"When was the last time you were at a wedding that had a death defying hike, rogue waves, a luau, ultimate fighting, a presidential candidate and a budding bromance?" asks Papi Chulo. For most of us, the answer is never, but luckily, Papi Chulo and Secret Agent Scotch took the time to Vox all the amazing moments during their unforgettable Hawaiian wedding on 08.08.08 so we could all take part in the festivities.
The story began last February, when Papi Chulo popped the question and Secret Agent Scotch said yes! Since then, they've kept us in the loop about all the details, from the bride's veil to the wedding song to the final To-Do List. And throughout it all, they inspired us with their love for each other. (I'm pretty sure it doesn't get any better than knowing your future husband thinks you are The Perfect Girl.)
It's an amazing love story and we are thrilled they shared it with us. Watch the video of the ceremony and please join us in wishing Papi Chulo and Secret Agent Scotch the fairytale ending they deserve.
And What's a Team Vox Post without New Themes?
Spice up your Vox blog with one of our latest themes (found in the design area under "New") or any of our hundreds of themes. From shopping to sushi, comics to cycling, there's something for everyone.
Can't get enough of the wedding? A few lucky Voxers - Krissy, djchall, and Beau Smith - made the trip to Hawaii to take part in the celebration. Check out their Vox blogs for more pictures and stories.
Congratulations again to Secret Agent Scotch and Papi Chulo! Enjoy the Honeymoon!
At Vox, we believe that change is a good thing. After all, you wouldn't wear the same t-shirt day in and day out, so why should your blog have to suffer the same fate? Give your blog a new look with one of our latest themes (found under "New"), or pick from any of our hundreds of themes designed with your passions and personality in mind.
Until then... Enjoy!
-daisy
Gimme a V! Gimme an O! Gimme an X! What's that spell? VOX!
What better way to tell the world how much you love Vox than to announce it on Facebook? That's right: Vox now has an official Facebook page! Become a fan of Vox.com on Facebook and let your friends know what you really care about: staying connected with friends and family through blog posts, photos, videos and comments.
Once you're a fan, you can also add photos and videos to the page, write on the wall, and connect with other Voxers in ways you may not have previously. Plus, it's a great opportunity to let people know about your Vox blog, or start discussion topics. To become a fan, just visit the official Vox.com Facebook page and click the "Become a Fan" button in the upper right hand corner.
Once you've joined, why not post a response to the current discussion topic? Just post a link (and a brief description, if you'd like) to what you consider one of your all-time best Vox posts.
What are you waiting for? Become a Vox.com fan on Facebook today!
Although we typically post on Team Vox to let you know about things that are going on with Vox (to, uh, state the obvious), once in a while, we like to let you know about other cool things that are happening around the blogosphere. And we think the idea of four hilarious mommy bloggers traveling across the U.S. on their way to the BlogHer '08 conference - all the while blogging and video blogging the journey - is one trip you will not want to miss.
Four adventurous bloggers from the Silicon Valley Moms Group were selected to participate in the Summer Road Trip '08 and blog about their travels, hotel stays, media appearances, time away from their families, and life on the road. Six Apart helped them partner up with General Motors, who provided the blogging mommies with a Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV to help make their journey comfy, safe, and a little more green.
In case you're not familiar with them, SV Moms is a group of over 200 bloggers who showcase the ups, downs, outrages, struggles, victories, and everyday humor of motherhood. There are currently nine regional and demographically tailored sites that give mothers from D.C., New Jersey, the Deep South, Rocky Mountains, L.A., and Silicon Valley a powerful voice and sense of camaraderie across the country. Whether you're a mother, a child, or just a person who enjoys a good blog, you'll really love reading the words of these amazing women.
The moms buckled into their Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV on July 11th and even got an encouraging message from Katie Couric to kick things off! They are currently somewhere in the middle of America making their way to San Francisco where they'll attend an SV Moms Group Party, as well as BlogHer '08.
You do not want to miss these entertaining and irreverent bloggers -- or their spontaneous contest giveaways! -- as they blog from the road. Experience the journey at MomRoadTrip.com.
And let us know about your summer road trip - or plane/boat/bus trip - in the comments! (I like to live vicariously.)
Do you live in or around Cincinnati, Ohio? If so, you're in luck because Scott and the Queen City Voxers Group have organized a Vox user meetup!
