Last night my family that lives in Utah, sans dad, came to our house for dinner! Michael couldn't be there because he had to work so he decided to make the food. He made one of his favorite dishes, spaghetti. He is really good at making a yummy sauce. Friday night he got it all ready so yesterday I could just heat it up and make noodles to go with it. The family loved it! I love family time!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Hawaii :: Day 9
Well, a little more than one-month-to-the-day after the trip started here's the last post from our Hawaii trip. Man, I (we've) got to think of a better way to do this next time. Needless-to-say it has been a rather drawn out experience for all of us (including you).
We started the day with a session at the temple. The Laie temple was under renovation for quite a while and was rededicated in November. So we really arrived in the area with perfect timing. I can't really remember a lot of detail from what things used to look like but I can say this: It's beautiful inside now. We were asked to be the witness couple which was an added, special moment to the experience. I remember feeling really calm and at peace during our time there. It's a special place for me.
I learned two things after we left: 1. I like to dillydally whereas Oriah is the much more efficient of the two of us. For example: When we exited the main doors I turned right down the walkway and headed for an open gate that I never remember seeing open before during any of my past trips to the temple. I just wanted to see what was behind the gate or on that side of the temple. Oriah said to me, "Of course you take us to the place we shouldn't go" or something along those lines. I was just curious! Afterall, with all the renovations I wanted to see if I could tell what had changed, or what was new, etc. Anyway, yes, Oriah is the A->B type where it doesn't really matter to me. Well, I guess it does. If I'm in a hurry I can be very efficient. But if I don't have any constraints then I'll meander around taking the scenic route, or making a scenic route, and kind of putz along.
The second thing: 2. There are twelve, tall palm trees that line the main walkway leading up to the temple! Like 12 giant guardians, or sentinels, leading the way...providing safety and protection. Felt very symbolic of the Quorum of Twelve and their role in our lives.
We left and drove a block, or so, to the Hukilau cafe...which was also closed. Strike 3. First the Flea Market, then Diamond Head and then Hukilau. Bummer. So much for that other 6-month long held expectation.
We headed back to the rental to change clothes and head to the beach one last time (or maybe this was our first time...) I took us to one of my favorite spots on the windward coast. The water is shallow and really pretty colors. You can also see the coral below sometimes on more calm days. This day was a bit breezy. We ventured out about mid-waste but didn't go much further mainly because it was chilly but we also thought we saw a corn shark (poop) floating around nearby. That kind of killed things for me although I did run back to grab the camera and ventured out in the water again trying to get a picture of it but I didn't see it again.
Back to the rental and time to pack up, tidy up and check out. It was an ok place. If and when we go back I feel safe saying we'll look for somewhere else to stay next time. Headed back to the Dole Plantation once more and looked into grabbing some pineapples to send home but their options for sizes and packaging weren't going to work all that well with our plans. So, sorry everyone. No pineapple samples. While we were there we had to snack on their pineapple ice cream treat, of course! Pretty tasty stuff.
By this time it was late enough to head back to Pearl City and do some final shopping for gifts and souvenirs before taking the car back and heading to the airport for the flight home. We drove to a few of the Wal-Marts in the area, naturally, and picked up the goods.
After the shopping was complete we headed to Waianae (west) side to finally catch a sunset unobstructed into the ocean. The sunsets on Maui were great but were blocked by Lanai. The sunset at Turtle Bay had potential but too was blocked by geography. We stopped at a beach park near the south and west end of the island to see the glowing orb of fire settle into the big, deep blue. No landmasses to get in the way this time :) And...success! It was very pretty and quite romantic complete with a sailboat in the background.
Alas, all good things come to an end. Nature's fireworks ended and we figured it was a good time to grab dinner. We headed back to Pearl City near the apartment towers where I used to live and parked in a strip mall listening to Ohio State almost lose their bowl game - again - to Arkansas on the radio before snagging dinner at a Panda.
Time to face reality and go back to the airport for the flight home. I've never had much success sleeping through a red-eye flight and I swore them off the last time I took one. But here I found myself...another red-eye. Ugh. It wasn't too bad. I think both Oriah and I were able to sleep a little bit. All I know is that in the time we were gone Utah had not warmed up at all. In fact, I think it had gotten colder. It was brutal coming back to the snow and cold after all the sun and fun. Not to mention that I was scheduled to be at work at 8a the morning we got back into town. I think I made my appearance at the store around noon, if I recall. Good thing I've got a nice boss who let's me get away with quite a bit without harassing me too much.
That's all folks! Our 1st anniversary trip to Hawaii. It was a great time! Looking forward to many more anniversaries and trips!
We started the day with a session at the temple. The Laie temple was under renovation for quite a while and was rededicated in November. So we really arrived in the area with perfect timing. I can't really remember a lot of detail from what things used to look like but I can say this: It's beautiful inside now. We were asked to be the witness couple which was an added, special moment to the experience. I remember feeling really calm and at peace during our time there. It's a special place for me.
I learned two things after we left: 1. I like to dillydally whereas Oriah is the much more efficient of the two of us. For example: When we exited the main doors I turned right down the walkway and headed for an open gate that I never remember seeing open before during any of my past trips to the temple. I just wanted to see what was behind the gate or on that side of the temple. Oriah said to me, "Of course you take us to the place we shouldn't go" or something along those lines. I was just curious! Afterall, with all the renovations I wanted to see if I could tell what had changed, or what was new, etc. Anyway, yes, Oriah is the A->B type where it doesn't really matter to me. Well, I guess it does. If I'm in a hurry I can be very efficient. But if I don't have any constraints then I'll meander around taking the scenic route, or making a scenic route, and kind of putz along.
The second thing: 2. There are twelve, tall palm trees that line the main walkway leading up to the temple! Like 12 giant guardians, or sentinels, leading the way...providing safety and protection. Felt very symbolic of the Quorum of Twelve and their role in our lives.
We left and drove a block, or so, to the Hukilau cafe...which was also closed. Strike 3. First the Flea Market, then Diamond Head and then Hukilau. Bummer. So much for that other 6-month long held expectation.
We headed back to the rental to change clothes and head to the beach one last time (or maybe this was our first time...) I took us to one of my favorite spots on the windward coast. The water is shallow and really pretty colors. You can also see the coral below sometimes on more calm days. This day was a bit breezy. We ventured out about mid-waste but didn't go much further mainly because it was chilly but we also thought we saw a corn shark (poop) floating around nearby. That kind of killed things for me although I did run back to grab the camera and ventured out in the water again trying to get a picture of it but I didn't see it again.
