So Much for Good Intentions!

Well, here we are..... an entire year since my last blog, which announces my intention (AKA New Year's Resolution) to blog at least once a week. I don't think I ever blogged once the entire year after that.

This is the reason no one should ever take my advice on what to do. The corollary does not apply, however. I am still supremely qualified to give advice on what not to do.

"So, what happened?", many might ask. Life got in the way, and I became really distracted by dealing with it.

Let's see. Scott and I decided that the commute between East Hawaii and West Hawaii was too much so we rented a house on the west side to be closer to the store. We rented a series of three houses between January and May of 2010.

The first house was advertised as a "cute, little coffee shack, must be able to live off-grid, and have 4 wheel drive". As it happened, I can live off grid and we did have 4 wheel drive vehicles. This is all very warm and fuzzy for the wannabe greenies. Electricity was provided by one solar panel the size of a frying pan. Water was collected from our rooftop into a tank..... did I mention there were drought conditions in the area that year? And heating was provided by propane tank.

It was the water that did it. I just never felt clean enough knowing this water was collected from a rooftop that provided a playground for rodents. There was just too much nature scurrying about up there. I don't care how much bleach we put in the tank.

Oh, and the whole 4 wheel drive thing: Now there are people we all know, living and working in large metropolitan areas of the mainland United States, who drive gargantuan expeditions, suburbans, and armored trucks. I laugh at them all - you don't know 4 wheel drive until you have driven over lava rocks! Uphill! In a downpour! With 2 wet, panting dogs breathing down your neck and steaming up the windows!

From there, we moved to Kona Paradise. Should have been called Kona Slip n' Slide. This neighborhood was built onto the side of a 45 degree mountain. Nothing is freakier than feeling your car SLIDE down a mountain side. If there was even a hint of a drizzle, I was not getting into the car, jeep, or truck.

We lived in two houses in this neighborhood. The second one had 240 degree ocean views. From inside the house, it felt like you were on a ship. Unfortunately, you also felt like you were stranded at sea, afraid to get into your slippery car, and unable to get internet or cell phone connectivity from that side of the mountain.

It was on this landlocked ship that the marriage fell apart.

From there, we have moved on. The divorce finalized in October. I kept Tank, the australian shepherd who had been with me since he was 4 weeks old. He was just a nervous nelly, who liked to snap at ankles when insecure. It would not have been safe to place him with anyone but myself.

Buddy, our pit bull mix, was so lovable and mellow that he would have been happy with anyone who had a pat for his big, cow-sized head. He was adopted by our tenants in Mountain View. I miss that mutt.

I am still on the Big Island of Hawaii, Kona side. I am still in the coffee business. I live in a house like most houses in the United States - electricity, hot and cold running water, paved streets and sidewalks, internet and 24 hour cable TV. For this and so much more, I give thanks.