Normal photos of my friends and Matt

I thought only fair to post pics of my friends without stuff in their teeth and show their real beauty! (for real). And to Becky, Matt graduated in Florida! ( A little further than Leileihua)

Comedy night

Saturday night!

Usually, Matt and I are homebodies (don't be shocked), or I go out with the girls leaving him home to play with his online buddies. But last night we went out with the girls! (we meaning Matt and I). Maid of Honor Ana had fundraiser tickets for a comedy show for her hula halau (god help me if I spelt that wrong! But ana will forgive right?) Anyway, the show started at 9:00 so we figured we would grab a bite to eat before hand. Dinner went great, good conversation and good company. We had decided that Matt would be Ana's "wing" man in case of meeting men. If she liked the guy, Matt was the brother, if not, he was DA PIMP. (I'm only adding that cause he was going to be with Me, Ana and Denise). Anyway the comedy started before we left the restaurant. We had ordered dessert and I had started talking after a bite of chocolate and had some on my tooth. Ana decided it would be funny to mock me (I think if gives her pleasure to showcase my downfalls). Well, we all went into hysterics and Denise started to put some chocolate on her teeth. We begged Matt to take pictures and here is the result.

I was sure through the insane laughter from our table someone would ask us to leave. How beautiful do we look?

I don't know what possesses us to do things like this but I realize it's moments like this that make me laugh (like retard, right denise) in times when not appropriate because the memory sneaks up on me. I had tears in my eyes and when looking at the picture after it was taken I fell into more hysterics.

But of course, we asked Matt to do it and he obliged.


You gotta love your man that will humor silly girls! So, it was a good start to a funny evening. The show was funny, but we were all a little tired being that our age was soon coming to the big 3-0 for all of us except the young one Denise. Well, that was our Saturday night. Lots of laughs, good times, and a little bit of chocolate.

Love Love,

Da "toothless" Rambler

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

So little sister has finally left the nest! All the way to Las Vegas. (sigh) It's been a couple days since my mom and I dropped her off and part of me can't believe that I don't have a sister living just a couple of minutes away from me. Call me selfish, but I miss her big time!

On her last day my mom came over and we went out to breakfast and ran a couple of errands that Sammy needed to take care of. I knew it was coming, but when the moment came to drop her at the airport it took all of my might to try not to cry! I almost got away with it cause my mom asked me to park the car and meet her and sammy at check in. I figured there wasn't enough time to do that so I told them I would just stay here. I kissed Sammy real quick on the cheek and proceeded to go back to the car. Sammy realized that I wasn't coming in and put her bags down and came to hug me goodbye. So much for holding back the tears. I straight out cried, lips quivering, nose running...everything. Thank goodness mom had the Kleenex. Sammy consoled me a bit and just went ahhh (like a soft don't be sad ahhh). I love that girl!

I realize how much she means to me, and I'm glad that her and I forged some type of friendship this last year. She has become that close sister you hope to have when you see other woman around you with a very tight bond with theirs. (for example my mother and her 2 sisters). At least for me Sammy, I hope for you! We hung out together for a week while her man went ahead to Vegas and my guy was in PA for family visit.

Well little sister, have a great life and I'll see you in December!

love ya

Big sis Rambler

No matter what you do?

Have you ever had one of those days (weeks, months or years) where you've done all you can, taken care of things better than you normally do but others around you undermine you by saying something HAS to be wrong? You must have missed something? You can't be done, right, correct, or understood!

I wonder who I do this very thing I am complaining about to. Probably my baby sister, and I gotta think why do I do it? (Just so I can understand the other people around me that put this "gotta be doing something wrong" attitude)

I think I do it because e are 10 years apart and I have always done things she needed taken care of (if not my mom or other sister). If my mom was unable to get her after work, I grudgingly took her. If I my mom needed a babysitter (which was all the time since she worked 50 jobs to make ends meet and provide us with a home) my sister and I took care of it. If she needed a ride to friends place I (grudgingly) took her. If she needed help with her homework (when she actually told us she had it) I tried to help her and stopped when it was further than I went in school. I developed that "I always take care of you and give you the answers" complex.

She's now 20 and moving to Las Vegas (major sobbing in the background) and I as I try to put upon my big sister wisdom, it dawned on me to step down and talk to her realizing everything she does is going to be OK. I don't need to have my hands in everything she wants to do. I love her and it's time to move into a "forever" friendship role (of course maintaining big sister position when needed)

There it is, my ephiany of why others do the same to me...So I guess maybe when I grow up, others will realize that same thing and start giving me a break.

Hey wait, but I thought I was grown up! But I guess maybe I still have a little more to go.

So littlest little sister ( i have two), I'm sorry but know it's cause I love you and I couldn't help it!

Rambling ON....

Mary Poppins...

So, I rented Mary Poppins the other night and watched it before going to bed. It was kinda nostalgic and I even lied on my stomach with my legs and feet up and hands under my chin watching, laughing, (even humming the songs...I didn't want to appear uncool in front of the dog, being an Older adult now).

Stupid, but I remember liking the imagination the movie gave me. I wished that every picture I would place on the floor and jump on/in I could be like Mary Poppins and her friends. I even sang the song in my head if I had to take medicine as a child,(maybe my mom helped even singing..."A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, medicine go down..") but it never tasted better :o((! And I have to say that I was unable to clean my room with the snap of my fingers...No matter how hard I tried.

Well, I went to sleep happy and content singing (in my head)

"Oh, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"

Maybe I should say that when someone at work is killing me! 'o)

digging for ??? And girls night...

Okay, so I know all I've been blogging about is my dog, but since it's just been him and I he's pretty interesting to watch. So I gave him a treat, and he likes to sit on the edge of the bed and munch on it. But today, he went to the pillows and started to mock dig to "hide" his treat from me so I wouldn't touch it. It was quite funny. Than he started barking at either the pillow or his treat to tell it to not move. I loved it.




So, of course I thought it funny to get the camera and take some pictures and he poked his head out to see what I was up to! This was the look!

What are you gonna do! There just so damn cute. I can hear my friends and family saying that I need to get a life or something in reference to my patheticness (did that make sense?)


So Sunday night some of the girls came over to have some dinner, wine, dessert (yummyyy) and get some hair and makeup stuff together for the wedding.

First, we got kinda gourmet and had some artichoke that my mom taught me to make (soo easyyy, there's hope for me yet), Caesar salad, home made bruschetta (I'm still eating it by the way ana), garlic french bread with melted mozzarella cheese, white and red wine which didn't go the way we intended it to.

