I think the closer you get to the equator, the faster time goes. I know that isn’t true, but it sure feels that way. How else could it be November already?! The last month has been an absolute whirlwind and we (ok, Richard) has made enormous improvements to this little house. Before we get to all those improvements here is a quick list of our October highs and lows –

• High: I started working part time as a freelance marketing designer and thankfully I have been busy! I’ve been working with R’s sister and her dance studio to start some new communication efforts and recruit new students. So far results have been really great and I absolutely LOVE working this way! I am also two tests away from completing the research requirement for my M.A. and will spend all of the time I can in November wrapping up the final paper. I defend my thesis December 4th so if you don’t see any posts in November, just smile and send calming thoughts my way. However, working from home is starting to give me cabin fever a bit so I’ve decided to apply for outside jobs when I see them come up. I found a marketing position opening at a non-profit garden/education center and would appreciate any positive thoughts you have. It would be such a fun job! All I can hope for at this point is an interview but that would be fantastic!
• Low: R made an unwilling and unknown sacrifice to the sea at the beginning of the month in the form of his wedding ring. It’s somewhere it the middle of Kalapaki beach. I hope it turns up in a fish or sunken treasure cove somewhere far away someday, but until then he is running around with a naked ring finger.
• High: Best care packages EVER arrived from my family. First we got a HUMONGOUS box of goodies and belated birthday/anniversary gifts for Richard that included our favorites from Trader Joes and Colorado. We got copious amounts of green chile, cookie butter and my personal favorite – caramel apple candy corn (look it up it will change your life!) We also got some amazing home decor with the colorado flag on it and we love showing our CO pride. Then the unimaginable arrived, my sister and her BF overnighted us food from our FAVORITE restaurant at home. Seriously, it was SO GOOD, and tasted exactly like home. We must not get too used to these kinds of deliveries, but we sure appreciated them!
• Low: Scorpions. No stings, but still, SCORPIONS. Do not let this deter you from visiting, they are small and they are outside, but they are gross. If I can handle them, you can definitely handle them.
• High: New friends/visitors: We had our first non-family visitors stay with us this month. Some friends of friends were on island taking an extended honeymoon to backpack this beautiful little island and what do you know, Hurricane Ana also dropped by the same weekend they arrived. This meant we got to spend two rainy days with awesome new friends exploring our side of the island.
• Low: Hurricane Ana – so far we have had 3 major hurricane scares since we have been here. I think Richard and attract bad weather. From 1,000 year floods to out of the ordinary hurricane patterns maybe you should stay away from us 😉
• High and Low: We got our HI driver’s licenses, mine said I was a man. It was hilarious, but it also required three trips to the DMV. Yuck!

Ok, now for the stuff you really want to hear, all about dat house, bout dat house (Anyone else have that song constantly stuck in their heads? Well now you do, enjoy…)

I think that R is part transformer robot or at least half energizer bunny because he has worked constantly and tirelessly this last month and this house has seen enormous improvement. First, creepy apartment #1 has been turned into an amazing master suite that is multifunctional. Whoever owns this house after us will have unlimited uses for it. It could be an art studio, a rental, a workout room, you name it! An amazing bathroom has been added to this suite and it got a major facelift in the form of new paint, tile and trim. Additionally R fashioned the most incredible sliding doors for the bathroom and the lanai. They glide effortlessly and look big city apartment chic. This room went from being a bug-infested hot house to a beautiful, multifunctional apartment.

Creepy room number 2 that sits between our kitchen and the room formerly known as creepy apartment #1 is now a screened in Lanai. This room had a head start before we got here as our partners tore out the floor and shoddy shelving, but Richard has turned it into functional and most importantly livable space. In Hawaii people spend a lot of time outside. I mean, of course you do, it’s Hawaii, but really most of our neighbors have their TV’s out in their carports and use the carport as a functional living space. Our house didn’t have that space until now. Now the lanai is screened, tiled, painted, and ever so awesome! We bought a used patio table at a clearance sale at the local habitat for humanity thrift shop and now this room is the one we use the most in the house! We eat out there, work out there, enjoy the cool trade winds when the do show up out there and all in all just enjoy living in this space.

With the completion of these three rooms the improvements to the upper house are almost complete. No idea what we are doing with the super-creepy-under-the-house apartment thing, but that will change soon. R will also be able to start improvements to the lower house soon which means that we are closer and closer to getting another house and another project all the time. Check out some of these amazing rooms! And (shameless plug alert) if you know anyone that needs a contractor in HI, send them our way or at least to MCSquared Design Studio for more information.

Until next time

XO
RT

Ooooh look, pictures!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.