Jamaica, Ya Mon!

I made it to Jamaica today and hopped on a shore excursion with about 20 others (not TOO many!). We went out on a Catamaran, and our first stop was to do some snorkeling – that was so-so. There was more coral & live fauna, but less in the way of fish (than we have in Hawaii). After snorkeling for about an hour, we then went on over to Dunn’s River Falls. I climbed the 600’ waterfall (it goes up in stages, so it wasn’t too hard). They had everyone make a human chain and that way we could help each other up the falls (as the water was coming down). It was refreshing & fun, but my knees are reminding me how old I am tonight. You only live once, right?

After coming back to the dock, I came on board, took a shower & changed into dry clothes and then went back out for some shopping. I bought a “Harley” shirt, a “Hard Rock Café” shirt & magnet, then I went to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville and picked up a shirt there as well (I’ll need a new dresser for all my tee shirts!) *smiles*

I enjoyed dinner tonight with the same people I’ve been eating with. For an appetizer I had a scallops dish & then for dinner I had some garlic tiger shrimp. Both were delicious. Desert for me was a Raspberry Panna Cotta, which was just right.

After dinner I stopped by the Casino, I should have quit while I was ahead… but donated more money to the machines. I’ll give it a couple more nights & try again.

The show tonight is a “Broadway” show with the Royal Caribbean singers. I went for awhile, but I don’t want to stay up too late, so I came to my cabin to write up my blog so I could get it posted tonight at a reasonable time.

That’s about it for today. Tomorrow is another sea day (and another FORMAL night). I’ll enjoy another relaxing day. The weather today was fantastic, you couldn’t have asked for better. Hopefully the good weather will continue.

Aloha!

- Kris

1st Sea Day - somewhere south of Cuba

Today has been a sea day. After sleeping until about 8:30am, I went up and got some breakfast. (Once again, the Mille had more breakfast options & they were spread out more). I had some scrambled eggs, bacon and a small Danish treat, along with some Orange juice. I then went to the “Meet & Mingle” that the ship put on for those who belong to the Cruise Critic boards. Normally they put a note on your door letting you know when it was, and I didn’t get one, so this morning I called down to Guest Relations, and even though I was about the 10^th person to sign up, they didn’t have me on the list. Someone posted last week that the Meet & Greet was going to be today (Sunday) at 10am, but I didn’t know where it was. So, after I was able to convince the Guest Relations person that I wasn’t just trying to crash the party, they let me know where it was. And the crew put on a nice shin-dig. They gave us all a RCCL gift and then had door prizes (I didn’t win one), and they had some drinks & snacks for us. It was good to meet some of those I had been emailing with. I also got to meet the person who is trying to arrange the mud volcano trip in Columbia (Cartagena) so that was good!

After the meet & greet I wasn’t feeling very good (I had taken a muscle relaxer because my back was having some spasms last night when I laid down to go to sleep), so I think it was just the effect of that kicking in. So, I wandered over to the Solarium and dozed (off and on) by the pool for a couple hours, then came down to my cabin for a quieter nap. I skipped lunch (I wasn’t hungry anyway). I got up about 3:30 and went upstairs for Bingo. Another comparison time… I think the cards were more expensive, it seems to me that for $25 you got the cards & a couple sets of pull-tabs). The four pack of six cards cost $32, the pull tabs were $5 each for a strip of 5. I didn’t win anything at Bingo or on the pull tabs. No worries. One difference between the two ships is that on the Mille, they gave away about 5 drawing prizes each game (that’s when I won the dinner to the specialty restaurant & the Internet minutes on the Mille).

After Bingo, I checked my email and was thrilled to find out that UH beat NAVY in football on Saturday night. The last time I had checked last night, UH was tied with Navy at 17-17. UH beat with a final score of 24-17. Now they just have to beat Wisconsin in order to be Bowl eligible. I won’t be home for that game either. (Biggest bummer of this trip is missing the last two home games).

Then it was time to get dressed for formal night. I just wore my long black skirt with a black top and a shawl. Dinner was nice; there were some new people on the table, as well as two sets of people who were there last night. Tonight I met Kelly from Nashville, she was there with her mom from Fredericksburg, VA. There was also a cruise critic couple at my table, they are from Las Vegas (I can’t remember their names though!).

After dinner the Captain had his meet & greet. That was nice. He’s a handsome young(ish) captain from Croatia. I think he’s from the town I will be visiting when I go on the cruise next May. I never met the Captain of the other ship; just saw him from afar, when he was on the stage. This meet & greet was done in a smaller venue area, so it seemed more personable. I got to shake the Captain’s hand (he has a nice firm handshake! *smiles*).

