Staycation

Last week, Mike had a work retreat on the other side of the island at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. And lucky me, I got to tag along. It was a beautiful hotel (not as beautiful as the Fairmont) and I took full advantage. I did have a crazy experience though. Apparently, when the hotel was being built, they found out that the site was actually a burial ground. They had moved the bones and had proper ceremonies to bless them, but the hotel is haunted. Now, I am the hugest sceptic out there, but I did have a crazy dream that woke me up screaming int he middle of the night. And this happened before I knew it was haunted. Needless to say, I'm not anxious to go back.

The view from the lobby

 Lava cliffs

 Found this on the cliffs. If you're not paying attention, the cliffs can be seriously dangerous

 Amazing color on this little guy

 These are the mascots of the hotel Loco and Moco. They are so cute!!

Do you know the way to San Jose?

One of the many perks of not having a regular work schedule is spontaneous vacation. I was feeling like I needed a little family and friends time so I found a cheap flight home for a long weekend. And it was just what I needed. Of course you can't see everyone you want to see, but I made the most of it. Lunch with old coworkers, chicken and waffles at my favorite restaurant, Greek at my second favorite restaurant, Odyssey Bowling, Train Town with a very cute 3 year old and much more.  But most importantly, I had quality time with my family. I was missing them all big time.  I was actually excited to come back to Maui though, which I thought was a pretty good sign. Unfortunately, I came back with a horrible cold which left me in bed for 3 days. I'm finally starting to feel like myself again. 

If you ever need a good laugh, you should definitely go bowling with this Jamoke. 

I missed my little buddy Walter.

And here's that very cute 3 year old I was talking about. The super handsome Jackson.

And on a very random side note- why the hell would anyone write a song about San Jose? I guess so when I tell people that's where I'm from they can say "Oh! Like the song!"

Whales!

So as I mentioned before, Humpback Whales spend their winter in Maui and have their babies. Anytime you look out at the ocean, you see a whale. It truly is magical. Of course the best way to see the Mama's and their babies is to get out on a boat! We've been twice so far, and it has been amazing both times. You can only get within 100 yards, but they are so huge, it seems like you are much closer. The babies are show offs, practicing their breaching and playing around, so that's most of what you see. But Mom and sometimes a male escort are always right beside. I really can't find a better word to describe the experience other than magic. 

 Two males fighting over a female

 Baby breaching- Yes, that's only a baby!

 Mama's tail and baby's back to her right

We were also lucky enough to see a huge pod of Spinner Dolphins. They came right up to our boat. They're so cute

So, should you come and visit us from December- May, we'll take you out whale watching. And I guarantee it will be your favorite part of the trip. 

Good things happen in 3's...

I'm not sure that's how the saying goes, but let's go with that. So last week was a good one for me. Not only did I get a job, but I got two! The first is at the Wailea Tennis Club, which is affiliated with the Wailea Golf Club, which means, free golf. Now, that means nothing to me but i'm pretty sure I just made some new best friends. I'll be working in the pro shop, taking reservations, stringing racquets and general tennis-y stuff. (Clearly, I'm not too sure what i'll be doing!) I should be starting next week. 

The other job I am VERY excited about. It's at a floral boutique in Wailea called Bella Bloom and the shop is gorgeous! I had kinda decided before I got here that I wanted to work at a florist. After having looked online for florists in the area, I was disappointed. I really wanted to work at an upscale shop and I just wasn't finding anything. We stumbled upon Bella Bloom when we stopped at a wine shop that's in the same shopping center. On a whim, I sent the owner an email saying I wanted to work there and after a brief meeting, she hired me! That stuff never happens for me! I've worked a few days so far and I really enjoy it. It's very different from any other job I've ever had, very specialized, but I like it. 

Also, we bought a condo! The rental market here is crazy. Super high rent prices, and the landlords are whack. After looking at a few rentals, and not hearing back from the landlords, we decided to see what buying would look like. Mike met a guy in San Jose who is a realtor out here in Maui. Oddly enough, I went to high school with his wife! Anyway, he showed us a few places, and after 2 rejected offers, we got one! We move in at the end of March. It needs a lot of work, but I'm sure my Dad wouldn't mind a week here working. Right, Dad? :-)

I have to say now that I'm working again, I really feel like I live here. I can't wait to move in to our house. I miss all my stuff. But most of all, I miss cooking! Only 42 more days....

