so close, yet so far

I am so ready to take that next step in my life... which step is that, you ask? No, not marriage (which I think I am also ready for) No, not being a homeowner or buying a new car. (Which, again, I think I'm ready for) No, not getting a new job (although I KNOW I'm ready for that... hopefully no one I work with reads this...)

No, I am talking about being a pet owner! Oh how I want a pet so badly right now. A little puppy to greet me when I come home from work and to play with me when I'm down and cuddle with me whenever I want! This post is titled so close, yet so far because last night was the closest I've ever come to getting a pet.

We randomly came across this pet discount supply store and noticed there were some puppies in there and we wanted to go pet them. They had some cuties too. BF particularly liked the Shar Pei (who was adorable and a little fatty puppy hehe) But I only had eyes for the little terrier mix puppy. She had these little eyes that just pierced your heart they were so cute.

Right when I went in the store she started whining and was coming up to the bars of her cage trying to lick me and was excited to see me. So they let me hold her and she just nuzzled up against my neck and looked at me with her little eyes that were saying "Katie, why won't you just take me home? You're not going to leave me here are you??"

Sadly, I had to. My apartment is not the place for a puppy. Nor is the move we are *hopefully* planning next year and the lack of yard/space/time we have right now. But oh, my heart was breaking leaving that little girl at the pet shop. She must have had some chihuahua in her because her ears were so cute and perky and pointy.

I've never felt this way about a dog... but I have taken it as a sign that someday I will have one. Because even though my life is not in line with having a dog right now, I know someday it has to be. Otherwise I would not have liked her nearly so much. And also, because if it's not, I feel like I will really be missing out on something great.

don't believe everything you read

I have noticed since the creation of facebook a slightly disturbing phenomenon... not that being able to electronically stalk everyone you have ever remotely known/met/thought was cute in itself isn't slightly disturbing (and highly entertaining)... but no, what I am talking about is people "getting engaged" to their best gal pals because they think it's funny.

Now I admit, if you're single to you it's probably not a big deal, (not that it's a huge deal anyway) but to me, when my mini feed annouces "Someone you know" is engaged! I get this warm fuzzy feeling of excitement for that person. Even if I haven't spoken to them in years, or only have met them a handful of times, a marriage proposal is something to celebrate and cherish. Sometimes it's a "oh, he finally did it!" feeling, whereas other times it's a "good for you, congrats" and yet others is a mere "oh how nice, i didn't even know they were dating anyone" (reserved hopefully for those I don't have regular contact with hehe). But whatever my reaction, it's always good and I feel compelled to congratulate them.

Imagine my disappointment then, when I go to their actual profile to see they are indeed engaged, but it's all a joke bc they are engaged to a friend just for kicks and giggles. Like I said, not a huge deal, but it's tricky and I don't like it ;)

i'm going to hawaii! yay!

So I'm sure you all know by now that duh. I live in Hawaii. However, I am going to another part of Hawaii next month, the Garden Island of Kauai!!

I am super excited for this trip. It took us forever to decide if we wanted to go.... well, we always wanted to go, but in this time of economic turd-dom we couldn't decide if we SHOULD go. Well, we decided that since veteran's day is right around the corner, and BF is a certified war vet now, that damnit we were going to take a few days off and just do it! (Besides, when are we ever going to have this opportunity again? Once we move back to the mainland, no more island hopping... booo)

So yay for Kauai! It's supposed to be the most beautiful of the Hawaiian islands and I cannot wait to experience it. There are already several places I want to see including the famous Poipu beach and one or two of their countless waterfalls! Don't worry, I'll take lots of pictures and maybe by then I'll have started posting pictures on here haha. if not, I'll put them on facebook for sure.

