Movies 1/2 Off

If you are a movie goer like myself, you know itʻs hard to watch a movie in our day and age.  Ticket prices are ridiculously high and the concessions can cost you an arm and a leg.  So how do you watch movies without breaking the bank.  Iʻve found a great way to get at least half of your movie watching bill taken care of.  All it takes is a click of a button or many clicks on apps and websites such as Bing, Swag Bucks and Viggle.  Through these various sites, I have gathered almost $200 dollars worth of movie tickets in 3 months.  In addition, using a Regal card and a $3 popcorn bucket has also brought down some of the concession costs.  The rewards Iʻve received in the past 3 months are listed below.  

2 Free Movie Tickets - Star Trek
Swag Bucks - 4 $25 Gift Cards
$3 Popcorn Bucket
Regal Theaters Card - Free Movie, Discount Popcorn and Drink
Bing - 4 $5 Dollar Fandango Promotional Codes
Viggle - 10 $5 Dollar Fandango Promotional Codes

By going through tedious web searches (Bing), watching tv (Viggle) and taking surveys (Swag Bucks) has allowed me the pleasure to enjoy the movies listed below this summer.                

$10.00

$10.00

$20.00

$22.50

$22.50

$2.00

 

 

$22.50

$20.00

$10.00

$20.00

Total = $159.50

As you can see from the total, I would have dished out about $160 to just watch these movies let alone buy popcorn or a drink.  So if you have the time and the passion for movies, I would suggest you google the application and sites I listed above.  What do you have to lose? 

Iʻm Back

Wow!  Itʻs been a while since I posted anything on this blog.  With the start of my new job and moving 3 times in the span of 9 months, Iʻve been occupied and quite honestly, lazy.  So in the midst of summer ending, Iʻve decided to jump back on the horse.

So whatʻs been going on since I last wrote...

1.  My job is awesome!!!  Advising students, weed eating the mala (yard) and sailing on a waʻa (boat) are just some of the things my job has me doing.  Currently, Iʻm preparing for my Super Bowl a Transfer Orientation for Native Hawaiian students.  Iʻve never done anything like this before so Iʻm nervous and pumped to see how it turns out.  

2.  Baby number 2 is on the way.

As you can see, I need to invest in a shotgun.  

3.  This may seem worldy but I have a flat screen, blu ray player and HD channels.  Once you go HD you never go back.  Can you say, "Are You Ready For Some Football!" 

4.  Iʻve found a magical way to pay for my movie addiction.  "Swagbucks"  Will be dedicating an entire blog post to this.  COMING SOON

5.  Finally started lifting weights again.  Iʻve already reached my bench max of 225 lbs.  Who needs to do crunches when you can bench your way to thinner looking you.

6.  My grandma has made herself at home in her new place.  Has already grown her own grass in the backyard that once looked like a giant litter box.

7.  Noweo is sleeping without her diaper and has had little to no accidents.  Now she just has to learn to sleep without us.

8.  Preparing for the math portion of the GRE.  Yes, there is an app for that.

9.  Finally got a smart phone.  Now everyone on facebook can see my family through my eyes.

10.  My relationship with my daughter is better then ever.  It was kind of rocky while on Maui but now she is opihi to me.  I think she knows mommy wonʻt be able to spend the same amount of time with her.  So she has attached herself to me.  Canʻt complain until I get kicked in the man region.  Need to buy me a cup.    

     

Coming Out Of The Darkness

In the past month life has been rough.  Leaving my childhood home behind.  Moving away from my grandmother.  It was like my heart had been cut out.  Even my wife commented that I had changed.  I was no longer the fun loving person.  I had a shorter fuse.  Angry at the world.  Angry at myself.  Hope had been sucked out of me.  It was as if the air of life had been punched out of my lungs and Iʻm waiting to get knocked out.

So whatʻs holding me up?  Whatʻs stopping me from tapping?  During this period, itʻs been the usual things Iʻve employed when I feel rocked by life.

1. Spending Time With My Family
2. Praying 
3. Reading Scriptures
4. Expressing Myself

But even these usual tactics werenʻt enough.  So I decided to listen to music.  Listen to words of inspiration as I searched for a match to light my flame.

Here are some of the videos that have kept me fighting.

I hope you find these videos useful when you feel like submitting to life.             

 

Happy Thanksgiving

In honor of Thanksgiving, I thought Iʻd make a list of things Iʻm grateful, which arenʻt so obvious and I take for granted everyday.  Now before I start, I would like to admit that in our day it may be hard to be grateful when we are facing this...

Unrest in the Middle East

Pic Credit:  Frugal Cafe Blog Zone

Unemployment

Pic Credit:  Washington Post

No Twinkies!!!!



Despite these dark times, life is still good.  And this is why...

Pic Credit:  Mom Goes Green

Toilet Paper

Pic Credit:  filtersystem.blogspot.com

  
Clean Water

Pic Credit:  vulture.com

  
No War In Our Backyard

Now do you believe there are people this very second who donʻt have any of the blessings I just mentioned.  As Americans, lets always be grateful for the small things because other people donʻt even have that.    

