T Minus 71; The Missions

I woke promptly had 8am, as usual. I had two missions in mind for today - marriage certificate and apartment. After waking up, I immediately put in a call to the probate court in Ohio. Of course, I reached voicemail instead of a live person and was forced to leave a message.

I hope I might need to buy one of
these lawn chairs to sit on in my
new empty apartment after tomorrow

I whipped up a pineapple-laden breakfast and sipped my tea. I added a third mission to my life - find an oven mitt! Today was the last straw. The steam from the tea kettle is simply too much heat on my hand when I'm pouring the water.

After breakfast, knowing I was dealing with a 6-hour time difference, I called the probate court back east again. Voicemail. Left another message. I'd like to get this taken care of but, as The Hubby says, worst case scenario is we get married again - in Hawaii!

Giving up on the marriage license for the day, I remembered my 11am appointment with the investment banker at my new bank, Bank of Hawaii. Talk about a nice person! She is definitely one of the nicest people I have spoken to here, and that is saying a lot since almost everyone here seems genuinely nice as it is. We talked about the investment questions The Hubby wanted me to check on, and then we talked about life in general - mostly job and house hunting, and my experiences so far here on Maui. She even took time out of her day to send some emails to people whom she she thought might have an Ohana to rent, or know of an Ohana to rent.

Water splashes off the rocks
along the shore in Lahaina

Banking taken care of, I popped in a gift shop between the bank and the apartment in my quest for an oven mitt. The only option they had was sold as a set with a matching pot holder and towel. I have pot holders and towels galore that will be here in October. I only want a cheap oven mitt. I moved on.

Around the corner, I decided to stop in the grocery store. They apparently don't even stock oven mitts at all. I started missing the 99-cent stores that seem to be everywhere in Vegas.

Being in the neighborhood, I decided to check my PO Box. I doubted I would find anything but I was nearby. I opened the box and found a local newspaper, The Lahaina News. I scooped it up to take home and look over later.

I stopped in Cilantro to grab a bite to eat. My third day in town, I ate some pretty decent Flautas here. Today, I chose the Spinach Mushroom and Poblano Enchilada. The enchilada was really good, living up to what I'd been told about it being voted best something or the other in Taste of Lahaina for so many years. The Habanero Cream Salsa that I picked up off the salsa bar? It might have been good but I couldn't tell once my mouth burst into flames after eating it. That stuff is hot! The Hubby will love it, I'm sure. I will stick to something with a little less heat.

While I ate, I browsed a web site The Hubby sent that claimed to list 34 apartment complexes on west Maui that were dog friendly. I had called a few of them last night, and a few more this morning. I began to this this web site might be worthless as a lot of the places weren't even apartment complexes but were simply short-term vacation rentals instead.

After lunch, I popped in another gift shop. I would find an oven mitt, today, if it was the last thing I did. It wouldn't be in this gift shop though. They also only had sets. My effort wasn't completely wasted though. I saw something I've never had so I picked up a bag of Cassava Chips before continuing my quest.

The sign for Building B in the
apartment complex I hope to
be living in after tomorrow

As I made my way back towards the apartment, I found myself strolling by a complex where I have a visit scheduled for Saturday. I decided to walk through the complex and get an idea of what it was like. If The Hubby had his way, we would already have an apartment in this complex. We both saw ads for an apartment here on craigslist. He had written it off because the unit is on the second floor, worried our blind dog would have issues with the stairs. I called anyway, as I think she'll be fine. She doesn't even know she's blind!

This complex takes dogs, even as big as ours. I told The Hubby. He suggested I call the guy back and tell him we'd take the apartment sight unseen, that we'd sign a 2-year lease, and that we'd do it within the hour if the guy wanted. The gentleman who owns the building said he wanted to honor the commitments he already had to show the property, and that he wouldn't feel comfortable renting something to us without us looking at, but he seemed very interested in the 2-year lease part. I know I have until September to find a place, but with the results we've had so far, I feel a little nervous about finding a dog-friendly place.

On my way out of the complex, I spotted a golden retriever watching me from a window. That dog is bigger than either of ours, I thought, a good sign. Speaking of signs, I love the signs they used to identify the buildings - nautical ships!

I cooled off at home for a while, browsing for apartments. The Hubby pointed out that I hadn't taken many photos today. Remembering I still hadn't found my oven mitt, I slipped my shoes back on and headed out the door. Surely I'd find something to take a picture of walking to the store.

Sacred ground

Sure enough, I came across a short road that looked like it led to something interesting. I could see some type of structure but couldn't make out what it was. About halfway down the road, I realized I was no longer walking on pavement. There was only sand. I started looking around and realized I was near a graveyard. A group of headstones poked up from the sand - sacred ground. I veered away from the graveyard towards the structure I was searching for.

I soon discovered the structure I had seen was part of a pagoda. I found myself on the beautiful grounds of the Lahaina Jodo Mission, a buddhist temple. Standing just feet from the beach I found a bell tower, a temple, a pagoda, and - of course - a large Buddha. I wandered the grounds in awe.

Looking to the beach, I saw groups of people sitting around talking story, listening to island music. The ocean tempted me, calling me to walk out and enjoy the water, but I wasn't dressed for that. Knowing I could get easy access to the water here gives me a good reason for a return trip soon.

I continued on my oven mitt quest, ending up at Longs. Sure enough, they had oven mitts and, sure enough, they were only sold in sets. What is it with these sets?!? I picked up one of the Marley teas like I had seen yesterday and another bottle of macadamia nut honey for my morning tea.

