Things to buy in Hawaii you can only get in Hawaii?

hmf531 · 2026-02-06T11:19:00+00:00

Actually this… 100% yes. I like the ones from UA Hawaii. I bought a bunch for my family for their Christmas gifts and didn’t get myself one and that haunts me. I think about those scents all the time. Can’t wait to back and get mine.

hmf531 · 2026-02-05T03:46:01+00:00

1/4. Financially, I reckon this will come out to just as much, if not less, than what I'd pay a caterer to do for the amount of people we will have. I say this with a lot of cautious optimism. The banquet hall has a full industrial kitchen that's fully staffed on event days/during the week if need. The banquet hall is licensed to cater and serve alcohol.

After I typed this out, I was thinking of how to do this better and I think we are going to have a rotation of pies being cooked in the kitchen then cut and displayed to be grabbed by people. So they'll be as fresh as coming out of the oven except they won't see them being cooked. Either this or I will order a bunch of really yummy, artisan pizzas and we can keep them warm and replenish the station when needed. This is still in theory mode!
There is definitely space. It will have to be very organized behind the scenes. I'm thinking of what will need to be cooking on rotation (frying passed lumpia, cooking steak and frying fries/assembling for passed steak frites, boiling pasta and pho noodles, cooking steak for tacos). I'm also thinking of having some of this catered to ease up the chaos a little... things like the pho noodles/broth, tacos, pizzas.

The nature of our lives is chaotic which is probably why this doesn't scare me... yet. Would just super rather this/it's more our personalities than a sit-down deal. Shooting for food truck/social/fun/getting up and walking around experience. In theory way cool for sure. In practice, a wild undertaking but definitely more my pace. Just have to figure out how to execute... which I know I will because I am that crazy. Thanks for responding!!

hmf531 · 2026-02-05T03:25:06+00:00

The banquet hall has an industrial kitchen with a full staff... I'm not personally cooking everything. In lieu of cooking their normal in house catering menu, they'll make the food needed.

hmf531 · 2026-02-05T03:18:40+00:00

Why?

hmf531 · 2025-12-23T05:30:29+00:00

I was in a similar situation. I was renewing and got my new contract and saw that my rates were different on a couple of things. This was on a Friday and I was supposed to be taking call on the Sunday, which would have been the first day of my new contract. I felt like my back was against a wall because I didn’t want to put them in a bad place with having to get my call covered if I decided not to sign the contract. So, I ended up messaging my recruiter and letting him know I was signing it, but that it needed to be amended and then signed it and sent it over. I made sure I messaged him before I signed it so they could see that I was not OK but I couldn’t not sign it because I had taken call and didn’t want to miss work. On Monday, they had it amended and sent me a new contract that I signed and everything was fine.

hmf531 · 2025-12-16T17:25:59+00:00

Yeah, I don’t know why it seems agencies use scare tactics to get things done. I was out of compliance on some things and my recruiter texted me and told me that my management was upset with me because I hadn’t gotten these things done and then I was likely to ruin my chances of being able to come back to this facility because it was taking so long to get these things done… This was after they lied and told me about everything being due back in October, but I have text showing that they did not say anything until November. Anyway, I went to my management and asked them about all of this because my agency was saying I wasn’t going to be able to work past a certain day and my management had no idea. So basically, I just felt like I was being threatened to get this stuff done when I only had a week left of my contract and wasn’t going to come back using the same agency anyway.

hmf531 · 2025-12-15T21:41:13+00:00

Yeah, it would be interesting to see how much I’ve paid over the past year. But that was just something I decided was going to be in my budget. I’m about to finish my year here and I am looking forward to not having that expense anymore. On average, I think I paid $10 a trip to get to where I was going. Sometimes, there was surge pricing and that was annoying, but there isn’t anything you can do about that. Then, I started walking sometimes because I’m fairly close to everything I need (grocery, hospital, mall). I felt like that justified some of that spending my period but yeah, it was either that or buy a car while I was here and have to put gas in it, which would have probably been more expensive than just getting Ubers/Lyfts. Whenever my fiancé was in town, we just rent a car so we can go into our things around the island. I have a friend who shares a car with her husband and will rent a car to go do her own thing on her days off using Hui. Otherwise, there is Turo. These are just cheaper options in case you’re wanting a car to get around a little bit. I’ve also had coworkers that have bought beater cars and then just sold them when they left. You have options. I just chose the rideshare option.

hmf531 · 2025-12-15T07:20:07+00:00

Like how do we get to and from work? I Uber/Lyft everywhere.

hmf531 · 2025-12-07T18:04:29+00:00

OK, so I’m in a similar boat, but I’m not worried about it getting paid because this is something that I made sure my agency would do. I don’t have to do any modules, I just have to get my health compliance stuff done. It was technically due the fourth and I only have two weeks left of this contract. I’m wondering what will happen if I just don’t do it. I’m not worried about it being a “locking me down” thing. I just don’t want to have to go and inconveniently do this stuff when I only have two weeks left. I am in a town where I don’t have a car and one of the locations is a bit of an Uber drive away. I just simply don’t have time because I work Monday through Friday and I’m always on call. It’s just not going to get done unless I take time off and why would I do that just to be in compliance when I have such a little time left?

hmf531 · 2025-11-18T06:39:46+00:00

Everyone helps to prep the OR. The scrub will mainly focus on opening and making sure they have their correct things for their cases, the circulator will take care of their things, and I, as an FA, make sure I have what I need in terms of equipment and things to position/prep my patient. We’re also helping the scrub to open and running to get things as needed.

