the parentals

david and angie
my parents

they met not too long after my dad returned from serving in the northern indian mission...covering north and south dakota and wyoming. he was giving a talk at a young adult fireside that my mom just so happened to be attending. she just flew in from new zealand and was on a mini vacation in the islands. her first impression of him (in her words), "i thought he was so ugly!" *sidenote: i take offense to her comment every time she tells the story because i mean c'mon...my daddy was and still is VERY handsome. so she's crazy. lol.

anyhoo...after the fireside was over, the very one who thought he was ugly, approached him because she realized he served with one of her friends from new zealand. he says he was immediately smitten...and they began hanging out immediately after. one thing that is ironic is that the whole time my mom was here on vacation, she was staying with her cousin who was actually engaged to my dad before he went on his mission!!! hahahahaha! i tease him about how he liked to keep things in the family.

but i'm grateful for that day. had that not happened, i would not be here...obviously. it still amazes me how these two were able to come together. i know that the lord had a huge part in helping them find one another. especially in preparing my dad.

you see...he is a convert to the church. i've mentioned this in a previous post. he saved up enough money to support himself throughout his mission. he always talks about how he had to sell his fire engine red mustang to pay for his mission. he has always been a hardworker. from his years of service in the national guard after they were married, to his years of driving either tourists or high school students, my dad has always been the provider for our family. now that he's retired...he continues to work hard around the house and with his various church callings.

but he wouldn't be the strong, hard working man that he is without my mom. growing up...i've always known my mom to be a stern woman. i could never really connect with her as much as i did with my dad. isn't that true with most daughters??? well...growing up i tease her that my older sister and i were latchkey kids because she returned to the workforce when i was in the 3rd grade. so, when coming home from school, instead of being greeted by an afternoon snack made by our mother...like most kids...we were greeted with a list of chores and things NOT to do when we were done with said chores. hahahaha! but i love my mom. she is just as hardworking as my dad. so much in that she would rather stay at work sometimes, then come home. lol.

i just got back from visiting with my parents last week because mom's health isn't exactly the best at the moment. but one thing that i did observe while i was there was the undying love these two continue to have after 38 years. they are the ultimate example of unconditional love for me. i am forever grateful for them and their living example of what i look forward to achieve when i find my eternal companion. don't get me wrong. they're not perfect. they've endured more than their share of trials, but they continue to come out stronger than before. i could go on and on...but its getting a little difficult trying to see through the tears. lol. i love you mom and dad.

first love

when i think of my first love...i think of my first date. to this day i wouldn't quite say i was in LOVE with him...more of a deep like. LOL.

it was fall of '98...the start of my sophmore year, and his junior year. although we didn't go to the same school, we had mutual friends who all seemed to hang out together on the weekends after football games or at dances. and i guess that's where we seemed to connect. back when it was normal for the guy to ask the girl to dance, he was always the FIRST to approach me whenever i showed up. we would dance all night, and chat it up for a lil bit afterwards outside the gym. whenever the curfew was an issue (for me of course) our conversations continued over the phone. it was the beginning of a great friendship. or so i thought.

then it changed thanksgiving weekend. i distinctly remember because it was the weekend of the coveted prep bowl. in preparation for the "big event" i remember making leis for all my "boys" playing that weekend. then i got the call. it was him. he sounded different than before. nervous almost. after covering the basics...hey...what's goin' on....how was ur thanksgiving...blah blah blah...there was silence. he asked if i would be going to the dance later that night. me, knowing i still had a ton of leis to make, i told him i was unsure. silence again. then came the confession. he liked me. i mean...i would be lying if i said i didn't know by then...but to hear it straight from the horse's mouth was something different.

it. was. nice.

our relationship grew from that point on. i admitted my mutual interest...but wasn't ready for anything serious quite yet. which, now that i think about it...doesn't really make sense because from that point on...we were practically in a relationship...i just didn't want to admit it. our weekend conversations turned into daily phone calls...with occasional rendezvous at a friends house. our first real date was at laie theaters. hahahahaha!!! i remember my parents picking me up after the movie, and because i was too young to "date" i had him wait in the theater til i left. hahahahaha!!! i know...ghetto. but *sigh* those were the days. had to sneak around.

