"Who wants to spend Christmas in a tropical climate anyways." - Kevin from Home Alone 2
Kevin and I feel the exact same way when it comes to Christmas. I don't want to spend Christmas anywhere else but at home.
-I like that we have 4 christmas trees.
-I like that my mom plays christmas music throughout the whole house.
-I like that we eat off our christmas plates.
-I like that the we watch christmas movies everyday.
-I like that it's the only time of the year that we eat sausage balls.
-I like that we make my dad make endless amounts of hot chocolate.
-I like to buy gifts for people and trying to keep it a secret. (I get so excited because I know they will love it and I just want to tell them)
-I like to see christmas presents wrapped under the tree. (Let's be real... I like to see my christmas presents under the tree.)
-I like how we watch the same movie, "It's A Wonderful Life" every Christmas Eve. (It's my dad's favorite movie that he made us watch growing up, but now I can't imagine a Christmas Eve without it, even if he does fall asleep during the movie.)
-I like how Hallmark, Lifetime, ABC Family, and every other channel known to man plays christmas movies non-stop
-I like how happy everyone is during the Christmas season
-I love how every Christmas Eve my family will sit on one couch and read the story of Jesus' birth.
Needless to say I LOVE Christmas and I am so happy that it's finally December!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Dramatic but Anti-Climatic....
It was the day before Thanksgiving. I was letting my homemade bread rise before the big Thanksgiving meal the next day. David and I were watching 'Did You Hear About the Morgan's?' on Netflix when low and behold I saw something crawling across my wall. Anyone want to guess what it was?
A dang gecko!!
I honestly don't remember if I told David there was a gecko or just pointed to it. But this is what happened:
I put down the computer and then started a series of: "OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH,OH MY GOSH,OH MY GOSH!" (During this series of "OH MY GOSH," I had gotten up and ran to the cabinet to get a cup and to get the can of Raid, I knew what to do this time.) While continuing to say, "OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH!" I ran back to wall and David was standing there with his arm out waiting for me to hand him the cup.
The gecko had gone behind the picture and David stood there waiting on it to come out. The only brilliant thing that I could say at the time was, "OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH." However, in my mind I was yelling at David to move to the picture, don't just stand there!! I was also trying to figure out how we were going to get the gecko. I had the spray can ready, but when I sprayed the gecko would David have to catch it with the cup? Or would it land behind all of my beach stuff and get away? On the contrary, I never expressed any of this to David because I sounded like a broken record with the ever so popular OH MY GOSH phrase.
Within seconds the gecko had come out from behind the picture and David captures it in the cup. He then asked for a sheet of paper (that way he could slide it between the wall and the cup). I franticly went searching for a sheet a paper and decided to change my OH MY GOSH phrase to A PIECE OF PAPER phrase. After running around my apartment saying "A PIECE OF PAPER, A PIECE OF PAPER, A PIECE OF PAPER, A PIECE OF PAPER," I finally handed a piece of paper to him and watched anxiously as David slid the paper between the cup and wall.
Could it be this easy?
Is this gecko really going to be caught on the first try?
I didn't have high hopes. As I held my breath, David slowly moved the cup away from the wall and he had the gecko! My next thought was, What do we do now? (I don't think clearly during gecko situations) David headed to the door and I started up another round of OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH as I opened the door for him. I told him to through the gecko off the balcony and I haven't seen the gecko since.
Score:
Gecko:2 Anna: 3
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Big Island...
David came to visit and we decided to go to the Big Island... well I wanted to go back to Kauai, but he really wanted to see a volcano and the Big Island is the only one with an active volcano. We had a great time.
I have been to the Big Island a couple of times, but I could only remember my first visit there. I was three years old. The only thing I remember was being scared to death when we were at the volcano park. I remember seeing the steam come through the ground and I thought the volcano was going to erupt. Whether or not that's how I really felt when I was three I have no idea, but that's how I remember it to be.
David and I flew into Hilo and our first stop was Akaka Falls. It was a short hike through a tropical rainforest and bamboo patches to see two waterfalls.
Our next stop was Punalu'u Black Sand beach.
Then our last stop was our lava ocean tour. We almost didn't make it because it was extremely hard to find! However, this was the best part of the trip! We went with Lava Ocean boating tour. There were several other boats out there, but out boat got the closest, was the safest boat, and was the largest boat. At times we were only 15 - 20 feet away from the lava pouring into the ocean! It was a two hour tour, 30 minutes there and back and they stayed an hour in front of the lava. I would definitely recommend this to anyone.