Back to the rental and time to pack up, tidy up and check out. It was an ok place. If and when we go back I feel safe saying we'll look for somewhere else to stay next time. Headed back to the Dole Plantation once more and looked into grabbing some pineapples to send home but their options for sizes and packaging weren't going to work all that well with our plans. So, sorry everyone. No pineapple samples. While we were there we had to snack on their pineapple ice cream treat, of course! Pretty tasty stuff.
By this time it was late enough to head back to Pearl City and do some final shopping for gifts and souvenirs before taking the car back and heading to the airport for the flight home. We drove to a few of the Wal-Marts in the area, naturally, and picked up the goods.
After the shopping was complete we headed to Waianae (west) side to finally catch a sunset unobstructed into the ocean. The sunsets on Maui were great but were blocked by Lanai. The sunset at Turtle Bay had potential but too was blocked by geography. We stopped at a beach park near the south and west end of the island to see the glowing orb of fire settle into the big, deep blue. No landmasses to get in the way this time :) And...success! It was very pretty and quite romantic complete with a sailboat in the background.
Alas, all good things come to an end. Nature's fireworks ended and we figured it was a good time to grab dinner. We headed back to Pearl City near the apartment towers where I used to live and parked in a strip mall listening to Ohio State almost lose their bowl game - again - to Arkansas on the radio before snagging dinner at a Panda.
Time to face reality and go back to the airport for the flight home. I've never had much success sleeping through a red-eye flight and I swore them off the last time I took one. But here I found myself...another red-eye. Ugh. It wasn't too bad. I think both Oriah and I were able to sleep a little bit. All I know is that in the time we were gone Utah had not warmed up at all. In fact, I think it had gotten colder. It was brutal coming back to the snow and cold after all the sun and fun. Not to mention that I was scheduled to be at work at 8a the morning we got back into town. I think I made my appearance at the store around noon, if I recall. Good thing I've got a nice boss who let's me get away with quite a bit without harassing me too much.
That's all folks! Our 1st anniversary trip to Hawaii. It was a great time! Looking forward to many more anniversaries and trips!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Two Things:
First, I may have one of the cutest nieces ever. Check this out.
Second...
GO COUGS!
Michael and I went to the game last night. This may be the biggest game the Marriott Center has housed. #9 BYU beat #4 SDSU by 13 points! It was a great game. We were down by one at halftime, but about halfway through the second half we got on a roll, well JIMMER got on a roll and we never looked back. We took our new camera with us so I'll show you some shots I took. Enjoy!
Second...
GO COUGS!
Michael and I went to the game last night. This may be the biggest game the Marriott Center has housed. #9 BYU beat #4 SDSU by 13 points! It was a great game. We were down by one at halftime, but about halfway through the second half we got on a roll, well JIMMER got on a roll and we never looked back. We took our new camera with us so I'll show you some shots I took. Enjoy!
Tip-off:
The Coaches:
Somewhere in there is Jimmer... and somehow he made the basket:
The students rushed the floor:
The game was great! We are very glad we were both able to go.
Oh, and you can go here to enjoy a slide show by our University Photographers!
Oh, and you can go here to enjoy a slide show by our University Photographers!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Hawaii :: Day 8
Monday morning started with a trip to Duke's for breakfast. Duke's is named after Duke Kahanamoku - who is credited as the "Father of Surfing" - and is located on Waikiki Beach. You can eat breakfast and look out on the surfers and Diamond Head.
The plan was to meet Aaron for breakfast and once more the joy was ours to search out parking downtown. Luckily it was early enough in the morning that we found a nice parking meter spot. One problem: No change. We went into an ABC Store (one of the larger rip-off spots of all time) and gathered up a few items to pay for and make change in the process. Another problem: The store didn't have any change to give back. So, we called Aaron and he directed us to a hotel parking garage which just happened to be behind us 1/2 block. Sweet! Some creative driving later we're in the parking garage with the promise of validation soon-to-come. Not-so-good news...Aaron isn't able to make it...something with work.
Oriah and I enjoy breakfast and decide to drive over to Diamond Head for a quick hike and to check out the view of the city from the top of the old crater! As we drive up to the tunnel a sign says that the trail is closed for maintenance! LAME! First the Flea Market is closed and now Diamond Head trail is closed. Bad timing! We park at a view spot and snap some shots when this little, mower-sounding thing pulls up. A couple rented a car for $100-ish for a couple hours and they're getting around town in a Hello Kitty car. It was a pretty classic moment. I'm sure people reacted to them just as we did everywhere they went...snapping pictures and laughing.
After the Diamond Head bust we head into town a bit to visit President Watanabe at his flower store: Watanabe Floral. His father started the business and now's he's the man in charge! He gave Oriah a tour (which was much more extensive than any tour he ever gave me before!) and we chit chatted the whole time. It was good to spend time with him. He's such a good man. Afterwards, we headed back up to the North Shore along the windward side for the Polynesian Cultural Center!
We got there just in time to catch the Canoe Pageant at 2p. Some of the guys on one of the floats decided to toss the float pusher off the float and into the waterway by rocking the float. These weren't small guys either! It was pretty funny. After the pageant we headed to the Samoan village - the best village, in my opinion - and watched coconut husking and tree climbing and such. Then we walked around to the Pioneer/Early Mission part of the place. I learned a lot about Laie and it's history and the people that kind of started it all for the church out there! Then we hit up the IMAX and watched a movie...I've forget what show we watched.
Finally! It's time for the luau dinner! My favorite part. Actually, it's just the kalua pork that's my favorite part :) So yummy! I'll have to make it one day. I snagged a recipe from my Chief on the boat before I left. He was part Hawaiian so it's authentic, for sure! During the dinner show, the lady hosting asked all those celebrating their anniversary to stand. So, we stood. Then she invited all of us down to the stage. And I looked at Oriah like, "What have you gotten us into!" Hahaha! We get onto the stage and she's shoving the microphone in our faces asking where we're from and how long we've been married. And then she tells us that we're going to dance in front of every one while the band plays a nice, slow song! Why didn't I remember this part of the show before?!?!?! So, Oriah and I had probably our first slow dance ever, together, in front of 1,000 strangers at a Hawaiian Luau.
Classic!
There was about an hour break from when dinner ended and when the night show was to start. We hopped on the tram that takes you from the PCC to the temple and Visitors Center. We recognized some of the Sister Missionaries that we saw the few days before in our stops there over the weekend. We chatted with a couple from Tennessee, I think. They were nice. Asked us a few questions about the church. Came back to the PCC and found our rockstar seats for the show. The show is a different one than what I've associated with the night show from past visits. It was a nice change. Entertaining. But, of course, one of the best parts about the show is the $5 ice cream and pineapple dessert during intermission! This place just sucks money out of you from the moment you show up. Oh, I forgot to mention the $20 we paid for a picture of the two of us taken earlier in the evening before dinner. Yeah, total tourist trap!
