Insights from Hawaii Mean Girls

PCC Kamaaina Holiday Special

2009-11-20T19:07:00.003-10:00

Ladies - the Polynesian Cultural Center is having a terrific holiday special for Hawaii residents. It's only $25 to see its new show, "Ha: Breath of Life" and you also get a free buffet dinner. Use this coupon to get a free seat upgrade too! Cant' beat that.

Let me know if you gals go!

A Year For Change

2009-07-17T13:41:00.002-10:00

It's a definitely a year for change for the Mean Girls. Babies, break ups, heartache, falling in love, moving to another country... What a whirlwind!

For all these life-changing events, it's easy to lose yourself (and your sanity) in the crazy moments. Yet, the girls are always there to pick you up, dust you off, smack you over the head and make you laugh when you feel like crying.

Last night I realized something. No matter how long it's been since I've seen an MG, no matter where we are in the world - there's a connection.

For those of you I haven't seen in a while - just know I love you and am thinking of you.

Happy Double Birthday, Jen and Mo!

2009-01-18T20:56:00.004-10:00

Mean Girls Jen and Mo not only share a birthday,

but they share another thing in common...

A fascination, addiction, and infatuation with Twilight.
So in honor of that, here's a fun tribute to our birthday girls!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
JEN AND MO!

I'm in lust with Edward Cullen

2009-01-10T19:56:00.004-10:00

It's official - I'm in lust with Edward Cullen and all things vampire. He could hold my arms down and slowly taste my neck any day. Mmmmmmmm. Noreen gets book one next... anyone else wanna borrow it after her? I have all four, Mo has number 2 and 3.

OH! But i just saw that Friday Night Lights is coming back on next week, which means that my attentions may have to be divided between the immortal Edward and the very mortal Tim Riggins. OK, I'm a big loser and we all know love Dave Pang more than anything in the world. :-)

Have a Groovy Christmas from the MGs!

2008-12-22T11:58:00.003-10:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I think this should be a new Jazzercise routine!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Caption Me This

2008-12-20T20:53:00.004-10:00

Since the Mean Girls are all in the business of spin,
we often have to put words into other people's mouths
to make them look good!

So, let's put words in our own mouths with this game,
"Caption Me This!"

Using the following photos taken from the Mean Girls bowling,
comment with what you think the caption should read.

For example,

"Starr points out that only the coolest of the Mean Girls
wore their Mean Girls shirts to bowling"

"It's a wonder that the Pepsi cup is as big as Kailoa!"

Okay, lame, but you get the picture!
Let's see who can come up with the best caption!

Striking Out at Xmas!

2008-12-20T20:28:00.005-10:00

The Mean Girls (well, at least the female ones)
went bowling to celebrate Christmas together!

We were actually amused by the bright, neon,
80's-style bowling / clown shoes!

Some of us got the bowling position down!

Even the kids got into the action!

Thank goodness for the gutter guardrails!

Not everyone bowled...

And I'm sure these two did nothing but praise
those of us who did bowl with compliments like
"Her ass is much smaller than I thought"
or "I'm very impressed by the way she can grab a ball
and hurl it away"

Of course, being the non-competitive, supportive friends we are,
we didn't keep score.

And alas, we ended in a tie!
Yay, we broke 100!

Then, after that rough workout, we decided to do our secret Santa presents.
We each randomly chose a number 1-7.
You can pick a gift and unwrap it or steal something someone has.
If someone steals from you, you can either pick again
or steal from someone else.
But an item can only be stolen twice.
Those are the rules... but some tried to bend them a little.
Like I said, we're non-competitive... right...

Merry Christmas, Bitches!

Happy Birthday YankeeGal!

2008-10-14T10:39:00.002-10:00

Our favorite New Yorker celebrated her birthday!

Hope you had a FABULOUS one!

Congrats Aaron & Fitha!

2008-09-15T19:54:00.011-10:00

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Aaron Dahana-Ellis!

The MeanGirls were all together to show their support & love to the newlyweds

Ty made his debut as the Wedding Broccoli Singer!

It was an elegant, intimate evening with great food, music and of course, lots of happiness and best wishes for the couple!

(These are Tyler's pics so that's why we all appear to be sooooo tall and why we're crouching down!)

Congratulations from the MeanGirls!
And welcome to the family, Aaron!
There's no turning back now!

PENIS!

2008-09-07T21:38:00.010-10:00

The MGs sent Indobia off towards holy matrimony with one last fling.

The theme was obvious...

PENIS!

Indobia was given a warm welcome by It as soon as she walks in.

She was decked out in condom veil, penis shot glass pearl necklace, penis-shaped candy necklace and penis straw.

The girls got into the spirit!
The highlight of the evening was a Passion Party...

where the MGs sampled some products, such as scents...

Nipple Nibblers...

Lickable lotions...

Toys...

For everyone to enjoy! Hope everyone loved their purchases!

Fun playing cards were given out!

The real highlight was the game of Penis and Punani!

MG AlphaDog got set to be the punani

Who could get it into the punani blindfolded? It was MG Dani vs. SwissMiss!

MG Dani took "top" prize, since he obviously knows how to do it in the dark the best!

The girls took turns in sharing their relationship advice to Fitha...

MG QueenBitch made sure to include her favorite word!

Married MGs SwissMiss and MeanGirlJ gave some good advice.

But perhaps the best came from MG Dani...

Remember the Three T's: Tongue the tip! NICE!

Congratulations to the Bride-to-be... from your MGs!

Doing the DNC!

2008-09-05T13:58:00.014-10:00

I'm not sure how to put in words what an incredible experience it was to attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, and to be a part of such a historic moment. The speeches were inspiring and empowering. Strong platforms and detailed plans were presented. The positive energy and people's excitement for change was immense - you could have plugged us all in to a socket and the electricity would have ran the whole state! Here's me with 88,000 other excited people!
Going to and from the Pepsi Center and then the last night at Invesco Field was a trip with everyone selling everything from pins and t-shirts to "Michelle and Barack Fragrances" (his and her perfume)! And others were handing out everything from stickers, like "Rednecks for Obama" to condoms that said "Protect yourself from John McCain in this election!" There didn't seem to be many protesters, but the police presence was significant.

Denver was a wonderful host city with so many great restaurants and bars. And the people were so friendly and helpful! We made some time to go to the Manifest Hope Gallery that featured works by artists from around the world who rallied together to show their support for Obama. Here is Chris in front of one done by one of his favorite artists, Shepard Fairey.

Chris's Ring

2008-09-05T13:37:00.006-10:00

You girls wanted to see Chris's ring, so here it is - and here I am doing my best imitation of his ring! (By the way, that is my friend's husband in the background, not some stranger filming me!)