I have been to the Big Island a couple of times, but I could only remember my first visit there. I was three years old. The only thing I remember was being scared to death when we were at the volcano park. I remember seeing the steam come through the ground and I thought the volcano was going to erupt. Whether or not that's how I really felt when I was three I have no idea, but that's how I remember it to be.
David and I flew into Hilo and our first stop was Akaka Falls. It was a short hike through a tropical rainforest and bamboo patches to see two waterfalls.
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| Akaka Falls |
Our next stop was the Volcano National Park. Half of the Volcano Park was closed due to the high amount of sulfur. (I think)
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| Steam Vents |
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| Lava Tubes |
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| Volcano |
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Gum...
Sorry I have had writers block and I just can't seem to get the pumpkin story just right.
As I was waiting for my class to begin online, I was reading health articles on AOL. Don't ask me why. I haven't had cable all week and this is what my life has resorted to. I found an article entitled, "Improve Your Memory." I have the worst memory. I remember when I was younger walking upstairs and forgetting what I was going to do by the time I go to the top of the stairs. Just this week, I was on the phone with my mom and we were discussing how I needed to do something for school. We discussed a few other things after that and at the end of the conversation she mentioned school again. I had completely forgotten we had discussed this earlier on in the telephone call. Needless to say when I saw this article, I knew I should read it.
When I was in 7th grade in my 7th period, last class of the day, I had history. Who put's an important class subject at the end of the day for 7th graders? There were two teachers that taught history 7th period. A football coach and an older woman. Why couldn't I have gotten the football coach? Anyways, my teacher and I didn't see eye to eye on a certain subject. That subject would be gum. I loved chewing gum. I didn't smack my gum. I didn't put my gum under my desk. I was a respectable gum chewer. However my teacher (I can't remember her name.. I think it started with a H) didn't agree. Everyday we would go through the same thing.
"Anna, do you have have something in your mouth?" - Mystery teacher H
"Yes ma'am" - me
"Don't you think you should get rid of it?" - Mystery teacher H
"I just put it in my mouth and it still has all of its flavor. Can I please wait a little longer?" - me
"Anna, spit out your gum."- Mystery teacher H
I guess I missed her 'this is my last warning' because one day, out of the blue, she made me stay after school and scrap gum off the bottom of the desk. I explained to her that I didn't put my gum on the bottom of the desk, but she wasn't fond on reasoning with anybody.
This brings me back to today. This is a segment from the article.
Chew Gum
And to think most teachers made us spit out our gum during class. Research conducted by the Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston shows that chewing gum can improve alertness. Teenagers who chomped away for 14 weeks during math class and while doing math homework scored higher on tests and in their final grades compared to the teens who weren't given gum. A similar study conducted a few years ago at the University of Northumbria in Newscastle found that people who chewed gum during long-term and short-term memory tests scored better than nonchewers. While experts haven't pinpointed the link between chewing gum and memory, Japanese researchers believe it may stem from an increased heart rate (thanks to the chewing) that leads to extra oxygen being delivered to the brain.
Maybe I would have remembered my teacher's name if she had let me chew my gum...
As I was waiting for my class to begin online, I was reading health articles on AOL. Don't ask me why. I haven't had cable all week and this is what my life has resorted to. I found an article entitled, "Improve Your Memory." I have the worst memory. I remember when I was younger walking upstairs and forgetting what I was going to do by the time I go to the top of the stairs. Just this week, I was on the phone with my mom and we were discussing how I needed to do something for school. We discussed a few other things after that and at the end of the conversation she mentioned school again. I had completely forgotten we had discussed this earlier on in the telephone call. Needless to say when I saw this article, I knew I should read it.
When I was in 7th grade in my 7th period, last class of the day, I had history. Who put's an important class subject at the end of the day for 7th graders? There were two teachers that taught history 7th period. A football coach and an older woman. Why couldn't I have gotten the football coach? Anyways, my teacher and I didn't see eye to eye on a certain subject. That subject would be gum. I loved chewing gum. I didn't smack my gum. I didn't put my gum under my desk. I was a respectable gum chewer. However my teacher (I can't remember her name.. I think it started with a H) didn't agree. Everyday we would go through the same thing.
"Anna, do you have have something in your mouth?" - Mystery teacher H
"Yes ma'am" - me
"Don't you think you should get rid of it?" - Mystery teacher H
"I just put it in my mouth and it still has all of its flavor. Can I please wait a little longer?" - me
"Anna, spit out your gum."- Mystery teacher H
I guess I missed her 'this is my last warning' because one day, out of the blue, she made me stay after school and scrap gum off the bottom of the desk. I explained to her that I didn't put my gum on the bottom of the desk, but she wasn't fond on reasoning with anybody.
