20-Something Dramas

Last night I went to a 21st birthday bash at a karaoke joint. The original plan was to happily sing off-key from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. while kicking off the night with some feel-good juice, then head over to Pearl to continue imbibing the feel-good juice. But as the night wore on, the singing got extended twice so that we ended up renting the room till 11 p.m. And of course, by that time a good portion of the party was really feeling the feel-good juice.

Needless to say, certain members of the party still wanted to move the shindig over to Pearl, but due to some itty, bitty issues like not being able to stand straight and talk straight, it was decided for them that the party was definitely over.

The rest of the merry makers (all early to mid twenty-somethings) were not going to give up the night when the sun was so far from rising. So with Pearl nixed, they decided to check out The Shack in Waikiki, not really because it just opened, but more so because they knew the person working the door. Once this was settled, the real drama began.

Call me old fashioned (or just old), but I don't remember having so much drama when deciding when and where to go out. First, just selecting a place was a half-hour discussion. Obviously, if you know the girl with the list or the bouncer to some club, that's gotta be a good venue choice. I mean c'mon, skip right in why don't you?

The next issue was who would be driving and where would the extra cars go. This led to a heated discussion about what time people were going home and if they were going home at all. I assume the latter half meant one of three things: 1) Crash in town with friends, 2) Crash in town with new friends or 3) Stay up all night and go straight to work the following day. This was a back-and-forth volley worthy of Wimbledon.

Throughout this hour-and-a-half long discussion of the night's plans, texting and cell phone calls were abundant. Texters and callers ran the gamut: old friends, new friends, old flames and potential new flames. Other issues that bubbled up included where exactly is The Shack and where is everyone parking. This led to grumbling that people were tired and didn't really feel like going anyway. Then, of course, came the mandatory pep talk to get them back in the mood. No one was getting off the hook of going out tonight, no one.

Seriously, I was tired just watching them run through it all. Ok, it's granted that I'm older than this bunch, but I'm not much older and am still at 20-something myself. However I don't remember ever having this kind of drama just for a simple night out. Do you?

To add insult to injury, back in the day there were no cell phones to make organizing so much easier. Prior to that it was pagers, and we all know that those were of no real use. I guess the answer is that either the kiddies have just gotten more complicated as technology gets better or we were just more efficient at corraling the troops for a night on the town.

With the final goal of having a great time still playing a prominent role in these events, you'd think that technology would make it easier these days to get the show on the road. Somehow, it doesn't seem that way to me.

Images: www.freedigitalphotos.net

Fundraiser for Paliku Winchester

What:
Aloha Pacific FCU is conducting a fundraiser to help Paliku Winchester, younger brother of Waipio's third baseman Pikai Winchester.

When:
Saturday, Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to noon

Where:
Aloha Pacific FCU’s Hawaii Kai Branch at Koko Marina Center (near Pricebusters)

Who:
Aloha Pacific FCU & Waipio Little League World Championship Team

Why:
Five-year-old Paliku Winchester was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer. The fundraiser is to help offset the increasing cost of his medical bills. Paliku is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments and is expected to need treatments for the next two years.

More Info:
Cash and check donations made payable to “Paliku Winchester” are being accepted at all Aloha Pacific FCU branches from now through Tuesday, Sept. 30.

On-site events for Saturday, Sept. 6 include: members of the championship team signing autographs for donations; specially priced lunch combo of a hot dog, drink and chips sold for $3 donations; free balloon giveaway to all keiki, while supplies last; and enter-to-win contests and games.

10 Other Reasons Why Pregnancy can be Great

Yesterday I found out that a good friend of mine is preggers. I hadn't seen her in a while, and sho' nuff when I did she was already showing. Now, I'm not one of those who ooh and ahh over the miracle of birth, but I will give you this: pregnant women can get away with murder. With that in mind, I figured I'd make a list of situations during which being pregnant is as good as gold.

1. Never lift a finger again - Regardless of the fact that you can lift a tow truck worth of food to your mouth, anything else will be beyond your capability. Definitely have someone else handle such details as grocery shopping, taking out the garbage, cleaning the house, etc.

2. Choosing where to eat for dinner - Now you have a right to say you don't want to eat at the Thai place and would prefer fried chicken . . . yes, four nights in a row.

3. Anytime you exercise in public - People will admire you for even dragging your butt to the gym so whether or not you're actually working out is beside the point.

4. Shoe shopping or shopping in general - The ultimate excuse to purchase those overpriced pair of shoes = swollen feet. New wardrobe? Can't fit into the old one and surely people can't expect you to walk around naked, can they?

5. Overwhelming desire not to work anymore - Even if you're not sick or tired, you can always say you are so you don't have to come in to work. No one will question it unless they want to deal with the crazy, hormonal pregnant lady.

6. PMS attitude 24/7 - Don't even hesitate to blame it on the baby. This diamond here is worth the stretch marks and 18 years of legal indentured servitude.

7. Unavoidable situations with people you hate - Now you can excuse yourself and hide in the bathroom without drawing attention to yourself or outting the fact that you really, truly hate this person's company.

8. Female driving faux pas - You're a famale driver AND pregnant. People can't expect you to signal before switching lanes. If you're really lucky, you'll never drive yourself again. This is where your male (or even female) counterpart takes over and does all the driving for you. You can nickname him "Jeeves" and start lounging in the backseat like Miss Daisy.

9. TV remote control control - You'll finally have control over the TV remote because you'll spend more time on the couch than your hubby. Once it's in your hands, he'll never get it switched back to ESPN. From here on out, it's TLC's "A Baby Story" or "Jon & Kate Plus 8" - all day, every day.

10. Tango or no go, in the bedroom - Now you can save your "I've got a headache" excuses and wear the prenancy excuse out for a good couple months. No one will know but you.

Images: www.freedigitalphotos.net