Part Two (The Adventure Continues...)

So the week in Mexico had various events throughout the day to keep everyone occupied and entertained (personally, lying by the pool I was occupied by all the eye candy and the Mexican waitress saying "Here es yur Magarita señor"). One such event particularly sparked Victor's interest - the 'Scavenger Hunt'. At the beginning of the day he wanted to do it and I didn't, then midway through he wanted to just keep sippin’ on Piña Coladas while something inside me said "R.J., you MUST enter!” All of a sudden, as if preparing for war, my game face came on. I looked at Victor and said, "We're going to enter this competition and we're going to win - get out of the pool!" He saw how serious I was, and so we both put our A-games on and entered.

Fifty couples entered. The competition started with a clue that was given to you, which led you to successive clues and/or activities that needed to be accomplished. The first team to finish won. Sounds simple enough right? WRONG!

The second clue led us to a basketball court on the remote corner of the grounds where a coach had a basketball ready for us. We needed to make two 3-point free throw baskets (of a possible 4 attempts total). If we failed, we went to the back of the line which meant a delay of at least 15-20 minutes. I looked at Victor and said, "Can you play basketball?" He said and I quote "Girl, please! I'm a fu*kin cheerleading coach. I can't throw to save my life, you?" I reluctantly looked back at him with a facial expression that surely meant the end of the competition for us both. I was thrown the ball (which I dropped lol) and I gave it a few dribbles as if I knew what I was doing. I bent my knees (remembering something from 7th grade gym class) and shot the ball. Swish. All net!!! I was like, "Holy Shit!" One more to go and we would have it. I focused, aimed and shot - it bounced on the rim and rolled out as a sigh of "Awws" enveloped me. I threw the ball to Victor (which he also dropped lol). He grasped it with two hands and as he was about to launch the thing in the air I said, "Wait! Victor maybe I should go again and take your shots for you (this was within the rules)" He said, "Go, go, do it!" I dribbled, aimed, and with Michael Jordan form...swoosh, all net again! We did it!!! On to the next clue…

After a series of crazy clues and tasks, including kayaking, finding missing letters, solving riddles, singing in front of everyone, and playing hide and seek, we made it to our final clue. It read "Find Malcolm!" (Malcolm was the resort director.) Feverishly we knew where he was and we screamed running towards him, knowing we had almost finished, all of a sudden we heard, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the scavenger hunt is over! Congratulations to RJ and Victor for finishing in first place, both receiving the grand prize award which is an all inclusive trip for two to Club Med Cancun in April!" Victor started jumping up and down and I started screaming as we won the grand prize! It was unbelievable! I knew we'd win I just knew it!

The rest of the week was spent going to parties (the resort had a theme party every night, including the Mardi Gras Party, the White Party, the Tropical Party (where everyone just wore a sarong and nothing else!), a 70s Disco and even a Dog Tag Party (which I was more than ready for). If you put a red sticker on the dog tags it meant you were taken, a yellow sticker meant you were taken, but with a few drinks you'd entertain the thought, a green sticker meant available, two green stickers meant very available, aka, meet me in my room in 15 minutes, and if you had green stickers all over your body it meant "Take Me Now!" I was looking for someone to paint me green lol. Enclosed are a few pics from the week, friends we made, sunsets we experienced, and memories that will last a lifetime. Thanks for an amazing week Victor. It was great getting to know you again.

Next was Phoenix, AZ visiting my ex-roommate and good friend Josh. I stayed in a suite in a posh hotel called the Mondrian in Scottsdale, just outside of Phoenix. The pictures enclosed are of the hotel here (and not the place in Mexico). The hotel was beautiful and very Delano-esque (owned by the same company that owns the Delano Hotel in South Beach, Miami). The first two days I had an hour long Stone Therapy message, a manicure, a pedicure (I know, that was pretty gay, but I rationed that it was important for me to take care of my body after putting it through so much neglect for 7 months) and I finally spent time at the 'Serenity Pool' - a quiet oasis from the hotel with a warm pool, waterfall and quiet area (see picture). It was very relaxing - a perfect post-vacation vacation. The weather was sunny and unseasonably warm in the mid to upper 80s. Perfect weather to sit by the pool and sip on mojitos!

I bought an I-Phone today (yes, I know, the shopping spree continues) and now I'm learning how to set it up (a task that is even harder than the scavenger hunt and should take me into the weekend). As much of a good time that I'm having, I kind of miss my car. lol. Is that weird? I am still enjoying things on my Master Post-Iraq list, like "Go to Baja Fresh for a Baja Ensalada, go to P.F. Chang's for their Salt and Pepper Calamari and Mongolian Beef, and go hiking".

Currently I'm in Los Angeles spending time with my friends Luciano and Eli. We went on a hiking expedition yesterday and enjoyed the beautiful unseasonably warm and sunny weather. I have a few more people to see and then its back to Hawaii.