Thank You Grandma

Just been watching inspirational videos since Iʻve moved to the Big Island. Hoping to be inspired, I came across this youtube video:  

I teared up while watching the video and appreciated all the things my grandma has been for me.  Now unlike the person in the video, Iʻve told my grandmother how much I appreciate her.  But watching his heart felt words made me want to shout to the world how much of an impact my grandmother has been in my life.  

1.  Sheʻs been an ear when I felt like no one was listening. 

2.  She taught me to say "thank you" and "please".  You may not know it but find people with manners isnʻt common.  

3.  She showed me love when I felt like no one in the world cared.  

4.  She went to all my baseball and football games.  It was nice to see someone support me no matter if I sucked or not.  

5.  She read me bible stories and taught me how to pray.  

6.  She drove me to my practices.  

7.  She taught me how to drive.  I tried to learn from my parents and grandpa but they were a little too scary for me.  

8.  She took care of me when I was sick. 

9.  She shared with me stories of the old days that I will always cherish and plan to pass down to my children. 

10.  She told me I was a "GOOD PERSON".  

There are many more things I could write but itʻs safe to say, she was a wonderful grandmother/mother/friend/mentor to me.  

If you have anyone like my grandmother in your life, donʻt forget to tell them thank you.      

Where Would I Be Without Her? #2

Pic Credit:  Pink Berry Shortcake

This might be a guy thing or a me thing but I didn't know the difference between conditioner and shampoo until I married my wife.  I thought the only difference between the two was that one made my hair softer.  Who knew that you were supposed to use the two simultaneously.  I didn't know.  Luckily, my wife has taught me the importance of hair care.  If she hadn't I would still be using conditioner on its own for a month.  Thank you honey.  



  

Home Again

Recently, I've hinted on my blog that my grandmother who raised me like a son was losing the home she raised 3 generations in.  Being the favorite of my grandmother, which is what my sister likes to tell me, I returned to Maui over a year ago in hopes of saving the house.  Sadly, I would quickly realize that there wasn't much I could do.  I tried to find a full time position in my field (Counseling Psychology), specifically at an educational institution and was unsuccessful to find anything on Maui.  There just seemed to be more opportunities outside of Maui.  

After being donkey kicked in the stomach, I was faced with picking up my grandmother.  A woman who had always been a rock for me was now beaten down by the monthly payments that were eating away at her life savings.  For several months, I would remind her that it was okay to sell the house.  That it was up to her.  But deep down inside I was lying.  I was dying inside.  Thinking about losing the house made me sick.  It affected me so much that I started acting uncharacteristically angry (short fuse) and beaten down.  

My wife even shared with me that she felt like living on Maui had changed me.  A change she was unsure was for the good.  

Now, after so many months of ups and downs, this chapter seems to be coming to an end.  My grandma is close to selling the house and seems to have accepted her loss.  I think she'll realize it's a blessing when she sees how much money she'll be saving.  There is nothing like financial security.  

As for me, I think I've accepted it, finally.  It probably won't sink in fully until I move to the Big Island.  But what keeps me strong is the fact that my grandma is going to be okay.  Even though I dreamed of owning this house, I know that a home is more then four walls.  It's made up of love and care.  

The home I'm about to lose was more then a roof over my head.  More then a big yard and a nice ofuro. 

Just in case you didn't know what a ofuro was.  This is not the ofuro I grew up with.

 It represented security, which I know I have with my family.  Where ever I go as long as my family is there.  That is home. 

Here are some other things my home represented and I know I can take these things with me where ever I go:  

1.  Peace:  Now I don't mean that there weren't any fights in the house.  Believe me, there were some heated arguments and a few scuffles.  But at the end of the day, there was no other place I felt more at ease.     

2.  Teacher:  Home was a place I learned how to play baseball.  It was where I learned the value of hard work.  Where I was taught to be polite and respectful.  

3.  Fun:  The best memories of home that stick out in my mind were the fun moments.  When I used to cheer so loud for the Atlanta Braves during the World Series that I made my grandpa laugh.  When I had friends over the house for sleep overs.  When my brother and I played hide and go seek in the back yard.  

These things can come with me.  They are not loss with the selling of the house.  I can bring these memories and aspects of a home with me.  And more importantly I can create a similar but better environment for my children.  I can create new memories and help my children enjoy their home.        

Here are some pictures of the house: 

I really hope I can afford a house that big one day.  

I think these hand prints were done when my brother and I were in grade school.  

I might miss the back yard the most.  I still remember when my grandpa built us a tree house under the mango tree.  

Iʻll always remember my grandma cooking stew in this kitchen.  My favorite.  

Those marks you see on the floor are from my baseball metal cleats I used to put on before leaving the house.  My grandpa was mad when he caught me doing that.  

This trophy case may look empty now but it was once filled with trophies that my grandpa accumulated over the 40+ years of coaching.  

This is where my grandma used to read me bible stories to put me to sleep when I was a kid.  

These are the memories and the things that we can take with us where ever we go.