In response to the question "what does a haole mean?" It is a racially based term, and while the original meaning is foreigner or stranger, it has come to mean white person and is usually used as a derogatory term and usually follows an expletive starting with the letter "f". While it doesn't always mean something bad, it has garnered a harsh meaning no matter how it is used. It is the southern equivalent to the "N" word. 

Update, I quit my job on very good terms. My big boss came to me personally and expressed regret that I felt the need to leave, and I was able to tell her everything (in a professional way of course) that I had been frustrated about. Things have been changing a little there since I left, but things are still pretty much the same, so I feel good about my decision, although I do miss my job. I have been doing some volunteer work though through the Red Cross and that has been nice. Hopefully I will get a chance to teach (for pay!) soon. =) Joel and I also get a lot more us time which is nice. 

I started playing softball again, and while it has been a slow start it has been a lot of fun. I am playing on the base team again with a few of the same girls, and I felt very welcomed back to the team. So I will keep everyone updated on how that goes. Last year we were supposed to go to Korea for a tournament, so hopefully we will get a chance like that again. 

Another update, after a recent visit to the dr. I have decided to cut meat out of my diet. I am not a vegetarian in all that it entails-I still eat fish/seafood, and most dairy (although I only drink Silk instead of milk)-but I am not eating met. So far, so good. I found that Morningstar makes meat substitutes that, if you add a LOT of vegetables, you can hardly tell the difference......not really, but it isn't bad. We will see how long it takes, so far I haven't missed meat at all with the one exception of the 3 lbs of taco meat I made the other day for a party. It is sitting in my fridge and it's oh so good. 

LAST THING: The Olympics is in full swing, and I am obsessed! Anyone else? It's my favorite thing every 4 years! 

Out for now, Aloha Nui Loa! Love you very much.

Justine

through the door

Ok....so I went and re-read my post "a fallen world" while I don't take back most of that, I do feel a little silly after reading it again. I was angry about my job. I have FINALLY given my anger to Jesus to deal with and I have come out the other side stronger. In light of Eternity, this Job is a small thing. But I have let it change me I think. I had high aspirations to make the world a better place, starting at Richardson pool. While that may not have happened the way I planned, I still think that God was able to use me through that situation.

Update on that though: I quit my job. I put in my resignation for the end of this month and 31 July is my last day. Part of me is really sad, but unfortunately it is what it is. So I am done at that facility, but I am looking for a job a little closer to Joel so that we can carpool. I don't look back on this experience and think it was bad. Like I said in my last post, I feel as though God has taught me a lot about myself and my strengths and weaknesses. I love the saying when one door closes another opens because I really feel like this will open a lot more doors for me, spiritually, emotionally and relationally.

So I finished my book: Merle's Door. Great. Again, that's all I can say. It was so sad of course-all dog memoirs end with the dog going down that long walk into the light, and I bawled my eyes out. But it was so great. Everytime I finished I wanted to move to Wyoming and buy a farm and let Duke just run free. If you can't tell, I love my dog.

Survey....

I think these surveys are kinda fun, so I  figured I'd post it onstead of send it to people who will delete it anyway. Enjoy.

1. What is your occupation right now? Lifeguard instructor, Swim instructor. Tough life.
 
2. What color are your socks right now?  Invisible
 
3. What are you listening to right now? No music....just Oprah.
 
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Stouffer's Chicken panini. mmmm

5. Can you drive a stick shift? yes! fun stuff.

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Joel. 

 
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Fo sho.
 
8. How old are you today?  24 years and 42 days......
 
9. What is your favorite sport to watch?  Baseball and diving, ooh and figure skating. yeah. that's fun! And ALL of the olympics. 8.8.08 baby!

 
1 0. What is your favorite drink? let's see. Wild Strawberry Cyrstal Light.

 
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? once. not myself.
 
12. Favorite food? Italian, mexican, fun food, all food.
 
13. What is the last movie you watched?  Wall-E. Best movie ever.
 
14. Favorite day of the year?  my birthday. and Christmas.

15. How do you vent anger?  Exercise. And I scream. Seriously. No not really. I bottle it. 
 
16. What was your favorite toy as a child?  Softball glove and ball. 

 
17. What is your favorite season?  Winter, then fall. 

18. Cherries or Blueberries?  Cherries
 
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? is this really a question? Who doesn't?

20. Who is the most likely to respond?  Well since this is a blog, probably no one. 

21. Who is least likely to respond?  Hullo. no one.

22. Living arrangements?  cozy.
 
23. When was the last time you cried?  i don't remember.

 
24. What is on the floor of your closet?  nothing. maybe dukes bone.
 
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?
 
26. What did you do last night? played Indiana Jones LEGO and then went to bed at 8. I  work at 5:30.
 
27. What inspires you? laughter, music, the craft  store
 
28. What are you most afraid of?  Bugs. yuck!
 
29. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Joel's Chipotle cheddar burgers.  Best I have ever had!

