We won't be homeless!

On Friday (9/21) Cass and I went to check out an apartment we found on Craigslist. We liked what we saw so we fillied out an application and turned it in first thing Monday morning (9/24). That afternoon we got a call that our application was approved. We just had to get our first month's rent and deposit to them asap. The only problem was that there's no Washington Mutual or Bank of America branch out here and for the initial payment this place wouldn't accept personal checks, only a cashiers check or money order. Fortunately my parents were in town so we wrote them a personal check for the whole amount and they got a money order from a credit union. We were down to the wire on everything, the credit union closed the doors just after we came in and we turned in the deposit about 10 minutes before the office closed. Oh well, close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades right? We get to pick up the keys at 8am on the first.

Here's where the new place is. You can see we're still only a five minute walk from Waikiki Beach. Only now we're no longer on a main thoroughfare. That should make things quieter.

There are a couple things that make this place perfect for right now. 1.) The place is furnished. 2.) A/C in both the bedroom and living room. 3.) Electricity is included in the rent so we can afford to use the A/C's.

You may not be able to tell but the couch pulls out into a bed so anyone that ends up coming out to visit doesn't have to sleep on the tile floor.

Finally a Job

As usual I'm running about a week late. Last Monday (9/18) I got a call to come in to one of the hotels I applied at, the Aqua Marina. The General Manager offered to sign me on as a night auditor. The pay isn't quite what I was looking for but the hours (11pm-7am) still allow me to continue the job hunt. Plus, it only takes me a couple hours to get my reports done so I'm going to try to use the down time to learn Japanese.

So far I've mainly worked during the days so that I could learn the systems and procedures. Before tonight I'd only worked one audit shift. I come in at 11pm tonight for my second shift training on audit and I'm told that Taylor (the guy training me) is running late. It's now almost 3:30am and I'm still by myself. Fortunately I took notes that first shift but even those were shorthand and somewhat incomplete. I tried to follow my notes as best I could tonight but we'll have to wait until morning to see how close I came. I hope a real hotel gives me a call back soon. Oh well.

Photos

I suppose it's about time I get some pictures up...



Cass ended up finding a place online called the Polynesian plaza. We ended up getting a nice little studio apartment with a king size bed (okay, it's really two twins pushed together). All in all though, its really working out great for us. We're in a perfect location for job hunting. If it weren't so expensive we may have been inclined to stay.










This is our kitchen. We've got a mini fridge and a range. Without an oven I finally know how the guys in the KA house must feel. I'm lost without my frozen pizzas.

















This is our lanai. While the days here are only getting into the mid 80's it still only drops to the mid 70's at night. It's nice to sit out here with a bottle of wine and just relax.

















I like this picture. This is the view that we enjoy from right outside our apartment.












We are seriously a five minute walk from the beach. As soon as we have jobs we intend to spend a lot of time there. I'm gunna be a surfer bra. This picture was taken from our lanai.







Of course if we just feel like a quick splash we can alway pop on down to the pool. Sometimes you just feel like fresh water.









And when I was talking about the parade going on just outside of our apartment I meant it. This was also taken from our lanai.

We're Here!

Well, I suppose this is a little late getting started but you know what they say...

Cass and I got here on the sixth so its been a little over a week now that we've been here. The weirdest thing for me was waiting for the checked bags. I've lived out of a carry-on for longer than I can remember. The airline policy is that each passenger is allowed two checked bags, one carry-on, and one personal item so Cass and I each brought: two checked bags, one carry-on, and one personal item. Geez, we even stole my parents' scale out of their bathroom to verify that we were packing in every alloted ounce.

Getting to the airport was a breeze with the help of my mom and brother. It was when we got out of baggage claim that we realized just how much we'd managed to bring. Originally I had ideas of catching a bus into town but I buckled and hailed a cab. Cass had done an amazing job in finding an extended stay place for the month of September. We're essentially in a studio apartment on the west end of Waikiki.

Our original intent had been to hit the ground running and begin the job search as soon as we set down. We quickly found this expectation to be a tad overambitious as we realized just how unprepared we were. The first day (Thursday 9/6) we ended up just unpacking our things and collapsing. The next day (Friday 9/7) we started exploring and shopping. The toughest part about getting set up has been that we're on foot. We bring a backpack with us but we still can only buy what we can get back home on foot.

The good news was that we had ourselves outfitted with food and basic supplies for everyday life. The bad news was that we were now entering the weekend when hiring managers and HR offices disappear. The weekend was rather uneventful as it was. We wandered out to explore the area, hit the pool a couple times. The only important thing we did was to work on the job hunt in what ways we could. We polished and printed our resumes, got a Sunday paper for the classifieds, and looked online for leads to follow the next week.

