New project = Epic Fail

Well, damn.

I really did want to keep this blog going. But, better late than never, right? Uhhh....right.

Well, my trip to Hawaii and across country was a complete success! I had the most amazing time and experienced some incredible things.

 Hopefully, I can give you the gist of how it went. Sadly, I know, I should have been blogging through the whole thing. But, like it normally does, life happened. It happened in a way I wasn't really ready for. I won't go into details about what exactly it was that caused me to put my blog life on hold, but just know...it's a good time to start writing again ;)

 

Somewhere over the Pacific ocean at 33,000 feet

 Tuesday, April 19

I'm headed out...with my Mom and my Aunt. Long story, but they ended up going with me for a few days.

 We arrived in Ohau early that morning so the first thing I want to do is check out the area where I'm going to be running my biathlon in just a few days. Did I mention that before? Oops. I signed up for 3 mile run and half mile swim race the first week of my being there.

 Kailua. The location of the race. Dash and Splash.

 Saturday, April 23:

 The race went well! 

I have a phobia of swimming in oceans and lakes. So, I thought this might be a good way to face a fear. My thinking was: there will be lots of people around me swimming. Safety in numbers. If I'm going down then so are about 2 other people around me.

Well, luckily the water was super clear. The only problem, there were only about 100 people entered into the race! That's a big ocean, ya'll!

Even with the anxiety I had with swimming I still managed to finish, and finish I did with a (personal) decent time!

 Check out that scenery!

 I will go back next year just for this race!

 The specific days seem to be unimportant as the trip continues. I'll try to do my best at to what happened next ;)

    We visited Pearl Harbor!

   I got my nose pierced!

I bought a Ukulele! And took a lesson!

Took a stand up paddle board lesson from this cutie, Matt! 

With Hawaiian Surf Adventures.

Went scuba diving! I don't have these pictures developed yet. I had an under water camera. But I did see a shark, a sea turtle, and I got to pet an octopus!

And of course...

SURFING!

I actually did very well! I'm guessing my shear terror of the ocean had something to do with it. You know, not wanting to get in the water? ;)

I got a tattoo at Odyssey!

I could go on and on about my trip to Hawaii, but I'm sure you remember (maybe not) my reasson for this trip?!

 

...to be there for my brothers safe return from Afghanistan.

These few seconds can't even describe what an emotional time this was for so many people. 

Well, my brother made it home safely! And the next week was all about celebrating ;) 

Very few pictures exist up until we leave for California...

That bitch Flo is here again

Wanna know what MY number one enemy is to my diet?

My period. That's right, it's gross and taboo, but like clockwork, I gain 5-7 lbs and eat everything in sight.

As you might guess, Aunt Flo is stopping in for her monthly visit. And, my diet has ceased...momentarily. It takes about 3 days for me realize that I have control over what I am doing before I decide that bitch isn't gonna make me miss my goal!

So here's to you cramps, bloating, fatigue, bottomless pit eating, and emotions...

Mini's: Vacation Mini's

This weekend my husband attended the national SPE  (Society for Photographic Education) conference in Atlanta, GA. He teaches photography at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Ga. Where we live.
Although Atlanta is only a 45 minute drive it's a great opportunity to "get away."
While my husband sat through lectures and demonstrations all day I was perplexed as to how to spend my time...

 So what if it's 11:30 am and I am still in the bed. It's vacation. Sort of.

At the moment, I am happy as a clam. I am sitting pool side with a cup of coffee and my laptop working on this here blog.  I decided long ago that I am a sun baby. I was born in August. I love the Summer months, but not if it's too hot. I can also be a very grouchy person if I don't get my "mini's" frequently. I should have figured out earlier how to travel for a living. Too bad I wasn't thinking about the future well enough when I was 18. Damn.

So, for now, I will enjoy my husband's misery by accompanying him to any and every conference he goes to where the town's worth visiting or if the hotel has an indoor pool like this one.

I tried to be productive and do some paper work, but it stayed right here...

At least I tried. So, I say as long as you make an effort then you're golden.

Speaking of Golden... I got a golden ticket! It is now the end of the weekend and I am practicing all day today for a production of Willy Wonka that opens this Thursday. If you would like to attend this show you might want to go ahead and get tickets. I'm sure it's going to sell out.

I will post more about this a little later.

Tsunami too close to home

 I was swimming in a dark cold ocean and I was thinking that I was going to dive deeply into the water to learn more about myself. Then I was riding against this wall that bordered the ocean and the world that was transporting me further out into the water. It was a thin line that I had to ride because if I broke it, it would send me into the realm of another world. 

Then I look up and see that there is a huge wave about to pound on me. I dove into the water trying to get away from the force of the wave that was about to hit. I kept swimming and swimming deeper into the water. It was getting darker and colder. I also knew I had to swim deeper if I was going to see who I really was. Suddenly I realized that I wasn't going to get deep enough to see what I wanted to so I frantically started swimming towards the surface.

I woke up before I ever reached the surface.

Waking up, I hear Perry's phone ringing and he's talking to his dad. Growing more concerned, I was fully awake. I turned the television on and Perry walked into the room. As Perry was telling me as to why his father was calling, I noticed on the news that a Tsunami had hit Japan and the waves were approaching Hawaii.

My brother-in-law and his family live in Nagoya, Japan. Which is about 100 miles south of Tokyo, where the earthquake and tsunami hit. It's also about 4500 feet above sea level. Thankfully, they are out of harms way.

David, as you know, is stationed in Hawaii but thankfully is still in Afghanistan. 

Was my dream related to what was actually happening? 

