Who does this hurt in the long run?

Normally I would chronicle my week here on the island.  Well, this week has been rough, at best.  I went last week to get my ear checked out.  Yes, I'm ashamed to admit that I've been having problems with it since January.  In any case, the drainage is back to green, indicating an infection.  So, I was prescribed Augmentin, the SUPER antibiotic.  And when I was say SUPER, I don't mean fantastic!  It is designed to kill, kill, kill the bacteria.  It kills my energy in the process.

In addition to antibiotics, I've been referred to the Ears, Nose and Throat specialist at Tripler Hospital (or the "pink" hospital as Annika calls it... since... it's painted pink.  Seriously).  I have an audiogram scheduled as well to determine the amount of hearing loss.  It's all scary to me at the moment, but I'm no stranger to ear troubles.  I grew up having tubes in/out and many ear infections.

That update is out of the way. :)  

Why the title for the blog?  On 23 September 2009, we received a letter for the State of Hawai'i Department of Education.  Apparently, Hawaii's public schools are facing unprecedented budget cuts totaling $468 million over two years (sy 09-10 and 10-11).  WHAT??  What happened to the money that was given to the state?  Oh... that's right, it was used to pay off debts.  Who suffers from this?  Certainly not the parents!  Not directly anyway, in my humble opinion.  This hurts the children immensely.  It saddens me. 

What does this mean?  Furlough Fridays.  Seventeen furlough Fridays to be exact.  During the furlough Fridays:
 *Athletic events and practices will continue as scheduled after 3:00 PM.

*After school tutoring and enrichment programs run by the school are cancelled.

*A+ will not be offered by the DOE.  Private providers may offer their own programs at parent expense on furlough days.

*No meal service.  No student transportation (SPED included) will be provided.

*Superintendent's leadership team (superintendent, deputy superintendent, assistant superintendents, and complex area superintendents) will also be on furlough.

I am outraged at the bold statements above.  We can continue athletic events but not tutoring and enrichment programs, meal service or transportation?  Who determines why?  And what exactly are we teaching our children?  That being athletic is more important that furthering and bettering your education/knowledge?  And this is part of the reason why I am not happy with the state of Hawaii's school system and why we thought long and hard about homeschooling.

My child's future is everything.  And I believe that she should have the best education possible.  I'm just sickened with this news.  Not just that, but disappointed.

A large price to pay for living in paradise.

A big mahalo for the continued reading support!

::Aloha!::

The Zero Sisters

I'm five hours behind CST.  So, I always feel like I'm behind the times when it comes to news sharing.

My bffs live in two different time zones.  One in MST and the other in CST.  My Lulu, for the longest time thought that I was was six hours behind and affectionately gave me the nickname -6 and I gave her the nickname +6.  Together, we make up the Zero sisters!

Lulu entered my life during a time of change.  At that point in time, my ex-H had joined the Army and I was looking for support.  I found that support on a forum called Army Wives.  We "met" in 2004.  She made many journeys with me, in spirit.  From my solo trip from NC to MN with a toddler... to the pain and heartache of a dying marriage, through the death of my partner, through the new beginning in another state so far away from home, to the fateful decision in November 2008 and through the moving and combining of homes/lives here in Hawaii.  My Lulu has been with me every step of the way.  For that I am eternally grateful.  The blessing of her love and friendship unconditionally has been, amazing.

We met in person in 2006.  It was a long time in the making, but so worth the wait.  And our friendship will stand the test of time.

To my Zero sister.  I love you.  And a big MAHALO for being there.

...tap tap tap...

:aloha:

The Rainbow State

Hawaii's nickname is the "rainbow state."  With rainbows nearly everyday, it's easy to see why it has that nickname.  No matter how often I see them, they amaze me. 

The walk to school is about twenty minutes.  Sometimes I drive because it's generally sprinkling in the morning.  But, almost everyday, at the same time, there is a rainbow!  The rainbow in the picture below is beautifully backed by the Wai'anae mountain range.  The field is Mililani district park.  The park is near the townhomes that we live in.  And we can see those mountains from our bedroom window.  It's a beautiful sight to see!