Topic change: BF brought home the Wii Fit this week!! How amazing is it you ask? AH-mazing! I think you burn most calories laughing while watching someone else trying to do the exercises. And I love all the variety of activities. I apparently have no balance skills, but hey it's something to work on. It's kind of funny though to work out with it and realize there are some things you are really good at (like running and sit ups and hula-hooping apparently) and realizing that there are some things that you are horrible at (like yoga and push ups and walking without tripping...)

That's right, the Wii Fit keeps asking me if I trip when I walk because my balance is so off... and the crazy part is, I really do trip when I walk! BF laughs at me all the time when we're in public! Luckily I am skilled enough now to catch myself before I fall, but I do trip a lot! The Wii Fit has also told me that I am a couch potato, a novice at yoga, a body builder and a calorie burner all in the same session haha. Guess I really know what I need to work on!

It is a lot of fun though, and good for you. It made me set a goal, so in two months I'll let you know if I've reached it. Here's hoping!

motivators

I have found the key to successful working out! Well, maybe not the key, but you know, something that helps...

So lately, BF and I have been on a "get in shape" kick. The reason for this? Mostly because I realized I have gained like 10 lbs in a year.... (YIKES!!! But hey, can you blame me? I live in paradise where there are yummy diet distractions on every corner and restaurants both fast food and elegance are a dime a dozen) also bc BF has his *hopefully* FINAL WEIGH IN for the Army coming up soon and he wants it to look good on his record ;) (I personally think he looks fiiine already, but maybe i'm biased hehe).

When we first started about 3-4 weeks ago, it was very tepid... meaning I would work out for MAYBE 30 minutes on Monday (running, abs, whatev) MAYBE swimming on Tuesday and be too exhausted (or so I told myself...) to work out the rest of the week. (Amazing, my endurance and stamina, No?)

Anyway, about 2.5 weeks ago we found our way to this park about .25-.5 mile down the road from us. It... is... AMAZING! And by amazing, I mean you only see spots like this in the movies and never think you'll actually get to be there. Because of this park, I actually look forward to running. Mostly because by the time BF gets home from work and we go to run, the sun is about to set. So I get to see the sunset over the ocean every night that we run. Talk about motivation! It is gorgeous.

When I start, DiamondHead is directly in front of me in the distance, the ocean is to my right and a beautiful park is to my left. I was so distracted by nature that I ran for a full 25 minutes last night without stopping. (For those of you fitness buffs out there, stifle your laughs please, for me that is a huge step up from the 6 minutes I started out on!)

At one point in the run, I am literally running on a path that when you look over the side of the path, there is nothing but ocean. I am so blessed to have this opportunity. It really takes your breath away. (Or maybe that's the running, I'm not sure) But I am so lucky to have found this spot. I will cherish it for the rest of my time here and when I am back in the Mainland, hopefully I'll have learned to like running... if not, I may never run again! ;)

realizations

Hey all! Today's post is about realizations. This weekend a few came to mind. One is that when we are stressed we tend to take out our feelings on those closest to us. Is it right? No. Why do we do it? Because they are there and perhaps we can't take it out on those who are actually causing the stress because they are our bosses or family members. Or perhaps it's not a person at all but an outside factor that we have no control over. Either way, when things get stressful or chaotic, unfortunately the people who suffer are the people who are always there for us and try to make us feel better. The people who love us unconditionally.

That being said, next time you feel particularly stressed out, try talking about it so it doesn't get to the boiling point where some stupid little thing sets you off and you wind up projecting your stress onto someone else. They may even be able to help you figure it all out.

On a lighter note, I made another realization this weekend. You don't have to be the best at something to have the most fun. We went golfing this weekend (two of the holes were right along the beach... Ah-mazing!). Let me tell you, I am about the worst golfer in the world. (That may be an exaggeration, but when you only count your good strokes and you still get a 6 on a par 3... yikes haha). Anyway, BF and I went to play with a friend and all three of us were pretty bad that day, but we had the best time. (I announced at the start that I was playing a scramble haha) I don't think I've ever laughed so much while playing golf. Usually I get super frustrated (especially when I start to whiff) and wind up trying my hardest not to spew a string of profanities at the little plastic ball. Sometimes I have felt like Happy Gilmore minus the putter throws. (OK, maybe not that bad, but you get the point).

