Fendi or Flip Flops?

Designer  brands are not really my thing.  They might have been when I was in about 7^th grade – and a couple of times in between, but never this “over needing urge” to own “Fendi shoes” or a “Gucci handbag”.

Yes, I like nice things.  Quality things.  Things that will last.  Those things don’t always have a “brand name” on them.

I’m not a shopper.  While in Oahu this week, everyone keeps telling me of the “great shopping”.  “I don’t like to shop”, I reply.  They look at me like I have two heads.  “I know, I know”.  I’d rather be DOING something.  In fact, ANYTHING, but shopping.

Once upon a time, I did shop.  Shopping with my Granny – we would spend all day.  We would go to lunch. We would have our make-up done.  We couldn't go home until the trunk was full.

Those days were fun. 

But even then, it wasn't to buy the “best name brand” – it was to buy something I would wear, something in style and made well. 

To me, that means, a couple of trendy items, a couple of staples (well made “core” items”) and made a name brand purse or pair of shoes. Well, maybe not name brand shoes.  Maybe a name brand blouse and comfortable shoes.

I would have worn stylish shoes back in the day.  I still wear fun boots in the winters in Denver – some days.  But mainly, I love my non-name brand flip flops. 

My favorite flip flops were from my first summer in Kona.  They were made of recycled tires – they were supposed to never wear out.  They didn't – the strap broke though.

Then I received two pairs of flip flops last summer.  They were “custom” flip flops – there were words cut out of the bottom.  So, when you walked across the beach, you left a trail.  One pair stamped “Follow” on one shoe “Me” on the other shoe.  The other pair?  “Aloha” (Hello or welcome or love) and “A Hui Ho”  (until next time)

Today, I was on the North Shore of Oahu watching the turtles swim.  They were HUGE.  As in, the two I was near, were the size of as your cooking range.  The head was probably the size of a football.  (Mind you this was in the open ocean – not a theme park or a “planned excursion”)

After swimming with the turtles for bit, I went back up to my chair to sit under the tree.  A bit later, it was time to leave.

Where are my shoes?  (This really isn't surprising that I can’t find my shoes, probably also the reason I think $700 shoes are ridiculous and so are the people whom wear them).

I was down to the beach to see if I left them near the turtles. 

And as the turtle today swam away with just ONE of my flips flops; I knew it was going to be okay.  

As, the bottom of that flip flop had printed on it “Aloha”, leaving me the one that was stamped “A hui ho”  (until next time).

A different kinda place

The island of Oahu is much different than the Big Island.  (Really, the 'Big Island' is Hawaii, but everyone seems to think of Hawaii as all the islands rather than just one)  All of them would be "The Hawaiian Islands".

Oahu is an island.  Honolulu is a city on the island.  The population of the island is almost a million people. Only every branch of the military has a base here and I'm not sure if our service men/women are counted in that population.  As many of them don't claim their base as their residency, but "where they are stationed".

This place seems much bigger than the Big Island - but it has nothing to do with the size of the island, but the amount of people.  (as I think the Big Island has less than 100,000 people on a space twice as big).

Really, this place is like Los Angeles, only water surrounds all sides, not just one.  There are mountains. There is vast foliage and tons of highways. Okay, really, it's the same one, but it's very confusing and busy.  (To me, it's like LA)

So I'm talking to this man today while I was in Waikiki - and I said, "If this is your favorite island", you might as well live in LA - as it is easier to get places"  He told me about the different hikes I should go on.  He told why he has a house here and in LA. And I will, and I keep exploring other places.

The "Aloha Spirit" is different here too.  Not as many people speak Hawaiian to you.

I went to Canoe Club tonight.  First of all - I had to drive an hour to get to a recreational paddling group.  (In Waikiki) and they were really nice.  A diverse group, much younger than my other group.  Thursday night group (as it's the first Thursday of the month) - is the same, there is a group "dinner", instead of breakfast.  They are getting pizza, instead of potluck.

I really am not trying to compare the differences, just point them out.

