Stress exists in paradise too

I am spectacularly bored at work. I still do not have access to email on any of my three systems. I'm using a temporary log-in to access the internet, which thankgod has prevented me from going completely and utterly insane. I've read the news more thoroughly the last week than I have in YEARS. On the plus side, my desk is right in front of an enormous picture window with a view of Pearl Harbor below and the ocean beyond. Three mornings now have greeted me with a giant rainbow arcing directly into the parking lot under my window. My real desk (cubicle) will be faced away from the window, once I can sit there (waiting on my clearance to come through), but even then I will only have to turn around to see the same view.

I must admit, though, this morning I was beaten down by Hawaii.

I hesitate to write anything bad about my experience here since I don't want you guys to think I'm a complaining uptight bitch (haha), but it's my party and I'll cry if I want to... it just goes to reinforce that there are problems EVERYWHERE and you can change your situation and trade one set of problems in for another, but life will never be without its difficulties. That said, the problems are much easier to bear when you get to take a walk on the beach nearly every evening. Tangent!

Where was I? Oh yes, this morning I woke up all sticky and sweaty like normal here, since there is no a/c and it is hot and I perspire all night. It was 5:15 and I wanted to sleep longer of course. I headed into the bathroom feeling like a puffer-fish, my pajamas were damp and sticking to my legs and I turned on my flat iron to straighten my hair. Thirty minutes later, even after a cold shower and a big glass of ice water, my hair was still resembling more of a brillo pad than silk, and I was sweating my ass off. I was about to cry, I was so frustrated! Don't get me wrong I still would not want the traffic, pollution, metro, job stress, etc of DC back - no way.

Anyway, I can't even do much in the way of wedding planning at work here because I'm in a cubicle farm and everyone can hear my phone conversations, and I keep having to surf wedding stuff surreptitiously since I should be doing something work-productive obv, and not planning my wedding! We are working now on finding a place to have a reception - you'd think it would be easy, but places are booked already on Feb 21, and some are super expensive and there just aren't that many places ON THE BEACH that are going to work. We have an appointment this afternoon with a coordinator out at Ko'Olina, which is a really nice resort area and would have a lovely view of the sun setting in the ocean, and I would love to have the reception there even though it's on the exact opposite side of the island from where the ceremony is going to be held. Plus the price seems a little steep, but seeing as I've never planned a wedding before I don't know what is reasonable..... cakes and alcohol are expensive, I realize, but THAT expensive? We may end up settling on a less than ideal setting just to fit in our budget.

The next items on the list after we settle on a reception venue (which we intend to do in the next couple of days) are the dress, flowers, entertainment, photographer.... I think those are the big ones but I'm probably missing some critical piece of the puzzle. I just want to have everything settled so we can forget about it until the big day!