Can't Help Falling in Love!

2008-09-02T14:22:00.007-10:00

Well girls - I'm baaaaaaack! And since there are so many good times from our trip to L.A., Denver and Las Vegas, I will do a series of entries (hope that is okay!).

I am starting first with the one night I was most looking forward to and because these are the only pictures I have downloaded on my computer at this point. Getting married again to my most important and favorite person in the world - my husband! Chris and I renewed our vows at the Graceland Wedding Chapel with Elvis doing the honor of walking me down the aisle and being the officiant! By the way, Jon Bon Jovi was married here (my mom and I are big fans!)!

I need to give a shout-out to one of my close friends, bridesmaid at our first wedding and witness at this one, Alia, who attended with her husband Elton. Alia took the following "illegal" photos with her IPod since you are not allowed to take your own photos at the chapel)!

Chris and I love Elvis and one of our songs is "Can't Help Falling in Love," which Elvis sang as he walked me down the aisle.

We exchanged new rings that we bought across the street from the chapel at a pawn shop - mine is a $30 bling-bling and Chris was excited to find a silver one with a scary looking monster face of some sort after being disappointed that they did not have a skull ring.

In our "Blue Hawaii" wedding package, we received Elvis glasses (that I love to wear and make Chris even more sexier!) and silk lei. We struck many an Elvis pose during the ceremony.

Chris is much better at it than I am!

And here we are closing the deal again! I love being married to Chris. And I love marrying Chris! I wish I could do it every day!

We celebrated with Alia and Elton that evening, dining, drinking, gambling and laughing away! It was such a great night!

Waikiki Roughwater Swim

2008-09-01T22:51:00.003-10:00

I swam it today. 2.2 miles. I did in in 2003, when they pulled about 600 people or so out of the water. It took my 2 hours and 2 minutes, and I was tired, to say the least. So I thought - heck, this time if should take just about an hour. no biggie. Well, about half way through my goggles were on so tight I started to get a major headache. The current was going against us, and the wind was crazy whipping so I felt like I was an ant trying to swim through a washing machine. By the time I finally got to the finish I just leisurely walked up the beach. The announcer made some comment about how it must have just been a Sunday swim for me or something. Truth was, I wasn't sure which way was up, my body felt like led and my eyes were ready to pop out of their sockets because of the super suction strength of my goggles... the rings around my eyes didn't disappear for 3 hours! Anyway, long story short, after 1 hour and 34 minutes of swimming, my back is a beautiful crimson color, but I came in 9th in my age group and 320th overall (there were 650 people who finished). Yeay!

Reluctantly Donating Things

2008-08-28T23:17:00.004-10:00

So I'm usually the type to reluctantly donate old clothes that no longer fit - this happens a lot. I've cleaned out the cupboards to donate to the Hawaii Food Bank, and have even regularly donated hair for Locks of Love (see recent photo - post hair chop). However, this is the first time I've donated blood. Stop reading now if you get grossed out by this topic.

I know some of my MGs here donate - that's what got me over the hump of the "fear factor." AlphaDog, the Hawaii Blood Bank gets my donation partly due to your influence.

I don't like needles and I hate the fact that nurses can never find my veins. I have gone years fearing this type of donation and very reluctantly signed up during the drive. I even considered skipping out on my appointment. Let's face it - I'm a big wuss. However, I have to say this was the best experience ever.

I got to cruise for an hour during lunch - they did ask a lot of personal questions but in a very non-judgemental way. Quite frankly that must be hard to do. I think I would get fired if I volunteered for that gig. I passed the iron test and then went on to donate. It really didn't hurt! It was actually easier than the blood tests at the Dr.'s office... and I got to lie down for about 20 minutes during my lunch break!

At the end I walked out with a free can of juice, rice krispy treat, and a no-guilt reason to eat a HUGE lunch. When you factor that in, it was really a win-win situation. I even signed up to do it again... reluctantly ;)

Christmas Card Picture Perhaps?

2008-08-20T10:42:00.003-10:00

Rolling with the VIPs

2008-08-19T19:46:00.004-10:00

We were lucky enough to get into the fundraiser for Barak Obama on 8/12/08! It was such a fun and exciting night! It was awesome to see Mr. Obama and hear him speak in person. We got to quickly meet him and his wife and take a photo (I'm waiting for the photo since a professional photographer took it). But here is a photo of him during his speech.

There were also a few "stars" there - Owen Wilson (who when I saw him said, "Oh, there's what's-his-name!"), Woody Harelson (who I didn't actually see or maybe didn't recognize him) and Daniel Dae Kim from LOST (who I got to get a picture with after embarrassing myself earlier in the night by poking him in the shoulder because in my excitement wanted to touch him I guess!).

No Medals for this Olympian

2008-08-14T10:41:00.003-10:00

So the XXIX Olympics in Beijing started on 8/8/08. But also on 8/8/08, 8 Fat Fat 8 Bar and Grille held their first Bar Olympics and Element 8 reserved a table! I competed in the Women's Arm Wrestling event and of course lost right away, with Fitha cheering me on - Thanks Fitha!

Installing a Husband

2008-08-07T15:54:00.002-10:00

This was passed around our office and thought that I'd share it with all the MG's since most of us are either married or will be soon. I'm sure we can all relate. My own husband thought this was very clever and that I excel in Nagging 8.0. ;)

INSTALLING A HUSBAND

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a
distinct slow down in overall system performance, particularly in the
flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend
5.0.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as
Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable programs
such as NBA 5.0, NFL 3.0 and Golf Clubs 4.1.

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the
system.

Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these
problems, but to no avail.

What can I do?

Signed,

Desperate.

DEAR DESPERATE,

First, keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while
Husband 1.0 is an operating system.

Please enter command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html and try to download Tears
6.2 and do not forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update.

If that application works as designed, Husband1.0 should then
automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

However, remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0
to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1.

Please note that Beer 6. 1 is a very bad program that will
download the Farting and Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law 1.0
(it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of
all your system resources.)

In addition, please do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0
program.These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited
memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider
buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend
Cooking 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck Babe!

Tech Support

MG Find of the Day - The YES Dance

2008-08-03T21:42:00.001-10:00

I found this video and just cracked up!

I don't know who it is or what's the story behind it, but thought it was FIERCE! I especially love the "Fork in the Garbage Disposal" dance!

MG Find of the Day - A Wedding That's Outta This World!

2008-08-01T15:36:00.004-10:00

For our brides-to-be, imagine the pain of catering at this wedding venue!
A Japanese company is offering weddings in space!
For $2.2 million, the bride and groom will travel in a rocketship called a "Rocketplane XP" by provider Rocketplane Kistler Japan 62 miles up for a one-hour ceremony.

