And the days get colder...

No seriously, they do. Granted, it's still 75 degrees or more, but it's been noticeably cooler the past few weeks. It's a good thing the 'aloha spirit' includes a lot of holiday good cheer or I would have no idea that Christmas is just around the corner.

This week has been full of running around. Rick and I decorated the Christmas tree at his house and it looked too classy, so we bought a tacky star to go on top. Then I found a tackier one. The result, 2 tacky stars topping an otherwise very nice Christmas tree. It makes me smile every time I see it. Thursday night I had a horrible desire for a Pizza Hut pizza--I ordered a medium pepperoni for pick up and it was supposed to be $18!! Luckily I found a coupon in the phone book. Friday evening Kristin and I decided to bond as roommates and hit up Costco and K-Mart to get food and cleaning supplies and curtains. We got quite a bit accomplished and have been getting to know her better and we're getting along famously thus far. By the way, Dad, she's from the Kingston area in Ontario. I think her hometown is Inverary, if I remember correctly...

The weekend had a lot of potential. I mean, Friday was a really slow day at work and we even went to the beach for an hour at lunch. And I didn't have to work on Saturday. But somehow the weekend was less glamorous than had been anticipated. Saturday morning I headed back to Lihue (even though I had been there Friday evening with Kristin) with the goal of getting a bed and a dresser for the new place. I'd like to have some items in place before I go home for Christmas since I'll only have 2 days to move out when I get back. I bought a full size mattress and box spring for $60 at the Salvation Army and am planning on going to pick it up tomorrow after work--Kristin knows people with trucks. If worse comes to worse, I can always strap it on top of the Jeep. Was unsuccessful in finding a dresser, but in all honesty, a dresser is far less important than a bed. Also had high expectations for a craft fair and ended up getting paged over the PA for parking in a loading zone. Rick and I went to the beach in hopes of straightening out our sweet farmer tans (I'm developing quite the sock line) and somehow were unsuccessful in getting any color from 12:30-1:30. I think it may have been the first time I'd ever "laid out." Ha. Came home, made some cranberry pound cake (I'm having a hard time eating the 2-lb bag of cranberries I got from Costco) and Rick informed me there would be a snow maker at the mall, so we went. Turns out it was really a bubble maker, but these people try hard. It actually was kinda cool. Plus, I saw Santa walking around. It's funny--their polite wave here is the hang ten (or is it hang loose?) hand gesture, but they call it shaka. Anyway, Santa was walking around flashing the shaka to everyone. It made me laugh. Got quite a bit of Christmas shopping done--I'm getting used to worrying about size and weight restrictions...

Sunday, again, had potential. I had won some tickets to "Christmas in Hawaii" put on by the Jaycees. Two singers, one who sings in a group and is a soloist at luaus and the other who made it into the to 32 on American Idol 4 years ago (which he reminded us of not once, but twice). They were good and the concert was pretty good all in all, but the whole situation made me laugh. There were about 100 folding chairs in front of a stage in a big open room--really no need for microphones except for when the jets flew overhead since we were only a few blocks from the airport. And Rick and I were the only haoles (whites) there. I felt like wearing a sundress and was overdressed. The crowd was small and a odd mixture as well. More than once I just laughed at the whole situation. It did put me in the Christmas spirit, though. Came home and my landlord replaced the belt on my car while I helped his wife paint the boards for the renovation of the lanai--it was a nice trade of labor.

I got all excited about the two mini cranberry cakes I made yesterday and decided to share the wealth. I drove to Hanapepe and dropped one off at Kristin's. Also took some pics of the place and checked on the color and size of the curtains I had bought for my room. All and all, I was in the house for 10 minutes. I get back in my car and the other loaf, which I was planning on taking up to Rick's and splitting, was covered in cockroaches. I was a little grossed out about the whole situation but decided to shake them off. I turned the pan upside down and was shaking and of course, the cake fell out on the ground. I looked at it in despair and picked it up anyway. I think there was a fleeting moment when I thought about shaving off the top and eating it anyway (it's a good recipe--I had already made a loaf earlier this week and taken it in to work). I ended up showing up at Rick's with a frown and a story about the cake that looked fine but clearly shouldn't be eaten. Damn those cockroaches! Where do they hide in my car (because clearly, they are in my car)? If there's not some kind of bug trap I can put in the Jeep I'm tempted to leave some sort of goodies in there to attract them and throw them out.

It occurred to me today I only have one more weekend here before I head home. It feels like I've been here forever, but at the same time it doesn't feel as though I left home too long ago. It's strange, really. But I'm getting excited. The landlord also gave me a lighted fake Charlie Brown Christmas tree to use for the season, so that coupled with Mom's decorations have helped. It also occurred to me I haven't posted pictures of my place since I put things in here, so I threw them here at the bottom since I'll be moving out at the end of the month and then I will live here no more. Then there will be pictures of a new (and much bigger) place. Though it's fun to imagine this place bigger...

The living room and kitchen
The living room and bedroom
My TV, dresser, closet, and Charlie Brown Christmas tree
Closet and bathroom

The Christmas tree at Rick's place. Doesn't it look nice? Especially the stars....