Towards the end of the night it was so nice thinking about how during this entire trip there was the feeling of zero responsibility. No work. No HOA. No nothing. What a great feeling. For sure, I didn't want to leave!
Oh, this was funny to me (only because I think I won the bet). There was a difference of opinion as to how long it took to get from our rental in Turtle Bay to Laie. Oriah claimed it was roughly 15 minutes. I said 10. I thought she'd be inclined to lean toward my side since I was driving and we'd made the trip some dozen times or more. But she was most certain it was a 15 minute trip. And maybe it was 15 minutes if we got stuck behind a slow car, or something. But we made the trip in 10 minutes once and I wasn't even speeding!
Tomorrow is the last day! The plan is to go to the temple and grab some eats at the Hukilau cafe!
The plan was to meet Aaron for breakfast and once more the joy was ours to search out parking downtown. Luckily it was early enough in the morning that we found a nice parking meter spot. One problem: No change. We went into an ABC Store (one of the larger rip-off spots of all time) and gathered up a few items to pay for and make change in the process. Another problem: The store didn't have any change to give back. So, we called Aaron and he directed us to a hotel parking garage which just happened to be behind us 1/2 block. Sweet! Some creative driving later we're in the parking garage with the promise of validation soon-to-come. Not-so-good news...Aaron isn't able to make it...something with work.
Oriah and I enjoy breakfast and decide to drive over to Diamond Head for a quick hike and to check out the view of the city from the top of the old crater! As we drive up to the tunnel a sign says that the trail is closed for maintenance! LAME! First the Flea Market is closed and now Diamond Head trail is closed. Bad timing! We park at a view spot and snap some shots when this little, mower-sounding thing pulls up. A couple rented a car for $100-ish for a couple hours and they're getting around town in a Hello Kitty car. It was a pretty classic moment. I'm sure people reacted to them just as we did everywhere they went...snapping pictures and laughing.
After the Diamond Head bust we head into town a bit to visit President Watanabe at his flower store: Watanabe Floral. His father started the business and now's he's the man in charge! He gave Oriah a tour (which was much more extensive than any tour he ever gave me before!) and we chit chatted the whole time. It was good to spend time with him. He's such a good man. Afterwards, we headed back up to the North Shore along the windward side for the Polynesian Cultural Center!
We got there just in time to catch the Canoe Pageant at 2p. Some of the guys on one of the floats decided to toss the float pusher off the float and into the waterway by rocking the float. These weren't small guys either! It was pretty funny. After the pageant we headed to the Samoan village - the best village, in my opinion - and watched coconut husking and tree climbing and such. Then we walked around to the Pioneer/Early Mission part of the place. I learned a lot about Laie and it's history and the people that kind of started it all for the church out there! Then we hit up the IMAX and watched a movie...I've forget what show we watched.
Finally! It's time for the luau dinner! My favorite part. Actually, it's just the kalua pork that's my favorite part :) So yummy! I'll have to make it one day. I snagged a recipe from my Chief on the boat before I left. He was part Hawaiian so it's authentic, for sure! During the dinner show, the lady hosting asked all those celebrating their anniversary to stand. So, we stood. Then she invited all of us down to the stage. And I looked at Oriah like, "What have you gotten us into!" Hahaha! We get onto the stage and she's shoving the microphone in our faces asking where we're from and how long we've been married. And then she tells us that we're going to dance in front of every one while the band plays a nice, slow song! Why didn't I remember this part of the show before?!?!?! So, Oriah and I had probably our first slow dance ever, together, in front of 1,000 strangers at a Hawaiian Luau.
Classic!
There was about an hour break from when dinner ended and when the night show was to start. We hopped on the tram that takes you from the PCC to the temple and Visitors Center. We recognized some of the Sister Missionaries that we saw the few days before in our stops there over the weekend. We chatted with a couple from Tennessee, I think. They were nice. Asked us a few questions about the church. Came back to the PCC and found our rockstar seats for the show. The show is a different one than what I've associated with the night show from past visits. It was a nice change. Entertaining. But, of course, one of the best parts about the show is the $5 ice cream and pineapple dessert during intermission! This place just sucks money out of you from the moment you show up. Oh, I forgot to mention the $20 we paid for a picture of the two of us taken earlier in the evening before dinner. Yeah, total tourist trap!
Towards the end of the night it was so nice thinking about how during this entire trip there was the feeling of zero responsibility. No work. No HOA. No nothing. What a great feeling. For sure, I didn't want to leave!
Oh, this was funny to me (only because I think I won the bet). There was a difference of opinion as to how long it took to get from our rental in Turtle Bay to Laie. Oriah claimed it was roughly 15 minutes. I said 10. I thought she'd be inclined to lean toward my side since I was driving and we'd made the trip some dozen times or more. But she was most certain it was a 15 minute trip. And maybe it was 15 minutes if we got stuck behind a slow car, or something. But we made the trip in 10 minutes once and I wasn't even speeding!
Tomorrow is the last day! The plan is to go to the temple and grab some eats at the Hukilau cafe!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Hawaii :: Day 7
It’s Sunday! I’m so excited to see so many familiar faces at the old family ward in Aiea (the only town in America spelled with all vowels…or so I’ve heard.) After chilling on the lanai and watching the golfers go by we get ready. Really isn’t much to do so we take off a little bit early and drive around BYU-H campus and then to the temple. We planned to go to a session Tuesday morning and I’m excited for that also. The Laie temple has been under renovation for the last year, or more, and so I’m really interested to see what the inside looks like now.
We head back south again to Pearl City and pull into the chapel parking lot. As soon as we walk in we meet Josh Horita at the door – he’s in the Bishopric now (and I realize I’m talking to you as if you knew who he was…). Next I see Brother Purcell (I never did learn his first name) and he gives me the biggest smile and bear hug. I love that guy! Needless to say I could carry on with a list of names but that wouldn’t do much. It was wonderful seeing all those familiar faces and visiting with them even if just for a short time.
The Newtown 1st Ward has been the best family ward I’ve ever belonged to (a close second would be the Hanford Wards in California.) I still feel like family every time I go back for a visit. My former Bishop’s wife told me “once a member of the Newtown 1st, always a member.” Truth.