The bell tower at the
Lahaina Jodo Mission

I browsed through the mall - Longs is conveniently part of the Cannery Mall - and was pleasantly surprised when one of the clerks in a shop remembered me from a previous visit. We talked story for a while. She seemed genuinely happy for me that I had found a job. I think I might have mentioned before how great it is living somewhere with people who are just so...nice!

I let Wendy get back to work and I moved on. Seeing the ABC store, I stopped in. You'll never guess what I found. Oven mitts. In sets! I finally caved in. The sets here were less expensive than those I'd seen elsewhere, AND they nearly matched the coffee cup I used for my tea every morning. Tomorrow, my hand will not feel the heat of the steam when I make my tea.

The pagoda at the
Lahaina Jodo Mission

Buddha
Lahaina Jodo Mission

Three missions for the day, one accomplished. I did get to see a beautiful mission, too, so my day was not a total waste. Tomorrow will be full of phone calls and a bus ride to the Ka'anapali to meet the manager of the art gallery there.

Tonight will be full of Cassava Chips, Marley Tea, and a new TV show - Orange Is the New Black.

Aloha!

T-Minus 72: Public-Transportation Riding Haole-Girl with a J-O-B, That is Me

I wish that said " T-Minus 2"...

I woke a dozen times through the night, not what you would call a good night's sleep. Finally, seeing the clock read 6:00am, I got up. I skipped breakfast and tea because I needed to get to Kahului before 9:00. Having not bought a travel mug yet, making tea to take on the drive with me wasn't an option.

Da Bus
Hawaii public transportation

I drove nearly an hour to reach the rental car lot by the airport. After getting the car checked in, I hopped aboard the shuttle for the quick ride over the airport terminals. Just as the rental shuttle pulled up, I watched as the city bus drove away. Just missed it! I walked over, checked the sign for the schedule, and found a spot on a shaded bench to wait for the next bus. I sat alone for quite some time before anyone else showed up. I didn't mind. I exchanged texts with The Hubby to help pass the time while I watch a small mouse occasionally dart out from its hiding place to see if I might have dropped something it could eat for breakfast. It also gave me a chance to read a poem someone had left for everyone who rides the bus.

Art-fitti found at
the airport bus stop

The bus arrived around 8:40am. I boarded and texted The Hubby to let him know I was on my first ever public bus ride. He asked if I took a picture of my first bus. I hadn't. I sometimes don't think to take pictures of things.

I got off the bus at Maui Mall. The DMV is in the mall. I crossed my fingers and hoped that I would have a better outcome at this branch than what I experienced yesterday. I pulled a ticket, looked down to read number 12, and glanced up at the board to see they had just called number 7. Not too bad, I thought to myself. Nevertheless, I waited an hour before getting to a window.

I failed to get a license today, but the trip proved helpful. After taking my paperwork and making some phone calls coupled with a bit of research, she produced an Ohio phone number that she thought would be the office I should contact to get the paperwork I needed. If either of the ladies I talked to yesterday had made that much effort, I could have called Ohio this morning and not needed to come over here. Oh well.

I thanked her and walked out, hoping that the scrap of paper I carried held the key to me getting one step closer to being "local." I would have to wait until tomorrow to find out. The office in Ohio closed at 4:00pm and it was already nearly 11:00am in Hawaii, meaning almost 5:00pm back east. That 6-hour time difference will take some getting used to when I want to talk to friends and family back east.

A pile of bunnies
and one loner

I checked the time. My friend from Waihee whom I was having lunch with today wouldn't be there for a while. With time to kill, I wandered the mall and grabbed some pictures. The shops all sat dark and quiet, not yet opened for the day, so there was no browsing to be done while I waited. The pet shop did have a cage of bunnies located up against the window. All but one lay in a pile in one corner, with the loner laying on the other side of the cage. If bunnies interested me as pets, I'd pick the loner.

Finally, I found a shaded bench to sit on and wait for my friend. Just as I was sitting down, the phone rang. The apartment manager of the place we applied to over the weekend called to let me know we were approved and that she would email the lease agreement to The Hubby for him to sign and fax back. Finally, some news that made me feel like things were going my way. I let The Hubby know.

Seeing that the time was close for my friend to pick me up, I texted her to let her know where she could find me. She texted back to let me know she would be about an hour late. Island time! Island time moves slower than mainland time, but that's part of what drew me here to the island in the first place. No worries, brah.

When she and her sons finally picked me up, we went to a nearby park for a picnic she had brought for us to share. The highlight of the picnic proved to be the fresh mango that she picked from a tree in her back yard! This was the best mango I had ever eaten, so unbelievably ripe, super juicy - absolutely nothing like the fruit I bought back in Vegas, which I always thought was fresh but now see was nothing more than firm, sour nonsense. I want a mango tree!

A heron in the park
watching us eat lunch

While my friend and I talked story, her boys ran around the park being boys. We watched a heron who seemed very interested in watching the boys. I remembered to grab a picture.

After lunch, we dropped one of her sons off at school for practice and headed to her house in Waihee. She lives in a jungle, so lush, green, beautiful. I saw a lot of potential in her house were I to live somewhere similar. She showed me some of her crafty things and we spent some time visiting before she needed to drop me at a bus stop and take her other son to his school for practice.

