"Taumafai": Last of Hawaii!

Shopping
So we all know you can't go to Hawaii without shopping! I do have to say that while I was lounging around in Hawaii, Dan was slaving away in Tonopah, NV with his brother Jake as they moved scrap metal to earn some extra cash. It was their manual labor, sweat, use of heavy machinery and Dan setting his pants and shoes on fire a number of times that allowed me the extra spending money! Those two are the best team anyone could ask for because they never stop working until the job is done--and the job will be done perfectly and efficiently.

But on to my shopping...

The International Market reminded me of home in Thailand! Lots of good shopping with persuasion of bargaining! Now that's my kind of way to shop. I probably still got swindled but I definitely had a better sense of cost than some of the tourists flaunting their money! Still not nearly as cheap as walking the streets of Thailand, but Pawn and I had a lot of fun.

I actually bought this gorgeous sarong as we were walking from the market back to the hotel. We passed this ABC Store and there it was, hanging in the doorway and I just had to have it!

Here's one set of jewelry I managed to put together. I bought a chunky black-beaded shell necklace (which I have the perfect shell earrings to match with!) and a couple of flowers for my hair, as well.

There was a wrap skirt made of two layers of silk and beautiful colors and designs that can be worn 100 different ways. The sneaky vending people set their booths up on both exits of the hotel so Pawnee and I had to pass them every time we left our hotel room to go anywhere! Our eyes widened at the array of ways the silk could be worn to look like pants, a skirt, halter-dress...literally 100 different ways! Of course, we'd only be able to wear them as swim-suit cover ups, but with being in Hawaii and going to New Zealand in December it sounded like a smart investment. The prices we found ranged from $70-150 dollars, which of course we would never pay that much for. But we did get a deal for $60 or so if we both purchased one and it was going to be my one major splurge item...

But then Thomas killed my buzz by making some logical sense about using the money to buy lots of other things instead of one item that will probably lay in the bottom of my drawer most of the year. So then, realizing I will probably not be back in Hawaii for many years and knowing I will have a house to decorate in the near future, I chose wall hangings instead. But I do love them!

My tiki masks! Dan and I want to have an "ethnic" room where we assemble our collections from Thailand, New Zealand, and now Hawaii. We don't have that much yet...but we hope to have more one day!

My other favorite purchase was the variety of macadamia nuts! Oh man... SO good and so many ways to make a macadamia nut taste so delicious! Caramel covered, chocolate and coconut (like the purest Almond Joy you've ever tasted!) milk chocolate and toffee filled... MUST--HAVE--MORE!

I also really, really want to find some star fruit!

Story Highlights

1) There was a lock-box in the hotel room that Thomas, Pawnee and I shared. Thomas left for his CEU course, so Pawnee and I went to the VIP room to enjoy breakfast. But before we left, Pawnee encouraged me to lock up my jewelry and wallet, informing me that the code to the safe was 0132. So I opened it, put in my things, and then tried to close the door but it wouldn't latch. "No worries... I'll just read the instructions," I thought. "To lock the box, hit any four digits and then push LOCK".

Ok... buttons quickly pushed and...yep, it locked. Great! Off to breakfast! When Thomas returned from the CEU course, Pawnee and I were laying bed relaxing and flipping through a magazine. I could hear some beeping coming from the lock-box, but didn't pay any attention until I heard Thomas ask, "Hey, did you guys change the code?"

I answered, "No... I just put some things in there and locked it--Uh oh." It only then hit me that the numbers I hit to lock the box were the very numbers I was supposed to use to OPEN the box! When Thomas asked which ones I pushed, I had absolutely no idea! "I don't know, I just hit random numbers! I thought to open it, you just need the code Pawnee told me." Thomas came out from around the corner, gave me a look of pure disbelief and subtly hidden annoyance, and then (Pawnee's favorite part) he RETREATED to his queen-sized bed, laid his head into the pillows and pulled the covers up around him as if to say, "I am not dealing with this!" Ha ha! All I could think was, "Whoops! I better fix this!" So i hopped out of my own bed, dialed the operator and asked what happens if we can't remember our lock-box code. She sent up security a few minutes later. The big, beefy dude was very nice, even when I admitted it was definitely my fault all of our money and precious belongings were stuck in there! Good thing Thomas had his ID out still--and good thing he can laugh about it now! Oh, me and my "blond" moments. = )

2) While eating out at a fancy restaurant provided by one of the Ortho reps., I decided to follow Thomas' lead and order a smoothie. A minute later, the waiter comes back to me and says, "Could I see your ID please?" I looked at him in confusion, then at Pawnee, and we both started laughing so hard!

"First of all," I said to the perplexed waiter, "I don't want alcohol. And second, I'm almost 28!" Unbeknownst to me, my smoothie contained alcohol so it's really a good thing the waiter carded me. I guess I should be flattered that I can pass for almost under-age! It probably had something to do with wearing my glasses that night. So I guess when I'm old and gray and unable to wear contacts anymore, my glasses will take years off my appearance!

3) We played with water toys one afternoon. Most people chose kayaks, a couple people chose paddle boards... Pawnee and I unanimously agreed to try out this ginormous plastic tricycle that looked like an over-sized three-wheeler! I'll have to get the picture from Pawnee but it was pretty comical. Once we were in the water, we had to paddle our hearts out to make any distance because the wheels are so huge that all our efforts really didn't amount to much! We'd make it about 20 peddles-worth, make it only a couple feet, and collapse against the seat in exhaustion. It was definitely harder and less fun than it looked! Fortunately, some unsuspecting ladies from our group asked to swap us out to experience "the fun".

"Sure!" we said, "We'll gladly give it up and let you try..." A few minute later, they looked about as thrilled as we had been. Hehe...

4) While walking to pick up Subway, a handsome brown man says to me, "Hey, Erica." Pawnee and I stopped and I looked at him in all my efforts to figure out who he was and why he knew my name. "What, you don't remember me?" he said with a smile. I thought, "What did I do last night??" Surely, he must be someone from my overseas or rugby days... And then I laughed with him when I realized he was reading my name off of my shirt! Thomas' office had t-shirts made with the Shipley Ortho logo on it and everyone's names on the front. He even ordered a last minute one for me! Sure gave us a good laugh that day! Dan didn't laugh so much when I told him though.

Here are the shirts! Cute huh?

They worked hard on forming this "S", which they'll frame and put in the office.

A few pics from the beautiful mountain/look-out point where we ate our picnic. Could the Garden of Eden really have been somewhere else?? I also thought a lot about the explorers back in the day, and how brave they were to venture off into that vast, blue ocean with faith that they would find land!