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Sep 16

Puako Fantasy

Yesterday, do you all recall the drama we encountered with tractors + jackhammers right next to our Puako honeymoon rental? Well, after I called the rental management company leaving three very angry messages, the care taker who resides in the main house below came to sheepishly explain to me that even she was surprised by the construction this morning, as well. Verrrry suspect, considering it appeared that the work looked like it had been going on for quite a while. I asked her to get the scoop on how many days they planned to be working because I couldn’t deal with the noise because I come from downtown los angeles, yo + I do not need to be listening to generators + trucks backing up all day!!! I do not!!!!! When she returned, she said they were re-building the sea wall + would be working for the rest of the week. OH HELL NO!!!!!! I called rental management + asked them if we had other options. While I was angrily negotiating + hopping mad, here’s what Jeff was doing:

Enjoying a snack, y’all!!! He let’s me be bad cop because he knows I can be as mean as a hornet when I get fired up. I see how it is…

Guess what, folks?! They moved us into a house down the road – A HOUSE!!!!!! We went from a studio TO A HOUSE!!!! AND they gave it to us for the SAME PRICE as the studio!!!!! A $510 a night house for $225 a night!!!

Granted, the studio was full of character + super charming, but it was small – I had to shuffle things around to prep dinner + had little buggies hanging around. But, this house had a stove!!!! Washer + dryer!!! Dishwasher + tons of counter space!!! I felt like a housewife fromthe 50’s. Being a lady of modernity, I was seduced!!!!

Shiny!!! Bright!!! Sparkly!!!!

Also, there was a mezuzah on the doorframe, so we knew we were in the right place. For all not in the know, the mezuzah contains a parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah. My mom will be so happy to hear about this! Shalom!!!!

Wraparound windows in the living room!!!

Our backyard!!!!

Reflection in the window from the porch.

The master bedroom with retro phone + Hawaiian quilt bedding!!! Love it!!!!!! By the way, I’m really not talking on the phone in this picture. I just like to pretend.

It’s kind of funny, because when we first got to the house, we noticed construction going on next door on a new home. I was going to flip. But Jeff talked to the guys + they were just building a deck. I can deal with some hammering + sawing over a jack hammer any day! The houses are far enough away that I don’t even hear them from the porch!!! Score!!!! Also, this is turtle central!!!! It is like a turtle cafeteria in our backyard!!! They are muncha-crunching out there, we swam alongside them + you can see their little heads surfacing the water all the live long day!!!

I like this cutie-patootie’s sleeping style!!! Snoozel noodle!!!

This adolescent is like, “Peace out, you old folks keep napping!!! I gotta motor!!!” Action Jackson over here!

Whoopeee!!!!! Wild card!!! Black sheep!!! The rebel, as they say!!!!!

Up the coast, Kohala’s ritzy, cha-cha-cha resort hotels. Oh, rather!!!!!

Let’s just say we spent the rest of our day enjoying the house to da max. After moving in + moving out of the old digs, we just wanted to straight up chill. If chill means doing 3 loads of laundry. That night, bartender Jeff blended some cocktails + fired up the 2 grills.

What a romantic!!! Jeff insisted on traveling with the tealights we had recieved for the wedding from the Catlows + meticulously lights them every night! He’s a better man than I!!! Oh, wait that didn’t sound right….

We blasted the radio + had a dance party in the living room! When Flashdance’s, “She’s a Maniac” came on, we tore it up!!!! We got so psyched, Jeff found a youtube clip – in german + we kept on dancin’!!!!!!!

Ja!!!Es ist so gut!!!! Enjoy!!!

Sep 14

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Drama fo’ yo’ Mama

Every day has been full of surprises, let me tell ya. Quick recap. Monday was a realatively mellow day hanging around the small towns of Captain Cook. Our view from Manago hotel room:

History buffs rejoice – the Kona Historical Society Museum is well worth the visit!!! It is set up at the foundation + the general store of the Greenwell family. Henry Nicholas Greenwell was an English entrepreneur who came to Kona + is known to have established Kona coffee into what it is today.

Our tour was conducted by a very, very interesting + knowledgeable educator + guide, Ann. She hung out in San Francisco in the 60’s, then moved to San Diego + has been on the Big Island for 14 years. Groovy, man! Inside the general store, we did an interactive tour of what it would have been like to shop in the store in those days.

Here’s Ann in her period costume. Isn’t she cute?! She had so much information about the land, the Greenwells + Hawaiian history that at the end of the tour, she became my hero + when I grow up, I want to be like her.

We returned to Pu’uhonua O Honaunau for sunset. Jeff went snorkeling, but I was cranky + cold so I opted out. Jeff said it was the best snorkeling he had done so far – turtles, large colorful fish, large coral! Yeah, I missed out.

As we left, we decided that Tuesday morning we were going to wake up early, come back to Pu’uhonua O Honaunau to go snorkeling before heading up north to Puako. Well, that morning when we got to the car, guess what we found!!!!!

Jeff was flailing his arms, yelling, “SHELLI!!! WHAT THE, WHAT THE, LOOK!!!! GO GET SOMEONE!!!!!”. When he gets really spazzy, I become reeeealllly calm. From what we remembered last night, there was a blue Ford parked next to us. The moron was still in the parking lot!!! There were blue scratches on our car, silver paint on his rear bumper – Jeff took measurements like a real detective. The owner + Manago heir, Dwight helped us out so much, we called the cops, had witnesses who heard the loud crunch at night – we had it in the bag!!!!! After running the license plate #, Dwight awoke the perpetrator who confessed to his crime. He was a really nice guy who had Tlingit tattoo art all over his face + dreads. To each his own. Here’s the three guys working it out. The cop was Dwight’s cousin. Small island.

We went to Kona Airport to switch out cars which was a pain in the butt. No snorkeling for us!!!! We were so upset by the morning’s drama that what did we do??? Thrift!!!! We encountered an AMAZING consignment shop near Costco called Sandra’s Consignment. We made out like bandits!!!!

OMG!!! I almost forgot! We drove down the marina, checking out all the fishing boats + as we were driving we spotted a HUMONGOID blue marlin hanging!!!! It was so huge, I thought it was a fake – like the Jaws hanging at Universal Studios!!!! We parked the car + RAN down with our cameras like crazy journalists!!!! This thing was 850 pounds + took the guys 45 min to wrestle!!! It reminded me of my dear old grandpa that I used to fish with, so I was really excited, out of nostalgia – but I kept asking this lady, “Isn’t marlin fishing illegal??? Wouldn’t you think this marlin is pretty old for it’s size?”. She kept shrugging her shoulders + saying it was legal in resort towns. Hmmmmm. Well, my research shows that blue marlin stocks are low + most recreational fishermen/women do a catch + release. So, it made me sad looking at this gorgeous, large dead creature who was probably so happy + majestic swimming around. I’m not going to post any close up pictures of it now because I’m super bummed out.

