I’ve come to the conclusion that if my son and husband do not return to Hawaii to work, I’ll need to find a warm tropical island a little closer to the east coast for vacations. I realize that it isn’t just warm weather and the ocean that I love; it’s islands. I love islands.

We’ve all heard wonderful things about the Bahamas and I’ve considered the Florida Keys. I’ve kind of got my mind set on Puerto Rico, though. I’m not sure why that is, I just want to go there.

I know Puerto Rico is self governing and somehow tied to the US. Is it a US territory? Do you need a passport to visit there? Are prices comparable to US prices? Anyone have quick answers?

When my husband decided to go to Hawaii for work, I took a quick look at a few sites to get an idea of the current costs of cheap flights to Lihue. I know the prices change but I didn’t realize how quickly.

I checked last week and again on Tuesday after my husband left. The prices had gone up nearly $200! I’m not looking for flights for this month; I’m checking in the middle of July. Usually, prices are higher if you’re buying at the last minute. I’m hoping that fuel prices will go down and that brings down the cost of air fare. Otherwise, I may have to swim to Hawaii.

I’m going to try to get this blog back to doing website reviews more than my current chattering. I miss doing that. Since my husband is now in Hawaii, I’ll have more time to do this blog justice.

Oh, did you catch that about my husband? Yes, he left yesterday morning and got in to Lihue at around 2:30pm Hawaii time. He sounds very happy - no surprise there! I know there’s lots of construction work in Hawaii, unlike our own valley. It would have been closer to look into the Wilmington real estate or something even closer, but we have friends and family in Hawaii so we already know where the work is on that island.

As much as I miss him, I know my husband and I know he’ll be happier now that the weather isn’t keeping him away from work. And I’ll be able to concentrate on my blogs. So we all win. (Especially if I manage a trip over there to visit in a few months!)

I prefer to fly; my husband prefers to drive. He may be taking a trip to Phoenix to do some work and he refuses to fly there. It’s going to be one very long drive but he feels more comfortable taking his own truck.

Even though it’s a crew cab and has a full size 8-foot bed, he’s still considering adding truck racks to carry more of his tools. I think he’ll be fine without any extras but I think this is just his chance to add more fancy to his ride. Men are like that, you know.

I’m still searching for a replacement for my Samsonite wheeled computer case but I just can’t find what I want. I guess part of the problem is that the pictures online just don’t seem detailed enough. Or maybe I won’t be happy until I can actually touch, hold, feel what I’m buying.

The other problem is that I really love my luggage and would prefer a computer case that matches or at least coordinates with it. It’s hard to tell that online. I guess I should plan a shopping trip as soon as this weather breaks. I’ll be needing travel gear by September for sure, and maybe sooner.

I’m still not sure when my son, Jesse, will be flying in from Hawaii. I keep going to a number of sites checking on ticket prices, ready to pounce on a great deal. So far, nothing.

I don’t mind doing the work because I miss Jesse so much and can’t wait for him to come home. It does take a lot of planning and research though. Besides the flight, he asked me to check on travel insurance this time, too.

My kid is becoming an adult and planning for the unexpected. Gee, I feel old.

I’m not sure if anyone reading this blog is going to be attending the blogworld expo next month. If so, have you chosen an hotel? I’ve looked at several, including the Orleans hotel Las Vegas, and they all seem high priced. I can probably handle the air fare but the hotel price is a killer.

Anyone want to treat me to a hotel room for a couple days?

I got an email from Joe this evening. Joe is the gentleman my son met on his flight from Phoenix to Lihue. Joe wants my son and husband to lay stone on the addition he’s building on his house.

Joe may not be ready for the stone until after Christmas but that’s okay. Whenever the guys go there, they’ll be checking out the Phoenix real estate market. It’s always good to get a feel for other areas and to make contacts wherever you work. You never know when the market in your own area will dry up.

Here we go again.

I really needed a computer case to replace the Samsonite one with the broken telescoping handle. I grabbed an inexpensive one at a discount store and boy, am I sorry! It’s a no-name brand which should have been my first warning flag. I guess I just wasn’t thinking.

I packed my laptop into the bag and carried it off to my mother’s. The bag held up fine in car and all the way into my mom’s house. When my mom unzipped the bag to remove the laptop, the zipper broke! It was completely off track, the teeth not lining up at all. Oh, I hate that!

No more cutting corners. I’ll spend a little more for quality next time.

I’m still trying to find a nice place to stay for a quick weekend trip. My husband promised me that we’d get away together at least once this summer. So far, we haven’t.

I’ve bookmarked a really nice Pennsylvania bed and breakfast because I thought it would be something different. I’m not sure how my husband would feel about a place like that but I’m going to show him anyway. I think it might just appeal to him. We’ll see.