I’ve decided not to go to the show tonight because I don’t want to be up so late tonight. Right now I’m in my cabin writing this, listening to my IPod over some small speakers I brought with me. I’m actually listening to Christmas music. Which reminds me, today they put the garland and the greenery around the ship and it looks really nice.

Tomorrow I’m doing my first shore excursion with the ship (I didn’t do any on the Mille). I’m going on a Catamaran to go snorkeling and then I get to climb Dunn’s River Falls. I’m looking forward to it! I’ve got to meet down at the pier at 9:30am.

This is what I will be doing: “Set sail on a magnificent catamaran, a state of the art vessel, and experience the beauty of Ocho Rios. Cruise along the beautiful north coast to the spectacular Dunn's River Falls, where you will have the opportunity to climb the 600-foot waterfall. Re-board the catamaran for a short sail to the Marine Gardens for snorkeling. After your 45-minute snorkel, enjoy pirate's brew and fruit punch during the return sail to your cruise ship.”

It should be fun, and I’m looking forward to it. Which reminds me… we sailed past Cuba today! I never thought I would do that (but knew the ship should get close on this cruise).

Okay, time to sign off. I’m not going to post any pictures tonight. I may post one or two tomorrow night. The internet connection is SO slow though, it eats up a lot of my minutes to upload pictures. So pictures will be limited during the cruise.

Aloha!

- Kris

Day 1 on the Enchantment

Well, I’m on board the Enchantment of the Sea (RCCL) and on my way. This afternoon when I first, boarded, I met some of the Cruise Critic bunch and I think we have a “meet & mingle” tomorrow morning. Those I’ve met from the Cruise Critic so far have been wonderful. When I was on the Millennium, they left me a card in the door with the announcement. I haven’t seen one tonight. But, there is a message board, so I will probably go check that.

I have to say, first impressions are that the Millennium was a much better ship & the service was better. To start with, my stateroom (ocean view) is actually smaller than my inside cabin was. I had a larger TV on that ship (not that there is much to watch), I had a mini refrigerator (I don’t on this ship), the bathroom was a little bigger as well, oh, and there was more closet space. On the Millennium, I had a bathrobe in my stateroom, and when I came back into the room at night, the bed was turned down with a piece of chocolate on the bed waiting for me. On the Enchantment they fold the towels & leave them in different shapes on your bed.

For the “muster” drill on this ship, we didn’t have to put on our life jackets, we did on the Millennium. The crew on the Mille was better about greeting you and making sure they said “hello” to you every time you were within 15 feet or so, on this ship, when I first boarded, I noticed that there were more concerned about each other than with the guests. Also, when I went to get some ice, I had to stand and wait on some crew members (not the officers, but wait crew) to get the ice. That wouldn’t have happened on the Mille. I don’t think I ever saw crew use the same food service area that the guests use. Maybe it sounds like I’m being finicky and maybe I am. Maybe I was just spoiled by the Mille crew (and my cabin attendant on that cruise was fairly new!), they were more enthusiastic on that ship.

Food-wise, there was more selection on the Mille, there was a pasta bar, an Asian bar, a pizza bar, a fast-food place that had hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs & such, along with the main dining room. Maybe I just haven’t found all the eating places, but when I looked around at lunch time & dinner time, I didn’t see much.

One of the things that I really don’t like, is that they let people smoke on board. I mean, on the Mille’ they basically could only smoke on one side of the outdoor pool area. That was nice. I just had to avoid that area. On this ship they can smoke in the Casino, in some of the lounges and it’s hard to pick out where all the “non-smoking” areas are.

So far there has been smooth sailing (it’s 11pm as I write this). I’ve met some wonderful people on board already, including those I had dinner with tonight… a couple women from Houston, TX, a couple from near Philadelphia, PA, a guy from Alabama (I think) and a couple older women from the Boston area. For dinner , my appetizer was a Vivaldi onion that was baked almost like a quiche, it was delicious. My main course was a steak & baked potato and then for desert I had about half a slice of chocolate cherry cake (a dense chocolate cake, with cherries in a syrup on the side).

After dinner there was a dinner show with a comedian, he was pretty good. The theater area is smaller than the one was on the Mille. After the show I went over to the Casino, where I lost TOO much money, so I’ll have to be more spend-thrifty there for the rest of the cruise (and possibly just stay out of there). They had “70’s” night there (don’t know why they called it that, didn’t seem like they were playing 70’s music) and they had raffle drawings where everyone was supposed to get one raffle ticket. One couple who have apparently sailed a LOT on this ship (the Cruise Director said they had probably been on the ship more times than he had and knew them by name) had a bunch of tickets and won three of the drawings.

Now I’m back in the room, but I want to go back up to the Internet Café & get signed on so that I can upload this blog. I think the largest package deal is $55 for 150 minutes. On the Mille, they had a special deal if you signed up on the first day… not so here on the Enchantment.