Okay, are you ready for some more drama!!!!????? We drove north to Puako to the rental house that we are to stay in for the duration of our honeymoon. We arrived at night + it is my 70’s dream house with lots of wood, blue tile + wrap around porch!!! This morning we awoke to the sound of the ocean right in front of the porch. Guess, what?! Around 8:30am this morning as I was writing this blog, we were unhappy to discover that there is construction going on right next door!!!! Generators, tractor, jack hammer – AAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!!!! We are SO PISSED!!!!!! Can you believe it?! If you knew there was construction happening, why would you rent out the house?! I called the rental company stat!!!! I asked to be moved to another house or be compensated – they are going to call me back, so stay tuned………

Sep 12

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South Point is Serious

I’ve made an executive decision to abbreviate yesterday’s volcanic activities. There’s too much to post. Let’s just say we encountered a group of people + the women + girls were all dressed in full length dresses + bonnets. I saw the father/husband/elder + one of the girls at the Hilo Salvation Army. Jeff + I assumed the girl was just a Laura Ingalls Wilder fanatic. But there was a whole group of them! Cult alert!!!! Jeff distracted the father/husband/elder by talking to him about “getting back to the land” + took a covert picture. I couldn’t even go near the father/husband/elder because he creeped me out so much + he was wearing dirty 70’s Lee jeans.

Then we drove down to the coast.

Yiiiiiikes!!!! The waves were POUNDING!!!! And the cliff edge was on the precipice of collapse!!! Those waves were POUNDING ON THE CLIFFS!!!! Oh, by the way, do you like my Sporty Spice outfit?

Did I say, “Yiiiiikes!!!!”????

After my fright of crumbling off a unstable cliff into the unrelenting sea, we walked down to the ancient petroglyphs. It was dusk when we arrived at the petroglyphs + it was really serene to be there under the full moon.

Today, we headed out of Volcano Village heading south-west towards the west coast of the Big Island. Our first stop was Punalu’u Black Sand Beach. Honestly, I was not the impressed, except for the large turtles that like to bask on the sand.

Cuties!!!!!!

There was a sign clearly stating + illustrating for tourists to stay 15 feet away from the turtles. On the way back from the bathroom we saw some dumb ass tourists posing RIGHT NEXT TO THE TURTLES!!!! I was enraged!!!!!! I screamed, “Hey!!! Hey!!! Do you see this sign (as I pointed to it)???!!! 15 feet away!!!” Jeff had to take me away. The poor, harassed turtles. We met a couple local haoles on Punalu’u + they told us about a beach that is not on the map + is the perfect spot to see as far as the eye can see. I’m not going to divulge secret info on a blog but they said, “When you pass XXXXX, you’ll see some XXXXXX, and that’s when you’ll make a XXXXXX. It’s one of the best surf spots on the island. There is a man named Uncle Abel who is a Hawaiian institution + he’ll show you the way.” Sure enough, we got to the XXXXX + we saw 3 men chilling – I was nervous, but Jeff is friendly + confident in that way. We ended up hanging out with Uncle Abel, Uncle Joe + his son, drinking beers + talking story. Uncle Abel has been on his land for generations. The government has been trying to kick him off his land for decades + it is a constant battle for him. He was so wise, warm, kind, generous + spiritual. Here’s the bruddahs.

If you want to sign a petition to help Uncle Abel in his cause, here is the link: http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/freekawaafreehawaii

The road to the beach:

The perfect black sand beach. Punalu’u couldn’t even compare with it’s pristine coastline. We gave Uncle Abel a hug goodbye + kept on truckin’ towards Captain Cook – our final destination for the next couple of days.

It was verging on sunset so we headed towards Pu’uhonau o Honaunau, the place of refuge. Those who broke the ancient law or kapu would avoid punishment or execution by swimming shark infested seas to the Pu’uhonau o Honaunau + their wrongful deeds would be absolved.

Here was a lady trying to balance her chi or something:

Onwards to my home away from home!!! The Manago Hotel!!! My dad + I discovered it last year during my search for good butterfish at a restaurant. The Manago was founded in 1917 by a Japanese-Hawaiian family. A friend of mine from Hawaii was freaked out that I stayed there, stating locals know not to stay at the Manago becauase it’s infamous for being haunted, considering it was built on plantation land. Last year I rented a single, shared bathroom + granted, I was a little creeped out without even the knowledge that the place was haunted. Nevertheless!!!! I love the Manago!!! And I knew Jeff would too!!! Their restaurant is homey + comfort food style!!!! I specially reserved the only Japanese tatami room they had + it is SO worth it!!! The gal at the front desk remembered me from last year – so in!!!!

Luckily, the restaurant was open for another 15min. We had their famous porkchops. I’ve been dying for these porkchops for a year!!! I don’t know what it is, because they are a little chewy + the onions are slightly crunchy, but there’s something about these chops that are off the chain!!!! Always the yummy side dishes first that you have to dig into!!!!

Pork choooooooops!!!! The best dinner so far!!! It was so darn good, you didn’t hear a peep from us during the entire meal!!!!

Sake carafes from the kitchen.

This place is so old-school. Doll from TV room. Did I tell you this place is creepy, or what?!

The Japanese furo in our bathroom.

eff changed into his jinbei that my mom bought for him last summer in Japan for a staged photo shoot. Voila. Our room. The only Japanese style in the hotel.

It’s so amazing!!! It makes me feel like I’m in my grandpa’s house in Saitama-ken, Tsurugashima!!!! My mom would be so happy!!!

Jeff sitting next to the game of Go, an old Japanese strategy game.

Well, Jeff + I had a lot of strange adventures today. But I didn’t want to forget the 10th anniversary of September 11th. Please say a prayer for all of the families + friends that lost loved ones during the horrible tradgedy.

Sep 11

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Japanese Breakfast + Lots of Volcanic Activity

Yesterday we started the day at the Cooper Center. We saw this sign the other day + new we had to make a cameo.

These were our people, yo!!! I don’t know if that’s necessarily a good thing, but we hung out, talked story, bought honey + looked at lots of weird stuff.

The guy selling honey told longer stories than Jeff, but his Japanese wife made us the yummiest Japanese breakfast! Suggoku oishikatta!!!!

