Babies...uhhh...babies

Babies. Above is my cousin's baby Kaha (with him is his grandmother, my aunty Nola). This picture was taken in December but he's still really really cute. I'm convinced he's going to be a model or at least strive to have the most attention when in the company of others. His birthday party is the one I was blogging about earlier. (party envy!)

I was visiting with him and his sick mother to do a project for her students end of the year thing. It is amazing how much a little person with only 4-5 teeth, words that can't be understood, snot running down his nose, hands opening up to you to pick him up can give you so much joy. And the new role as protector of young one if anyone dare say he's not cute or any danger that may lurk for such a little guy.

We played and played and his smile just knocked me out. The kind of smiles that leave you wanting more. Someone said happiness is when someone smiles because of your kindness, or in my case sometimes, plain silliness. It was like an accomplishment when this little guy that drools has a ridiculously huge smile because of you!

My cousin and I always said we would be mommies together (her above). She's always hinting to me and the boyfriend how great parenting is and aren't you ready (wink wink). Being with her son today gets me thinking about that biological clock and wondering how long it will hold out for me. Each year, I get a little less selfish with my own needs and get a slight closer to the unselfish want of being a mother to a person of my own creation. Its such a responsibility, and that usually scares me from the edge. One of these days, I know my cousin will just push me off, laughing and saying "don't worry cuz, you'll love it!"

For now, I am satasified with being mommy to a 16 pound hairy 4 legged dog.

Peace, love and baby bottles

The Rambler

Weddings...

So, this past weekend was my good friends wedding. She's the kind of friend that doesn't like makeup AT ALL. (maybe lipstick or eye liner). Above is almost all the bridal party. Teddy (bottom left) and the bride (duh) Krissy and maid of honor Luana on the right

In the back is Brenda to left and me right behind the bride. Could that be a more difficult explanation of who's standing where? Missing is Aida.

It started Saturday morning. Some of us bridesmaids (did I mention I was in the wedding party?), went to get our nails done. The beautification process can be so tiring! ;o) You know what I love about getting nails done at a korean/chinese/vietnamese nail place? No matter how jacked up your feet are, they only talk in their native tounges to their other co-workers (in front of you). And than of course smile at you. I pretend she's saying my feet are the best looking feet she's ever had to work on!

Okay, off we go our seperate ways with some hours of our own before we have the wedding rehearsel. I take my dog, see many pictures below of him, to the vet with Matt. It's time for his annual. I'm not allowed (per myself and Matt) not to go in because I cry like a retard when the vet does her thing. It's worse when Mookie stares at me with sad eyes like the vet is killing him.
Anyway, this blog is not about the dog.

3 hours later, I am on my way to our wedding rehearsel (spelling?). It goes fast, practice walking, hold flowers in the right place (I kept holding mine by my crotch...too low I was told), stand her left boob to front bridesmaids right shoulder, smile, clap, walk down with groomsman, blah blah blah...

Then my white self (and I mean this ethnically) joined everyone at rehearsel dinner at a Korean Yakkiniku (cook it yourself is what that means) restaurant. Okay above is Aida (missing bridesmaid) and groom Richard in the back. He's smiling huge cause my big butt is in his way! I've always had Korean food from the food courts but never like this. The other more exprienced bridesmaids were kind enough to direct me and tell me how to eat stuff. I need to get out more! Saturday is over, time to go home get some gifts for the bride taken care of and try to sleep.

Sunday morning 7:30 am...
Need to get up, pack everything in the car, take a shower, get in the car. Sit there for a second to make sure I didn't forget anything. Okay, time to meet the girls at our makeup and hair place. Some of us were a little late, but we made it there. Straighten the hair, add a crapload of makeup to last the whole day since the wedding wasn't until 4:30 pm. Only thing they were missing was martinis and champagne. Oh well, we'd have plenty of that soon enough.


Makeup done, time to go to hotel to relax and partake of alcoholic beverages. We had exactly 30 minutes of relaxation, McDonalds, and 2 glasses of champagne! Whew! Off to the place where the bride and groom were to be married. We arrive at a beautiful restaurant/wedding chapel location, go into a private area for the wedding party and partake of MORE champagne. Wedding time came, and I was so nervous. One, because I couldn't believe my friend was getting married, and two I always hated when people stared at me and here I was walking down the aisle to the chapel with a restaurant full of people staring at me! Despite the anxiety which was dulled by the alcohol, we made it. Of course us girls cried when she walked down the aisle with her dad! The ceremony was beautiful, and the party was great. Some of us in the bridal party didn't get to eat, but we definetly drank heavy. (which I paid for the next day as I am sure so did the rest of the bridal/groom crew)

Okay, lame but true, my camera died at the wedding so I have to wait for some of the girls to send me their copies of the bride and groom in makeup and dress.

