Work

The first day of training went well and today was supposed to be another training shift.

We were supposed to have a big wind storm here this morning, which we did, and when I arrived at work, the power was out.  Some of the staff had been there for hours in the dark because our boss said we should stick around because the power would be back on soon.  Luckily it was only half an hour until it was turned on and then I actually got to work a short shift.

This job is easy peasy lemon squeezy.  You greet the table, take the drink order and deliver the drinks, take the entrée order, and deliver the entrées, process payment when they’re finished.  So easy!  I only took a few tables today and only actually served for two hours, and made $30, so I think the job is going to earn me a few loonies, as they say.  

My birthday is this weekend and if Will can manage to get off work a little early, it looks like I’ll get to go visit my parents for a birthday dinner.  Will, my parents, and a good dinner.  That would be a perfect birthday.

I work again Saturday, hopefully I can rake in a bit more cash!  It’s so nice to finally be earning money again instead of just spending it.

Now happily working and living in Burnaby

I’m all settled in Burnaby, and with a new job.

Will moved and unpacked at the new place while I was gone and did an amazing job!  We love the apartment.  We can bake things, we can freeze things, and we clean-up with a dishwasher; what more could you want?!  The evening I came back, Will cooked a roast, we had ice in our drinks, and then cleaning only took a few minutes, finally.

I accepted a job yesterday after a brief interview and am now working at Nathan’s Bar and Grill in Burnaby, just a quick 10 minute drive from home.  The training started this morning at ten, and I am so excited that I actually get to charge people for ice tea and bread (for those who don’t know, I used to work at the Spaghetti Factory, where those things were free, and refills were free, and a bunch of other stuff was free, and the bottom line: it sucked).  Ah, the simple things.  The girls that work there are really friendly and the job should be a snap.  Oh, and I get to bartend!  I love bartending.  I’m on the work schedule for Thursday!!

Last day in Maui

Well, it’s the last day of our family vacation in Hawaii and I can hardly wait to see Will tomorrow afternoon (if travel plans go accordingly of course).  I’ve been missing him like crazy!!!

I wish I could take the sunshine with me; it’s been about 80-85 degrees F, sunny, and at times, just a little breezy.  In two words: perfect weather.  From what I’ve heard, the Pacific Northwest is not faring so well.  Rain, more rain, strong winds, power outages, toppling trees, and near freezing temperatures.  Sounds delightful, doesn’t it.

Good-bye Hawaii, hello Will

A Maui Sunset

The road to Hana

 

Waterfall

 

All the guidebooks seem to have loads of advice on navigating the infamous Road to Hana.  ”Fill your gas tank”, “take food and water”, and “no cellphone reception” are a few of the key phrases they all seem to include.  The road has 617 turns and 56 one-lane bridges.  Why bother going on this epic road?  Because it leads to epic things!!!  (Oh, and do take a guidebook or article with you, it helps knowing where all the waterfall/lookout spots are, as they are not well marked).

Wow, I saw some spectacular stuff today on the road to Hana including: multiple waterfalls, bamboo forests, diverse flora and fauna, cliffs, lava rock beaches, lava tube caves, and a black sand beach.  Again, wow.  Consult the pictures, as my description won’t do them justice.  The town of Hana, which the road leads to (go figure), is not the destination, as it has very little to offer, but the road and stops along the way certainly do.

My Dad drove, and Ashley and I took turns in the front seat.  Luckily we didn’t get carsick during the 617 turns and 56 bridges.  We left at 10 in the morning and didn’t return until dinner time.  If you get the chance to go to Maui, I’d highly recommend the road to Hana, as long as you don’t get motion sickness!!

Check out the photos here: 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2566283&id=10719666&l=c796c1235d

Black sand beach

No mosquitoes? I beg to differ…

All I have to say about this is there are definitely mosquitos on Maui and I think they are sexist.  They need to all drop dead.  That is all.

Aloha!

Family card game

Sunset

Chillin’ on a lava rock

Tidepools

The lava rock, tidepools, and sandy beach

Ashley and I

Palm trees, blue skies

Sarah and I with driftwood

Sarah and Mom at dinner

Ashley and Dad checking out the menu

After a few glitches in the travel plans from Seattle to Maui, we finally made it!! Aloha from Hawaii!  