This brings me back to today. This is a segment from the article.
Chew Gum
And to think most teachers made us spit out our gum during class. Research conducted by the Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston shows that chewing gum can improve alertness. Teenagers who chomped away for 14 weeks during math class and while doing math homework scored higher on tests and in their final grades compared to the teens who weren't given gum. A similar study conducted a few years ago at the University of Northumbria in Newscastle found that people who chewed gum during long-term and short-term memory tests scored better than nonchewers. While experts haven't pinpointed the link between chewing gum and memory, Japanese researchers believe it may stem from an increased heart rate (thanks to the chewing) that leads to extra oxygen being delivered to the brain.
Maybe I would have remembered my teacher's name if she had let me chew my gum...
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Halloween...
Halloween was never been a big deal growing up. I don't enjoy being scared or seeing people in scary costumes. However, Halloween in Hawaii is a HUGE ordeal. People started asking me in May what I was going to be for Halloween. My response, "You do realize Halloween is not until October, so I haven't even thought about it." People always want to do group costumes and like to plan in advance. I am not much of a planner for Halloween and I like to do last minute costumes, but somehow I always end up agreeing to be apart of a group... that is until I change my mind last minute.
For example: Last year I was suppose to be Peter Pan. Day of Halloween I didn't like that costume idea anymore, so I decided to be a grape instead.
This year I was supposed to be the Witch from The Wizard of Oz. I never liked The Wizard of Oz. However, I changed my mind a day before Halloween. My friends and I decided to be a basketball team.
Halloween is so big here that they close down the streets to Waikiki. It's insane. You can't walk in anywhere due to the insane amount of people.
For example: Last year I was suppose to be Peter Pan. Day of Halloween I didn't like that costume idea anymore, so I decided to be a grape instead.
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| I was a green grape |
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| Can you tell which one I am? |
Besides dressing up for Halloween, there is (correction: was) another part of Halloween that I enjoyed. I loved carving pumpkins. Do you know why people carve pumpkins in the Fall weather and not Summer weather? Coming from the land of endless summer weather I do...
Pumpkin story tomorrow.
Monday, November 8, 2010
The Twilight Zone...
The first time (out of two times) I ever got grounded was when I was 13 years old. It wasn't even my fault. I had gone to Movie Gallery with my dad and sister. While at Movie Gallery, we found a movie that 3 out of our 4 family members would approve to watch. I was finally 13 years old and could watch more 'intense' movies. My dad agreed that I was old enough, so we rented it and went home. I went running into the kitchen to show my mom the movie that we rented (even though she wouldn't watch it) because I was so excited. It would be my first 'scary' movie, "The Haunting." My mom wasn't extremely thrilled and responded with something along the lines of how I wasn't going to watch that because I wasn't old enough. Obviously, I disagreed and explained to her how dad had already approved of allowing me to watch the movie. (My dad was in the kitchen during this conversation, but somehow I don't remember anything he said in this conversation) Instead of my mom getting mad at my dad, which would be the obvious choice since he approved it, I ended up getting the short end of the stick. My mom ended up grounding me for bringing the movie home. Nevertheless, I ended up watching the movie and I refuse to watch it again. I don't remember a lot about the movie, but I do remember be freaked out by the main girl character. She just looks scary. After that movie, I have come to terms that I don't like scary movies.
My dad and sister love Alfred Hitchcock movies. I remember watching "The Birds." Every time I saw a huge group of birds in a tree or on the power lines I was always afraid they were going to come and attack me.
My dad used to watch "The Twilight Zone" when I was in middle school and high school. I would watch some of them with him every now and then. They were old shows, so how scary could they get? Until one fatal night a doll came to life and started killing people. NEVER. AGAIN. I don't even like to hear the music to beginning of the show.
This all brings me back to last night. I had turned off my bedside table lamp and stayed up doing some homework on my computer. Shortly after I decided to go to sleep and turned off my computer. I had been laying in bed for about 10 minutes when I was suddenly startled. I sleep facing the wall and I was almost asleep when a bright light came from no where. I knew it wasn't morning and I was thoroughly confused. I turned around and my bedside table lamp was on. I freaked out.
This is not the first time this has happened. Last time, I woke up the next morning and the light was on. I told everyone about that situation, but they said that I must had just left it on. I knew I didn't leave it on.
Of course I couldn't go back to sleep because I was scared. I turned the TV on and an infomercial smoothed me to sleep.
How does my light get back on?