the prime event...my sophmore banquet. since we had become so close throughout the past few months, it was only natural for me to have him be my date. because i went to a different school where he wouldn't know ANYONE, three of my close friends took three of his friends as their date as well. so after taking group pictures at the temple (aiya...we thought we was goin prom..lol), we hopped into our limo (see! lol)...and made our way to town. all in all we all had a good time.

sadly...all good things must come to an end, and so it did with us. phone calls became less frequent. both our lives became preoccupied with sports and school work, and we just didn't seem to be on the right page. as i became more and more aware of my feelings for him, his seemed to fizzle. we tried to reignite the flame a few years later after i graduated from high school, but we both realized we were better off as friends.

so there you have it...my first "love"....or the way i like to put it....my first "deep like" :)

the challenge is challenging!!!!

ok....i am already getting off to a bad start. but things have been CRAZY this week...but i'll have to save that for a later post. on to the first topic: INTRODUCE MYSELF.

now...i'm pretty sure that everyone who follows my blog already know all there is to know about me, so here are a few random facts that may not be common knowledge...

*5 scars from a random biking accident back when i was in second grade
(one on each elbow and one on each knee along with one on the chin)

*lived in 4 different homes in a period of 3 years

*got lost at the swap meet when i was 5 years old. i don't remember it, yet it seems to be a vivid memory for the rest of my family...

*spoiled yet humble (are you humble if YOU claim to be??? lol)

*went to 3 different schools post hs graduation..only to officially graduate 8 years later

*teachers pet...in elementary at least. lol. most people think they are. but do their teachers take them to disneyland after graduating from 6th grade??? yup...that's what i thought.

*got a sprained ankle in 10th grade while playing volleyball, forcing me to use crutches for a few weeks. not a good combo when your school is on a hill

*fell off down stairs on school bus while using aforementioned crutches

*used fake hair at sr. prom...which saved me HOURS of prep time.

*love rainy days..only if it means i can stay home

*lived with 9 other girls in a 3 bedroom 1 bathroom house. i don't know how we did it.

*my first car was a whopping $300!!!

*love my family.

i thought this would be a better way to introduce myself. you know aside from the whole mundane introduction...you know, name, family members, education and occupation history. these are just a few of the random experiences that have made my life that much more exciting. granted there are waaaaaaaaay more..but these are the ones that seem to stick out in my mind. so there you have it. uilani.lina.keo

the challenge

i realize that this past year has not been the best for blogging. but the life of a work-a-holic makes daily entries a thing of the past. so...the other day while perusing through some of my favorite blogs, i came across the latest entry from my dear cousin neena. she had posted a BLOG CHALLENGE (you can check it out here). she basically discusses how over the next month of september, she will be doing a blog a day...discussing various topics about herself. so i decided to take that challenge and do the same. i'm excited to see what stories will come out of these topic starters!

something WICKED this way comes....

yup....finally did it. saw WICKED!!!! and all i have to say is that it was FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!! not even kidding. i've heard soooo many things from friends and family about this play, so if i had a bucket list...this would definitely be on it. so now i can cross that one off. i was fortunate to go with two very dear friends....jan lesuma...
and the birthday girl...ane mapu...

it was a quick trip...but we were on a mission! my flight arrived slightly delayed at around 10am saturday morning. after pick up we immediately made our way to the orpheum theater to check out the prices and see what our chances would be for winning the raffle. two hours before every show, they raffle off orchestra seats that winners are able to purchase for a whopping $25!!! and guess what....we won!!! it was AMAZING!!!!

we were lucky we won because after they called all the names for the raffle, they announced that it was sold out!!! way to visualize!!! it was meant to be. but man...we must be getting old...because after the show we went straight to our hotel room and knocked out!!! which in a way was a good thing because my flight left at 6am the next morning. talk about the BEST day trip ever!!!

