The Price of Paradise

Aloha Everyone!

In April I started a blog post to discuss the huge decision I made to cut cable – I think the DVR is one of the greatest inventions ever – so I wasn’t sure I would survive. Ok, that’s a bit drastic, but I love my TV. With the help of my sister, I found that hulu will allow me to view my favorite programs the day after they air; I can handle that. Along with Netflix and CBS All Access, I can see the majority of my favorite programs. I am very sad to lose access to my Food Network and HGTV shows, though, plus local news and my beloved ellen are also casualties of my attempt to save money. But let’s jump forward to today's catastrophe.

My job is very busy. My life is also very busy as I took two weeks in May/June to travel to Michigan to visit family and celebrate my youngest daughter’s accomplishments. Near the end of my mainland vacation, I received calls from Hawaii with news about Kilauea’s eruption and the earthquakes.

Emergencies at the library tend to happen when I am somewhere else. In January, the false Korean Missile Launch Alert happened while I was in the car heading to a workshop. Luckily, phones allow me to address issues along with the amazing staff at the Hilo Public Library who handle problems beautifully.

So back to the current eruption. 23 fissures are open, some have merged together, and the flow has finally reached the ocean. Most people know about Vog which is volcanic ash and smog which blows across the islands causing eye and skin irritations, but now they are advertising a new concern, Laze. This is a hydrochloric acid mist containing volcanic glass particles that occurs when lava mixes with seawater. It is corrosive, toxic, and can be deadly according to the Hawaii News Now broadcast. We have the sulpher dioxide gas, volcanic dust, and vog to contend with here, and I do not plan to head toward the coast to experience laze!

I will compile my observations since this began and bring it to you in another blog post. For now, if you would like to read about my take on the missile crisis, you can find it here:

http://ala-apa.org/newsletter/2018/03/13/no-one-ever-told-me-my-job-would-include-dealing-with-a-korean-missile-alert/

Or the interview with the Cadillac News, in Michigan, about the volcano, select this link:

https://www.cadillacnews.com/news/former-missaukee-librarian-helps-others-during-crisis-in-hawaii/article_28af594a-eafd-5a7c-9f2d-c3418251e253.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

For now, keep looking on the bright side! Mahalo-Michelle 😄

It doesn't rain cats & dogs here...

I live in Hilo so I expect a fair amount of rain. And I love it, especially the light, misty kind that cools you off but doesn’t drench you. It keeps the landscape green and lush, quenches the beautiful array of flowers and creates flowing waterfalls.

But in Hilo there is a LOT of rain, not to mention the numerous bugs who also enjoy this moist atmosphere. It comes with the territory so I expect raindrops falling on my head on a regular basis. What I didn't expect was the baby gecko falling on my head while I was washing dishes! 

In fact my first centipede scattered across my floor a few weeks ago. My sister and brother-in-law were visiting and the cats were nice enough to point out this disgusting creature by chasing it across the living room. We captured and killed it, and then gave the cats some well-deserved extra treats! 

I can’t complain about a SINGLE encounter with a 10-inch centipede in 2 years.  Okay, I can complain – it’s easy when you are faced with a gigantic, 1000-legged, slimy, venomous creature inside your apartment!

The positives definitely outweigh the negatives in Hawaii, so I put up with the heat, bugs, and crazy high prices. If I could relocate my entire family to the islands, this place would be perfect.

Until next time, keep looking on the bright side! Blessings, Michelle :)

LibrarianHelps.org

Aloha & Mele Kalikimaka! 🎄

Some good thoughts...

When you get comfortable, take action. 

Challenge yourself with new ideas, adventures, and opportunities. 

Be responsible. 

Have passion. 

Show enthusiasm. 

Believe in lifelong learning. 

