I almost forgot what that looks like.
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  Aloha, I'm Donna, known everywhere on the Internet as "Champuru." I'm a Christian, blissfully wedded to my perfect match (the yang to my yin) of 15 years and a stay-at-home mom to my miracle baby, born in October 2008. Living life in Hawaii, less than 5 miles from my hometown, seeking balance in her pursuit of family, faith, recreation, and rest. Read more on the About page.
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 Despite the fact that we’ve had 40+ days of rain, I still haven’t mastered the proper technique to stay dry en route from building to car – even with the assistance of my cute red umbrella. On more than one occasion, I’ve felt that use of the umbrella was all for naught since I ended up getting pretty soggy simply during the few seconds that it takes for me to throw my purse in, close the umbrella, shake it out, and toss it onto the floor behind the driver’s seat. Am I the only one with this problem? Although most residents curse the sight of the heavy, dark rain clouds looming over the islands, I must admit that I love the rain. Certainly, I don’t enjoy driving in the traffic snarls that heavy rains seem to elicit, but the pattering of raindrops on the windows and the rhythmic thumping of windshield wipers have a calming effect on me, especially after a long day at the office. I am wondering, though, when will it end? I feel sorry for those poor souls who spent their life savings on a sunny, tropical Hawaiian vacation only to find that they landed in soggy Seattle. To add insult to injury, there’s the raw sewage flowing into the ocean and the closure of some of Hawaii’s most famous beaches. Lovely. Not good for the tourist industry, I’m sure. On the bright side, at least this weather gives the Hawaii’s forecasters something to report besides the usual, “Partly cloudy, chance of windward and mauka showers. Trades 10-15 miles per hour.”  Hubby, always disgustingly chipper in the morning, tried unsuccessfully to rouse me from sleep so that we could make it to our 9:00 am Karate class. Unfortunately, dreams of work haunted my slumber all night and I awakened exhausted as if I had put in a full eight hours at the office. I slowly emerged from beneath the sheets and crawled away from my tormentor in slow motion. Amused by this sight, Hubby remarked, “Look! It’s an Okinawan three-toed sloth!” Grr. Needless to say, I sent Hubby away to attend karate by himself this morning. Once in a while I want the luxury of not having to be startled into wakefulness by my alarm clock, to allow myself to sleep until I can sleep no more. At the same time, I always get that guilty feeling when I sleep too long. Since I have little free time these days, spending too much time unconscious seems like a terrible waste. I ended up waking up about three minutes after Hubby drove away, around 8:45. So much for sleeping in. Oh, the great paradox of Saturday mornings.  Joyce and I enjoy lunch at Okonomiyaki Chibo Restaurant Waikiki, Hawaii Joyce and I both started new jobs, our effective dates only a week apart. Suffering through the difficult transition period, it was somehow comforting knowing that a kindred spirit was experiencing similar struggles and could relate. We consoled each other over good food and toasted to finding our groove sooner rather than later.  Ohhhhh-konomiyaki… It’s been a while since I had a good okonomiyaki. Far too long, actually. The staff at Okonomiyaki Chibo Restaurant greeted me warmly as we walked in. I always get that neat “Cheers” feeling there. (“Sometimes you want go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came…”) As always, the food and service was impeccable and I am reminded why Chibo is still my #1 favorite restaurant. We both ordered what Joyce calls the “Donna Special” which is okonomiyaki with mochi, cheese and bacon. Definitely one of my best-loved comfort foods.  I like people that aren’t camera shy. After lunch, Joyce’s husband called and asked her if she would make a detour and pick up some Beard Papa’s cream puffs. I had completely forgotten about their presence in Waikiki. While in Hakodate, I had my first Beard Papa’s cream puff and discovered why people went nuts when they offered it for a limited time at Shirokiya in Hawaii.  I was hoping for Matcha Flavor, but this month’s premium flavor was coffee. Wrong caffeinated beverage, people. It was a little bit of an ordeal finding the Food Pantry on Kuhio, then determining where to park. We ended up feeding $4 to the park-and-pay machine behind the building, not realizing that metered parking was just a stone’s throw away from the entrance. Unfortunately, I’m too much of a chicken to tempt fate and run in without paying the fee, even though we were in the store for less than 5 minutes. Nevertheless, I felt that it was worth it. For a taste of Beard Papa’s again, I was willing. Not quite willing to wait hours in line at Shirokiya, but certainly willing to brave the Waikiki traffic and pay a few bucks for parking. Food and friends – the perfect formula for a day well-spent.  Shh… I already ate two.  Warning: Geeks at Play I was looking through my old photographs and came across this series of shots taken in 2002 in the office of the department I just left. It made me nostalgic for the good old days. There’s nothing like working with a bunch of like-minded geeks to make for a happy work environment. It has taken me a few weeks to switch gears from 1337 g33k to executive assistant. Today marks exactly one month from my start date and this past week felt like a turning point for me. It was the first time since I started that I actually felt some sense of ownership and comfort in my position. Of course, the amount of knowledge yet to be attained still outweighs the knowleged that I’ve gained, but at least the feeling of being hopelessly overwhelmed has passed. This time last week, I was filled with trepidation, teetering on the verge of an anxiety attack. I literally spent the entire weekend dreading Monday that it nearly ruined two perfectly good days off. Depression was at the door, threatening to overtake me. Lethargy, a lack of motivation and the desire to dive into bed and hide from the world are pretty good indicators that depression is looming. The cure? A nice, long afternoon walk with the Hubby. Good company and endorphins always work to dispel those melancholy feelings. I also did a lot of praying. The week was not without its challenges, but I was able to approach it with a different attitude and outlook. This seemed to make a huge difference in my stress level. I just hope that I will be able to continue progressing in this positive direction. If so, before I know it, I will be embracing my job with a zeal that I previously held for my post in IT. Well, I can hope, right?  |
  
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