Just minutes after she dropped me off, the bus approached. I got a picture this time, of the second bus I'd ever ride. The first stop was at the harbor in Ma'alaea, where I experienced a few seconds of panic when the bus pulled away from the stop. We were headed in the wrong direction! I really didn't want to go back towards Kahului. I relaxed, however, when the driver announced "Next stop, Wharf Cinema Center." It seems that when the bus stops at Ma'alaea, it needs to take a winding figure-8 tour of the parking lot before it can get to a stop light where it is able to make the left turn needed to head towards Lahaina.

Suddenly, my phone started blowing up. The Hubby, it seemed, had received the lease agreement from the apartment complex and did not feel very comfortable signing it. He finally told me he would prefer I keep looking. I was back to square one when it came to living arrangements. I felt a little let down.

My day brightened quickly, though, just before we pulled up to the stop in Lahaina. I noticed I had a voicemail from a local number. I suspected it would be another potential interview, but I hoped that it would be a job offer. One of my references had texted me earlier to let me know that he had been called. I hit the button on the phone to play the message, trying to keep my hopes in check.

It was the lady I had interviewed with on Tuesday at the art gallery. She asked if I could call or stop by to answer some questions. With the gallery being very close to the bus stop, I walked straight there after the bus stopped. She seemed very happy to see me, but nowhere near as happy as I was when she told me she wanted to offer me the job.

A job! I have a job! A real, money earning, J. O. B. Job! I wanted to do back flips.

She told me training started next week - I know it's only a few days away but let's start tomorrow, I thought to myself - and that I would start working on my own on August 1. Elated would be an understated way to describe how I felt.

She also recommended I take a trip up the coast to one of her other galleries that is located near Ka'anapali. That gallery also needed help and she wanted me to meet the manager there. She told me that, in time, I could work both locations, eventually maybe even enough hours to be a full-time gig. We finished our conversation with her telling me that she might call and have me help out in the gallery this weekend even though my training didn't start until next week. Let's just dive in, head first, clothes on, and get going! Craziness, I tell you, but a good kind of crazy.

I promised her I would go visit the other store and headed home. My visit to the other store would have to wait until tomorrow afternoon. I needed to make phone calls in the morning, the most important of which being the one to Ohio. Then I need to start lighting up the voicemail boxes of leasing agents in my renewed search to find some place to live.

84 degrees and this lady is
bundled up like its in the
low 50s. My freezing Hubby
doesn't even put on the hoodie
until it gets around 70!

I walked the one mile trip home. I get in at least a mile walking every day, even the days I don't have somewhere to be. The Hubby would probably say I stroll a mile and should walk faster or something, but I don't care. If you ask me, the amount of walking I've been doing the last couple weeks is insane compared to how much walking I did in Vegas, which would be none. I hated walking just for the sake of walking, through neighborhoods with their 8-foot stone walls in 100-degree heat. Here, things are different. I walk and find new things. I see things other than boring neighborhoods and, if all else fails, I have a nearby beach I can walk on.

Today felt like the longest day I've had since arriving on the island. I enjoyed my picnic and visit with my friend, I got - and lost - an apartment to live in, I got a job, and I found a way to get my mile walk in. I am exhausted, though, likely due to waking up way too early for my tastes.

I even learned a new word today, too.

Hawaiian word of the day: shi shi - the more you know!

Aloha!

T Minus 73: Unofficial Business

I know you won't be surprised to hear that I slept in a bit and then had a wonderful breakfast featuring pineapple as the center of attention. Pineapple will not get boring to me!

A fishing boat head out of
the harbor in Lahaina

I texted with The Hubby, as usual. I planned a very light day - one job interview and a visit to the DMV. Today would be a walk in the park, right? Cue the foreboding music.

I wheeled the pink cruiser out of the apartment and started riding towards the wharf. I feel so awkward and nervous riding it still. I seem to struggle taking off from a stop but I don't know why. Maybe my response time is slow.

I rode the mile to the Banyan tree and looked for a place to lock up my bike. I struggled a bit, this being my first time actually locking it up, but I finally got it locked. I still had about an hour to kill before my interview so I wandered around a bit. I started checkout out how other people locked up their bikes - everyone uses worthless cable locks. Maybe bicycle theft isn't a big thing here. I know, however, that all of those bikes will get stolen before mine.

The pink cruiser, all safely locked up

After cooling off under the canopy of the Banyan tree, I walked in a shop to browse. Stocked in the cooler was this Marley branded line of drinks. I made a mental note to pick one up after my interview.

Marley branded "dietary supplement"

I spent some time on the docks snapping pictures of boats and fishermen. A gentleman saw me taking pictures and asked if I would like him to take some pictures of me. I took up a pose in front of the sailboats and he snapped a closeup and a wide angle shot for me. I thought that was very nice of him.

Sailboats in the Lahaina harbor

After taking my snapshots, I found a bench in the shade and watched the birds dance around the docks until 11:00 drew near. At 11:00, I checked in at the ticket sales hut for the Lahaina Cruise Company to let them know I was there for my interview. The interviewer hadn't arrived yet, so I returned to my shaded bench to wait. Soon after, a lady approached and conducted a very short, to the point, interview. She gave off no vibes, good or bad, so I have no feeling for how the interview went in her eyes.

After the interview, I unlocked the pink cruiser. There seemed to be a lot of vehicular traffic, which made me a little nervous, so I walked it to a slower area before riding the rest of the way home. As I got home, I realized I had forgotten to pick up a bottle of the Marley drink. Oh well, another time.

