Wednesday 5/28, I talked to Auntie Lauryn on the way home and she invited me over to Grandma's for dinner. I was really tired and didn't want to go so I told her I had a few things to do at home before I could take off and we set the time for 6:30. I relaxed at home and tried to put some of my clothes away but was not terribly successful. I headed over and found Auntie in the kitchen making some angel hair pasta and tomato sauce and spanikopita and asparagus. We sat down and had a nice dinner and watched Jeopardy and that girl that made a ton of money lost out after a couple poor Daily Double wagers. We had some toffee for dessert then sat in the living room and chatted about Grandma's new place and getting her a new bed. I told AL I would meet her the next day to pick out a new one. I took off around 8:30 and headed home to relax. When I got home I had a myspace message from Zach telling me to call him so I thought that was odd so I did and him and Nic are divorcing and he wanted to know if I want to go to Hawaii with him because he bought some tickets a long time ago so it'd be free. I told him I don't think I can but I'd ask Peggy. I'd love to go back but I don't think I can take the time off because we're swamped at the moment. I don't think he's doing very well. Next I talked to Susan and eventually made it into bed by 11:15.

Tuesday 5/27, I left work a little early to make it down to my facial with Meghan. I tried calling Ky but got hung up on or something. I perused while Meghan finished up then told her about my lip issue and she was like (kidding) "Herpes?" and I laughed and told her no, just a zit. I knew she'd get it. I filled her in on everything and we chatted about all sorts of things. On my way to the car I listened to a hilarious message from Eric confirming his boss saw his hickies and he was like "You got me good" and laughing and it made me laugh out loud listening to it. I saved it. I called Susan next to tell her I was on my way over. Her house was filled with the aroma of basil, yum! She had a yummy artichoke appetizer and BIG Wheat Thins which I devoured. She gave me some crystals too which made my day. Next was the gnocchi and veggies and I cleaned my plate. I missed a call from Zach which I thought was weird since he never calls, always texts. We decided to go for a walk and looked at all the beautiful houses and cute neighborhood restaurants and cafes that I didn't even know existed. We talked and walked for a while and picked out our favorite houses and shook our heads disapprovingly at others. When we got back I called Eric quickly and he reconfirmed the story and how Bill has an eagle eye. I told him I'd call him on my way home since he would be up late. Susan put on SatC Season 6 Part II, the last two episodes then brought out some yummy white chocolate covered strawberries. I ate 4 or 5. They were good. It was about 10 when I hit the road and called Eric on the way and he was compacting. I talked to him all the way home and he put some things very eloquently. We talked even after I got home and he's just so nice and funny I'm definitely smitten. He told me Chrystol showed him my myspace and flickr and that he saw the pictures of me with the flowers he gave me and I was a little mortified but he said I shouldn't be and praised himself. After hanging up at like 10:45 I got online and it is confirmed: Ian has a new gf. It doesn't hurt too much, just that I know he hasn't been seeing her that long yet he changed his status and he dated me for almost 5 months and never changed it or wanted to so that makes me feel inadequate and slightly sad, but I'm trying not to dwell and think about other things because it's not going to help anything. It's over, time to move on. Of the girls he's dated since we broke up (or that I suspected he was dating) she's the first one I haven't instantly hated so maybe that's a good sign. I think Cynthia really helped me. Or maybe I just helped myself and her telling me it was ok to let go was all I needed. It's not who I am. It's ok to let go.

Monday 5/26, We woke up around 10 and started talking and kissing and cuddling and just laid in bed until like noon. Finally we got up because I was hungry and he made pancakes again and we fried up the roasted potatoes from the night before and he dumped some eggs over the top and made a big scramble. It was very good. He told me we didn't have to worry about cleaning up because the maid would get to it. So we crawled back into bed to talk and eventually did a lot of other stuff and I had another first. I eventually got in the shower and he joined me so we showered and lathered each other up and had a jolly old time. I didn't want to get out but we were probably in there for a half hour so it needed to be done. I realized I gave him two good hickies (not counting the one from the night before) and when I pointed them out he didn’t seem to think they were bad. I got dressed and ready and packed up my stuff then got everything into the car. We said goodbye and kissed only a little since my lip was torn up again. On my way home I called Kay-See and Sos and left messages then Mom to tell her I wasn't going to make dinner then Susan. I invited her over for dinner and gossip and a movie. I'm not sure what I did when I got home. I think I relaxed and watched some tv and kind of half fell asleep because I was tired. Susan came over and we sat talking for a long time after she gave me a whole bunch of presents including a jar of peaches and a picture of us from like a million years ago. We decided on PCC for dinner and I was half impressed with mine but had to of course add salt. We sat down and watched the end of Jeopardy then went to put the movie on and it was cracked so we laid and watched American Gladiators instead and laughed manically at THE WOLF. He’s Susan’s new bf but she didn't stay to finish the end. I got online and saw Ian had posted a bunch of new pictures and I think he has a new gf. Kim. It hurts a little but I understand and am not going to get all depressed. It makes me sad we don't ever talk though. I decided to upload all my pictures from Kauai and the weekend too so I was up until 12:30. Plus David Beckham was on Leno and I didn't want to miss that. He's so fucking hot.

Sunday 5/25, The first thing I asked Eric when I woke up was "How does my eye look?" and he was like "Good!" so that was a relief. It wasn't long before we heard Schuyler and Chrystol stirring around so we got up and Eric started on the pancakes and eggs. I joined Chrystol in the bathroom while she got ready and she gave me some moisturizer for my upper lip since Eric's facial hair shreds any skin around my mouth. I jumped in the shower while breakfast was being made and when I sat down Chrystol was being served. We had more fun talking and eating (lots of fruit salad!) and when I got my plate it was Delicious! I think it must've been all the oil he used. After breakfast Chrystol and I walked around the yard a bit then decided to go try and find a shovel so we went to the dollar store and hit the jackpot. We got him some dishtowels, a shovel, magnets, a bat and ball and some little Strawberry Shortcake throwing discs. We had a lot of fun running around and looking at all the ridiculous things. Back at Eric's we presented our findings and started playing with stuff. Schuyler and I threw the discs around the enormous empty living room and soon I had the hook and instructed Schuyler. We decided to try and find some garage sales and all loaded into Eric's car and drove around the hood cracking up at stuff and ended up downtown then up by my old house and to the north end. We decided to get lunch and I talked to Dad for a few minutes then we went to the little nursery across from Antique Sandwich Co. which I haven't been to since I was in college. Eric threw a rock at me, not really threw but I pretended it was worse than it was, and we wandered up the path admiring all the gardens and some really cool bamboo. We went to ASC and I got a cup of the turkey rice and we snagged the front booth and enjoyed the sun. We decided to go to Vashon Island so we bought tickets ("$33? Holy shit") and we had a while so we drove around Point D and stopped at lookouts to take pictures. I fed them some coconut candy bars and everyone loved them. Then we went to Nisqually and walked around the kiddy park and ended up on a trail talking and got separated from S & C. Before long Schuyler was jumping out of the bushes looking like some crazy mountain man yelling “RAWRRR” and as Eric flinched a little, I SCREAMED. “Ahhhhhh!” then I heard Chrystol laughing off in the distance. Then I saw her running to hide in a new spot and I declared I’d seen her and she yelled “Damn!” then she joined us and everyone continued to laugh at my reaction and even imitated it a few times. Chrystol had anticipated us walking by her first with her camera at the ready. It was getting close to the time to catch the ferry so we all headed back to the car and I kept C & S in my sights so I couldn’t get scared again. We boarded the ferry and went up to the upper deck and sat up there during the ride and Eric asked me about rules and boundaries and I explained and he understood and was rather amused by it all. We went back down to the car and Schuyler tried to say hi to Greg (“Fuck you Greg!” through the fishing rod walkie talkie) and we soon found ourselves in a little spot where you could buy little flowers and Eric and I ducked into the local store and picked up a map and some suggestions from a local. We went across the street to the gallery and found C & S ogling a gold horse ring and I liked the one with the individual diamonds. We got back in the car and headed to the lighthouse and walked around then onto the beach where I practiced my log rolling and Eric launched a bunch of rocks into the water with his rocket arm. He was throwing some toward the children down the beach from us and was scolded by Chrystol and Schuyler. We started walking down the beach and laughed at the mismatched couple wandering around. We sat on the other side and were questioned by a somewhat idiotic kayaker then headed back to the car. We headed to the main town and parked, ducked into some little shops then Eric and I went and got ice cream from what we’re guessing was an old Dairy Queen. We sat outside and talked about why or why we couldn’t live there. Chrystol and Schuyler were hungry so we headed back and caught the ferry and Eric threatened to kick the ass of the guy next to us because he knew he was good looking. On the way back to Eric’s we stopped at Safeway for some supplies and Chrystol treated me to a hot chocolate and I couldn’t stop laughing because my entire leg was asleep, including part of my crotch. It was hilarious. C and I thumbed through the swimsuit issue on the stand and gave our two cents then we headed back to Eric’s. The grill was fired up and I started on another fruit salad and the other kids played baseball and it was hilarious to watch from the kitchen window. They ate a huge piece of salmon, I had chicken, we all had fruit salad, regular salad and a ton of roasted potatoes. I did some cleaning up and C & S packed up because they had to get back to Lulu and I decided to stay after asking Eric if it was ok. He’d assumed I was anyway. So we talked forever in bed and listened to music and made out then we both took a shower, separately, and got ready for bed. Then things got hot and heavy and I know it ended well for me but can’t remember about him. We went to bed at like 3 or 4 again. Yawwwn.

