does this hula skirt make my ass look fat?

given the current nature of my role at the radio station, which basically entails making sure commercials run during prerecorded programs and hoping we don't experience any natural disasters or child snatchings, i'm generally able to multitask on weekends.

last weekend, i was able to scribble on a pile of avon brochures and submit 200+ medicaid claims while at work, and i figured today would be another superproductive one.....but then i got sidetracked.

as you know (i know it make the holiday letter, and i'm pretty sure i made passing mention of it on here at least once), on my last birthday, i scribbled a list of thirty things (29, actually- i'm still trying to narrow down item #30) that i wanted to accomplish before my 30th birthday. as it stands right now, i have just under six months left, and about 20 items still to check off. (i'm estimating here- perhaps item #30 should be "put journal containing "to do" list in a good hiding place, but not so good that i can't remember its location".) i've finally been kissed under mistletoe (thank goodness i thought to add the "cheek counts" modifier), learned how to make a pot of coffee, found at least 3 old friends (thank you, myspace), and read god bless you, dr. kevorkian by vonnegut.

however, with so many goals left on my list, i found myself obsessing yesterday over items #2 (hawaii- i've got that one memorized) and #twentysomething (travel alone to someplace new).

yes- despite all the travelling i've done over the years, i've never travelled all by myself to someplace where i didn't know someone who'd be waiting for me at the airport or providing a place for me to crash or whatever. i'm thinking of this as an exercise in independence. besides, i can't afford to pay for anyone else to go (and you have no idea how many times i've bought tickets for travel companions), and i don't know anyone off the top of my head with a spare thousand bucks for such endeavors.

so, my saturday morning shift was spent playing with dates on expedia, calling my parents to inform them of my intentions to flee the mainland in mid-february, trying to figure out the logistics of flying into one airport on the big island, picking up a rental car (another thing i've never had to do), and driving to my hotel on the other side of the island, and trying to figure out how to sneak in an overnight trip to volcanoes nationl park. (i may have to give in and haul all of my little notes to AAA and have a travel agent help sort it all out.)

since i have to send my credit card company another donation before i can whip out the plastic (yet another call i made yesterday), i've got about a week to think, and i'm sincerely hoping the rate i found ($1400 for 7 nights and airfare) holds until i'm ready to get my ticket.

which, i suppose, gives me plenty of time to catch up on all that work-type stuff, as well as some hula lessons......