Check out those prices!!!! Bomb!!!!

There were so many local characters there. It was such a tight community. I loved it. Here’s the lady with her pet turtle, who I was told is the swap meet mascot.

Then it was off to hike the Kilauea Iki Crater!!!

First, is a path through lush rain forest.

The beautiful, but invasive Kahili ginger.

The Lehua blossom. In Hawaiian folklore they represent tears from heaven for separated lovers everywhere. Sigh.

Then, we descended in to the crater itself. Land of the Lost, y’all!!!! This is Pu’u Pua’i, the vent of the crater. Here’s me in front of it doing my muscle competition pose. Because that’s how volcanic craters make me feel. Power!!!!!

Descending into the vent.

Amazing, hearty new life growing in the lava. Jeff the explorer.

Fruity Pebbles lava.

Steam vents.

Heading out.

Next was the Maunu Ulu trail which is one of the longest known rift zone eruptions of Kilauea. Fascinating!!!!

Like mother of pearl!!! Gorgeous!!!!

Out of this world!!!! Dy-no-mite!!!

This is when I screamed, “Frodo!!!! Sam!!!”!!! I said, “Hey Jeff, remember in Lord of the Rings when Sam + Frodo were escaping the fires of Mordor + they were surrounded by flowing, red hot lava???” He replied, “No, I’ve never seen any of those movies.” I screamed, “Whaaaaaaat????!!!!” I might have to rethink this marriage. Well, I’m stopping this blog now because we have to check out + Jeff hasn’t downloaded all the pictures of more volcano fun, so until then!

“No, Mr. Frodo!!! You must hang on!!!!”

Sep 11

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Craters + Spam

Good morning everyone!!!! I wanted to start out the day by saying thank you to everyone for all the well wishes + congratulations!!! Jeff + I have been having a hoot of a time!!!

HILO TO VOLCANOES – 9/9/11

On Friday, we departed Hilo. But not without hitting my fav local plate lunch spot, yo!!!! Hilo Lunch Shop, yo!!!!!!! Represent!!!

Check out Jeff’s shorts courtesy of Hilo Goodwill. It was hilarious because one of the older aunties working inside saw Jeff walk in + had the most shocked/yet really happy look on her face. I was so hungry + excited to eat that I was hopping up + down on one leg!

We headed back toward the Hilo Hawaiian for lunch at nearby Coconut Island (Mokuola). In ancient times it was a place of refuge for law breakers.

What a faboo park!!! Can you spot Hilo Hawaiian in the background?

Lunch. Booyah!!!!!! Plate lunch, bruddah!!!!! My first spam of the whole trip! Blasphemy!!!!

Of course, we had to pay our respects to King Kamehameha.

But, we busted outta there when we saw the big white van of Japanese tourists swarm in.

Jeff wanted to give our Hilo Lunch Shop leftovers to someone in need, because that’s the kind of guy he is. I spotted a fellow, Jeff did the hand off + came back in the car with a piece of photo copied paper. I wish you could all see it. It is amazing. Apparently, his name is Ralph Sal Biscalgia + he is determined to correct the U.S.A. english language because the way a person speaks or writes affects their blood pressure + temper. There’s calculations + he says, “300000 dollar prize for someone who can get me a Nobel Peace Prize”. Incredible!!!

Anyway, we drove towards Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for around 45 min. It’s cold + misty up there, y’all – bring your windbreakers + pants!!! Here is me looking sexxxy at Kilauea crater.

It was quickly becoming dusk, so we headed towards the Thurston Lava Tube. Creepy!!!

It was really cold, so I decided to add my fancy Twelth St. by Cynthia Vincent sweater. I just ended up looking like a crazy, bag lady that happened to wander into a lava tube.

Off to view Halema’uma’u Crater in all it’s night time glory!!! This is Jeff’s pic with his profesheeonal camera. Beauty!!!!

I was so bushed + we went to Kiawe Kitchen for dinner. Note to travelers: if you’re traveling at volcano – rent a place with a kitchenette + make your dinner, or heat up a frozen pizza!!! We had to wait outside in the cold, got yelled at by big old mama hen (actually she was young but still big) + service was inefficient. They sort of redeemed themselves with the wood fired pizza. Don’t go unless you liked to be berated for wanting to eat. Luckily, I used my Los Angeles street savvy + my Chinese restaurant “madly waving hand” technique to get service. It worked because we were served faster than some poor suckers who were seated before us. Oh yeah.

Sep 9

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Commence Honeymoooon!!!!!

Hi!!!!! Yesterday morning we packed our little butts off at the Anini house. I’m going to miss the family so much!!!! I mean, is this irresistable or what?!

We rushed to Lihue Airport like bats out of hell. We didn’t make our flight, we were put on stand by + ran to the gate + prayed. We made it + were the last 2 on the plane! Of course I didn’t take any pics because I thought Jeff was going to burst a spleen. Here is our stop over in Honolulu Airport.

Here’s a tricky picture I took of the line of Japanese tourists waiting to get on the plane. They were READY, y’all!!! Tickets + passports out, y’all!!! That’s the way we do it!!!!!

We arrived in Hilo + checked into our hotel the Hilo Hawaiian. I knew Jeff would love it because it is funky + old school. This is the view from our balcony.

Magnum!!!!

Hilo Farmers Market – hang loose, granny!!!

Will you be surprised when I tell you my dear readers, that we went to two thrift stores? You’re all aghast, I know. But it is a triumph when I convince Jeff that leaving a thrift store with only one gem + not 12 so-so items is a success. I found some sweet vintage muumuus, y’all!!! Check out the hot lady behind the counter in the purple bikini. Very Hilo. Hilo has alot of rough characters. Jeff was surprised by all the tattoos + thug like bruddahs.

Dinner at Ocean Sushi Deli. My family has been going there for many trips. It is relatively cheap + very local. They have never let me down before, but I wasn’t as impressed this time around. Still a really fun place to be, though!!! I still recommend!!!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/ocean-sushi-deli-hilo

Here I am irritable + impatient at Jeff who took my camera to adjust the white balance + ISO or somethinglikethat. I didn’t realize he was taking a picture of me. We were both tired + crank, y’all!!! Thus, the lack of good photos yesterday. Oh hey – but check out the cranky couple behind me!!! Classic!!!

Then, it was back to the Hilo Hawaiian for early bed!!!!!! More later!!!!!

Aug 31

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Canmore-Vancouver-Lihue

Yiiiiiikes. So sorry for the lapse in blogging. I’m so exhausted. Yiiiikes.