Than we took a break from eating...you know so we could enjoy dessert. So, we decided it was time to do some hair and makeup on me. Ana took to getting my hair straight...see picture below.



Aren't I crazy for putting this up?






Than I took one later on that evening so you could see the hair straight and the magic that ana's hands have in them!



Normally, I have crazy curly hair that sometimes has things in them. During this straightening of the hair ana found the white hair? Holy crap, I've never had one before. NOOOOOOO> so of course we took a picture of that on Denise's shirt so all could see. My first white hair.

Do you see it? D's finger is pointing right at it? It's short so ana said maybe its from wedding planning...(right...)

Well, I have bored all of you to death but I'll write later.

love love...and for dessert we had vanilla ice cream, pastry shells filled with vanilla pudding, creamy whip cream and fresh strawberries along with strawberry sponge cake served with creamy whip cream and fresh strawberries. And yes, we ate it all! Oink Oink

Thanks to the girls for dedicating their time and tummies for a fun night.

Da rambler

We're sad and looking for one of our "pack".

So Matt went off to Rhode Island for work. siggghhhh. Me and the dog are pretty sad, cause we haven't been without him over 4 years (for me, 1 year for Mookie). So not only am I looking outside for Matt, so is his doggie "son". Daddy is his alpha male.

I'm such a baby. I actually cried all the way home after dropping him off at the airport. I realized how much I do enjoy him being at home. Even if he is always scolding me for a messy house. (yes mom, he like you is always on my butt for turning off lights, folding my clothes..etc..)

Well, here's to the next couple of weeks without him.

The Rambler and her sad looking doggie!

a Day of Rest

Again, I try and I try to spend my days off doing something productive but yet my head stays stuck in a pillow with massive amounts of drool coming out of my mouth onto the bed. It's now about 3 pm and I'm just trying to get my crap together.

A happy Dog!

So, I have to blog about this great treat for your dog. If you have one and it's "crazy" like mine, this treat can guarantee you anywhere from 20 minutes to a couple of hours of "quiet" time. Prior to me giving this treat called "the Flossie", I had just come home from work (with nothing too dramatic), and he was doing marathon sprints around our home, up and down the hallway, around the couch several times, and for fun he thought why not jump in and out of the bathtub a zillion times. (That won't wake the neighbors downstairs!).

Coming home from work is supposed to be winding down time, and with a dog that's so excited to see you and needs to show you how much of a tough dog he is, it can be unpleasant sometimes. I give him one of these things (not all the time, cause I don't always have them), and he goes off to wherever he wants to have no one disturb him. Matt and I joke he becomes like Gollum from Lord of the Rings. The flossie is like Gollums obsession for the ring. Sometimes, when he's really into it, he is on his back and the flossie is between his paws and he's gnawing on it that way! (dogs, so funny)

Well, I'm sure some of you don't want to read about a dog all night, so I'll end this here. Mookie parked himself outside on the lanai in the dark. I can hear him chewing.

Peace and Quiet,

RAmbler

P.S. Maid of Honor talked me down from eating a Milky Way bar today. She told me I could eat a little of it, but after talking I felt better and put the candy bar down and walked away....THANK YOU ANA!

Thief?

Today at work, I and my staff were called thieves by a woman, her husband and their 7 year old daughter. This is how my days starts.

First table of the day. They eat, pay their bill and leave. Busboy finds a wallet on table. No problem, guests leave things all the time. Even their own children which happened 3 nights ago. Busboy runs after them but can't find them on the street, comes back up and gives the wallet to the server to give to the manager. Before that happens the guest come back in! The bartender smiles and walks over and tells them they left a kids wallet on the table. 5 minutes later with the father having spread his kids money on the bar table he is yelling at me that there was more money in there and wanted to know what I did with it?

Excuse me? You left YOUR wallet here, I didn't steal it, as I think of a calm way to speak to him.

"Sir, we just found your wallet, and the busboy ran after you as soon as he found it, but couldn't find you on the street."

"Well, tell me where half her money is?" he sternly responds.

"I don't know what your implying but my staff this morning are some of my most trusted staff!" I say professionally and with confidence.

His wife pipes in...

"That's pretty sad that you have a bunch of thieves working here and you consider them your most trusted staff!"

It was kinda like a car crash. You want to look away, but you can't and everything seems to happen in slow motion.

"I'm sorry you feel that way ma'am but anyone could have gone to your wallet before we even got to the table to clean it, I'm not sure what you want me to do?"

" I want you to give me my money back!" she retorts. I almost see horns poking through her bleached blonde hair.

"How do I know what money was in there to begin with?" I ask her.

"Are you calling us liars?" she hisses now. Time to get the bigger guns of the restaurant, my assistant general manager.

We go through the same thing with my AGM as they did with me, and they got the same type of actions from him as me.

"How many busboys do you have working right now?" she practically spits in his face.

"One, ma'am." he says nicely.

"Than it's obvious who took it than isn't it?" I could not believe she said that.

The AGM and I started pulling apart the booth that they were sitting in and the parents sarcastically say to each other

"Right, our daughters money is going to fall out and be under your booth!"

My boss turned to her and told her we were just trying to help them find her daughters "missing" money. With that they started to walk out but not without telling a lady at another table to hold on to her purse tight, because we were a bunch of thieves!

And how was your day?

WHY?

I work in a restaurant as those of you who know me know. And we are in the heart of Waikiki and I get to meet the most interesting people. Some nice, some not so nice and some I'm not quite sure what category to put them in, oh yeah and there's the your stupid and obnoxious category.

Today was one of those stupid and obnoxious category days. I was working the retail shop register today (cause of course one of my staff members did not show up!) and this one man kept saying our rivals name in regards to >>>

"Too bad, you don't give a military discount like {rival}?"

Almost hoping by saying that I will give it to him. So, because he wasn't specific, I say to him,

"We do give a military discount in our restaurant for dining!"

Big smile by me. Think of gleaming teeth if you can. Usually the normal ones stop there.

The man kept up.

"No, I mean for your t-shirts, like {rival}" Did you have to say their name again?

"Oh, sorry, but hey these $5.00 t-shirts your getting is still a really good deal considering their usually $24.00, betcha {rival} doesn't have that?" says me, with the smile becoming less gleaming! Now, I've gone and said their name.

"I guess your right, but weird that {rival} does both and you guys don't!"