Fishermen in Lahaina harbor

I changed into more casual clothes and headed to - can you hear the drums of doom? - the DMV. I took my number and sat down. The Lahaina DMV is only a small satellite branch with 2 or 3 employees, yet I still waited nearly an hour to hear my number called. I walked up to the counter, presented all of my documentation that I thought I needed to be able to get a Hawaii drivers license, and felt my blood pressure spike when I was told my documentation wasn't acceptable.

It seems that, while I have a copy of my original marriage license along with a miniature laminated copy of the same to carry in my wallet, the state of Hawaii requires a marriage certificate. The lady helping me - I should rephrase that because she wasn't very helpful at all - told me to check Vitalchek for a copy of the certificate. The problem is, I tried to explain to her, that the state I got married in doesn't issue marriage certificates. They simply certify the license after the ceremony. Granted, we never actually went back down to the recorder's office to have that done, but trust me when I say that I am very happily married and have been for many years!

I explained that everywhere we've ever been, the marriage license has been good enough. Hell, if the health insurance companies don't mind covering me as a spouse, I don't see why the state of Hawaii doesn't recognize the marriage. Ms. Unhelpful only shrugged.

"Are you telling me I'm not even officially married?!?" Another shrug.

I returned home and called The Hubby in a panic. When he eventually called me back, his first response was, "Sounds like you're [d]ucked." I begged him to so some research. Sure enough, he found that going to the Vitalchek website and trying to search for marriage certificates from the state of Ohio resulted in a message that basically said they don't offer that service. Checking various state websites, he found that you could get a certified copy of the marriage license if you showed up to the recorder's office, in person, in the county in which you got married. A marriage certificate? Forget about it!

The Hubby did finally find an envelope with a rubber-stamped "Certificate of Marriage" on the outside of it. In it was a form that was completed by the pastor the day we got married but nowhere on that form does it have the words "Marriage Certificate." Still, after receiving a photo of it from The Hubby, I returned to the DMV and walked right up to the supervisor, though based on watching the way things worked in that office I honestly believe there is no supervisor and one of the staff just assumes that role for the day.

I presented my case and showed her the photo from The Hubby, asking her if I physically had that particular document would I be able to get a license. "Well," she hesitated, "I can't tell from the picture and I can't say it would be worth it to have it sent overnight or anything without knowing the officiality of it." Officiality isn't even a word, I wanted to scream.

She finally took copies of my marriage license and wrote my phone number on it, promising she would make some calls tomorrow and get back to me. I have serious doubts she was sincere since she walked over to a desk, lifted about two-thirds of a tall stack of papers, and shoved my information beneath it all. I held my tongue and left, blood boiling.

Poke bowl for lunch

Irritated, still panicky, after 3:00pm, and I hadn't even had lunch! I stopped at the market I mentioned the other day and picked up a poke bowl, half spicy ahi and half shoyu ahi, served over sushi rice. I made an impulse buy, grabbing a small tub of ice cream on my way out as well - comfort food! I drove home and started planning out my day for tomorrow while I enjoyed my poke.

Tomorrow starts at the car rental desk. They expect my rental car back by 9:00am - no sleeping in tomorrow! After that, I will be completely without a car until the Jeep gets here. I haven't decided what I think about that yet. Yes, I plan to get a bus pass and make good use of it, but I've never used public transportation before...unless the bus from Epcot Center to Downtown Disney counts.

After dropping off the car, I plan to take the bus over to the main Maui DMV branch and see if I can find someone there who is a little more helpful and can at least give me some suggestions as to how I might solve my documentation problem. Keep your fingers, toes, and appendages crossed for me!

After that, I get to have lunch with a local I met online. For now, though, TV shows and ice cream.

Aloha!

T Minus 74: Cautiously Optimistic

Monday mornings I take slow, not because it's a Monday and I have the Monday blues - I don't have a job. No, I take Mondays slow because everyone else is working and trying to catch up from having the weekend off. My experiences the past couple weeks tell me bothering people on Monday morning doesn't help get me a job.

Tan lines. Shoes are overrated!

Having enjoyed my toasted english muffin breakfast so much yesterday, I opted for a repeat today. I love pineapple preserves, and pineapple tea, and anything pineapple for that matter!

I texted with The Hubby while getting ready to head out. I dressed for success, Hawaii style, with a full length sundress and cami underneath. I'd worn the dress before without the cami, so I thought I try it with the cami this week. I thought maybe the amount of cleavage the sundress revealed might be too much for interview time. The cami helped conceal some of that.

I stopped first at the Post Office. Now that I had a physical letter mailed to me at the address of the apartment, proof that I lived in harbor town, perhaps USPS would finally let me have my PO Box. Sure enough, the letter proved to be the key, and I walked away from the counter with the keys to my PO Box. I searched out the box and opened it up to make sure it was empty. As I headed out for the job search, I fired off some text messages to people who were waiting on the address to be able to send me things.

How often should one check a PO Box to see if they have mail? This is my first PO Box. I suppose I'll check every time I'm in the area, which if the last 12 days are any indication will be just about every day. I believe I'll wait until I am expecting something before checking it for the first time, though.

Directly across the parking lot from the post office sat the Maui Theater. I walked over there and filled out an application for a reservations position, leaving it with a copy of my resume.

I headed towards the far end of town, knowing I needed to be in that area for a 1:00 interview. I weaved in and out of a few shops as I made my way down Front St. During my walk, I suddenly realized that many of the shops carry the same, or very similar, products but not at the same price. Craziness! I still needed to find a cross-body bag and I still kept being disappointed in every shop.