First off, I miss Will like crazy (miss you Will! so so much).  Everything would be better with Will here.  

The weather has been beautiful; 80-85 degrees F, clear skies, and a light breeze.  We’ve been to the beach the last few mornings, and last night the family went out for a great fish dinner at one of the premier fine dining restaurants on the island.  Today has been pretty laid back, and we may be going out for sushi/sashimi this evening (I love rare ahi tuna!).  Take a look at the pictures, they do a better job of showing the vacation than I can convey with words.

Miss you Will!

My flight to Hawaii: cancelled.

*sigh*

I’m in Phoenix, not Maui.  My family and I were supposed to be in Maui by now, but instead we’re in Phoenix.  Let me start at the beginning.

We got up this morning, bright and early, and were about to leave the house to go catch our flight to Hawaii when my Dad received a text from the airline.  Cancelled.  Cancelled!  How could they cancel it??  No explanation, no compensation, no other available flights.

My Dad immediately called the airline and they said the soonest they could fly us out would be Sunday.  We would then be arriving Sunday evening as opposed to this evening, Friday evening.  The accomodation is booked, a luau is booked, things are booked!!!  Things we can’t get compensation on!

This being Spring break for the Seattle area public school system, there were no open seats to anywhere.  We could not get seats on any plane out of Seattle.  This leaves us with the option we went with: rent a car, drive to Portland, fly from Portland to Phoenix, Arizona, and then on Saturday afternoon fly from Phoenix to Maui.  We’ll hopefully (fingers crossed) be in Maui by tomorrow evening.  

So it’s been a day full of explicit four-letter words and frustration, but arriving Saturday is better than arriving Sunday!

On a more positive note, I now have three job offers!  Go me.  I was offered a summer serving patio position at a fine dining restaurant on the waterfront, a summer serving job at a casual fine dining restaurant in Burnaby, and now a serving position at a bar and grill in Burnaby.  So many choices!  Not sure what I’m going to go with, guess I’ll have to give it some thought.

Will is moving us to the new apartment on Tuesday, April 1st.  I wish I could be there to help; I know it’s a pain in the butt that he won’t have a car.  It’ll be really nice to come back to the new apartment; we’ll have an oven, freezer, and dishwasher!  We will be able to bake things and have ice in our drinks!  What a concept!

I miss Will like crazy.  I love you Will!

Driving in Vancouver = Frustration

My guidebook said that Vancouver may be the only major city in North America that doesn’t have a major highway going through it.  So what?  Okay, big deal, so I thought there would be a few traffic lights here and there.  I didn’t realize that basically every single intersection in Vancouver has a traffic light.  A big city with traffic lights every block makes Vancouver a very slow, frustrating city to navigate by car.  It takes Will nearly just as long to cycle to his work as it does for me to drive there.

Vancouver has both green lights and flashing green lights.  It took us a little while to figure out why there were both when every other country in the world seems to think just solid green lights are satisfactory.  The reason for flashing green lights?  To signal that cars may pull out in front of you because they have to try to shoot across an intersection or turn left without a light.  Which brings me to left-hand turns.

The car sensors here only work sometimes, and only some, probably 10%, of the intersections even have a left turn lane or light.  So you’re cruising along in the left hand passing lane of one of their two or four-lane city roads infested with traffic lights, and everyone slams on their brake because someone has stopped to try to turn left.  However, since there are no highways in Vancouver, there’s always tons of traffic on the small city roads, so oncoming traffic is steady, and the right lane traffic is steady, so you just have to wait.  The light turns yellow, the oncoming traffic stops, and the person turning left finally takes the turn as the light turns red.  Sometimes you have to wait two rounds of green lights to make a left hand turn, because only a couple cars can ride out that yellow light to turn left.  And sometimes you have to wait at nearly every single light because of people turning left.  I’ve learned to stay out of the left lane, and to run a lot of yellow lights.  I miss driving in Seattle!!