There are a couple other differences on this ship… I’ll miss the Thallosopia Pool they had on the Mille, it was warm, and like a big Jacuzzi pool. They have a solarium pool, but it didn’t seem like the water is as warm. On this ship they do have a rock climbing wall (I think I’ll skip that one), and a trampoline thing where you are in a harness. I *do* want to try that one. I’m not sure how much they charge, but the one woman I saw doing it didn’t seem to get to do it for very long.

Oh yea, and where they had a free Ice Cream bar on the Mille, here they have Ben & Jerry’s and you have to pay for it. (I didn’t eat much ice cream on the Mille, just 1-2 times). I did see a soft-serve machine somewhere.

That’s another thing, this ship seems harder to find your way around. It’s harder to tell which end of the ship is which when you are going from one end to another. Maybe I’ll figure it out before the cruise is over? And on the Mille, they had a wonderful little bar on the back of the ship and you could sit out there and watch the sail away. They don’t seem to have a place like that on this ship. I *did* find the exercise room and hope to make use of that while I’m on the ship (but I said that on the Mille and didn’t make it. I *do* a lot of walking on the ship though.

So, that’s about it for the first day’s critique. Maybe I got spoiled on the Mille, but already I’m wondering if I should have booked the two future cruises with Celebrity, instead of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the service & my experience on board gets better.

Tomorrow is a “sea” day. As I mentioned, I think there is a “Meet & Mingle” party in the morning. I’m hoping to try my hand at Bingo and maybe go to a port information session (but I think it might conflict with the Meet & Mingle thing).

I’ll sign off for tonight.

Aloha from the Caribbean!

- Kris

P.S. there won't be many pictures posted as it takes about a minute per picture to upload!

Key West & Back

A beautiful day to drive down thru the Keys!

There's Cuba... out there somewhere!

I haven't been here for 32 years. And I made it one more time. Wonder if I will make it again some day? I had fun walking around town for a couple hours... I saw Earnest Hemmingway's home in Key West (again), and I bought some sandals (leather flip-flops) from Kino's, they are made right there in the shop. Someone on the cruise recommended the shop to me, so I decided to get a pair. (they weren't TOO expensive... 12-15 each, I only bought 1 pair). I also managed to pick up another Hard Rock Cafe tee shirt! (smiles). Two down and two to go!

Anyway... with the various stops along the way to shop & eat, I left the hotel about 9:30am and got back about 9:30 tonight. But it was worth it.

I'm hoping I can post tomorrow night... not sure though. I should still be in port here in Florida until about 6:30pm and then we sail! YEA!

I'll post as I can... but if you don't see a post... no worries... I'm just out having fun!

Aloha from Fort Lauderdale!

- Kris

Homestead AFB

I made it to Florida okay, with one minor snafu with the hotel, everything is okay though. I just booked at the wrong hotel, I thought I was making reservations for the one near the airport and the dock... and I was able to move to a hotel within the same chain that is closer to where I wanted to be, where I thought I would be.

Anyway... I got here to the hotel about 11am and was able to check in and then I hit the road. I went to the Cracker Barrel restaurant for Thanksgiving Dinner and then I drove on down to Homestead Air Reserve Base. Of course... I didn't recognize anything there. I was stationed at Homestead AFB back in 1976-1977. It was my first official duty station. I'm glad I got to go back there. They had an F-4 on static display, which is the aircraft that I worked on.

Then I went down to Miami Beach (I was trying to find a Hard Rock Cafe, which I did find, but it was closed). I wandered around down there, and found the RCCL (Royal Caribbean Cruise Line) headquarters (its their Cruise ship I'm going on). After hanging out down there for awhile, I found a Hard Rock Cafe Hotel/Casino in Hollywood, closer to where I am staying. So... I got my Hard Rock tee shirt! *smiles * (First of three... I plan to pick one up in Jamaica & in Columbia).

I also decided to gamble a little. I was going to spend $60, but on the 2nd pull, I won $100 or so. I didn't want to waste my wins... so I left with $90 extra in my pocket! I like that!

Okay... it's late, I'm tired, I'm going to lay down soon and be glad when the pups aren't here to wake me up in the morning. Although I plan to get up early and head down to Key West (I think it is about 220 miles each way... so it will be a LONG drive). Those who know me best, know I like road trips.

Aloha from Florida!

- Kris

Aloha Hawaii!

Some shots of Diamond Head as I passed... beautiful, eh?

I'm at the airport in San Francisco, I've been here awhile and will need to be boarding soon.

I went in for the company function today, it was good, I got to see some of my clients on an informal basis. Then it was a mad scramble to the airport. The pups got dropped off... I hope they do okay, especially Bruno, this is a first for him.

