So tomorrow is our Hawaii-anniversary. I can't believe we've lived here for a year. Well, I've lived here for a year, Erik only lived here for about 6 months...

In other news, the state of Hawaii is broke. Buh-roke. Because of which, they have decided to stop buying paper towels for the state buildings - once they're out, they're out. My building is out. We've had to all chip in to buy our own or bring dish towels or whatever. Thing is, they took our trashcans out of the bathroom too so we couldn't throw away towels if we had them! I just hope they don't do this with toilet paper...

Dear State of Hawaii -
Maybe if you didn't run the a/c CONSTANTLY, ALL DANG DAY you wouldn't be broke. MAYBE if you didn't keep it as cold as meat locker in my office, you could afford a dang blowie thing for the bathroom.

Love,
Sheena

It appears Erik will be missing our skype date, so I'm going to head to bed. 'Night all!

Thanks Prince Kuhio!

The following article comes courtesy of some random googling I did earlier that I forgot to link.

Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole

Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole was born in Koloa, Kauai on March 26, 1871. When the Kalakaua Dynasty assumed the throne of Hawaii in 1884, Jonah Kuhio was declared a prince. He was next in line to become king when the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown in 1893. In the late 1800's he was sentenced to a year in prison for his role in a Hawaiian uprising against Sanford Dole's newly formed Republic of Hawaii. After his release from prison, he joined the British Army to fight in the South African Boer War, and he remained in Africa until that war ended in 1902. When he returned to Hawaii he was elected to served in the United States Congress as the Territorial Delegate from Hawaii. The achievements for which he is credited include the dredging of Pearl Harbor and establishing the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Prince Kuhio died in Waikiki on January 7, 1922. He is buried on the island of Oahu at the Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu.

Prince Kuhio Day is celebrated on March 26 in Hawaii. Hawaii's second delegate ot congress Born in Koloa, Kauai. Youngest of the three sons of Kauai High Chief David Kahalepouli Piikoi and Princess Kinoiki Kekaulike. Served as the Hawaiian Territory's delegate to the U.S. Congress from 1903 to 1921. He was known as the "Citizen Prince" He was inline to become king with the monarchy was overthrown in 1893. he died of heart disease in 1922 at the age of 50. He is buried at the royal mausoleum in Nuuanu Valley on Oahu. best remembered for his successful effort to get Congress to pass the 1920 Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, which provides homesteads for native Hawaiians. One of his main goals was to save the rapidly declining Hawaiian race from extinction. He planned to return tenement dwellers to the land and encourage them to be self-sufficient farmers, ranchers, and homesteaders on leased parcels of reserved land.

End article. Begin commentary.

So here's to you Prince Kuhio! For being the "citizen prince", for being born on my birthday, for being cool enough to get a state holiday and for giving me a "free" day off from work so that I can wallow in the fact I am now closer to 50 than I am to birth - 'cuz I surely needed *that*.

Also, I like your 'stache. :)

Don't get pissy

I just thought it was funny.

My Life in a Freakin' Nut Shell

When Andrea and Scott were here they discovered an ant in my flour and they dumped it. Ants and roaches are a problem here, I seem to only have the former so I try not to complain. Anyway, I decided I'd order some of those old school tupperware canisters like my Mima used to have, those would definitely keep ants out.

>>>>>Fast Forward Here>>>>>

Yesterday I was minding my business in my cubicle when I started craving one of those Christmas tree Little Debbie pies. You know the ones, with the white frosting, red drizzle and green sprinkles? As you can see, I remember them fondly even though I haven't had one in as long as I can remember.

So I get up from my desk, collect my things, and since I need to go to Borders anyway, I decide to cruse by KMart (which is next door) to see if they have any Little Debbies (I knew I wouldn't get the Christmas ones in March so I decided I'd look for fancy cakes - they're the same, just no sprinkles or red drizzle, and no Christmas tree shape... Well you get the point). Anyway, there were none to be found at KMart, then I went to 2 grocery stores - STILL nothing. Finally, I go to a gas station and they have oatmeal cream pies but no fancy cakes. And when I asked for the fancy cake specifically the lady looked like I was talking Greek. Whatever, I accepted my lot, got a nutrigrain bar and moved on with my day. All the while thinking "How does this stupid rock not have fancy cakes?! This place is RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!"

So then I get home and notice a box on my porch. Part of my tupperware order has arrived!

And it was shipped in a Little Debbie box.

Some Gave All

The Department of Defense announced the death of 1LT Daniel B. Hyde, 24, who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. He died March 7 in Samarra, Iraq, of wounds sustained in Tikrit when an explosive device struck his unit vehicle.

He graduated from Downey High School in 2003. He lettered in three varsity sports in high school - football, basketball and golf. He was elected student body president twice, and was accepted by all three military academies. He graduated from West Point 23rd out of 968 before getting his Ranger tab and airborne qualification.

LT Hyde was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and is survived by his parents and a sister, who are residents of Modesto California.

It is not length of life, but depth of life.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

This ones for you, Lyle

So the other day I got an email from Erik's grandpa, asking if Hawaii had stopped on February 18 (or whatever day it was I last updated). I get a kick out of him.

So I know I haven't updated in awhile, but I have good reason! Erik and I talk on skype at night and that was my prime blogging time - so be glad you aren't hearing from me. As it stands, the only reason I did it today is because he's late for our skype date.

This skype thing is pretty amazing. Certainly nothing like getting cut off every 3 minutes and some odd seconds when he was using the sattelite phone while in Afghanistan. My goodness, that time seems so long ago - I guess it was (well, started anyway) over 3 years ago.

He should be home in a little over a month for R&R. We're going to go island hopping because when you already live in paradise, why go anywhere for vacation?!

I really wish I had more to report, but I don't. I'll try to do better though!