East Maui Animal Refuge

One of the big goals I made for myself while I'm here on Maui was to find a place to volunteer at and I wanted to find a place that helps animals. I had been researching different rescues online and found just a couple places. Last weekend Mike and I were at the grocery store and saw a little donation box at the register for an animal refuge. So I looked it up and filled out a volunteer form and was called to come in. It's called the East Maui Animal Refuge, or The Boo Boo Zoo and it is like no other place I've ever seen. It is absolutely amazingly insane. There are about 150 cats, 30 goats and sheep, 15 Axis Deer, countless chickens, ducks and peacocks, a gigantic blind cow, a deaf Great Dane and a funny mutt named Boots. I've only been once so far, but it was a one of a kind experience  All the animals are pretty special in their own right, but the cats are extra special to me. So many different personalities and it seems like they are all the biggest love bugs! But one in particular stuck out to me. There is a room where all the handicapped cats live, and that is where Mai Tai, the cat with no eyes, lives. That's right, no eyes. And what a lover boy he is. He wants to sit on your shoulder and rub his head on your head. He melted my heart. I kept trying to figure out how to shove him in my purse and if anyone would notice that he's gone. But, I decided stealing cats on my first day wasn't the best idea. Another kitty in the handicapped room has no use of his back legs. So he just scoots around, playing with the other special kitties. He was so sweet. I guess the room I should have identified most with was the "Kitty Fat Camp" room. Those cats made Zoey look anorexic. And made me feel much better about my plus size girl.

You really should check out the website so you can get a visual of what's going on there. The picture on the home page is exactly what it looks like. Animals everywhere. It's so amazing to see all these different species of animals living together peacefully and happily. If only humans could do the same.

Friends: Old and New

My friend and former boss Kim is in town from Connecticut and it was SO GOOD to see her! It's been since June and so much has changed for the both of us. It was good to catch up and see a familiar face. Of course, neither one of us took any pictures, so we'll have to get one when I take her for Shave Ice.

Last night, we went to Mike's boss's house for dinner. I have never been so excited to have a home cooked meal. And it was delicious: BBQ Ribs, grilled corn salad, and the most amazing potato salad I've ever had. It was so nice to be around new people and to just get to hang out. I'm missing my friends and family a lot.

The best news of the week: Our cars are here! YAY!!! I had no idea how much you could miss a car! I was so happy to see these old friends. And the Fiat has been a hit. I'm pretty sure there are only 2, including mine, on the island. I'm like a local car celebrity!

And I found a new beach to hang out at that's down the road from the hotel. It is very quiet, has great whale watching and is also a good place to watch the sunsets. Maybe I'll meet some new friends here :)

Maui Ocean Center

I took myself to the aquarium yesterday. Truth be told, with no job and no husband for about 12 hours a day, I'm getting a little bored. So I've been trying to find things to keep me busy. Since I love all things zoo or aquarium related  I thought this would be a fun place to spend the afternoon. And it was! Although, it's really small and I was only there for about 45 minutes. But never the less, it was great. 

 Lorea- this is a Unicorn Fish. I think you need one.

My favorite. A baby Honu. It was only about a foot long. So cute.

Laying low

Well, It's been a pretty uneventful week. Nothing too exciting to speak of. We did get free tickets to a concert that we went to on Friday night at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. We thought it was going to be a Hawaiian group, but it turned out to be Mat Kearney. Who? That's exactly what I said, but I never turn down a free show! Turns out, I know several of his songs thanks to the music at Paper Source and Anthropologie. And he was really good! Great voice and really entertaining. You can see who I'm talking about here.

Of course I found two stray cats that live at the hotel. One hangs out at the entrance and has the funniest meow I've ever heard. When we were here last time, she wouldn't come near us, but now she's my little buddy and always runs up to me for pets. The other one is a very feral kitten. She won't come near me. I'm thinking a can of tuna might do the trick. 

On our walk last night 

 This is the kitty that hangs out in front. I call her Eh Eh cause of how she meows. 

And the kitten. Wild little thing.

Happy 1st Birthday Sugar!

Yesterday was a very special day. It was Sugar's 1st birthday! And while I HATED that I couldn't be with her on her big day, I was assured that she got lots of extra treats and hugs and kisses. The lady who is watching them sent me some pictures last week and yesterday. Here are a few cute ones:

She looks older and wiser. The sweater helps her look more mature :)

 Happy Sugy

 It's good to see that some things never change!

