Here’s an installation of Friday 5 that I know Mahealani would appreciate, although it’s a tough one for me to answer!

1. What’s your favorite yellow food?
Bananas! Apple bananas, specifically.

2. What’s your favorite yellow item of clothing?
There isn’t a single article of clothing in my wardrobe in yellow. Nada, not even one. My clothes have a somber color palette.

3. What yellow object can you see right now?
The cover of an old issue of Real Simple in my magazine on my bookshelf.

4. When was the last time you felt like a coward?
On Wednesday, when I had to take a phone call from an irate customer who was calling from our security phone downstairs, demanding to meet with the “top dog” (my boss). I still have not grown accustomed to talking to customers — especially irate ones — and find that to be the most loathesome part of my job. Luckily, it’s pretty infrequent. (Let’s hope it stays that way.)

5. What did you last use a sticky-note for?
Sticky-notes are an integral part of my daily existence. They are an extension of my poor memory. My last use of sticky-notes, however, was to jot down the birthdates and anniversaries of my immediate family (on my in-laws side) for the calendar that I am creating for Christmas gifts.

Happy Hooker, I mean Shari

With Mom’s interest in crochet rekindled, I figured that we better seize the opportunity before her small embers of enthusiasm are snuffed out by the daily grind. She used to make elaborate motifs and decorative table settings in the days before Donna, 30-plus years ago. I guess I was such a handful that she didn’t have the time or energy to continue her hobby after I came along. Now that I’m all grown up, I suppose it’s safe for her to pick it back up.

Since Shari got me started, I thought I would pay it forward and get Mom on the crochet bandwagon again, too. I took her and Pops to Ben Franklin yesterday, picked up some yarn and new crochet needles. Without any instruction from me, she was off and stitching. She, too, got the crochet bug and was asking for books with patterns for new projects. So, this morning after church, we picked the folks up and made a beeline for Borders to pick up a couple of books on crochet, including Stitch ‘n Bitch Crochet: Happy Hooker by Debbie Stroller and Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crocheting.

After I finish this afghan, I’m looking forward to attempting other projects — such as an iPod Cozy. But, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. I’m still trying to master the double-crochet technique here.

In a conversation this morning after church, my six-year-old niece inquired, “Aunty, why is your hair frizzy today?”

At a loss for words, I just blurted out the first thing that came to mind — which, incidentally, is the real reason I am wearing my hair au naturel on the weekends, “I’m letting it relax today.”

She scrunched up her face, gave me a big “phhhhbbbbttthh!” and laughed as if to say, “aunty, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard in my entire six-year-old life!”

Kids say the darnedest things, don’t they?

Perhaps this is the reason I don’t yet have kids. I don’t know how to talk to them in a way that doesn’t cause them to lose control of their bodily functions and burst into uncontrollable laughter at inappropriate times. That’s just embarrassing. Dang it.

It’s Friday! Here’s this week’s installment of the Friday 5.

1. Do you have a hurricane or tornado story?
Days before Thanksgiving Day in 1982, Hurricane Iwa, passed through the Hawaiian islands, leaving devastation in its wake. I was only 9 years old, but I remember being worried, but not frightened. As the gusts blew the roofing paper right off our roof, I recall covering whatever we could inside the house with tarp and plastic to prevent water damage. Already, leaks had sprung in the roof, and pots and pans were situated to catch the water. With a few necessary items, including a large futon comforter, we evacuated to my uncle’s house next door. My uncle’s dog, a Chihuahua mix named Cricket, was relegated to his doghouse to weather the storm. I wanted to bring him in the house, but the adults would not allow it. After all, he was an “outside dog” and did not belong in the house. As we listened to the storm updates on the radio by candlelight and the wind howled outside, all I could think about was that little dog, wet, shivering and scared, inside his little ramshackle doghouse. I was convinced that he would not survive the night. The first thing I did the next day when the storm had passed was to check on him. Thankfully, that resilient little dog was just fine the next morning.

2. When was the last time you flew a kite?
I can’t remember how old I was, but probably around the 6th grade. We bought a cheap plastic kite and I remember running across the field to get it started. Although it took a while, the wind finally caught it and we flew it for a while in the park that afternoon. It’s one of the many fond memories of my childhood with my daddy.

3. Not counting in the midst of a storm, where’s the windiest place you’ve been?
Pali Lookout. High school days.

4. Where did you last see a real windmill?
On the Big Island somewhere — perhaps on the way to South Point? I can’t remember exactly.

5. From which direction is the wind coming right now?
East — from my air conditioner.

How did I ever get along without iTunes? With just a click of my mouse, I had Josh Groban’s newest album, “Awake” in my hot little hands minutes after I read Renee’s blog entry plugging it.

So far, the song “You are Loved (Don’t Give Up)” is the stand out of the album. I’ve already burned the album to CD so I can take it along for my rush hour commute to and from work tomorrow to get a better listen. Too bad I forgot my iPod Shuffle at work, I would have loaded it with the new Josh songs to soothe my frayed nerves at the office.

Here’s a tip for you Josh fans out there: Get the $14.99 version. Besides the three bonus tracks, it comes with a behind-the-scenes video and a copy of the digital booklet. The only thing that I felt that downloaded music lacked was the album art and inserts. Now, you can get that, too.

As I viewed the digital booklet, I noticed that Josh’s new look includes a five o’clock shadow. Although I am not a fan of facial hair at all, somehow it doesn’t look so bad on him — in certain angles. Pair that with a head of disheveled curly brown locks and you have a slightly edgier look. Perhaps they’re trying to give him a sexy new image that matches his sultry voice.

Tomorrow is Friday and I have new Josh songs to listen to. Could it get any better than this? Celebrating the little pleasures in life gets me through the more mundane and trying moments in my day. Try it, it works.

This is so typical of us.

This afternoon, as I dragged my tired body across the threshold, Hubby greeted me and said he had presents for me. An unexpected surprise, I thought.

“I had to buy one for work, so I couldn’t buy one for myself and not buy one for you,” he said and handed me a new SureFire E1e Executive Elite flashlight.

“Oooh! It’s so cute!” I exclaimed and instinctively pressed the button to test it. A little known fact about me: I have an affinity for bright, compact flashlights. SureFires in particular. And since I lost my other one, I have been meaning to buy myself a replacement.

Judging by his reaction, apparently, “cute” wasn’t the adjective he was looking for. “Well, I figure it’s small enough so it won’t take up too much space in your purse.”

“Oh, and I also got you these!” he handed me a pack of valve caps for my vehicle tires.

Who needs flowers and chocolates when you can get SureFire flashlights and valve caps? This is what romance looks like after 13 years of marriage. I love it! Ain’t life grand?

I submitted the application for my diploma today. Soon, very soon, I will have that piece of paper that claims that I am now edumacated *ahem* educated. Or something.

I think it’s rude that they charge you a fee for your diploma. After all, I have been paying through the nose all these years. Don’t you think that they could throw in that piece of paper for free as a lovely parting gift?