Hawaii/2 days before :)

Hawaiian Trip Brownie and Sharon March 2010

~50Th Anniversary Present to themselves~

I'm writing this for both of us and not sure where or how to start. I wish I would have started keeping a journal in January when we made the reservations. We didn't plan on going on a cruise.. All I knew for sure was that I wanted to go to Hawaii for our anniversary and not in June. We didn't really want the big party. So I researched and we talked over all the possibilities. The more I researched the more we decided on the cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line that takes you around and thru the Islands for a week. It sounded like what we needed to plan. For one thing, we have never been to Hawaii (unless you count Brownie's landing at the Air Field on his way to Korea) but we didn't know where to go and my health and stamina as well as Brownie's can be an issue.

I got the most helpful information from posts on the Internet from people who have been there and took the time to comment. If you just read the Resort or the Cruise Line propaganda, you don't get a real picture of it. Also, for the people who have been there, if they went to a certain place, they tend to decide that is THE only place to go :) So that wasn't a lot of help either, or they had gone so long ago and things have changed. In fact, in perspective now, I think things have changed a lot since some of the comments were posted. The recession had not hit and tourism was booming in Hawaii and then the bottom fell out. And for those of you who do not know (me included) there is no industry in Hawaii, except tourism. They have no manufacturing that they export and they no longer export sugar or fruit. All of that is sold to Islanders and tourists. So if tourism isn't working, Hawaii is hurting very bad.

So all that said.. We did a lot of reading and then Brownie got on the phone and called a travel agent and inquired about the cruise and other options. We decided the cruise would be the best for us. We would fly to Honolulu and then cruise :) We never thought we would want to cruise but this sounded like the perfect solution. And it was! The amusing part, also in hindsight, is the travel agent had tried to tell us we should have made the reservations a year before :) In actuality, there were tickets available immediately. We wanted to go the middle of February, but because we could not get the cabin we wanted we got the cruise that left March 7Th.(We wanted a room with a window, not a deck)

And then I got very sick. Still not sure what happened but January is a blur to me. Feb. we worked very hard to get me healthy because we have now PAID FOR THE CRUISE! So with good food and walking a little and planning some things to do each day. I gradually came out of it. I got my little peddler out and tried to get my legs stronger. I did get better and Tina came and helped my organize my clothes.

In fact the day we did that we had a blast! Usually I hate trying on clothes, but this was fun! Mostly I got my clothes from the back of my closet or on line and we got luggage from Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro! We did try to go with as little as possible so we could buy stuff. Also, the cruise line provided us with a very good list of things to bring and I must say it was very accurate. We didn't use the umbrella's or rain slickers but that's a good thing:) and we didn't need as warm a coats as told.

I never knew how many details there are to just be gone for 12 days?????? I've been gone longer then that before! But it was the fear of the UNKNOWN :) But we did it and got to feeling good and excited and Monday March 1st rolled around and that was Brownie's last day to work before we left! I got my brand new wallet arrange and a few other little odds and ends done and btw it was SNOWING! and it was cold and NASTY!

Then on Tuesday March 2ND Tina came over with our little boys and Papa watched them while Tina and I did errands such as going to Credit Union and getting my mani and my pedi! A new young man from Vietnam is at the nail place and he was very interested in traveling and history, we had a good conversation. More educated then most of then, glad to hear he had other plans for his life. He made a beautiful design on my big toes and painted my nails dark for the Hawaiian tan I intend to get :). Tina and boys leave and we start packing! The little Carry on's are sitting in the hall!

Now it's Wed. march 3rd and we planned to get up early but sort of overslept :) It was OK though, in the end we probably needed our rest that morning.

Worked more on the packing and sorted every piece of dirty clothes I could find. Washed and folded them all! Daniel and Katherine brought Liam by on his way home from school. We had lunch and Kat tried to fix my laptop that has MAJOR problems. She thought she could, but we needed to get busy so Daniel is going to take it to the Computer Shoppe for me.

We stripped the bed and put on clean sheets, cleaned out the frig and gave TooSweet a bath. Brownie cleaned out the "furry children's" crates and bags and they are lined up ready to go :( TooSweet is excited because she thinks she is going with us ~


Penny is just pacing around curious as to what is happening and deep sighing. Penny is clueless

and TooSweet is just overjoyed :) We are OFF to the SPA! Penny went right in.. Spike was doing the strange grumbling growling sound that is his mantra~

TooSweet is beginning to vibrate! They let us take them back to their rooms. Penny went right in and turned around, smiled and then pitifully began whimpering:( One of the girls took Spike and he was hissing at her all the way(he was in lock down) We got TooSweet's crate and bed and blanky and her toys in the great big run and put her in after them. She just stood there wagging her tail. Waiting for us to take her out...OH DEAR OH DEAR...Mom's about to lose it..best if we just get OUT OF THERE!

Home we came and so excited now.. no kids, no dogs, no cats..just us and stuff!

We did the serious ending of the packing and Brownie got it packed all giggy goggy(can't wait till spell check gets those words :)

in the back of my little car! We watched American Idol on TV then I came and got our boarding pass on line printed and READY! Got all our papers in order on the outside of the carry on's and my purse and Brownie's wallet organized. Double checked the camera and phones to make sure charged and stashed them where they belonged.

WE ARE READY!!!!!!!!!!! To bed by 10!