I do remember seeing a gal sitting on the front row. I knew her. I want to say her name is Sunny…not sure. Anyway, I do remember her as being married while I was in the ward but she didn’t have children at the time. I also remember her being the embodiment of her name – Sunny. She was always smiling and so, so happy. But that morning, while she was sitting on the front row with her family – she had two children with her – she was not so Sunny. In fact, she was quite stormy and rather short with her kids. It struck me how remarkable the change was in her countenance and disposition. As I shared this with Oriah, Oriah was quick to suggest that she may be experiencing postpartum…very valid. Whatever was going on that day…it caught my attention. Anyway…
After the block of meetings we headed back north for the Singles Branch in Wahiawa and to see my former Branch President. Background: About one year into attending the Newtown 1st Ward word was put out that the Stake was starting a Singles Branch. And so I went. That’s where I got to know Russell Watanabe. The man has had a significant influence on my life, thoughts and perspective. I’ll always be grateful for his kindness and service during those Navy years when times weren’t great. While at the Branch we grabbed dinner at the “break the fast” since it was the first Sunday of the month. I saw a few other familiar faces while we were there. Great day!
We headed home and stopped at the temple again. We walked into the Visitors Center and I realized someone was behind me trying to get my attention. It was Brother and Sister Chandler – from the Newtown 1st Ward! Except they had moved to Laie so they were no longer living in Aiea. It was so great to see them and hear what they had been up to over the past few years.
I’m sure Oriah’s head was spinning once the day was done having met so many people – with all of them seeming to know her and with her not knowing any of them :) But I was glad to share with her all of these people that mean so much to me.
We head back south again to Pearl City and pull into the chapel parking lot. As soon as we walk in we meet Josh Horita at the door – he’s in the Bishopric now (and I realize I’m talking to you as if you knew who he was…). Next I see Brother Purcell (I never did learn his first name) and he gives me the biggest smile and bear hug. I love that guy! Needless to say I could carry on with a list of names but that wouldn’t do much. It was wonderful seeing all those familiar faces and visiting with them even if just for a short time.
The Newtown 1st Ward has been the best family ward I’ve ever belonged to (a close second would be the Hanford Wards in California.) I still feel like family every time I go back for a visit. My former Bishop’s wife told me “once a member of the Newtown 1st, always a member.” Truth.
I do remember seeing a gal sitting on the front row. I knew her. I want to say her name is Sunny…not sure. Anyway, I do remember her as being married while I was in the ward but she didn’t have children at the time. I also remember her being the embodiment of her name – Sunny. She was always smiling and so, so happy. But that morning, while she was sitting on the front row with her family – she had two children with her – she was not so Sunny. In fact, she was quite stormy and rather short with her kids. It struck me how remarkable the change was in her countenance and disposition. As I shared this with Oriah, Oriah was quick to suggest that she may be experiencing postpartum…very valid. Whatever was going on that day…it caught my attention. Anyway…
After the block of meetings we headed back north for the Singles Branch in Wahiawa and to see my former Branch President. Background: About one year into attending the Newtown 1st Ward word was put out that the Stake was starting a Singles Branch. And so I went. That’s where I got to know Russell Watanabe. The man has had a significant influence on my life, thoughts and perspective. I’ll always be grateful for his kindness and service during those Navy years when times weren’t great. While at the Branch we grabbed dinner at the “break the fast” since it was the first Sunday of the month. I saw a few other familiar faces while we were there. Great day!
We headed home and stopped at the temple again. We walked into the Visitors Center and I realized someone was behind me trying to get my attention. It was Brother and Sister Chandler – from the Newtown 1st Ward! Except they had moved to Laie so they were no longer living in Aiea. It was so great to see them and hear what they had been up to over the past few years.
I’m sure Oriah’s head was spinning once the day was done having met so many people – with all of them seeming to know her and with her not knowing any of them :) But I was glad to share with her all of these people that mean so much to me.
Surprise Date Night
For surprise date night I got tickets to the Ryan Shupe & The Rubber Band concert on BYU campus! They always put on a great show. So upbeat and positive and fun!
They started the show off with "Hey Hey Hey."
And then they played probably my favorite song of theirs: Even Superman. The song just sits in my vocal sweetspot and I love belting it out at the top of my lungs!
A few memorable events: During a break in between songs, the bass player stood at the microphone and said, “This is the awkward part of the evening where we will invite anyone who wants to propose to that special someone to come up. You have 60 seconds. Don’t worry, we’ll wait.” Sure enough, in true BYU fashion, some yahoo ran up to the stage with a girl in tow and proposed. The band had to remind him to kneel. Only at BYU.
Next, Ryan had his son – all of 2 years old – come up on the stage with the band with his little fiddle and play around on stage during one of the songs. Can’t say I’ve ever seen that before. The crowd went nuts. Talk about starting the kid off early for a rock’n’roll lifestyle!
This was Oriah’s first time going to one of their shows. She’s now been indoctrinated to the Corndog song.
I had a few moments during the concert reflecting back on my BYU days – mostly hanging with Taylor and starting our business and all those memories. Good times.
They started the show off with "Hey Hey Hey."
And then they played probably my favorite song of theirs: Even Superman. The song just sits in my vocal sweetspot and I love belting it out at the top of my lungs!
A few memorable events: During a break in between songs, the bass player stood at the microphone and said, “This is the awkward part of the evening where we will invite anyone who wants to propose to that special someone to come up. You have 60 seconds. Don’t worry, we’ll wait.” Sure enough, in true BYU fashion, some yahoo ran up to the stage with a girl in tow and proposed. The band had to remind him to kneel. Only at BYU.
Next, Ryan had his son – all of 2 years old – come up on the stage with the band with his little fiddle and play around on stage during one of the songs. Can’t say I’ve ever seen that before. The crowd went nuts. Talk about starting the kid off early for a rock’n’roll lifestyle!
This was Oriah’s first time going to one of their shows. She’s now been indoctrinated to the Corndog song.
I had a few moments during the concert reflecting back on my BYU days – mostly hanging with Taylor and starting our business and all those memories. Good times.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Hawaii :: Day 6
Ah, the weekend. I don't remember what time we woke up but there were leftover donuts from the evening's festivities that would serve well for breakfast. We're about to dive in when...
Bugs.
Everywhere.
Everywhere in the sense that they were all over the donuts and donut box. Tiny things. Loads of 'em. A trail from the wall partition along the counter to the donuts. I guess they thought donuts would be good for breakfast as well.
We didn't notice them when we checked in and were putting things away in the kitchen but they must have been there all along. The trade off for living in tropical climates, I suppose.