Saturday 5/24, Got a text at 7:15 from Eric (Redhead) saying he couldn't sleep. My initial thought was "Call your fucking girlfriend" but then I called him and he didn't answer so I went back to sleep and he called about 5 minutes later. Everything was ok he was just bored or something. He's looking for jobs on Kauai and I told him he got the bug. We talked a bit more then he let me go and I got up a little bit later. I got gas then back home to shower, eat breakfast, get ready, packed and got the car all ready. I called Eric just as I was pulling out and it was about 9:05 and told him I was on my way. I talked to Sos for a long time on my way down and made plans for later in the weekend. I found his place fine but he wasn't there because he ran to the store because he didn't expect me to get there so quickly. He showed up and had me park in the garage then we took a walk around the yard and he showed me the green house, pond, chicken house and some of the flowers and trees. Then came the house. Linoleum everywhere. It is so 50s it's scary. And hilarious. He had groceries to put away and wanted to get the chicken going so I watched while he did that then he told me not to look when he got a paper towel out to wipe his hands. Soon we were off for a drive. He took me all over Tacoma and we ended up on Proctor at the Farmer's Market except that it was tiny and only had flowers, really beautiful flowers, but just flowers and like some apples. We walked down to Metropolitan Market and I got a bunch of fruit and the Solea chips and he picked up a bunch of stuff too. We walked back to the car then started driving around looking at houses and neighborhoods and I showed him all the places I lived and he showed me where he lived and where his friends lived and we actually lived across the street from each other during my senior year and he lived with the RA from my freshman year. It's all really crazy. The ice cream was melting but he kept the tour going. We went to a little health food store and I found the coconut bars so I got some and he got some wheat free stuff for Chrystol then we headed back toward his place but stopped for butter. The ice cream was super melty by the time we got back. We sat and talked forever in the kitchen then sat outside in the sun so I could work on my tan then back inside and talking about the hydrangea and other trees then I called Kassie to ask her about people getting busted and some other things then we eventually ended up on his bed. We just talked and kissed for a long time and it was getting later and later and C and S still hadn't arrived. Finally Eric got a call (at like 5 maybe) and they were close so we got up and when they pulled up we walked around the yard and Chrystol loves it and told Eric all the stuff he has growing on the property then we went around cutting lilacs because he has so many different kinds. We got dinner ready and Eric was working the grill and scorched the first batch of chicken (and his fingers) but luckily he had a ton more. Then on went the veggie dogs and chicken and apple dogs. I made a huge fruit salad and Chrystol and Schuyler made asparagus with garlic and olive oil, then stuffed mushrooms then Eric put the corn on the cob on the grill so we just kept eating and eating and eating. We sat outside and talked and laughed and just had a really great time. The sunset was beautiful and we took a long walk around the yard talking about all the things that can be done and Chrystol and I decided he should have weddings there because it's so huge and he should get a goat and ducks. We have all kinds of plans for it. And the helicopter pad. And a farmhouse with a farmhouse sink (Chrystol thinks I should be an interior designer). I spotted a dead bird and before I knew it Chrystol was carrying it around and they were all touching it, which grossed me out a bit because of the dirtyness and diseases birds carry, but maybe I need to get over myself. Nobody died after all. Anyway so the bird was brought in and Eric put it on his shoulder for pictures and Chrystol drew it while Eric prepared dessert. He made a chocolate raspberry sauce to accompany the ice cream. Yum! After dinner we all started dancing and Schuyler's moves were the most hilarious and even remembering the shuffle move right now makes me laugh. I'm going to have to have Chrystol send me the video. Chrystol busted out the Fly Girl dance and soon all of us were in there dancing and taking turns and it was really fun. We sat in the kitchen talking about the house and other stuff and Eric took the fabric off the banquet seating to reveal cracked vinyl so he put it back on. I think we finally all turned in at 1 or 1:30. Then Eric and I made out and messed around until 3:45. As things heated up considerably I asked him where he was at and he started telling me how great I am and how he doesn't want to mess things up and was really sweet but gave me the whole rundown. In kind I responded with "I just wanted to know if I should take my pants off" and we both erupted into laughter. I got hit in the eye and laughed but then my eye swelled up and turned bright red so I flushed it and missed getting caught by Schuyler running to the bathroom half naked. Eric apologized and I laughed.

Friday 5/23, Stayed late at work to make up some time then home where I messed around on the computer and talked to Eric and told him my plans for the night then about the next day. Next was Susan and eventually Kay-See who cancelled on dancing which relieved me. I got some clothes on and headed to the store for cookie-making supplies. Was back home quickly then got the cookies going and called Chrystol as they were baking and she helped me with snappy comebacks to the “Post or pre-op?” question and we had lots of other conversations which was fun. I went to bed kind of early considering I needed to get up early the next morning for my big trip down to Tacoma.

Thursday 5/22, Couldn’t sleep, idiots next to me with lights on and shiny magazine pages glaring in my eye. Extremely cranky and cold. Mom picked me up, called Peggy to tell her I wouldn’t be in until later due to tired / grogginess. Home by 8:30, to sleep, alarm and up and to work by 11. I stayed a little late at work then had Peggy’s meatballs for dinner and took it easy. Talked to Kay-See on the way home and confirmed plans for dancing. At home talked to Susan and maybe Dad and probably some other people. Don’t remember. Texted Eric before going to bed.

Wednesday 5/21, Had multiple dreams about Eric’s gf trying to kill me. Literally. Mom called and that woke me up and when I looked at the clock it was 9:30 and I was shocked by how late I'd slept in. I got up, had my breakfast, checked messages and finished my book. Auntie eventually got up and told me my burn looked better but I kept applying white vinegar every hour or so anyway because it was still bad. I started getting some of my stuff organized then got dressed because we were supposed to go meet Daniel at Paula's to see her amazing house and property. We went over and Daniel was there and taking all sorts of pictures and Paula instantly noticed my burn and started applying emu oil to my back and legs and I did the front and Daniel was taking lots of pictures and telling us to wait so he could get his web cam set up. I was all oiled up and talked to Daniel for a while then we all headed out on the grounds and walked and picked a ton of flowers and did more talking and laughing and Daniel sang. We looked at the little guest house then sat under a tree for a long time then Auntie and I took off to go to Merlyn’s. We got there and the house is amazing and they have two baby goats and we went up and it was chaos and Merlyn asked who this beautiful woman is and I guess she didn’t recognize me. She said she couldn’t make her appointment so we took off to take her appointment with Clayton. I sat in the car and read in the shade then we headed back and stopped in Kailua to check out some spas, a cute little boutique, the fish market for a shrimp salad then across to the pharmacy where I got a card for Grandma and some more deodorant since it was shockingly cheaper there. We headed home, I finished off the chevre and probably ate some other stuff, like those rosemary potato chips. I started packing and that took me a long time then we loaded everything up and headed down to Mauli’s beach at Kalihiwai. I watched hula practice and said hi to a lot of women there and took a seat with Grandma. Cynthia helped me with my sunburn then asked me about my new relationship and old one then to my complete shock I started crying and she asked me if I wanted to let it go and I did so she worked on me and that it isn’t my fault and to stop being so hard on myself; it’s not something I can control and it doesn’t define who I am. She told me to go out to the ocean and let it all go; splash some water on my face and cleanse myself. I did it and I felt so much better and just stood out there for a long time. She also asked me about Mom and apparently asked Grandma about it as well from my reaction to what she said. Finally went back up and Grandma was being loaded up and we were going to Kilauea. We left and met Daniel, Andrea, Ed and Bonnie and settled on the pizza place. I got some pizza, we ate and talked and joked, then the clock struck 8 and I got antsy so I got going and said bye to everyone and told Grandma and AL that I’d see them in a few days. I drove to Lihue, talked to Web who called me Sweetie and said next time for sure and to say hi to Kassie, returned the car without incident, got checked in with an aisle row exit seat again and waited at the gate yawning forever. We boarded, I took a Benadryl and started to fall asleep.