A sign advertising a Pad Thai special tempted me for lunch, but I moved on. Pad Thai is one of my favorites but I didn't want to risk noodle stuff splattering on my clothes before an interview. I grudgingly settled for chicken nuggets at Burger King, the only big chain fast food within walking distance. Having saved my dress from potential splatter disaster, I found I had an hour or so to kill before my interview. More time to look for that bag!

While browsing shops, I took a call. The Lahaina Cruise Company, which runs dinner cruises, snorkeling trips, and whale watching cruises on the Desert Princess, wanted to schedule an interview based on the application I had submitted on craigslist over the weekend. That could be a fun job! Interview scheduled for tomorrow

I arrived at the gallery a few minutes early. Two people working both greeted me so warmly when I walked in. I asked for the manager by name. One of the two introduced herself and arranged a couple chairs in the corner of the gallery so we could talk. We sat and talked, and talked, and talked some more. It seemed like forever but it also seemed like the conversation was going well. A couple times the gallery grew a little busy and she would excuse herself to help out before coming back to pick up where we left off. I appreciated her doing that.

At the end of our chat, she told me I would hear something one way or the other by the end of the week at the latest. I felt a little disappointed. I am so tired of looking for jobs and having to wait until the end of the week means that I need to spend the rest of this week looking for jobs still. At least I already have one interview for tomorrow lined up.

My new purse - cute and tropical

After the interview, I dropped off the Life Is Good and Hard Rock Cafe applications I had completed over the weekend. I walked into a small shop, expecting it to be like every other shop I'd been in so far, until...there it was, hanging on the wall as if it were waiting for me, the perfect cross-body purse. Better yet, it was on sale for less than $10! S O L D !!!

With that, I headed home for my normal Ramen and Spam dinner. Walking into the apartment, I slipped off my espadrilles and happened to notice my new, deeper, tan lines. I remembered a text the other day that I got from a Vegas friend who inquired how many bottles of sunscreen I had gone through so far. I replied, "Zilch!" I never burned when I was on the island last year, and I haven't burned this year either. Living in the desert and spending so much time in the pool conditioned my skin for the island sun.

While I was eating dinner, the phone rang. The lady with whom I interviewed at the gallery needed 2 references - 1 personal and 1 professional. She asked what time zone they were in, stating that it was too late to call anyone that far east tonight but she would call them in the morning. After checking my references, she would call the gallery owner to get the ball rolling. She gave me the impression she wanted to offer me the job! Yes, I know it's a bit premature to be celebrating - I don't actually have an offer for a job yet - but the positive vibes I felt make me want to do back flips!

Now, I just need some positive vibes from the home search. Nobody called from the apartment complex today. Maybe tomorrow.

A shot of the work The Hubby did on the Jeep

I snuggled into my pile of foam on the floor and loaded up Netflix on the laptop. I read a cute email from The Hubby showing the progress he made with the Jeep the last couple days. He pulled the carpet out and covered the entire interior of the Jeep with a DIY truck bed liner. It looks fairly impressive in the photos. I can't wait to see it in person. It will definitely help keep the pups' travelling cushion from sliding around on their road trip this summer.

I think I might have trouble getting to sleep tonight. I'm anxious for tomorrow, hoping to get a call telling me I can start at the gallery this weekend. Back to Netflix to help dull my brain and put me to sleep. Aloha!

T Minus 75: Two-Wheel Trekkin'

After staying up late watching TV, I allowed myself to sleep in quite a while. I finally forced myself up for breakfast after texting with The Hubby for a bit. Excited to try my new Pineapple Black Tea I found yesterday, I toasted an english muffin in the toaster oven and covered it with pineapple preserves while the tea brewed. Breakfast was so good! I couldn't help but rub it in to The Hubby that I was having a great breakfast. I bet he started drooling as soon as he saw the photo. He even said he wanted to try my tea, odd for him since he is a coffee fiend.

Pineapple preserves. Yum!

The rest of my morning consisted of straightening up my pile of paperwork and making plans for Monday, with the occasional interlude of texting with The Hubby. He sent me photos, each a shot of the Jeep further deconstructed that the previous shot. The Jeep looks weird with no seats or anything in it!

Too lazy to go out for lunch, I boiled some ramen noodles. I added hot sauce, which sloughed off the noodles and mixed in with what little broth I had at the bottom of the bowl. I know this is what happened because I slurped up the broth when the noodles were gone and it was like a kamikaze shot of almost pure hot sauce. The Hubby would have enjoyed watching my reaction, I'm sure.

Ramen - it's what's for lunch

The afternoon I reserved for becoming more acquainted with my hot pink cruiser. The first thing to do required some research. The Hubby bought me a u-lock for my bike and I needed to learn how to use it correctly. Off to YouTube! As I watched videos on the proper way to lock up a bike, I reflected back on the crazy simple plastic-sheathed chain with a combination lock on it that everyone had when I was a kid. Of course, I also remembered someone stealing my brother's bicycle right out of our garage, so I watched a few more videos.

After I felt like I might be able to lock up the bike, I wanted to go ride. The bike lock came with a mounting bracket but I didn't like the only spot on the bike it would fit. Instead, I threw it in my backpack and then wheeled my new ride out the door. As I got going, I realized I did not feel comfortable enough to venture out on real streets, with actual traffic. I rode three laps around the apartment complex, which was actually enough to make my legs protest a bit!