Well, to happy endings and happily ever afters!

Till the next wedding (june 4th)!

The exhausted Rambler....

P.s. will post pics later so please come back to read blog again!

Dog Lover

So, yes I am a doggie lover! Yes, I treat mine like he's my kid! Yes, my heart breaks when he cries at the vet cause he doesn't like what the vet is doing to him...Yes, I am one of those! I'm not to obnoxious though (I think?). I used to not go out or make plans unless he could come when I first got him. (i know, almost like a controlling boyfriend). I just found a doggie spa on Ward Avenue that I want to check out. (like anyone cares really)

La Familia

Okay, so almost all of my family is here for my cousin's wedding. And I mean everyone except 1 uncle and his wife and kid...(sounds so impersonal, I do mean my aunt and cousin). Anyway, my grandparents, my aunt have all arrived this week to help with the festivities. Not only is my cousin Brian getting married June 4th, but his sister Leigh (the fourth sister in my part of the family) is throwing her son's 1st birthday party! In Hawaii, it's a big tradition to throw the biggest, baddest party for your child making it to it's first significant milestone.

I don't mean like just 20-30 people over with a cake and some presents, but a big blown out affair to envy with some insane amount of over 200 hundred people. Of course, my little one year old cousin will never remember this, but who says the party is really just for him! This is a great reason to get people together that haven't seen each other in years. Thankfully, my cousin Leigh made this a non-alcoholic event so nothing to crazy will happen, unless someone sets up a trump card game, than we are in trouble.

I don't think I will be able to afford a party for myself ever in that magnitude! (I'd love to but my bank account just can't afford it) I hope my child (if ever) understands that mommy will be baking a cake and inviting over whoever still lives on the island for family over! I'll decorate the crap out of the living room.

Anyway, it's super nice having my whole family down. LIke I said before in my old post, (Wedding Bells) we are an interesting family.

Gotta go, things to do, so little time!

The Rambler.

Dear Mr. Car Thief,

To the Car Thief Club of America, (hawaii local chapter preferably)

I just wanted to write your wonderful organization to thank you for all the great work your club performs. I realize you all work so hard, and no one takes the time to appreciate all that you do.

If it wasn't for someone in your Hawaii Car Thief Club actually taking my 8 month pregnant cousin's car from her home, she wouldn't have gone through all the stress that is needed at someone in her stage. I'm so sorry that you guys couldn't have kept the car longer, but the cops are so pesky with things like that. Oh yeah and don't worry about the hundreds of cigarette butts you left in her car, or dirty shoe marks all over the place. It helped her gain insightful knowledge that cars are meant for careless joyriding and massive chain smoking which results in her car having a dual purpose of also being an ashtray. And we thought you could only use the small little ashtray provided under the stereo. How could I forget, it wasn't even an inconvience for her family to help shuttle her to and from work. No one minded that they had to get up earlier or to go without a car for the day. In fact, I am sure it made them so much closer as a family.

Your generousity did not stop there...No it didn't.

My baby sister who works full time, AND goes to college full time got the amazing gift of you guys TWICE. She was bummed you didnt' actually take her car though, but she' not complaining. She wants to thank you because she really didnt' want to take her final that morning. She was hoping she could prolong her school career this semester even if only for a couple more days.

It was like Christmas when she opened her door to discover that things were not as she had left them the night before! You kindly helped her dispose of her car registration, car safety check, CD's, CAR STEREO (who needs those anyway, you should be focusing on driving anyway!), and her paddle she uses for her outrigger (canoe) club. If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't have gotten to experience the joys of standing in line at the DMV to replace her car registration.

Well, my gratitude could go on til no end, but the letter has to end somewhere!