Seeing rainbows give me hope.  Hope for the futures.  Strength in the knowledge of the past.

Aloha my friends!

Ready for a new season.

Summer is almost over.  With that, the heat and humidity go down.  But, the season change also brings rain.  Yes, we're going into Rainy season.  So, instead of the snow I'm used to, it'll rain for months and months.  Last year it wasn't so bad (of course, I was new to this and was happy to have anything other than snow).  As it is, we get rain daily, or almost daily.

Right now, we're in a Fire Weather watch.  Ironic?  I suppose not.  The Trade Winds have been a blowin'!  Everything is just a bit drier and with the winds it brings the threat of fire.  

I'm ready for the new season.  The heat and humidity are tough.  It reminds me of the Minnesota summers that I've endured over the years.  That sticky, hot feeling all day long.  Feeling like your t-shirt is always damp.  My hair going out of control!

Fall is my favorite season.  The sights, the smells and the memories it brings.  We won't get the changing of leaves here.  And we don't have apple orchards.  Fall is a season for preparing for winter.  Around October, I get a case of the sads.  I'm not sure why it is.  Change is good.  Change is needed for growth and rebirth.  So often, I want to reject the change.  To hide from the world.

I am ready for this change.  I've got my loves with me, so all is right in my world.  The loneliness and sorrow have been replaced by joy and togetherness.

Mahalo* my family and friends!  For being my strength in times of weakness.  For never giving up on me.  I can never express enough gratitude.

Until I blog again...love, hugs and prayers!

*thank you in Hawaiian (ma-hollow)

Life on an island.

I love Hawaii.  Really.  It's beautiful.  It's warm.  Rainbows everyday.

While I love Hawaii, I have to admit that I wouldn't have had this on my "places to live" list.  I know how ungrateful that sounds.  Who wouldn't enjoy this opporunity?  And it's why I have decided that it's MY attitude that makes the difference in how my time here is.  I can't make myself enjoy it completely.  With everything, there will always be a love/hate aspect. 

I'm thankful to be able to experience life in a culture that is unlike that which I grew up in.  It's not just a state.  It's a culture.  With many Asian influences.  Since my arrival on the island, I have tried many different foods.  As a girl from the Land of Bland, I was skeptical about food.  (hey, I didn't even try Thai food until I moved to Minneapolis and discovered Chiang Mai's!)  My first sushi experience was on the day that I arrived. (why did I wait so long??)   Despite my exhaustion (as 7 hours on a plane will cause), I found it absolutely delightful.  A month later, I went to a luau.  That's where I fell in love with Kalua pork.  SO YUMMY.

So, here I am.  Living on a island. (the girl who is TERRIFIED of water).  Miserable moments.  Ecstatic moments.  All the moments create my experience here.  One day at a time. 

What I miss the most?  Family.  Friends.  Not being able to get in the car and take random road trips.  But, I wouldn't change the experience for anything.

Married life!

Yes! The rumors are true! We tied the knot on Sunday, August 16, 2009 at Kawela Bay on the island of O'ahu. It was a lovely day. While we could not be joined by our friends and family on the mainland, it was wonderful to have our new found friends there. I believe that they have become my extended family.

The wedding preparations were very low key. A simple silk dress from Tori Richard (the macaroni and cheese dress!) complemented with an orchid lei. It was absolutely stunning. Our "reception" was at Pizza Bob's. Good food, good fun, less than stellar service. But the overall experience? Amazing! Kat's angel food wedding cake? DELISH!

I will post the links to our pictures in another post, but I've put together a little movie of our love story... enjoy! :-)

Bad blogger!

Ok. I am ashamed to say that I have not posted a blog in a month! But, we have been busy with summer things. Getting Annika ready for school, BBQ's, swimming and birthday parties!

Life on the island is good. Enjoying it as much as we possibly can! Other than that, nothing much to report.

Until I blog again...love, hugs and prayers!