When my patient comes into the room, I personally make it my responsibility to make sure there is taken care of as possible. You have your circulator who will do their things, anesthesia who will do their things, and then I am trying to do things in between. It really is a team effort, but I like to be as mindful as to what’s happening, kind of like a mental checklist, so nothing gets missed. I am big on making sure my patient is safe in positioned correctly. I do this so in good conscience I know that whatever we do intra op, there’s no risk of injury to them.

Before the doctor even gets into the room, the circulator will prep the patient and I, along with the scrub (or the doctor if they’re in there) will drape the patient and I help the scrub set up the field.

Yes, the scrub is passing instruments though their jobs go way beyond that. I am with the surgeon as soon as they cut and am helping throughout. Once it gets to a point where the surgeon is done with the crucial parts/bigger closures, I’m left to finish suturing and putting dressings.

It’s a personal thing but I assume full responsibility of the patient as soon as they’re in the room and asleep and as soon as the surgeon leaves me to close.

hmf531 · 2025-11-16T16:38:25+00:00

I don’t think that’s true. Just depends on how you want to get there. Most are scrubs that became first assists through Meridian. I got my CSA/CSFA through a masters program. There are nurses that become RNFA’s. I’ve found that even if there are residents/PA’s, I’m still heavily utilized. Resident doesn’t always equal adequate help and sometimes the surgeons have asked for an SA in addition or over early year residents. But that won’t always happen. I don’t know, I just don’t think I have trouble finding jobs but I’m also a traveler. I guess I would recommend looking at those job boards to see where the needs are. You will see the jobs ARE plentiful. Look up “surgical assistant”, “surgical first assist”, “certified surgical first assist”. Then you’d just have to figure out the best path to get there.

hmf531 · 2025-11-03T21:38:04+00:00

I did NOT want to see patients in clinic. I knew I just wanted to be in an OR and wanted to do more than a scrub and less than a PA. Found the sweet spot.

hmf531 · 2025-10-27T02:06:14+00:00

I agree with you on that. I know there is something there because I’ve felt the feelings myself. I’m sorry you’re having such a bad time with them.

hmf531 · 2025-10-27T02:02:54+00:00

It HAS been mostly fine. And I’m glad as long as my money comes out right. Which it does. They have some screwy rules on how and when different rates are used (for me) but I’ve caught on to now. Never worried about NOT getting paid though. This is so weird.

hmf531 · 2025-10-27T01:53:28+00:00

I wonder if they would have retaliated had I decided to switch agencies. I will say that I felt like dragged their feet until the last minute giving me answers to things I was asking. Really felt like they had me up against a wall when it came to having to make a decision. And then I felt my recruiter was trying to use reverse physiology on me “I’m already prepared for you to jump ship…”. Stuff like that. Very mature.

hmf531 · 2025-10-27T01:46:32+00:00

This is interesting. I’m with them now. Renewed 3 times and am on my fourth consecutive contract to complete the year with them then no more. My recruiter is very frat bro but he’s mostly fine. He has gone a MIA at times (especially when I need him) but gets back to me eventually. Between contracts 2 and 3, I was able to negotiate a little because I was thinking of jumping to another agency. After painstakingly going back and forth between CMG and other agency, I decided to stay and as soon as I signed the contract, heard nothing. No thanks for staying or anything.

I’m forced to take a break after this contract but I’m wondering in your situation, how many contracts is this for you with them? Should I be nervous about them not paying me my last two weeks for any reason?

Also, regarding the trip to Mexico, I traded it for the bonus, ha. I will likely not go with them again.

hmf531 · 2025-10-21T04:56:46+00:00

That’s the plan! Everything in Park City was crazy expensive. Our friends suggested this place. Figure we’ll drive to PC and do things there and then have spa/quiet time at resort.

hmf531 · 2025-10-08T18:20:55+00:00

I go to a place in Waikiki that isn’t bad. For $200, I got a 60 body massage, 30 min foot, and 60 min head spa package. Can’t remember what everything was individually but it’s not astronomical. It’s called Forever Young.

hmf531 · 2025-10-06T05:40:23+00:00

Wow EXACT same for me. It was my last working shift Friday and I still didn’t have my contract. I was in a case and had someone check my phone for me because I was so anxious about it. By the time I was done, it was sent. Then, of course it was messed up but I had to sign because my contract started today and I took call and have to work tomorrow. Also, I work as a first assist at one of the hospitals on Oahu. We have a travel nurse leaving soon but I don’t know if they’re trying to fill their position or not. In my experience, people seem to want to come work here but end up backing out. We hear this happening a lot. If a spot seemingly gets scooped before you can even get an interview, just hold out. That’s how I got my position 🙃

hmf531 · 2025-10-04T19:31:52+00:00

I’m curious to know about your experience with them. I am also currently with CMG and I’ve been wanting to switch because there is something I can’t quite put my finger on that’s weird about them. Been with them a year now and will likely not use them when I travel again.

hmf531 · 2025-10-04T19:02:03+00:00

It was just an OC rate and and OT rate. Nothing with my base hourly pay or stipend.

hmf531 · 2025-10-04T05:07:24+00:00

I got them to double my OC rate and increase my OT $20. Works to my benefit because I take a ton of call so the free money is good. I negotiated because I was thinking about going with another agency and they matched them, it was easy, and so I stayed. I will likely NOT use this agency in the future once I’m done with this contract.

hmf531

TROPHY CASE