Newfound Weakness

Last week I was working in my little hole in the wall used bookstore, chatting it up with a regular customer when a young guy in a suit and tie moseyed in. I knew when he walked in without the slightest interest in looking around that he was looking to sell me something. For some reason, the salesey type people flock to this little bookstore. Food, trinkets, and in this case--coupons. As soon as my customer left he started chatting me up, as the salesies do. I was giving my typical responses. Hi. I'm fine, thanks. I'm poor, before you waste anymore of your time on me. But then he asked me the question that, for some reason, was what got me.

"Do you like baseball?"

Yes...yes, I do like baseball. In fact, I had just been thinking about how much I missed baseball games. I usually went to one or two in San Fran and my summer was feeling a little empty without them.

"Don't you just love being in a ballpark?"

Yes!! I do love being in the ballpark!

We proceeded to talk baseball and teams and hot dogs and finally, the Seattle Mariners. Just three hours way, their park is. Same distance from Fresno to SF. And according to this guy, the parks were comparable. The M's play right on the water too. I would have to look over the fact that they play for the American league, but still--baseball is baseball, right?

Suddenly, I was caught up in this little fantasy of a perfect little baseball-filled weekend, where we could enjoy the city and a great game, and it would be amazingly cheaper with these coupons!! The greatest idea. Ever.

It was the weirdest thing. Five minutes later, when this guy was gone and the haze subsided I realized, that idiot just suckered me out of $30 bucks worth of Mariners "2 for the price of 1" coupons. I attribute this to the aforementioned longing to see a game, and also the fact that I was going on about my 49th hour of work that week when Mr. Coupon caught up with me. I immediately felt sick and called McKay who was bewildered.
He said, "You never do things like that!"
"I know!," I said, equally bewildered.
"When are we going to be able to get to Seattle?," he asked.
"I...don't know!," I answered.

That's when I freaked out on him and told him I was tired when I bought them and I wasn't thinking straight and I like baseball and I'm sorry and it was dumb I know and he didn't have to rub it in and in a nutshell totally overreacted due to my own feelings of stupidity over the whole thing.

Now that the money is spent and I have the coupons in-hand I am determined to use them. Fantasy weekend or no. If I have to camp overnight in the parking lot of the stadium, so be it. I am getting my 30 dollars worth. And if you happen to be interested in catching a Mariners game this season and will be in the Seattle area, you let me know.

Ken and Ally's Wedding Weekend

My sister in law got married, and we were lucky enough to join in on the festivities. In Kauai, no less! It was a quick trip-- I had to get back for work and McKay for school, so we didn't have a whole lot of time, but we stayed long enough for me to enjoy some shave ice (which didn't compare to Matsimotos), a full rainbow at sunset, island music (including Three Plus' "Undercover Lover" in F-Land, Laura!), snorkeling, unexpected yet wonderfully warm rain showers, pineapple from a local farmers market and carmacs. Oh, and a lovely wedding. We had a great time.

While I was there I thought a lot about the summer I spent on Oahu 5 years back. The music and the smells and the stickiness and the lounging on lanais... all I had money to do that summer was sit on the beach, much like this summer, and it was still just as fabulous. I thought of the short walk from my practically condemned, being held together by cinder blocks shack to Hukilau beach--the shack I shared with 5 other girls. The Laie temple just around the corner. The bus rides to the north shore with the Ukulele player singing and playing his heart out in the back. Watching the filming of Blue Crush, walking back and forth in front of Surf N Sea hoping I'd see myself on the big screen. Dinners with Laura at pizza bob's, banana pancakes with coconut syrup, halpea ice cream on campus, shopping trips to Food land, hoping and praying that Laura's 1974 Buick dinosaur would get us there and back, despite the fact that 1st gear was the only one that worked.
These are some of my most favorite memories and I am SO glad that I took that opportunity. To quit my job, grab my camera, and just let life pass me by for a while.

Anyway--a few pictures from the wedding trip a couple of weeks ago.

My favorite flower girl, Maddie Anne...




















The Bride's tropical bouquet...










Notice the hawaiian garden hose behind us...