And we thought Makaha was far (just joking, Indobia)!

Scolding My Mom

2008-07-31T21:59:00.003-10:00

I've started to scold my own mom. When did that happen?

She had to have a CAT scan the other day because she was having "serious digestive tract issues" (You really don't wanna know). Apparently she has also been skipping out on her colonoscopy appointments (again you don't wanna know). Now it has become an emergency and she had to do a CAT scan because the appointments for a colonoscopy were backed up for three weeks.

Now, I could be the supportive sweet daughter because she's kinda scared and obsessing about the CAT scan, which is really no big deal - I've had one and it's really quick and painless. But no... What do I do instead? I scold her. Yes - I scold my own mother for not going to get her colonoscopy sooner. I tell her to stop obsessing over the CAT scan because it's not a bad test. Also, that's what she gets for PROCRASTINATING on the colonoscopy.

So the test results came back, and they ruled out cancer and all the other serious diseases, but they're doing more tests and my mom is now complaining about those. I don't get it. I guess I'll just keep scolding her for not being proactive, and she'll keep complaining about having emergency tests. It's an inevitable cycle of BS. The moral for my mother? Get a colonoscopy before your daughter becomes a big pain in the butt.

MG Find of the Day

2008-07-28T08:33:00.006-10:00

Let's start a category called "MG Find of the Day," where we post up unusual and WTF things we find... just to share (and laugh)!

My "find" is the FingerFood, a nifty little plate that's perfect for pupus. No more struggling to hold your wine glasses and plate at your next shindig.

I guess if you were really hungry, you could have 10 of them at once...
you just better not clap!

MG Beach Day

2008-07-28T08:13:00.004-10:00

MGs enjoyed a nice day at the beach on Saturday with good food, good friends and an exciting tent escapade...

Baby Kailoa gave us all smiles!

While Tyler and Ayden hit the beach!

It was a great day! We should do it more often!

Proof That Anyone Can Paddle Board

2008-07-28T08:01:00.007-10:00

I've always wanted to try stand-up paddle boarding. It looks cool... when other people do it. So at Ala Moana beach, there was a company doing demos and I tried it.
(Please do not be alarmed by giant red whale on board... that's just me!)

My graceful dismount!

Thank God for the instructor who helped steer me in!

I'd do it again but I need a lot of practice!

"Crack" Gets Passed Onto Next Generation

2008-07-28T07:47:00.007-10:00

Oh no!

Tyler got a hold of Aunty SwissMiss' and Aunty CanadianLove's "crack*"...

... and he loved it!

Funny side note - Tyler's Lego man fell into the shake. Tyler thought it was so cool, we had to take a picture of it!

*Jack-in-the-Box Chocolate Shake

"Stolen" Potato Salad

2008-07-27T19:15:00.002-10:00

Food always tastes best when you're enjoying it with friends! I learned to make potato salad in high school while working at a sandwich shop. I modified this "stolen" potato salad recipe, and love using it for potlucks because it's quick and yummy. The original recipe calls for dried parsley instead of fresh, and doesn't include celery seed. It also included grated carrots and MSG. Sorry, I don’t really measure anything so these are all approximations.

“STOLEN” POTATO SALAD (Approximations)
2.5 lbs russet potatoes
1 stalk celery
1/3 small yellow onion (do not use Maui onions, there’s not enough bite)
2 hardboiled eggs
1/8 - 1/4 cup mayo (Best Foods mayo tastes the best)
Salt (~ 1/2 tsp, add more to taste)
Pepper (2 pinches)
Parsley (2 sprigs, chopped optional)
Celery Seed (2 pinches optional)

Boil and peel potatoes. Cube the potatoes and put into a large bowl. Finely chop the celery, eggs and yellow onion, add to the still-hot potatoes. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp salt over the mixture, and add the mayo. Mix while the potatoes are still hot, and you'll need less mayo. The “mashed potato” effect helps keeps the mayo content fairly low. Add pepper, and parsley for added color and flavor. Taste and add more salt as needed. Put potato salad in the refrigerator to chill.

Another Case of Mistaken Identity

2008-07-25T16:10:00.008-10:00

It's happened again. Another face, another body and somebody thinking it is me. This time, although, I don't mind -because in this picture, I'VE NEVER LOOKED BETTER!

This is a picture taken at Contempo, an annual fundraiser for the Contemporary Art Museum, of my mother- and father-in-law and my brother- and sister-in-law. However, whoever it was matching names to faces, put down mine and Chris's name instead of Peter and Lauren! They also spelled Dods wrong, but that happens a lot. Kudos for putting two "r's" in my name though!

CanadianLove's "BIG" Birthday Bash

2008-07-20T09:57:00.009-10:00

The Mean Girls gathered to celebrate CanadianLove's 21st (or so) birthday at Pearl Nightclub Saturday night!

We met CanadianLove's Canadian Love, Scott!

And CanadianLove's friends stopped by to wish him Happy Birthday!

CanadianLove's family celebrated too! You can see where he gets his good looks from!

The Mean Girls gave CanadianLove his gift... delivered Mean Girl-style!

Then everyone hit the dance floor!

Where everyone showed off their "moves"...

Then the singer pulled CanadianLove up on the stage to wish him a Happy Birthday!

And CanadianLove took center stage with his take on "Like A Virgin"...

Happy Birthday to Chaddy Waddy!

The Queen B is the 2008 Hokupa‘a Award Winner!

2008-07-18T11:23:00.004-10:00

For those who missed it or for those who want to relive it, here is Miss Moani's winning moment as PRSA Hawaii 2008 Hokupa‘a Award Winner for Young PR Professional of the Year!

CONGRATS TO MOANI!

Mean Girls Rock!!!!

2008-07-18T10:27:00.004-10:00

Mean Girls Rocked Da House at the PRSA Hawaii Chapter Koa Anvil Awards Dinner last night, taking home a total of 8 awards! :-) I don't want to write a lot about the dinner because I know a couple other MG's are working on something so I don't want to steal you thunder...however....

I want to thank all the MG's for an awesome night!!! I have the best friends in the entire world!!! I feel so happy, thankful and am so overwhelmed by the love and support you all gave me last night. Its so great to have this incredibly close group of girl friends that I know will be there through thick and thin. I couldn't believe you guys...I felt like I was graduating :-) Words honestly can't express how thankful I am for all of you. Okay, I'm stopping now before I cry at work. But I love you all!!! Thank you for just being fantastic and for being my rock. I LOVE YOU ALL!!