And, I'm still not sure the man I was talking to today wasn't Jack Nicholson.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  In Kona, it wouldn't have come up whom he was.  It didn't come up today either.  Other than the bartender said, "Hey, Jack".  But our conversation about this place, we never introduced ourselves.......  Now that's a bit different.......

Just a scratch

I wasn't even on the island for two hours before I was in the water.

I don't think I was even in the water for 20 minutes, the first time.  When I got out, dried off - was having a beer, I looked down and there was dried blood on the top of my right foot.

Hmmm?

Nothing hurt.  I wonder what that was from.  I wash my foot off.  There is a one inch scratch across the top.  Not deep at all.

Pele!!!!  I told you last year, I understand these are your islands.  I'm just here to enjoy them with you.

Thanks for the reminder.  May we always know our place in life.

Like I was dying

No, this trip to Hawaii wasn’t planned.  At least not well in advanced.  It was planned for about two whole weeks.  No one knew.

My boys were going to Texas.  My ex-husbands Aunt (whom I somehow got in the divorce) has breast cancer and is having an operation on Wednesday, but she had a whole group to help her. That being said, no kids, I work from home, no need to help family out at the moment……hmmm, what the hell am I going to do????

I’m going to go see a little boy in Hawaii

Only the little boy is 26. I babysat him many, many years ago.  The boys were put in a car to Texas.  Yes, they knew.  Then I told the grandparents they were in the car with.  They my dad’s wife told her sister, and well, we know how his works……

Maybe we need to hop over to the Big Island for a couple of days…….Maybe.

He has tons of stuff planned; he’s on leave for a week.  I’m staying two.

Friday morning, I get on my flight.  United.  Direct flight from Denver to Honolulu.  I’m not sure whom is more excited – him or me.

We sit on the runway for over an hour before they even tell us anything.  Apparently, there was something wrong with the cargo area – they couldn’t get the temperature under control.  There was a dog down there.  We went back to the gate.  They fixed it.  (The little boy I’m going to see told me to just put the dog on another plane – Actually, he told me to shoot the dog, but I wasn’t sure if I could actually write that).

We pushed out from the gate again.  They ran all the tests again.  We sat on the runway for another hour.  

We finally took off. 

Only, when you looked at the flight map on the TV, we were headed North to Wyoming.  Hmmm….. 

Usually, when you depart Denver, you head West.  Then South.  Towards the Ocean. 

Something wasn’t right.

The airplane was hot.  It wouldn’t cool off.  We heard a bang.  Then we smelled smoke.

THEN, our flight screen showed our flight time was only 20 minutes.  We were landing in Salt Lake City.

They then shut the tv’s down.  They shut the lights off.

We were over the mountains.  It was bumpy. As in big drops.  It took us over 45 minutes to get to Salt Lake City – and this was from the time they told us we were 15 minutes out of Salt Lake City.

We landed.

The plane was greeted by two fire trucks and another emergency vehicle.  The only saving point was they let us go to the gate.  I figured if it was really bad, they wouldn’t have let us pull up to the gate.  Dammit though, we didn’t get to slide down the slide!

Heck, I’m not in Hawaii, but I have incredible friends in Salt Lake City.

Richie came to pick me up.  We stopped and bought me a tooth brush – as, they didn’t give us our luggage.

Delayed a day.  Changed forever.

There are no more maybes in my life.  I’m either in or out.  Although, I’ve probably been pretty close to this way of life for a bit.

Not a good month for 777’s.

Because, when your plane catches on fire at 25,000 feet, and you actually get to land – and you survive…

THEN, you thrive.  (I first put in “get to thrive”, but there is no “get to” in life.  It’s just do”   I said this was my year to thrive.)

If you thought I lived my life with reckless abandonment before, you haven’t seen nothing…….  Just saying…….

Oh, Denver

I tried.

Really, I did. Denver, you are a beautiful city. A magnificent place on this Earth with incredible scenery, perfect weather and wonderful people.

Denver, Colorado is one of the most incredible cities to visit. To live in. To grow up in. We have four seasons.  We have a "city". We have any outdoor activity you could possibly want - year around.  Pick one.  (And by pick one, I mean a sport or a season). You can ski and golf on the same day.  (snow or water) What is your poison?

