May - lived in Waikiki with my tsunami friend Hannah. After 4 months of no funds and collecting parts I got Julia (Land Rover) back. Started on the job hunt. Oh, and dad was diagnosed with lymphoma and was going to start chemo treatments.
June - got job as hostess at a restaurant right on the beach called Shorebird. Don't get me wrong--I enjoyed always having a gorgeous view and ocean breeze while I was working...but it wasn't at all like I'd imagine beach front restaurant on an island job would be like. Fastforward to the end of June when I totaled Julia (the truck I had just gotten back the month before after 4 months of not driving her. RIP Julia). Dad started chemo treatments and was handling them very well and had high spirits. I spent a good deal of time riding the complain train about my $8/hr part time job but God is faithful even when I doubt and somehow....bills got paid that month. I've given up trying to figure that one out. I kind of hated my life in June.
July - still at Shorebird. Realized I was ready for a "normal" schedule again. I hated working Saturdays and my nerdiness started to show when I started itching to do something accounting-ish and I started full-time job search. Stumbled upon Nordic PCL Construction, Inc. available positions, interviewed, and got the job. Things were starting to look up, even if I wasn't so much.
August - started my new job. Not the most challenging work, but it's busy and I like the company and especially the people. Who knew that you could put 5 women working in a cluster of cubicles and there be NO DRAMA. You read that right. None. Everyone works hard and helps each other out. We all just get along in general. So wonderful yet I still kind of don't believe it. Alice, Ginnie and Katie came to visit which was absolutely refreshing and wonderful and I just love them so much. Also got great news from dad's doctor that he was almost cancer free
September - getting the hang of the job thing. We have a great group of young people and we hang out pretty regularly. My cousin Maria and her friend (and now my friend too) Becca came to visit. It wasn't even super planned until a few weeks earlier. Loved having them here.
October - I don't think there was much to talk about in October. Although it might've been sometime around Halloween that our Tuesday night routine of shooting pool (it's the super cheap night) started up. I'm slowly getting a little better...but it's fun to just hang out with coworkers we don't see during the week. (not everyone is in the office...we usually don't see people who work on jobsites unless it is after hours).
November - played in another ultimate tournament. Even though my tent could not handle the wind on the beach for camping, it was a fun weekend. Especially the little hat draw beach tournament on the last day. Love playing in general on the beach. Spent Thanksgiving with the Elliotts and a coworker relatively new to the island (transferred from a Canadian district) came along for her first American Thanksgiving. Fun times with a great family!
December - Worked a lot in the beginning, and sucessfully made southern style bbq (this will earn it's own entry later) then went home for a little over a week for the holiday. Stella is growing up so much! Jenny came to spend Christmas with our family, and then Ginnie/Alice/Katie are awesome friends and came up for a few days after. I was bummed I didn't make it to SC, but was so glad to have a little SC come up to me.
January - Mom and dad came to visit! Glad to finally be able to show them my life now. Good balance of being touristy but also seeing what I do in Hawaii. By day 2 dad had his routine - found his breakfast spot, then read the news while mom laid on the beach. I think they could've gotten used to that lifestyle... Some friends in Pharmacy school did a rotation on Maui. I went to spend one weekend there, and they came to spend the next on Oahu. This prompted our first Sunday Funday where a group of people from work and a few others went on a hike on the pretty side of the island then hung out on the beach and wrapped it up with barbeque at Joe's house. I made my bbq again. Love my one crockpot "dish"!
February, part 1 - Had February's Sunday Funday early this month...and on a Saturday. 15 of us rented kayaks and went out to the Mokes (Mokuluas....little islands right off of Lanikai's shore) and hung out for the day. Such an awesome time, and it was fun to walk around the mostly lava-rock island exploring little tide pools, etc.
Jadeveon Clowney is a Gamecock and tonight I will eat steak with the Elliotts and do their taxes so they can pay off their children. I love those children so it will be quite a fabulous Valentine's Day.
til later.....
