Hawaiian Poge

For real.  My first Hawaiian birthday! 

Such a good day. I got some amazing well-wishes (thank you everybody!), some amazing flowers (thank you David!) and an amazing night out (thank you Ashley!) The highlight I think was Ashley from work asking me out of nowhere how I feel about peaches and me (for some reason not thinking anything of it)  saying, “I hate them” only to find out that they got me a peach cake.  Nice, Poggi.  But, miraculously, it was delicious anyway. And then they sang Peaches in my honor when we moved to karaoke.

Millions of peaches, peaches for me. Indeed.  (Random inside joke: I STILL think on some level that that song is about religious freedom.)

(Sad thought: I don’t think it’s my birthday anywhere anymore.)

In Japan.

Dave sent me a Happy Birthday email this morning and I thought, “That was nice- but he’s a day early” and then I realized, “no he’s not! It IS my birthday in Japan (where he is).” Which is exciting! So all day I could walk around and say, “It’s my birthday…………in Japan! And then tomorrow I can say it’s my birthday for real and then the next day I can say, “It’s my birthday…..in somewhere” Where would it be my birthday the day after? Well, anyway.  But even in this country it’ll be my birthday six hours later here than it is where most of my friends are. And 10 hours after my friends in Austria and Germany.  It’ll be my birthday forever! 

It’s like that year Dana had a whole birthday week!  

On a completely separate and random note, has anyone seen that reality show about Corey Haim and Corey Feldman?  So sad! On so many levels. But one of the Nelson brothers was on there as a friend of Corey Feldman’s.  Wha!?  And he cut his hair!

Love and Affection will now officially be in my head for the next 10 years. Dammit!

I had an interesting day today. I got the opportunity to go with a friend of Mom’s to both the Waikiki Canoe Club and the Elk Club. They’re both exclusive and you need to be a member or know a member to get in. Not really my scene, but interesting.  It was fun. 

We went on an outrigger canoe which was awesome.  It’s basically a canoe, with added support on one side so that you don’t tip and you ride the waves like you would on a surfboard. I was in the front seat so it was awesome.

 This pictures is the basic idea but ours was new and shiny and had only one side support.

But one funny thing that happened today was that I met two separate people who, upon meeting me, shook my hand and said, “Glad to know you.”  It was really cool.  It’s a funny expression. I think of it as old-fashioned, but I supposed the two people who said it were in their late 70s or 80s so it just might be. 

I always say “Nice to meet you” in those situations and someone once pointed out to me that that’s actually kind of ingenuine. Because really, at that moment, I have no idea if it’s nice to meet you. You could be a total jerk. I don’t know yet- I just met you.  And “Glad to Know you” is then even more presumptious.  First off- you don’t actually know me.  So how would you then be able to be glad about it?

But separate from that it’s actually a pretty cool thing to meet someone and have them say that. Glad to Know You. It makes me feel special.  I am a person people are glad to know.

It makes me think of all the people I’m glad to know for real and forget to tell enough.

I think I’ve written a blog before about the fact that there are a million rainbows here, but there are a million rainbows here.  I saw one yesterday and then saw another one today. It was really neat. The one today was a full sky rainbow- and it was a double rainbow! There were two- like a rainbow shadow of the first one.

And each one I’ve seen was there, but barely there.  Like a hologram- like Al from Quantum Leap in rainbow form, but less witty and biting.  It was solid color but see-through at the same time. 

Rainbows always make me think of Dad now because there was a really neat one right after he died. If I personally were less witty and biting I would think it was him telling us he was okay, but in reality he would’ve done something cooler like make it rain beer or donuts.  (Chocolate glazed for me, jelly for Chris and glazed for me. Or maybe apple fritters, but that would probably hurt- and where’s the fun in that?)

Regardless, rainbows make me think of Dad. 

I didn’t have my camera today or I would’ve taken a picture to share.

I did have my picture earlier though when I had my Sunday coffee. I love Sundays.  I have this new “routine” (which means I’ve done it more than once) where I go to the Honolulu Coffee Company at the Moana Surfrider hotel 

and then I bring my coffee to the lanai in the back

and I sit in this chair

which miraculously is usually free, and stare at the ocean and read my book and watch the people. I was reading the book Atonement today.

Buffy and I went and did this one day when she was here too. That was a good day.

I still owe you guys more visitor pictures. They’ll come at some point I promise! In the meantime, happy Saturday! (Or Sunday already for most of you, and Monday for Greg and Mekayla!)

Those of you who talk to me a lot or who lived with me in Boston probably have vivid memories after Erin and Ish got engaged of me preceding every conversation with, “Erin and Ish are engaged!” I was so excited that I said it all the time.  And now “Erin and Ish are married!” Yea!!

It was such a great wedding.  Everything went right and it was beautiful and fun and so nice to see everyone again. 

I only have a few pictures so far but I’ll have more later.

Don’t they look so happy!? I’ve said it before and I’ve said it again but I swear Ish is the only person in the world who can pull of that white suit.

 And their sash and tie matched my dress! What a coincidence!

I’m the non-blonde.

Erin and Ish are married!!

Back by popular demand, your lazy blogger.  Hi everybody!  When I have things to write about I don’t have the time, and when I have the time everything seems boring!

But here I am anyway.  Things are great in Karen-world.  I’m Momless and Davidless at the moment which means I’m working non-stop and sleeping otherwise, but that’ll end soon I assume.  David’ll be back soon.

I haven’t written about all our visitors yet. It’s been SO nice.  My German speaking friend Kendra came to visit with her friend Katie.  And then Michelle and Gaston came. Yea! Then Buffy.  It’s been really fun having people around and seeing everyone.

David and I started a thing I call the Wisitor Wall (German for visitor wall).  I told you I like alliteration.  We ask each visitor to pick a picture from their vacation pictures and then glue it to the board and sign it.  It’s been so fun. It’s prominent art in our living room. 

This is its progression so far….