On Monday (9/10) things picked up again. We got up early and set out for downtown. I was going down to turn in some paperwork for the HPD and Cass wanted to look into prospects downtown. The worst part was that with the potential of on the spot interviews we had to dress up. With temperatures in the mid-high 80's and humidity around 65-70 it was less than comfortable. Cass was the real trooper. She was in a new pair of dress shoes and after walking for about 20 mins she could already feel a blister. We stopped in at a Wal-Mart and got her some gel inserts and band-aids. It seems like every few blocks she was stopping to put a band-aid in a new rub spot. I tried to offer her bus fare to head home but she insisted on staying with me.

On the way back to Waikiki we stopped in at the Ward Shopping center to get some lunch and make change for us to get the bus back. We ended up walking by a sign that the Spaghetti Factory was hiring. Well Cass figures what the hey and steps inside. After about a half hour she comes back out and tells me the hiring manager will be back in an hour so we stall by grabbing a bite to eat then as she heads back I head off to find gainful employment. About a mile down the road I get a call from Cass that she's been hired on as a server. Seriously, the first place she turns in an application. She spent the remainder of the day picking up shoes and shirts for work.

I ended up walking into a little 60 room hotel and asking for an application. Right after turning in the application I talk to the Front Office Manager who tells me that if she had the decision she'd hire me now and asks if I've got time to talk to the General Manager. At this point I'm thinking how cool it would be for Cass and I to have found jobs on the first day we were looking. I was back chatting with the General Manager for an easy hour and a half with him telling me old hotel stories. Towards the end he ends up saying "I've kept you here for two reasons, one I needed a break, and two I like you." I'm not really sure how to take that one but then as he walks me out he tells me he's heard rumors that one of his agents is leaving and he may be needing someone. Its now past business hours but what can you do. I thanked him for his time and just for grins stopped by a couple hotels on the way home to find out when their HR offices are open.

The next morning (Tuesday 9/11) we wake up early again. A lot of the hotels only accept applications in small windows twice a week or so. I planned a few to hit that morning that were all near each other. I left the apartment a bit after eight and didn't get back until 1:30pm. In those five hours I only got my resume into four hotels and found one that wasn't hiring. Between filling out the application and talking to the HR agents each application was taking a little over an hour. I was applying for anything from Lobby Receptionist to Asst. Reservations Mgr. By the time I got home I had time to kiss Cass and wish her luck as she left for her first day. I should have gone out again but tromping around in shirt and tie can drain you.

Wednesday (9/12) was a somewhat special day. My Aunt Suzie and her boyfriend Alan had been on the big island for a few days and they had a three hour layover in Honolulu on their way home. Cass and I got up early and hopped a bus out to the Airport. We couldn't get past security so Suzie and Alan had to come out to us. The only thing outside was a Starbucks stand but it was just nice to see some familiar faces. They were our first visitors and it was just nice to sit and chat. We said our goodbyes and hopped another bus home and after a couple episodes of Heroes Cass had to leave for work. I was tired of sitting around the apartment so I actually took a walk along the beach. Get that, we've lived maybe a five blocks from the beach for almost a week and this is the first time I've been out to it.

Thursday (9/13) was another application day so I started around 9am and didn't get home until almost 3pm, again only having hit a handful of hotels. Again, time enough only to tell Cass to have a good day at work. After Cass left I got my suit on and hit the pool for a half hour. It was in that tiny window that someone calls me. I returned the call and somehow had warranted an interview with one of the hotels I'd applied at online. Suddenly I actually had something planned for Friday.

I woke up early Friday Morning to prepare for my interview and even cooked breakfast for Cass and myself. After the interview Cass and I watched some TV and played some games before she left for work again. As usual I went stir crazy and decided to go grocery shopping. Cass is usually the voice of reason so without her there I just bought what I thought we needed. Apparently it was enough weight that when I woke up this morning I had bruises where the backpack straps rested.

This morning (9/15) we woke up to something fun, marching bands. We had slept in and the Honolulu Floral Parade was going down Kalakaua Ave. We seriously were watching the parade from our lanai. Later that afternoon we kept hearing the Air Force Thunderbird jets flying overhead. Most of the time we'd just be rubber necking trying to find the planes. A couple times we caught quick views of them. It was amazing how low they were flying and how close to the ground and buildings they were able to get.

Well, that's pretty much our first week here. We'll try to keep everyone updated as things happen. Aloha.