I’ve suspected for a while that our mattress needs to be trashed because it’s doing more harm than good…but I had no proof other than waking up frequently with the feeling that I’d slept twisted like a pretzel.

Now I have proof.  I had no back troubles on our trip (and two very comfortable mattresses) and our first night back home?  Woke up feeling twisted and hurting.

Bed shopping is the stupidest thing ever, IMO.  Because even if you lie down on a mattress in a store, you can’t tell how you’ll do SLEEPING on it.  Plus now there are all these different options, like memory foam, sleep number, etc. 

So how in the hell do you figure out what bed will be best for you?  I’ve ruled out pillow top (which we have now and I hate for reasons other than my twisted back) and memory foam/tempurpedic because of the chemicals. 

Anyone have bed-buying advice?  An opinion?  Experience with sleep number?

And while I’m on a roll, WHY do mattresses cost so much???

Jet lagged, back to reality, hoping hard for a nap.

The trip was AMAZING.  If I could go back to Hawaii tomorrow, I would, long plane trip and all.  (Maybe then my jet lag could cancel itself out?)

I have a couple more pics to share, to cover up my lack of a different topic today. 

My family has been discussing our favorites from the trip, and believe me, there are lots of things to choose from.  Interestingly, both the 8yo and the 10yo chose Pearl Harbor as their faves.  The younger son informed me that the day we went to Pearl Harbor and toured all the ships was the “best day of his life.”  When I asked him why, he said because it got him interested in history.  Knock me over with a feather…but I love it!

My favorite, however, the boys just don’t get.  On our last full day there, my husband took the kids swimming in a volcanically heated swimming “pond” on the shore.  I went and sat on the rocks that overlooked the shore.  Took a book with me, but for once I didn’t read a word.  I spent an hour just watching the turquoise waves, over and over.  Soooo soothing and beautiful.  Here’s a pic I took from my perch:

This doesn’t do the blues justice at all so you’ll just have to squint and imagine the prettiest water you’ve ever seen.

Lastly, the photo I took on our way out the door to the airport, from the deck of our rental house:

So now…it’s back to work I go.  Oh the pain of a Monday morning in 34-degree Wisconsin…

Thought I’d throw up (not as in vomit) some more pics from our trip…

This is Rainbow Falls in a rain storm:

And here’s a big rainforest-ish tree that caught my interest, not far from the waterfall:

This is one of the black sand beaches — Punalu’u Beach.  We went to see if the sea turtles were up on the sand.  They weren’t, but we could see lots of them in the water, eating algae and playing.  I want to live on the black sand beach…

Next is a bunch of green surrounding a stream:

And here is Akaka Falls:

Today we took a scenic “detour” that turned out to be four of the most beautiful miles we’ve seen so far:

And last one for today, I was lucky to meet a reader and very generous, patient woman from the eHarlequin discussion board.  Snookie took my family and me to the black sand beach.  She’s lived in Hawaii her whole life and had so many interesting things to tell us about the area…it was one of our favorite afternoons since we’ve been here.  Here I am with her on the beach (uhh, ignore my horrible humidity hair.)

Depending on what we do tomorrow, our last full day on the island *lip quivering* I may post one more set of pics.  If not, I’ll be back next week with my usual un-scenic posts.

I’ve been told by my friend Becky that her son James is anxiously awaiting some pics from Hawaii, so I can’t disappoint (even though I am not currently on speaking terms with Becky, as she is a University of Northern Iowa fan.)  Here you go, James!

Our first day in Honolulu, we toured Pearl Harbor — the USS Arizona Memorial as well as the USS Bowfin (submarine) and the USS Missouri (battleship.)  Here’s a pic of the Missouri and the Arizona Memorial (the white thing to the right of the ship):

The next day we went to Waikiki Beach, although we didn’t wear swimsuits or spend more than a few minutes there (we had a shuttle and flight to catch that afternoon.)  Here’s a shot from across the street, before we got to the beach…especially for palm tree fans like my son:

Here’s the family on the beach, a tad overdressed:

Surfing anyone?

That evening we flew to the big island, which is an entirely different world from Oahu.  We got here in the dark, got lost trying to find our rental house, and then once we got here, collapsed into bed, unaware of where we were or what we might see when we woke up.  We’re sleeping in a hexagonal room at the top of a two-story hexagon-shaped house, and this is what I saw from one of the windows when I woke up the next morning:

The waves are literally about 60 feet from our deck.

Last one for now, we drove to Kona, on the other side of the island (no short jaunt, let me tell you!) and had dinner on the waterfront.  Here’s my husband and me at dinner…I look like hell because I’m not feeling well but check out the real lei Justin bought me.  It smells awesome!  Too bad it won’t last but at least the pic will:

Hopefully I’ll have more to post in a couple of days but maybe this will appease James for now.

Yesterday the husband informed me he needed new shoes, so I generously offered to go to DSW (Designer Shoe Wearhouse) with him.  (I know.  I’m a martyr.)

Since we’re going to Hawaii this week, I decided it would be appropriate to buy some new sandals for myself.  (Can’t go to the beach without at least one new pair, can you?  Tragedy…)

If you’ve never been to a DSW, their rows of shoes are…forever long.  Beautifully forever long.  And there were about four rows, double-sided, of sandals.  Yay!

Soooo many cute sandals this year except…about 80% of them are thongs of some sort, even when they don’t need to be!  I hate having ANYTHING between my toes and can’t wear shoes like that. 

I know I’m an anomoly.  Everyone and their dog wears thongs.  They’re cute, really.  But…nooo.  Not for me.