I plan on celebrating with Sugar once she's home in May. Maybe some homemade treats, a hike and a lamb bone. Happy Birthday big girl!!!

Week One

Things I've learned in my first week:

• Island time is no joke. I mean, it's a real thing! Everything is SUPER slow here. Service in restaurants, WiFi, people calling you back about houses (REALLY annoying), driving (the speed limit is 45 mph which is KILLING Mike), and just the general vibe is really laid back. Going to take some getting use to.
• When it rains here, all hell breaks loose. OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it was a little crazy. For example: It rained pretty hard here for about 20 minutes and the roads flooded and the traffic lights went out on the main highway. And you know when it rains in California, and all the snails come out for a mass exodus? Well, here it's not snails. It's frogs. Like the freakin' plague. I almost hit 3 driving home tonight. 
• Humpback Whales spend their winters here which I had no idea about! And I saw some blow hole action today. (That sounds weird) Apparently, mostly in February, you can hear the whales singing underwater when you snorkel. I mean really. This place gets better by the minute.
• It is legitimately hot here 365 days a year. It hasn't been less than 80 degrees during the day since we've been here. I'm in heaven. I was cold everyday in San Jose. Even in the summer, I would freeze at work. I will never be cold as long as I'm here! YAY!
• I really like blogging. It's something I've looked forward to doing everyday since I started. That's the biggest surprise so far.

I've been a bit of a slacker with taking pictures the last few days. My camera is so big and heavy, I hate carrying it around. But I must! For the sake of the blog! :)  So since I suck so bad, here are a few of my favorite pictures from past trips. 

My first time horseback riding for our 3rd anniversary  

This hotel is the most amazingly beautiful place. I feel very lucky to have stayed here in the past and now have it as a temporary home.

One of our many sunset walks on our anniversary trip

Look at these Jamokes. Love them.

Shave Ice and Sunsets

Today was the first day since we've been here that Mike hasn't had to work a full day. Hooray! I spent my morning by the "adult pool" since I'm so mature and read my book. (The Night Circus- thank you Lorea)  The afternoon was spent with Mike on a long walk to get smoothies, and then a cruise around town in our fancy hotel car (a BMW X5- which is really more of a spaceship than a car) to see if we could find any "For Rent" signs. No luck. My real reason for wanting to go into town was to get another Shave Ice. Seriously, I have an addiction. This place I found is so good. They make their own syrups which, turns out, really makes a huge difference. Anyone who comes to visit will go there with me. A lot. Probably everyday. And you'll love it. And love me in return. 

And then there was this:

 I don't want to toot my own horn, but this picture came out awesome. 

 A very nice couple offered to take a picture of us. We look super dorky.

If there is a Heaven, I imagine it to look somewhat like this.

Off to an Irish pub for dinner. Random, I know. Hopefully some Kayaking and more Shave Ice tomorrow :)

The First 48

I never thought in a million years I would start a blog. I always thought they were self indulgent and really, who cares what I'm doing? But, here I am! New year, new place, and trying new things which is what this little blog will be all about.

The first full day here, I could barely get out of bed. But I managed, for a walk anyway, then back to bed for the rest of the day. I was so exhausted. It's been a very long few weeks leading up to moving and I guess it all caught up with me. By day two, I was determined to get my ass up and moving! So I did. I moved my ass right into a lounge chair on the beach. Happy girl.

I looked at one house so far and it was a no go. WAY too small. Two bedrooms in 700 square feet? Maybe for a hobbit. I have 2 more places to see this weekend. Fingers crossed. I also found a temporary dog to play with and walk. A lady who works with Mike brings her dog Maka to work everyday and said he's all mine whenever I want. So I took him for a walk yesterday. He's so funny. He's part Corgie and who knows what else. I loved walking him along the beach, but it made me think of how excited Sugar is going to be once she's here.  I miss my girls very much.

Here are a few pictures of our home at the Fairmont.

And of course a gorgeous sunset

I'm having a great time so far. I still can't believe I live here. It feels like I'm on vacation! I keep feeling like I have to hurry up and get to the beach or get moving cause I'm leaving soon. But I'm  not! It will take some getting use to, but I'll manage. Jeez, my life is so complicated these days :)