Even while I'm on vacation, I seem to have trouble posting even once a week. And it's not because I'm Soooo.Busy.Having.Fun. I've actually only been on the beach twice in almost 2 weeks.
I have been walking almost every morning, but to be honest, my resolve regarding eating healthy has slipped a little. Nothing too drastic, but I think that instead of maintaining or losing as I had intended, I feel like I've put on a couple of pounds.
The weather has been great, but since Thanksgiving, we've been working…running around doing errands and such. To explain, we own a very nice condo that we bought many years ago, before prices went crazy. It's on the beach, so it's rented out most of the time we are not here. We're very lucky to own it, as it does give us a place to come for a few weeks a year, and the rentals pay for the majority of the mortgage and taxes. But the unit takes a lot of abuse throughout the year, and much of our time here is consumed with doing things that need to be done. Last year it was getting new carpeting and bedroom ceiling fan, and having workmen in to replace the shower (plus we had to drive all over kingdom come to choose the materials). The year before, we needed a new washer/dryer and living room furniture. We spend a lot of time shopping for items, and we actually do a lot of the installation work ourselves. Even when we aren't able to do it ourselves, we still have to be here while someone else does it.
This year our list has included:
- A new TV
- New draperies
- Repairing the stove
- Getting the windows washed
1. Our management company had been complaining that renters didn't like the old TV (which I completely understand, it was ancient technology from about 10 years ago). Of course, choosing the right one took several trips to the Sears in the nearby mall (a traffic nightmare), Costco (another nightmare), and Best Buy. We finally got a 40 inch LED TV, brought it home and set it up. Then we tried to find a stand for it. Several more trips here and there. Once we decided on the one we wanted, it was out of stock at Best Buy. 6 weeks to get it. Frustrating. So we're going to use the old stand for now, and next time we come we'll order it in advance so it's here for pick up when we arrive.
2. The draperies need to be custom made. There are only about 3 drapery companies here on Oahu, and involves having someone come out and measure and give quotes. It's hard to get anyone to come, and material choices are limited. Then it takes 4 months to actually get the draperies.
3. We either needed to get a new stove, or new knobs for the old one. The stove works fine, but the knobs were worn out. After trips to every appliance store and Home Depot on the island, we finally found some replacement knobs. In all of Oahu, there was one kind of knob.
4. We can't do the windows ourselves because we are on the 12th floor, and special equipment is needed to get to the farthest window. The first guy we contacted wanted $350 for a job that will take an hour to do, so Hub is in the process of calling several other companies.
5. (Oh, you didn't know there was a 5 did you?) Monday, the kitchen sink decided to stop up, and we had to get a plumber @ $125/hr to spend 3 hours trying to snake it out. Turns out the problem is actually above us in another unit (don't ask me how these things work, the building was built in the 70's, and I guess there are some things that are not up to current plumbing codes), so the building maintenance guy will need to get access to the other unit in order to fix the problem. Who knows when that will be, so in the meantime, we are afraid to use the garbage disposal. (At least the water does go down now.)
Between my husband, who is a complete Type A personality, and the Hawaiian way of doing things, nothing is easy here when it comes to getting repairs and maintenance done.
Now…honestly…I'm not complaining. It's just that as a vacation, coming here is not all it might seem on the surface. But we have some friends arriving today and tomorrow, so Hub will probably mellow out a bit. Then on Sunday, we are leaving for a week on the Big Island, where we are renting someone else's condo, and we'll have no chores to do. Yay! Maybe I'll actually be able to get a tan next week!
I know that salt can make people retain water, contribute to high blood pressure, etc. My husband is one who is salt sensitive. He religiously watches his salt intake, reads labels and won't buy something if the sodium content is too high. I, however, am one of those people who has never had much of a problem with salt. I have low blood pressure (typically 110/60) and I've actually been rather cavalier about the issue. "Oh, salt never bothers me." In fact, I often add salt when I could probably get by without it. I tend to like things on the salty side. 