Sincerely,

A most humble Rambler

P.S. If I ever get the pleasure of meeting the fine people responsible for all these acts, I will stick my foot so far up their ass, you'll see it coming out of their mouth! Have a wonderful day! :o)

Happy Mothers day

mothers day

So this was us last year, 2004, on Mothers day. All my sisters were living here in Hawaii at the time. (Kalei,left, Sammy, middle, Me, right and mom in the back). This year Sammy and I are left, and this time next year Sammy will be living in Las Vegas. Just me and mom then!

My mom is one of the most amazing people I know. She hasn't found a cure for cancer, or wrote a pulitzer prize winning novel. She was just a single mom that raised three crazy daughters that fought to no end, cried and whined when things didn't go our way, complained about how the other took the car the last two times..., cooked and cleaned after us pigs! I'm sure sometimes my mom charlie browned us out. You know what I mean right? All the words she ever heard when staring at us were these words, (with a glaze over her eyes)

"Mom, blah, blah, blah, blah"

We were so bad that I remember when Kalei and I fought, we would call my poor mother at work, a stockbroker's firm, to settle our arguments. Big decisions were made at her job, millions of dollars were trying to be made, and we called with the dumbest things in the world. Hey, we didn't really know. She was working hard and we were calling her to mediate between us who could make the pizza or who had to stay home and watch sammy. (Big age difference with her so Kalei and I had to play second parent, but maybe Sammy was really the second parent to her older siblings anyway!)

Anyway, to my most amazing wonderful mother. Thanks for everything. Everyday is mother's day, and I don't know what my life would be like without you. Thanks for all the sacrifices you made to get me (and the others) through childhood and into what I think is adulthood.

Love your #1,

Rambler

One of them days..

Have you ever had one of those days? The kind of day where the dog craps everywhere in the house, you thought your bank account should have had more money after payday, that PMS is happening and nothing your other half does "brightens" the day? I'm just spewing a couple of examples. I never swear in my blogs so that's why I had the picture do it, but it's so how today feels. Don't you just wish you not only had the stamp but could actually use it....

Such would be the life if you could just say things that you wanted to say, but never had the courage (or as some may say, you have tact so that's why their never said). Like when some lady walks into my restaurant and I'm just asking her if she's here to get something to eat and she snaps back "I don't know yet!" Hey lady, F--k it, seat yourself, I was just trying to do my job.

OR

when your staff complain and moan about not having enough shifts but yet if a drinking party comes up, that's more important that surviving and making money to pay your bills. Hey F--k it, your not paying my bills.

OR

when your in a store and you obviously need help but the salespeople are more interested in talking to each other to know what's going on. Hey store, F--k it, I'll go somewhere else. I really didn't like what I needed anyway!

Well, that's all I got! Thanks for listening to my crazy rambling.

Insane Rambler
j

old age...

So a couple of things happened this week that made me (and some of my "old" friends), cringe with dismay.

I'd say that I am getting up there in age. Almost 30 and some of my other friends are in their 30's already. (Not all, but most of my friends are older than me). Anyway, I don't know when the transition happened to being the "kid" OR the one that ALWAYS had to get the ID out (with pleasure mind you), to "aunty" like person, don't need to look at your ID cause you look plenty old person!

Well, my girlfriends and I went out to a restaurant/bar this week and you have to go past the door guy to get in who is required to checks ID's of anyone that looks under 30. I'm sure your already shaking your head because you know what happened. The damn door guy didn't even ask, but what was more pathetic was that I pointed at my purse with hopeful eyes, and he politely reminded me with a nod that said,

"No, mam (eck, old lady word), go on in you look plenty old enough!"

I felt like asking him if I could park my walker next to my table in case I needed it!

Worse was that our cocktail waitress didn't even card us when we ordered our cocktails, (what is this world coming to?), but carded the boys next to us! I guess nothing a couple of cocktails to make us forget, to cure the dull numbing pain of it all. Maybe the walker gave it away?

Later on in the week, at work which I've been at for almost 10 years, I was talking to my 20 year old hostess. She started talking about how she had come to the restaurant when she was a little kid for a birthday party. I laughed at first but then said to myself that when she was a "little" kid I was working there, out of high school, driving a car, had a bank account. Needless to say, I felt my age! It didn't help either when she said something about an old lady needing some change at the bar and when I went to help "old" lady she looked the same age as me.

Well to all you "young" people, all I ask is that you have a little heart on some of us "old, weak, frail" folks!

love love,

no gray hair, no wrinkles on the face (yet), still have my own teeth RAMBLER....