Life of Larisa or LOL

Six years ago I was in misery. And almost to the minute I found myself in pain again this July 30 th ...we went to the water park. http://hawaii.mywetnwild.com/ 33 and water park don't mix---unless it is for your kid, I don't recommend it. Five hours of constant wetness and scantily glad pre -teens was more than I could take (especially without a cocktail). We did have a successful day of family fun though. Gabe lived to tell about his ride on the "Tornado", " Waianae Coasters", the "Big Kahuna", and the wave pool. It was Gabe's pick on how to spend his actual birthday so at 10:00 a.m. sharp we were in the car and headed for our water adventure. We arrived just as the gates were opening and before the noon day sun was blazing. I brought the camera this time but again was fearful of breaking it with all the water around. So, no pictures (except for the mental kind) of our "Wet n Wild" birthday extravaganza. We splashed in the "

Of course I didn't have my camera. Of course. Isom just purchased the new iPhone for me and I have been a woman obsessed...so obsessed that I didn't want to "risk" taking it with me on the less than a mile hike up Diamond Head http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/oahu/index.cfm?park_id=15 (too many sharp edges...my precious phone might get scratched!). So of course I missed out on the photos of the day when about half way up the mountain we see a rescue mission (Fire Helicopter and all) taking place right before our very eyes. What are the odds of seeing the Waipio Fire and this rescue mission all in one summer?! Gabe has seen so many helicopters this summer I think he is numb to it all. Apparently an elderly gentleman passed out during his hike. The cause unknown...speculations are dehydration, age, and weather...it was HOT! I was pretty amazed by the quick efforts of our local fire men. The real action was watching what appeared to be an 80 year old man get lifte

Beware, this is a long one... It seems we are the three day vacationers. When we camped it was for three days. Now we have just gotten back from Maui and I am still tired thinking about all we jammed into a three day vacation. We found a great deal on Expedia http://www.expedia.com/ for airfare, hotel, and rental car---all for the price of what one ticket to the mainland usually costs. Since Isom is on vacation and it was Gabe's last week of summer before starting first grade, we decided to go for it. The saying you get what you pay for is repeating over and over in my head. It never occurred to me that I had a favorite inter-island airline until we rode on Go! http://www.iflygo.com/ This trip was my first experience with the airline...there was some good but I was definitely outside of my Hawaiian Airline comfort zone. I knew we were on a budget airline when we had to walk onto the tarmac to board the plane. Did I mention it was a small plane? Not a fan. There were two seats

The hubby is on vacation. Sigh. And other than going to Maui for a few days we are stuck with each other at the house. I thought I made a list of fun activities to do while he was home but so far we've just been bickering instead. Then yesterday my camera memory stick fell apart...literally. Even though I know the cure is to just pop into Target http://www.target.com/ or Wal-mart http://www.walmart.com and pick up a replacement stick, it's probably not going to happen for awhile. These are the types of errands that cripple me. They just never seem to get done. So, now I am using my husband's camera---purchased in the desert. It is no frills, not cute, and doesn't fit into my cute carrying case like my other camera. What's a girl to do? I am forced to suck it up and endure the not as cute photos on the blog and Facebook for awhile. As if the broken memory stick wasn't enough, I also found myself dealing with a broken bracelet and a broken necklace. I know yo

It's always fun to meet up with old friends. Yesterday (and today) I have been lucky enough to have an old college friend in town for a visit---you know she's a good friend since she braved staying at casa Majors (5 year old whiny boy, vacationing husband, and allergy sniffling wife---what a fun bunch!). After picking her up from the airport we decided to take a leisurely drive through Waikiki---re-living old moments from the past. Since we were already in town it seemed practical to continue the reminiscing and check out another old stomping ground, UH ( http://www.uhm.hawaii.edu/ ). It has changed and it hasn't. There are still the pj wearing students, the eternal students (advanced aged), and the Japanese tourists. We did notice a few changes (demolished wall in Campus Center), upgrades---Subway ( http://www.subway.com In an effort to help stave off the "freshman 15"?! ), and renovations ( Frear Hall, wow!). After buying odds and ends in the campus book

Is it weird that my only sane part of the day is when my son is sleeping? He's not even a little baby that cries or is in a constant state of need anymore...yet somehow peace only comes when his little eyes are shut and he is laying quietly in his bed. So since these times are few and far between you would think that I would wisely plan out what to do with this "free time". Some days I have grandiose visions of organizing my closet, getting all the laundry done (not just washing and drying but actually folding it and putting it away too!), and reading my book. But then, somehow I get majorly side tracked (bad computer!). One dish might get washed, one phone call made, several new friends on Facebook made, and then before you know it he's wide awake and it's back to the grind. Two hours have passed already? But I just sat down! So, I'm curious about what trick time is playing on me...and is it even just me? In the mysterious nap hour I am barely able to jot