WHERE: Ault Park Playground. 3600 Observatory Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45208. "We'll look for each other at the playground marked by the red X below. If it's raining, head for the shelter to the north of the [red] X."
To RSVP (which is not essential, but is appreciated), reply to Scott's announcement or send him a private message. All Voxers, as well as their friends and family, are welcome to attend.
If you do attend the meetup, have a great time and please take lots of pictures and send them to me so I can post them in Team Vox for everyone to see!
Thank you so much to Scott for organizing this meetup. Wish I could be there!
I'm learning a lot about Japanese culture. There is a competitive gift giving culture here. Someone gives you a gift, you thank them and give them a gift, they thank you and give you a gift. This goes on until one of the parties finally admits defeat by just writing a nice note to the other.
I think Russ and I have gotten ourselves into one of these competitions. Our neighbor down the street is retired, but teaches English part time at the local junior high school. Wendy and I met him one day on my street when Ayden walked up and said hello to him. Since then, I see him occasionally. I finally agreed that once Russ came home, we would go out to dinner together. So, on Saturday, we met at their house and headed out for a nice Japanese meal. He chose the Natural Kitchen. I had been there before, but I was anxious to go again.
Imazato-san had called ahead and reserved us a traditional booth. Luckily, the Japanese have adopted the regular table. They compensate for this by having a well into which you put your feet, but you still take off your shoes. For the less adventuresome, there are also regular, western style tables. Russ and Mrs. Imazato ordered an egg and tofu dish over rice. Mr. Imazato ordered something soupy with pork. I had the eel over rice dish, one of my favorites. Each dish comes as a set on a tray. I love this aspect of Japanese life, it feeds into my love of dishes and kitchen ware. Rather than serving a large dinner plate with the meat and sides on it, each dish is served in its own, little plate. The eel was in a bowl over rice, there were 3 kinds of Japanese pickles (tsukemono, I think) in a 3 sectioned little plate. I also received a broth of sorts, I never did figure out what to do with it. Oishikatta desu! (Delicious!)
After dinner, we went back to their house for tea and a little bit of wrap up conversation. While we were there, they mentioned that they love instant, flavored coffee. Now the fun begins. The next day, Russ and I needed to go on base, so we stopped at the commissary to see if they carry instant, flavored coffee. They carry Folgers. The coffee the Imazato's showed us was Nestle. We got them the Folgers anyway and a tin of the International Cafe mocha. We put this in a cute bag and walked it down the street. The Imazato's were so grateful for the gift (they had already taken us to dinner, remember?) that they just HAD to give us something in return.
So, Imazato-san got our his trusty, rickety ladder and climbed up into the plum tree. What occurred next was the perfect scenario to put into a safety video. I don't know how many times I had to look away as that ladder wobbled around with him on the tippy top step. You know, the one that says "NOT A STEP"? He had a net on a pole with which he pulled on the fruit until it dropped into the net. He wasn't satisfied until we had at least a dozen succulent plums.
Now, it's our turn. How am I supposed to top that? He risked his life (or it seemed that way to me) to get us some plums. I think I'll cook them an American style steak dinner.
What a treat! When the port visit in Hong Kong was canceled and the ships were sent off to Myanmar, I wasn't sure when I'd get to see Russ again. They sat out there off the coast for a month, unable to do anything to help the people of Myanmar. What a frustrating time for the service people. Then, we got word they were being sent home, with a stop off in Pattaya, Thailand.
I was really excited about the opportunity to see Russ again. I was supposed to be taking scuba diving lessons that weekend, so I didn't think I could go. He was getting to Thailand on Tuesday, and I was supposed to have the 2nd half of scuba the following weekend. There was no way I could get there for a visit of any length and still get home in time for class Saturday morning. Luckily, or not, I freaked out from gulping water through my nose. I know you get some water in your nose when you scuba. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is when the combined pressure of the bubbles and the suction from removing your mask forces water up your nose and down your throat. That's not supposed to happen.
The instructor sent me home, where I called my dive master friend Nancy and cried to her for a few hours. She convinced me that I shouldn't be in the class, that the instructor was unable to meet my remedial needs, and that I really did need to be able to snorkel first. Something I told the people who signed me up, but they signed me up anyway. I went back to class that morning and got a full refund. Also, the next day, I came down with a horrible cold thanks to the pool chemicals I had ingested. I couldn't finish the class anyway.