I did everything I could not to throw the shirts at him and call him a cheap f--ker. He pays for his items totaling $15.21 (with an original price of $75.00). My chipper personality had disappeared by then and he tried to reconcile by making small talk about them just coming to the islands. I smile back and say

"How nice"

As he and his family are about to leave, he sends his daughter back in for a job application and jokes about getting a employee discount. Those five dollar shirts would be like two dollars he exclaims. I didn't have anymore energy to fight and say that our discount doesn't work on these insanely low priced t-shirts. I just smiled and got his daughter an application and as they walked out the front doors, he told her, loudly so I could hear,

"Cool, you could work here OR {rival}!"

AAAAAAAAAA!

People!

Da Rambler

One thing down....10 million more to go

Today was wedding dress shopping day!

First I woke up, got out of bed (and mind you not one drop of grouchy), showered, (the least that I could do) and met up with my maid of honor, Ana. We started with coffee to get us going, sat and chatted and mapped out the day's events.

I proudly showed her (more like she checked it while I was getting coffee) the bridal binder which had been filled out, ideas about the wedding inserted, to do stuff crossed off and complete. We were going to go and feed her bosses cat cause she was house sitting, but decided since the first shop was near us, we'd head there.

About 1 1/2 hour later or more, we found THE dress. Called mom for seal of approval and arranged to pick her up after work for the OK stamp. Even bridesmaids dresses were found, which was great! The list of to-do's is getting shorter.

We ate lunch, more like inhaled the sushi and ice cream for dessert. (yikes ladies, don't worry!) and had decided before lunch to check out this floral shop we both heard of....Well after such a tiring meal, we opted for a nap back at her place in the most comfortable bed I have ever been in. When people want optimal napping/sleeping time, go to her house. I drooled once my head it the pillow.

So, naptime over, we speed over to pick up mom and down to the dress shop to meet up with my sister and good friend. I love the seamstress lady, she's so nice and actually laughed at my stupid jokes. (not everyone does, so it was nice to be appreciated.) Put the dress on and mom's loved it. 50% down and the day was done.

So, big load off my mind!

Military style working out for me being created by maid of honor lies ahead.

Hope my cousin fares well with her dress tomorrow! Good luck Leigh!

Happily ever after,

Rambler

Crap spam comments????

So, I just started getting "spam" comments from anonymous bloggers for ads. Commercials per say for music, cheesecake, parenting???? What's that about. So, I have made it not available for anonymous commenters for a moment to hopefully stop it. Anyone else have this problem?

Diets suck but they work!

So, since I announced my wedding in December, I took drastic measures and had a big talk with myself. Time to put the crap stuff down and start eating healthy stuff. I can't tell you how many times I have started, stopped, restarted, restopped. But for some reason my wedding has become a huge motivation to lose these totally unwanted pounds and get back to some normalcy for my body. (it's been a couple of years but I can do it)

Anyway, the good news is that it's been 2 1/2 weeks and I have lost 10 pounds (give or take a few) and I'm not letting up yet. I have actually reintroduced my body to vegetables/fruits and water on a daily basis rather than a monthly thing. I haven't started exercising yet, but that's coming in
September when work slows down. (cause that's enough exercise in itself).

My only indulgence is on Starbucks Mocha Frappacino and Maple Oat Nut Scone (or Blueberry) every day. I have "replaced" it as one of my meals. And it keeps me from bingeing on chocolate which has been a favorite eating bad daily habit of mine. I know if I knocked it off I could help myself better but I figured it's what keeps me from going over the edge.

Well, here's to a skinnier Rambler for her wedding. Man it would be nice to not be called "fluffy" (as my best friend says to say instead of fat).

love love y'all!

slacker

Today, this title signifies my abilities of yesterday. I think in everyone's life (many times over for some) you have a day where you just can't get your crap straight. Your normally the go to person, but today you have become the NOT to go person. It's almost like watching a train wreck, cause you can see yourself but you can't stop yourself. Or rather start yourself.

Yesterday, I hit my bottoming out level of energy and when I got to work, all I could do was move extremely slow in order to do what was needed to be done correctly. But, I feel that this type of behavior is allowed quarterly. (Monthly might be excessive and you could get the Slacker title permanently).

Well, that's all my slacker motivating self can muster up for a post today so you all enjoy your day.

Da Slacka (Rambla)

Difficult people

I know I just blogged about taking things slower and maybe things will be clearer to you as to the actions of others....but today was just not one of those days.

I'm generally a nice person. (so I've been told, but than again...) I go out of my way to make sure others are comfortable, enjoying themselves and relaxed. I don't ask for the world but a simple thank you would be nice! What's sad is that it doesn't amaze me anymore. It shocks me more when someone goes out of their way to say those words that seem non-existence in some's vocabulary.

The bad words were working in overtime tonight in my head. All the while keeping a smile on my face so as to not alarm the staff that I wanted to take one of their heads off or a guest who was so cheap I wondered why they didn't just go to McDonald's which seemed more in their financial budget.

Well, here's to two days off....gotta enjoy them while I can.

sorry for the nastiness...

Grumpy Rambler

Slow it down

In today's times, people are always on the go, in a hurry to get to this appointment, get to that appointment. No one really has the time to be behind the slow person or help the slow person or be tolerant of the slow person.

I was at Starbucks the other morning for my daily mocha frappucino and maple oat nut scone and happened to be behind a man that was a little slow.

I started thinking in my head when the man asked for juice slowly and opened his two hands full of pennies that I must be on candid cameras. (Hello, why get juice in a coffee shop dude! I have my money ready, how about I go first and than you can go?)

My first thought was he was a bum that found some money and wanted something to drink. I started to get antsy because we (the rest of us in line) all figured he probably did not have enough money and he didn't know where he was or what size drink he wanted. I shifted my feet for a second and looked at the employee helping him. Poor starbucks man, wonder how he'll handle this one. Starbucks man was so nice and joked with the "bum" in a friendly way and said

"let's count these and see if you have enough so we can get you some juice."

The "bum" who had a slur went for his pocket and got our a wallet. I realized than that he wasn't a bum but some poor guy that probably had a stroke or something and was just trying to live life like the rest of us. He pulled out cash instead and gave the nice starbucks man the right amount, got his juice and went on his way. I felt real stupid for judging so quickly and thought how nice the employee was not to treat this man any differently because he was taking his time.

The message here folks is to slow it down and when you do you might actually see things a little more clearly. (I hear that song 'I can see clearly now the rain has gone...' or something like that)

Okay deep enough for me tonight. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

Da Rambla!

I think I can I think I can

So, I just realized I used my moms title of her blog in mine. Helllloooo Selena, be somewhat original!

Work is killing me. Everyone is asking me if I have things layed out for the wedding yet and that is a big fat NO. I seem to be working more now that my life seems to know it's important for me to start the serious planning process.