I'll tell you this - the past few weeks since my return have been interesting in the sense of experiencing life all over again. It's been nice just to see new faces (instead of the same few hundred that I saw every day in my routine in Iraq). It's been difficult making choices (instead of them being made for me) - like in a convenient store or at a restaurant. I have returned with an appreciation for everything. I've noticed that in contrast to others that seem to be complaining a lot about everything, I'm appreciative instead. I'm not bothered by simple stresses. My life seems exciting and new again, and that's pretty cool. Hard to explain, but I hope I can keep this feeling going forever.

Here's the guide to the pictures I attached:

PIC#1 Eating sushi at a posh sushi restaurant called 'Kumo' in Los Angeles . Pictured is my friend Luciano, his sister and I.

PIC#2 My friend Luciano and I going on a hike with his sister and and our friend Eli. The place was called Runyan Canyon. From the top there's a spectacular panoramic view of Los Angeles and Hollywood.

PIC#3 Victor jumping off a rock at the end of our Zip Lining adventure.

PICS#4 and 5 The Mondrian Hotel in Phoenix, poolside.

PIC#6 Friends I met in Puerto Vallarta during a night downtown dancing.

PIC#7 The sunset in Puerto Vallarta was beautiful! This shot was taken by one of the people that worked at the resort (a good MySpace shot, don't you think?)

PICS #8 and 9 When Victor and I ziplined down the mountain/canyon, it ended in the bar, where the bartender offered us some of the local moonshine. These are before and after pictures. It tasted like a mix between grain alcohol and raw ground up hamburger meat. It was painfully disgusting!

BACK FROM IRAQ! (Part One) The Long Awaited Entry

Wasssssuuuuuuppp! 'Hola' from sunny Puerto Vallarta everyone! Since the suite I'm currently staying in has wireless I thought I'd take a few moments to write a blog entry and tell you about my first week back - which has been nothing but madness. I've blown lots of money, bought a new car, flown through the air, moved into a new place and dealt with some serious jetlag, let me explain...

I stepped off the plane to sunny Hawaii, being unexpectedly diverted from Marine Corps Base Kaneohe to Hickam Air Force Base due to inclimate weather. This, combined with arriving a day or so early, put a damper on some of the plans that friends and family members had arranged for their returning troops - Karen Yamada, Kathy Sweeney and my mom being no exception to these folks. They planned for me to be greeted by Karen's cousin with a Meile Ceremonial Lei (pictured) and a special card that my mom sent to Karen to deliver to me. Needless to say, timing was off, BUT the thought was very much appreciated and I ended up meeting Karen's cousin shortly after landing to be leid and to receive my mom's card. Thank you to everyone that was a part of this greeting. It was very special to me.

Being greeted by a procession of individuals as we arrived in Kaneohe was an experience that I shall remember for the rest of my life. You know, there are a few moments in life that you can remember as being your proudest - moments that shall stick with you forever, moments that you think of fondly when the dark coulds of adverity gather around you. Being greeted as I came back from war was one of these moments. A band was playing, friends and families were there hugging one another, children were reunited with their fathers, and in typical Hawaiian style, each Marine was given a lei and a Hawaiian beer from a local brewery to celebrate the occasion. It was a sight to see and the Soldier's Angels were certainly a part of it.

So what was the first thing that RJ did? Well, I got a ride from a Flight Surgeon colleague of mine to my new apartment in Waikiki and got the keys from a buddy in my building. My place is really amazing guys! I really lucked out. It's on the 9th floor and has a panoramic view of Diamond Head on the left and Waikiki Beach and the ocean in front and to the right. It is newly renovated, travertine floors, Jacuzzi bathtub in the Master bedroom, 1200 square feet, pool, and ideal location! So after getting my keys, I took a moment to admire the view, and then…I took a bath in the Jacuzzi tub. I mean, I really stank after the long plane ride and what a way to relax. (And if you know me, you know I love taking tub baths).

I felt obligated to go out that first night back, so I managed to muster up enough energy to go out for “one drink”. (Right.) I saw some old friends and immediately the shots started flowing. Karen – I wish I could say that I used your coin lei for my first drink as I had intended, but I don’t think I paid for a single drink that night. Anyway, some beers, some shots, some liquor and a few hours later I stumbled home and woke up experiencing my first hang over in 8 months – an experience which was not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. I really overdid it the night before and I got a good reality check from my liver the next day. So all day I laid on the floor of my apartment in my military sleeping bag moaning, staring up at the ceiling wishing I could be put out of my misery. I had no food, no water and could barely move! Lol. I told myself that I needed to get up and go “get some food at the chow hall”, that I needed to eat to feel better and drink some water. Just then it hit me – I can pick up my cell phone and have someone deliver food to me!!!!! So I mustered up enough energy for Chinese Takeout at a place called California Wok. It came. I ate some soup. I went back to bed, and the next thing I knew it was 4 am the next morning!

