Look! Do you see it? It's right over there! On the horizon!

Unfortunately, I think the months are squeezing in extra days - call it timecard padding, if you like - and I think Hawaii is taking baby-steps towards Japan when I'm not looking.

Every time I do something related to the trip, I get giddy all over again. Whenever Christine makes some new wonderful thingie for me to wear, or I pick up a pair of earrings, or, like today, confirm and finalize details.

I called today to confirm our sunset dinner cruise. We will be picked up at our hotel at the SIDE entrance (Isn't that what they do for celebrities? Like it MATTERS, I'm going to feel like a princess anyway). I wonder if they're going to pick us up in a cheesy mini-van, like the Blackjack Rabbit shuttle. I'm not too concerned about that, either, although it WOULD be neat to be picked up in a limo. Oh, yeah, I'm so TOTALLY snob-material. I hope I can pick up a starfish for Mercedes. I'm afraid to take anything off of the island that I haven't paid for, but maybe they'll have something like the scorpion-trapped-in-resin paperweights (only with starfish) that I can pick up for her. That would be nice - something that she'll be able to pick up and handle, and not worry about damaging the actual specimen. I have no idea what to bring back for Alex, mostly because he doesn't really have the concept that we're going someplace special. I'm sure we'll find something, though. Maybe I can find him a cool faux-coral necklace with a way cool masculine pendant. Hmm. Stuff to think about.

Another thing to consider: Grocery stores. I want to try to keep our eating bills on the cheap side (although I'm not cooking anything that can't be made in 5 minutes or less in a microwave), so I'm looking around to see what major grocery stores are around. Not only that, but I think it would be kind of fun to shop around like we live there. Because I'm weird like that - I tend to appreciate even the most mundane things.

Now, I'm off to peruse eBay, and see if I can't find Corey a decent black silk shirt. With silver thread. And silk covered buttons. Not that I'm picky. Hee hee!

the last trail...the next path