I guess I should use this time now to do that but damn, I'm tired and I just got the female's favorite monthly friend! GGGRRRRRR. That got me thinking about if on my wedding day, please if there is a heaven above, grace me with the absence of my friend during that week.

Tired, exhausted, pooped out

Rambler

So much to do, so little time

I did it to myself. But by God, I will get it done!

Matt and I decided to get married in less than 5 months. You can plan a wedding in that amount of time without killing yourself. (Or anyone trying to help you Right?)

Since we decided on the date, I've been dieting like no other. Damn proud of myself. One week and a half and I've lost six pounds. Aunty, on the boat with you. We can keep track together. I've been on this tuna fish sandwich, carrots, grapes, salad, yogurt, lots of water kick. Are you to tell me that if you actually watch what you shovel into your mouth makes a difference? (hehehe)

Everyday, Matt gets better at saying the word wedding, and says it more frequently. The first week after he decided that we should get married this Christmas, anytime I brought up anything pertaining to white, marriage, money (that one was tough), rentals, food, bridesmaids, groomsmen.....he totally freaked. I don't mean like run and never talk to me again freak. He likes low key, non stress, low budget kind of events. (did I mention, he'd really prefer not to be sweating.) So all this planning, which I enjoy since at my restaurant that's all I do, has gotten him worked up. The funny-sad part about it is that I have barely told him everything. Most of my ideas have bounced off my mother, sister, best friend, or cousin. The serious gotta ask him questions are handled gently and carefully, leaving him feeling that he didn't just get his teeth pulled out.

So, this weekend is the bridal expo and the bridal crew (along with the 2 grooms, they were told beer is offered. Hope to god it is!) are checking it out and making a list. More to come than.

So, all this while working 6 days a week at work, than doing part time billing for a doctor, trying to read the new Harry Potter book (come on!), cleaning the house, making sure the dog is taken care of, I am trying to plan the wedding.

Night Night folks.

Holy engagement rings batman!

Below are 3 couple who have become engaged with 7 days from each other!

Kalani and Rachel engaged July 3, 2005 (supposed to be July 4th but according to Rachel, Kalani was scared he might lose it and decided to pass the losing part on to his FIANCEE!) kidding Kalani! They haven't exactly told me the story of their engagment. But Rachel mentioned July 4th, was their 2 year anniversary of being together.

Next is myself and Matt
July 9th, 2005.

I had come home from a long work day. He was acting a little funny, but what else was new? After one attempt of coming into the living room, standing behind me with me looking back asking him several times what was wrong with him? Are you trying to buy beer? Why are you acting weird? Sit down and watch TV with me! Why are you leaving?

5 minutes later after downing a big gulp of his beer in the bedroom he came out and asked me to shut the TV off so he could ask me something....ding ding ding. BIG GULP (from me and him),trying to keep the tears to a minimum (from me and a little from him), he got down on one knee and proposed.

"Oh my god, are you serious? Holy crap, Yes" Not exactly romantic words but them what they were.

Now moving on to my "sister", I mean cousin...

July 10, 2005. Leigh and Didoboy.

After a long day at an amusement park of worrying of a possible lost ring, not talking to people, older cousin Kalani wondering why Didoboy hadn't done it yet on the rides like he said he was going to do, making it back to Grandparent's house and finding the ring where he had left it the day before, he pulled the slightly-worried-wondering what she did-I didn't mean to say that- Leigh in the bedroom, got down on one knee and...She stopped him with I have to change Kaha's diaper. While she probably pooped her own pants figuring what was happening, she finished and went back to the poor man on his knee and than....Grandma walked in. Leigh got down on her knees with Didoboy so Grandma wouldn't figure out what was happening yet. After some chit chat Grandma left and Didoboy FINALLY proposed!

These two culprits are what started it. (From the bottom of my heart, thank you, seriously and I'm sure that's from all of us!) Brian and Kahea! They got married June 4, 2005. Their next venture is their child being born in December! Congrats. My cousin Rachel (at the top) sent us cards saying

"whatever they put in the food at the wedding, it worked!"

Sure did!

And that folks is all she wrote.

Now it's just a race to the alters guys!

A very happy engaged bride to be...along with my other bride to be's

oh my god!

As you can see by the picture, my significant other has lost the bet with Kalani and Didoboy! (joking) I just wanted to share with everyone Matt's and my exciting news that we are engaged! I'm too excited to try to be witty and funny so I'll leave you all to write later.

Love Love,

The newly engaged Rambler

P.S. Aunty I would have called you but it was late and I know your sick. If you read this, call me! love love

Little Reminders

Okay, first of all this is not my normal haha, funny, sarcastic PMS kind of post. It's a little sentimental and about my dad.

My dad passed away over 12 years ago from lung cancer and I struggle with the fact that he is not in my life anymore. Somedays, I "forget" he's not here and other days, it's extremely difficult. I don't talk much about the pain of his absence just because I absolutely hate crying in front of anyone except significant other (and even that is tough). Funny, me coming from a mother who's super sensitive characteristics was passed on to her three daughters.

Anyway, in these 12 years since his death, certain things will pop up to remind me of a time with him, or just about him. Sometimes I like to think it's his sutle way of letting me know he's still with me and keeping an eye on things from above. When I'm driving to work, dreading it, I always see this company truck that has his name in their logo. It always puts a smile on my face. He smoked a lot and I always had that smell of his cigarettes in my throat, and every once in a while at home by myself, I get that smell. Little things like that.

A couple of days ago at the movies, I was behind a family with three daughters. The mother and two youngest went to get seats while the oldest stayed with her dad to help with snacks. I watched them and tears started to form as the father put his arm around her and kissed her and laughed about whatever they were talking about. And I realized I really missed those kinds of moments with him. I put the sunglasses on and thankfully for my lack of holding it in, they moved to a new line that opened up. The tears and sadness lasted for but a moment, when I thought hey, I wasn't even thinking of him, and I'm having a really rough week at work, and here is a reminder of my dad letting me everything is going to be OK. I smiled and thanked him silently and ordered my popcorn and soda and went on with the rest of my day.

Thanks for reading today's' blog if you made it this far.

By the way, my mom had done a kick ass job being two parents for me and the sisters for longer than 12 years! Nobody better could have done a better job!

Pet Peeves when going to the movies

Tonight significant other and I went to watch a movie. I should have known it was not going to be my usual pleasant movie going experience from the moment I stood in line to get the tickets.

I should start off by first saying I wasn't feeling well. So,I was notmentally or physically in the "right" state.

