Reason 876

Another freebie! That is right, Lola got to meet Santa this year, and we even got the picture to take home. That is right , the photo was free, put on a disk, and they told me to go to Costco to print it out (they have great deals!)! AWESOME!

Joy 2 Da World!

I am popular

Maybe this should be my new mantra. Maybe not.
I am not popular.
I am the furthest thing from popular.
I seem to be the anti-friend.

Up until recently, this was okay with me. I have my family, a few close friends and that was enough. Up until I discovered Facebook and the profile counter on my blog I was almost unaware of my status. I am a social 'tard. As funny (and equally lame) as it may sound, I am crying a little on the inside. Maybe I should care less about the numbers. Maybe most of those numbers are empty.

The thing is, I feel like I am in a horrible version of my former life. I am in middle school (or high school) trying to make friends. Not because I need them (although, I know I do), but because Lola needs friends. If I don't put myself out there with other moms, I am hurting her social growth. How Effed UP!

I really hate making small talk. I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns! I wish there was a way to skip that part. I know I don't want to know what you made your kid for lunch, so why would someone else want to hear that about my life. I am a simpleton. I am a housewife. I am a mother. Big effing deal. I shouldn't waste time talking about the ordinary and mundane. Truthfully, aside from occasional loneliness, I would make a great hermit.

Anyway, this is not a good way to live, and I want better for my daughter. I need to make mom friends. I need friends who live locally and have children of the same age. I need to fit in, and I don't know how. The other day at the beach there was the little girl Lola was playing in the water with. So, being the good mother that I am, I was in the water watching her and trying to talk to the other mother. Her friends showed up and there was a small group of us girls. I thought I was doing well, but Later that evening my mom said that I looked like I was 5. Like I was on the outside of the circle looking in. Great! Not only do I feel this way, but people can see it with their eyes.

Lola is in the HIPPY group and that has been great for her. Another mom told me about another playgroup that is closer to my house. I said I was interested and she says, "well, we already have 18 or so people. I will have to ask if it is okay." So... I don't know how I should feel about that. The next week she said that she talked to the group, and a few of them would like to just meet Lola and I at the beach to see if we would work with the group. I have to go to an awkward "social Interview" to see if I am chill enough for these moms to let their kids hang out with my kid.

Nobody told me this was going to happen. I think this is the hardest thing I will have to learn as a mother. I wish I could crawl in a hole and die.

ps this is not a "POOR ME" post. This is the "I AM SCARED TO DEATH OF PEOPLE, BUT MY DAUGHTER'S GROWTH DEPENDS ON ME TALKING TO PEOPLE" post. What an effing pickle!

Rubber Arms

Hula Girl

Fresh food= Happy Girl

On the menu at the Hart House~

Grilled Chicken with fresh Papaya Salsa
Spinach salad with garden fresh tomatoes, feta and chopped almonds
Rice
Peas in butter sauce

So Delicious!

I am so very serious when I tell you I felt high after eating this meal. It was AMAZING! A food "O" if you will.

lazy days

Ahhh, Saturday..............

This morning when I woke up I was so cold that I put on my late spring in Seattle outfits. Dress, leggings and a hoodie. I even put my hair in two messy piggy-buns. After feeling cold for a few hours, I realize that I don't ever want to come back. I don't like to be cold. Serious.


It rained, no it poured last night. Just in time too, our plants were looking sad and I wasn't about to waste my water on plants. This is the first time I have lived with anything other than city water, and this whole water catchment thing is tricky. We catch rain from our roof, and it fills the 10,000 gallon tank. Sounds simple- like you could possibly be drinking lots of bird turds- but simple. Well, it is not. We are supposed to put bleach in to purify the water and keep the mosquito population down.

Does that freak you out?

It freaks me out a bit, but I am pushing through.

Anyway, we went to check the tank yesterday just to find that in the 14 days we have been living here we have used 6 inches worth of water. That is a lot of water! I wasn't aware for this particular character flaw until now, but I am a Water Waster! I suck! Oh, and the PH is WAY too high.

So, until further notice, don't drink our water. Yeah. We should be good to go in a few days, but...

Back to the rain. Lola and I were dancing around while Brian was hooting and hollering about living off the land and the way things should be. It may as well have been the full moon too. It was a wonderful night.
Do you know what a tropical storm sounds like on a metal roof?

No?

Music, Peace. Rain. Heaven.

Bri checked the tank this morning, and it was over flowing! Do you know what that means? We collected well over 12 inches of water!

Moving on. We decided we should hit the beach today, along with YARD SALES! The best thing about the island. People price things to sale. I got 2 skirts and 2 shirts for $1.00. The big bonus... the free boxes. We got a avocados, liliko'i aka passion
fruit, guava and a papaya. These are literally YARD sales- okay Giveaways!

Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?

This is actually a moving announcement. I have put some lengthy captions on here, so click the picture to get the goods. Okay. Bye.

Kona Paradise

Be a Follower

I know you are. I know that you do. Just follow me. Please!

Halloween

Lola was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. I made her costume, and was quite pleased with myself. She liked the dress, but was most pleased with her ruby slippers. She asked her dog, Sandy, if she would be Toto, and of course Sandy agreed.
She wore the costume a few times before Halloween. Her HIPPY group had a parade, we went to a cookie frosting party at the LC, and then did the trick-ot-treat thing at the Old Airport where they set up Candy Land- it was awesome. People on the street took her picture, actually lots of strangers take her picture... I guess she is just that cute. Anyway, her are a few pictures of the girl- I never managed to get a posed picture of Lola and Sandy, but they were fetching adorable.

Sitting on the steps doing the Molly.

Wandering on the Hawaiian version of the Yellow Brick Road.


And excited about the treat bag from the Popo, aka police man.

Jessica is great

She is doing a lot of really wonderful things in her life. I want do do some of the same thing. She educates me and gets me excited aboutways to make my life more meaningful. It is nice to have someone so positive and kind in my life. So, beyond that here are the other things that I admire you for (some of these things are super superficial... oh well).
*You are thin and curvy. who has a body like that? After 2 kids!!! I don't really think it is fair.
*You had the desire and balls to dread your hair. It could have looked weird, but you didn't care! You dreaded your hair, and it suits you!!! That is just plain awesome! (Arwen, you are there too!)
*You are strong! You have the diet discipline of a robot. Simply amazing!
*You have garden space, and you are doing good things with it! How I miss that. I am excited to find some land we can garden on. I CAN'T WAIT.
*You will be raising chickens. In the middle of the city. Nice.
*There are more things, but I am tired. So, I might tell you some other time.

The Day B93.7 got up in my face

I have always listened to Classic Rock. I love it. I believe in listening to music of our past. Just because the music is old, doesn't mean it should be forgotten. Sometimes the music is MUCH better than the music currently being produced.

So, here I am, just living the dream in sunny Kona, on my way to pick up Brian. I was feeling cute, had the sunroof and the windows down, stereo blasting, my ponytail was flipping in the wind. I am thinking I freaking LOVE this song! This is the best day EVER! Go ahead and enjoy this moment with me.



I am remembering the first time I heard the song. I was sitting in the hall next to the Drama room when Andy West walks up wearing his headphones.

Andy: "This is the best song I have ever heard."

Ashtin: "Who are you listening to?"

Andy: "Green Day."

Ashtin: "I LOVE Green Day."

Andy: "You have to listen to this, I cried the first time I heard it."

I remember this like it was yesterday.

**Back to the car**

So as the song ends the radio station commercial breaks in and says (i wish I knew how to insert musical notes) "we'll be right back with more Classic Rock on B93.7."

Wait, What?!? Seriously, WTF? When did Gren Day become Classic Rock? When did the music of my time become classic? I am an old bag. I usually don't feel old, just semi-responsible, but this... I don't really have words to express what I am feeling.

Hey Ashes!

I was looking on the Louise Hay website in hopes of finding the meaning of bowels because I realized I use literal "potty" language. I decided to check the Daily Affirmation and this is what it said:

MY THOUGHTS ARE CREATIVE

I have been holding out on good blog ideas because I am scared people may actually read this. So, Starting today, I begin

My Thoughts Are Creative... My Thoughts Are Creative... My Thoughts Are Creative.

Get me out of this F*@#ing mom shell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have made a decision. I am going to post what I want, when I want to.
I will quit using this stupid blog for an update/vent page.
I will journal.
I will let you in. Not because I am great, but because I should.
I...I...I... This is my blog, and I am going to use it!

Maybe this is step 1 in a 12 step program for hermits.

Poop

When do parents get the luxury of not dealing with poop anymore? Why did Lola have a poop accident (that she apparently didn't know about), rub it all over her belly and the toilet seat? Why did I find a "chocolate chip" on my side of the bed? Why did fecal matter try to ruin my sleep? At least I have a good sense of humor. hahaha! poop the bed!

Sabotage

I was supposed to work today. Only, it wasn't the type of work where you keep your mind on the specific task. I was going to help the girls at FL re-arrange the office. This is my favorite thing to do! Plus, I would be setting up "my" office, that is if I decide to apply. Plus, I would be able to chat up the girls and make friends!!! I was excited! I was ready! I was going to make money and friends!

Enter silly husband

Brian was going to take Lola on a bike ride to the beach. He wanted to go to Magic Sands, but I suggested he go to the Keiki ponds. He says how about Kahalou. I say whatever.