the musicboxer episode

after being all nostalgic with my life at the musicbox, i realized it was necessary to document some KEY moments in the brief time i spent living there. the one that sticks out in my mind the most, was the night we got dubbed the "musicboxers." *sigh* let me just say...that i am a fun loving person, who loves everyone. never do i go out looking for trouble. the same goes for my roommates. we enjoy having a good time, and look for the best way to do so. i just need to disclose this bit of information about us before continuing with this story.

so...back in february of 2007, ms. lauryn hill herself came to hawaii. i am a HUGE...and i mean....HUGE lauryn hill fan. so as soon as they announced she was coming to hawaii, there was not a doubt in my mind that i would be there. NONE! so of course....many of my roommates....avid fans as well....decided to make it a house activity. so half of the house, tiana, ida, crystal and myself went along with our musicbox honorees, kara, and ofo. sadly...ana, raija and kat couldn't make it...but i'm kinda glad they didnt. it would've been TOO much if our WHOLE house got involved.

so anyhoo....we got there early enough to secure a spot front and center of ms. hill's stage. there were like 3 or 4 stages with different groups performing, but we knew we had to get to her stage early, cuz the crowd would be crazy. and boy were we luck we did...cuz it was a MAD house by the time she came out to perform. needless to say...she is FLAWLESS!!! the BEST concert i've been too so far. and now that i think about it...it may have been my last. hahahaha. here's a few pix from that night. and for some reason...i can't seem to find the pix we got of ms. hill herself...but trust...we were RIGHT THERE!!!




now....let's get to the "beef" of the story. so like i mentioned before...we were right at the front, and the crowd was mad packed. there was hardly ANY room for us to move. let alone have people walk through. but for some reason...these two highly intelligent girls decided they could stroll on up to the front. now...as i mentioned before..me and my girls were all G. we didn't care wut these two monkeys were doing...we just thought...they were just tryna find a way out of the crowd. wrong. they started squeezing themselves up to the front of the stage right next to us. which was really fine with us...but the group next to us was NOT feeling it. it really didn't help that these two girls were caucasian, tryna squeeze their way in front of a mess of poly women. wrong move. lol.

one of the girls in the group next to us started yelling at them to get out. but...again...brilliant as they are, these two DRUNK (might i add) haole girls decided to argue back. not a good idea. seeing this...i knew something bad was about to happen, so i tried to intervene and help these girls find their way out. and that's when it started. as i was tryna separate the two haole girls from the group next to us, and lead them out the side....somehow they got separated, one in the very front of the stage, and the other was standing behind me. the one behind me was taller than me (surprise surprise right? lol) and in an effort to get to her friend...she had the bright idea to put her arm around my neck in an effort to choke me!!! are you serious?! are you freakin serious?!

because she was taller than me...all i remember is reaching up and grabbing that chick by the hair. but apparently some girls behind me saw what she was doing to me, and started pulling her hair from behind. hahahaha!! next thing i know, i pulled down, twisting out of HER grasp and just started throwing blows at her face. i got a couple blows in when next thing i know, security or someone pulls her away, and all i hear is lauryn hill stop the concert!!! omg...shame. yes...she stopped in the middle of her beautiful singing because we were fighting.

now...mind you...i wasn't the only one involved in this lovely brawl. and this is why i LOVE these girls. i know they got my back. what i forgot to mention was while i was pulling that girl off of me and bringing her down to my level...tiana...who was like 10 ft away after seeing what was going on came running through the crowd and jumped in to a get a shot at homegirl. and then...crystal and ofo who were at the front next to the other haole chick...were trying to throw her over the barricade to get her out!!!! buahahahahaha!!!! omg. omg. omg. now that i think about it...it was pretty crazy. but it all happened so quickly...and nothing would've happened had that girl kept her hands to herself.

it wasn't long til EVERYONE heard about it. kalofae. and thats when we went from the ladies of the musicbox to the musicBOXERS!!!! aiya. but i must say...this experience brought us soooooo much closer. fo' real. gladly, that was our first and LAST rumble. and this is why i LOOOOOOOOOVE these girls. through thick and thin...they got my back and they know i got theirs.

