Suburbia, U.S.A.

I am now fully transitioned from by urban one-bedroom apartment to a three-bedroom, two bath suburban home with my brother and his family. The only thing missing is the dog or cat (although, we apparently have some fish that seem to be multiplying).

Living with other people again is a bit weird. I'm used to just stripping, hopping in the shower and then meandering back to my bedroom to figure out what I'm going to wear. Now I have to figure all that stuff out before heading to the bathroom. It's like living with my parents or dorming at college again. But, at least I don't need to bring a shower caddy and wear slippers to the bathroom anymore.

Over the weekend, I moved the rest of my stuff to Kapolei with the help of my dad and brother. Even after downsizing by a considerable amount (in my opinion), I still have a ton of stuff. Some of it is still out in the living room, but I've managed to squeeze everything into my new bedroom. As I slowly begin to unpack, I find myself questioning my own sanity. I mean, does one person really need ten pairs of sweats/workout pants? That seems entirely ridiculous, especially when the person in question doesn't even work out! Also, despite donating and tossing about 15 pairs of shoes, I seem to still have another 15 pairs to boot. This is really the epitome of American excess, don't you think?

On Sunday, my dad and I scoured my old place and I can tell you I haven't worked that hard in ages. We only got about three quarters of the way through, but my body was waving the white flag by the end of the day. Not surprisingly, cleaning dirt and grime off of jalousies is no easy task. I highly recommend against that type of window treatment if you have the choice. We're planning to go back this weekend to finish up the job and turn in the keys. Hopefully after all the cleaning I'll get my full deposit back. That'll really help add to the round-the-world trip slush fund.

This morning I made my first early-morning commute after not having driven in the long distance traffic for over six years. It was interesting. I left at 6:30 a.m. and made it in an hour by taking a special route that a friend of mine suggested. I'll try it again tomorrow but will take the regular route and see how much faster/slower it'll be. So far, it's not as bad as I thought it'd be. Of course, this is still a novelty and will surely wear off with time. Check back in a month and I'll be a raging maniac.

Moving to Kapolei

I have been busy the past few weeks prepping my move out to Kapolei. After more than three years of living on my own just minutes from work, I'm trading it in for the sake of saving some money. I'll be living with my brother and his family rent free until I leave for my world traveling adventures in 2011.

My stuff is half packed and my couch and computer desk are gone courtesy of Craigslist. I've made several trips to some non-profits in the area who will be benefiting from linens, towels, dishes and other kitchenware.

Moving does have its perks as I am forced to really minimize all my worldly possessions to fit into one room. Surprisingly, it hasn't been as tough as I thought. I guess I'm not that attached to things. Still, I do have a lot of junk that I need to wade through and decide if they stay or go.

Maybe living out of a backpack for a year won't be as difficult as I thought?

Leave Your Drama At Home

Oh boy, lately there's just been hella drama going on in the work place. Orders have been screwed up; money has been spent haphazardly; fingers are being pointed every which way. Yeah, it's like that.

I gotta say though that I'm proud of how I'm dealing with it all - like water off a duck's back. Don't ask, don't tell. Curiosity killed the cat. I got a million of these. Basically, I'm doing the dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge move from Dodgeball. By avoiding involvement, I keep my sanity. Y'all know how nuts my "new" co-worker is, and yes, people are still calling this chick new after a full year. Where in the hell does on-the-job training last a year? Oh wait, apparently at my work place.

The most honest-to-goodness, inspiring and truthful quote I heard recently was: Be careful of stupid people. They can really kill your business. OMG, this quote has a living, breathing example of itself and she works with me! I really thought I had a handle on what stupid was, but oh how wrong I was. I never knew stupid till now.

The most annoying part is that I don't think she even knows she's stupid. She doesn't realize that stupid things are coming out every time she opens her mouth. She has no self-awareness at all. Even when people joke about her lack of common sense, it goes right over her head.

At least if she were a conniving bitch, who twisted things around to get her way, I could respect her for her ambition. But I think the girl is too stupid for even that. She plays all helpless and hopeless and people respond. This kills me! They either pity her a crap ton and do her job for her; think she's a retard and do her job for her; or are simply efficient human beings and can't wait for her to do it so they do her job for her. Unreal man. Unreal.