It doesn't get more classic than the Oscar Meyer Wiener mobile. http://www.reedberry.com/wienermobile.html And it doesn't get more classic than your kid dressed in a cardboard cutout of a big old juicy hot dog. Our summer would not have been complete without today's surprise excursion to see the OMW mobile. This was me (and Gabe's) first experience with the Wiener mobile. I was completely expecting a free hot dog for the kid (since I have chosen to no longer eat meat---especially of the "I don't know what the heck this is" variety). We did not receive any free hot dogs BUT Gabe did receive two "Wiener Whistles" and the chance to sit inside the worlds biggest orange, red, and yellow vehicle. Good times. You can check your local Mid-week paper for when and where the Wiener mobile will be in your neck of the woods---although you may have to bring your own dogs.

Did I mention I am in a book club? This is my second one. Well, third if you count the online one that was but wasn't. Anyway, I love to read. The book that was selected for this month was " Unaccustomed Earth" by Jhumpa Lahiri . I have previously read "The Namesake" and "Interpreter of Maladies" by this same author. I am eagerly awaiting her next book. The style of this collection of eight short stories is captivating. I continued to want to know what was going on with the characters after the stories were over. I felt that the author could have taken any one of her stories and made them into an entire book. The stories are connected because they all follow a theme of family, love, and choices. The reader can see how each character is pulled by what they want and what is expected of them from their culture. The push/pull of following your heart and following your destiny is something I related to. My favorite of the eight stories was the first---th

We did it. We camped out with a five year old for two nights and three days. Where is my medal? Parenting is always full of firsts isn't it? It is also filled with never say never, band aids, and laughter. I used to consider myself a fairly organized person but since having Gabe I have tried putting the milk away in the cupboard, left the house without shoes, forgotten keys, purses, sunglasses, and phones too many times to count---all in a days work right? I was already a little stressed with the idea of having to pack and prepare for our upcoming camping trip. I knew that Isom and I would be fine no matter what happened but our five year old (who is truly a city boy) might not be as adaptable. As it turned out it, was the adults who were incapable of eating burnt eggs and sleeping on the ground. Our campsite was typical---a clearing in the woods, some dried up leaves, scattered sticks, and of course bugs. We were able to pull into camp enough before dusk to set up our tent

Real lives. Real problems. Real issues. After watching "Milk" I realized again how good my life is. I don't struggle day to day with bigotry. I don't have to worry about being arrested for who I am. I don't have to hide who I am. In fact I go out of my way to share with everyone all the little details of my life. I must admit that I didn't really know too much about Harvey Milk, the man that the movie "Milk" is based on. We recently got a Blue Ray player since our DVD / VCR combo stopped working. Since we are new to this technology, we only have one Blue Ray movie. We were in borrowing mode yesterday (went to the library not one but two times), and stopped in at Blockbuster to pick up the Blue Ray version of "Milk" to rent. I was dying to rent a Blue Ray and was also curious about a movie that until the Oscars, had heard nothing about. We all know Sean Penn is a genius, so of course I wasn't surprised that he pulled

Yay ! I have one follower! Thanks Danielle!! You may notice a few changes in the design of the blog today. I was already bored with the old look so I decided to play around with a few things. It's raining here (weird for this time of year) and Gabe is plopped on the couch watching PBS. Our big plans for the day include lunch with Isom and Chuck E. Cheese. Super exciting. So here I sit trying to think of something to write to amuse my follower. I have also been surfing the net to see what other blogs are out there---uh, there's a ton. It's overwhelming ! Who knew so many people would want to share their mundane happenings with the world. I am excited for this weekend. We are going camping on the north shore. Even though I was informed yesterday that "I didn't seem like the camping type." from one friend, I am excited to be free of t.v., my hair straightener , and yes, even Starbucks (but I will be taking my phone and I-touch with me). And speaking of being

Is there such a thing as going to the beach too much? Yesterday I forgot my memory stick for my camera so I have no proof of our terrific day at Sherwood Beach again. Isom and Gabe built the most amazing turtle out of sand. Despite warnings of Portuguese Man of War on the beach, we braved the water and had another great day of sun and surf. We ended the day with lunch at the Greek Marina restaurant ( www.greekrestauranthawaii.com ) followed by the best scoop of coconut ice cream from Bubbies ( www.bubbiesicecream.gourmetfoodmall.com ). Gabe was excited to walk along the marina deck and see jellyfish from a safe distance while enjoying his scoop. Isom and I were intrigued with the motorcade we witnessed in honor of the President of Taiwan. That was day one of beach time. Day two was today at Waimea ( http://www.aloha.com/~lifeguards/waimea.html ) . We snagged a ride from our friends the Pommerenks . A quick stop at Starbucks ( www.starbucks.com ) and we were on our way for

Schofield Barracks and the 4 th of July---much like peanut butter and jelly. Can't have one without the other.