Tuesday 5/20, Auntie woke me up at 8:00 waving the phone in my face and I was so confused and asked who it was and she loudly whispered “It’s Cory!” and in kind I asked “Who the hell is Cory?!” and she told me he’s Bonnie’s son. So I say hello and he said I sound like him (asleep) and that him and some friends were going to the south side and wanted to know if I wanted to go too and I knew that since AL had arranged this I had to go, not that I was opposed. I knew I’d probably have fun and it’s always nice to meet new people. He told me to go back to sleep and call him when I was up. I tried to go back to sleep but that was impossible so I got up and went online for a few minutes, read a few chapters, got ready, packed my bag and went in to talk to AL. She said he’s really handsome and nice and had helped her with her phone so he’s like her hero. I called him and told him my status and he told me to drive into Lihue so I said bye to AL and went on my way. Drove in and called him after Kappa’a and he said to meet at Kukio Grove, parked and went in to Déjà Vu. Cory and a couple other guys were standing in the doorway and I could tell they were like “Is that her?” “That’s her” kind of thing but I kept my sunglasses on and pretended not to see. When I walked up he was like “Hi Karrah” so I retuned the greeting and then was introduced to Jenna and Kirsten who are from Boulder and visit often and always hang out with Cory and his crew. Travis came over and gave me a kiss on the cheek and we did introductions and finally headed out. I grabbed my bag out of my car and was informed I was riding with Cory and Felipe and talked with them about Alix, Travis, AL, and the new lingo and how he would be making fun of me by the end of the day. Crip and schwag are my favorites. He said if AL tells you you’re going skydiving, you’re going skydiving and to just put the parachute on. It was really funny and it’s always interesting to meet people who know her. We checked out a few beaches while waiting for Travis and the girls (had to make a stop for hydroxycut) and ended up at Alertons (sp? Allertons?). As we were waiting Cory asked me if I burned and I was like “Yeah, but I’ve got sunscreen” and he laughed and was like, “I was talking about smoking, but that was cute” so I laughed and confirmed that I did not. The rest of the crew showed up and we started our journey. To get to this beach you either have to trespass or go through the botanical gardens. We opted for the former. It was a bit tricky and I asked if you had to be Indiana Jones to get through. I loved Cory’s mud flaps and wish I would have gotten a picture. Down on the beach us girls put our towels out, I stripped down and headed into the water. The boys got in right away and started surfing and I got my camera and got some good shots and loved every second of it. I waded in the water and walked up and down the beach and enjoyed the mistiness of the day. It didn’t stay misty for long though and I quickly felt my skin start to burn. I put sun screen on but only on my arms and shoulders. I burned really badly on my stomach and legs. Uggh. I sat in the shade for the rest of the afternoon. I talked with Kirsten a lot and they are just babies (20) and cracked me up. I went to rinse off at one point, after finding shells, and Cory and Felipe had a bunch of coconuts they had just climbed up a huge tree to get. They cracked them open on the faucet rebar and Felipe gave me some of the meat and it was really good, and really gelatinous. Cory then shared his coconut milk and remarked that he wasn’t very good at drinking it as it was all over his chin and chest, then I took a shot and the same thing happened to me though a lot went in my mouth as well so we looked like twins with coconut milk all down our fronts and chins. He then told me it gives you the runs if you drink enough of it. Great. Travis had gotten a bunch of food and beer but I didn’t partake. The tide kept coming up and soaked everything multiple times. My phone miraculously got service for 30 seconds, just enough time to see AL had texted that Dennis from Virginia was in and we were supposed to have dinner with him. Shit. It was like 5:15 and the boys were back in the water surfing and I didn’t have any way to get a hold of her. There was a phone laying there so Kirsten told me to use it so I did and I told her my status and I would call when I was back in Lihue. We finally got everything packed up and headed back up the trail at like 6:15 and my legs were on fire. The boys eventually got me back to my car, I thanked them again and got in and on my way, called Auntie and when I got back I announced my burned-ness and rinsed off and Daniel instructed I shower and rub white vinegar all over my body so I did and within 10 minutes my skin felt so much better. It was amazing. I was starving so I sat down to a huge bowl of pesto pasta and Daniel serenaded me (I’d heard him all the way up at the road) with the songs he’s going to sing at some wedding along with a bunch of other ones as well. Then he pulled his pants down to reveal a gray and pink speedo and wanted to show me his ass but Auntie covered it and scolded him. I totally bonded with him and he might set me up with his nephew at some point who flies all over on corporate jets and is a VP of some crazy company. Personally, I think he’s out of my league, but apparently he’s very tall and pretty. Like me. Not my words – Auntie’s and Daniel’s. He kept asking me all kinds of questions but would get off topic and on other tangents about how he fucked some author and traveled with him and all sorts of other insane things. It’s been a long time since I’ve been that entertained. He then dropped trow again, tucked his junk, put his sarong on his head like a turban, covered his nipples with one hand and put the other hand up to his mouth in mock shock and waddled around like that. I was laughing so hard and Auntie ran to cover him up again and was telling him to put his pants back on. I think the image has been seared into my brain. We talked more about his multiple projects and how I may be able to get involved or help. Some cool stuff. To be continued. He took off for his rendezvous with Patrick and I vinegar-ed up again and got ready for bed and took some more ibuprofen and wrote off an evening with Dennis. Wanted to go to sleep but Auntie wanted me to watch a video of a performance she did last year at the art’s center or something. After that I went to bed and crashed.

Monday 5/19, Grandma didn’t start snoring until the morning so that was good. I woke up at 8:30, had some rice for breakfast then got my suit on and my new little James Perse skirt. It was really sunny by the time I got down the trail to ‘Anini so I kicked off my slippers and started walking the beach. There was only one other couple with some kids playing in the river so it was really quiet. I eventually found a good spot to go in at so I waded out, but not really because it wasn’t deep at all, and eventually sat down to submerge my mosquito bites and enjoy the quiet morning in the salt water. I headed back up not too long later and huffed and puffed up and found AL and Grandma up and getting ready to have some breakfast. I had an English muffin with chevre and sat with Grandma while she ate hers. I showered quickly and learned Mama Bear wasn’t coming but Daniel still was and got ready. I decided to take a drive down to Hanalei and then to the end of the road since I hadn’t done it yet. I dropped my remaining postcards then started driving and forgot how beautiful it is and took a lot of pictures out the window but I’m guessing few turned out. I turned around before the end because I didn’t want to deal with the parking lot. Back at home I met Ed then Andrea and we all talked then she left and AL fixed Grandma some lunch and I had more chevre on an English muffin. I offered to pick Daniel up from the airport but then she decided she’d do it. I took Ed to the hardware store then sat and talked with Grandma for a while and ripped some music and checked messages (LPC and Jess) then Ed was done so I took him home then back home to Grandma. I sat for a while with her then headed down to Hanalei for a swim and to lay out. There were a bunch of hot surfers in the lot and one had all these hot tattoos but I didn’t stick around and headed to the water. I laid out my towel then went in and though it was cold at first it felt good after a few minutes. I read for a long time and Ed and Andrea came over to say hi then kept reading. Eventually I went in again and got all the way in and floated forever checking out hot surfers and standing surfers. I felt like I was burning while waiting for Auntie so I called her and she said they were still doing stuff so I decided to take off, said bye to A and E, hit the shower and checked out more cute guys then walked to the car and smiled coyly at a guy on a motorcycle and he returned it. At home I hung with Grandma then talked to Kay-See for a long time about everything and she had a story then Auntie came home and was bustling about getting ready for Daniel and finally he arrived and we all did hugs and kisses. Auntie was making dinner but needed a few things so I ran to the store and picked up a couple extra goodies (very vanilla and chocolates with mint) and soon we were sitting down to a delicious and HUGE dinner. Daniel was entertaining but left not too long after dinner. We climbed into bed but Grandma and AL left because I was going to sleep and Grandma insisted. I was out.