As I walked back up to the apartment, I glanced at the post holding up the stairs providing access to the second floor. This seemed like a great place to put my newly learned skills of locking up a bicycle to the test. After I finished with everything, I took a picture and sent it to The Hubby. I apparently didn't learn quite enough from those videos. In my defense, however, the pole was just too big for the u-lock to fit around. I am fairly certain I'd have gotten it right were the pole not so big. Mental note: do NOT lock up the pink cruiser to a pole this big...or a tree...or a light pole...

With my first bike ride out of the way, I started thinking about getting in at least a mile walk for the day. I craved a cookie, so I headed for the market. In the bakery area, I found a 4-pack of fresh cookies - Country Cookies. Having never heard of Country Cookies, I decided to give them a try. I also grabbed the smallest container of milk I could get, a 16 oz. bottle.

Side note: I knew dairy was expensive but I just paid for 16 oz. what I would have paid for a gallon back in Vegas. Glad I drink coconut milk or almond milk these days instead of cow juice!

Bike dog!

As I reached the sidewalk, I felt like I was being watched. I glanced over and found a cute little Toto-sized dog staring at me from the front basket of a bicycle. Her owner came out momentarily - not at all what I pictured this dog's owner to look like, but she had awesome tattoo work covering most of her exposed skin.

Seeing all that great ink reminded me that I wanted to stop by the shop of the guy who did my honu tattoo last summer to see if he was hiring a receptionist or scheduler or whatever. I needed to add that to my list of things to do tomorrow.

I headed home. As I neared the Starbucks, which always has a few tables and chairs sitting out on the walkway for people to take in the morning sun while they enjoy their lattes and frappuccinos, I heard music. To my delight, I found a group of beach-bum type musicians all hanging out collectively practicing on their various noisemakers. I saw tamourines, steel drums, bongos, guitars, at least one ukulele, and who knows what else. How cool! I was so mesmerized I forgot to ask if they minded me taking a picture until I was already a couple blocks down the street. Sorry, everyone. Maybe next time.

Almost home, I passed a cute little ocean-front bungalow with a for-sale sign. I noted the address and text The Hubby to look it up on Zillow. I told The Hubby my guess what $600,000. I nearly choked when he told me what he found. At 700 sq ft, no larger than most apartments, it listed for nearly $3 million!

Play checkers right by the ocean!

Walking along the sea wall, I remembered I wanted to check out a spot where I frequently saw people sitting. I wondered why people always sat in that spot. I found, painted on top the sea wall, a checkerboard. How cool, I thought, to be able to see next to the ocean and plays checkers or chess. I need to learn chess, apparently!

Kayaking on the ocean. Looks fun!

Speaking of cool things I want to do, as I started to walk away I noticed a kayak out on the ocean. It looked like it was piloted by a man and his 2 little boys, and stocked with fishing gear. I think it would be great to be able to kayak out in the ocean and catch dinner for that night!

I finally made it back to the apartment so I could try out the Country Cookies. It was love at first bite - chocolate chip but I tasted other things like peanut butter or something as well. The Hubby would be a fan. I somehow managed to only eat 2 of the cookies and put 2 aside for another time.

Country cookies
(dangerously delicious)

Sweet tooth satisfied, I took to Etsy looking for a bag. Since arriving on island, I've searched for a specific type of bag - a long-strapped, cross-body bag - but have had no luck yet finding one. As I was browsing the Etsy shops, it occurred to me that I should look up bicycle baskets too. I came across these adorable bike basket liners and instantly knew I needed only a simple wire basket for my bike. I shot off an email to the Mother-in-law, who sews so well - she sewed a custom dog cushion for the pups to ride on in the Jeep! - and asked if she would make a liner using the pattern I found so that it would match my pink cruiser.

With her working on that, I needed a basket. I found one on Amazon that was Prime eligible - in Hawaii, we don't order things unless they're Prime eligible because shipping is expensive! - but they were out of stock. The Hubby suggested I buy a basket here on island, so I wheeled the pink cruiser out the door and rode to the closest bike shop, Boss Frogs.

At Boss Frogs, I found a nice basket but it was black. Having my heart set on white, I hesitated. The guy in the shop told me that the white baskets tended to get ugly fairly quickly in the salty sea air and would sometimes turn a different color while black stayed black. I bought the black basket. After explaining that I had no tools at home, the shop guy kindly installed it on my bike for we while I waited. He even adjusted my seat to the right height, making it a lot more comfortable!

My ride home was uneventful, though I admit to still being nervous on the streets outside the apartment complex. The basket came in handy, allowing me to put the lock in the basket instead of carrying it in a backpack. That thing is heavy!

The final tweaks, for now, on the bike got taken care of a short time after I returned home. Earlier in the day, before my first ride, I had called the gentleman who helps my landlady out around the apartment. He showed up with some tools and attached the other other accessories I had bought like the lights and cup holder. The pink cruiser is all set now.

Dinner was another Tony's pizza in the toaster oven. I still can't get over the fact I never had a toaster oven.

The Hubby told me of a spot in Lahaina town that I might want to check out for locking up the bike when I ride it into town. He came across it as part of this fun slideshow he found called
Bikes of Lahaina, Maui. Maybe someday I'll be a part of that show!

T-Minus 76: Lazy for the sake of it

Saturday. The weekend. I still find I'm not quite used to having a weekend that occurs on the same days as the rest of the world. That never happened when I worked in the casinos. My weekends were always on Tuesday and Wednesday, or Wednesday and Thursday. The weekend means no job hunting for me the next couple days though.