BTW, look mom I'm blogging again! ;-)

Mean Girls Rocked the Koa Anvil Awards

2008-07-18T10:25:00.004-10:00

Honolulu, HI - A group of talented, intelligent, beautiful and high-spirited women, known as the Mean Girls, were recognized for their outstanding achievements in public relations last night at the 25th Annual Koa Anvil Awards. The Koa Anvil Awards celebrates the best public relations work in Hawaii – and of course, the Mean Girls are the best!

Not only did the Mean Girls, through their individual companies, win EIGHT awards, Mean Girls’ very own Queen Bitch (aka Moani) won the Hokupa`a Award – for being the exceptional PR practitioner with fewer than five years’ experience.

The night was filled with fun and laughter between these colleagues who have been fortunate to find each other and build their lasting friendships. They have proven they are all successes as well as being sexy. All of this leaves this writer to ponder one thing – why haven’t they created their own PR firm together to become a force to reckon with in Hawaii?

My New Title ... Ambassador

2008-07-17T14:18:00.005-10:00

Chris and I are Maker's Mark Ambassadors. I'm not sure why I am since I don't drink whisky, but I am, and now have my very own "business" cards.

As ambassadors, they send us free stuff like this every once in a while. We also get our name, "The Dods Family Hawaii," etched on a barrel of bourbon in Kentucky. The barrel will take about 6 - 7 years to mature and become drinkable. I have a feeling that Chris will probably want to go on a pilgrimage to visit it before than, and definitely after it has matured for a taste!

And the Winner is ...

2008-07-16T16:14:00.007-10:00

The winner for two free drinks for guessing Chris' double animal drawing of a sea horse and lion is ...

BUZZ BUNNY!!!

Nobody has guessed mine right yet (see July 14 blog entry for reference). So keep trying Mean Girls! I know we suck as artists, but I must brag that we did win one of the two nights we played the game against Asa The Artist and His Talented Wife Christi!

Crack is Back

2008-07-16T15:17:00.001-10:00

MGs of MWC can't get enough of our favorite drinks.

Swiss Miss enjoys the chocolate shake from Jack-In-The-Box, after seeing CanadianLove have one last week.

Meanwhile, YankeeGal made a Shirokiya run for Boba!

It's My Birthday In July!

2008-07-16T12:01:00.006-10:00

No, you're not crazy! It's not my birthday yet (which is December 2). But my husband already got me a birthday gift which he wrapped while I was sleeping one night. He offered me the choice of unwrapping now or on my actual birthday. And of course, I decided to wait... NOT!

I opened it to find...

It's what I wanted! I still haven't opened it yet but just having it makes me happy. And MG YankeeGal will enjoy "babysitting" it while I'm on vacation.

And speaking of birthdays in July, we're getting excited about CanadianLove's big one on Saturday!

Also, just for fun, here's pics of Turbo:

Going Green With TheBus

2008-07-16T09:24:00.002-10:00

We all talk about how important it is to be sustainable, and why we need to recycle, etc. Some tout Hawaii's new rail as the great new public transportation venue (and yes, some despise it). But why do I get the "oh poor thing" look from people when I tell them I'm carpooling and taking TheBus home? Does our society view cars as a way of glorifying personal independence?

As far as I'm concerned TheBus is a great solution. I drive into work on Monday, leave my car at the office, and either carpool or take TheBus home in the evenings. My car is here at the office for any meetings, emergency needs, or if I'm working late. On Friday, I bring my car back home. It's convenient, and it makes me feel good to know I'm taking a few baby steps to "go green."

BENEFITS:

Reduce "carbon footprint"
Save money on gas
Riding TheBus gives me time to work on my laptop while riding so I don't have to work when I get home
Support public transportation
Catch up on reading the Hawaii Mean Girls Blog (plug!)
Car available at the office whenever I need to use it
More time with my husband - driving in together in the morning

In the past few weeks I've been riding TheBus, I have never had a crazy, smelly person sit next to me. I didn't have to wait a long time for TheBus to arrive. Instead, I had a nice conversation with a woman about the weather, and yesterday I played with a cute baby boy who was riding TheBus with his mom. I didn't get much work done yesterday.

Public transportation and carpooling have some great benefits and TheBus is a good alternative to driving home everyday. I highly recommend visiting the website at www.thebus.org to find out information on routes, times, etc.

Good Fun, Good Food, Good Company ... Not So Good Drawings

2008-07-14T10:39:00.013-10:00

Good Fun and Good Company - This weekend Chris and I went camping with our friends Asa and Christi at Ho`omaluhia Botanical Garden in Kaneohe. We have never been and were so happy that we had finally found this paradise. We are definitely going to go back soon (with the girls planning next time - the boys didn't communicate that well, and we had two of everything)! Our camp looked out over an incredible view of the mountains and a lake full of ducks! It was quiet and peaceful - something all of us needed - a very relaxing getaway!

Good Food - We didn't really rough it though, except for the showers that made you sound like you were having an orgasm because you had to exclaim, "Oh God," as your body went into shock with the painfully cold water. We had our air mattresses, my mechanical toothbrush, and delicious food to last for a week! We had yummy breakfasts, lunches and dinners that consisted of ahi and my special sauce and Shabu Shabu with Christi's special sauce! We even had smores, which were so good that again I sounded like I was having an orgasm!

Not So Good Drawings - Christi and Asa brought along a Napolean Dynamite drawing game where you have to draw two and sometimes three animals (sometimes with your left hand, and sometimes having the animals throwing a football!), but together, and your partner has to name all of them within a certain time period. It was hard for me and Chris to do, especially with Asa having been to art school and all!

A Mean Girls Quiz - Take a look at these two drawings. If you can guess the three animals (by me) correctly, on the left, I'll buy you a drink. If you can guess the two animals (by Chris) correctly, on the right, I'll buy you two drinks! Good Luck!

A "Stairway to Heaven"

2008-07-11T10:02:00.006-10:00

"An incredible love story has come out of China recently and managed to touch the world. It is a story of a man and an older woman who ran off to live and love each other in peace for over half a century.

The 70-year-old Chinese man who hand-carved over 6,000 stairs up a mountain for his 80-year-old wife has passed away in the cave which has been the couple's home for the last 50 years.

Over 50 years ago, Liu Guojiang a 19 year-old boy, fell in love with a 29 year-old widowed mother named Xu Chaoqin. In a twist worthy of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, friends and relatives criticized the relationship because of the age difference and the fact that Xu already had children. At that time, it was unacceptable and immoral for a young man to love an older woman. To avoid the market gossip and the scorn of their communities, the couple decided to elope and lived in a cave in Jiangjin County in Southern ChongQing Municipality.