SATURDAY 8/27/11 – CANMORE TO VANCOUVER

We packed for Vancouver. I don’t know how we got everything into Jeff’s Toyota Matrix.

He wanted us to be on the road at 9am. Fat chance!!!! I packed up + cleaned the entire cabin while Jeff was running around town doing last minute errands. I actually fell asleep on the couch which is something I never do. The car was so packed that there was no space left in it. Not even 1/2 an inch. I was surrounded by stuff all around me so that I had to sit with my knees propped up against my chest.

I don’t know if you can tell, but that coche is full, homies.

It took us FOREVER to get out of town because we would run into people Jeff knew. His other Native name is Short-Story-Long. That’s because he can go onandonandonandonandonandonandon. I would gaze absently off into the distance when he would tell stories which was nice because it gave my brain a bit of a break. Here is me with my Native future “sister-in-law” Dolly standing next to the stuffed car.

We didn’t drive out of Canmore until 6:30pm!!!! Here is a beautiful view of the mountains that gave me some relief.

The drive was excruciating. Repeat. Excruciating. We were both so tired. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. What freaked me out even more was the fact that Jeff was probably worse off, + he was the driver. We sang very loud renditions of the Grateful Dead + Flight of the Concords to keep ourselves awake. Here’s Jeff happily singing along to, the Grateful Dead’s, “Box of Rain”. Thank God he’s such a happy-go-lucky person. We balance each other out, if you know what I mean. When the road became dark + desolate, that was when it got really bad.

I didn’t want to perish in a car crash before I was about to get married, so we took an hour + a half nap at a rest stop + kept on keeping on. We didn’t get to Jeff’s brother Tom’s house until 6am.

We got up at 10am + I was SO relieved to see Deb, Tom + Jeff’s nephews Matt + Tobin. I was like, “SAVE ME!!!!!”! After breakfast we did a bunch of Vancouver related errands + oh, guess what??? Went to Jeff’s storage unit!!!! Sigh. I was about to give up. But the great thing is, Jeff is ready to get rid of things because he’s seen how all of his possessions are weighing my spirit down. I’m really happy about that.

That night, Deb made dinner for us + our fellow interracial couple friends Steve, Liz + their cutie 1/4 Japanese girls Keiko + Hana. Deb is awesome like that. Deb is my savior. Here is Keiko + Hana. Hana makes the most adorable scrunchy smiles!!!!

At this point, we hadn’t even started packing for Hawaii!!! We completely took over Tom + Deb’s entire garage floor + spread out. It was like blind people packing because we were so out of our minds. I had to keep Jeff in check to not pack so much. Especially to leave behind his Blundstones. Hello!!!! We’re going to the tropics!!! GAAAAHHH!!!!

SUNDAY 8/28/11 – VANCOUVER TO LIHUE

I passed out once hitting the bed. I was woken by bright lights at 3am, a good morning kiss + a, “you’ve got 15min to shower before the cab gets here.” EXCUUUUUSE ME!!!!!???? Nevertheless, I managed to pull myself together in that amount of time to get to YVR.

The customs agent asked Jeff, “So, where’s Magnum headed to today?” and Jeff replied, “Ironically enough, Hawaii.” How hilarious is that????!!!

Check out #10 on our customs forms!!!! Can you believe it!!!!???

Jeff + I right before touchdown to Lihue, Kaua’i

When we got off the plane, Jeff was still in film set mode. For those of you who don’t know what that means, it’s: walking fast, talking fast, demanding things to be done fast…you get the picture. I kept telling him, “Hey, mon. We on island time, mon. You need to chiiiiill, mon.” Man, was he uptight. Luckily, my sister Ashley arrived 10 min after us from a flight from Los Angeles. We got our rental car + where did we head to first???? The thrift stores of course!!!!

After visiting multiple Lihue thrift stores, we headed to Costco. Another shocker there. I see a pattern…..

After Costco we drove north towards the east coast to Wailua + Kapa’a.

Me looking a little gnarly at Opaeka’a Falls

View of Wailua River

Dinner at Mermaids Cafe on Kuhio Hwy. Famous for their Nori Ahi wraps. Ono!!! For you haoles that’s pidgin for good!!! The guy in the kitchen that looked like a Kelly Slater brah (10 time ASP World Champ) asked if we were locals. Jeff was so psyched. He loves street cred.

Kelly Slater, bruddah.

Jeff + I are staying in an amazing vacation rental in a residential area of Wailua which is a guest house with it’s own private entry. Their garden is extensive + our room is fully stocked up with a flat screen, dvds, kitchen supplies, etc. Our host Carol Yasutake has been on the island since the ’70s.

MONDAY 8/30/11 – LIHUE DAY 2

Jeff posing in Carol’s beautiful garden. This is what we look at from our bed. Paradise!!!!

After my run + getting our wits together Jeff, Ashley + I headed out on our errands. First we stopped by the Kapa’a music shop.

Lunch at Papaya’s Natural Foods. Da bomb natural health food store with salad bar, juices, smoothies + some hot items. When the guy handed me Jeff’s fish taco, he said, “Have a blessed day.” Ok yeah, we’re in Kaua’i.

Hippie lunch!!!!

If you want cheap gifts, t-shirts + towels, don’t go to ABC store. Go to Waipouli Variety. Cheaper.

Super cute picture of Ashley. I’m so lucky my sister is here on the island early with us. She has been my secretary + research assistant. I think she is a little scared of Jeff + I because we are so neurotic + intense. She keeps saying to us, “Man, you guys have to relax!!!!”. Because she’s actually pretty neurotic herself. Not a good sign.

Ho’omana Thrift Store. Don’t judge!!! We like to thrift, ok?!

Unavoidably, we all walked into Wal Mart for the first time in our lives. What can I say, y’all!!!??? I needed to get some things for the wedding + there was nowhere else to go!!!!

Dinner was Duane’s Ono-Char Burger. It’s been around for 3 decades. You all know that burgers + onion rings are on the bride’s diet list, right?! Heck, yes!

After you pick up your order, drive south of Duane’s to eat at Anahola beach. Otherwise you’ll be eating at Duane’s sad picnic tables with tourists, surrounded by stalker chickens + roosters. Anahola beach is pretty local, but since Jeff was with two Japanese girls, we were cool.

After burger consuming, we headed to the North Shore to spy on our wedding rental home on Anini Beach!!!! It’s GORGEOUS!!!! I didn’t take a picture of the house because the current renters were hanging out on the porch + I didn’t want to be creepy. But here’s a tiny preview of the beach!!!! More to come!!!! Stay tuned!!! I miss everyone!!!

