Why didn't I think of this before?

My day was not too shabby, I must say. It didn't start off the best. I mean, I got the kids off to Seminary OK...Coree woke up on time, got lunches made and Jake got up, showered and ready and all. All that went fine. It was just when I got over to the gym, Mr. Jones was there with his wife! What...does he think he's on leave or something? Doesn't he know that this is GIRL time at the gym when all the husbands are supposed to be at work? Sheesh! Just his presence wouldn't have been too annoying on its own...but he was on MY machine! MINE! The only one I can use without extreme foot pain followed by having to take several days off, defeating the whole purpose, entirely! That was where things took a wrong turn...because on a perfect day, everything goes my way, and clearly, this was not how I had planned things...or I would have saved myself the trouble of driving the .2 kilometers to the neighborhood gym. (Don't roll your eyes like that! It could start pouring down buckets of rain at ANY time here...I've seen it happen!)

Anyway, he was just getting started on his hour. I know, because I asked him how much longer he had and he told me 50-some minutes. Then he asked if I'd like him to move to another machine. (YES...duh!) Of course, being full of a natural tendency to sacrifice for others, I said (in my sweetest voice) "No, no...that's OK...I'll just come back..." to which he quickly replied, "GOOD, because I'm not getting off, anyway!" (Nice! Did I mention he's a leader in our church, too?)

SO...there I was. I wouldn't have enough time to get the workout in before golf lessons...and Susan and I had talked about going for sure this week. I had a bunch of stuff to get done afterward, so I would have to choose between golf and the elliptical. I called Susan...she wasn't as enthused about the golf, but said, "What I want to do is go for a bike ride with you." (I had told her about my prior ride with Molly, following her to Gate 2 street while she ran.) I was totally game. Beautiful day, beautiful bike, beautiful friend...so off we went.

I have actually come to embrace the spectacle that I am while riding my bike. First off, this is no ordinary bike. (Let me back up a little.) Right before we moved out here, I decided that one of the things I wanted to do while I was here (besides riding a freakin' elephant in Thailand) was to ride a bike around town whenever I could...especially at the beach. We were told that bikes for women were not easy to come by over here, so we went to our local bike shop in The IV to see what we could find...and I fell in love. I was looking for a cruiser...but this is not just any cruiser, it's like my 70's girl bike reincarnated as its most perfect self. For starters, it's different shades of purple on white...the palest shade sometimes looks pink. It has a comfy purple and white seat with its own suspension...and as an added bonus, tassels...purple and white. They didn't come with it, but I added them. (Yes, I am reliving my childhood.) It's got 7 speeds and hand brakes...but I never went back to the store to retrieve the forgotten, bonus basket...so that's something I still need to find here to complete the look. I have learned that mostly, you get what you pay for...and this bike is a dream to ride. Secondly, it's no secret...I'm not a small girl. Compared to these tiny Okinawans...I could be a Sumo wrestler. So if you combine the bike and the girl...you can't miss us! But that's OK...if I can get out in the sunshine, with the breeze blowing through my hair AND provide comic relief for the locals...it's a win-win in my book!

Anyway, where was I? Yes...so Susan and I set off on our biking adventure. We had decided to ride from Plaza toward Kadena, and that when we reached Rt. 23 (which runs parallel to Kadena) we'd turn around and head home. This ride wasn't quite as long as 330 to Gate 2 Street...but it is not as flat, either. It was really a challenge and as I went down each hill, while I was thoroughly enjoying the speed...I knew the contrast would be huffing and puffing up the same hill on the return trip (which took away some of the thrill). The round trip was about 45 minutes...not bad for a couple of old ladies.

Susan suddenly had a great idea that we could do our visiting teaching. It was the last day of the month, after all...what better time? We swung by my house real quick to grab some candy to drop off (nothing says, "forgive me for being a lame-o, last-minute, drive-by visiting teacher" like some Japanese candy). We were joking about being really old Sister Missionaries on the way to our first stop, and quickly discovered our neighborhood is not as flat as we thought. We caught Misty at home and Susan shared a ten second spiritual thought, which was followed by a nice chat about weight loss and housekeeping (because we're deep like that). But, once again, Mr. Jones foiled my plans by no doubt whisking his wife off to brunch or something, because she was nowhere to be found. (Fine...I'm keeping the candy, then. No checky in the boxy...no candy in the handy!)

Anyhoo...Susan and I rode to our respective homes, and I showered (you're welcome for that visual) and got myself ready for my busy day. I had much to do around the house, as well as many errands to run, including my LEAST favorite...the commissary. I just really dislike grocery shopping. I do realize that is extremely ungrateful of me considering the majority of the world's population does not have a huge treasury of food that magically appears on gleaming shelves. But I still hate it, nonetheless. It is my least favorite chore, closely tied with putting away laundry (matching up the socks being the most hated part of that task...but I digress).

By the time I got out of the house, it was lunch time, and by the time I got to my last errand (see above) it was two o'clock. I was feeling stressed because I was running out of time, but I also didn't want to go to the commissary starving (bad idea...I've done it before). My first impulse was to hit the Taco Bell drive-thru, but that just wasn't going to cut it. I was really wanting real food, and suddenly the thought of a little Hawaiian restaurant Julia took me to popped into my head. It was back before I had any sense of direction here, but I knew some nearby landmarks, so I set out to find it, and succeeded!



As soon as I walked in, I wondered what had taken me so long to come back. The casual atmosphere was so welcoming. Beautiful Hawaiian music plays overhead, flowers and thatching are everywhere. Bright colors and sunshine streaming in from the patio complete the setting. As I sat sipping ginger ale, waiting for my Aloha Shrimp and Gyoza, I noticed 2 other women doing the same thing...each sitting alone, one with a good book, another immersed in a bunch of important looking papers. Why hadn't I thought of this before? I pulled a cookbook out of my bag and started marking pages and making a list...something that would make the commissary trip go a WHOLE lot smoother, but I had not had time to do before I left the house.



I think I have a new grocery shopping plan. Suddenly, when paired with a trip to Ono Kau Kau, the commissary doesn't seem so bad. Sorry, laundry...looks like it's just you now!