In the beginning, life was harsh as hey had nothing, no electricity or even food. They had to eat grass and roots they found in the mountain, and Liu made a kerosene lamp that they used to light up their lives. Xu felt that she had tied Liu down and repeatedly asked him, 'Are you regretful? Liu always replied, 'As long as we are industrious, life will improve.'In the second year of living in the mountain, Liu began and continued for over 50 years, to hand-carve the steps so that his wife could get down the mountain easily.

Half a century later in 2001, a group of adventurers were exploring the forest and were surprised to find the elderly couple and the over 6,000 hand-carved steps. Liu MingSheng, one of their seven children said, 'My parents loved each other so much, they have lived in seclusion for over 50 years and never been apart a single day. He hand carved more than 6,000 steps over the years for my mother's convenience, although she doesn't go down the mountain that much.' The couple had lived in peace for over 50 years until last week. Liu, now 72 years, returned from his daily farm work and collapsed. Xu sat and prayed with her husband as he passed away in her arms. So in love with Xu, was Liu, that no one was able to release the grip he had on his wife's hand even after he had passed away. 'You promised me you'll take care of me, you'll always be with me until the day I died, now you left before me, how am I going to live without you?' Xu spent days softly repeating this sentence and touching her husband's black coffin with tears rolling down her cheeks.

In 2006, their story became one of the top 10 love stories from China , collected by the Chinese Women Weekly. The local government has decided to preserve the love ladder and the place they lived as a museum, so this love story can live forever. "

No Longer Crooked

2008-07-10T15:32:00.009-10:00

I had to update you girls on Bremer's ears - sorry not much going on here and I am bored in the office today. (I brought him to the office today after his first vet visit.)

One ear was bent when we got him last week. I truly hoped it would stay that way! Over the last few days though, it has gotten straighter and straighter and now it is as straight as the other one. Even though I wanted it to stay crooked, he's still just as cute!

Making of the Bride

2008-07-03T11:45:00.011-10:00

As you all know, Fitha Dahana will soon be Fitha Ellis in September! But there are many things that our girl must do now to get ready for her big day, like the traditional hair and makeup trial! Yesterday at Beauty By May, Fitha found her "bridal look" and I must say, I do think she is ready for her closeup!

The Brangelina of Doggies

2008-07-02T11:36:00.015-10:00

Call us crazy! We'll just call ourselves "full of love to give"! We found another puppy to join The Dods Family! His name is Bremer - after one of our favorite vineyards in Napa, Bremers Family Winery.

Two weeks ago we saw half Australian Terrier/half Cairn Terrier puppies at a pet store. We saw Bremer - we wanted him but ended up deciding against it, and were sad. Then last night, Chris went to get dog food and called, "He's still here! And he is now 50% off!" He called again to say he decided against getting him, and that he needed to pick up a new rice cooker his mom bought since his brother broke ours. He came in with the rice cooker box and called me over to check out the "cool handle on the new rice cooker." I looked inside the box, and there was Bremer! That was a great surprise!

He is now with me at the office for the day. He's been a good boy - sleeping mostly and going shi shi on his shi shi pad, and helping me on the computer!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWISS MISS!

2008-07-02T09:04:00.002-10:00

No, it's not St. Patrick's Day! It's Swiss Miss' birthday! Her 21st...again...and again...

The MWC menehunes decorated her office as tradition for a birthday office surprise!
Hmm... I wonder what Swiss Miss' favorite color is???

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

"Let's go, a holo holo holo holo ahhh!" To Hana!

2008-06-30T11:45:00.028-10:00

I love that Superferry song! And I love the Superferry (now our preferred way of interisland traveling). Chris I just came back from a wonderful and relaxing weekend in Hana, Maui. We drove our car packed with camping gear and food and drink onto the Hawaii Superferry,

enjoyed a smooth ride and amazing views of the islands as we cruised by

and then drove the curvy and enchanting Hana Highway

to our Kipahulu campsite in the Haleakala National Park.

The park was relaxing and peaceful with no cell phone coverage (meaning no blackberry use by Chris!), ocean views, thousands of stars at night, clear and cool weather! We hiked the most beautiful hike we have ever done. We veered off the trail (with small protesting from me who is not as adventurous, abides by the warning signs and likes to stay on the trail) and cooled off in a beautiful pool. The trail took us through a dense bamboo forest

up to a huge waterfall!

It was the best way we could have celebrated three of the best years of our lives, and can't wait to do it again soon!

And not in the good way

2008-06-26T22:05:00.003-10:00

Hello beautiful ladies. I suck (and not in the good way) when it comes to posting. I will be much better about checking the blog and posting!!!! I love you all very much and cannot wait to see you soooooon!

Crack'd Again!

2008-06-26T13:32:00.006-10:00

The crack addicts struck again...

This time recruiting Darcy too!

This is the second time in 2 weeks the addicts got their fix!

Someone send help!

If I Was Sold At Ikea...

2008-06-24T09:53:00.006-10:00

I love Ikea! Maybe it's because we don't have one in Hawaii and they don't ship here so all I have to look at is the website or catalog to imagine my home filled with cheap but stylish Swedish furniture that would magically make my house beautiful and clutter-free.

But now, you too can be sold at your imaginary Ikea store with this handy dandy cool web site! I entered my name and voila! I'm a "Snareenby," a dresser with three drawers. I can be easily assembled and I'm perfect for the bedroom (wink, wink)!

What's your Swedish Furniture alias?

She's a pineapple girl in a high-fashion world ...

2008-06-20T15:43:00.003-10:00

Sorry - borrowing my favorite line from the 1983 hit song, Coconut Girl. But I was a Pineapple Girl today! Plus the t-shirts we had to wear I don't think would work well in a high-fashion world!

My coworker, Erica, and I were volunteered by our company to help our client Maui Pineapple Company give out free tastes of the best pineapple in Hawaii at Don Quijote. We did such an awesome job the store sold out of Maui Gold pineapples - even the pineapples on our table that were for show (that's why our table looks pathetic in this photo)! Just to let you know, Maui Gold pineapple is less acidic and tastes sweeter than the other pineapples.

So I guess I should change my title to, "She's a pineapple girl in a less-acidic world, uuh!"

My "Crack" Addiction

2008-06-13T14:16:00.004-10:00

I'm hooked girls! Hooked on milk tea bubble drink from Shirokiya, that is! Before I moved to Hawaii, I always got milk tea bubble drink whenever I was in Chinatown. It took me a real long time, but I finally found one that is comparable to the ones back home, and now I'm addicted to it. So addicted, that sometimes I even drive specifically there just to get it. It's not cheap either, $4.50 for a drink, but it's so worth it. If I keep doing this, I'm going to end up funding the owner's kids' college tuitions. She knows that I'm one of her most frequent customers too, as she pointed out to BuzzBunny at lunch today. Hmmm, I wonder if she secretly puts "crack" in there to make me go back. Thankfully Dean doesn't know how often I go or he may put a stop to it.