So, the breakfast idea was short lived. I unleashed a massacre upon the unsuspecting scavengers. Oriah was totally grossed out.
The big morning plan was to make it down to Aloha Stadium for the Flea Market and pick up some things for friends/family. Got down to the old, stomping grounds and as we drive by the stadium...nothing. Not a soul. No flea market. How could it be closed? It's Saturday. It's New Years. Everybody and their dog should be out this morning? So much for that idea...
Plan B: Drive Oriah around to some of the less traveled parts of the island. We head up the West coast to Waianae. I was always warned to be careful on this part of the island in that the locals don't care for the Haoles (white folk.) While my experience never reinforced the expectation during the few trips I made to the area I've always kept that in the back of my mind. It was a nice drive. A long drive. We passed a tent city that I never noticed before which was strange but I guess the homeless people and squatters need somewhere to go. We finally made it up to the western tip of the island to a beach and took some pictures.
Next, I drove us to the north and west coast side of the island along Farrington Hwy and past Dillingham Airfield (where I went skydiving!) to the place where I unknowingly stumbled upon the filming of the first episode of "Lost." That's right! I was just out for a drive to see what I could see and I noticed a big, jet engine on the beach. I remember thinking to myself: "Self, you haven't heard any news on the radio or on the ship about a plane crashing in the area." Turns out it was all for the TV show. So, Oriah got to see "Lost" beach as I now call it.
After that we headed for the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa and then mulled around the shops in Haleiwa. We stopped at a fresh fruit stand along the side of the road and picked up some guava and papaya, I think, and snacked at a beach park. Then we hit up another fruit stand which was much better than the first (both in variety and cleanliness.) We got some real coconut at this place and headed back for our place.
We made our way to the bay to catch the sunset and we bring the coconut with us. Oriah has the camera and she's snapping away. The sunset is hidden by an outcrop of land but it's still pretty. And we start to eat the coconut.
I've been deceived! Real coconut isn't sweet!!! It has a rather plain flavor, actually. All these years, I had no idea. The food companies have been pumping me full of artificial sweetness thinking that coconut was something other than it really was. Sounds like the great deceiver himself at work. There were a lot of lessons playing out for me at various levels during this experience. Anyway, now I know what real coconut tastes like.
We then headed to McDonald's in Laie for dinner. Man, that place is dumpy. I called the customer service number to complain about the conditions of the dining area. Turns out the place is scheduled to be demolished this year. Makes sense that they're not sinking money into the place for repairs and upkeep.
I'm excited that tomorrow is Sunday and that I'll get to see all the Ohana at the family ward and my former Branch President at the Singles Branch and of course introduce them all to Oriah!
Bugs.
Everywhere.
Everywhere in the sense that they were all over the donuts and donut box. Tiny things. Loads of 'em. A trail from the wall partition along the counter to the donuts. I guess they thought donuts would be good for breakfast as well.
We didn't notice them when we checked in and were putting things away in the kitchen but they must have been there all along. The trade off for living in tropical climates, I suppose.
So, the breakfast idea was short lived. I unleashed a massacre upon the unsuspecting scavengers. Oriah was totally grossed out.
The big morning plan was to make it down to Aloha Stadium for the Flea Market and pick up some things for friends/family. Got down to the old, stomping grounds and as we drive by the stadium...nothing. Not a soul. No flea market. How could it be closed? It's Saturday. It's New Years. Everybody and their dog should be out this morning? So much for that idea...
Plan B: Drive Oriah around to some of the less traveled parts of the island. We head up the West coast to Waianae. I was always warned to be careful on this part of the island in that the locals don't care for the Haoles (white folk.) While my experience never reinforced the expectation during the few trips I made to the area I've always kept that in the back of my mind. It was a nice drive. A long drive. We passed a tent city that I never noticed before which was strange but I guess the homeless people and squatters need somewhere to go. We finally made it up to the western tip of the island to a beach and took some pictures.
Next, I drove us to the north and west coast side of the island along Farrington Hwy and past Dillingham Airfield (where I went skydiving!) to the place where I unknowingly stumbled upon the filming of the first episode of "Lost." That's right! I was just out for a drive to see what I could see and I noticed a big, jet engine on the beach. I remember thinking to myself: "Self, you haven't heard any news on the radio or on the ship about a plane crashing in the area." Turns out it was all for the TV show. So, Oriah got to see "Lost" beach as I now call it.
After that we headed for the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa and then mulled around the shops in Haleiwa. We stopped at a fresh fruit stand along the side of the road and picked up some guava and papaya, I think, and snacked at a beach park. Then we hit up another fruit stand which was much better than the first (both in variety and cleanliness.) We got some real coconut at this place and headed back for our place.
We made our way to the bay to catch the sunset and we bring the coconut with us. Oriah has the camera and she's snapping away. The sunset is hidden by an outcrop of land but it's still pretty. And we start to eat the coconut.
I've been deceived! Real coconut isn't sweet!!! It has a rather plain flavor, actually. All these years, I had no idea. The food companies have been pumping me full of artificial sweetness thinking that coconut was something other than it really was. Sounds like the great deceiver himself at work. There were a lot of lessons playing out for me at various levels during this experience. Anyway, now I know what real coconut tastes like.
We then headed to McDonald's in Laie for dinner. Man, that place is dumpy. I called the customer service number to complain about the conditions of the dining area. Turns out the place is scheduled to be demolished this year. Makes sense that they're not sinking money into the place for repairs and upkeep.
I'm excited that tomorrow is Sunday and that I'll get to see all the Ohana at the family ward and my former Branch President at the Singles Branch and of course introduce them all to Oriah!
Man Period
From time-to-time I get in these "funks"...that may explain the posts about my moodiness. Oriah introduced me to the phrase "man period" yesterday as we drove home from campus. Seems to fit.
I don't really recall what set things off but here's a partial list of what was on my mind:
-I think about money. A lot. I always want more of it. I'm never satisfied at how fast/frequently we can accumulate it. I'm always thinking of ways to have more of it find its way to us.
-We have a "slush fund." It's for "rainy day" type things. You know...the car craps out and you need to replace the engine or the dishwasher breaks and you need to get a new one. Bottom line: We have it to use if needed. But when we do dip into it I feel upset because then I feel pressure to rebuild the supply which takes away from the other financial goals I'm starring down and then I feel that we're losing ground/losing time.
-I don't feel spiritually competent. As in: "I just don't get it." I feel stuck in a rut in that I don't really feel that I have the companionship or guidance of the Spirit. Or I feel that I'm not willing to pay the price to have the prize of that said companionship/guidance which goes back to the aforementioned rut comment.