Sunday 5/18, I got up at 8 again, had a little breakfast with my computer out on the lanai and talked to Susan. I sat around for most of the day reading and talking with Grandma and waiting for Auntie Lauryn to get ready. We had some lunch (goat cheese) then Grandma encouraged me to get AL off the phone. Web called and said he was working but that he would call me at six when he was done with work. We eventually got going but Devaki called with an emergency so we took off for her place and decided to walk Hanalei Bay instead. We checked everything out for a while then took off for the beach and walked all the way to the river and back then got in for swimming. We bitched about men and floated and treaded water for like a half hour but then I got tired so I went in a little to where I could touch and bobbed and floated as the waves came in and lifted me off the ocean floor. It was wonderful. We rinsed off and used the shampoo that someone left there, walked back to Devaki’s and took off for home. We stopped at Big Save first and I picked up a can of mushroom soup for Grandma’s chicken but I was short $.28 but the woman was so nice she spotted me and was like, “No problem!” which was very sweet. I love Hawaii! At home we were hanging out and Auntie told me to call Web to see if he was joining us but he didn’t answer and I was kind of glad. I left a message but we never heard back. So we made Grandma’s chicken and it was super good. I’m totally going to make it at home. I think we had Twix ice cream bars for dessert and I helped Auntie with the dishes. We figured out how to get Desperate Housewives to rewind so I watched that and was really irritated with the fast forward plots. I told Auntie and Grandma about it after it was over then got ready for bed. We went to sleep not too much later and I prayed Grandma wouldn’t snore in the middle of the night again.

Saturday 5/17, I woke up at 7:55 and was glad I had finally slept in. I checked emails and stuff and ate a little breakfast until 8:30 then woke Auntie up so we could go to the Hanalei Farmer’s Market and for a morning swim and walk on the beach. I called Eric while waiting outside and he was up visiting Chrystol and Schuyler for the day so we chatted for a few minutes but then I had to go because Auntie had Web on the phone so I talked with him for a minute and told him to call me when he was done and had a chance. We got into Hanalei after a hilarious story about Auntie and the trunk release and driving on the west side. We arrived at 9 and I was introduced to a lot of Auntie’s friends and we picked up some lychee and I got some lilikoi chevre and granola. We headed back to the car and Kay-See called to tell me she was in her bikini with Ky up on her roof. I told her I was in mine too and on my way to the beach. It was cute she called. We got to the beach and sat on a bench under a tree eating lychees and watching hot shirtless lifeguards. I took some pictures for K. We walked down the beach and saw Darcy then continued on our way back. We grabbed our stuff and headed home and she made fun of guys on scooters and said they were an x. I told her I wasn’t as picky but do prefer motorcycles. Erics that ride motorcycles to be exact. I had some of my new chevre and sunflower bread then read for a while until Auntie Lauryn left. I showered and told Grandma I was going down to Ching Young to get some postcards but that I would be back quickly. I got what I needed then went down to another little shop and got a magnet and little shell thing and headed back and met Aram on the way in. I sat with Grandma while she ate her lunch and I filled out some postcards and snacked on chips and she told me why she doesn’t want to hang out with him. After I got her back in bed I headed back down into Hanalei and stopped to get two more postcards but accidentally hit the panic button on the damn rental car key and didn’t know how to turn it off so I’m frantically hitting the lock and unlock buttons but it’s not working then the car next to mine starts going off and this girl looks over and laughs and I was mortified but finally hit the panic button again and that turned it off. I quickly got my shit and hit the beach. I laid out for a little bit then got in the water but not too far because the surf was still way up so I continued to watch the surfers from my towel and decided I never wanted to leave. Zeph called and we talked for a long time and that was really fun and he made fun of me for making out with so many guys and even did an impression of me. I thumbed through Bust then Kalei called and said he was still sick and couldn’t go to Kilauea Days so I told him to get better. Auntie called to say she was leaving but hitting some shops on the way back and that we could walk the beach. I called Susan and we talked for a long time and I told her about Eric and the rest of the trip. I decided to pack up since I’d been down there for 2 hours and was getting hungry. I dropped my postcards at the post office and arrived a little before Auntie. She got some papaya salsa that I pilfered and started on the rice. I hopped in the shower to rinse the rest of the sand off then we sat down for dinner. We decided if we still wanted to go to Kilauea Days that we’d better get going so I threw some clothes on and we were out the door. It was winding down when we got there so we hit the sarong shop then over to Cake which I know Kassie would love and we hit the sale section and Auntie just kept handing me things to try on. None of the stuff I picked looked good but two of the ones she picked and one that had been left in the dressing room looked good so I got three new dresses. Perhaps I’ll wear the Velvet one for the reunion. Not sure yet. We headed home and I did a fashion show for Grandma then Auntie found an emerald dress she’d given Grandma but she never wore it so she gave it to me and it feels a bit 50s-ish and is cute. I read through my Kauai book trying to figure out what to do the next day and we all talked and laughed and Auntie did fashion shows too and we started winding down. I think Grandma and I went to sleep around 11:30.

Friday 5/16, I woke up at 6:40 and couldn’t fall asleep so I read until about 7:30 then got up, blargged for a little bit then woke up Auntie for our walk but she was too tired. I got ready and set out but didn’t see Eric when I got down there so I kept walking and came to the next beach and they weren’t there either. I was wading almost up to my crotch to get around some rocks that were taking up the shore but it felt really nice. Next I got to more rocks but the ocean floor wasn’t so nice there and I backtracked and sat on a rock for a long time not knowing whether it was worth it to try and make it over because he might not even be there. Finally I decided I would just try and started my balancing act on all the rocks (sans slippers of course) and made it over to the sand. I kept walking and finally came to the campground and they were the first ones and the only reason I knew it was Eric was by the tattoos on his legs. He’s gained a little weight since the last time I saw him and he came down and gave me a big hug but I felt gross and all sweaty from my extensive trek. I walked up and said hi to Ronny and got a hug and we chatted for a few minutes but Eric told me they had to start packing up to get going then his gf called and when he got off he was like “We gotta go, I’m in trouble” so I said bye and got another hug, he said he’d call me later and I was on my way back. I took the road to bypass the tricky part then got back on the beach and there were crabs everywhere but luckily none bothered me. Back at Auntie’s I had some granola and updated this until about 10. It had already been a pretty productive day up until this point. Auntie made us blueberry smoothies and I got some clothes on and told them about my walk. Auntie and I ran around the grounds finding gardenia and plumeria for the house and surprised Grandma with them. I think I read and got ready for a while then it was time for Auntie and I to go so she fixed Grandma some lunch and I sat with her and talked and got her a serrated knife and we were out the door by 1:30. We talked all the way to her chiropractors and he’s this brilliant clock maker, like the shit I studied in Ancient Astronomy. I sat by the fruit trees and read and worked on my tan and tried to get the cat to come over to me. Soon we were on our way taking the scenic route to the south / west side. We got to Hanapepe and walked around but pretty much everything was closed except one little shop where I got some things so we decided to come back later and went to Mana Beach (prounounced muh-nah) and laid out and played in the water. The current was really strong so we didn’t go in too far but it felt like bath water and the sun was low in the sky and it was absolutely beautiful. A little before six we packed up, showered, got changed using our sarongs and headed back into Hanapepe. The art walk was in full swing and we stopped to say hi to Auntie’s friend first, Mark J*ffers, and he was very nice and she said she made out with him 25 years ago. Next we went to Time / Space or something and there were three pieces I would have killed for though the girl one in the front window was my favorite. Auntie got a call from Devaki whose bf’s friend’s son is coming into town and is 25 and they thought we could hang out. Sounds good to me! We headed out into the road and started going through all the little galleries and went to see a mural on the post office at the request of the artist and bought some treats as well. We hit the fish taco stand but luckily they had chicken as well with homemade tortillas and they were really good. We did a few more galleries and I might go back to get a necklace I liked if I’m down that way then we took off. It took us an hour and 15 minutes to get back which blows my mind. We stopped at the store for some things then home to Grandma. We watched Frasier and I uploaded some pictures then Golden Girls then some reading then to bed.