My flight to SFO was good, it was a full flight, but I had a window seat, so it wasn't too bad. I fly from here to Dallas, then on to Fort Lauderdale. It'll be a long night.

I'm going to keep this short so I can check my email.

Aloha!

- Kris

One more night... just one more night!

So... I had a crazy busy day and didn't see or talk to as many clients as I should have. I saw 9 clients today! AND I put a couple charts into a power point presentation for my supervisor. I *missed* lunch today though. I got out of work about 5:30 and then went & got my nails done, grabbed a bite to eat and then came home to watch the rest of "The Biggest Loser." I *still* need to pack (finish packing). I don't think it will take TOO long (as long as I can find everything I need). I *do* need to figure out what I want to wear tomorrow, I'll be in the same clothes for over 24 hours (ugh!).

Which reminds me, I *won't* be posting a blog tomorrow night. I will be flying ALL night. I'm NOT taking my laptop with me, but WILL have access to the computer at the hotel & on the ship and I will post as I can. Keep me in your thoughts for safe travels.

Mahalo & Aloha! (until I can post again)
- Kris

I should be packing...

I thought I would post some floral pictures that I took yesterday while walking the dogs in the morning.

Work was okay today, I worked an extra hour & a half. Tomorrow will probably be similar. I have a full schedule for tomorrow and still need to do some extra work for my supervisor before I leave for the day.

Tonight I've just been watching some TV. I am going to take the pups for a walk, find a couple more things to throw in my suitcase (mainly electrical stuff... battery chargers, et al). Then I hope to get to bed before too late.

Time to sign off...

Aloha!

- Kris

Tiling finished for now...

So... the living room & dining room are done. Whew! The baseboard also got put on in both areas too, along with the bathroom. The furniture is all basically back to where it needs to be. All the tiling is done that is going to get done... the spare bedroom just has to get done now. The work took most of the day though and started at about 8am.

I did get my hair colored today and got it cut. I did all my laundry, but haven't started to pack yet. I've taken the pups out several times today and gave them a bath today. There's still so much to do... and so little time.

Bette asked me about my itinerary. I fly out Weds and get to Fort Lauderdale on Thursday (Thanksgiving). On Saturday my ship leaves.

29 Nov - sailing

30 Nov - Ochos Rio, Jamaica

1 Dec sailing,

2 Dec - Santa Marta, Columbia,

3 Dec - Cartagena, Columbia,

4 December - sailing,

5 Dec Puerto Limon, Costa Rica,

6 Dec - Colon Panama.

Then I take the ship excursion up to Panama City where I spend the night. I fly out of Panama City on the 7th and get back to Hawaii late that night (about 10:30pm).

Okay... I've got to sign off and go see if I can get started packing.

Aloha!

- Kris

Where would you rather live?

This morning in Fairbanks at 27 below... (BRRR! And BETTLES, Alaska had a record low of MINUS 47 below yesterday.... wowza!).

Rainy, snowy Spokane this morning.... looks like the kind of day to stay inside & hibernate!

And then there's Hawaii.. with Diamond Head in the distance, with 73 above temperatures this morning. A beautiful day to wake up in Hawaii Nei.... *smiles*

Aloha!

- Kris

Busy, productive Saturday

The baseboard that is being put in (beats the rubber stuff that was there before!)

The dining area. These pictures were taken last night. Today the rest of the livingroom into the hallway was finished. Tomorrow I need to mop over the floor and then the new baseboard needs to be put in. Dang... I'll be glad when everything is finished... I'm wiped out and my lwer back is giving me grief.

Today WAS very productive though... besides the tiling work, I also maked out my Christmas cards & Calendars (I ended up getting about 20 more cards of a different design made, because I ran out of the other ones). I had to stop by the bank to check on my debit card (it is at a bank I don't use very often), come to find out, they sent it to my old address. I also got my cans turned in for recycling... that's one less thing and I got my suitcase out so I can start packing for my cruise.

Tonight I went & saw 2012. It *was* a really good action packed movie. It's 2 hours and 38 minutes long though... so it took up all night. On the way home I stopped by Zippy's for some chili and then came home & took the dogs out.

Oh yea, I got an email from a friend of Bob & Caryl's (they are my sailboat friends). Her name is Karen and she's going to come spend a few days with me just after Christmas. She's involved in a sterilization program for dogs over on the South Pacific islands. She needed a place to layover enroute to a clinic there.

Okay... I'm going to sign off... it's almost midnight and I'm "dog" tired. *smiles*

Aloha!

- Kris

An exhausting day...

Just a pic of Peanut & Bruno that I took a few minutes ago. Came home and got the dining area and half the living room grouted. Tomorrow I'll be moving the furniture over to the other side of the livingroom to finish the couch side of the living room.