30. Favorite dog breed?  Most. 1st-my Dukie (lab/shep), 2nd-Boxer, 3rd-Rhodesian Ridgeback
 31. Favorite day of the week? Friday
32. How many states have you lived in?Ohio, NC, SC, Mississippi, Hawaii-so 5.

a fallen world

So a few things to update:

Joel has been offered a pretty cool opportunity to work in an ROTC detatchment, namely the one he was a part of at UNCC. So what this means is that he would be a teacher for 4 years at a university. A few that we have discussed are UNNCharlotee, N.C. State, UNC Chapel Hill and UK. 
We have also pretty much decided we want to try really hard to get back home for our next base. Of course it is up to the military where they want us, but we are going to put mostly places near home.

Work has been crazy lately. Just recently I almost walked out. I was so frustrated because my boss didn't back me up when I kicked 2 boys out of the pool. The situation was a little more intense but that is sumation of the problem. Anyway, I had the hardest time reconciling my anger yesterday, and pretty much remained that way all day. I have never worked anywhere or been in any time of situation or environment as frustrating as my job right now. If I didn't just love what I do I would have quit a long time ago. I love my actual job, it is so rewarding and fun. But my boss and a few of my co-workers are just out of hand with control issues and it makes me miserable-so much so that I can't relax when I'm home. This leads me to my next thought-

Hawaii has a lot of catching up to do with the rest of the world! This is such a backwards place sometimes. I really feel like I am living in a time remniscant of the 30's in the south. People are racist and violent. And if they don't like you at work they make your life a living you know what. It is insane. If I hear about another "haole" who is beat up or killed by a local person I swear I will just scream. It is very sad to beleive that there is such ugliness in such a beautiful place. We truly live in a fallen world. I know that even though I am miserable right now, God has a plan for all of this. I have learned how to stand up for myself quite a bit when it comes to my job, I just wish my lesson hadn't had to come so rudely. 

ANYWAY. Read a good book, or am reading a good book to be correct. Merle's Door. Wonderful. Funny. Make's me look at my dog in a whole different way. Dog lover should read it, even dog haters should read it because it will make them understand dog's a little more. I think I might start doing book reviews on my little blog here....look for a full version of the Merle's door review soon. =)

it ain't easy being green

well, joel left yesterday for a little over a week for home. i am so jealous. =) he will be spending the bulk of his time in hilton head island (pictures to come later). here's to hoping our next base is closer to home.

speaking of next base, june 20 was the date we in processed, so in a year and a month from now we will be getting ready to fly away from hawaii. there is so much to do in a year. this year we are hoping to get the rest of the family out here at some time, we need to sell our house (which is daunting already) and figure out how to save some gas in the mean time. gas prices just hit $4.25 here and with driving an old jeep comes great awareness of gas prices. i have to admit, driving the hybrid to work everyday i tend to forget a little bit about the gas prices, and haven't really paid much attention. but i have bee driving the jeep around a bit and have noticed how much gas it sucks. that things gets about 12 miles to the gallon, whereas the honda gets about 42......BIG huge difference. we need another hybrid, like now. 

and speaking of hybrids, for about the past year joel and i have been trying to "go green". we use reusable bags when we shop, we recycle, we are starting to compost, we are reducing our energy (not just because it's expensive) and we have been trying all sorts of organic and natural things. reducing our carbon footprint has been a little bit of work and a little more expensive up front, but in the long run it has been paying off. for instance, we switched to cfl's right after we moved in and it has saved us a little over $20 each year in electric. i am also trying to drag the green movement over into my job. another girl and i are trying to get everyone there to recycle and we are working on starting a compost bin for our landscaping. in the name of being green here are something i think are easy ways to go green without changing your lifestyle that much:

1. cfl's-they cost more than traditional lightbulbs, but they last longer and use less energy.
2. use nalgenes/coffee mugs-starbucks (and most coffee places) give $.10 off when you bring in a tumbler and it reduces paper waste. using a nalgenes reduces plastic bottle waste.
3. buy reusable bags-now that green is "in" these bags are at most grocery stores and wal-marts. they are bretty inexpensive (around $.60/bag) and reduces a ton of waste.
4. you know to turn off lights, but also unplug appliances and computers that aren't in use. they suck more electricity than you think.

oh what a day.

i forgot to add that today was my birthday. yay me! but seriously, thanks everyone who called or wrote to wish me a happy birthday.

24 years. time is such a funny thing. relatively, 24 years can be a blip in time, or can feel like....your whole life.

we also just recently celebrated our 3rd anniversary on may 20. talk about time flying. marriage i think makes time paradoxical. on one hand, 3 years have flown by and and our wedding seems like it was just yesterday. on the other hand, i kinda feel like i have been married for a LONG time sometimes. not a bad long, jut a long long..... like i have never been without joel as my other half. i guess that's what it means for a man and his wife to "become one flesh". not that joel and i aren't individuals, we very much have out own independent likes, dislikes and identities, but we also are very much one flesh. while life would go on without my "other half" it would be a little broken. =)

ok enough of that mumbo jumbo....

by the way-i miss home. birthdays just don't seem the same unless you are surrounded by your family.

goodnight.

50th state fair

Last weekend Joel and I went to the state fair. It was a little small but it was a lot of fun. Above is Joel and me on the tilt-a-whirl, before it started of course.
























On the ferris wheel. I was holding on for dear life........

not really, but it kinda looks like it.


Ok, I am having a little trouble with layout and typing stuff in between pics, and all that jazz. Bear with me as I try to become SOMEWHAT computer savvy. I need the dummies guide to blogging........