A Case of the Mondays

Confession: I have a MAJOR case of the Mondays. Not only is it already nearly 2 pm, I have come to the realization that with the exception helping Jordan pack and dropping him off at the airport for his week-long training on the Big Island, I have done absolutely nothing this morning/afternoon. I have moped around and watched a couple of TV shows half-interestedly. I have walked to the fridge, opened the pantry, and stared blankly at what I know will not fill the hunger I'm feeling inside. I have plopped back on the couch, returning empty-handed and to whatever TV show I had chosen minutes before, hoping it would now peak my interest although it had not only mere minutes before. I have now had far too many cups of coffee in a futile attempt to snap out of this listless mood, which in the end has left me feeling even more agitated, dehydrated and still quite deep in this perpetual state of "funk."  It is all quite pathetic! Especially so, when you consider this case of the Mondays is the result of coming off the high of a most fabulous weekend. Instead of feeling like a pathetic, deflated balloon, bobbing forgotten in the corner from yesterday's celebration, I know I should be still floating on cloud nine, filled with exuberance and powered by gratitude and the joy-filled memories of this last weekend. I guess I now know a little how Cinderella felt after the Ball, when the clock struck 12 and the start of the new day began. Yesterday and the weekend over, and the magic so too with it...

If you haven't already concluded by the documentation of my morning's events, or lack there of, I didn't even have to work this morning (another thing I should be thankful for)! Yes, pathetic (I know!) hence the "confession."  However, instead of returning to the mundane Monday tasks of running errands, doing laundry and other household chores (and the chorus of mice singing in the background "Cinderelly, Cinderelly, Night and day, it's Cinderelly!"), I think I will procrastinate returning back to ho-hum of normal life just a little bit longer by reminiscing about our fabulous weekend and immersing myself back into that state of ecstasy and extending the joy even further by documenting the weekend to look back on in the future.

Our weekend started early on a Thursday when we headed down to Waikiki for the annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball, the 240th to be exact! We checked into the Hale Koa Military Hotel and were treated to an upgraded oceanfront room since our original room was not yet ready for our early check-in. And while the Hale Koa is not the fanciest of accommodations, the price and the location can't be beat! Just check out the view from our balcony:

We arrived down to Waikiki early in order to make the most of our one-night staycation and headed straight to the pool. The weather was perfect! It has finally dropped below 90 degrees (on most days), although it is still in the mid-to-high 80s,  and we can finally enjoy extended periods of time in the sun without instantly melting. Unfortunately, Jordan's relaxation was cut a bit shorter than mine as he had to head over to the venue ballroom to practice for the ceremony later that evening.

The Ball was held at a nearby hotel in Waikiki this year. All ballrooms are basically the same, regardless of their location for the most part, but what makes the Balls special each year are the people you share them with, remembering the traditions and history of the Marine Corps that are celebrated and honored in the ceremony, and the speeches given by that year's Guest of Honor. However, what made this year's Marine Corps Ball especially special for me, was watching Jordan in the ceremony as the Senior Member of the Escort Detail. In layman's terms, Jordan was the lead escort of the honor guard that paraded out to the music of the band and was the one who directed the procession and sword routine by shouting out directions, such as " Fall In"..."Draw Swords"... "Parade Rest" etc. I unfortunately could only take a short video of the nearly 30 minute ceremony, and retired my phone to be respectful of the rest of the ceremony, but here is a very short clip of the escort detail marching in at the beginning of the ceremony:

Jordan is the first one closest to the camera. Sorry for the poor quality, I will have to have Jordan help me fix it when he returns.  But isn't the music and the band just so great? I love it! I also apologize for my rude neighbor who was talking during the procession...so rude!!!

The ceremony follows the same format every year, so I will spare further detail as this will be our 4th birthday ball that you will have probably read about by now, and I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking instead. If you are interested in the details of the ceremony, you can find more information in my older blogs: Our First Birthday Ball and Our Second Birthday Ball.

Jordan and I before we head out, on the balcony of our hotel room with our upgraded view!

At the Ball with my handsome Marine.

A friend took this from the other side of the ballroom. Jordan is on the far side, the first guy on the right.

These are just stills from the movie in case the link does not work for you. Jordan is closest to the camera.

Katie, Sarah and I. These two girls have been in my life for a year and a half now, and it is the second ball we have celebrated together.

Although the traditions and the ceremony remain basically the same year to year, each Ball is also inherently unique. This year, I will remember the entertainingly-pathetic, small one-inch tall, sheet-style birthday cake, as compared to the impressive cakes we have see in the past (especially at Our Second Birthday Ball), as well as, one of the Honor Guard Escorts locking his knees during the 30-minute ceremony and nearly passing out! Luckily, he did manage to stay on upright, thanks to a little help and support from his sword, and although a little off-kilter and wobbly on his feet, made it through the procession and out the ballroom doors without incident. However, most of all, I will remember the very entertaining time we had on the dance floor, dancing to songs both new and old, until the very last song of the night, and the camaraderie amongst all ranks of Marines.