I still need to get my suitcase out and pack. I still need to create a "to-do" list and a packing list. I still would like to get my Christmas cards all addressed & ready to drop off by Wednesday, along with the calendars for friends & family. So much to do, so little time (maybe I can work on the Christmas cards tonight... getting them addressed).

Work itself today was hectic, the morning was filled with meetings and this afternoon I had a new intake to do a risk assessment on and another one to do a complete psycho-social on. I also met with a client and a case manager (I actually met with a couple case managers today). I think I'm dreading Monday & Tuesday because I know how busy my schedule is going to be and then there are little extra tasks that I need to do over those two days (and I need to get my nails done again before I leave).

Okay... I'll sign off and try to get something else done productive.

Aloha!
- Kris

Lee Ann Womack!

Lee Ann Womack was on island today and I got to meet her in person (twice actually, this afternoon and then again after the concert). How cool is that? I loved the song she sings... "I Hope You Dance." It's an inspiration to my life.

Work itself went fine today. Almost a typical day. And I only have 3 more work days (and a half day at a company function) until I'm off the island. I can't wait. I have done my online check-for the cruise, I did that while I was waiting for the concert. Things are progressing...

Okay, I'm going to sign off... it's late.

Aloha!

- Kris

Grouting...

So... here's my kitchen floor. Tonight the grouting got done. YEA! Tomorrow night I'll get the refrigerator moved back into the kitchen (and get it out of dining area).

Work went okay today, it was steadily busy. I left one note to finish tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, I am going to go see LeAnn Womack in concert after work. I think we (co-workers, supervisor & I) might go out for a bite to eat and then come back for the concert. We'll see.

I've been making more trip plans for my cruise next week. Someone online was making plans to do a "mud volcano" excursion in Santa Marta, Columbia. It sounds VERY interesting. Am I willing to climb a small volcano and bathe in the mud. I'm normally one that doesn't like to get dirty (or get mud under my fingernails)... so it will be a challenge, but it will also be unique.

Okay... I've got to sign off, it's after 10pm already.

Aloha!

- Kris

Skipping a day of blogging *smiles*

So... yes... I missed blogging yesterday, (sorry to worry people! Especially YOU Bette! *smiles*). I got off work a little late and then wanted to go find some Khaki pants. I went to the nearest mall (in Pearl City). I checked Macy's, Sears (they are on opposite ends of the mall complex) and Ross', plus a couple smaller stores, to no avail. It was frustrating! I had dinner at the mall while I was there and got home after 9pm. Then I did some internet research, and was going to purchase something with a credit card (debit card) that I don't use very often. I guess it was back in March that they sent me a new card (because the previous bank that sponsored it had a major breech in security). Anyway... do you think I could find the card? C'mon... my apartment isn't THAT big! I knew it should be in my spare bedroom (which is upside down right now with a LOT of extra furniture in there... including my dining table & chairs). I went through three file drawers about 4 times. I did not think I had taken out of the envelope. Why do I have such a problem with trying to put something in a safe place and then can't find it when I want/need it? ARGH!

Anyway... long story shorter... my internet connection went down... and it was about 1am before I went to bed, only to have the dogs wake me up about 5:30am. UGH! THIS morning I *did* find the card (in a backpack I had used a few months back... whassup with that?). Needless to say, as soon as "The Biggest Loser" is over and I can watch a little bit of the news & take the dogs out for their walk... I'm going to bed!

Today at work went okay (so did yesterday, but yesterday was busier). I had two no-shows and I'm worried about one of them especially. I tried to call both of them, but got their voice mail, so just had to leave a message. At the end of the day I stopped by a co-worker's office because I haven't seen her in the last couple days. That's one of the main differences between my current position and my former position... at the last job, you saw everyone every day (at least if they were there) and MOST days, we ate lunch together. That just doesn't happen here at this position. Although my boss said that after the first of the year, when the "old" gym opens back up, she wants us to try & go to the gym 4 days a week at lunch time (with authorization to take a little longer lunch break). I've always exercised after work, because then I can just come home, but I have been neglectful, even moreso since I got Bruno (and now have 2 dogs waiting for me to come home & take them out for a walk!).

Other than that, it's hard to believe that I will be flying out a week from tomorrow! YES! I can't wait. I need to review all of my high risk cases though and discuss them with one of my co-workers that will be keeping an eye on them while I'm gone.

Okay... time to sign off.

Aloha!
- Kris

Wonderful evening!