Here are some of my rules when going to the movies. (in story form of course)

1. As we stood in line, we were told to wait by the ticket seller, while some lady had a problem with changing the time for the show she bought. There were 2 other open tellers and their just staring at me, but never said "We can help you!" Hello, I obviously want to watch a movie, not stand here in line waiting for someone to figure out what time show they want to go to....BEFORE YOU STAND IN LINE, DECIDE WHAT MOVIE YOU WANT. WHEN YOUR READY, GO AHEAD, HAVE YOUR MONEY READY, DON'T ASK THE TICKET SELLER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHICH MOVIE TO WATCH. SHE DOESN'T CARE!

2. Get in the theater and AAAAA, not so busy so we find seats were no one was in front of us, or the back. As the movie starts a family sits in front of us and the back. Darn, but oh well. The first preview starts and we realize the front seat mother is one of those loud talkers and she begins to annoy me. She talks through all the previews and I start to squirm in my seat, (because I am still feeling sick and again, she's annoying me). As the credits begin to start for the show her goddamn cell phone rings (several times, cause apparently she thinks other people keep their phone on). She fricking answered it and talked for like 2 minutes. I kinda slammed by bag in the seat next to me and her husband realized maybe his wife was annoying. Didn't stop her. I waited a moment and told myself if she was still talking by the time the movie people started talking, she was going to get my voice in her ear to not be so rude. That didn't happen. She was so lucky. (empty threat folks) DON'T BE RUDE, TURN YOUR PHONE OFF, OR AT LEAST LEARN ENGLISH SO YOU CAN READ THE SIGNS THAT SAY TURN OFF YOUR PHONE FOR THE CONVIENCE OF OTHERS.

3. 10 minutes into the movie. The same damn family decides maybe their hungry. A bunch of What do you want, etc...before the loud mother sends her three kids off to the snack bar. They come back and passing around, and saying that's mine, and whatever else a family needs to settle in. GET YOUR SNACKS BEFORE YOU COME IN PEOPLE! IF NOT, DON'T MAKE LIKE FIREWORKS WHEN YOU INTERRUPT OTHERS WATCHING THE MOVIE WHEN YOU COME BACK TO YOUR SEAT.

4. I settle down, and before you know it the lady behind me has her phone ringing in her bag. This had got to be a joke! She says something than hands the phone to her kid. Come fricking on you guys! I listen for a moment as the kids gives his uncle a play by play of the movie so far, before Matt looks back at the mom and she tells them to get off the phone. REVERT BACK TO RULE #2.

5. When someone sits in front of you, DON'T PUT YOUR FRICKING FEET/KNEES ON THE BACK OF THEIR CHAIR. THEY DO FEEL IT! DON'T PUT YOUR FEET UP ON THE CHAIR UNLESS SOMEONE IS 2 SEATS AWAY. NO ONE WANT'S TO SMELL YOUR STINKY SHOES.

Maybe it was just me, but I felt like it was candid camera and someone was going to see how much I could tolerate.

GGGrowllll....

I hate stupid people. They annoy me.

RAMlber

how much are you worth and crazy dancing...

I was searching the internet tonight and came across this website www.humanforsale.com. You enter in all this information about your life and it tells you how much in american dollars you are worth if for sale. It's interesting. I'm worth a million dollars after entering all my information.

Anyway, it bases some of its questions on educational background, IQ, height, weight, color of hair and eyes. I thought some of you's who reads my blog might check it out. You are allowed to leave some answers blank if you don't know it. And at the end before you uncheck the box for some jury for you newsletter, pick your member name and password first than submit survey. Hope all of you let me know how much your worth!

OK, than I found this guys website www.dailydancer.com and he's a computer dork that made his blog by dancing where ever he is. Click here for video He does this stupidly funny dance in his living room to Whip It by devo and you guys have to check it out. You won't be sorry. If I know most of you, you will laugh your a-s off! I did!

A most satisfied Rambler

Good friends, wine, garlic and way too much food..

(Denise, Edie, Ana and I) Happy Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Happy Birthday to you!
Happppyyyyy BIIIrrtthhdaayyy dear Deniseeeeeee!
Happy Happy Birthday to you!

Whew. Now I have sung (wrote whatever!) this to you twice today! Hope you enjoyed it?

So last night us girls went out to this restaurant called Ninniku-Ya, (Garlic Restaurant), for Denise's birthday. For Garlic lovers, this is a place to absolutely try again and again. If you can't stand it, and I mean revolt at the thought of garlic, do NOT go to this place unless you want to
just drink wine and eat their chocolate decandant cake. (Yummmy!)

Ana, Denise and I polished off a bottle of white wine (more like ana and I put she still had a glass). Later, Ana and I attempted to tackle the red wine when our entrees came. (we couldn't even finish what was in our first glass of it)


We had all skimped on our meals for breakfast and lunch to have room for our garlicy meal. This proved to be a little on the wrong thing to do since we ordered more food than our tummy's could handle. By the time our entrees came, we were taking those deep breaths you take to make room in the stomach for more. A little while later and some small bites of our food, we called it. Can't do anymore! Absolutely can NOT eat another bite! You can't make us! Please take out boxes. No more!


What, did you say dessert? UMM, we really shouldn't? But OK! ;o)

So us fatties rolled out of there, as we kept saying just one more bite of dessert, but not without begging our server to take our pictures so we can remember the night.

The girls joked with me (since I was a garlic lovers restaurant virgin) that I will reek of garlic for a couple of days. I know that I made it home (and if you read my last blog you know what happened), and tried to relax but no matter how much teeth brushing and listerine gargling I still tasted it in my mouth. My dog kept biting the air when I would breath his way. Forget about the burping and farting!

Well it was a fun evening with the girls, as always! A nice reminder how important it is to have friends in your life!

Happy Birthday D!

Rambler

small kine scare....

As I got home from a long day at work, and dinner with friends for a birthday, I park my car on the far side of the parking lot and as I get out of my car and start walking to my house, my little 18 pound dog Mookie comes charging across the parking lot from some bush. Which by the way is not normal by any means.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

(Story from this point told in third person)

He charges across the lot because he realizes his "mommy" is home and wants to greet her. And maybe because he's running at super speed, so his mommy has to grab his face to stop him from passing her to prevent a high pursuit chase of dog through the townhouse community which covers a lot of ground. "Mommy" grabs him, and storms to the front door of their house and almost feels sorry for the piss words that are going to come out of her mouth to "daddy" for not realizing the dog was cruising the neighborhood.

With the door already open which was a given, and carrying a excited dog, "mommy" screams "daddys"' name down the hallway.

