes are drying out. Mazes of yellow tape are a little less labyrinthian.

Huh?

A little background info: the mall near my house was flooded last Friday as water overflowed the street, crashed through walls in the theaters, and swept through the different wings of the mall. It was closed for several days, and while most of the stores have since re-opened, some still are boarded up or shrouded in plastic. GNC had reopened earlier in the week, but just as I was about to make my purchase, there was a power outage so had to return today to buy my bars. Yellow tape mazes still wind throughout the mall, but as the floors are repaired, they're being removed, so there's a little less zigging and zagging to get from point A to point B.



* Would've been a great night for a U2 concert :(

Public transportation ain't so bad

in spite of the rain



I took my poor, keyed Scion to the body shop this morning. The street was ponding as I got out of the car. Stepped in a submerged pothole, so by the time I got to the office, I looked pretty pathetic. They took pity on me, gave me a bunch of paper towels and a ride to the mall where I was to catch the bus. Who knows, I might've drowned, otherwise.

Nothing was really open at the time except Starbucks (of course), a couple of eateries, and the supermarket. I was bummed that the new Borders, with their yummy Cinnamon Dolce Latte, wouldn't open until 9:00 am, so I just wandered around..and took pictures. Kind of wanted to, but didn't, take pics of the homeless hanging around the market. Actually, I tried to avoid them, especially the ones talking loudly and gesturing to who knows what.

Tried to clean up and dry out in the bathroom. Several others came in looking pretty soggy, but no one but me took pictures of herself looking like that :)

The last time I took TheBus was probably decades ago. The actual ride was pleasant, but I almost wasn't on it. It appeared on time, but passed right on by! If it weren't for a stop sign a little ways down that gave us a chance to run after it, we would've had to wait another hour for the next one. The driver claimed that wasn't his stop, even tho it was clearly marked and I had spoken to a supervisor earlier to confirm the time and location. (Yeah, I submitted a complaint online a few minutes ago. So there.)

The bus was pretty empty because most people going in that direction hopped on the more-frequent Waikiki buses. Ahh, Waikiki. Instead of the usual sunburned tourists, there were umbrellas, sandbags, puddles and more rain. At least Diamond Head was greener than usual, but no one would want to hike it today.

Won't get my car back until Friday, but will borrow one of my dad's cars 'til then so I won't be doing any more bus-riding for a while.

Between the rainstorms

an excuse to take pictures

The end of April will mark a year since I started blogging. It feels longer than that, and I've yet to find my groove. I can yammer on only so much about Rocky Raccoon, Apple computers, the bands I like, and the occasional personal/topical/news-related comment, before I run dry for weeks at a time. I wouldn't think about dissing work, and always keep in mind that my parents, some colleagues, and even my brother if I ask often enough, actually check in (tho rarely comment!!) once in a while.

I don't have a killer sense of humor, a controversial slant on politics, or even kids to write about. I don't live an exciting life filled with crazy highs and despairing lows..hmm, maybe there's the problem. I don't really have much of a life.

Yet I will muddle on, but, as someone commented recently, I've been in an unusual posting frenzy. (But he also called me a sporadic blogger, which is closer to the truth.) Digital cameras are so nifty. Photoshop is even cooler. And when you have nothing to say, hopefully a half-decent picture or two will fill the bill.

Here's the latest from today, in between rainstorms:

This is Hawaii??

Five weeks is enough

EDIT: Both QuickTime and Windows Media Player versions of the 29-second video are now included as links, for those who couldn't view the original QT version and whose browsers were having hissyfitz. Thanks, Joey, for letting me know.

I wasn't feeling well, so stayed home from work today. I never use video cameras, but we ordered a couple for school and I wanted to try it out. It actually started to let up as I filmed, but later at night the island was rocked by thunder and lightning.



OR
[Select QuickTime (.mov) or Windows Media Player (.avi)

The QuickTime version is nicer. Install QT!

It's alive

But what is it?




I thought I had killed it, or at least, put it in a state of suspended animation. It hadn't bloomed in probably a year, then one day I noticed its spines turning pinkish, and soon long, dark purple flower-like protrusions emerged!

About a week later the flowers wilted and the spines returned to green, but soon the same amazing thing happened on the other side of the plant.

21 shots

of Grand Marnier



Do you recognize these? They're little sidekicks from Chili's, you know, the little chili-shaped plastic shot "glasses" that dangle precariously from the rims of Chili's margarita mugs. My shot of choice is always Grand Marnier. I savor its sweet, velvety goodness by sticking the end of the straw in it, pressing my finger on the top, and sucking the mmmyummy (40% alcohol!) nectar, which is barely enough to coat my tongue. This way I usually manage to make it last longer than the margarita itself (on the rocks, never blended), which, to me, is incidental. No way would I unceremoniously toss the shot in as suggested. Unfortunately, because I take so damn long to finish them, at least a few sidekicks have been knocked off by people wielding menus or carelessly reaching for something. So sad.

I've also forgotten to take a few home with me when I was done, but, as you can tell, I've frequented Chili's enough to round up a pretty good collection. Brought home the 21st tonight. I don't go there often, and don't go there for the food.

Never got around to doing what I said I'd do: take 'em out of my kitchen drawer where they've lived for probably a couple of years, fill them with red and green water, and hang 'em up at Christmas.

I'd like to put them to some fun, tacky use. Any suggestions?