So... I had a WONDERFUL evening tonight with two other couples that was on the cruise with me from New Zealand back to Hawaii. I met Cliff & Dianne over the internet before we went on the cruise and had dinner with them when they had a stop-over here in Hawaii on the way to New Zealand. Rick & Yvonne were also on the cruise & were table mates of Cliff & Dianne on the cruise. THEN... there was a couple that came down from Victoria, BC (where Cliff & Dianne live). It was a nice relaxing evening. Cliff barbequed some steaks and we had twice baked potatoes, salad & pumpkin pie for desert. It was nice to sit around talking about cruises (Rick & Yvonne just got back from an 18 day cruise from San Diego through the Panama Canal to Fort Launderdale). The picture above was one that I took in Moorea (Tahiti) with our cruise ship in the forefront and I had it blown up to poster size along with another picture... decided to let Cliff & Dianne have it to take back to BC, also gave them one of my personalized Hawaiian Calendars. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed an evening like tonight.

Today was all about tiling. The kitchen is now done except for the grouting. It looks good. (Oh yea... AND the baseboard). I think there are 7 tiles left in the livingroom by the door (all have to be specially cut to fit). I'll be so glad when it is done. I wished it could have been finished today, because next weekend I would rather be focused on packing for my cruise, than dealing with tile stuff. The spare bedroom still needs to be done as well.

Okay... time to sign off, it's 9:30pm and I need to figure out what I need for tomorrow and then also take the puppies out for their night-time walk.

Aloha!
- Kris

UH won!

I just got home from the UH football game, we played New Mexico State and won 24-6. What was REALLY nice, was that we didn't get rained out. It's been threatening to downpour, but Oahu was lucky once again (at least at the Stadium). Kauai, the Big Island and the NE corner of Oahu got drenched pretty good. There was heavy cloud cover as I headed to the game, so I fully expected to get a soaking... but got lucky. There were some real light sprinkles at the beginning of the game, but not enough to pull out my poncho for. (Whew!).

Other than that, my big achievement for the day was cleaning out my refrigerator (removing shelves, etc to clean). I had to move the refrigerator into the livingroom area so that the tiling could start in the kitchen tomorrow. It looks like the rest of the diningroom, and livingroom edges will be done (those tiles all had to be cut), along with the kitchen will be done tomorrow. THEN, I get to go hook up with Cliff & Dianne. They are here from Victoria, BC for a visit. They were on my cruise from New Zealand. It'll be good to see them again. I've talked to them a couple times.

Okay... time to sign off.

Aloha!

- Kris

Aloha Friday... no work til Monday...

Today was primarily taken up by meetings, a staff meeting that lasted a couple hours this morning and then some training that took up half the afternoon. I also had to deal with a client in crisis (who went to the hospital and was hopefully admitted, but I wasn't able to find out before I left work today), and I had a new client come in today. I also called & set up a couple appointments for next week (to go along with other appointments that I currently have set).

Tonight I decided to go see the 9:15pm showing of "2012" and got there about a half an hour early, only to find out it was sold out. I didn't feel like hanging around, so I went over to Target to browse around a little and also to "Ross'." I'm looking for a new pair of Khaki pants... didn't have any luck. Maybe I can go look at Sears or Macy's tomorrow? Tomorrow is another UH football game. We are *supposed* to win... I hope so... and I hope it doesn't pour buckets of rain during the game (they've been saying for three days now we were going to get drenched, but so far in my area we have been fortunate!).

Okay... will sign off for another day...

Aloha!
- Kris

Friday the 13th tomorrow...

Hope you aren't superstitious... but tomorrow is Friday the 13th. At least it isn't a full moon! *smiles*

Today went fine, I saw three clients, so peaceful in that sense. I did get to go have lunch with some of my former co-workers, it was great to see them (again). I spent a couple hours today helping create some graphs for my supervisor (I probably spent more time on it than I should have).

I also found out this morning that my oldest granddaughter found out what her family is doing for Christmas (they are going to Green Bay, WI, it will be the first time my son-in-law has been out of the state (other than a short trip across the Canadian border), since he was 3 years old. My granddaughter & her daddy are avid Green Bay Packer fans and there will be a game on the 28th of December against the Seattle Seahawks. I'm sure they will have fun.

Okay... I've got to sign off... it's just after 10pm, I've watched "The Survivor" and "The Mentalist." Both were good shows tonight.

Aloha!
- Kris

Thanks to our Veterans!

I am thankful to all of our Veterans who have served our country and to those who are currently serving. I am honored to serve in the presence of those who fight for our rights on a daily basis. I am also honored that I have the privilege of calling *myself* a Veteran.

It has been nice to have the day off, after taking the pups out, I slept in until about 8:30am (not as long as I would have liked), then I putzed around the apartment until about noon (I gave the pups a bath this morning & did some laundry), then I took the pups over to see the Dog Sitter. Peanut was a little apprehensive, even though she has been there before, and poor Bruno was terrified (because there were other dogs there). It was good to see Barb (the dog sitter) and catch up on news. She's looking forward to having the pups over for a visit in a couple weeks.