Ding Ding Ding. The gloves are on and "mommy's" a swinging. Of course the dog has no idea why "mommy" and "daddy" have started world war three at 9:00 pm at night. (ring a bell aunty?) It's obvious that nothing can be change what happened, so the yelling stops and each boxer retreats to their corners. After some mellowing out time, and an obviously unhurt dog a truce was called between the two!

(end third party version of story)

Sooo, although I meant to come home and blog about my fabulous dinner this evening, I will save this for tomorrow night.

Freaked out by small kine scare,

(And in this corner....Feisty and Crazy
Rammmmbbblllerrr)

If you have nothing nice to say....

So, my aunt blogged tonight that we have been so negative in our blogs and need to find the "nice" things in life and write about them.....


LOOOONNNNGGGG PPPAAAAUUUUSSSSEEEE.....

Okay, sorry I just can't do it. I don't know why but I must have been suffering Monday work blues. I could not be nice at all for the first 20 minutes of work. Picture above says it all! I work in Hell. I just know it!

I tried but:
my fake smile was more fake than it should have been,
I rolled my eyes in front of the person instead of behind their back,
stared at someone with your the stupidest human being I've met today glare,
told my boss I really didn't want to be there (and not because I felt sick),

I could go on but I will minimize my negativity and look at the bright side.

(Insert cricket noises and tumbleweeds blowing implying again long pause)

Oh, I have dinner with my girlfriends tomorrow. Whew, I found something nice to blog about.

All my bitter love,

An unhappy Rambler...

How was your day?

My eyes opened barely with overnight sleep sealing some of my lower and upper eyelids together until I peeled it off. The time was 7:58, the reason I was up, because some moron thinks it's OK to call another person at that time. (No, it wasn't Leigh either) I didn't answer the phone because it was out of reach on the computer desk and lord knows it's so much more comfortable under the covers than out of the covers.

So far I've had 4 and half hours of sleep. I think that if I get up now I could do laundry, finish schedules that I could not finish the night before, vacuum all the dog hair around, clean the kitchen up, and maybe get to that cleaning of the spare bedroom project I've been meaning to do.

I opted for more sleep. (are you surprised?) I'll do all of that later! Right?

I think I slept another hour, before the phone rang again. This time it was the other half trying to tell me what he did to the computer the night before. My brain had not turned on yet so everything he told me sounded like a foreign language. After not responding to him like I should have been, he got the message and let me sleep again.

My eyes fluttered open on their own, looking for the time on the cable box. 9:45 a.m. Ummmm, I should get up. I turn over and Mookie the dog is sleeping next to me but on his back totally in lala land. Who could blame him, it was so damn comfortable sleeping today. Back to reality, must get up and get started with my day. Phone rang a little bit later and this time it was my cousin Leigh. She wondered if she woke me and I told her only if that was her before 8:00 which she quickly said "That wasn't me this time!" We made our plans for the day.

Day off of work, but still had some work business to finish and email off so I could continue my day in peace. Vacuumed, laundry, kitchen, fixed bed and I was good to go before the sister and cousins came over for our weekly pool date.

Had fun at the pool, everyone left to do their other things and I did an errand for the other half. Came back home and told myself I deserved a nap. TV on (cause that's what helps my family fall asleep), pillows all propped up and off I went to the happy place called NAPLAND. Drool and heavy snoring followed.

AND how was your DAY?

Da Rambla

Full Moon

I just got home a little while ago. Its about 2:30 in the morning. Still have to stay up and do some schedules for work. Probably another hour and I'll be done.

Anyway, tonight had to have been a full moon with all the weirdos I dealt with at work tonight. First of all, I mentally was in no mood to be at work, (but I was there!). Second, it's so hard being the manager trying to tell your staff to stay positive and be motivating. Too much energy needed for something like that.

I can't shake the tired feeling, couldn't do it all night.

I think I will continue this blog another time. Got to get back to finishing my schedules for work so I don't spend my day off doing it.

AAAAOOOOOO (wolf howl, full moon, get it?)

Rambling on

Taboo

My mother is going to kill me!

I won't say what but lets just say that certain things should not be said to ones children. She knows what I am talking about and her younger sister knows what I am talking about. I don't know why but I don't understand why some love to say things to others just to watch them squirm, keel over, vomit, turn absolutely white, or and plain just run away.

Who am I kidding, I love spilling the beans, or grossing someone out or being the reason why someone gasped at what I just told them! Anyway, not much else to say that yes mom, (aunty and cousin), I do realize my mother has done everything (if not more) than I, and I may not like it. But tough!

One day my kid will be gossiping with Kaha about how silly their mothers are and I too will not understand or believe they are just like me.

Damn, were getting old!

Love yah mom and mean it!

A most deaf and blind rambler after taboo facts were unfolded to me the other night.
(mercy Aunty, mercy)

Rambler

Kids...I don't know

The other day at work, (remember I work in a restaurant), we had a party of 37 hyped up kids (ages 11-12) and 7 haggard looking adults (chaperones if you will) that came in for a pre-set menu dinner. What I mean by that is instead of 40 choices on the menu they had only 4 to pick from. No problem, I thought, their kids, it will be fast, quick and painless. For goodness sakes, we've had 200 people come in at a time with this type of menu and it went as I described above.

Well, lets just say that fast, quick and painless was not any part of what took place. It started easy enough. Pepsi or Sierra Mist were the beverage choices. That took 5 minutes. Whew, just need to take the food order and then were home free.

I seem to have forgotten how 11 year old kids order food. It went something like this...

Server: "Pizza, Ham and Cheese sandwich, Spaghetti or Kid Tenders?" (is the only question asked to the kids. Listed below were the some of the non-typical answers or questions)

Kid #1: "I don't want any of that! Do you have hot dogs?"

Kid #2: "I don't like meatballs or red sauce, can I just have noodles?"

Kid #3: "Even though I'm allergic to peanuts and you told me only to get pizza or spaghetti, I want the French fries!"

Me: "Remember sweetie, you can only have the pizza or spaghetti. So which one?"

Kid #3: "I can eat French fries!"

Me: thinking only..."No way in hell are you going to have an allergic reaction because once you had French fries. Not in this restaurant! "Sorry sweetie, (gritting teeth), pizza or spaghetti!"

Kid:3: "fine, I'm not hungry!" and gave me a look that told me I was starving her to death.

Kid 4: "Why can't she have French fries???? I'm not going to eat either! Your a mean lady!"