I'm about to get a foot massage from my lovely husband so I might have to cut this entry short. But for now I am free to type and am anxious to share the days events. I"ve discovered that I really look forward to my blog time. We started today with a festive red, white, and blue themed breakfast (I LOVE themes!). We spent the rest of the day cleaning out our garage---a much needed task for quite sometime now. We ended our Independence Day with good friends Pua and Danielle and their kids. We drove to Schofield Barracks where we enjoyed another festive/themed meal (photos to come...told you I love to take pictures of food). We walked our entourage down to Sills field and enjoyed the show and fireworks that our other good friend was co-emceeing. It was a low key day----no fires (unless you count fireworks), stings, or celebrities. In other words a normal day. So now I am watching Dave Chappelle on late night t.v. and I am distracted from writing. Until tomorrow.

Eddie Vedder . Hawaii Theater. Free Corona. Late Night. Locked Out. Last night was my fourth time seeing Eddie Vedder (lead singer for Pearl Jam www.pearljam.com ) in concert here in Hawaii. As always it was a memorable experience. My partner in crime for his shows, as well as many other concerts, is Sarah. From the beginning it was an ordeal to get tickets to the last show of his current concert tour. From difficulties with Ticketmaster (surprise, surprise), to closed ticket kiosks we thought we might actually miss out this year. In the end we got our tickets and were pumped for a new venue. I knew the night was off to a good start when while waiting to pick up our tickets at will call, a cab pulled up with a load of middle aged drunkards--one of whom fell out and into the street upon exiting the cab (no judging here I promise!). Drinks at Du Vin ( www.brasserrieduvin.com ) followed and then we were inside the maze of frat boys, surfer dudes, and 90's high school gr

It seems our July has really started off with a bang. Raging inferno yesterday, jellyfish sting today...almost worried about what we might have in store for us tomorrow---at least Isom will be off from work and available to drive us to the ER if necessary. We spent a wonderful morning at Sherwood Beach in Waimanalo . What's great about this beach is the view of the mountains, the forest behind the beach, and the boogie boarding waves. It was great to see an old hui friend visiting from the mainland as well as discovering a beach I had never been to before. It was deserted (no teenage cheerleaders like we experienced over the weekend at Waimea ) and I found myself drawn into the water by its beauty and of course my five year old. We frolicked in the waves for at least an hour until I suddenly felt a searing pain in my side. Gabe then mentioned he felt pain in his leg---to which I responded "you're fine"... I really thought he was just copying me! We finally got ou

So maybe writing down everything that comes to mind will help me score some sort of financial means to an end. My kid is asleep and the roofers that have been invading my space for the past week or so are gone for the day...they get off at 3 p.m.! I should probably be doing something like working out on the elliptical or reading but I'm not. I'm sitting here wondering who will be the first to actually read my blog and then who will be the first to make a comment. So, here I sit filling this box with words. I would like for my blog to have a theme of some sort...can't help myself. Your suggestions appreciated. At first I thought about the obvious--- Keanu , Twilight...I mean Starbucks has already been taken. Sometimes I think it would be fun to just write down my opinion on all the movies I watch but there are real critics for that. I guess right now I'll just have to be fine with the therapeutic aspects of writing...ahem, I mean typing things. Any takers on how long I

I'm sure every new blog starts with this sort of intro..."Hi, my name is..." or "I've never done this before" or whatever. I've been wanting to do this for along time (also not new and clever), but it's true so I'll write it. I am currently unemployed and spend what seems like half my life on the computer anyway, so why not? If only my friends read this, I'm sorry. And if someone who happens to find my day to day ramblings of interest is reading this, I'm also sorry. I'm not extremely computer savvy so I think you will all be relegated to snippets of thought from me as well as the insane amount of pictures I take---of food, of books, of inanimate pop culture objects and oh yes, my 5 year old son Gabriel. Enjoy!