There are no bugs. There is no humidity. And holy hillbilly, pot is even legal. (Although truly, this makes me sad - as Colorado is now known across the WORLD for this - doesn't matter that we have everything else).

I HAVE so TRIED this summer.

• Bike rides
• Red Rock Concerts
• Hikes - look at this backdrop?  It's beautiful.
• Camping

Okay, well maybe, I haven't tried that hard.  But I pretended really hard that I tried really hard.

Just shows you, pretending will never get you there.

I will always love you, but you see, a few years ago, I cheated on you. Not only did I cheat - When I cheated, I fell in love.  That's the problem with having an affair - you can't always go back.

I'm sorry.  It sounds trite. It might sound pitiful, but I will always love you.

My love for something else does not diminish what we shared. I will treasure our love always.  I'm grateful for the love.

Because, I do truly LOVE you. I'm just not sure how much I like you.

If it's okay, I'd like to be friends. Friends whom understand we can have each other, yet, love other places too.

For now, as we transition into this next stage of our life, I would like to see you more than anyone else, but I think we both know it's time our relationship changes. Please understand. We've been faking it for a while.

Oh, Denver, as much I love you,

I love another place more.  

As much as I would like to apologize for my actions, I can't.  You will always have my heart, but another place came along and stole my soul.

And it's time I pay my soul a visit......

Want Ads

Remember when there were "want ads" in the newspaper?  Where you looked for jobs?  Where you MAILED in your resume?  Or you called and set an appointment to meet someone?  Or you just went in and applied for job?

I'm a recruiter by trade.  I tell people all the time:  "Less than 1% of people whom have jobs got the position by just applying".  Usually, it's a referral.  Or a recruiter/headhunter.  I don't remember what we did before LinkedIn and Job Boards.  I think we ran ads in the newspaper.

Previous to Craigslist, I had never been hired for a job if I applied for it.  My first job out of college, I sent resumes and cover letters to the Top 25 hotels in Houston looking for a meeting planning position.  One of the HR people called me and I was hired.

When I was hired into the recruiting industry, I had gone and applied at every temporary staffing service in town for temporary work.  They hired me to be a temporary in their office.  That was over 20 years ago.

My only exception to this rule?  My college job.

I was working at McDonald's in high school.  My roommate at the time, had a friend come down and stay with us for a weekend.  When I told him I was working at McDonald's - he told me I needed to quit.  I was better than that.  He pulled out the want ads - it was a Sunday and told me to look through it.  

Of course, I had no self confidence and the only other job I had was a camp counselor.  I found an add for a single dad looking for a baby-sitter for his two kids.  He was in school and also needed help with tutoring in Math.  I'm actually really good in Math.

They hired me.  

The third child was born the next summer - the wedding to the girlfriend was the following fall.

That was 27 years ago.  There is not a birthday, a Christmas or any other life changing event that goes by without a call from the family.

The oldest, I've seen her and now her kids for several summers when we used to go to the beach in Texas. The middle child I hear from on occasion.  The youngest - well, we call him "my first born".  I hear from him all the time.  

He was the ring bearer in my wedding.  Last year, I got to see him for an afternoon.  But tomorrow, he's picking me up at the airport - and I'm staying with him for two weeks.

I'm not sure whom is more excited.

I called his dad today and told him "thank you"  for running that ad in the paper all those years ago.  The dad replies, "We don't know what we would have done without you."  "No" I responded, "I don't know what I would have done without you."

Appreciation

In life, we don't need someone to tell us the good job we are doing.

We just need people to tell us, "I appreciate you".

Thank how far that would go.

"I appreciate what you did for me!"

You picked up my mail.

You went grocery shopping for me.

You did ANYTHING for me.

I appreciate you.

People don't say thank you often enough.

People take for granted what others do for them.

You need to come to my house with your dogs?  Okay, that works too.

You need to come to my house in July instead of October?

That works too.

Just appreciate that we are both adaptable.  Because, I will be appreciate you.