Saturday, April 26, 2008



I'm lying on my couch, looking out the lanai and while it's heading towards nighttime, I can definitely see the vog. Hmm, vog, what's that? Only in Hawaii do you get vog (could be elsewhere but I hadn't heard of it before until I got here)...because of the volcanoes. Similar to the smog that L.A. gets, Hawaii gets the combination of volcano and fog. The volcanoes from the Big Island are always producing lava but sometimes they produce a lot of smoke, actually sulphur dioxide, which is really bad for those with respiratory problems. This past week, the Volcanoes National Park was actually closed, because of the vog. I'm not sure if they told people to leave the area but I would imagine that some people aren't outside right now.

Last weekend, I listened to the Kokua Festival, a whole lot of bands. The headliners were Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson, a local guy. I say listen, because, I was with a bunch of people in the park just outside the concert venue. We could still here them but couldn't see them. However, we were able to barbecue and eat, eat and eat.

This past was uneventful but I did have to start thinking about where I'm going to next. I've got 4 weeks left on the island, planned to be off for 3 weeks as I get more organized with what I'm taking in my car and then vacation in Vancouver with my family. I also needed time to get a license so I had to figure out where I was going to next soon. A position near Anchorage came up but the timing wasn't right, they couldn't wait, so I guess it wasn't meant to be! I interviewed with a hospital in Pueblo, CO for an acute assignment and a private clinic in Tacoma, WA. As tough as it was, since they both wanted me, who wouldn't ;), I chose to go to Tacoma for the outpatient/hand assignment. In addition, it's close to Vancouver, so I can see my aunts and cousins a little more for the time I'm there as well as the Seattle and Portland areas, Columbia Gorge, Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Puget Sound/Olympic Peninsula, etc. I've wanted to see it so I'm looking forward to it. As a result, I've just spent the last 24 hrs, minus the few hours of sleep, trying to get the paperwork for the WA OT license. A little stressful, to say the least!

Have a good weekend!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

To the North Shore and beyond!



Well, finally, friends that love me enough to come visit! She's lived here before, he's never been and me, well, I'm just along for the ride... literally! It all makes for a wonderful, what, romance novel? tv series? movie of the week? I don't know. Anyways, it was terrific to see some familiar faces with whom I could see some new places. Friday night, we had some drinks by the ocean with the sun reflecting off the water as it goes down over the horizon...it was truly beautiful.

Saturday involved a scenic drive along the windward side of O'ahu while a crazy GPS voice guided us away from the coast and yelled at us if we tried to enter coordinates as we were driving. I think it was possessed! We drove by Hanauma Bay where the water was a beautiful blue color with waves that invited you into their cool depths; Halona Blowhole, where water shoots up through a hole in the rock coast eroded away by the ocean; past Chinaman's Hat, a rock formation in the water just off the coast which really does look like its name, all the way up to Turtle Bay Resort where we stopped for lunch. We were hoping to get a little suntanning session but the clouds wouldn't cooperate and we got lightly rained on.

Further up, we stopped at Sunset Beach, which is near the Banzai Pipeline and Gas Chambers surfing areas, where, I'm told, some of the best waves reside. Now I'm not a surfer, nor a surfing fan, but, at least, I've heard of the North Shore, where only the tried and true surfers go as it can be rough on beginners. The waves were crashing pretty hard. We were able to get some sun before the showers started again.

It was an amazing drive, where the waters turned different shades of blue/green and the waves went from small surf, to calm as can be, to a surfer's delight. The terrain was as varied, with mountains and rolling hills to beaches where the grains were like eroded tiny, tiny pieces of shell, not grains of sand. I could actually see the different colors, shapes, patterns that were smooth. The other amazing thing was that the North Shore area was overcast with showers whereas Honolulu was sunny, blue sky with a slight sprinkle. We saw the most amazing rainbow, where the colors were so vivid and clear and huge. There was also a second barely visible rainbow above it. My friend took a picture so I'll post it when I get it, however, it won't do it justice.

I also succumbed this weekend to the tech craze. I posted a myspace profile...not sure how to put all the bells and whistles on it to make it look all funky but I'll figure it out or maybe someone can help me? I can see how it helps people to stay in touch but I can also see myself getting very frustrated with it, not knowing how to put it all together.