P.S. I've even gotten BuzzBunny addicted. She got one Monday night without me!

You ladies have to all try it next time you are at Ala Moana.

What If...

2008-06-12T22:19:00.006-10:00

So Starr's escapade with her mistaken identity has caused me to think (which we all know is scary!) -- what would the MGs look like if we had put in the time, effort, money and narcissism to get glammed up for the SATC premiere? I think it might look like this:
My apologies to MGs Jen and Dani for not including them. It was basically because your heads could not be easily altered to fit on these bodies. And I didn't include me because I just didn't want to. Ha! And only in this dream can MG Lee be taller than almost everyone else!

Who do you think looks best in this alternate, PhotoShopped world?

Since We are Sharing Unfortunate Tragedies ...

2008-06-12T16:37:00.002-10:00

I'm happy to see that Buzzbunny survived - thank goodness for feline friends!

But that reminded me of something terrible that happened to me when I did PR for the 50th State Fair. Click here to see,

Needless to say, I won't be going to the fair this year!! Ha!

My Unfortunate Tragedy -- News Clip to Prove It

2008-06-12T15:58:00.003-10:00

I had a close call last night, something so tragic that it made the evening news.

Click here to watch the clip!

During all the commotion, I managed to put out a media advisory and provide a fabulous picture of myself! A PR person's work is never done, even in the midst of a personal crisis! Fortunately, I'm feeling better and am back to work!

Will the Real Starr Please Stand Up?

2008-06-10T21:56:00.006-10:00

So a columnist thought our Starr was someone else (see her entry below). Starr claims that's not her. But I don't know what she's talking about. I swear that's her in the glittery pink dress with matching boa!

Va Va Va Voom!!!

A Case of Mistaken Identity

2008-06-10T10:25:00.008-10:00

Today I got an email from a local columnist that I have never met, but have pitched to a couple of times a while back. Here's what the email says, "Aloha Starr, Here’s a copy of today’s “On the Scene” column. And so you saw that I wasn’t the only person who thought the dress was hot. Hope to see you again soon."

I was a little taken aback, because I had no idea what he was talking about. I haven't worn a dress since April, and I know that I didn't see him when I was wearing it, and don't recall anybody telling me that it was hot except for my husband!

Curious, I open the link that was in the email and see the photo attached here. The girl in the hot pink dress all the way to the left in the picture is also named Starr and she won "best dressed" at a function before the Sex and The City opening night movie! I laughed pretty hard since it is obviously not me and is not a dress that I would wear, plus I have no pink in my closet except for a night gown that reminds me of Strawberry Shortcake (no offence to this Starr - we just have different styles)!

Anyway, I emailed the columnist back and said he had the wrong Starr - I'm not as stylish and that I'm a Banana Republic girl through and through! He then made me feel better by replying that where I shop is stylish. Where are the cameras when I need them?!

Lovely Hula Hands!

2008-06-08T21:47:00.002-10:00

Congrats to Miss Moani for a wonderful, beautiful hula performance tonight. As part of Halau I Ka Wekiu, Moani danced several numbers and gave an introduction that showed off her oratory skills!

MGs at SATC Movie!

2008-05-31T22:25:00.005-10:00

MGs Starr, Melissa and Noreen went to see the highly-anticipated "Sex and The City" movie on opening night at Ward. They sat in the 3rd row of the sold out 7:30pm show which was filled with ladies looking like they were going to a club instead of the movie.

The movie was great and had many great SATC moments! Can't wait for it to come out on DVD!

Funny Ha Ha!

2008-05-26T15:49:00.005-10:00

MGs Noreen and Fitha (with Aaron doing good-boyfriend duty) went to see the hilarious Kathy Griffin live at Waikiki Shell on Saturday. She went for over an hour and a half straight, only stopping when an unexpected fireworks show went off half way through. She talked about everything, from American Idol and Scientology to Barbara Walters and Oprah. She looked very petite and thin in person and I loved her hair! I'm such a big fan!

It's Official

2008-05-26T08:38:00.002-10:00

Ladies...

I am so excited I can't think of anything clever or cute to say...

Aaron proposed to me last night! :-) Naturally I said yes. We're both very excited. Now I can actually plan a wedding and not a "Birthday"! He dropped down on one knee right before bed last night. He was very confident and not nervous at all. He actually made me nervous. It was all surreal and seemed to move in fast motion.

We'll probably get married in July and will have a small dinner party of some sort. The actual reception will probably be next fall, after he returns from Iraq. Probably in November or something like that. This gives me a lot of time to plan a wedding.

Anyway... it's 8:45 on Memorial Day Monday so I didn't wanna call anyone yet, but yeah... I am engaged! Enjoy the rest of your weekend ladies!

Who's Up for Sex?

2008-05-23T13:32:00.001-10:00

Looks like it is just me and Noreen that are going to the movie next Friday. Anyone want to join?

Ahh, the comforts of a sofa

2008-05-21T19:54:00.015-10:00

You never know just how much something means to you until you don't have it anymore. That's the first thought I had when I sat down for the first time on my new sectional sofa tonight. It's been a long time since Dean and I have had a sofa to call our own. I can't even remember the last time I laid down on a sofa and not think about stains or making sure my feet are clean. ;)

What a sight it was to come home to have a place to sit my tired body and watch television in a relaxing and comfortable way. I must say, this sofa is super comfy. I'm in love with it. If I could just sit and work from it all day long, then I'm golden.

I can't wait to have my girls over so that they can enjoy it as well. Yay!!!

Here are some first photos. No more sitting on the ground to watch TV anymore. Let me know what y'all think.

Shameless Plug

2008-05-21T13:55:00.002-10:00

I am soooo into this blogging! #1 - It's a great way to say what's on your mind, and #2 - It has the ability to make it appear like you're busy working!

Being that, I've created a new blog about my son! So check it out and post your comments!

Now, back to real work... *sigh*

Look Mom, I'm Blogging!

2008-05-21T11:42:00.002-10:00

So I've never posted a blog before. Maybe I'm scared of it, maybe I'm too lazy to figure out the functions, or maybe I'm "too busy". I really can't chalk it up to a single reason. I just haven't.

I'm finding that I'm slowly slipping into the "technologically-impaired" side of life. It's really quite sad. I think this mental block against technology started when my neighbor's kid called me a "grown-up." Shocking excuse, I know, but that's what I'm going to blame it on.

However, I do have a few redeeming points to be proud of. I did get an iPhone (by protest), I do take full advantage of my company laptop and work from home when needed, and yes in my spare time I do watch YouTube.

But, i don't listen to podcasts, I almost never download songs from iTunes (mostly because I'm broke and ever $1 counts!). And up until this second, I haven't "blogged."