Then, I went on the Internet. The earliest flight out I could get to Bangkok without paying through the nose was on Wednesday morning with Thai Airways. Also, Russ ended up having duty on Tuesday and couldn't leave the ship, so I wouldn't have been able to see him then anyway. My flight over to Thailand was wonderful! I was in economy class, but we were treated at least as well as business class in the US. Also, it was a non-stop, 5 hour flight. All the other wives I knew who went had to stop off in Taipei. The only glitch was that when I got the airport, my driver wasn't there. The hotel mistook my e-mail and canceled the car. Luckily, a lady from another hotel called a driver for me and I was on my way!
What a wonderful two days in Pattaya. I got there Wednesday afternoon, about 20 minutes before Russ came to the hotel. I was able to stay until Friday night with a 1:00 am flight on Saturday. Wednesday night, we went to a farewell party for one of the men on the ship. The had excellent food and a nice pool in which we went night swimming. I like Pattaya best at night when it's not morbidly hot. Thursday, we went on an MWR tour of elephant riding. We rode in an oxcart, played with an orphaned gibbon, rode an elephant and learned about how to make silk. Our final stop for the day was at the self proclaimed "worlds largest gem store." They sold mostly Thai sapphires and rubies, but they also had other stones and jewelry available. The most affordable pieces were set in silver with zircon, the most valuable pieces were set in 18K gold with diamonds. In the middle, were the pieces in white or yellow 14K gold with zircon. I'll let you guess which one I bought. :)
That evening, Russ and I each got a massage at the hotel. The massage felt wonderful and helped break up the cold that had moved down to my chest. Side note, the air conditioning in the hotel worked so well that I had to sleep on the balcony. The room was so dry, I couldn't breathe!
The next day, we went to a crocodile farm. They also had a neat rock and water garden, huge snakehead fish, some elephants, tigers, and bears. No lions. :) I scratched the back of a tiger and bottle fed a cub. Russ hugged the golden bear and shook his hand. As long as you gave the bear bananas, he would do anything for you. We finished off the day with a little shopping and some dinner. Then, my driver showed up and took me back to the airport to come home and get the house ready for Russ to return.
My PartyLite business is doing really well. I'm doing it as a hobby, and I'm having some good parties and meeting lots of nice people. I only do a few shows a month, but they're good ones. If anyone wants to order anything, or have a catalog party from the states, I help you out! OK, I'm done advertising.
Next up - Australia!
Although almost every day at Six Apart is Take Your Dog to Work Day, Friday was extra special because it was the official Take Your Dog to Work Day! Plus, as lovers of blogs and animals, we think it's great that active blogger and Human Society's President and CEO, Wayne Pacelle, thinks having dogs around the office is a good reminder of "who we're working for."
We realize some people have it ruff and aren't lucky enough to be able to bring their dog to work, but hopefully these pictures taken at Six Apart last Friday will get your tails wagging... And let me tell you, it's harder than it looks to get all the doggies and their fetching owners in one picture.
For those of us in the northern hemisphere, today is the summer solstice. For ancient civilizations, this day was akin to our modern day New Year's Eve and was viewed as a time to reflect and renew. So why not kick off your summer celebration with a new theme?
See all of our themes in the Design Area.
Or choose from one of these brand-new themes. (Available under "New.")
This one is for Libby. You all know how miserable I was in Florida in the summer. We weren't even in Miami, and I was looking for proof that skin melts. Well, I should have been grateful for what I had.
Summer in Sasebo makes Florida look like North Dakota in Winter. At least, that's how I feel about it right now, and it's not even that hot here. Rainy season started in the end of May and goes through most of July. It's humid, muggy, hot, and miserable. In Florida, I would try not to turn on the AC. I finally caved. I'm sticky before I get myself dry in the morning. No wonder all the spouses evacuate to the US this time of year. It's just too hot here.
Which leads me to my next point. I thought the Japanese are a pretty smart people. There is one aspect where they should have stuck to their guns. Japan has largely adopted western style dress. I think they should have told us all where to stuff it and made us adopt their dress. There's nothing lighter and more comfortable than a nice, cotton, summer yukata. These are worn with a simple cotton obi with a simple tie. It's basically a light cotton bathrobe that you wear around all day. It's much lighter than anything I have in my wardrobe, including my linen pants. If only I could find a cute obi to wear with my second hand yukata, and if only I could learn how to tie the obi, I would convert immediately.
You Tuscon folks, not even a snicker out of you!