Before I left there I started getting one of my tummy aches, so I came home and laid down for a couple hours, then went & got my nails done (and got a Pedicure too!).

Tonight my tummy is feeling so-so, not as bad as this afternoon, but I don't feel like eating any dinner tonight either (skipping a meal won't hurt me!).

I'm going to try & head to bed early tonight, I could use the additional sleep.

Aloha!
- Kris

Yea! A day off tomorrow!

So... today went okay. I had an 8am appointment, then a meeting from 9-12, a noon appointment, a 1pm appointment, and then my 2pm appt was a no-show. The 1pm appointment was only a half-hour appointment, so after that one I went and grabbed a VERY quick bite to eat, making it back to my office before my 2pm was supposed to be there. Since that client was a no-show, I tried to find out why, which took me about a half-hour of running around. I found out that she has a 72 hour sick leave slip. (okay... acceptable reason). Then I had a 3:30 appointment that went to 4:30pm. And I *still* managed to get out of the office by 5pm. YEA!

I am *so* looking forward to having tomorrow off. I'm taking the puppies over to see the Dog sitter (Barb). She's had Peanut before (when I went on my other cruise), but she hasn't met Bruno before, so it will be interesting to see how he does tomorrow. I'm hoping after I take the pups out for their early morning walk, I can come back and lay down for a nap (sort of sleep in).
No other plans for tomorrow, just relax. Something well needed.

Okay... signing off for another day!

Aloha!
- Kris

hrmph!

It was another Monday! *smiles* It was a busy day at work. I had submitted my timesheet at work, reflecting the hours I worked and was informed that I needed to ask in advance for the ability to work overtime. (In other words... overtime is discouraged... I don't claim pay... I just asked for comp time). I have a little problem with that because half the time I don't take a lunch time in my new position (for example, tomorrow I have an appt with a client that has a standing noon appointment every week, it was set before I came in. I have hoped to work around it, but tomorrow is one of those days when there is just too many clients to see and not enough time. It doesn't help that I have one less day to see clients this week (Weds)... and it is one of the rare days that I don't have meetings to deal with. My boss was leaving at 5pm and I still had documentation to take care of (I had been in her office at 4:45 discussing a serious situation with a client that I found out about around 4pm). Anyway... she *did* give me permission to stay and get most of my notes done. I got them all done except the one that will be the longest. I know that her directive is coming from above and the intent is so that we, as providers, don't get burnt out like others in our field. (i.e. the psychiatrist that went ballistic last week at the Army base). But, for once I thought I'd be able to get credit for the hours I work. It's not easy to cut back on the hours, when you have the responsibilities that this job entails and when there are not enough workers doing the job.

SO... that's what my Hrumph! Is about.

After work I went shopping, spent about $50 on my dogs... picked up a couple of the smaller bags of dog food (Eukanuba) and another package of 50 potty pads for them. They sure get expensive sometimes! But I love 'em dearly!

And my phone... what's up with that? I had it in my desk and went to check it about 11am and it was on reserve battery! Guess I will need to start shutting it off during the day so it doesn't wear down the battery (although the battery SHOULD last a lot longer than that!). I haven't been real happy with my Google phone. For one thing, it takes HORRIBLE pictures, #2, you don't have the hands-free dialing capability that you should have (and that is basic on so many phones) and then... the battery? Give me a break!

Okay... enough ranting and raving. The dogs are wanting to go out for their walk. It's 9:30pm and I haven't even looked at my Facebook account, which I would still like to read.

So... Aloha!

- Kris

Need another day off!

Well... today was about tiling. The Livingroom is now done, except for the grouting and the edges. There were about 50 tiles (16") laid. Next weekend will be the grouting and the edges and then the next weekend (before I go on my cruise) will be the kitchen.

I was moving VERY slow this morning, achy from the work yesterday and then also because I was sick last night. I have a small tummy and I guess when I had sushi last night for dinner, I had too much. (there were only six pieces... but still... with rice sometimes it expands in my tummy). I ended up "throwing my cookies" after trying to get my tummy to settle down for awhile. I went to bed after that (but I was up for quite awhile before 'chucking" up, trying to get my tummy to settle down). I'm feeling better today (other than achy from working).

Not much else going on... so I'll sign off.

Aloha!
- Kris

UH finally broke their losing streak! YAY!

YAY! UH beat Utah State, 49-36, they broke their 6 game losing streak. The team is in a re-building year.

Glanced up at the clouds... thought I'd take a picture! *smiles*

Bad hair day for me... but me and the Geico Gecko!

The puppies were happy to see Mommy tonight! This was after their walk.

So... let's see... today I spent the better part of the day pulling up and scraping up the linoleum on the bathroom floor. THAT's back-breaking work, ya know it? My body sure was telling it's age tonight! But, all except for under the refrigerator is done, so now time to help lay more tile. I am wondering now if it will all get done before I go on my cruise. I can almost guarantee that the spare bedroom won't be done... but it would be nice to at least get the rest of it done.