At this point I ask in my head where in the hell is the chaperone. But than I realize maybe their at the bar taking some shots of tequila so they can deal with this for the remainder of their trip which by the way lasted 2 weeks without parents. Maybe I might join them if I can't get the rest of the kids to cooperate and order their damn food.

Of course, you think it ends here. We take the food out and kids started taking other kids food cause it looked better, than stared point blank at you and said they ordered what they stole. Trying to negotiate and bargain with these kids was insanely hilarious cause I don't remember being that smart. I always listened to my elders (I think?). After 30 minutes all the food was served and me and the two servers made it out with just minor trauma to the head. I felt for the chaperones because although my time with them was ending, theirs was not.

I know this is what kids are supposed to do, or what their supposed to be like...Whatever. All I know is that I am only going to have 2-3 kids max!

To my cousin who is a teacher for kindergarteners...God bless you! I couldn't do it! I hope the school system provides you with tranquilizers (for the kids) and valium (for you)!

To all a good night!

Da Rambla...

things to make you laugh...(another boring blog)

I was looking through my archives of pictures and came across this one that made me laugh. Sometimes I've been the friend farting and sometimes I've been the one in the back taking a whiff of the unexpected surprise.

I just love hanging around people that make you laugh out loud. My friend Denise told me "she laughs out loud at computer like retard" (or something like that) that crack me up.

My friends and I love laughing and when we do it's mostly obnoxiously loud. She was at my work one night with another friend and was laughing so hard, one of my staff members asked if they were high! That's how much we love laughing. (and no they weren't high).

My family lovessss to laugh out loud like retards. Mostly at the expense of another family member and of course mostly meant in jest. I remember one time on vacation back in 1993 the whole family went to Disneyland. My cousin Leigh and I along with my sisters would laugh too much it drove Uncle Troll under Bridge crazy. He separated us at dinner one evening because we couldn't control ourselves when Bob the Indian (INDIA) waiter was waiting on us. "HELLO, my name is Bob!" in the accent that for some reason got us spitting out at each other with laughter.

Well, I am gonna go now. By the way, my cousin Leigh and her boyfriend made me laugh so damn hard tonight when I called them. I guess that's why I blogged about laughter.

The Laughing at Computer like Retard Rambler (thanks Denise'o)

f

kids make the funniest faces!

I don't know if you can see the hilarious face my nephew/cousin Kaha is making at his older cousin Hannah. If not, click on the picture and it should give you a bigger shot of it. It's almost like he's saying

"duh, hannah, I think they want a picture of me...(older kids, they just don't get it)"

I don't know if you've ever watched Family Guy. Its a funny cartoon about a family that consists of a tard father, smart mother, missing-a-couple-brain-cells older brother, smart but misunderstood sister, a talking dog that drinks martinis and a baby that wants to blow the planet up but is not taken seriously. He's the most cynical babies in cartoon TV right now. Anyway, one thing lead to another in my head and I got to thinking of Kaha and all that cute baby talk and what it really means. Instead of what we might think it is.

anyway, not much to report tonight so love to you all.

The rambler

funny shot

movie night and old married couples

The other half and I went to watch a movie tonight. "Mr and Mrs. Smith" with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. (These two actors are so damn good looking together, sorry Jenn Aniston).

I won't spoil the movie and go on about how funny it is for couples to watch together. I think no matter what type of person you are, you'll relate in some way to the way this movie couple portray a married couple who hit a rut. ( oh yeah and discover their both spies for rival agencies but somehow managed to marry each other with secret identities.)

My sister blogged about old married couple syndrome. How it affects those even under the age of 60, even 50 really. She referenced how my relationship had moved into that phase almost whole heartedly. It's as if she pictures me as an old jewish lady yelling at her semi-deaf, semi-bind husband that wears wife beaters with pants that need to be held up with suspenders. The other day we were eating breakfast and noticed an older couple where the husband was pushing his wife in her wheelchair. Matt (other half) said that could be us later in life. I said he'd be senile by than and I'd probably be still waiting in the garage for him to put me in the car for breakfast while he was eating it! Some of you reading might think it's funny, (and it is!) but I fear that this could be truth.

Well, not much else to say except just 2 more days until my weekend. (mine lands on Thursday this week). Counting down.......49 hours, 53 minutes and 20 seconds to go....

The Rambler

Things you wonder about....if you were me!

I was driving home today wondering what I could blog about and weird things popped in and out of my head and thought why not blog about the weird things I wonder about. I warn you that some of these might make you laugh, make you scratch your head, wonder why I would even write such a thing, but again if you don't want to get swallowed in my strangeness stop here and come back another day for another blog....

...you ever wonder why no matter what lane your driving in why the slowest person moves right in front of you.

...if I die, will a lot of people come to my funeral

...why is it that I can't lose weight to save my life but can gain a pound a second just thinking about it.

...why some people that come to your restaurant and order food from YOU and are completely rude and dont' realize that I get their food first, not them....if you know what I mean...(don't worry, haven't done it, only thought about it!)

...why can't their be enough money in the world

...why some people lie point blank to your face and don't give two sh-ts about it.

...when you hit 30 do you really get depressed like everyone says they do.

...

This is my cousins at their wedding reception. It was so beautiful! Kahea was so beautiful. My cousin Brian of course was a hanesome man despite his cold that he had. June 4th, 2005! 

My crazy cousin Kalani and his girlfriend Rachel had buffet line duty! He was a pig, I mean he was serving the pig...love ya kalani, mean it!!! 

This is a moment when my cousin and I were trying to regroup and figure out what we needed to do, when it needed to get done, oh yeah and figure out how we were going to do it! She was my partner in crime that evening. 

Ok, here is another shot of my best friend Ana (right) and sister Sammy. Right before the hordes of people hit the buffet line, this was the last lovely shot of these girls before the sweat hit! 

here is a shot of my cousin Brian (Keoki) getting married to my new cousin Kahea. The whole wedding was in Hawaiian! 

Relaxation is a wonderful thing

Yesterday was the first day that I took a breath from everyday life and just relaxed. I didn't mean for it to happen either, it just snuck up on me. I had gone over to my aunt's house and took my fat butt into the pool and went swimming. After driving my dog crazy going back and forth I decided to float (some might say like a whale, certainly felt like one). All of a sudden, for the first time in almost 2 months, I didn't have a thought in my head. Of course my uncle would say we girls don't have anything in there anyway!

I was literally at complete peace. I didn't have to entertain anyone, get anyone anything, do anything on a timeline, listen to complaining staff members how horrible their lives are because they had to work, hear my dog getting into anything....I didn't have to do a thing!

