Time Change

Today is the first day I have been able to 'sleep in' until around 7ish. Which is 10AM at home. It's been incredibly hard - almost impossible, really - for me to sleep in. I have been up as early as 3. Then made it until 5. Finally, today until 7. I come into the 'dining room' in the main room and get on my laptop but then the boys [who are sleeping on the futon and the couch in the main room] complain that my 'mouse clicking' is too loud and wakes them up. I'm a loud clicker. What can I say?

Things I've realized this trip -

First, my dream of living 'on the beach'? Scratch that. I want to live near a beach. Maybe within sight of a beach - like from an upstairs window or something. But living ON THE BEACH? No, that dream is over for me. Surf is loud. ALL THE TIME. You cannot shut it off or turn it down. It is non-stop 24/7 pounding and while it sounds lovely much of the time, there are plenty of other times when you just want it to be SILENT only you can't make that happen. This condo is about 15 feet from water. Lots of water. And rocks and sand and waves. And it is breathtakingly beautiful and certainly a perfect 'vacation spot'. But live here? No, not this close to the water. We took J. to and from the golf course today (so the boys and I would have the rental car which we used for shopping and going out to eat lunch) and the quiet of the parking lot was so pleasant. I miss quiet. So I'm glad I've had this experience because I have a new appreciation for quiet and a new realization that living this close to 'on the beach' is NOT a retirement dream. Maybe 'very near but not on' the water will be my new dream. There are some beautiful houses being built on the golf course J. played today - if we can scrape together a couple million, I'd considered living there. We could just drive to the beach when the mood struck us and we needed a little sand between our toes.

Teens will figure out how to entertain themselves. The purchase of the $4.89 cent chess set was a great investment - they have been playing for two days. Even B. and I played a game - he trounced me, primarily because it's hard for me to remember which piece can move in which direction and I get 'flustered' and can't think my moves out quickly enough. That leads to asking for help which 'tips' my plan. He would have trounced me anyway 'cuz he's been playing since 4th grade (they both have) so I took my loss and went to take a nap. I am glad they are enjoying some 'brotherly interaction' over a strategy game. While swabbing their newly hole punched ears.

Speaking of ears - H. had to have his right ear redone late yesterday. The back of the hole was considerably lower than the front - causing the back of the earring to 'show' from the front. So J. returned to the jeweler and had it redone. H. now has one in the front of his lobe and two in the back - one of which will close up eventually. They are diligently swabbing and twirling. And taking their own pictures pretty frequently with their cell phones. And looking at themselves in every mirror they pass. Just like I did when I got mine pierced 22 years ago. I have to admit - they look a lot better than I thought they would. Helps that they're both pretty darn handsome. But the earrings do add a certain 'style' to their faces.

The Starbucks card with the Hawaii theme is so popular that they keep them behind the counter. If you want one, even with no 'value' on it, you have to pay $5. If you load value on it, then it's 'free' - meaning you don't pay extra for the card. They said they used to have them out but everyone was just taking them as a 'free' souvenir so they stopped doing that. I bought a couple today (with value on them) for the lady taking care of our house and me. And I'll return again in the next couple days to get another couple for current and former coworkers. They are better than a coffee mug 'cuz everyone ends up with far too many mugs. And on a good note: this morning, Starbucks was mobbed. The girl who rang up our order (iced tea - big surprise, I know- for me and a java chip frapp for B.) rang up my tea wrong. I mentioned it to the lady making the drinks - pointing out that the receipt said a 'lemon iced tea' and I only wanted an iced tea. She checked the cup and said it was just a black tea. After she made the drinks, she said 'please follow me over to the register and I'll correct that error - you were overcharged $1.' I said 'I'm not worried about it - it's OK - it's crowded today'. And she insisted. And she didn't just credit me the $1 - she credited the entire drink. I thought that was really great service. And she didn't make me wait in the long line again to get the credit. Classy. They really do employ great people who really want the customer's experience to be stellar. I like that about them!

Tonight, we are having dinner here - http://www.the-beach-house.com/ . The view they have on their website of sunset on the beach (look under the 'parties' tab). That's the view outside our living room window. The tiki torches are right outside our living room window. The picture of the restaurant on the website has a slightly 'taller' white building just behind the place on the right. That's our building. We are walking to the place - it's right next door. We will celebrate our wedding anniversary with some fine food and dessert. And watch the sunset we've been watching every night from our condo window.

Aloha and ma halo for reading!