I think I'm also reaching a mental barrier because I know the big "30" is coming. Mind you - it's not this year... or next, I'm just pre-obsessing because that's who I am.

When do we start calling ourselves a "grown-up?" Is it paying taxes and bills? Is it marriage? Is it children? When am I supposed to officially feel like an adult?

So here's the sad truth: In an effort to stem my pre-30 freak out, and my techno-phobia/mental barrier, I am blogging. I think this depressing behavior (blogging in attempts to escape adulthood) officially makes me an adult.

Let's Go Fishing!

2008-05-18T21:51:00.012-10:00

Thanks to Uncle Chris and Aunty Starr for Tyler's first boat trip!

Full of lots of "firsts," including Tyler's first catch (well, more like Uncle's catch... but Ty brought good luck) and first boat driving lesson. He can't stop talking about it and the lure will make a nice "Show & Tell" item for school.

Watch Tyler and Uncle Chris reel one in!

It was THIS BIG!

Work Perk, Kapalua Style

2008-05-13T08:39:00.004-10:00

When you have a client on the neighbor island, you have to travel. I don't really enjoy traveling. First off, I don't do well on airplanes. Fortunately, neighbor island flights are short enough so I don't really get sick. Secondly, I don't like being away from my son. And third, I'd rather travel for fun than business.

But being in the travel & tourism business, sometimes business is fun. And while I'm here working and it took a lot of planning to set this meeting up, I get the perk of staying at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua hotel. The suite is larger than my house. It's definitely more modern and cleaner! With killer views of the swimming pool and the ocean!

So, if I'm not back in Honolulu tomorrow, you'll know where to find me!

The Flirting Monk

2008-05-12T12:01:00.005-10:00

For Mother's Day, we took my mama to the Bhutan exhibit at the art academy. The religious artifacts were so beautiful and intricate. We also got to make our very own prayer flags, watch a prayer ceremony by Bhutanese monks and watch one create a mandala out of different colored sand!

A funny thing happened during the prayer ceremony though - I had my eyes closed during the ceremony because I felt uncomfortable to stare at the monks, and it also helped me get in "the zone." With my eyes closed, I didn't know that one of the young monks was staring at me, according to Chris. Chris said he was trying to stare him down, and the monk would notice Chris staring at him staring at me and would stop, but only for a while. Chris ended up leaving towards the end of the ceremony to go to the bathroom. When the ceremony finished, I opened my eyes to find the monk staring at me smiling, making me blush because it seemed strange. Could he have been checking me out? Or maybe he was impressed I kept my eyes closed and held the same position for an hour fighting back and leg cramps? Or, maybe my aura just happened to look pretty good to him! ;-)

Hats off to all Mean Girl Mommies!

2008-05-10T21:35:00.000-10:00

Countdown to Sex and The City!

2008-05-09T15:16:00.007-10:00

They say nothing lasts forever. Dreams change. Trends come and go. But friendships never go out of style. - Carrie Bradshaw

To celebrate our friendships as MG's, let's all go see the Sex and The City movie May 30! Just three weeks away! So far, only Regal has displayed their movie times - playing at Dole 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Yes, it is a Friday - so maybe we can all try and get out of work a little early and go to the 4? If not, can the MG mommies make it to the 7?

To wet your appetite, http://www.sexandthecitymovie.com/.

Pretty Purses

2008-05-08T11:31:00.003-10:00

Here is a website I thought you girls might enjoy. You can design your very own handbag! The purses are a bit pricey for me, but I like looking through the different fabrics and seeing how the colors and patterns I choose work together, or not! http://www.1154lill.com/.

Beach Day for MG Mommies!

2008-05-07T22:35:00.004-10:00

The Mean Girls mommies got their little boys (and dog) together for a day of fun in the sun at Lanikai Beach! Kailoa, Ayden and Tyler enjoyed the sand, playing with toys and were amazed by a sand crab!

Love Is In The Air

2008-05-06T16:37:00.002-10:00

Ladies, I'm back!!

I missed you.

So, shall I dare to say that Carrie Bradshaw has finally found her Mr. Big. Yes, ladies, you heard it here first. Someone call the doctor (a hot beefy one, hopefully!!) ...I may be ill!!!

He's absolutely "Incredible," and I'm just in shock!!!!

Well, it's time for me to go shoe shopping...

Enjoy the evening!

Go Syesha!! Represent the ladies!!

Only In Hawaii!

2008-05-06T16:03:00.002-10:00

I got this as a forwarded email and it is still cracking me up! This actually happened!

This is how the conversation probably went -

Costco Employee: 'Hello dis Costco, how can I help you?'

Customer: 'I would like to order a cake for a going away party this week.'

Costco Employee: 'Wot you like on da cake?'

Customer: 'Best Wishes Suzanne' and underneath that 'We will miss you.'

In Need of a Laugh? Watch this!

2008-05-06T15:26:00.002-10:00

I love this show! Especially #4 and #6 make me laugh!

An Unhappy Florist - Didn't Know There was Such a Thing!

2008-05-05T12:05:00.004-10:00

My sister-in-law Stef, who is a florist in Utah sent me flowers last week with good wishes for last Friday's procedure. The Honolulu florist, Howard's Downtown Florists, delivered the flowers on Thursday. They called from their shop to see if I would be at home. I said I was and that we had a gate and dogs and to call when they got there. The flower delivery guy called and said "I'm outside," so I said I would be right out. I went outside and no one was there. So I called his cell phone and he didn't answer. I called back 30 seconds later and left a message that he must be at the wrong address. I then call the shop to tell them and to see if they could contact him. He calls me while I am on hold with the shop and says immediately with attitude, "I'm STILL waiting outside!" (who says that?) I reply that I am also outside and that he must be at the wrong address. He says again with attitude, "I am at the address that was given to me!" (again, who says that?) He then goes on a rant about dogs barking at him and being in the hot sun. Apparently the wrong address given to him accidentally by my sister-in-law, dogs that don't belong to me, and the weather that I can't control, seem to be my fault! (who does that?) I tell him the correct address and he still goes on his rant. I tell him that I called his cell phone twice within 1 minute and left a message. He tells me that that was his daughter who left a message on his phone. I finally lose my temper with him and say, "Look, just deliver the god damned flowers and get the fuck out of here!" (a Mean Girl says that!) Yes, not my finest moment, but I reacted to his horrible tone. He gets to my gate and of course it is an unfriendly exchange. He says that next time my mainland relatives wants something sent last minute to call another florist. I tell my sister-in-law all of this and she calls the store the next day. The delivery guy is the owner! She apologizes to him for accidentally giving them the wrong address. He rants at her for the hot sun, the barking dogs, not having his cell phone on him when he was waiting outside at the wrong address (in the same "it's your fault" attitude that he displayed to me). Turns out that he didn't want to do the last minute order, which he could have turned down, but didn't (not that that is an excuse for his bad attitude). He then asks her if I told her that I swore at him. She replied, "Yes she did. And if you were talking to her then like you are talking to me now, I would have too!" I love her (she would be a perfect addition to the Mean Girls!).