Thursday 5/15, I woke up right at 8 and started getting ready and put some aloe on my shoulders and right as I was heading out the door Eric One called and started giving me directions to the beach they were at and I interrupted him and told him I was heading down into Hanalei and going to Pine Trees so he told me to call him later but I had no intention. I went down to the organic health food store but they didn’t open until 9 so I sat in my car and called Mom and told her I’d made it then headed in for my smoothie and told the girl to surprise me. It was the Hawaiian sunrise one then I headed to PT and the parking lot was totally full and it was like 9:10 and as soon as I got to the edge of the beach I knew why. The waves were enormous like I’ve never seen there before and ALL the surfers were out. Hot surfers. Hot hot surfers. I was like a kid in a candy store. I started walking and Kay-See called me and I told her all about the drama so far and she filled me in on some things and she was glad I’m having a good time. I walked a bit further then back then I sat on the sand and watched for a long time and it was wonderful. The waves were huge. It was great and I was really pissed I forgot my camera in my other bag. On my way back to the car I called Eric and left him a message that I was leaving but that at Hanalei Bay there were crazy waves and surfers out if he wanted to see something cool. I headed back to Auntie’s and both her and Grandma were up eating breakfast and filled me in on the morning’s events then I had a little Anahola granola with soy milk and Auntie cut up another papaya and I decided to try it with lime juice this time and it was really good. Auntie and I made the bed then she got ready and I updated this and she took off for her appointments. Mid-way through blogging Eric One called and told me to come hang out because he was in Princeville but I told him I was good and he asked if we’re just not going to see each other and I told him my stance and that my feelings had been hurt and that I’m not interested in hanging out with someone who’s going to be bitchy to me. He said she wasn’t even there with them and that he’d slept on the porch last night. Oooh! She was being lippy apparently. Then he said something about friends and that he’s known me longer than he’s known her so that made me feel better. He still wanted me to come down and I was going to but then someone said they were leaving so he said he’d call me after they got back from fishing. I finished blogging then got my stuff and headed back down to Hanalei Bay for some more sunning, but not before Auntie could attack my shoulders with spf50. I passed Pine Trees and parked in the next lot because there were a lot less people in that one, only like 5. I laid out my blanket and started soaking up the sun. I texted Kalei but didn’t hear back and read one of the mags gifted by Susan. The surf was still insane and I just sat there looking at it with my jaw in the sand. Eventually I walked out to the water but only got about knee deep because the currents were crazy strong and I wasn’t trying to get pulled out no matter how hot those lifeguards are. Side note: one of them was doing yoga on the lawn when I went back to my car to grab my phone and it was so hot. I laid out some more but eventually packed up my stuff because I didn’t want to fry and headed back up stopping at Foodland for a sandwich and apple on my way. I sat outside eating and read my book then tried Kassie because she’s in SF before she flies out to Vegas for a bachelorette party then Dad called so we talked for a while and I filled him in on the Eric drama then I tried Sos then I rested my eyes while I swung in the porch swing. I called Susan and filled her in on everything then Auntie got home and we decided to go down into Hanalei for our walk despite the slight drizzle. Luckily when we got down there it was fine and just a bit misty from all the waves crashing. It was absolutely beautiful and again I forgot my camera and I was pissed at myself. We walked down the beach to the pier and back talking and ran into one of Auntie’s friends from S. Africa who’s living in India right now in some international community of 2,000 people and it’s like the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. Eric called and said they were back and I told him I’d call him when I was home. We were down there for about 2 hours and headed back up after saying hi to Devaki and her Peruvian bf and Skippy the Corgi. We stopped at the store to pick up some things and AL almost ran some guy over with her cart and I told her that’s the way to get a man. At home we got the feta and spinach pizza in the oven and I took a quick shower. Auntie made a really good salad with white balsamic and she put extra cheese on the pizza. For dessert she made this wonderful warm organic blueberry with local Kauai ice cream dish and it was soo good. I called Eric when I was done and he told me they had just gotten back and in trouble by Princeville security for fishing in one of the ponds on the golf course. He told me they were going to be camping at ‘Anini so I said I would come down in the morning and asked if 8 was too early and he said no and that he’d be up by 6 fishing. When we hung up Auntie asked me what the story was so I told her and she said she would walk with me in the morning and we watched Frasier. Next was Golden Girls and I told them the trivia Eric had shared with me. I uploaded some pictures to myspace, read a little then turned in for bed. It was about 10:30.

Wednesday 5/14, I woke up at like 6am but started reading and managed to fall back asleep until 8 then got up, had a little breakfast, put on some lounge-y clothes and headed down to the beach Auntie had told me about. I called Dad on the way to tell him I’d made it and he was really cute. I made it down but it was a bit scary because of all the trees and rustling leaves noises. I walked for a while in the water and in the little river that was colder than the ocean and took a few pictures and eventually headed back up. It was a long way and I was so tired and sweaty I looked like I’d just done my workout video. And it was only 9:30. It was going to be a scorcher. When I got back I had a message from Dad since we’d been cut off telling me 30spf minimum! Grandma and Auntie were up and having some breakfast and Auntie cut up a papaya so I had half and it was really good. I got my computer out and checked my messages and just relaxed for a long time especially outside because her lanai in the front is so wonderful. Auntie and I did some things around the house then took off to wash her car at Mercedes’ then headed down to the beach for a swim. We stopped at the old Kai Kane to meet a boy she thinks is foxy, Erasmo. He has a gf but AL says he’s very nice and that we should hang while I’m visiting. He was indeed nice and we exchanged numbers so we’ll see if we end up meeting up or not. We went to Darcy’s and she was really nice and told us to have fun. We walked onto the hot sand, stripped down to our suits and walked the beach for a while then turned around, walked back and eventually went for a swim but the water was a bit cold so it took a while for me to get all the way in. We swam and talked then laid on our sarongs and talked story. I didn’t want to burn so we didn’t stay out too long and headed back up and I was introduced to Joe and we rinsed off in the outdoor shower and were on our way back up to the condo for some lunch. We stopped at Mercedes’ gallery and her stuff is beautiful and she seems really nice. Grandma and I shared a chicken breast and had some potato salad, potato chips and a tasty spinach salad with nuts and oranges and cranberries. After lunch AL had some meetings and errands so I stayed put and tried calling Kalei but he didn’t answer and his mailbox was full so I settled onto Auntie’s couch in her room and read for a long time. I eventually went back outside and played on my computer then Grandma was up so we went for a little walk then back where I did some more reading and computering. I called Eric and left a message and figured he was busy until 8 then called Eric One and left a message then a neighbor came over with her two adorable Chihuahuas and I talked to her for a few minutes and she said hi to Grandma then Eric called me back and we talked for a really long time and he’s just so cute. Eric One beeped in but I ignored it but called him back after I was done and left a message. I hung with Grandma then he called back and I told him I would call him in a few hours to hang out. I fixed dinner for Grandma and I and it was really nice and she told me all about Switzerland and the Swiss military men she met when she was there when she was 20 and how they exchanged medals and that she kept his for a long time. I told her about ANTM and we tried to find it on the tv guide and they totally DON’T have it here. The entire network. Doesn’t exist. I was upset. I decided to get ready to go to Eric’s instead and called him and I heard something right after he answered and he was laughing then I heard my name and I asked him if I heard correct and he said yes and that I didn’t want to know and I asked if it was Nicole and he said yes and that everyone’s just drunk so I was like “Nevermind, I’m good” and he was like no, I want to hang out but I was over it and he apologized and I was like yeah, it’s ok, then he told me they were going to the beach in the morning and that he would call me but I knew I wasn’t going to want to get together because clearly I’m a laughingstock. I got into my pjs and got ready for bed and crawled in with Grandma and watched Will and Grace and before I knew it she was asleep. AL came home and we watched Frasier and I read but fell asleep at like 10. I was tired.

Tuesday 5/13, I finished packing in the morning and loaded everything into my car and headed to work. I left at 1 and headed to MI where Mom picked me up at Grandma’s and took me to the airport. We talked about Eric pretty much the whole way. I was still pissed my seat was so far back in the plane and they wouldn’t let me change it but when I did curb side check in the guy gave me an aisle exit row seat, so, score! I waited a while at the gate because I was fairly early and laughed at the guy looking at Penthouse right in front of me and even the four foot long centerfold. I texted Eric and he called him the mile high masturbator. The middle seat next to me was never filled so I really lucked out. I snacked for much of the flight and read quite a bit and even had a semi-nap and we got into Lihue 50 minutes early so it went much faster than I expected. When I checked my phone I had like five messages which made me feel absurdly popular. I called Chrystol back first to give her my address and tell her where I was and tell her a little about my weekend with Eric. Then I called Eric redhead Eric and told him I’d just landed and that I was going to head to Auntie’s and would catch up with him the next day but was glad he’d extended an invitation. I started peeling clothes off because it was really humid but I love the humidity so I felt right at home. My bag finally came off and then I missed the shuttle so had to stand around and wait another 10 minutes and called AL to tell her where I was. Finally got my car and was on my way. I arrived at like 8:30 or so and Grandma almost started crying when I came in. It was really sweet. Auntie showed me all around her new place and it’s pretty fabulous and feels like her old place, but different. We all gathered in Grandma’s room and watched Frasier and Golden Girls and I forgot that both are really hilarious shows. I was really tired because it was like 2am my time so I finally went to sleep.