Things start to get a little blurry here because I had some wicked jetlag for the first week so I’m not sure which day was which, but I started to do everything I needed to before leaving for my vacation. I hitched a ride to the airport and rented a car. Then drove on an impulse to the Infinity Dealership and test drove the G37 Coupe. I have to say, I was not impressed! The next place I drove was to the Navy Mall at Pearl Harbor. This was about 3 pm. My intent was to go for a few groceries, like lunch meat and milk, but instead a monster emerged! 7 months of a repressed, forgotten desire to shop was unleashed when I entered that mall and by the time I left, only because it was 10 pm and they literally were closing and told me I had to go, I filled 2 shopping carts full of stuff that of course, I absolutely had to have. Among these items – a 46” Sony LCD TV which I had mounted on the wall of my living room, a Sony Blu Ray Disc Player/DVD Player, a new collection of Blu Ray DVDs, a portable BOSE IPOD player (a must for the room here in Mexico), a BOSE Surround Sound Home Theatre System for my living room (which I had wall mounted with the TV), some swimsuits, a bathroom set, stainless steel kitchen appliances and some toiletries. When I left, I forgot that I hadn’t bought ham or milk, so I stopped at a grocery store on the way home just to get them. Then I rationed to myself, since I already spent over 6 thousand dollars, what’s another hundred to treat myself to a gourmet meal at one of my favorite restaurants in Waikiki, The Yard House. I had Filet Mignon, Scallops, fresh Tuna, some wine and some Sam Adams Octoberfest! I can honestly say, I’ve never had a 6 thousand dollar day before, and it felt pretty damn good! Lol.

The next day I woke up and decided I needed some clothes for Mexico, so I did a little well needed shopping, then ate lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. I ended up seeing my former roomate who was still bartending there. We were cordial to one another and I quickly realized that there was hope for a shot at one day becoming friends again, should that be something we both want. Anyway, I digress. I had my long awaited slice of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake – which was FANTASTIC! Somewhere around 5ish I realized that I hadn’t even called my family or friends yet to let them know I was ok, and that with my new time change (6 hours behind the East Coast), everyone was sleeping. So it wasn’t until around day 4 that I got around to calling everyone.

The next day (Monday?) the movers came. They put a hole through my wall moving in my couch. But I decided not to get stressed about it. Then it was off to the Acura Dealer to see my TL Type S! I met Colin, the Internet Sales Rep I had been e-mailing from Iraq. He worked with me to give me a great deal – telling me things I needed and things I didn’t. I left feeling confident that I got a great deal on a spectacular car! I tell you – this car is smarter than me. It has GPS and knows when the car is facing the sun and adjusts the speed of the Air Conditioning accordingly so if the car faces the sun and is heating up, the A/C increases, when the car faces away, it decreases. Unbelievable! It has 500 voice commands all at the touch of a button on my steering wheel. I say “Call Mom Home” and it does! I say, “Play CD 5 track 2” and it does! And when I back up, it has a camera just above the license plate that shows you what you’re backing up into on a computer screen in the console. Unbelievable!

Before I knew it, it was Halloween, and out came LT Dangle from Reno 911, with package enhancer and all! Some friends and I walked down the streets of Waikiki, which were closed so that everyone dressed up in costume could walk around. It was mobbed! To my surprise, everyone recognized LT Dangle – HE WAS A HIT! I have to say, at first I was a little shy, walking solo to pick up my friends down the street and having everyone stare at me, but after a few drinks, I was stopping traffic and writing the cars tickets (which I’m glad the Honolulu PD found as amusing as everyone else). I ended the night at one of my favorite bars and even got asked out on a date by an old acquaintance. Not too shabby, huh? My friend Kelli wore a pair of Hawaii shorts, a Super Woman costume and a pair of fairy wings and she went as “The Hawaiian Super Ferry”, which was the most popular costume of the night.
The following day was spent getting a Passport for Mexico, along with a few hours of work (yes, I did go to work for a few hours). But before I knew it, I was back on a plane flying out of the country once again!

Mexico with Victor has been absolutely amazing! This resort is beautiful. Today is our 3rd day here and unlike the first two days here, which were spent lounging by the pool and having cute Mexicans bring us Margaritas and Pina Coladas, today we decided to go Zip Lining across some canyons about an hour outside the city. Attached is a pic of me flying through the air as I was going across a water formation. It was an amazing day! It’s also nice that I’m no longer “without”…alcohol that is, alcohol. After 7 months it’s nice to have finally gotten a piece of… alcohol. But the best part of my vacation has been waking up every morning to the sound of the ocean waves. Our suite is on the 9th floor and overlooks the ocean and the pool. It’s great! So far we’ve gone to see a Hypnotist, a comedian, we’ve done water sports, Zip Lining, drank a lot and got a fierce tan! Tonight we’re going downtown to the city of P.V. to take over a local club. Yay, some cute local Mexicans to practice my Spanish with! Then to Phoenix and to Los Angeles next week! This is Part One, standby for Part Two with some pictures of Victor and I in our swimsuits! What a homecoming!!!