Aug 23

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Mountains + Lakes. Lakes + Mountains.

Another slow start for the day. Jeff did not get home from work last night until 3:30am. Considering how little sleep he gets + how long his commute is, I couldn’t sleep until he was home because I was too worried about his well being.

I managed to get in a run this morning. Here are the views I get to enjoy of Canmore while I run.

The famous Three Sisters

After showering, making lunch + cleaning up, I didn’t get on the road until 1:30pm. EEEEK!!!! At first, I was going to head to Lake Louise + decide from there where I was going to wander. But, considering that Lake Louise is, “one of the most photographed lakes in the Canadian Rockies”, I decided to bet on another route first. Jeff suggested I visit Moraine Lake.

XM radio + I decided we were going to be friends again after the unsettling Lady Gaga experience. Whitesnake’s, “Here I Go Again” came on, + it was rock out central in my car. There’s nothing like driving down a stretch of alpine wilderness + rocking out to a hair band that spells out road trip. There was also a lot of Foo Fighters playing + I must admit, Dave Grohl is my rock n’ roll crush.

Um, hi.

And the Boss

I arrived at Lake Moraine + it was chock full of tourists.

I approached the lake + there was this dude with a pipe + an Indiana Jones style hat standing thigh deep in the lake. I was like, “what the heck is going on here???”

I was going to go up to them + ask, “what are you guys shooting? is this for an album cover? is it for a magazine???” And then I realized I actually didn’t care enough to ask, so I went along my merry way.

I clambered up the side of what is known as, “Moraine Lake Rockpile”. When I got to the top, there were enormous amounts of tourists, so I went back down whence I came from + had lunch on an outcropping of rock that I knew tourists would be too scared to come down.

This is when I heard a woman screaming to her husband from down below, “Dan!!! Dan!!! Look!!! Someone just got on top of one of those new things!!! A paddle board!!!!!”. Snicker.

Another view from where I was sitting.

I wanted to hike down to Lower Consolation Lake + I came across this sign:

Foiled again!!! If you’ve been wondering to yourself, “Shelli is such an avid hiker, I wonder why she hasn’t been going out into the hills more often?”. You want to know why? It’s because when I look into the hills, all I see looking back at me is this:

Anyone who knows me well enough is fully aware of the fact that I am tragically + deathly afraid of being mauled by a bear. I take no chances. I’ve been known to backpack in Wyoming clanging pots + pans + screaming “the star spangled banner” at the top of my lungs for the entire trip.

Thus, I decided to take the leisurely stroll along Moraine Lake. I stopped upon a log in the lake for another snack. It was so beautiful that I almost started crying if it wasn’t for the annoyingly loud group of Brits behind me talking about how expensive a glass of wine was at the lodge. I’m like, my god if you really want to talk this much, why don’t you all go meet at Starbucks?! So annoying!!!

It was time to head back. At this point I was reconsidering going to Lake Louise. But I thought to myself, “Self, this is one of the most famous landmarks in the Canadian Rockies.” So, I ventured out. Yikes. It was like Alpine Disneyland. There were so many tourists. My hunches were correct. Lake Louise was originally named Emerald Lake. I can imagine how pristine + gorgeous it was pre-tourism.

Do you like how I cropped it + timed the desolation of the lake like a travel brochure??? Because this is how it really looked like:

AAAAAHHHH!!!! I high tailed it out there as fast as I could! Canoe locusts!!! Been there, done that!!! Until tomorrow!!!

Aug 22

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The Big Score

Hey all!!!! One week from today, Jeff + I will be in Hawaii!!!!!

Yesterday was another day of editing the storage garage. It was not as harrowing as the day before. We were in a groove. We were making progress. Look at our happy faces. GO TEAM, GO!!!!! We shall laugh in the face of adversity!!!!

I look like a midget for sure in this pic.

Look at the lame smile on my face in this pic. I’m one of the least photogenic people you’ll ever meet. Just ask my dad. As a cameraman, my dad has wasted years of his life trying to get a good picture of me at family functions. My mom is one of the top 5 photogenic people on the planet. I’m trying to emulate her charming smile but it’s clearly not working.

Example: here is the master at work. Effortless.

Jeff really has some gems in that garage. I’m actually getting excited about the idea of trying to swindle the Japanese market into buying all of his Americana at top dollar, y’all. I’m all about the greenbacks.

Jeff + Pee Wee.

I scored big time yesterday. Big time. It is my compensation for all the pain + suffering Jeff is putting me through. Oh, and I just would like to say to all my costumer sisters + brothers out there that thank god I’m a costumer, because Jeff + I were that more efficient, because it what we do at work. I was bagging, tagging, sorting, taping boxes + lifting. You 705 folks know what I’m talking about! Represent!!! And thank god I lift weights.

Score #1, #2, #3

Score #4

Score #5

Score #6

Score #7

And this is for you ladies!!!!

Score #8! A picture of Jeff with John Hamm!!! HELLOOOOOOOO!!!!! Hotties time 2!!!!

So after working for 6 1/2 hours with a 20 min lunch break Jeff + I headed over to Karen + Kyle’s for a bbq. Yaaaaaay!!!! SAVE ME!!!!! Here’s Rudy the rudester the king of all canines.

This is Karen + Jeff. Look at all the turquoise on Karen!!! A woman after my own heart!!! Isn’t she beautiful?! Canadian ladies, I tell ya. Natural beauties.

I went inside to say hi to Juna + her friend Zoey. I was promptly sushed because it was nap time for the babies. Geez, ladies!!! Point taken!!!

This is how Canadians play with kids:

This is what they transport kids in. Take that, Los Angeles moms!!!!

The menfolk playing with the babies. As it should be. Look at the decor in the house!!! Karen has an amazing eye + is a self taught interior decorator. Her style is a mix of modern + ethnic with mid century pieces thrown in. This house should be featured in an interior mag!!! Stat!!!!

Here’s Kyle at the grill. Canadians know how to party!!! Look at all that meat! Look at Jeff’s face. Definition of anticipation.

Speaking of party, we all sat in the backyard + enjoyed some wine + spirits. All in all, good times were had. That’s why this morning was slooooow going. Jeff dropped me off at Budget rent a car. Remember my hooting + hollering about being compensated? Well, guess what?! They gave me the same mini SUV from Friday at a discounted rate of….wait for it…wait for it….$29.99 a day!!!!!! That’s right!!!! I was really appreciative. Even the girl who was helping me was shocked at my discount. That’s how I roll!!!!!!