Monday 5/12, I got home a little early and when I walked in noticed that Eric's phone was still there so I was excited that I'd get to see him, even if it was only for a few minutes. He showed up about 10 minutes later and was sitting in his car because he forgot the code and was waiting to see me pull into the garage so I snuck up and surprised him. We went inside and sat on the couch and he told me he didn't have to go back down until later so we talked and laughed and he warmed up my hands. Around 7 we headed to a Thai place in Issaquah to get something to eat because I didn't want to miss Gossip Girl so we got it to go. I told him about how B would always read the paper when we’d go out and he laughed and said he couldn’t imagine and said he’d rather mow the lawn. I got the yellow curry with chicken and potatoes and he got the red curry with duck. When we got to my house we watched Jeopardy and ate and mine was so good I know what I'm getting every single time I go there now. I was like having orgasms over it. Soon GG was on and Eric thought it was funny that all the guys are prettier than the girls but thinks Chuck is gay because "Who would wear that? Not even a gay guy could get away with that. And what's with his hair?" but he actually liked the show and said he'd probably watch it again. Yay! After it was over we talked and made out more and he let a couple "hm"s out and I laughed then I asked if he was going to do the lizard tongue, but he didn't. An hour flew by and soon it was 5 to 10 and he needed to go so I walked him out, made out some more then ran upstairs, called Susan then started packing and watching Bachelor. I'm mad he picked Shayne or whatever her name is but whatever. I was packing away and had sooo much to do I didn't even realize. I was up until almost midnight and still wasn't done getting everything organized.

Sunday 5/11, We started stirring at the same time (about 8) and laid in bed forever talking and cuddling and he asked me about my dreams and I told him about the bee making a hive on my headboard and how he put it under the plexi glass but not outside, then about Uncle Dick and his Fonzie leather jacket and cigarette and Mom saying "Don't say anything about the cigarette" and there was another one but I don't remember now. Eventually I asked him if he was hungry so I made some blueberry waffles and it was like 11. They were pretty good and neither of us got sick, yay! We laid in the living room for a long time in our pajamas talking about sex and periods and girl problems then I got my period all over my couch but luckily my couch is magic and it all came out. I was irritated though. I showered then we decided to do something since it was like 1:30 so we got dressed and headed into Bellevue to University Bookstore and perused and ended up in the sex section and asking each other questions and laughing at the positions book and how most of them are impossible or have the woman looking at the man's ass and that's not fun for anyone. It was about 4 when we left and we were hungry but I had dinner with the fam at 6 so we just went home and each had a yogurt and talked and made out more until it was time for me to go. We said bye and he said he was already excited for me to come back and to see me and that he'd had so much fun and was so excited to see me and told me repeatedly. It was very sweet and very cute. He’s so enthusiastic about some things and it’s really refreshing. I got to Outback and beat Dad and Auntie Peggy and perused the menu. I got steamed veggies and a cup of onion soup then Peggy shared half her prime rib and I snaked some of Jake's mac. We were in and out of there before we knew it and I was home by a little after 7 and called Mom on the way to wish her a happy mother's day. We talked for a long time and she thought Eric was Ian so I set her straight and told her I wasn't going to have my heart broken again, well, at least not by Ian. Then I noticed Eric left his phone on my little table. She said to back away and I wasn't allowed to go through it until we've been dating a while longer. I told her my dream about Uncle Dick (which I'm sure stemmed from Eric saying my last name sounds like a race car driver's name and that he might change it to that if we got married) and she thought it was hilarious and wanted me to tell Dad. I talked to him for a while and relayed the story then called Susan and told her about the couch (she laughed) and about Eric's phone and she wanted me to snoop but I said I couldn't so she said give it to her so she could. We talked for a long time then I tried calling Kay-See and left a message. I watched my shows and tried to figure out how the hell to get a hold of Eric to tell him his phone was there. I finally reached Schuyler and he said he'd call his mom so he did and Eric called a little while later and we coordinated him picking up his phone the next day using the garage code. I told him his boss called too. I felt better then did a little packing and cleaning and relaxing.

Saturday 5/10, I got up at 8, did my long work out, made a smoothie and threw some cereal in then started on the laundry, putting my new sheets on, tidying up and other cleaning. Sos called and we made plans to meet up at the Issaquah market then I hopped in the shower and needed to hurry because Eric was supposed to arrive between 10:30 and 11 and it was getting late. I got dressed and started getting ready then Eric called to say it would be a little after 11 then I heard a knock and it was the chimney cleaning guy who was in and out while I talked to Kass about her foot and Jacques and how happy he is so that made me glad. Kay-See called and was down so I told her to come to the market and called Sos to let her know. Eric showed up and surprised me with the most beautiful purple flowers and had the biggest smile on his face when I answered the door. We kissed and went upstairs and chatted for a few minutes and kissed some more then called Sos to tell her we were on our way. We talked all the way down and waited in front of the building and continued talking until Jake and Sos showed up. Jake gave me a hard time for most of the time excursion but we had fun and walked around looking at fruit and flowers and other yummy food items. I got a lemon something pastry thing and it was so good. I shared with Eric and he thought it was good too. We said bye to them right after some guy hit a lady in the head with a tree branch and went to Costco home because he’d never been there and he’s looking for a couch so we wandered and picked out what we liked and sat on many specimens. We talked about motivation and just going for something even if you’re not sure about it on the way to the international district in search of hum bao. We parked and I totally forgot to pay and got a ticket, fuuuuck. Oh well. So we went Uwagimaya and had lunch and walked around cracking up about cartoon shrimp or bears on food packaging then out in search of hb and found some but not the kind I’m used to, though it was still good and I ate it all. Eric wanted something to drink and got some Tropicana smelling bubble tea kind of thing that we couldn’t determine if it was prepackaged or fresh because of the plastic top. We went back to the car and headed to Mom’s because it was Alix’s prom and she wanted me to see her off. Eric didn’t seem nervous at all which was good and when we arrived Mom was washing dog shit down the driveway and Eric found this endlessly entertaining. We waited until everyone came in and did introductions and got the dogs upstairs. Alix’s date showed up, Ari, with his mom and no one knew how to pin a boutonnière so Eric did it and it was hilarious watching this grown man pinning a flower on a 17 year old kid talking on his cell phone ordering his friends to bring cash for the 35 foot Navigator limo. Buy, sell! I took lots of pictures for Alix and so did Eric. I got my period while we were there which I wasn’t happy about but made due and mentally noted that any pants off related activity was suddenly off the menu for later that evening. I found Eric in talking to Mom and Dad and we left not too much later for fear of being blocked in. We went back to my house and just relaxed on the couch making out and talking about our day and how random some of it was. It was really nice. Eventually we headed to Best Buy (it was like 9) so I could get a new memory card for my camera and we ogled the appliances then over to Whole Foods where he got some curry or something and the girl asked if it was for both of us and he kind of chuckled and hung his head in shame. Back at my house I heated up my pizza and he ate his stuff and we just talked more until it was time to go upstairs to bed. We made out a lot and had some other good second base action that I won’t divulge beyond that because Chrystol is going to read this and I don’t want her to throw up. We went to bed maybe around 11 or 12. I don’t even know.

Friday 5/9, Kassie called me while at work and told me she fell off her deck and was in the emergency room and didn’t know who else to call and that she thought she broke her foot. She texted later that she did, her metatarsal, so that was no good but she was being taken care of. After work I went to the bank and BB&B to get some house stuff then ended up meeting up with Susan on the road and went to Costco. I texted Eric that Susan had found hum bao and he called to chat for a second and make plans for the next morning. We wandered a long time and got some stuff then headed back to mine with an enormous pizza for dinner. Susan kept me company in the kitchen while I cleaned up but then she got an irritating text so we talked about that for a while. We started Love in the Time of Cholera and popped the pizza in 20 minutes later. The movie was a bit ridiculous but visually stunning and never lacked in the entertainment dept. We ate a lot of pizza and I sent some home with Susan. She headed home after it was over to talk things out with D. I did laundry and packing then got a call from her at 10:30 so we had a chat for a while then hung up. I showered then crawled into bed and called Kalei who called back about a half hour later. I talked to him for a little bit and agreed to talk next week. Went back to sleep.