This past week, I also went out for a couple of friends' birthday night at the martini place. I was good, I only had 3; 2 I bought, 1 was an extra that was given to me. Since we started early, I stopped early and was home fairly early and sober. I think I'm becoming sophisticated, being a martini gal! Some people that hadn't come out with us before came out this time so that was cool.

Now I've just started my 8th week in Hawaii, only 6 more to go. I have to start thinking about where I want to go next so I can apply for my OT license. I would really like to go to Alaska but that's not looking too good. Still keeping my fingers crossed and prayers going (hope you'll do the same for me!). I'll have to consider other states, preferably more along the west coast, mountains and southwest so I don't have to drive too much. Since I'm taking 2 weeks to spend with family plus a week in CA, I don't want to have to drive too far to my next assignment. We'll see what happens over the next few weeks...will keep you all posted!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Believe it or not!


Here's one for the record books, I actually finished an entire glass of beer. Yes, folks, beer! I went with friends from work for dinner and drinks last night at The Yard House. It has many types of beer. Of course, I went for the fruity one. It was a mixture of Lindemans frambroise and Young's chocolate stout. What is that, you ask? Well, let me enlighten you.

Lindemans framboise is a lambic type of beer, that is produced by spontaneous fermentation, not with hops, using yeasts and bacteria from Belgium in Senne Valley. Young's chocolate stout is actually brewed with chocolate malt and baker's chocolate, giving the beer a rich and delicious character without the bitter finish. I'm all for it! I could actually taste the raspberry, chocolate and a little coffee flavors. Yuummmy!

I also suffered a war wound from my night out on Friday. Again, we went out for our first Friday for the art, which we somehow never got to. In my slightly inebriated state, I didn't get out of the way fast enough when a fight between two drunken guys happened and I got a fist on the side of the head. It doesn't hurt all the time, but leaning my hand against it when I try to hold my head up and sometimes when I chew is a little painful. Plus, the mini goose egg is a constant reminder that maybe I don't mind fighting as much as I thought, as I seemed to have been mesmerized by the situation rather than walk away. Hmm....naaahhh! Nope, still don't like boxing or ultimate fighting!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

It's been awhile...but here are some thoughts

Ok, so it's been awhile since I've written here. But you know, I've got things to do, people to see, places to go...not really, just being a little lazy! I have been busy working on the past two weekends, the first one to cover for someone who had to take a sick leave and the second one was scheduled. I still get weekdays off for working the weekends, but, somehow it just isn't the same as a Saturday and Sunday. It really is a whole mentality shift.

Actually, nothing exciting has been going on here. I've had to do my taxes and finally sent it off last week so that took some of my time. I'm not sure where the time goes when you don't have any obligations...geez, I can't remember what i did on my days off! Have I got early alzheimer's or is just the laidback, slow Hawaiian lifestyle. I thought California was slow after having lived in New York but Hawaii is even slower. I'm realizing that I'm not as slow, as in laidback, not in thought processing!, as I thought. I'm whizzing by people on my walk to work, amazing with my short little legs!!

I've noticed a few things during the last few weeks. Hawaiian shirts, long hair on men and tattoos are quite common here. Hawaiian shirts or aloha shirts as they're known here are common as work shirts. At the hospital, there are not a lot of ties and buttoned up shirts, rather there's aloha shirts everywhere. I didn't realize that there could be so many patterns and colors of palm trees, coconuts and flowers! The therapists aren't the ones wearing them, we should be so lucky, but it's the office people...not sure if it's the upper echelons but it's defintely some of the administrative staff.

There are a lot of men of all ages with long hair, not unruly, but neatly tied in a ponytail, along the lines of my former roommate. I've seen them all over the place, in the shopping malls, on the streets and even in the hospital. As far as tattoos go, I've seen them on people of all ages, even older women, who are some of the last people I would have expected to have one. I'm not being discriminatory, but where else but on Hawaii do you see women in their 50s and 60s with a tattoo while wearing an aloha dress and walking alongside a husband with long hair?

Lastly, since I've had so much time on my hands, i've succumbed to reality tv! So which one is it...Big Brother, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, The Bachelor, Deal or No Deal? You guess!

Aloha