I swear I feel like I live in the twilight zone...
My dad and sister love Alfred Hitchcock movies. I remember watching "The Birds." Every time I saw a huge group of birds in a tree or on the power lines I was always afraid they were going to come and attack me.
My dad used to watch "The Twilight Zone" when I was in middle school and high school. I would watch some of them with him every now and then. They were old shows, so how scary could they get? Until one fatal night a doll came to life and started killing people. NEVER. AGAIN. I don't even like to hear the music to beginning of the show.
This all brings me back to last night. I had turned off my bedside table lamp and stayed up doing some homework on my computer. Shortly after I decided to go to sleep and turned off my computer. I had been laying in bed for about 10 minutes when I was suddenly startled. I sleep facing the wall and I was almost asleep when a bright light came from no where. I knew it wasn't morning and I was thoroughly confused. I turned around and my bedside table lamp was on. I freaked out.
This is not the first time this has happened. Last time, I woke up the next morning and the light was on. I told everyone about that situation, but they said that I must had just left it on. I knew I didn't leave it on.
Of course I couldn't go back to sleep because I was scared. I turned the TV on and an infomercial smoothed me to sleep.
How does my light get back on?
I swear I feel like I live in the twilight zone...
Thursday, November 4, 2010
18 or older...
I remember when my sister couldn't wait to turn 18 years old and she couldn't wait to go to college. I remember her saying, "6 more months, I will be 18 and I will off to college." "2 more months I will be 18 and I will be off to college." I remember being excited about turning 18, but it wasn't necessarily about leaving to go to college.
Turning 18 meant that I could finally purchase things off infomercials!!! I love infomercials!
I remember when I was in high school or middle school and waking up early (10:00 am) to watch infomercials. I would watch the whole infomercial and try to convince my parents that we really needed it! They never caved in, but I would tell them, "Just wait until I am 18 and I am going to buy all these things!"
Well, last night I could not fall asleep, so I turned on the TV and one of my favorite infomercials was on! Miracle Blade with Chef Tony! It is the infomercial that sell the knives that can cut through anything! They can cut through a coke can, a frozen turkey, cut shavings off the hammer head, then cut a tomato without making it mushy, and then slice through a watermelon/ pineapple with one cut! These knives are awesome, plus they never need to be sharpened! Then at the end of the infomercial they tell you all of the things that you get with the knives! It is like a $300 value for 1 easy payment of $39.99. You can't beat that type of deal..
On of my all time favorites was called 'Liquid Leather Repair Kit.' Do you remember this? It is where you can rip your leather chair and then put the same color paint on it and it repairs it like it is brand new! I wanted this one soooooo bad! My dad has a leather chair in our living room and I always wanted to make a tiny cut in it and then repair it with Liquid Leather to see if it really worked!!
Turning 18 meant that I could finally purchase things off infomercials!!! I love infomercials!
I remember when I was in high school or middle school and waking up early (10:00 am) to watch infomercials. I would watch the whole infomercial and try to convince my parents that we really needed it! They never caved in, but I would tell them, "Just wait until I am 18 and I am going to buy all these things!"
Well, last night I could not fall asleep, so I turned on the TV and one of my favorite infomercials was on! Miracle Blade with Chef Tony! It is the infomercial that sell the knives that can cut through anything! They can cut through a coke can, a frozen turkey, cut shavings off the hammer head, then cut a tomato without making it mushy, and then slice through a watermelon/ pineapple with one cut! These knives are awesome, plus they never need to be sharpened! Then at the end of the infomercial they tell you all of the things that you get with the knives! It is like a $300 value for 1 easy payment of $39.99. You can't beat that type of deal..
On of my all time favorites was called 'Liquid Leather Repair Kit.' Do you remember this? It is where you can rip your leather chair and then put the same color paint on it and it repairs it like it is brand new! I wanted this one soooooo bad! My dad has a leather chair in our living room and I always wanted to make a tiny cut in it and then repair it with Liquid Leather to see if it really worked!!
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| HOW does this work??? Isn't amazing! |
Here are a couple of my favorites:
The clapper. How cool would it be to lay in bed and clap the lights on and off?!
Spray on Hair: If only I knew someone bald that would let me spray this on their head...
I love infomercials because they always add something in on the very end of the commercial just to close the deal and you can't beat a good deal...
Nu-wave Oven: You could cook anything in this oven and the fat drips to the bottom. So technically its a healthy investment..
I love infomercials because they always add something in on the very end of the commercial just to close the deal and you can't beat a good deal...
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Goof Proof...