So, what happens when I’m not feeling so hot? Yes, folks it’s Banff time. Check out my parallel parking skillz:

Uh oh. It’s another Alberta fashion bomb:

Had lunch at the park + read an interview about Rihanna. Very life changing. Did I go to the Banff Indian Trading Post again, you ask??? Need you ask???!!! Drool.

I also visited the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. http://www.whyte.org/ It is a well curated museum of Bow Valley history + art. I’m a little obsessed with Norman Luxton. He was known as “Mr. Banff”. Mr. Luxton was a newspaper publisher, philanthropist, outdoor enthusiast + friend to the Stoney Nakoda natives. He is also credited with putting Banff on the map as a tourist destination. Another important note: Luxton founded the Trading Post + the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum. If you regard this photo, you’ll understand my love for Norman Luxton.

The current exhibition is “Women Adventurers in the Rockies”. I was very inspired + wish I had learned to alpine climb, shoot + fish at a young age. This amazing buckskin was worn by Mary Schaffer Warren – an artist, photographer + explorer. I thought it was very unique in it’s turn of the century detail + I would definitely like to replicate it one day.

Bye for now!!!

Aug 19

Canadian Icefields Parkway, pt. deux

Before I embark on the details of another one of my ridiculous days, let me shed some light onto my lack of sleep for the past week.

1) Jeff is a giant + his mattress is a double

2) He tosses + turns in his sleep. When most people turn over in their sleep it’s like a roll. When Jeff does it’s like a violent flopping as if someone is getting electric shock treatment, or a fish flopping around when it’s gasping for air. I have a queen Tempurpedic in Little Tokyo + I highly recommend it for people with partners that are restless sleepers because the movements of the other person will not wake you up

3) Jeff might be part polar bear because he is one of the most heat intolerant human beings. When he’s in Los Angeles he’s constantly over heating. Therefore, even though Canmore is in the Rockies + is super cold for me, he insists on the ceiling fan to be on + a really, really noisy desk fan to be on during night + the noise makes me locaaaaaaa!!!!!!

4) In the cabin where Jeff is staying in there is a sleeping loft. To reach the loft there is a beautiful old library ladder. Beautiful, yet deadly!!! Being a lady who ferquently visits the bathroom at night it’s quite a commitment to clamber down + up those rungs in the pitch dark while half asleep!!!

Okay, let’s continue. If you all remember my adversity with Budget rent-a-car yesterday, they told me to be at the Canmore office at 9am this morning to figure things out. Well, no one was there!!!!! AAAAAARRRR!!! I called the phone number + the manager of the Canmore + Banff office John answered. He told me no one was coming to the Canmore office today. When I asked what kind of battery my key took, he said he didn’t know that information + it would be best for me to come to the Banff location + switch out cars. “OH HELL TO THE NO!!!!”

After waiting at the Banff office while John was on the phone, I sat there at the counter + said loudly, “You guys need more staff!!!” while another woman who was waiting nodded at me emphatically. When John got off the phone I was pissed + ready to fight!!!! Whenever he said anything I replied, “WELL I WASTED HALF A DAY YESTERDAY + I WANTED TO BE ON THE ROAD TODAY AT 6:30AM TO GET TO THE GLACIERS!!!! I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD GIVE ME TWO DAYS TO MAKE UP FOR THIS INCONVENIENCE!!!!”. John told me he could “possibly work something out” + I replied, “WELL I WASTED HALF A DAY YESTERDAY + I WANTED TO BE ON THE ROAD TODAY AT 6:30AM TO GET TO THE GLACIERS!!!! I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD GIVE ME TWO DAYS TO MAKE UP FOR THIS INCONVENIENCE!!!!”. We looked at the contract, decided to switch out cars + then he asked me to top off the gas tank in the fiesta. “OH HELL TO THE NO PART TWO!!!!!” They should have comped me the 1/4 tank!!! For future tourist information, Banff gas stations are the worst + there’s always people driving huge RV’s that shouldn’t be + it’s basically a pain. After I filled up the gas tank + went back to Budget, John was helping the emphatically nodding woman. Seems she had a bit of problems that she wanted cleared up too. As I sat + waited while he dealt with her problem, his assistant was running around while helping a kiwi couple, while 2 other couples were standing around + the phone was ringing off the hook. I was observing all of this + was starting to feel very badly for them. When it was my turn I said to John, “I don’t understand why you don’t have more staff + now I understand why no one ever returned my calls”. He told me that he’s urged with corporate to give him another person – even if it’s to wash + park cars. Poor guy!!! They’re running around between 3 locations, washing cars, maintaining them while doing contracts in an insanely high tourist traffic area!!! Blasphemy!!! This whole time John never let his cool down + always maintained a smile. I told him I was going to call corporate + tell them that they have a good group of people working for them in a highly tourist area that is majorly understaffed + are completely swamped. And I apologized for being so mad in the beginning of our relationship. Down with corporate!!!! Towards the end we were BFFS, + he said he was going to try + get me a major discount on a car for Monday + Tuesday.

So, at this point I was amped + was like, “WOOOOOO!!! NOW I’M ON A ROAD TRIP!!!!” So I got overzealous + went to a convenient store + bought a Slim Jim type thing + some gummy bears. I can’t even tell you the last time I’ve eaten a Slim Jim!!! Due to my lack of sleep I was detoured off the road + when I saw a sign that said “Welcome to British Columbia” I had been going the wr0ng way!!! I turned around + as I was driving, I started to trip out due to lack of sleep. My excitement of XM Radio diminished when I heard Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” + started getting dizzy watching the endless rows of trees. I turned off the radio + got to Saskatchewan River Crossing. It’s the last place you can get gas at before the long haul. There were creepy tourists, tour buses, disgusting $3.16 coffee + thus, I decided to just head back towards Canmore because I thought it was too dangerous to keep going. This is where I stopped + took an hour nap.

Yes, everyone I went to the Icefields to take a nap. Pathetic. I woke up because my stomach was starting to hurt becaue of the Slim Jim. I headed d0wn to Peyto Lake.

Note to future travelers: if you’re not used to eating Slim Jims – don’t do it!!!!! Those are my words of wisdom for the day. The End.

Aug 18

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Canadian Icefields Parkway, Pt. 1

I’m calling this Part 1 as you will find out later in this episode.

I embarked on my journey to the Canadian Icefields Parkway today. It is a stretch of highway between Lake Louise + Jasper National Park of craggy mountain ranges + valley glaciers, which is about a 3 hour drive north west of Canmore. My goal today was to go on a Columbia Icefield tour, where they have one of the largest accumulations of ice and snow south of the Arctic Circle.