Okay... I'm going to sign off.

Aloha!

- Kris

Bedtime...

So, it was another crazy, buzy day. I got to our staff meeting at 8am, then found out that it was re-scheduled to 8:30am. We then were in the staff meeting for an hour before we had a videoconferencing training (which was a goat rope, it sounds like it will improve our work quite a bit!).

Just after lunch got over and I was thinking about where to eat, I got pulled into another meting involving a client of mine. They are wanting to release back to his duty section and *I* and a few others don't think he is ready for it. We at least got a 2 week reprieve. When I got back to my office, I realized that I was supposed to be at the doctor's office in town within 5 minutes. YIKES! So... I called and they said if I wanted to come in, that the doctor would fit me into his schedule. I didn't get into his office until 3pm, but after discussing options, he has decided to go ahead with an Endoscopy to check my top half and then he's going to order an MRI to look at my tummy bile ducts. I didn't get back up to work until after 4:30pm, and was there until almost 8pm (I wanted to make up the time I had missed).

Okay... time to sign off...

Aloha!
- Kris

Sad Day...

Today started off busy... I had four clients this morning and then I heard about the shooting at Fort Hood. I was worried about a former co-worker that is stationed in the military there. Fortunately I heard right away that he was okay. That's SUCH a tragedy! The psychiatrist must have a LOT of anger & fear. Please pray for our soldiers at all of our bases, and for the providers. This situation exemplifies the stress that everyone is under with this protracted war that requires so many repeated and long deployments to war.

Okay... I'm going to sign off. It's been a stressful day.

Aloha!

- Kris

Still more Halloween pictures...

Here are more Halloween pictures... hope you enjoy them!

Work today was busy (once it got started). Traffic on the road I take up to where I work was backed up for 8 miles and it crawled along most of the way. This island just doesn't handle traffic problems very well, the slightest problem tends to shut down traffic for miles! Or at least slows it down substantially.

Today wasn't QUITE as busy as yesterday, but I still didn't get out of there until after 6:30pm.
Tomorrow is going to be busy as well, at least in the morning. I already have appointments scheduled for 8, 9 and 10am.

Okay... I'll keep this short for the day.

Aloha!

- Kris

Busy, busy day!

More Halloween Pictures (I don't know any of these people).

So... today was a VERY busy day and I didn't get off work until 7pm. I had six clients today and had to talk with several Case Managers. Late afternoon, after I finished with my clients, my supervisor asked me to help her make a spreadsheet and a pie chart identifying our high risk clients. Once I put the data in, the pie chart took all of about 5 minutes. But, my supervisor was then in various meetings, so I took advantage of the time to get most of my online documentation done. I *am* going to start claiming the overtime. We don't get paid for overtime, but we CAN take comp time. I'll see how many hours I can get in (legitimately & reasonably) before I go on my cruise, so I don't have to take as much time without pay. (Leave without pay).

Okay... I've got to scoot, it was almost 7:30pm before I got home and I enjoyed watching "The Biggest Loser."

Aloha!
- Kris

More Halloween pictures...

I thought I would post some pictures from this past Saturday (I'll post more over the week).

Today was fairly good, I had a couple no-shows today. One of them has left the island and the other had some other appointments (and called to let me know he couldn't make it). So... no worries there. I stay fairly busy at work, without many breaks, because if I am not dealing with clients, I am dealing with Case Managers, or my supervisor.

I *did* go over and have lunch with some of my old co-workers... I *do* miss them (and they miss me). It was good to see them and catch up on the news.

Not much going on tonight... I've just been playing on my computer. I'm sure my time could be better spent, but playing on the computer is relaxing to me. It's time to take the dogs out for their walk before bedtime, so I'll say g'night.

Aloha!

- Kris

Happy Belated Halloween!

Well... I didn't post a blog last night because I didn't get home until 3am! Of course... I putzed around and didn't leave home until about 10pm to get down to Waikiki for the Halloween celebrations. I spent part of the day helping with the tiling... it's going slow... He got the laundry room area done... I was hoping more would get done... like grouting the part of the livingroom that is already done and then laying more tile in the livingroom. There's still a LOT to get done before I leave for the cruise!

Anyway. Waikiki was fun and interesting as usual. There were a couple altercations down there, the cops were out in full force though... it was usually just hooligans wanting to strut their stuff and puff their chests. I posted most of the pictures I took on my facebook account.

Not sure I am ready to go to work tomorrow, it hasn't felt like much of a weekend. Maybe I can get some beach time next weekend before the football game? Time will tell.

Okay... gotta sign off.

Aloha!

- Kris