When I was unpacking my bags last week (even though I had arrived a week before that), I was putting my jewelry up and I noticed that one part of an earring had come off. Traveling half way around the world has it's up and downs and unfortunately the jewelry always gets the short end of the stick. Never the less, this does not mean that I throw away my jewelry. I can always find a way to fix it.
My sophomore year of college I constantly wore pearl earrings. One day I dropped my pearl earrings and the pearl came loose from the ear piece. I was devastated and wanted my earring to be fixed. Well as a sophomore in college, my brilliant mind decided to fix my earring with superglue. Why not go buy another pair? Why not take it some place to get fixed? Those thoughts didn't enter my mind at the time. I went to Walmart and after looking at the different brands I saw the perfect one, "Goof Proof Super Glue". I was hooked. I thought 'this super glue was made for me.' (I have never been known as the graceful type, I am more along the lines of clumsy.) I took my handy goof proof super glue and set off back towards the dorms.
Goof Proof Definition: proof against human misuse or error.
Sitting at my desk, holding the goof proof super glue confidently in one hand and the earring piece in other, I set off to mend my beloved earring. Looking back, I am not sure if I read the directions or not, but if it is called 'goof proof' how could I mess up? I put the glue on the earring piece and put the pearl on it. I held the pieces together with both hands to make sure the pearl stayed. Except one tiny problem had occurred. Glue had gotten on both of my thumbs and index fingers. Both of my hands were glued to the earring. Panicking like any normal person in the situation would, I struggled to get my fingers off of the earring. It wasn't happening. I was able to get my right hand index finger and thumb free, but not without leaving some of my top layer of skin on the earring. After that, I sought out to find my friends for help. We were able to get the earring loose from left hand and I thought I was in the clear. Incredibly enough, I was explaining to my friend how I got my fingers glue to the earring and can you guess what happens? I was showing her what happened (without the earring) and when I touched my fingers together they wouldn't come apart.
Why do these things happen to me?
Nail polish remover, a Q-tip, and 30 minutes later my fingers came apart. I should have gotten my money back for false advertisement of 'Goof Proof.' Strangely enough this was not my last time of gluing my fingers/object together except they were never as bad as this incident. I always think I have to hold on to the object to make it stay until the glue dries, like you do with other glue. Over the years I have learned all you have to do is place the object on the super glue.
This brings me back to tonight and my earring. I was super gluing my earring back together and I almost made the fatal mistake again... but at least my earring is fixed.
My sophomore year of college I constantly wore pearl earrings. One day I dropped my pearl earrings and the pearl came loose from the ear piece. I was devastated and wanted my earring to be fixed. Well as a sophomore in college, my brilliant mind decided to fix my earring with superglue. Why not go buy another pair? Why not take it some place to get fixed? Those thoughts didn't enter my mind at the time. I went to Walmart and after looking at the different brands I saw the perfect one, "Goof Proof Super Glue". I was hooked. I thought 'this super glue was made for me.' (I have never been known as the graceful type, I am more along the lines of clumsy.) I took my handy goof proof super glue and set off back towards the dorms.
Goof Proof Definition: proof against human misuse or error.
Sitting at my desk, holding the goof proof super glue confidently in one hand and the earring piece in other, I set off to mend my beloved earring. Looking back, I am not sure if I read the directions or not, but if it is called 'goof proof' how could I mess up? I put the glue on the earring piece and put the pearl on it. I held the pieces together with both hands to make sure the pearl stayed. Except one tiny problem had occurred. Glue had gotten on both of my thumbs and index fingers. Both of my hands were glued to the earring. Panicking like any normal person in the situation would, I struggled to get my fingers off of the earring. It wasn't happening. I was able to get my right hand index finger and thumb free, but not without leaving some of my top layer of skin on the earring. After that, I sought out to find my friends for help. We were able to get the earring loose from left hand and I thought I was in the clear. Incredibly enough, I was explaining to my friend how I got my fingers glue to the earring and can you guess what happens? I was showing her what happened (without the earring) and when I touched my fingers together they wouldn't come apart.
Why do these things happen to me?
Nail polish remover, a Q-tip, and 30 minutes later my fingers came apart. I should have gotten my money back for false advertisement of 'Goof Proof.' Strangely enough this was not my last time of gluing my fingers/object together except they were never as bad as this incident. I always think I have to hold on to the object to make it stay until the glue dries, like you do with other glue. Over the years I have learned all you have to do is place the object on the super glue.
This brings me back to tonight and my earring. I was super gluing my earring back together and I almost made the fatal mistake again... but at least my earring is fixed.
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