I took the smaller, more scenic 1A route towards the glaciers. This was my view from the road.

Not even 1/4 into my journey, my rental vehicle gave a warning saying my battery was low on my key + needs replacement. My rental car doesn’t have a traditional key. It has a battery operated key – to start my car I press on the brake, make sure the car is in park + press a button on the car to start it. Well, I ignored the warning, thinking I’d get to Lake Louise + call Budget to figure it out. When I got to Lake Louise, I called the Canmore Budget office with no answer. I left them a message + also called the 1-800 number. They told me they couldn’t help me + referred me back to the Canmore office. So much for customer service!!! I was going to bust that key open myself + replace the battery, but I couldn’t get the thing open!!! I crossed my fingers + headed back on the road.

Here is Castle Mountain. If you notice the little blue speck in the field, it was this little old lady who hauled a lawn chair into the field. I think she was going to sit + paint the mountain range. How cool is that?

As the road became more remote + I lost cell reception, I started becoming really nervous. I’m sure there’s reserve battery energy in the key, but what if I got stuck in the glaciers??? I almost couldn’t enjoy the majestic beauty because I was so freaked out about this stupid battery operated key. What’s wrong with old school keys, I ask you?!?!

Finally, I reached the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge (I kept wanting to call it Kumquat Lodge) at Bow Lake. I thought to myself, “Ah! Someone will be able to help me here, + then I can reach my destination with confidence!”. To my dismay the guy at the front desk was smug + unfriendly + said he didn’t want to go against the rental company’s policies when I asked him to help me bust open the key. He was very un-Canadian + square. I’m thinking he was American. So, I wandered with my tail between my legs to the back of the hotel + repeatedly tried to call stupid Budget from the pay phone. Those jerks STILL weren’t answering the phone!!! So I made my decision to have lunch at Bow Lake + head back south east towards home. I used to be much more adventurous. My fear is all due to the fact that I have read too many books about disasters that occured from the hand of mother nature.

Perfect Storm:

Into Thin Air:

Oh yeah, + let’s not forget this one

Here’s Bow Lake. The pictures do not do it any justice. The lake was bright turquoise blue!!! The color lends itself to the fact that when the glaciers melt, they grind sediment into the meltwater. The heavier sediment sinks to the bottom of the lake, while the lighter sediment (called rock flour) reflect the blue + green light. This photo was taken by a nice German.

Dejectedly, I headed back down to Canmore. South east of Bow Lake is Crow Foot Glacier. One of it’s “toes” has melted away from global warming.

On the way home when I was able to get cell service, I called Budget Canmore + STILL NO ANSWER + NO ONE HAD CALLED ME BACK. I tried the 1-800 number again + a gal helped me probably because I was so pissed. She transferred me to a very nice gentleman in Banff. I told him about how I had plans to go to the Athabasca Glacier + had to turn around. I felt I lost a day + NEEDED TO BE COMPENSATED!!! DOUBLE SNAP + A “Z” FORMATION, Y’ALL!!! Oh, I’m sorry I’m in Canada – “ZED” FORMATION, Y’ALL!!! I was mad as a hornet!!!! He is leaving a message with the manager of the Banff + Canmore offices + hopefully I’ll get a couple of free days of car use, considering tomorrow is my last day with the fiesta.

Oh, I made use of my time by wandering around the lakes of Banff. Vermillion Lakes:

Lake Minnewanka:

To be continued….

Aug 17

Dinosaurs in Drumheller

When I was 3 or 4 years old my mom asked me what I wanted to be. I replied, “A Paleontologist.”. English being her second language she asked, “A wha???”. And thus, I became a costumer. Don’t ask. That’s a subject for another blog.

I’ve always been obsessed with dinosaurs. Ever since I’ve known Jeff he’s told me to go to Drumheller – the dinosaur capital of North America. It’s a 2 1/2 – 3 hour drive from Canmore. My rental car has Sirius XM radio, so that made it fun. I was peeling down the highway, windows down, blasting music!!! It was like Thelma + Louise….without Louise??? It’s mostly farmland on the way, so I stopped to say hello to these fellows:

I took this crazy route to avoid going through downtown Calgary. Thank god I picked up a driving map from the tourism center in Canmore, otherwise I would have been royally screeeeeewed. There’s weird turnoffs, + “secondary” highways that aren’t that clearly marked on the map. I kept thinking to myself, “I hope i’m supposed to make a left at this junction.”. Because I would end up at 4 way junctions that looked like this:

that’s my little rental vehicle

My point is, it all looks the same in each direction, right??? And what the heck is with this sign? It means nothing to me!!!

But, ah yes!!! This means something to me!!! Dinosaurs, ho!!!

Now I was really entering the Canadian Badlands. I stopped at Horse Thief Canyon for lunch. I went down into the canyons a little bit, but not too far down because I started to think about 127 hours + I got nervous thinking about breaking both of my femurs + not being able to crawl out of the canyon + no one knowing I was there. Then I thought I was like Sissy Spacek in the Terence Malick movie, “Badlands” but just hopefully more smart.

Here’s proof that I’m actually in Canada:

This was definitely not going to be me.

FINALLY I made it to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. It’s a leading center of paleaontological research noted for its collection of more than 130,000 fossils. It was extremely impressive + their displays were really well done.

This one’s called “The Black Beauty” due to the color of it’s bones which occurred during fossilisation by the presence of minerals in the surrounding rock. She’s gorgeous, ain’t she?

Here’s some more Alberta fashion for you:

The actual town of Drumheller was a little bit depressing + ghost town like.

I HAD to take a picture of this because apparently it’s “the biggest dinosaur in the world”. IN THE WORLD.

This sign cracked me up from the Badlands Barber Shop. Isn’t that guy from Gossip Girl or something???

Of course, I discovered the local Salvation Army. Don’t worry family + friends, my hoarding tendencies are under control!!! I found these awesome mugs from the early 80’s for Jeff + I. Aren’t they just too cute!?

AND they’re made in JAPAN!!!!! BOOYAH!!!!!!

Well, the drive home was a little rough. Thank god for Sirius XM. Blondie came on + I got a second wind + was rapping, “She eats Cadillacs, Lincolns too, Mercuries + Subarus!!!!!!!!”. Things were good for a while. Then Steely Dan came on + it was straight up zone out time. Mood busted. The green of the endless miles of prairie were bleaching out my brain.