-I'm not the husband I need to be or that Oriah thought she was getting.
-Other feelings of overall incompetence and insecurity.
My man period.
I don't really recall what set things off but here's a partial list of what was on my mind:
-I think about money. A lot. I always want more of it. I'm never satisfied at how fast/frequently we can accumulate it. I'm always thinking of ways to have more of it find its way to us.
-We have a "slush fund." It's for "rainy day" type things. You know...the car craps out and you need to replace the engine or the dishwasher breaks and you need to get a new one. Bottom line: We have it to use if needed. But when we do dip into it I feel upset because then I feel pressure to rebuild the supply which takes away from the other financial goals I'm starring down and then I feel that we're losing ground/losing time.
-I don't feel spiritually competent. As in: "I just don't get it." I feel stuck in a rut in that I don't really feel that I have the companionship or guidance of the Spirit. Or I feel that I'm not willing to pay the price to have the prize of that said companionship/guidance which goes back to the aforementioned rut comment.
-I'm not the husband I need to be or that Oriah thought she was getting.
-Other feelings of overall incompetence and insecurity.
My man period.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Hawaii :: Day 5
Last day in Lahaina. So much fun and such a beautiful, relaxing place. We packed up and headed to the airport. I called my friend Aaron to see about New Year's plans. Aaron lives on Ala Wai Blvd which is a stone's throw from Waikiki. During my three years living on Oahu I never made it down to the beach for New Year's fireworks. Mostly to avoid the crowds but more so the smoke...Hawaiians are a bunch of pyros, I swear. They don't need an excuse to light off fireworks and lots of them. Anyway...
Landed and hopped in the shuttle. Got stuck with another rental car without an iPod auxiliary port. All of the sudden to get that feature you need a high-end rental. Lame. I asked about getting a car with an aux port - cause who wouldn't want to drive around the island listening to Jack Johnson? - and he quickly responded with he'd give me a good deal on an upgrade. I quipped back that I doubted his deal would be cheaper than me buying an adapter. Winner: me.
Off to the North Shore and Turtle Bay! First stop though...Wal-Mart for food and odds and ends. Ran to the Electronics department for an adapter! Hmm...the cheapest adapter is out-of-stock and the next best option is $60. Looks like the car guy may have been on to something. Winner: car guy. Dang it. No Jack Jack. So much for that 6-month standing expectation.
The drive to the North Shore has got to be one of the prettiest drives in the world - from my limited world exposure - regardless of which side you take (up the H2 to Haleiwa or up the Windward coast which is my fave.) I swear during the course of our stay we made the trip a dozen times back and forth. So scenic! We got to our rented place at Kuilima Estates East and unpacked. We made plans to meet Aaron for dinner near his place back downtown so we didn't have long before we had to drive back to town.
Background: I hate parking in cities. A trip to the dentist is more inviting to me than having to park downtown. Putting up with all the pedestrians, one-ways, finding a parking spot, having change for meters, parallel parking, parking garages...oh, kill me know. But such is the task at hand this night. Parking around Waikiki. I've been fortunate in the past when visiting Aaron. A spot has opened near his place along Ala Wai but no dice tonight. After making a few wrong turns even with Jerusha's GPS we're doing lap, after lap, after lap. I finally call Aaron and he tries to explain to me where to go and rattles off street names which are all foreign sounding (Hawaiian names) to me = more laps. I call him in moderate desperation and he comes out of his pad, we pick him up and two minutes later he's got us behind a grocery store in a parking lot which - for the reasonable fee of $15 - we can park for the night. Panic attack avoided. I can only imagine what was going through Oriah's mind during this whole episode. Watching my grip on the steering wheel get successively tighter each lap we made...hahaha.
We walk up a few blocks and make our way to a California Pizza Kitchen across the street from the beach. It's really good to see Aaron and I'm glad he's finally meeting Oriah. I'm also floored to hear how things are shaping up for him as he's close to exiting military life and back to the civilian side of things. The kid has a bright future! Background: I got to the ship mid-2003 and he showed up a year later in a different Division but in the same Department. Our desks were next to one another in the Supply Office below the main deck. When the ship was underway there's really no where to go other than your rack to sleep, the mess decks to eat, or your office...or the occasional trip top side to get some fresh air or catch a sunset. Anyway, we'd often spend all-nighters in the office blaring Wilco or have a movie going in the background while we'd work away. Good times.
So, yeah...on Waikiki on New Year's Eve with Aaron and Oriah. Pretty neat. Aaron's on duty that night as well as another obligation, if I recall right, so he's not able to stick around for the festivities. Oriah and I head for the beach...it's about 10p now. We finally settle on a place with a decent seat and view and the crowds slowly start forming. A lot of smoking, swearing and skin start creeping up so we relocate ourselves. Pretty soon it's just packed in every direction. Two or three different parties in the area start their own respective countdowns. They were all wrong. It was funny. Finally midnight hits and the fireworks light off. We take a couple pictures and I look at her and I'm pretty sure she's thinking what I'm thinking...let's get out of here and beat the crowd.
Done. We bolt. Back to the car. Beat traffic. Phew! We've got an hour drive back to Turtle Bay. Good thing church tomorrow starts at 1p. Oriah cracks open the donuts we bought at Wal-Mart for the first eats of the New Year. Background: My old man is German. No idea where he picked this up but he claims that it's German tradition to eat a donut first thing on New Years for good luck. Whether true or not it's a great excuse to have a donut. Happy 2011!
Landed and hopped in the shuttle. Got stuck with another rental car without an iPod auxiliary port. All of the sudden to get that feature you need a high-end rental. Lame. I asked about getting a car with an aux port - cause who wouldn't want to drive around the island listening to Jack Johnson? - and he quickly responded with he'd give me a good deal on an upgrade. I quipped back that I doubted his deal would be cheaper than me buying an adapter. Winner: me.
Off to the North Shore and Turtle Bay! First stop though...Wal-Mart for food and odds and ends. Ran to the Electronics department for an adapter! Hmm...the cheapest adapter is out-of-stock and the next best option is $60. Looks like the car guy may have been on to something. Winner: car guy. Dang it. No Jack Jack. So much for that 6-month standing expectation.
The drive to the North Shore has got to be one of the prettiest drives in the world - from my limited world exposure - regardless of which side you take (up the H2 to Haleiwa or up the Windward coast which is my fave.) I swear during the course of our stay we made the trip a dozen times back and forth. So scenic! We got to our rented place at Kuilima Estates East and unpacked. We made plans to meet Aaron for dinner near his place back downtown so we didn't have long before we had to drive back to town.