Anyway, to make a long story short, he took both sets of keys. WTF? HOw am I supposed to get to work? I could run after him and find him at the beach. Wait, he didn't tell me where he was going. Crap! Oh, I will call him... but look, here is his phone. Double crap!! Anyway, I was hooting mad today. No job, no money, and no friends. :(

The Time I Held a Sea Dong

Yesterday Brian found a delightful suprise at the Keiki ponds. He didn't want to handle the object, so a stranger did the dirty work. So there I am floating in the water when he holds out a sea cucumber. I wasn't too embarassed while the boys laughed at it squirting. Then he washed the sand off and put it in my hand. OHHH! Let me just say, a sea cumber is freakishly firm and bumpy. I am a married woman, and I felt like I was doing something I wasn't supposed to. What was God thinking on the day he decided this was a good creation? Anyway... I am still a bit red in the cheeks! Lucky mermaid.

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Can it be true??? Can Ashtin REALLY be happy? Folks, I a writing to tell you that my life has never been better. I am loving Kailua Town! As you have seen in the previous post, we live in an amazing place. The only thing to make it better is the town itself.

We are close to everything! Lola and I have been walking everywhere. Gas is $4.69 per gallon, so we are very careful as to when and where we take our car. We also got bikes and a trailer to aid in our transportation. I had no idea riding a bike was exercise. Do you remember when you just rode your bike because it was cool and really fun? Well, that isn't the case anymore. My leggs hurt like pigs! Oh, the bus is free. It is a little unreliable, but free!

Lola has been loving the waves and likes to "surf" on her boogie board. If she wears her snorkel mask she is brave as can be. I have spotted dolphins a few times, but I am pretty trying to keep Lola from drowning. We see sea turtles almost every day.

We are feeling really lucky. Life is good.

Our Condo

WOW! When I sent Brian to Hawaii to find a proper home for our family I had no idea he would find something like this. I had an idea of humble surroundings. Perhaps a coffee shack, an old farm house, some sort of bamboo struture. What he found was quite different.

We are living in a turn-key 1 bedroom condo on the south end of Kailua-Kona. We have a king sized bed, a queen sized pull out in the living room, and 2 lanai's (one of which looks over a beautiful courtyard, and off to the ocean.) We have everything we nee here including a gecko living in our cupboard.

There is a pool where no fun is allowed (meaning no noodles, toys, flotation devices, or incontinant people), tennis courts and direct access to the lava shoreline. We spend lots of time looking in tide pools. Brian saw a huge manta rey, we have both caught fish, and just yesterday there was a turtle swimming in front of me. I would have to say this is pretty amazing.

Brian tells me not to sound too excited about our life, but come on! This is a dream come true!!! I can't wait to wake up EVERY SINGLE DAY! That is saying a lot!

Bri hacked my blog

Hey,
Brian thought it would be a good idea to post about Hawaii. I am not sure what he is talking about regarding Christmas, but I am planning on being pretty poor... and tan this next Christmas!!! Oh, but I am not sure we will be coming home. I am so excited, and sad. I can't believe I will be away from Bri for a whole month! My poor little heart. :( I guess this takes us to the next thing, missing us. I know this is going to be hard, but I think this is an adventure we would regret passing up. We are going to miss home too! We would really love for you to call, email and visit now and again. THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, THIS LAND IS MY LAND.

Hawaii or bust!!!!

Ok....so here we go. Another chapter in the lives of the Hart family. Yes...you heard it right we are moving to the big island of Hawaii!!!!! Brian accepted the program coordinator position with Full Life Hawaii. He will be the manager for one of the learning centers in Kealakekua, HI. This is found 12 miles south of Kona on the West side of the Island. Our dreams have finally come true. Lola is getting confused as we are selling and donating all of our earthly possessions to make this move a reality. Who needs the comfort of a TV or a computer? Ok, so we will have a computer but other than that, we are just taking the cloths on our backs. Our cars, most our cloths, toys, electronics, food, everything gone! I love the freedom this is providing! Brian leaves on May 6th and Ashtin will be following with Lola one month later. Ash is going home to say goodbye and farewell to family and friends. We are still planning on coming back for this Christmas, so we will see you all then. We will also be keeping this blog, so you will be updated as our adventure progresses. Thank you all for the prayers and support on Bri and Ash's excellent adventure!

Firsst Ski

Snow Bunny

Bend 2008

Early 2008

Hart Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Vintage photographs - Free genealogy

Split Personality

While being a super stalker, I saw a post about The office. On the NBC website you can take on Office Personality Quiz. Turns out I have a split personality. I am most like Pam and Jim.

Christmas 2007