Aug 16

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Oh, Banff

This morning I woke with a crazy sore throat + general feeling of malaise. I had a feeling it was creeping up on me. Canada is very warm, cold, warm, cold. And it probably didn’t help that yesterday I walked from the cabin to downtown Canmore in the rain. Thus, I decided to take it easy today + be a tourist in Banff.

Banff is only a 15 min drive from Canmore. This is not a very exciting photo, but I just wanted to show everyone what it looks like when I step outside the door.

The little black car in the photo is my rental car. Cute, non???

There were ALOT of slowly driving confused tourists in Banff. So I quickly parked near Bow River + hopped out of my vehicle. The bridge was built in 1923. The pictures do not do the color of the river any justice.

After eating lunch by the river, my first stop was to the Banff Indian Trading Post, of course. I shopped there my first time in Banff as a recommendation from my then friend, Jeffrey Fayle. This is also where he bought my Salish eagle engagement ring. And it’s also where Jeff used to sell his leather goods when he was White Owl. It is a very magical place for me.

Drool.

Readers, you will be shocked when I tell you that I did not buy anything from the shop. My restraint was world class. But, I’ll probably go back!!!! Then it will be a bead purchasing massacre!!!!

After being in the Trading Post for 6 hours I went in to the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum

It had a great collection of beading + pow wow regalia. But, there were really low grade, ghetto life size reinterpretations of Native historical + cultural events. But you all know I actually love that kind of stuff.

Here is Banff:

There were so many Asian tourists in Banff, I fit right in. There are so many Japanese tourists that many of the souvenir shops have Japanese written on their signs :

Anyways, sorry for the relatively boring post. I’ll feel better tomorrow. Oh, here’s a couple pics from last night. Karen + Kyle had some friends over + invited me to dinner. Aren’t they nice??? I wish I took a picture of the spread! They barbecued chicken, steak, lamb + yummy purple potatoes + roots!!!!

Look at that Juna!!!! Isn’t she a live wire?! She is a hoot!!!!!

Ta ta everyone, until tomorrow!

Aug 12

3 Comments

Calgary – it’s slightly unimpressive

Hello all!!!! I am officially in Canada. During the flight I watched LA Ink the entire time + was pretty fascinated/disgusted considering I don’t watch TV + had never seen it before.

Jeff got production to help us out with a hotel room in Calgary since I arrived so late at night, he was working + a shuttle to Canmore (where he is staying during shooting) would be expensive + about an hour drive. When I got to the room there were chocolate dipped strawberries waiting for me + a congratulations note on our engagement! Oh la la!!! Classy!!!

When Jeff walked through the door I screamed like he was one of the Beatles. We haven’t seen each other in over 2 months. That is longest we’ve been apart. It is so great being back together, y’all!!!! Look at his outfit:

Can you say, amazing?

Today, I walked around downtown Calgary doing research for Jeff’s linen suit that he wants to get for the wedding. Don’t worry everyone, he’s only going to wear the pants because it’ll be too hot, but he said every man needs a nice linen suit. I saw this statue + became confused because I didn’t know Jeff played hockey + was made of wood:

I ambled along Stephen’s Avenue Walk which is an outdoor pedestrian mall which contains a high concentration of registered historic buildings in the city. Most of these building are sandstone; a result of the construction of fire resistant buildings that followed a fire in 1886 that damaged much of the city.

The building themselves were beautiful + the atmosphere was a little bit like 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica with the shops, kiosks + unsavory characters hanging out on benches all the live long day – but just not as good. I was going to delete this horrible boring picture of Stephens Avenue:

But then I took a closer look + went, “whoah”.

That dude is not messing around.

Here’s another fine gentleman who I believe is dipping into his bag of chew.

LILASH UPDATE:

I almost forgot. Lilash has been making my eyelids slightly sensitive. I’m not gonna lie, y’all. It gives my eyelids a slightly pinkish tint. But, it’s so faint that it could possibly pass for pink fashion eyeshadow :

Or a geisha:

Don’t worry I’m exaggerating a little bit. Today feels better. But I just wanted to warn everyone of the slight side effect. It’s a once a day application for two weeks. After that it’s a twice a week kind of deal. Beauty = Pain.

Ok! Goodnight everyone!!! Love + miss everybody!!!

Aug 11

1 Comment

Packing, Comfort Zones + Long Lashes

I FLY OUT TO CALGARY TODAY!!!!! For those of you who are Canada inept, Calgary is in Alberta. Canadian cowboy country. The Canadian Rockies. Ring a bell? Probably not. Jeff is working on an AMC western episodic called “Hell on Wheels” about the building of the railroads. The Rockies is where we filmed Inception + Jeff, Tom (brother-in-law) + Deb (best sister-in-law ever) had previously lived there for 20 years, so I’m joining him there + going through all the MANY storage spaces he still has out there. Plus, while we were filming there it was the dead of winter + I didn’t really get to enjoy the mountains. Excited.

Check out “Hell on Wheels”: http://www.amctv.com/amc-news/videos/amcs-first-look-at-hell-on-wheels

Common the rapper is in the show + Jeff likes to hang out backstage with him at rap concerts. Jeff’s so street!

Here’s a map of where I’ll be for those of you who are still confused about Alberta:

Here it is in relation to Vancouver:

Take notes. There will be a test.

Strangely enough, one thing that has calmed my anxiety the past couple days has been watching pieces of Jane Campion’s “The Piano”. I take little breaks from circling around my 568 sq ft apartment in overwhelming packing confusion. Not only is it one of my favorite movies, but maybe it’s the haunting soundtrack, gloomy beauty, + unbelievable New Zealand setting that soothe me.

And who can resist this mug? I mean, c’mon?! If that doesn’t say soothing, I don’t know what does??!! “That’s totally weird, I don’t get it.” you’re thinking. I completely agree.

Oh, by the way, I saw my friend Kaori the other weekend + her eyelashes looked INSANE LONG. She told me about a product called Lilash. You can buy it on amazon. It’s kind of expensive, but I thought it’d be nice to have purty eyelashes for the wedding. It’s applied like liquid eyeliner.

http://www.amazon.com/LiLash-Purified-Eyelash-Stimulator-0-20-Fluid/dp/B0039YQ7WY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313079589&sr=8-1

This is my second day using it, so if my upper eyelids start swelling up like the Elephant Man, I’ll be sure to let everyone know! Well, I’m off to do more errands + keep packing until my flight!!! I’ll post tomorrow in Canada!!! Still hasn’t hit me yet!!!! EEEEEK!!!!! Goodbye stars + stripes!!!!