I am counting my blessings this morning as well as sending thoughts and love to all those that weren't so fortunate.

Getting a fresh new look...

So, I'm getting ready to go on my trip. Where is my first stop?

I would probably consider this post as more of an advertisement for Ladies and Gents Salon here in Carrollton.

Like everyone else, each Winter I get an urge for darker and warmer hues. In the spring, I go back to my original color, (I think it's my natural color, who knows anymore) blonde. This past Fall I went red and this spring was no different, I went blonde. Especially with my beach trip to Hawaii in mind.

                                        In case you forgot what Hawaii might look like


Lydia is her name and making me feel good by cutting and coloring my hair is her game. Twice a year, every year since I was in college.

She will die knowing that I'm writing about her. But I just couldn't resist.

My visits with her last just a few hours each time I see her and in those heavily pampered hours we share our stories.

You see, Lydia is a PYT, as my Michael Jackson fanatic friends would call her. You know the song, Pretty Young Thing? And that she is.

                                                                       Lydia

I first heard about Lydia's talent from a sorority sister. Which sister, I could never tell you because most of my sisters were filling up her appointment book by the time I graduated college. My sorority at the time had around 60 girls. She was busy.

Finding a group picture of my time as an Alpha Xi Delta proved to be very difficult as facebook wasn't quite available to us yet. So, I went with a classy logo.


Like most college students do and should, sisters would move away as they graduated. I stayed, as you already know. Lydia became a permanent fixture in my personal hygiene routine and was inducted into our tight group of friends. Of course, she even did my wedding hair.

 

Three days later, I asked her to cut off all of my beautiful long blonde hair that I had spent years growing out. And...............dye it black. She, like everyone else I had told my plan to, begged me not to, but I was already there in my mind. Once I have the idea, I go for it. "Are you sure? You're sure?" she asked me over and over again.

                                                    She DID and WE BOTH loved it.


From then on, I was hooked with doing drastic things...to my hair.

                                      

....Just kidding ; ) This was my bachelorette night out.

Well, just after a few months, the color started to fade and the length was getting to the point I could just do no more with it. It was winter, I didn't have a tan, I had put on my annual winter weight. Needless to say, I was feeling...drab. As spring approached, you guessed it.... I wanted to be BLONDE!

Guess what else? Fall came back around and I wanted another change. I decided on RED! So, red it was.

                                                                  LOVED IT!


It too started to fade. But this time, I decided that I liked the red so much that I would keep it just a little while longer. But because I had started saving my money for Hawaii, I decided to buy a box of color and do it myself. I even cut my bangs.

Valentine's Day approached and I have somehow guilted my husband into thinking he needs to get me a nice gift for this day ; ) He bought me a gift certificate towards my next visit with Lydia. As you may remember, I am a waitress and our paychecks are often voided because every penny of my $2.13 and hour goes straight to taxes.

Anyway, I quickly made an appointment. My friend Brook and I went together, it's more fun that way. She too will die when she sees this.

                                                        Brook, don't kill me


This particular haircut and color was based around the idea of going on my trip. I wanted something fun and bright!

                                                        I think I got it!

 Now, that my hair is ready for my trip, I need to work on a few other things. Like losing that winter weight I gained. Which was about 12lbs this winter : ( I'm guessing you will be reading a lot about my struggles. I have one month and 18 days to lose 10-15lbs. Can it be done????????

The countdown begins

On Tuesday, April 19th, 2011 at 8:30 pm, my plane will land in Honolulu, Hawaii. I will arrive alone with a one way ticket for a 2 week stay. My brother, David, is a Marine and happens to be stationed in Kaneohe Bay, HI.

 

       This is David, my brother, and this is where he is stationed when he's not deployed.

  Do you feel bad for him ; )

 The reason for my visit is that David, my brother, will be returning from Afghanistan where he has been deployed for almost 6 months. This is his fourth deployment. I would personally like to be there  to thank him for the services he has provided our nation. It's the least I can do, be there for him when he returns home.

  I guess you can imagine where this is.


The exact date of his arrival is unknown. So, I chose an arrival date of 2 weeks before the absolute last possible day he MIGHT return. Comforting isn't it?
 I have traveled alone before to places as far as Amsterdam, but I, sort of, knew the person I was going to be meeting up with. And the trip lasted less than a week.

   Amsterdam. Visit. It's worth it, for sure.

Okay okay, so I'm obsessed with living adventurously and spontaneously. So, this is why I plan to blog about my experience. Who knows what will happen. And in case we have a The Hangover moment, I will have a written documentation of where I was, at least the day before anyways.

So far, this trip sounds like a rich white girl vacation, right? Well, it is a vacation, but I'm the furthest thing from rich and as a box I have to check on most legal documents, I'm Caucasian, but it's all irrelevant.

Why is it irrelevant? Because I'm a 27 year old somewhat newly married college graduate (5 years out) working as a waitress living in a small town just 25 miles from where I grew up. Somewhere I never thought I would end up, but it happened and I'm happy about it. My husband and I have plans and he's secure enough in our relationship to be okay with his wife, who yes, is 20 years his junior, traveling across the country on a month long trip.

    We got married on October 18th, 2008

 

This is me, JDK. Also known as Jessica. 
Waitress-ing for breast cancer with Plates on the Square  

   10% of my tips were donated to breast cancer awareness for the entire month of October.

MONTH LONG TRIP? You thought it was a 2 week vacation on the beach. Well, until I can wrap my head around this blogging thing I will leave my plans a mystery......for now.

I'm going to be reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac for inspiration

On the Road

  Where will we be next...