And if you need help with anything, try my new website: LibrarianHelps.org

What can I help you with?????? Blessings to all 

Keep looking on the Bright Side - Mahalo-Michelle :)

"ellen it"

I have been very stressed lately. It comes with the territory of managing the busiest branch of the Hawaii State Public Library System. And I love my job, but I could do with less headaches. So what do I do about it? Well, today I have some ideas to share with you.

I am a huge fan of Ellen DeGeneres & sometimes I write down "ellen thoughts" and here's my latest: 

“ellen it”

I am coining a new phrase: “ellen it” and it works for everything - but what does it mean, you ask?

Well, it means to practice Ellen DeGeneres’s amazing life philosophy and make it a part of our everyday lives. 

Ellen tells us to “have a little fun today” and “be kind to one another.” She is constantly giving away prizes and money to others - but not all of us have the resources to do this. We can, however, donate and volunteer our time within our means.

And let’s not forget to add Shonda Rhimes to Ellen’s other trademark, dancing, and “dance it out” with Meredith and Cristina from Grey’s Anatomy.

How can you go wrong with excellent advice like this? It’s so easy, why is anyone ever stressed out? Ok, that’s taking it a little too far. We obviously can’t avoid stress, but we can handle it with finesse.

Are you having a bad day? “ellen it” and count your blessings while you find a way to donate time or money to those less fortunate or a cause you really believe in.  

Are you in a bad mood? “ellen it” and find a funny or cute video for an “Instant Mood Booster” like the segment on Ellen’s show. ***By the way, just watch Ellen’s show every day and you are sure to be in a better mood! She is comic relief to my stressful career.

Did you make a mistake? “ellen it” and learn your lesson AND THEN KEEP GOING by being true to yourself. Think about the life Ellen has led. She was a comedian without a potty mouth; the first to come out as gay on television at the expense of her career; and the extremely popular and dearly loved host who does so much good that she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (wow) and the list goes on. She is the epitome of success.

She graces the cover of the September 2017 Good Housekeeping issue, and if you haven’t read it yet, you owe it to yourself to feel the inspiration.

So my advice today is, “ellen it” and always look on the bright side! J Much love & blessings, Michelle 

86 degrees to 46 - all worth the coat, jeans, sweaters, & socks!

Hello Chicago! Took 3 planes to get here, but I am one happy momma!

Celeste will be starring in her first, paid, opera and nothing was going to stop me from being there! Okay, vacation days and a $915 flight did their best to deter me, but I prevailed and arrived last night!

Super tired, extremely happy, and ever grateful to God for my life. While on this trip I will see Celeste perform and we will go wedding dress shopping as Olivia is now engaged. She said yes to Trent Reynolds's proposal and joins a wonderful family.

Found the library at the Art Institute of Chicago so I could check email and decided to write this quick post. This place is fantastic - and not just because Celeste works here. I have enjoyed my 2 hours of exploring, but she gets off work soon and we are going to rehearsal. Lucky me :) :) :) :)

Have an amazing day! Keep looking on the bright side! Michelle :)



 
 

I survived without my phone - but it wasn't easy!

Happy Sunday! Today is the day I worship God in a more formal way (informally everyday), sleep in (sometimes til 11 am), take my laundry to the laundry mat (which will end as soon as I move into my new apartment this month as it comes with it's own coin-op laundry area), and play with my kitties (who may or may not want the attention). I would also be packing, but I am saving that for tomorrow = day two of my weekend.

And I took my friend and her fur-baby to the vet. I was surprised that her vet's office was open on Sunday, but even more surprised to see how busy it was. During the hour I sat in the waiting room I spoke to at least a dozen nice people and pets. The office is decorated with large, beautiful paintings of turtles, by the way, and I didn't expect that either. Celeste would have loved them and would want to take them all home with her. There were cats and dogs represented too in the usual way: pet magazines, advertisements for collars & tags and urns (don't want to think about that), and the scary "vaccinate and protect your pet" advertisements, with a scary blow-up tick hanging from the ceiling. Since it's Halloween, the area was decked out with the usual garb, but this staff added something extra in the form of ACTUAL x-rays of skulls, paws, tails, etc. Creepy, but definitely in the spirit of the season. Who thinks of these things?!

