Desperate Times... Desperate Measures

 Life is an adventure. I have been marveling lately over all the adventures that Brian and I have shared. We got married one year before we graduated college (in Santa Barbara, Ca) and we have since then lived in San Diego, Japan, Florida, and now we are in Hawaii. That is five very different locations in five years. I think that has to be some kind of record! I have done something different in every location. It seems I am a Jack of all trades master of none. I completely thought that of myself in high school... little did I know it would follow me into adulthood (I'm pretty sure I am actually considered an adult at 25 now :). Photography is always on the side everywhere I go, but this time around I am working at a dive shop. Because what other way can one truly enjoy Hawaii? I spend my days on the water in a kayak and went on my first dive Thursday. My question is how the heck did I get this job? The question can only be answered by the picture below...

I saw an ad on craigslist about a week before coming to Hawaii. I had responded to a similar ad the day before (a job as a kayak guide). I really wanted the job and was deliriously responding to it late at night thinking, I have no qualifications for this job. I need to stand out. They want a picture? There are only two pictures of me on this computer... and so I sent the picture above in my response to the email making some comment about how I am outdoorsy and athletic and promising that I am professional despite the ridiculous picture. Somehow I received a call from them a few days later (I had already forgotten about it thinking they had hired someone else). They asked to do an interview the day after I landed and asked how soon I could start. Next thing I knew I was “working” three days after arriving in Hawaii. The program that I work is called Warrior Adventure Quest (WAQ) and it's a contract they have with the military. The people that come out for this program are signed up by their unit and they get to do kayaking, stand up paddle board, snorkeling, and diving. I have been on the kayaks for the most part, but will be learning to dive next weekend so I can help in other areas. With my dive certification they will also have me work in the dive shop on the days that they don't have WAQ. Which means, I have a steady job Monday through Friday. I have no idea how this happened. I just got lucky. Really lucky.

So... Hawaii. It's going awesome :)

Road Trip - Reno, Nevada

Road trip of the year. I didn't exactly go on any other road trips in 2011 and now that I am in Hawaii “road trip” is not something really in their vocabulary. Or if it is, we did it yesterday because we took a “road trip” to the north island (a whopping hour drive). Which brings me back to my initial point that Florida to Indiana to California was and is the road trip of the year.

Brian's parents live in Reno, NV and they were our last stop before hitting my parents in California. We stayed the weekend there and enjoyed a visit to Lake Tahoe, a hike, and some good time with the family :) The flowers below are all snaps from our hike. I like the image below and I am not sure there is anything to say other than throw your arms in the air and sing... aaaahhhhhhhh! I don't know how to spell a tune. Sorry. It was light at the end of the tunnel. I enjoyed the road trip and time visiting all my family thoroughly, but I was SO ready to get to Hawaii, reunite with Brian, and get settled into my own space. It wasn't a bad tunnel. It was an exciting tunnel, but I was finally beginning to see light at the end of it :)

 

 

 

Traveling Dogs

That's right. Traveling dogs, not traveling gnomes and though I have packed my traveling gnome t-shirt, I have yet to wear it on my travels. My dogs will be the most well-traveled dogs you will ever meet. At the end of this trip I will be posting their photos of all the lovely locations that they have been able to visit. Chancho even swam in the Mississippi, but only because he took a dive off the dock... the water wasn't super nice at the spot we stopped so we didn't actually want to get in. I even asked the lady at the gas station if the Mississippi was nice and clean to swim in. Note to self: don't ask a local if their super famous river is gross.



Aren't my pups the cutest!?! They really do look like brothers :)

Hicks Family – Huntington, Indiana

My brother and his family have just moved from Massachusetts to Huntington, Indiana. He is a new professor at the university in town and the timing was just right for me to visit just days after their arrival and days before the school year starts. The last time Jonathan and I saw each other was in May 2008 when I drove with him across the country to help him move all their stuff from California to Massachusetts. Adrienne was very pregnant with Camille at the time and sitting in the car for days on end at that time was not going to happen. So here we are in August, three years later. Camille is turning three in a few days and we all have really enjoyed the week together :) Her little curls are my absolute favorite!