I actually felt like I played really well considering my skill level, and I had a great time. I even out drove BF a few times! After playing this weekend, I am really considering getting my own clubs so I can get better and play more frequently. I mean, my whole family loves to play, so maybe now I can play with them. Besides, they do say that half of all business takes place on the green ;) I hope we continue to play and get better. And also, be lucky enough to be on such beautiful courses.

nature adventures

This weekend was amazing. When we first moved to Hawaii, BF and I used to do the touristy things all the time, like go to the Sea Life Park, and the beach and drive along the coast etc. Lately though, I feel like we unfortunately have taken it for granted. Life has a way of forcing you to forget to enjoy it and get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the rat race. It's sad, but true.

That's why this weekend was awesome. Saturday we took advantage of the fact that it was a little cloudy and hiked up to Waiamea Falls. I will post pictures at some point, but they are still on my camera for now. It was gorgeous there. The walk to the falls was only about a mile from the park entrance and everything was so green. We debated swimming in the water, but decided it didn't look that clean and it started to rain anyway. I forgot how nice it feels though to get rained on sometimes.

We were walking back to the car and the whole mile there it rained. But, I really didn't mind. It was a light rain and I was kind of hot from the walk there and it felt so refreshing and it made all of the green scenery around us become alive and vibrant. It even smelled green. It was beautiful.

Then on Sunday, we thought it was going to be rainy but we braved the weather anyway to go snorkeling up at North Shore's Shark's Cove. No, we didn't see sharks, but there was so much to look at there that before we even realized it, two hours had gone by and both our backs were completely burnt! Haha. Mine not so much as BF's, but it still is a little sore today.

I have never seen schools of fish so large before. We saw eels, and some sort of spotted sea snake. BF says he saw a barracuda... whether or not that is true I don't know, but I'm glad I don't. Those things are not nice! But we did see some angel fish and some really brightly colored fish and lots of sea urchins. It was so clear and beautiful. I have never been sorrier that I didn't have a camera.

I hope we can have a weekend like this again soon. I think next weekend we may be going horseback riding!! I love it and it's so much fun, so I'll keep you posted :)

Fall is here!

Happy October everyone! Well, fall is here with the crisp cool weather and the changing of the leaves. It's my favorite time of the year. But oh wait, that's right, for the 2nd year in a row I am in the land of perpetual summer.

Not that I'm complaining, I love it being warm all year round and not worrying whether I should get up early in case there was a snow storm that I have to shovel my way out of. Or, in the case of my senior year in college, get towed back into because I was stuck in the middle of street. Thanks T and D for all your love and support and help on that one ;).

Like I said, I am not complaining, however there is a part of me that really misses sweater weather. Not cold weather, but the weather where it's perfect to go outside in a sweater and jeans and be perfectly comfortable. The weather that makes your cheeks just the slightest bit pink when the wind blows. Enjoy it while you can mainlanders... I know as well as you do that it usually only lasts about 3-4 weeks until it's gone.

Speaking of missing things from home, I called me parents today and little Sammy got on the phone to say hi. She has the most adorable 2-yr-old voice in the world and I absolutely melted when I heard it. I miss my nieces and nephew so much. I got used to seeing them my 2 months at home this summer, so now not seeing them until December is hard!!

Can you believe that Christmas is only like 83 days away though? That's crazy!! I can't wait to go home to see everyone at the holidays. And lucky us, we bought our plane tickets a week before the bailout plan was denied which sent prices skyrocketing!! I am proud to say BF found the tix for $500 cheaper than we paid last year, oh yes I am pumped. We're going to celebrate by blowing it all on a trip to Maui next month hehe. Woo! Anyway, hope you all have a good weekend! I can't wait till it starts :)