Lunch this week?

2008-05-05T11:36:00.002-10:00

OK, MGs -- just experimenting to see if this works better than our million emails. Anyone free for lunch tomorrow?

My Bimbo

2008-05-05T10:25:00.004-10:00

Okay - so I proudly declare that I have never lived a bimbo lifestyle - never was interested in fashion, shopping for clothes, having boyfriends give me money everyday, working as a hairdresser, etc. NOT that there is anything wrong with any of those things. But, I have been enjoying taking care of my bimbo - Starica (named after me and my coworker Erica) at www.missbimbo.com. I feed her, send her to the gym and to the library (I'm making my bimbo smart!), flirt and get boyfriends that give her money daily, get different jobs, new hairdos, coloring, makeup, etc. depending on the various goals to get to a higher level in the game. There are games where you can win Bimbo Dollars, Bimbo Attitude and Bimbo IQ and you can challenge other bimbos in fashion and attitude duels!! I love my bimbo because when I feed her steak and fries and she weighs over her ideal weight (of 127 pounds) her happiness level goes to 104%! I like that she is happy when she gains weight and eats steak because that is how I am! Anyway, right now she is a healthy weight of 155 pounds because her goal this level is to be a plus-size model and she is 185% happy now!

Moani's Halau Concert

2008-05-02T16:26:00.003-10:00

My halau, Halau I Ka Wekiu, is celebrating our 10-year anniversary this year. We'll be having our 10-year anniversary concert on Sunday, June 5 at 5 p.m. at NBC. Tickets are $35+applicable charges. Some mean girls are going to come and watch...and I would love to see all of you there if you can. If you want to go, I'm going to buy the tickets this weekend so please call me ASAP and let me know how many tickets you want. Hope to see you there :-)

Congrats to the newest MWC SAE!

2008-05-01T16:33:00.002-10:00

Congrats to MG YankeeGal! She got promoted after one year at MWC to senior account executive! And she got a raise!

Woo Hoo! Time to celebrate!

Meet the Mean Girls!

2008-05-01T14:08:00.002-10:00

Book Swap!

2008-05-01T13:47:00.003-10:00

Calling all literate MGs! Let's get together and do a book swap! From horror to romance to fantasy, we all have books that we can share with each other. So instead of reading the same ones over and over again (SwissMiss!), we can loan them out amongst each other!

Disclaimer -- This is not a book club. But whoever gets my books will have to report to me what they're about, since I'm the type who buys books and never reads them. Something about purchasing them and then having them stack up in my house makes me feel good! Somehow I never get around to actually reading them... too much tv watching.

So, who's in? And when should we start?

Shameless Promotion - Kama‘aina Special at JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa

2008-05-01T09:09:00.004-10:00

Instead of sending Mom flowers for Mother’s Day this year, how about sending her on a little getaway? For the month of May, Mom and the rest of the ‘ohana can relax and enjoy the luxurious 387-room JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina with a special Kama‘aina Mother’s Day package.

Starting from $278 per room per night, the Kama‘aina Mother’s Day package includes a mountain view guest room, self or valet parking for one vehicle, and 15 percent off spa services. Valid for the entire month of May 2008, the package is offered to Hawaii residents only.

The award-winning Ihilani Spa is also offering a special treatment package for Moms. Its Love for Mom Program includes a stimulating 25-minute Ihilani Sea Salt Glo and a relaxing 50-minute Milk and Honey Moisturizing Wrap. Plus, Mom will get all-day access to the spa, including the relaxation lounge, dry cedar sauna, eucalyptus steam room and Roman pool. The “Love for Mom Program” is only $157.00 and is valid through July 31, 2008. Reservations are highly recommended.

For reservations, please visit www.ihilani.com or call 808-679-0079. To speak to a spa concierge, please call 808-679-3321.

Dare to be judged by strangers...

2008-05-01T08:14:00.004-10:00

So I hate being judged. That's why I never became a reporter. Afraid random strangers would be sitting at home and saying "What's up with her hair?" or "What is she wearing?" or "Boy, she looks tired today." (Hey, isn't that what we say when we watch tv???) That's why I remained behind-the-scenes. Better to not be seen, I say.

But a co-worker led me to this web site, www.facestat.com, that lets you be judged by random strangers. This seems like the worst idea, but peer pressure (and curiosity) made me do it. So I uploaded what I think is a cute picture of me to this web site (that's me on the left with the co-worker who forced me to do this!). For a day, people from wherever judged me on things like weight, wealth, age, humor, etc.

The results are:

Sad news - Majority thinks I'm chunky.
Bright side - Majority thinks I'm 28 years old, attractive and funny!

So I'm looking at the bright side! I may be chunky, but at least I'm about 7 years younger than I really am! And as I approach 35, that's more important to me.

Now... where's my cookie???

OMG I love it

2008-04-30T21:42:00.001-10:00

Wow! I never thought I would learn how to blog. This kicks ass! So, ummm does this mean that we can stop the millions of e-mails and communicate on this thing? Okay, I love it...I love the writing, I wish my ass were smaller in the picture and I love you guys!

MGs Raise $1,460 for Babies!

2008-04-30T16:13:00.001-10:00

Mean Girls united this past weekend for the March for Babies walk, a 5-mile stroll/jog/trek from Kapiolani Park to the entrance of Ala Moana Beach Park and back. We arrived early (7am!) and after registering and receiving our goody bags, we went over to Kapiolani Bandstand where we received the rude awakening of seeing BC exercising in short shorts. =( After gagging, we headed off. Some of us (ok, just Fitha) ran but most walked. A few of us brought along our little ones, while the working girl (Melis) was represented by her hubby and adorable son. After what seemed like forever, we finished and collected a few handouts from the vendors. Love the chocolate pudding, yummo!

All in all, we raised $1,460 for March of Dimes! Thanks to all who supported us!

OMG My first post!

2008-04-30T15:40:00.000-10:00

So I've never done this before, but look mom, I'm blogging!

This is a site dedicated to a group of friends known affectionately as the Mean Girls! Why are we calling ourselves "Mean Girls?" Are we mean? Maybe...depends who you are. And we are girls. Hence, the name! Not very inventive but we love it!

This blog is dedicated to us -- our triumphs, our frustrations, our world!

WELCOME!