Thursday 5/8, Alix texted me while at work that it turned out she could see a movie that night so we coordinated to meet in Factoria after she was done with her project. I went and had a pedicure and kept silently cracking up because the eyes of the Bellevue-d out girl next to me almost popped out of her head when she saw how hairy my legs were. True, not my finest moment, but come on, I just don't really see the point in shaving my legs on a regular basis (perhaps once a month I break down) and thought it was hilarious that I kept seeing her eyes in the mirror across from us dart back and forth to my legs. I met Alix at Romio's across the street and next to the theater around 6:15. I had a gyro and she had a pizza then we walked back across the street to Starbucks for a little treat for the movie. Back to the theater, bought tickets, into the movie and I loved it. The main guy reminded me of LPC so many times I just kept smiling and shaking my head. The endearing parts only. In the middle of it Ian called which shocked me but I wondered if it was prompted by the comment LPC left me and had to wait until after the movie to see what his voicemail said. So we both really liked the movie and I checked the message as we sat listening to an island version of "Nothing Compares to You" and it made me sigh heavily and miss him so much. He knew I'd be going to Neighbs and told me to be safe and drink water and rambled some other stuff so it made me smile. After Alix dropped me at my car I called him on my way home but he didn't answer. I called Susan when I got home and we planned the evening and I eventually made it into the shower and as I was getting ready I traded texts with Michael who it sounded like might be out with his new bf which thoroughly excited me. I headed out a little late but still made pretty good time. We walked quickly to Neighbs and luckily didn't get frisked this time but I was curious to see if Erik was back working because his picture is back up on the site but he wasn't. We went upstairs to see who was there and I was delighted to see Tye wearing a skirt and heels and some guy I kept thinking was Erik, but who Susan later pointed out, was wearing leather chaps. We made it out to the floor and started dancing to some decent songs and laughed at Susan’s homeless / pirate bf and soon got some waters from my bf and Susan commented how hot he is and that I should hook up with him and I pointed out he has a gf and she was like "So?!" like, that hasn't stopped me before. Back to the floor and we found a waiting Richie and got hugs and it's been so long since I've seen him. He traded a bit of gossip and started talking about camping at Granite Falls despite those two women being murdered there a year ago or whenever. K isn't convinced but I know she'll still go because I've made her promise. We planned this so long ago I can't believe that it's still on. I'm assuming Ers and Rach-ho are going so that should be interesting since I've never camped with them and I assume Richie will be on his naughtiest and most mischievous behavior. I may need to go to Plain to pick up camping stuff because last time K and I used Ky's tent and all the boys slept in Neil's but I don't know that's the case still...so I need to do some planning. Anyway, we spotted Teal and Darren and I blew kisses and Darren was dancing hot as all get out. We danced for a while then the drag show started and lasted for what felt like forever and after Richie left Rachel the trannie came over and talked to us about how awful the shows are and that that's what she does and that even she finds it irritating. I introduced myself and she mentioned that she knows we're there every week. After it was over we headed back out and danced for a while and eventually decided against dancing anymore and got our coats and said hi to Thomas then back out to say bye to Richie. Hugs then out the door to our cars and drove home calling Auntie Lauryn on the way to ask about fruit and tell her about Alix’s game.

Wednesday 5/7, JP texted me while at work that he'll be in town June 5 so I'm planning to go out with him that night. At home I cleaned my bathroom in anticipation of Eric coming over Saturday and having a sleepover and did some other household-y stuff too. I ate some veggies for dinner, grabbed the chips and guac and headed out the door about a quarter to six. K was on the couch when I arrived and seemed sad to get up for our walk. We went to Greenlake and started our quick-paced walk and talk session. About 5 minutes in I looked up and saw LPC with a half smile / half jaw hanging open look on his face and I stopped and pointed at him and was like "HEYYYYY!" and gave him an enormous hug. First time I've seen him since last July when we were on his roof at sunset. Cuh-razy! We chatted for a second and he made fun of me for wearing ear muffs and that it wasn't THAT cold out then he introduced us to the girl he was with who I'm pretty sure is the girl he's totally smitten with that he always writes about. Melissa maybe? Michelle? Can’t remember. After we walked away I was like "I should have been like "Oh, so you know he's got a kid, right?" because he told me right before we went for a walk around Greenlake so I can only assume she's got it coming" so we laughed and talked about that for a while. Then the conversation went right from there to relationships and being happy and sexually satisfied and all that comes with that stuff so it was all very interesting. By the time we got to the car my stomach started growling. Mama was hungry! We stopped by 7-11 for a slurpee then back to her's where we broke out the chips, mango salsa and guac and I really polished it all off like a champ. We laid on the floor and continued our discussion about relationships and our past ones and how similar R and B are, though B was never emotionally abusive. I got a text while I was out from Ky that said "I want your sweet sexy nipples up on my face" and I was like "Do you think that's Richie?" and K was like "Uh, YES!" so that made us laugh but I didn't write back. I stayed until 10:30 then took off for home and watched the news and went to bed.

Tuesday 5/6, I suited up after work and received a call from Dad wanting to know if I wanted Mariners’ tickets for me and Eric but it was pretty late and I was just about to go on my walk / run so I told him no but thanks. I walked almost to the park and ran all the way back like last week and am still shocked I can do it. On my way home I called Eric and told him about the tickets then we had one of our usual long conversations and it turns out he doesn’t have to work Sunday so my plans with both Susan and Kay-See will change. I’m going to hang with K Wednesday and Susan Friday and we’ll see what happens Sunday. After hanging up I showered and made dinner then talked to Susan. I watched my show then went to the store for a few things and back home picked out different cds for the car, called Kalei (“We are the children” “Hey Kalei!” Beep! “Haha, whoops”), put away clothes, dug out some old cds an ex gave me when we were dating of his recordings which was a crazy trip down memory lane and eventually made it into bed.

Monday 5/5, I got off work a bit early and did my workout when I got home and sweated buckets then was folding some laundry and Kay-See called and told me all about her marathon and trip to Vancouver and I filled her in on the house prospect and my afternoon with Eric and we made plans for later in the week or weekend. While we were talking Eric called but I let it go to voicemail and called him back after I hung up with K. We talked for a while about our day and his new-old house and this upcoming weekend and last weekend so that was good. I showered then popped the prime rib dip sandwich in the oven and enjoyed it in front of Jeopardy, then Gossip Girl, then talked to Susan and did this until Bachelor.

Sunday 5/4, I woke up around 9:30 and found all the adults talking around the counter so I hunkered down and served myself up a big helping of frosted sticky buns, pineapple and strawberries. Ooooh yeah. I wasn't even hungry but I did a lot of damage. We sat around and Dad showed me some floor plans for the house they're thinking about building and I eventually got ready. We all brainstormed names and some of the good ones were Colon Blow, Hailey had lots of poop ones, Mary Juan Smoothies, and many others involving the colon and fiber. UB suggested you could get it fortified or not. We were all laughing so hard and were at it for at least a half hour. We headed down south to look at some models. Dad and I loved the Cape Cod-y one while everyone else liked the more rustic cabin-y one. Dad and I fought tooth and nail though and may have gotten Mom over to our side but that remains to be seen. Next we headed back up north to eat lunch at a brewery and I got tomato and mozzarella salad that was so good I could have had like 7 more then some french onion soup. I ate a bunch of Uncle Brad's fries and Hailey's too. Dad let me take home the other half of his prime rib dip sandwich. While we were eating Kalei called me back but I didn't answer and Auntie Lauryn then Susan so there were lots of calls coming in but I was enjoying the company of the fam. We finished up so I said by to Queen B and Dad then took the girls over to the outlets and cruised through Nine West quickly then I said bye to them and was on my way. I called Susan back but then jumped off because Chrystol was calling and I talked to her for a very long time about the boys and dilemmas and relationships so that was interesting. I called Dad and Alix won her game so I said I would stop by for the party. I bought some flowers and beat her team over and visited and snacked until people started arriving. I ate way too much considering I'd just eaten lunch. I headed home at 6. Watched some tv and did some chores then showered and relaxed. Watched my shows, called Auntie Lauryn back, talked to Grandma and went to bed.

Saturday 5/3, I woke up at 8 and got ready, gassed up and headed to Old Navy where I picked up more beach wear and some exercise stuff. Eric called while I was in the dressing room and I told him I needed to talk to Sos but that something could probably be worked out so we could hang. She beeped in and said she had a dilemma about our walk so it ended up working out fine. I checked out and called Eric back and told him we were on and he said he would come up. I went to Sos’ and we dropped off Jake’s car then headed out on our walk with the pups. We talked a lot about Eric and everything there then I called him to see where he was and he said 15 minutes so we hurried back and when I got home he was waiting at my door right at 11. He looked so cute in his green polo shirt. We went upstairs and sat on the couch talking for a long time and finally I kissed him and we went in and out of making out for a long time and eventually decided we should get something to eat. Went to PCC where we both got sandwiches then back to mine to eat and do more talking. We eventually headed up to my room to lay down and do more talking / kissing and did a lot of both. It was a lot of fun just cuddling and being close and making out and laughing. He started doing this thing on my back and was a complete turn-on and he said he would keep practicing then said he would keep my suggestion in mind. Around 4:30 I took off for Bellingham and we made plans to hang with Sos and Jake next Saturday then get hum bao in the ID so that should be fun and a challenge to see if we can find some. I made great time up north and was there by 6 and chit chatted with Auntie Heidi and Hailey until Uncle Brad got home. We snacked and talked and around 7:30 Mom and Dad arrived so there was a lot of commotion and talking and laughing and catching up and cooking. They were making the most amazing shish kebobs ever with chicken and steak and pineapple, tomatoes, onion, green pepper and mushrooms and I just about died. It was almost 9 by the time we sat down and my plate was piled high with the kebobs as well as roasted rosemary potatoes, rolls and fresh pineapple and strawberries. I ate way too much but it was too good not to. We migrated back into the family room and watched Man vs. Wild and it was a pretty good one but he kept eating a ton of nasty shit and Mom was about to lose her dinner. Dad thought it was ridiculous he kept the charcoal but later it was shown why and I totally forgot to remind him. I called Kassie and her and Skylar invested in a small business: a smoothie stand. She’ll do smoothies and Sky will do kosher hot dogs during the summer then soups in the winter and take it to festivals and has asked us to help with the name and we came up with some really good ones. Auntie served up her homemade raspberry pie with ice cream and homemade whipped cream and I ate all of mine and probably could have gone even further, but refrained. I checked myspace and Eric had written saying he lost his beach body but that he didn’t give a fuck and asked if I was excited and that we should talk about something fun later in the week. We all trickled out and got ready for bed and I bunked with Hailey and we talked about boys and dating and relationships for a long time before going to bed by about 1 maybe.