Anyway, I did pull through the adversity.  I found some non-thong sandals that will be just fine for the tropics.  Oh, and some funky tennis shoes.  And a purse….

So am I the only no-toe-thingeys freak out there?  Is everyone else on the thong wagon?  If so, you should go to DSW…tres cute thongs.  Aisles of em.

It’s often said that writing is a solitary endeavor but in my house?  Not so much.

This is Fudge, aka the boy half of the Vicious Kitten Brigade (VKB). He’s “helping” me with the line edits for Fully Involved, book 3 of the Texas Firefighters series. 

Normally I would transfer him to the big cushy chair behind my desk so that he would be comfortable and I could work but…I felt sorry for him.  You see, the girl half of the VKB, aptly named Moxie, has learned a new battle skill.  During their ongoing kitteh fights, she’s developed a secret weapon that makes Fudge scream like a little girl. Understandably.  

She sinks her teeth into his boy parts. 

If he wasn’t a bully and twice her size, I might intervene.

They battle it out and then go back to being BFF, just like regular siblings.  (Though there is hopefully no ball-biting going on between my chilluns!!!!)

See?  She loves him so.

Kitteh naptime now…I’m off to get some unhampered work done.

Happy weekend to you!

…with the Peapod man!

And if he was a woman I would be in love with her too. *g*

As I watched Idol Tuesday night, I went online and visited the Peapod Online Grocery Service because I keep seeing their very green trucks around town and received direct mail from them with a $20 off coupon. 

I was just looking.  Decided to compare their prices.  To do that, I whipped out my already prepared grocery list — the one that had been sitting around untouched for two days because I couldn’t find the gumption to trek to the grocery store.  Started clicking things into my cart because the prices were actually comparable to what I usually pay. 

Then I kind of became an obsessed woman.  There is no motivation quite like the desire to AVOID the grocery store!  And I kept clicking.

I found just about everything on my list.  Prices decent.  And…THEY BRING MY FOOD TO ME!

I thought what the hell and clicked.  Gave them payment info.  Picked my delivery window for Wednesday evening. 

Received a text from Peapod first thing Wed. morning reminding me of my delivery window (5-7pm).  Went about my merry way and did NOT go to the grocery store.

At 6pm, the pretty green truck pulled up on the street and I could barely contain my excitement.

He had cold things in boxes to keep them cold and wheeled everything to the front door.  He offered to take them up the stairs to the kitchen.  He gave me a free gift from Peapod (a bag full of fruit…the stuff that seemed a little expensive so I didn’t order…but needed.   Almost as good as chocolate…)

I tipped him and told him I loved him.

Okay, I only said it in my head, but hello…he brought me my groceries.  He saved me an hour and a half of fighting cart-driving morons who always seem to park in front of the item I need.  He saved me from impulse purchases.  He allowed me to take my reclusiveness one step further.  Yep, he’s my new hero.

If you’ve ever considered using the Peapod man (for GROCERIES, people!) I highly recommend.  I’m off to admire my stocked kitchen.

My favorite kind of blog post…a random slice of Amy’s brain:

* The excitement for the day is that my groceries will be DELIVERED to me tonight between 5-7pm.  I shopped while I watched Idol. Prices weren’t bad, site was easy to use…if this goes well, I’ll be SOLD on the idea of avoiding the big grocery store trip every week!

* I thought Idol was really good last night…Siobahn, Didi, Crystal and Lilly were my faves.

* If you come here by way of the Writeminded blog, you probably know we closed it down this week.  Sadness.  (But I’ll still be rambling here plenty, never fear.  As if.)

* The snow is melllllting!  I is haaaaaapy.

* Have some ugly line edits on my desk.  Must.  Start.  Now.

(Hate the word gripe but love alliteration…)

One of my most dreaded tasks is going to the grocery store to procure nourishment for the family.  (See me a-gathering.)  It costs too much, it’s bad for my diet, it makes me hungry…the list goes on but I know a lot of women feel the same way about grocery shopping.

But to add to the pain…WHY is there never ONE STORE that has everything I need? 

It’s taken me a few months to explore the grocery stores in my new city (and I still haven’t made it to all of them but I’m okay with that.  There’s such thing as grocery store overload.)  I’ve narrowed it down to three stores, and of course, not a single one of them has all the different types of food my family needs.

Granted, we are difficult.  We don’t eat gluten or dairy so we need special (ie overpriced…why is it that foods that lack certain ingredients cost MORE?) products.  And yet, I have children who take their lunch to school everyday so we still need convenience foods. 

Store A is the healthy store.  They have all the specialty foods we need and excellent produce.  But they are overpriced, so I try to only buy the things we can’t get other places at Store A.

Store B is the huge we-have-everything store.  And they do have a ton, but no soy cheese (not that we eat a lot of this nasty stuff, but sometimes, there is a need for it), none of the good brand of nuts, and a few other items.  I do most of my shopping at Store B because it’s CHEAP.

Store C is from the devil but of course is closest.  They have some of the things we need some of the time and their prices are between A and B.  But of course since it’s about 5 miles closer to home, we hop over there for quick trips.

I’ve been tempted to try grocery shopping online at Peapod but don’t know anyone who’s tried it.  I suspect they have high prices too.  (I have bought groceries from Amazon many times…their gluten-free products are actually lower than the local store…but you have to buy in bulk.)

So…am I alone or does anyone else make a ridiculous Tour De Grocery Stores?  Anyone have Peapod experience to share, good or bad?  I’m on a quest to decrease my grocery pain…