My Fondest Wish...

I love my friends. And after reading several of their blogs tonight, I've decided that what I want right now, more than anything else I could do right now would be to take away all the pain of my loved ones. Would that I had the power to compassionately heal people who had problems that they alone could not face. How I would love to shoulder their burdens, just for a little bit, while still carrying my own. But I guess that the Savior has already done that for me in a bigger way than we can ever hope to understand. So all I can offer to you, my most precious of earthly earnings, is a prayer that you will be okay. At least until I get back. Then at least, I can commiserate with you on how all of our lives suck, if nothing else.

Maholo

I can't imagine that my life could be any stranger than it is. Firstly, I am twenty years old and a college student. I have lived in four different places in less than a year, a list which includes a green place, a dry place, a snow-covered place, and now a tropical place. My first name has gone from Ronny to Veronica to Vero and then finally, back to Ronny again. My last name almost changed once. I've made a ton of money, saved not even a cent, and not paid my taxes at all.
Now, I live in Hawaii. Did I plan it? No. Had I ever been here before? No. Am I blessed as heck? Why definitely yes.
I have no clue why ANY of this has happened to ME. The good or the bad, I have no idea why. But maybe... maybe I don't need to know any more. Maybe I just need to savor my life as it is right now, and enjoy the things I am learning in the midst of the surprises. With that in mind, here are a few things I have learned about Hawaii that I didn't know before I moved here yesterday:

1 - The time here is three hours earlier than Oregon or California (so don't call me in the morning or I'll kill you)
2 - Maholo means thank you
3 - Kauai is known for having thousands of wild chickens and roosters just running around. This is because they have no natural predators here, and no snakes. As I type this, a random hen just sruts around inside my store.
4 - Did you know that rain can pollute the ocean water so that you shouldn't swim in it? It also kills a lot of chickens and puts them in the water so there's an abundance of sharks after the rain. Gee, I hope the fat man on a floaty out there is aware of that.
5 - I can see the beach and watch the surfers from the back window of my "store", which only has three walls
6 - Everything, even Panda Express, is more expensive in Hawaii.
7 - In Hawaiian, every letter in every word is pronounced. And Hawaii is actually spelled "Hawai'i" and that's why it's not said "Haway".
8 - Chu is a really, really bad word.
9 - Ever heard of "Dakine"? It means everything here.
10 - Pow means done in Pidgeon. Pidgeon is the way the locals talk, and it's freaking hilarious.
11 - Everyone strangely wants to visit me now. Hmm...
12 - I make about half as much as I used to, and it's still just as expensive as Vail. Whoops...
13 - I totally don't care how much I make. I'm just freaking glad to be here.
14 - "Strop", as a name, is also very VERY bad.

And that's what I've learned so far. Oh, also old people do NOT look good in booty shorts. But you already knew that.

Aloha I lub you

Ronnichi, or Wicki Wahini

Fotonovela de Provo

A haphazard chronicling of my recent fling to Provo:

My parents' 25th Anneversary dinner...

This was the portion where we were getting ready for dancing, but none of us really felt like going at the time. Later, though, we were kinda glad we did go.

Magnum.

2am Denny's Run...

Crazy Faces...

Evil Merriment With Friends, Pre-spousal training, and General Debauchary.

So that's it.

I was just sitting here thinking, "Man, I am so well rounded. I have a ton of career experience, mad social skills, a great sense of humor, and amazing fashion." Then I realized something. None of that means jack if I can't share it with anyone. That thought has a tendency to totally bum me out. I mean, it's gotten to the point where I can't even rejoice over a sigularly perfect act of diabolical pranking anymore. Something's gotta happen here. It looks like it's time to work on my skills of self delusion again.
Will someone please remind me that someone as independant and self-entertained as I is much better off without a partner? Can't solo acts do just as well as any team effort, if they are spectacular enough? This spring fever is really getting me down lately. Bleh.