Frickin’ frogs, battlefield tactics, and a sleepless night September 19, 2008

Boogy Boarder

Surfer dude with Dreads?!

 

So for all of you that didn’t know…It was International Speak like a Pirate Day!  I learned this last night from my philosophy professor, who started it a little early!  We spent most of last night talking about the codes, and diplomacy of duels…thats right duels…as in sword fights…  Needless to say it was entertaining to learn the history of duels.  Tonights was a little less interesting as we examined the battle of Waterloo, and others.  The beginning of class was interesting…we talked about the actual reality of a soldier in battle.  However, my interest was lost when we started examining battlefield diagrams of how Napoleon lost, and where his troops were, etc.  I spent most of the bus ride then subsequently having Erik explain it to me.  I understood it, it just isn’t important to me.  I know I need to understand some aspects of this so that I at least can apply it if needed in the future…but its hard for me to keep that analytical mindset going with maps!  I miss my theory.  I miss my examination of the human element.  Oh well…ill survive.

My insomnia is in full force…Erik suggested I break open a bottle of wine, and just let it knock me out.  The only thing wrong with that theory is that 1) I dont have wine 2)I dont drink wine, its been a rough to try to acquire the taste for it and 3) I have a feeling I just wont sleep.  So Erik suggested I read Keegan (the book with all the battle diagrams) and then maybe I will go into a coma from boredom and get sleep that way! ( If I get desperate maybe I will try it). At least suggestions are forth coming!   Maybe I needed to have the sleep clinic done when Vickie had it done like Jessie suggested!

So I have officially decided that frogs are following me everywhere!  During the day, its all the dead frogs, and at night the especially like to greet me as Im walking up the stairs.  They obviously have no sense of danger because between the cars and feet, they are constently on the verge of dying!

Well for all of you that don’t know ( or that dont follow football)…my beloved Pakers are in for a dogfight of a game Sunday night…so hopefully I wont be throwing anything!

Im off to “try” and get some sleep…I have some beach party thing tomorrow to go to…should be intersting if not fun! Hopefully I will have some new pics.  Oh and for those of you that don’t know or havent figured it out yet…I got my nose pierced.

Later!

 

Body art, the military, Kona Beer, and the live frog September 12, 2008

Waikiki Beach and my Pier in the distance

Statue of Surfer

 

Response to my previous post about tattoos and piercings has resulted in some interesting reaction to say the least!  First, I am planning on getting my nose pierced…and no it will not be a bull ring, just a small post…and yes my sister is aware of this and is ok with me having my nose pierced in wedding photos.  Second, just because i am getting it done and you dont want me too doesn’t mean I love you any less (MOM)…it just means I am marching to my own drum, and living my own life.  Third, more tattoos are coming…it just may be awhile since tattoos here in Hawaii are soooo expensive and I really don’t have any desire for Japnaese art as of yet (its really good here).   Fourth, I will prob get it done for my birthday…Happy Birthday to me!  Needles and Pain…its what I love!

Class today was interesting.  I really didn’t find the articles we were to read that inspiring, although I did decide one of the writers was an idiot.  The best part was that I got to see Erik all riled up because of the articles, which just made me laugh.  He thought the one article was idiotic too, but took it to heart (being that hes military and it was an article on education within the military).  I am going to have a hard time staying interested in this class.  Im just not into military historiography.  Yes, I do think that the study of history is important, but to study the study of history is kinda boring!    And to top it off we spent the majority of the class laying out the heirarchy that is the Army, Navy, Air Force.  Perhaps the sadddest part is that I actually knew most of it just from my previous studies!

So I really didn’t “party hard” tonight.  I ended up hanging out with a couple of people from class and talking about how the class is all military and us Civies are kinda outsiders looking in and not really caring.  We had our discussion over the ever tasty Kona beer….Im a big fan of the Wailua Wheat right now.  Hopefully I will bring some home with me when I comeback to Ohio for Jess’s wedding. 

So as I sit here typing, it is raining, and raining, and raining.  And with all this rain, I actually saw a live frog! Granted he almost gave me a heart attack (ive decided its a he), and I almost killed him by stepping on him!  Nevertheless, he survived (one fo the few) and was my greeting party when I was walking up the steps to my haven in the sky!  Hopefully he stays out of the way of the cars…and my roommates!

Enjoy the pics!

Later!