Background: I hate parking in cities. A trip to the dentist is more inviting to me than having to park downtown. Putting up with all the pedestrians, one-ways, finding a parking spot, having change for meters, parallel parking, parking garages...oh, kill me know. But such is the task at hand this night. Parking around Waikiki. I've been fortunate in the past when visiting Aaron. A spot has opened near his place along Ala Wai but no dice tonight. After making a few wrong turns even with Jerusha's GPS we're doing lap, after lap, after lap. I finally call Aaron and he tries to explain to me where to go and rattles off street names which are all foreign sounding (Hawaiian names) to me = more laps. I call him in moderate desperation and he comes out of his pad, we pick him up and two minutes later he's got us behind a grocery store in a parking lot which - for the reasonable fee of $15 - we can park for the night. Panic attack avoided. I can only imagine what was going through Oriah's mind during this whole episode. Watching my grip on the steering wheel get successively tighter each lap we made...hahaha.
We walk up a few blocks and make our way to a California Pizza Kitchen across the street from the beach. It's really good to see Aaron and I'm glad he's finally meeting Oriah. I'm also floored to hear how things are shaping up for him as he's close to exiting military life and back to the civilian side of things. The kid has a bright future! Background: I got to the ship mid-2003 and he showed up a year later in a different Division but in the same Department. Our desks were next to one another in the Supply Office below the main deck. When the ship was underway there's really no where to go other than your rack to sleep, the mess decks to eat, or your office...or the occasional trip top side to get some fresh air or catch a sunset. Anyway, we'd often spend all-nighters in the office blaring Wilco or have a movie going in the background while we'd work away. Good times.
So, yeah...on Waikiki on New Year's Eve with Aaron and Oriah. Pretty neat. Aaron's on duty that night as well as another obligation, if I recall right, so he's not able to stick around for the festivities. Oriah and I head for the beach...it's about 10p now. We finally settle on a place with a decent seat and view and the crowds slowly start forming. A lot of smoking, swearing and skin start creeping up so we relocate ourselves. Pretty soon it's just packed in every direction. Two or three different parties in the area start their own respective countdowns. They were all wrong. It was funny. Finally midnight hits and the fireworks light off. We take a couple pictures and I look at her and I'm pretty sure she's thinking what I'm thinking...let's get out of here and beat the crowd.
Done. We bolt. Back to the car. Beat traffic. Phew! We've got an hour drive back to Turtle Bay. Good thing church tomorrow starts at 1p. Oriah cracks open the donuts we bought at Wal-Mart for the first eats of the New Year. Background: My old man is German. No idea where he picked this up but he claims that it's German tradition to eat a donut first thing on New Years for good luck. Whether true or not it's a great excuse to have a donut. Happy 2011!
Classic
So last night I went to pick Michael up from work. We needed to get some birthday cards so we found some then went to buy them. Our cashier, who knows Michael, asks me (pointing to Michael):
"Is he your dad?"
I thought he was joking so I said "yes" then kind of laughed. He believed me, so I corrected myself and told him that he is my husband. He nervously laughed and apologized to Michael.
Wow.
"Is he your dad?"
I thought he was joking so I said "yes" then kind of laughed. He believed me, so I corrected myself and told him that he is my husband. He nervously laughed and apologized to Michael.
Wow.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Hawaii :: Day 4
So the big picture reason for the trip...well there are a few: 1. Hello honeymoon! A year after the fact...but it's been fun looking forward to this trip for some time now. 2. A break from the snow and cold for sun and fun! And, 3. To share this part of the world and this aspect of my life with Oriah. I lived over here around the islands for 3 years and it's a great way to share my memories and this part of myself with her. Anyway, ...
The big anniversary! We slept in for a little bit since we didn't get home till nearly midnight from the magic show. We had leftover cheesecake for breakfast from dinner the night before and then headed down to the beach to take some pictures as well as walk around the hotel grounds.
We get to the sand and Oriah starts writing with her toes/feet a message in the sand and I thought, "What a great idea!" So, I jumped right in. I pictured this ridiculously big "Happy 1-year Anniversary" things visible from space in my mind and ended up with a not-so-legible "Happy 1yr" instead. Oriah's looked much better. Oh, well.
We walked down the beach for a bit and, out of curiosity, I wanted to check out the Marriott hotel that was next door. It may be a nice place but I was glad we were staying where we were. Time for lunch so we headed into town to grab something to eat as well as try to find something for dinner that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. We finally stumbled upon a decent, local restaurant and then hit up the Safeway next door for some dinner items to take to the beach with us.
We got back to the hotel room and Oriah took a nap while I watched some bowl games that were on the TV - 'tis the season! When dinner time rolled around we headed back down to the restaurant by the beach where we ate the night before and ordered some virgin piña coladas to take to the beach and enjoy the sunset. It was a beautiful setting! After the sunset we headed back up to the room and ate our dinner on the balcony while a luau show was going on below us. It was a pretty relaxed day and I can't think of a better way to have spent our 1st anniversary!
The big anniversary! We slept in for a little bit since we didn't get home till nearly midnight from the magic show. We had leftover cheesecake for breakfast from dinner the night before and then headed down to the beach to take some pictures as well as walk around the hotel grounds.
We get to the sand and Oriah starts writing with her toes/feet a message in the sand and I thought, "What a great idea!" So, I jumped right in. I pictured this ridiculously big "Happy 1-year Anniversary" things visible from space in my mind and ended up with a not-so-legible "Happy 1yr" instead. Oriah's looked much better. Oh, well.
We walked down the beach for a bit and, out of curiosity, I wanted to check out the Marriott hotel that was next door. It may be a nice place but I was glad we were staying where we were. Time for lunch so we headed into town to grab something to eat as well as try to find something for dinner that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. We finally stumbled upon a decent, local restaurant and then hit up the Safeway next door for some dinner items to take to the beach with us.