When I walked into the vet's, I saw a woman standing at the counter crying. Turns out her dog was hit by a car. It was heartbreaking and reminded me of wanting to be a veterinarian when I was young. That dream lasted a very short time because I realized I would have to treat sick and injured animals. Librarian it is! I won't have to worry about animals being hurt at the library, right? Wrong. Actually, yesterday I called the police to report a small dog left in a vehicle. I attempted to find the owner of the vehicle by announcing over the intercom (twice) but no one responded. I took water out the the puppy, but he wouldn't drink. The window was down a few inches, but when I put my hand in the car it felt very hot. I noticed him when I returned from lunch and heard his whining and barking. At one point he had his head out the window, but mostly he was laying down and panting. This vehicle was also parked in a handicapped spot without a placard or license plate to offer proof. 

As the library security guard and I stood waiting, both the police officer and the owner of the minivan arrived at the vehicle at the same time. She did have a placard that the dog knocked down, but because it wasn't in view she almost got the $500 ticket anyway. She stated that she had only been in the library for 5 minutes and didn't hear my announcements. I was waiting 15 minutes, and don't know how long the dog was there before I saw him, and the officer had report notes, so her excuse didn't hold up. I am happy to report that the officer lectured her about animal safety, and the fact that it was too hot to leave an animal in the car, and that dogs have small brains that will burn up quickly (thanks for that image) and then took her information down to document the visit. If it were me, I would have put HER in a fur coat, locked HER in the vehicle, and let her tell me again how fine it is.

Back to surviving this day without a phone. I was so busy roaming the social sites this morning, while drinking coffee, that I decided to place it back on the charger before I left. So I left without it. Every few minutes I found a reason to think about my phone. No taking pictures of beautiful views, no searching for mattress stores in Hilo, no food coupons using my apps, no calling my daughter to tell her something I remembered, no music to connect to when K-LOVE isn't coming through the radio, and no clock, calculator, calendar, email, social sites, or texting. Hard to believe that I could function just fine before carrying around an $800 mini computer in my purse! Dependence. I have a monkey on my back, actually in the front pocket of my purse. Anyway, it was nice to be disconnected for a bit and I tried to enjoy the lack of distraction, but since my girls are the most important part of my life, I was disappointed I missed a call from Olivia. Enjoy your electronics, but do it responsibly; don't text & drive.

And always look on the bright side! Do Good, Be Positive-Michelle :)

Challenges become Learning Opportunities

Oh Equifax, are you the reason I am filling out paperwork and notifying everyone and their brother that someone has used my social security number? And to find out while on vacation only made it that much sweeter - not! Thanks for the heads-up by the way, sure wish I had known sooner.

I am pretty resilient. I have conquered dragons - literally, it was my high school mascot. Unfortunately, I moved out of Michigan last year so I couldn't attend my 30-year reunion :(

I handle challenges. I research possibilites. I persevere. I learn. I teach. I aspire to help others. I always look on the bright side. 

Despite all the tough stuff, I still feel like I am the luckiest person in the world! 
Why? 
Because I choose to be. 
I choose to be. 
And you can choose your attitude too.

I need more time. I need more money. I need less pain. Don't we all. I have worked so hard and I appreciate everything I have - so I can let the bad stuff go (most of the time). Hey, crying and then picking yourself back up again gives you character :)

Despite money worries-which I believe will always be around in one form or another, I will Do Good, Be Positive, Inspire others to do the same, and Hope for the best. I have raised the most incredible daughters. I have a support group of amazing family and friends. 
I am the luckiest person in the world.

My Philosophy: LLLLEEH  *Live, Love, Laugh, Learn, Experience, Enjoy, Help

I leave you with words from Dr. Sukhraj Dhillon:

Keep looking on the Bright Side! Michelle :)