The shores of Maui

Having made it through 11 days on my own here in Maui, I switched up the post titles. The titles now count down the days until I am reunited with my pups and The Hubby. I remembered a countdown app The Huby had on his phone when we were counting down the days until vacation last year. I found a similar one and installed it. 76 days, 3 hours, 23 minutes, 26 seconds

My new countdown timer.
Counting down until I see
the family again!

I have another countdown to keep track of too. T-minus 49 days until I need a more permanent living situation! The "help" that The Hubby provided for yesterday's apartment application seems to have worked. They processed the payment of the holding deposit. Now, I wait for approval. The Hubby worries that no apartment complex will approve anyone who is between jobs, but the leasing agent led me to believe that with a copy of the bank statement after the house closing, we'll be just fine. Let's hope she wasn't just saying that.

Finding a place to live by September 1st seems more urgent to me, for some reason, so the job search loses some of my focus until I have secured a place to move everyone into. Of course, I intend to keep looking for jobs while I look for a place to live as well, but the housing situation needs the majority of my attention right now. After I find a place, all of my focus will return to finding a job.

Along those lines, the sailing gig failed to pan out so far. I called this evening as instructed only to find out that Captain Gene already scheduled someone else to do a trial run on tonight's cruise. He told me to check in again tomorrow. I guess I will keep checking in until I either find a different job or he tells me he has hired someone else. Very disappointing.

I learned my lesson last weekend, though. Searching for jobs on the weekend here is not a good idea.

I scored another job interview for Monday, though, with Maui Hands. On the way to that interview, I can drop off applications at the Life Is Good store and the Hard Rock cafe. If I find time, I will also call the rafting group that the notary referred me to.

Lots to do Monday. Today? Not so much. I woke and lie in bed texting with The Hubby, reading things online. In the back of my head, I knew I needed to get some groceries - I was out of tea, for one thing. I just didn't feel like doing anything.

Hawaiian made Pineapple Black Tea

I finally got up and set about being productive. I counted my quarters. I wanted to put the laundry in the washer and then go to the grocery so the clothes would be ready to move to the dryer about the time I returned. One quarter short. Instead, I went to the grocery first. I found some pineapple black tea made locally, so I thought I'd give that a try. I also grabbed some pineapple preserves and english muffins after The Hubby put that idea in my head. The Hawaiian jams were on sale so I grabbed some Guava as well. I remembered having Guava preserves for breakfast one day on our vacation here last year - yummy!

On the way back with the groceries, I stopped at the laundry facility. I loaded the washer with clothes and quarters when something made me pause. "I forgot the soap," I thought to myself, or at least I intended to think to myself but apparently muttered aloud as a gentleman a couple machine downs walked over and handed me his bottle of soap. "Mahalo," I said, and topped off the soap dispenser in the machine. I still find the Ohana of this place amazing! I love it here.

I set the timer in my phone and headed home with the groceries. I ate the fresh sushi I picked up at the grocery's deli for lunch. My phone chirped, so it was down to the laundry facility to move stuff to the dryer. I set another timer and walked back to the apartment to fill out the online application for the vitamin store that the notary referred me to. Side note: online personality assessments suck!

After retrieving my laundry from the dryer, I came home to find some TV shows to watch and text with The Hubby a bit more. A knock at the door interrupted me, but made my day. The mailman delivered the lock for my bicycle! Finally, I can bike places now. Maybe I'll ride somewhere tomorrow, hopefully to the docks to sail on the Scotch Mist...

Just as I was settling back down, I heard another knock on the door. I'm popular! I opened the door to find the gentleman who is taking care of the mail for my landlady while she is back on the mainland. He brought me a few things from the mailbox, one of which was the welcome letter from the bank. Hopefully that will be all I need to get my P.O. Box I've been trying to get.

My Tony's frozen pizza
after my successful first
attempt at using a toaster oven

For dinner, I picked up a Tony's frozen pizza. I pulled the toaster over out. Before tonight, I'd never used a toaster oven before. That thing worked great! It worked better than any microwave, at least for the pizza. Maybe I'll try toasting the english muffins in it tomorrow morning, too. I might have to get one of these!

Finally, TV time. I found episodes of Ghost Whisperer, a show I've watched for some time. I picked the last episode I'd seen and start watching where I'd left off. The Hubby finds this show boring, so this is the perfect opportunity for me to watch it. I'm sure he's sitting at home watching some documentary about something I don't want to see ;)

Day 10: My Second Friday

Holy wow, I've been an islander for TEN DAYS! It still seems a bit like a dream at this point. Speaking of dreams, and sleep, I must really sleep well on the pile of foam on the floor. I woke over an hour later than I have been today.

Plumeria blooms spell out a
welcome at Second Friday

Of course, I started my day with tea and checking in with The Hubby. He was already out and about on errands, and he needed my help tracking down a rabies certification for Ricky. We need to send the state of Hawaii nearly $1,100 in fees, none of which is refundable. I panicked a bit, worried that any missing medical information would lead to a rejection letter from Hawaii. Thankfully, a couple phone calls later, I scored copies of his medical records from before we acquired him and, more importantly, that all important original signed-in-ink rabies vaccination certification we were missing. I let The Hubby know so he could drive across town and pick it up while he was out.

As I was getting ready for my day, I pulled out a shirt I have not work in quite some time. It simply fit too snugly to be comfortable. Knowing that I would be walking and biking and getting all sorts of exercise, I expected to continue my weight loss on the island, so I brought the shirt with me. I held it up for a once over, and then slid it on. Surprise! It fit, which made me pretty happy. I still have weight I want to lose, but feedback of my efforts such as this give me motivation. It was a good start to the day.