musicbox memories

every have one of those days where all you seem to do is reflect on life over the past few years??? well today is definitely one of those days for me. i mean, i can't help but think about stuff when there's NOTHING to do at work....lol. well...i SHOULD be planning for our college fair in november...but come now...i've been overworked the past few months, i think i need some "reflection" time. lol.

anyhoo...while here at work...besides cruisin' the book (facebook for you newbies)...i started going through some old photos on my bebo (another social network) page and couldn't help but reminisce about my life at the musicbox.

i don't recall ever writing about my "life inside the musicbox." (which is an awesome song btw by regina spektor). lol. anyways...back to my nostalgic moment....while browsing thru these flix i couldn't help but smile with every click. isn't it amazing how a single picture can tell a story?! and these were GREAT ones!!! to save me some time from uploading pix...feel free to check out the album here.


for those of who aren't too familiar with the musicbox...this was the home to 10....yes...10 amazing ladies. now before u start trippin...no we didn't ALL live here at the same time...but at times it felt like we lived with waaaaaaay more. this blog definitely would not be complete without sharing the story of how the musicbox was founded...so be prepared to exercise those eyes. lol

in the summer of 2006, i was living in hauula with two girl friends...kat tua'one (now pahulu) and tiana henderson. we lived in a small 2 bedroom house in the country...and it was obvious that we needed more room. with all our late night and sometimes OVERNIGHT visitors, it was time to move on. with the up and coming school year, a few more friends were moving to hawaii to finish their degrees, crystal moleni (now tua'one), and juanita afamasaga. ida aspinall, another friend, who had been living with family was also looking to branch out. then came ana aiono and morgan casey (now gilmore)...two fun-loving gals from arizona who i befriended at work (turtle bay at the time). they were looking for a cheaper place to live that wasn't so far from work.

so there you have it...8 girls...all looking for a bigger place. i took it upon myself to find accommodations for ALL of us. since i had already started looking for a new place for just the 3 of us (me, tee and kat), i thought...hey...why not find a bigger house. after about a month...i found this beauty...

hahahaha! ok...it wasn't this bright blue when we were living there. as a matter of fact it wasn't blue at all. the landlord JUST painted it this year. it was more of an off white color. but anyways...this was our home...or...the second floor at least. the deal breaker was that it was literally down the street from my parents home. so if ever we needed anything...we could just walk to their house. lol. and trust...we took advantage of that many a starving night. we moved in on august 1, 2006.

i will probably have to create another blog to begin to discuss the memories we had at this house. there was never...and i mean NEVER dull moment. from birthday parties, to full on bbqs across the street. from serenades to intense board games. much fun was to be had at the musicbox. ahhhh...which brings me to the name...when we had our first "house meeting" we all brainstormed, and miss nita came up with "the musicbox", because the house was overflowing with musical talent. which just so happened to be showcased almost every other night. be it in the house, or in our front yard...the beach. it was awesome. it got to the point where everyone in our ward referred to us as the "musicboxers" which is a whole other blog in and of itself.

now i know i mentioned 10...and only listed 8. well...in november of that same year, ms. raija joined our lovely group...just before morgan moved back to arizona. and then after crystal graduated from byuh in april of the next year, ms. ofo filimoeatu took her place. it wasn't until january of 2008 when everyone bid farewell and went their seperate ways. some got married. some graduated. and some just moved home.

as i reflect on my time there...i can't help but be grateful for having these women in my life. the time we shared here will be forever cherished. but i know that no matter how far apart we are...since we are an international group ranging from the u.s., sweden, australia, and korea....i know that nothing can come between us. these women are truly my sisters. i will do anything...and i mean ANYTHING for them...and i know the feeling is mutual. so here's to the musicbox. stay posted for a few stories...cuz trust...there are many.

this is the ONE pic i could find with ALL of us and our honorary members...lol