Ethan is a wild boy. Loves to be loud and all over the place. Typical boy. Below is the reaction I received when I told him his parents were not coming home and I would be taking their place. They went out to shop for some birthday stuff for Camille and we had some good bonding time with the camera.

Camille is really difficult to make look at the camera. She unfortunately got over me pointing it at her rather quickly. I only got the shot below because I told her to watch for the camera to blink at her :) It worked! Then Ethan also wanted to see the camera blink at him.

 

I LOVE both the shots below. Awesome :)

I love grumpy kid pics too...

Looks like he's up to something, definitely my brother's boy.

Ethan's got that look again... JUST like my brother! Sneaky sneaky ;)

Cute little country girl!

Balance

Sleep comes in sets. It's better to sleep for 4 hours than 6, it's a rem cycle sort of thing. Not that I know that much about sleep, but I do know that I feel more awake now than I would have had I slept till my alarm clock. I am off to get balanced. I leave for Hawaii in a few hours to see my other half. My motto for life is all or nothing. It's not a motto that I chose, but rather just who I have always been. Brian of course was the one that brought this realization to me six to seven years ago when we first met. I have been ALL into my job and I am about to be ALL into my vacation/marriage. Brian and I are pretty independent from each other. When we are apart we don't talk as much as most couples do, or let me rephrase that we don't talk ANYWHERE CLOSE to as much as most couples do. We function better that way and it works. I am not sure where I came from, but it seems that I am the only one in my family that is this way.

I am off to find my balance. Brian is my balance. He helps me to stop, take a deep breath, and relax. I have learned to do it on my own, but he can do it for more than moment that I usually do. I am excited to meet up with him again, and excited to catch up on each others' lives. He has been thoroughly enjoying his time in Hawaii. He works at night and bodyboards during the day. It's a replica of his time in Puerto Rico and I look at his FB page and wonder who the heck he is! Since we have known each other we never really lived in a place with good waves so he wasn't THAT into it. Aside from San Diego, but he was working constantly while we were there. So... I'm off to get to know (all over again) this man I am married to and hopefully I recognize him despite his tan and extra blonde hair :)



I love the shot below. Usually I am the one with the silly face and Brian is the serious one that is concentrating the second the shot is taken... a perfect opposite to our usual :)

Vote for Alaqua!

I know it's been ages since I posted anything. Sorry internet world, I have not cared to keep you updated any longer. Someday when I move and am going through my new living space excitement/boredom (yes my life is a conundrum) I will perhaps get back into blogging. Until then you can enjoy my very random posts. You have one job right now, ONE.

1. Go to this link and vote for Alaqua Animal Refuge (zip code - 32439). Do it! Go now! Don't waste another moment!



Alaqua Animal Refuge is a pretty amazing place (as you can clearly see in these pictures). It costs $50,000 a month to operate Alaqua. We receive no government funding and operate off of donations, fundraisers, grants, and fun contests like this! Please vote so we can win the $15,000 to help us continue to help all the animals! It's really easy and it only takes a moment. Thank you!

Chula - Pet Photography

The plan is to get Chula adopted. She is my foster pup and I have precisely three months to find her a home. If I don't she will be stuck here at Alaqua. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad place, but I know she will not do well in a kennel. She is already skiddish in new places as it is. I can't imagine her being in a kennel. She's a great dog. Minds well. Knows how to sit, down, come (most of the time), and she's crate trained. Seriously, if there is anyone in Northwest Florida looking for a fairly trained young dog, who LOVES her master, this is the one for you. Once she gets to know you, she'll stick by your side for anything. I'd keep her myself, but it turns out you can't have more than two dogs in base housing. And, realistically, three dogs is a bit excessive for the often moving military life. So here she is... born mid-September, Shepherd/American Bulldog mix, spayed, crate trained, and ready to go! If you know anyone interested in adopting her please contact Alaqua Animal Refuge at 850-880-6399.



I hate to split these two up, but what else can I do? I'm sure they'll get over it. Not like they have a choice.



Chula loves this little pool. She dunks her head in as far as she can and swirls it around :) It's pretty hot here these days so it's a pretty good idea.



This is THE BEST shaking dog pic I have ever gotten. I have tried quite a bit too. Pretty stinkin' hilarious :)