Friday morning, we were greeted by another breathtakingly beautiful day in Waikiki. We spent the day relaxing again by the pool and desperately did not want to leave and for our one-day staycation to end. However, poor Gunns', our sick little furchild, was at home being watched by a gracious neighbor and we knew we had to return to make sure he was feeling better after his trip to the vet the previous day. Upon returning home, we were grateful to find that Gunnar seemed to be doing much better, the gorgeous setting sun behind the Pali mountains that greeted us from our kitchen, and that despite already having spent a wonderful two days together, it was still only Friday and we had two more days to enjoy of this long weekend together before Jordan left for the Big Island on Monday.

Friday morning view from the balcony

The beautiful sunset behind the Pali mountains that greeted us when we returned home.

Despite some extreme wind and morning rain (you should have seen our patio furniture scattered across the lawn and driveway), Saturday turned out to be another beautiful day on our side of the island in Kailua. We enjoyed an early dinner out on the patio of a local restaurant, which may not seem like a big deal but when you haven't truly enjoyed the weather outdoors in 6 months this is quite a treat, and walked around the shops of our little town. We kept commenting that it felt like California weather! Oh how we have missed California weather and we enjoyed the luxury of every moment of it here. However, I should have known something was up when Jordan offered to walk around shops... as I soon found out, the new James Bond movie apparently was on his radar for later that evening. After arriving to the theater and finding out the first showing was already sold out, we got in touch with our inner high school selves and opted for a round of glow-in-the-dark mini golf before the next 007 showing, which I ended up completely sleeping through!

Still kids at heart!

After 3 wonderful, fun-filled days, we didn't want the adventure to stop. We decided to get out of the house again and make our favorite Sunday drive up the scenic coast to the North Shore. Three quarters of the way up to the North Shore there is the world-famous, luxury resort, Turtle Bay. If anyone has seen the movie "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," Turtle Bay is the resort the movie is almost entirely filmed at. We decided to stop there for lunch at the restaurant right on the beach and for snorkeling in the nearby cove. Although we didn't see any turtles in Turtle Bay, we did see a variety of colorful fish nestled in the coral and the rocks of the natural cove barrier. We saw a ton of humuhumunukunukuapuaa (yes that's a real word), the official fish of Hawaii, which are combination of black, white, a vibrant yellow and a touch of the most brilliant, neon blue. We also saw an array of butterfly fish and moorish idol fish (my two favorites), needlefish, green coral and sea urchins.

The drive up to the North Shore never gets old. This is one of my favorite spots along the drive, when you can see the boats mooring just along the coast; the palm trees on the edge of the road, leaning out over the ocean water; and the beautiful ridges of the seacliff mountains in the distance. You can even see Chinaman's Hat (the oh-so-politically-correct appointed island, named for it's likeness to the conical hat) just to the right of the mountains.

Beachfront dining at Ola's at Turtle Bay. The cove in the distance is where we went snorkeling.

Just sitting on the edge of the cliff, taking in the gorgeous waves, the beautiful vegetation of the coastline of the North Shore, and a few lone surfers in Turtle Bay

One of Jordan and my's constant priorities during our time here in Hawaii is to not become immune to our surroundings. It's easy to fall in to your day-to-day routine of work/chores/errands and lose sight of the paradise we live our everyday lives in; to become used to the crystal clear, turquoise blue waters, and the majesty of the lush Pali cliffs and Koolau mountains. I'm so grateful for this wonderful weekend shared with my best friend, and this amazing, adventurous, and sometimes even glamorous, life we share together!

Just because we love that the stop signs are blue here! When I say we don't want to become immune to our surroundings, I don't just mean on the large, grand-scale. It's important to remember the small things too that contribute to the unique character, culture and our experience here. Just like this stop sign! 

Although it is now nearly 4:30 by the time I am wrapping this up and I still have not done anything truly productive (even though I would have finished an entire work/school day nearly two hours ago now), taking the time to sit down and document the special memories created this weekend, as well as, this unique time/Hawaiian experience in our life was just what I needed to snap myself out of my Monday blues. Although, to give myself some credit, I did manage to do three loads of laundry during the course of writing this. Well...washed and dried that is, the folding still remains to be done. But hey, it's the little things in life. And on this Monday, I'll take the little things. And next time I find myself feeling like the clock has struck 12, the beautiful spell broken, I will simply step outside and feel the breeze of the ocean air, watch and hear the waves crash in the distance and breathe in the sweet smell of the plumeria infused air to be reminded that the magic is always right around me, even on a mundane Monday.