Friday 5/2, I walked right after work and I went further than I ever have, all the way to the park, and ran ALL THE WAY BACK. I didn’t stop once. It’s gotta be almost 2 miles and I’m still shocked I did it. I didn’t think I could run a half mile so I was actually really proud of myself. At home I hopped in the shower because I was a sweating mess then oven baked my sandwich from the night before but over did the fries a little. I texted back and forth with Eric a bit then talked to Susan for a while about my plans for the evening and finished getting ready for my show. I headed downtown a little after 8 and found parking about 5 blocks south of the Showbox so I just parked and walked up celebrating not paying for parking. I went in and grabbed some wall right in the middle and it proved to be a great spot. Laura Gibson was very good and when she played Broken Bottle I called Ian and left a good portion of it on his voicemail and it made me tear up and I couldn’t help but be reminded of the last time I was down there when we were together. After her set she walked by me like 4 times and I wanted to tell her how wonderful I think she is but I didn’t. Chicken shit. Eric texted me that he would see me the next day but I’d already made plans with Sos for a walk so he said he’d call me at 9 the next morning. Colin went on and I need to remember that his banter alone is worth attending a show for. I have an enormous crush on him. He was excellent and I bought the live album not knowing I should have gotten the Sam Cooke one, damn! I also got the Laura Gibson tour ep. While he played the encore I moved farther to the back and LG was standing like 6 feet from me and I smiled at her and she smiled back, yay! I’m a huge dork. When he was done I booked it back to my car and drove home.

Thursday 5/1, The new tenant at Peggy's is really hot and is 24. Mama like! Well, I don't like that he's super Christian and engaged though, I could certainly do without those obstacles. Oh well! Eye candy at least and he really does seem nice. I got home a little early and texted back and forth with Eric about the Mountain and told him I would call him later. Mom and Dad showed up not too long after so they came in and Dad flipped through the RV Trader and scouted some possibilities and Mom and I talked. I told Dad my toilet runs after flushing so he went in and fixed it then we left for dinner. We went to Calcutta Grill up at the golf course and we got a great table with a terrific view. I had a really good spinach salad with cranberries and a cranberry vinaigrette and little nuts then the prime rib dip and only ate half because I wanted to have a blizzard guilt free. We talked a lot about college and Aubrie and how grateful I am that I went to UPS and that college was more than just an education, well at least for me. So I gave them some tips then we talked about the real estate market and their plans for a house in Plain which I never thought would happen but now that it's on the table I'm super excited. Dad's on crack though if he thinks a 3,500 sqf house is going to fit where he thinks it will. On our way out Mom saw some guy in the parking lot sniffing his armpit and offered to introduce me and said how cute of a story it would be to tell the grandchildren about the pit-sniffer. We headed down to DQ and Dad started joking with the hilarious kid (who told the grumpy guy to turn the spoon upside down) about a class c license and how he's interning for one here but has one in Europe already. He doesn’t get paid, it’s all for the experience. Dad loves that guy. We went back to my house and hung out talking and making plans for Saturday then a little before 8:30 they took off to stay in Monroe for the night. I went upstairs and watched Scrubs then called Eric and left a message then called Susan about our plans for the night then called Eric back again since he'd returned my call. We talked for over an hour and I told him about the DQ guy then Xavier at Tower and how he jumped over the counter and tried to strangle a customer then we talked about his new work schedule and he's all positive about it and says that he's grateful he's able to work and that it really isn't the end of the world. Lastly I told him about an article I'd read about relationships and sex and how they evolve and there are couples out there making rules about when it's ok to make out or sleep with someone other than your partner and how fascinating it is. That led into other discussions about long term relationships and happiness and commitment and commitment-phobes (me) so it was a super interesting topic and I wish we could have had it in person because I know it would have lasted much longer but I had to get ready to go out. We hung up and made plans for next weekend and he asked me to be careful the next night. I hopped in the shower and did a quick dress and makeup job and hit the road. 90 was closed at 405 so I had to take 520 and go around that way. I called Susan for backup but she couldn't find anything. We met outside the Egyptian and walked up. The door guy's hands dove into my pockets uninvited and I snarled to Susan after he'd moved on. Not a fan. We went in and Susan checked her coat and we saw Kyle but never found him again after that then went upstairs to watch the crowd. There were four bald guys, all with pretty bad moves and the greasy Tower Jerry look-alike we hate. Tye was wearing silver lame boxers or something and I waved to him later in the evening. Not many regulars. I checked my coat and we migrated out to the dance floor. There were some good songs but he kept saying "penis" at the "venus" part and Susan slowly raised her hand to expose a middle finger expressing her displeasure of his attempt at humor. The drag show started at midnight so we stood by the pillar to people watch and eventually Andrew came over and we talked with him for a long time and I gave him a hard time about his bandana then about his friend he claims is straight. After a surprisingly short show we spotted Teal and Darren on the floor and strategized to walk by them on our way out to dance and Darren was so excited to see Susan and I got a kiss from Teal. We went to the back so I could get some water and my bartender bf was like “Where’ve you been baby?” which made me giggle. Back on the floor we were dancing and pretty soon Susan was hissing “Oh my god, turn around, turn around!” and I was ecstatic to see a spastically dancing Andrew and I was completely mesmerized. Then a bald guy replaced him with some equally hilarious moves. Pretty soon Von Trapp played that 4 Non Blondes song and that was all it took for us to decide our night was quickly coming to an end. As we were getting our coats Thomas walked up and I haven't seen him in like a year and he looked GOOOOOD and we got a hug. The tattoos on his chest are totally hot and I bit my finger suggestively in approval. We waved to Andrew on the way out and Susan gave me a ride to my car. I checked my phone and I had a text from Michael asking if I wanted to come to Quin's but I don't know who Quin is...or what it is if it's a place. It felt good to be in bed "early".

Wednesday 4/30, I picked up my Rx then over to Target where I got a whole bunch of beach wear because it dawned on me I have like no shorts. I picked out a couple pairs and some mismatched bikini tops and bottoms and a shirt and little sun dress. All stuff I can wear to the beach and I won’t care if it gets trashed. I headed home and ate some dinner and talk to Dad about him and Mom coming to town then about going to MN over Labor Day weekend. I talked to Susan and watched ANTM then did my workout because I needed to and worked up quite a sweat and got my heart rate going like crazy. I showered and climbed into bed and I think Eric texted me goodnight and called me pancake. I called redhead Eric to see what he was up to and we chatted about HI for a few minutes before he had to jump off because he was on his way to a friend's house. I consider that he answers his phone when I call a huge accomplishment. It wasn't always that way. Read and went to sleep.

Tuesday 4/29, I dropped off my Rx then home where I dilly dallied and avoided getting down to working out. Eventually I did and did my longer workout and it kicked my ass and I could barely breathe I was panting so hard. Two weeks exactly until I go to HI and I need to be in better shape so it’s time to kick it into high gear. Eric called while I was working out so I let it go to voice mail. I showered then made some dinner and enjoyed Jeopardy and texted him back that I would talk to him after 9. I watched Beauty and the Geek and was glad that one girl went home but I liked Jason so that sucked. Eric called around 9:10 and we told each other about our day and I told him about how Damon called it the gross me outlet. We talked about the bear guy that was eaten then eventually got back to talking about us and he said a lot of complimentary things about the time we’ve spent together and about me. He likes that I’m assertive and know what I want and that we have the same sense of humor and that even though he’s attracted to me he’s really attracted to my personality. Hmm, I seem to remember Ian saying the same thing so I don’t know how this bodes. He also said I’m very good at the making out and even though I pretend to be humble I already know I am. Mwahahaha! We talked for about an hour then I got ready for bed and blarged while watching the news and listening to music.