It was semi short lived because the rest of the family came back to my aunts house from the beach, and we finalized our plans for the evening, which meant to hightail it out of Kailua and get back to Aiea to get ready and take a quick nap, than drive to town...whew, like I said, it was nice while it lasted.

Our evening was great! Us cousins met up at Dave and Busters along with my two friends and we had a blast! Of course the two shots of Patron Silver and margarita helped. Needless to say it was nice being all together and having a good time. I'm not sure if we weren't related if we all would have been friends anyway, but I knew we all had each others backs if needed. Well this is my Sunday and I go back to work tomorrow...

aaoommmm (meditation sounds if you can hear it),

Most at Peace Rambler

Aftermath of a wedding

Aftermath of a wedding. Day after.

Haggard looking family members that worked the event, glazed looks of some that are taking a nap with their eyes open while talking to ones that seem okay, uncle and grandfather cooking up a storm of leftovers so they don't waste what wasn't used.

Tonight we all congregated at my uncle Dickys and aunty Nolas house to get together and enjoy each others company. (I'm sure my uncle begs to differ). Everyone was there. All the aunties, the grandparents, cousins and their kids, sister. We sat in the backyard and we had a great time, talking, eating, drinking, and gossiping. Cause that's what we do best. We talked about what coulda been different or what worked out really great. Than it got into who would be next and all the single guys, which was my cousin Kalani and the boyfriends, Matt (my guy) and Didoboy (Leigh's guy) trying to make a pact to stand strong and don't give in...whatever guys. Leigh and I confessed that almost every holiday we call each other and ask if the other got a ring for a gift. Didoboy joked that Kamehameha day was coming up and to get ready for the call. Hahaha, so funny. Anyway, theres some kind of race going on now, which is different for all the girls versus the way the boys are seeing this race. We can't wait to be first, and the boys want to be in back of the line.

It was so nice though just chatting in the backyard, it made me feel so happy inside that I have a family like this that shared so much (my uncle troll under the bridge says too much), with each other. I looked at my grandparents tonight and was thankful because if it wasn't for those two getting together this night wouldn't have been possible.

Well, back to work tomorrow and just getting my butt kicked by work alone.

Ramling On...

The Haggard Rambler

p.s. I know I said i would post pictures of the wedding but I still haven't gotten copies from mom.

thank god for best friends...and boyfriends!!!

So tonight was finally the wedding for my cousin and my "new" cousin! This has been a trying week for all in the family, which most of the stress was on the wedding couple of course!

Today started off with finishing the wedding video to play at the reception. Took 2 hours longer than excepted which put a little cramp on things. Everyone in the family, (and I mean EVERYONE) had some sort of assignment/mission/goal that needed to be accomplished to make the little details of a wedding party go sucessfully. Everyone worked so hard tonight and did such a great great job!

My cousin Leigh was trying to care for her baby. (Thank goodness for mucho grande babysitters. Scary at one point, cause I don't know if we knew exactly who had him!), MC the wedding, get coordinated with her brother (groom) to see what he wanted done, host the party and make sure everyone was happy, take care of the baby, get coordinated with me so we could do the food thang...., and if I didn't already mention this, make sure the guests were happy.

With that to tie into the title. My best friend Ana agreed, (don't think we both knew what she was getting herself into) to help me with the buffet line. She was like the extra hand when both my hands were tied which was all night. She was dressed so pretty with nice Coach heels and within an hour, she was working the party in my slippers getting nasty dirty with all the Poi, Kulolo, and haupia and whatever other hawaiian food might have gotten on her. The fact that anyone sacrifices their sanity for 6-8 hours for you has gotta be family or the best friend.

On to the boyfriends. All the girl cousins have boyfriends. Every single one of them worked like a mofo. And I mean that affectionately! Sammy's boy ran food (burning and non burning) from the kitchen a mile away, took care of juice/water area, lifted heavy stuff if needed, and helped cut Haupia with the best friend Ana. Whew, Leigh's boy helped decorate our pillars in the reception area, lifted heavy stuff, endured his crazy woman, and took care of the baby when it was his turn. My boyfriend also was a rockstar. He did the AV stuff (side note to my boss who drove, from home, to get me a replacement projector when the one we had didn't work, so the wedding wasn't off without this little detail.), sweated profusely, lifted food with Sammys man, let me takeover his computer (which is a lot) for over a week now and put up with my crap. To all you boyfriends you are the absolute best....Also, my cousin's Kalani's girlfriend Rachel helped at the buffet line, which was not an expected thing as she was supposed to just be a guest, but she rocked the house serving her rice...kudos to you girl! Kalani better give you a back rub later!

Well, it's been a long day, long week and now things should calm down. It's all about returning everything to it's normal place mentally, physically and what ever elsecally!

Like the supermarket cashier told us, (we bought some beer after for home)

"Your family nice, mine, I sit like a princess until I gotta go home! You guys crazy or what?"

Yes lady! Yes we are.!

Too much to do, so little time...

As you know, (if you have been keeping up), my cousin's wedding is this weekend. The whole ohana (family in hawaiian!) is down to "help". I mentioned in an earlier blog that we all love to get into each other's buisness and think we are helping but really maybe, just maybe we are getting in the way. Of course, we are all getting on each others nerves. Most everyone in town is staying with my aunt and uncle (grooms parents) which after a while can be draining. I talked to my uncle tonight and pondered whether to ask him a question regarding things that needed to be done, but realizing that if I ask, my uncle will either

1. pass out from such an overwhelming stupid girly wedding question,
2. snarl at me that he doesn't know what it's like to be in a normal household where no one is there except himself anymore(and I do mean himself! He likes and craves peacefulness and that is the only way he gets it)
3. say call your aunty, and ask her when she's going to be home, we got a lot of work to do!
4. actually answer my question but with me completely apologizing for interupting him.

However a little here and a little there added up to what he told me and I came out of it alive. You gotta love my uncle. He was feared by all cousins, taught us the meaning of keeping weeds out of his yard, and that if we clean the pool tiles with toothbrushes we could get Happy Meals....(boy did he get ripped off!;o), the boys were weary of his watch that shocked them. (us girls never got the privilige), and some of us got in a pretzel hold usually him pinning us down screaming "mercy, mercy! I'll clean the yard!"

All joking aside (kinda) he means the world to me! He knows why, so I won't go embarssing him on this site about the moment his existence in my life changed him from mean old troll under the bridge to knight in shining armor.

So, with one day away, everyone is at their wit's end hoping everything is getting done.

So will share the stories of our fabulous night!

Love,

Super Duper Tired Rambler!

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)