T minus 69: Training Day 1

I enjoyed a lazy morning, doing little other than tea, breakfast, and catching up with the Hubby, for as long as I could today. At 1:00, I needed to check out a condo for rent. The unit sits only a couple blocks from where I currently stay so it would be an easy walk to get there. I killed a bit of time playing Candy Crush and the games that The Hubby and I used to play on our phones every morning. I miss that.

Bicycles are a popular mode
of transportation in Lahaina.
These are at the apartment
complex I looked at today.

When it got closer to 1:00, I wandered over to the condo complex. A little early, I killed some time checking out the pool. I sat down in the picnic area and waited. All of the windows on the unit I wanted to look at were open, and I could hear conversation drifting my way. I couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but I secretly wished that it was the landlord telling whomever was looking at the place that he had reserved it for me and was showing it to them out of courtesy.

At 1:00, I knocked on the open door. As I walked in, I saw a young girl filling out an application and a woman sitting in a chair across the room who seemed to be the young girl's mother. We greeted each other and I took a tour with the landlord while the young girl finished filling out her rental application.

I already knew from my impromptu tour of the complex the other day that I liked the area. After seeing the condo, I really liked it as well. I took my time filling out the application, dragging it out while waiting on the girl and her mother to leave. As I handed the landlord my app, I nearly begged him to lease it to me. I explained in great detail my situation. I used to believe my situation might be a bit unusual but after seeing how fast properties get snatched up - one pet-friendly listing had 35 people call the landlord within a half hour of it being posted on craigslist - I'm starting to think that perhaps the predicament I find myself in with finding a pet-friendly landlord is not so unusual.

Obviously, they need to check references and credit history - no problems there - but as I'm sure anyone who reads my stories knows, I feel very nervous about the housing situation. I just want to be done looking. I believe I was the very last person to get to look at the apartment. I hope that means they remember me most and let me rent it.

With an hour to kill before I needed to catch a bus to Ka'anapali, I texted with The Hubby about the condo I had just looked at. He seemed to think that since I was the last to look and apply that I had very slim chances of being the person who awarded the lease. He thinks that the first application they come across that qualifies will be the one to get the lease and they will stop looking at the remainder of the applications at that point. I fired up craigslist just in case.

Afternoon rainbow

When the time comes, I hop the bus and go to work. "Work" was super easy. I stayed only 3 hours but I enjoyed it. Maureen is a wonderfully nice lady - she talks story, believe me! She is so nice that she offered to drive me home tomorrow night because I will get off work after the buses stop running for the day.

I have another training shift with her tomorrow night. Next weekend, I believe I will be on my own. I wonder how the solo shifts will be. I have so much to learn! Today we covered the easy stuff - how the register works, what to do if new product comes in and how to process, tag, and shelve it. What I need to start working on is getting to know the artists. I need to educate myself on not just the pieces in the shop but the artists themselves. We sell only things from local artists - that's about the extent of my knowledge at this point.

One perk of this job is that I get 50% off anything in the store. Some day in the future, when I have paychecks flowing, I might check out a few things to give our apartment a tropical feel...if we get an apartment. Maybe a painting will look good propped in the corner of the tent on the beach that we will be living in when nobody rents me a place...

Flags blowing in the trade
winds at Whalers Village

Headed to the trolley after work, I listened to a voicemail from the landlord of the place I looked at today. I called him back to answer his questions. I felt some positive vibes from him so I am actually hopeful we will be the couple he selects to rent his condo - knock on wood. I'd knock on The Hubby's head if he were here!

I still failed to get a picture of the trolley today. The driver of the trolley is most definitely NOT on island time. He has somewhere to be, and he wants to get there now. The trolley is free but I've been tipping the guy a dollar every ride. Tonight, I tossed him an extra dollar though. He was supposed to be on his way to his dinner break and not going back to Whaler's Village for another hour but he nicely dropped me off there anyway on his way to eat.

I sat at the bus stop, just basking in the feeling that is Hawaii. The trade winds were blowing a soft breeze, setting the whalers flags out standing straight out from their poles, the sky was a gorgeous shade of blue that seems like it can only be found here on the islands, and a very vibrant rainbow arced its way to the ground in the distance. The bus arrived to break up my reverie and I hopped on for the ride home.

Sunset over Mala Ramp

Craving a tuna sandwich, something I'd been craving for days, and not particularly looking forward to another night of Ramen & Spam, I stopped off at the Safeway to grab the fixings I needed to satisfy my stomach. I picked up a couple single buns from the bakery section, a can of tuna, and I couldn't forget the salt & vinegar chips - perfect side dish for a tuna sandwich! Dinner tonight would be awesome. I eyeballed the beer selection again - pricey! The Hubby might actually have to start brewing his own like he has been threatening to do for years. I resisted the urge to pick up a beer. As soon as the closing happens for the house, though, I am buying a sixer to celebrate!

I glanced at my phone as I was putting the groceries away and making my dinner. The battery was almost dead. Again. I don't know if it is because I am constantly taking pictures or because I am texting more since everyone I know is 2,000 miles away, or if it's climate related, but the battery in my phone definitely doesn't last very long here. Maybe The Hubby will order me a juicebox thingy for it after we close on the house. For now, I guess I just have to plug it in more often.

Tuna on bun on Winnie
the Pooh Plate

Tomorrow, I will train from 6-9. I work with someone other than Maureen tomorrow but, like I said earlier, Maureen told me she would come by at 9 to drive me home since the buses will have stopped running by then. Super nice lady!

Tonight, I want to sleep. I feel tired but I have to wait. The gentleman who helps out around the apartment for my landlord called and said he had mail for me and would bring it by tonight. It's a little past when he said he would be here, but...island time. Nothing left to do but catch a few episodes of Orange Is the New Black while I wait.

Aloha!