I meant for today to be a casual day, but I needed to get some chores out of the way before I could relax completely. First on the agenda, of course, was the meeting with the notary. Not only did she notarize my closing paperwork for me, but she gave me 2 job leads as well - one at a vitamin store and one at an ocean rafting tour company.

After the notary, I drove straight to the Fedex drop in Office Max - I think I might have been referring to it as Office Depot in all my stories the past 10 days. Oops.

Next came the most important chore of the day, a stop at an apartment complex in Honokowai to check it out. Finding an apartment in Maui is pretty easy - there are tons of apartments, ohana, and condos for rent all over the island. Finding one of those that accepts 2 medium dogs, on the other hand, is proving to be a nightmare. I hope this one works out. The Hubby had to provide a bit of help for this application, but that's a story for another time.

Finally, I called Captain Gene to see if he booked a cruise for the evening. No cruise. I wouldn't be sailing tonight.

I mentioned before about the First Friday type events that happen on the island. There's one every week - First Friday, Second Friday, Third Friday, etc. This being Friday, and the second of the month, meant that Second Friday is tonight in Lahaina town. Of course, it's my second Friday on the island as well. How could I pass up this party?

Suspecting a food truck, I stopped at the bank on my way into town to replenish my funds. I looked forward to seeing all the galleries with their special showings, especially the gallery showing the work of Anthony Hopkins whom I just recently learned was an artist. I wanted to see what he paints. I always wanted to paint. My grandmother painted, but I never had the opportunity to really learn more from her. Maybe I will get to take some watercolor classes here on the island.

Besides the galleries, many places have live music scheduled, and there are bands scheduled for Campbell Park. It was going to be a great night.

Reaching town, as I neared Longhi's someone on the sidewalk invited me in. I discovered that at least a third of the dining area had been converted into a mini arts and crafts fair. I ogled quite a few things, talked story with some of the booth operators, and somehow resisted the urge to buy everything that appealed to me. I learned a lot about sea glass, soy wax, and a few other mediums that people had used to create their goods. I headed back out to the street after making note of the sea glass earrings, the painted starfish, the sea salt cooking rubs, and all the other things I would have snatched up if I were already receiving regular paychecks. Next month!

My next stop found me walking through the gallery displaying the Anthony Hopkins works. I thought they were very colorful and intriguing. Next door was a gallery displaying works by Christoper Egan. While talking story with the lady tending the gallery, she offered me a glass of wine. Of course, what other wine would fit an event like this than a Pineapple wine from Hawaii's only winery, Tedeschi's (which is lovated upcountry here on Maui, by the way).

While enjoying my wine, I started talking to a gentleman who turned out to be Chris Egan himself - very cool. I pointed out a photo that looked really familiar to me. He said that it was shot at Antelope Canyon, which I'd visited a few years ago when The Hubby took his Mom and me there one summer. Such a beautiful and enchanting place!

I continued along Front Street, stopping in each gallery, enchanted to find a lot of the artists present. Some of them were even painting as people watched.

Teriyaki Chicken plate lunch

Reaching Campbell Park, I located the food truck. This was my second event in town, and it was the second time I have been baffled by the method of payment expected. Scrips. There is a booth where you can convert your cash into Scrips, which you can then use as payment at places during the event. I had never heard of Scrips and wondered if there was some history there. I made mental note to check when I got home.

My plate lunch dinner, Teriyaki Chicken, tasted a hundred times better than the horrible kalua pork from yesterday!

After dinner, I visited the Banyan Tree Park. I love to see it at night with the lanterns lighting up the roots and the walkways underneath the canopy. As I made my way beneath the tree, an older Rastafarian gentleman greeted me with "Aloha" and then followed up with "Blessings, beautiful" and a kiss blown my way, all while playing a very large angelic harp. I tried to snap a photo but my phone simply couldn't handle the subtle lighting of the lanterns. The Hubby will get a photo of him, I'm sure, when he gets here.

On the other side of the park, I found a collection of Plumeria flowers laid on on the ground to spell ALOHA.

Wyland painting a new piece
in his gallery on Front St

Next, I made my way back down Front St. I passed Captain Jack's where I could hear a live jazz band playing on the deck. I glanced in the Wyland gallery and suddenly realized that Wyland was sitting there just a few feet from the sidewalk painting a new picture! I stood and watched with 5 or 6 other people who realized what was going on - amazing and inspiring. I love his paintings.

As I pressed on in my quest to see what other experiences I could find, I paused to admire the harbor lights on the ocean. I spied a charity group lined up along the railing of the boardwalk singing together for donations. A ways down, a young man sat on the railing strumming his guitar and singing randomly - he looked very familiar but I failed to place where I'd seen him before.

I heard some 70s-era rock in the air and glanced up to see a live band playing on the rooftop at Fleetwood's. I passed a women's clothing boutique and saw a Hawaiian couple, him playing the ukulele while she performed a hula dance to his tune. Cheeseburger in Paradise - why haven't they called me yet?!? - offered up a live band that could be heard from the sidewalk too.

Reaching the north end of the street, I headed back to the apartment. I looked up Scrips and learned that a scrip is simply a form of legal tender and has a history going back at least to the 1800s. The More You Know.

I wish The Hubby were here to experience all of this with me. I think he would really enjoy it...after he got over the large number of people around him. After all, it's Art, Music, Food, MAUI!