Oops, I lied! More registry items:

Nymphenburg Porcelain - more expensive than the chair.

Wedding Registry

This is the only item on the registry. I saw it in the Restoration Hardware catalogue and almost bought a plane ticket to the Philippines to sell my kidney.

Updated: Apartment Therapy has an article about the origin of this chair. Its original design was to protect porters from cold draughts as they sat in the hallway and kept watch over the front entrance of a home.

Last (?) piece of the wedding puzzle

We have a wedding officiant!!! Our dear friend Peter went ahead and became an ordained minister of The Universal Life Church Monastery and is applying for his license to perform marriages in the State of Hawaii!

If you want to be married in Hawaii, I now have a highly recommended minister. Who is a deep atheist possibilian.

Restoration...Begin!

We (well, I spoke for Eddie) were interviewed by a great blog about our decision to move to Newburgh. It was great to talk about the city and our house, and to get excited about moving. There's a really cute photo of Tracer, too.

Things are coming along...we met with an electrician, a plumber, a...heating guy (HVAC guy?), and our realtor, on Saturday. They are all awesome and it was a non-stop hyuk-fest for two hours. We're getting the power turned on this week, and hopefully the plumber can check out the water main to see if any work needs to be done there. If not, we'll be moving forward pretty quickly with fixing up the electrical wiring, installing a tankless water heater and an old boiler on the third floor.

The tricky part is we're also applying for tax exemptions and incentives. Newburgh has two tax exemptions - the Real Property Tax Exemption for First-Time Homebuyers of Newly Constructed Homes, and the School TAx Relief Exemption (STAR). The Real Property Tax Exemption also applies to non-newly constructed homes if there is a renovation or remodeling of an existing home. The renovation or remodeling cost "must exceed $3,000 and the contract for the work must be contracted for within 90 days from the date of purchase."

We need to make sure the work is completed by March 7, in order to qualify, and the deadline to apply is the taxable status date, or March 1. The exemption lasts for five years, "beginning at fifty percent the first year and declining to ten percent in the fifth and final year." Eligibility also depends on the household income and the purchase price of the home. It follows the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) guidelines.

To receive the STAR exemption, the owner must be at least 65 years old, and/or the income of all owners and owners' spouses be $73,000 or less. The deadline is also March 1, the taxable status date.

The tricky part is coordinating the tax exemption with the Historic Preservation Tax Incentives (HPTI) Program. To receive the HPTI, all work that we want to claim the benefit for must be approved by the Technical Preservation Services Department of the National Park Service. The paperwork is long and tedious, with lots of photo documentation. There's no way we'll get the work approved before the tax exemption deadline, so...we'll see?

Working on the house...

We're going up to Newburgh this weekend to meet with Chris (our realtor), Bill Timmons (plumbing/heating) and Kyle Chick (electric). It's the first time since closing that we're seeing the house...now we're the OWNERS. I wonder if it means we have to shovel 18 inches of snow off the walkway.

We're also going to try and fix the wood fence. Our first project!

Wedding Week!

Saturday, April 3rd
4pm Arrive at the Plantation House. Dinner at the house.

Sunday, April 4th
6pm Dinner at Cafe VIII 1/2, my uncle's restaurant in Honolulu.
1067 Alakea Street, Honolulu, HI 96813

Monday, April 5th to Thursday, April 8th
General Information
Rush Hour Traffic: tips to avoid it!
Beware of JELLYFISH!!! this is a tentative arrival schedule for April
Don't go into the water if you see them.
Water Safety

Some ideas for activities:
Fun in the Sun: North Shore beaches and Lanikai beach in Kailua
Hiking Maunawili Falls OR Manoa Falls, depending on the weather.
Valley of the Temples - there's a beautiful Buddhist temple
Horseback Riding at Kahuku Kai if they are operating
Ahupua‘a O Kahana State Park for some Hawaiian History
Snorkeling at Waikiki, North Shore or Hanauma Bay
Pearl Harbor
Shopping at Ala Moana

Food ideas:
(Cheap to Moderate)
Jong Ga - cheap Korean lunch near Ala Moana
Sweet Home Cafe - Taiwanese Hot Pot
Genki Sushi - cheap sushi!
Irifune - Japanese home cooking
Eggs 'N Things - get the Ahi and Eggs with pancakes - ask for the salsa
Ono Hawaiian Foods - Pork Lau Lau!
Zippy's - it's a local favorite, but getting pricier and pricier
Hukilau Cafe - in the movie 50 First Dates
Kaka'ako Kitchen - gourmet local food in take-out containers
Kua'Aina Burgers - Ward Center and North Shore
Waiola Shave Ice - if you're in Honolulu
Matsumoto Shave Ice - if you're in the North Shore
Bubbies Ice Cream - there are two locations, I prefer the one on University Ave.
City Cafe - Taiwanese Shave Ice (pick mochi, red bean, taro, and tapioca toppings!)

(Moderate to Expensive)
Legend Seafood - amazing dim sum
Indigo - located in Chinatown; great atmosphere
Alan Wong's - best food ever. Just ask Barry.
Hy's Steakhouse
Chef Mavro's
Sushi Sasabune - if you go, you must sit at the bar for the complete experience!
Sansei Sushi - crab ramen with truffle broth!

This is just a starting point. There's so much good food in Hawaii!!

Friday, April 9th
12pm Lunch at the Plantation House!
6pm Wedding Ceremony on the beach
6:30pm Reception

Saturday, April 10th
11am Check out of Plantation House
12pm Brunch at Haleiwa Joe's in Kaneohe

Wedding Dress

This is the green dress I returned. Not very beachy, but I love the color and it's flattering. It was not approved.

This is the dress I bought to replace it. Simple, white, virginal.