The March of the Old Ladies and those stairs! August 25, 2008

Dead Frog # 23

My House in the Hills

The View from the Bus Stop to my House

Todays adventures involved finally getting my freakin bus pass (so now I can ride whenever and where ever I want, and my HPU student ID card (which has a very blad and blurry pic of me).  The buses were full to the brim today, I wonder if every Monday will be like this?!  Every where I looked it was old ladies…on the bus…walking…shopping.  They seem to all come out for some discount bread store downtown near the Fort Street Mall area.  Lady after lady was carrying bread! 

One more week til school starts, and I am so ready.  I spent time today hanging out with my roommate Eric.  He’s from Oregan and is in the Coast Gaurd.  He just moved into the house 2 weeks prior to me, and he hates Hawaii.  He can’t wait til he gets sent to North Carolina…which I guess is next on his list of placements.  He’s a nice guy and is studying to be an Airplane Electical Technician.  He also thinks Im nuts for studying Diplomacy and Military Studies…he can’t fathom studying it himself. 

So I counted the stairs from the street to my front door…and they total 72…thats right 72.  There are about 40-50 steps to the bottom of the final staircases, and then another 20+.  Im so sick of stairs.  However I would willingly do the stairs if I could do away with the walk to the bus!  It sucks…for those of you familiar with Heincke Hill…think that but just longer.  Thats my walk back to the house.  To the bus stop isn’t bad. 

So to answer a couple questions posed to me…No I haven’t surfed yet (Lori).  Eventually I will, but I think the first order of priority is making it to the beach!  Secondly…Im glad to see that several of you are as amazed and twisted in mind as me!  So here is a picture of the dead frog (see above).  The other pic is of my house and the view of my house from the bus stop. If you look closely you can see my house way up in  the back of the picture.  Enjoy!

Later!

Dead frogs, naked baby, and the crazy bus people August 20, 2008

Living Room in Hawaii

Bad view of Diamondhead

View from my front porch…my home in the sky

So Im sure everyone is wondering what the first blog will be about after reading that title and boy it will fit! So Im officially in Hawaii and its hot!  And I mean 90 degree hot!  It cooler by the ocean with the tradewind breezes and my house is hot but not to bad.  My roommates dont believe in AC…poor me!  But my fan is keeping my room cool enough.  So my current house is reminding me alot of my place in Togo.  Its a family  compound style place with 3 different homes in one.  My landlord and her family are in one (w/ little ones all under the age of 3!), someone else below me..I have no idea who yet, and then my “posse” upstairs.  And I do mean upstairs.  Over 50 straight up just to get to the door of my place! Ive discovered that 1)my landlords husband is strong since she made him carry my gigantic bag up all the stairs 2)the walk to the bus is not fun…well the walk to is ok, but the walk back sucks! and 3) I think UPS can’t find my home!  According to target tracking my packages are on the truck today and its about to be after business hours…so I think they got lost! 

So in Ohio the roadkill of choice always seems to be deers and geese…with a few odds and ends thrown in.  Here its frogs!  I swear!  Ive seen 5 dried frog carcasses on the road just to the bus stop today!  Ill have to tak a pic of one for everyone to see…its impressive.  They just got squished and are in perfect form still…like a coin on a rialroad track…flattened. Ok I know its grosss…but Im bored and have been observing wierd stuff today.

Naked Baby alert….Naked Baby alert.  Ok Stella I know you think that if and when I ever have kids, that they will all run around completely naked( and for those of you who this is news too…its because Im just a little nuts). Im here to tell you NO!  I have seen this and its kinda disturbing.  My landlords 3 year old son has been running around completely naked all day and I am definately in the belief of no more Nakie time!

Last but not least…How have the Janets of the world found me in Hawaii?  How I ask you!?!  So I have been people watching on the bus today…(oh boy this is going to be fun!)…and there are some crazy people riding it(myself excluded!). Today, on an almost empyt bus in Wakiki area, some lady decided to sit be me and I cant help noticing that she is continuously crossing her heart and praying to herself.  And then if that weren’t wierd enough…she starts talking to me about how random guys always fall into her lap when she rides the bus because the drivers are crazy fast(and let me tell you they aren’t!!) so she always prays that the bus goes slow(and it did).  Then she continues her religious rant about the catholic church and how I hsould come by and “be saved”. How had Janets crazy old lady twin found me?  Someone tell me!  Hopefully it was a one time only deal…but I fear not!

Well thats all for now…more to come later!