We got back to the hotel room and Oriah took a nap while I watched some bowl games that were on the TV - 'tis the season! When dinner time rolled around we headed back down to the restaurant by the beach where we ate the night before and ordered some virgin piña coladas to take to the beach and enjoy the sunset. It was a beautiful setting! After the sunset we headed back up to the room and ate our dinner on the balcony while a luau show was going on below us. It was a pretty relaxed day and I can't think of a better way to have spent our 1st anniversary!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Hawaii :: Day 3
Oriah had heard from a friend about a place called the Garden of Eden located somewhere along the Hana Highway. Having had so much fun driving that little stretch of road the night before we ventured back during the day light to see a little of what we missed and check out the botanical goodness. It was a pretty amazing place! A really diverse array of tropical vegetation. I think Oriah took one picture of everything in the garden! The most memorable sight was the gigantic mosquito bite I managed to get in the middle of my forehead. I thought I had caught most of the little buggers on both Oriah and myself and successfully swatted/smashed them away. I guess I missed the one that was just above (as opposed to under) my nose. At least Oriah got a good laugh out of it :)
Got back to the hotel to pack up and head to the "real" reason for the Maui trip: the Hyatt in Lahaina! Before we left town we stopped at another - lame - local place for lunch. We did score some sweet shave ice though. May be the best I've ever had. Better even than Motsumotos on Oahu.
Background: While on the ship (Navy days) we anchored out from Lahaina during a family trip. At the end of that visit to Maui my head Disbursing clerk and I were scheduled to fly out of Maui for San Diego to attend a week of training. When at the airport the flight we were scheduled on had maintenance issues and was rescheduled for the next night. The airline started handing out vouchers for hotels to the passengers on the flight. A mob of passengers rushed the desk and I just looked at my clerk and told her that I wasn't going to fight with the crowd. So we waited. By the time every one had mostly left we headed up there and we got the "save the best for last" treatment! We ended up with vouchers to the Hyatt in Lahaina - some 40 minutes away. I had no idea what we ended up with (other than a long car ride) until we got there and by that time it was about 11p. I got to my room and thought I had died and gone to heaven. I'd never been in anything this plush in my life ever before. Now, we only had about 6 hours before we had to meet back down in the lobby to catch the shuttle back to make the plane to California but I swear to you...those 6-hours in that hotel room/bed felt like I had been asleep for a week. I'd never slept so well in my life. I scrambled around the room writing down the names on the tags of the pillows, sheets, mattress, you name it. Anyway, how I got acquainted with the Hyatt in Maui and why I swore that one day I would return.
We drove up the west coast and into town. Tangent: Thanks to Jerusha for letting us borrow her GPS for the trip. The experience convinced Oriah and I that we should probably invest in one. Anyway, got to the resort. Started up the drive to the main hotel entrance and I had a "social class" panic. There were people giving keys to people in aloha shirts and nice cars all around. I remember staring at it all and saying to Oriah "I'm so out of my league" as we were driving up. One of the guys in the aloha shirts started walking toward our car and Oriah rolled up her window. Ha! She rolled it back down and I think I muttered something about self-parking and he pointed us back down the drive. Phew. Near social disaster averted, maybe. Nah, he knew we were frauds the moment he laid eyes on us :) Simply put, being at a place like this is a lifestyle that I'm unacquainted with. It's crazy to me to think that there were kids at this hotel the same time we were that probably come every year or places just like it in other places around the world and doing so is "normal" to them. They've never known any different. Yeah, crazy to me.
We checked in. We got to lei each other courtesy of the lady behind the desk. She also offered us a free bottle of wine as a "honeymoon" gift. We told her that we wouldn't be drinking it so she scored us a voucher good for dinner-for-two at the hotel down by the beach. We got up to the room. I have returned, finally! We have a decent view from the balcony. We took a quick nap before dinner and our evening entertainment at Warren and Annabelle's magic show.
We get to the restaurant downstairs and score a sweet table over looking the beach and Lanai in the background. Turns out our dinner-for-two would have cost - I'm ballparking - $150-$200 compared to a $40-$50 bottle of wine. So awesome! Our waiter is from Colorado. Kind of a small world moment as we're chatting about Denver and Colorado Springs as the sun is setting in Lahaina, Maui. It was a beautiful night with great food! We were really blessed with great weather and a great trip thus far!
After dinner we headed into town for the magic show. Warning: The magic show really was pretty entertaining but the magic show is the last 2 hours of the evening. They'll invite you out for a 4-hour event and the first 2 hours are pointless if you don't intend to buy their dinner or drinks. We were supposed to "start" at 7:30pm. We got there and instructed to return at 8:30pm when dinner was done. We putzed around for an hour and came back only to sit for another hour in the lounge listening to this lady with the worst Jersey lounge accent I've ever heard (fake or real) trying to entertain us with worst "Annabelle the piano playing ghost" routine of all time. Meanwhile, every one is getting sauced on what I'm sure were overpriced drinks. Finally the magic show started at 9:30pm. Pretty funny. I'm glad we went once. I doubt I'd go back a second time.
We headed back to the hotel. Walked by a family with BYU shirts and hats. That was fun. "Go Cougs!" may, or may not, have been exchanged. Tomorrow hits the big 1-year!
Got back to the hotel to pack up and head to the "real" reason for the Maui trip: the Hyatt in Lahaina! Before we left town we stopped at another - lame - local place for lunch. We did score some sweet shave ice though. May be the best I've ever had. Better even than Motsumotos on Oahu.
Background: While on the ship (Navy days) we anchored out from Lahaina during a family trip. At the end of that visit to Maui my head Disbursing clerk and I were scheduled to fly out of Maui for San Diego to attend a week of training. When at the airport the flight we were scheduled on had maintenance issues and was rescheduled for the next night. The airline started handing out vouchers for hotels to the passengers on the flight. A mob of passengers rushed the desk and I just looked at my clerk and told her that I wasn't going to fight with the crowd. So we waited. By the time every one had mostly left we headed up there and we got the "save the best for last" treatment! We ended up with vouchers to the Hyatt in Lahaina - some 40 minutes away. I had no idea what we ended up with (other than a long car ride) until we got there and by that time it was about 11p. I got to my room and thought I had died and gone to heaven. I'd never been in anything this plush in my life ever before. Now, we only had about 6 hours before we had to meet back down in the lobby to catch the shuttle back to make the plane to California but I swear to you...those 6-hours in that hotel room/bed felt like I had been asleep for a week. I'd never slept so well in my life. I scrambled around the room writing down the names on the tags of the pillows, sheets, mattress, you name it. Anyway, how I got acquainted with the Hyatt in Maui and why I swore that one day I would return.
We drove up the west coast and into town. Tangent: Thanks to Jerusha for letting us borrow her GPS for the trip. The experience convinced Oriah and I that we should probably invest in one. Anyway, got to the resort. Started up the drive to the main hotel entrance and I had a "social class" panic. There were people giving keys to people in aloha shirts and nice cars all around. I remember staring at it all and saying to Oriah "I'm so out of my league" as we were driving up. One of the guys in the aloha shirts started walking toward our car and Oriah rolled up her window. Ha! She rolled it back down and I think I muttered something about self-parking and he pointed us back down the drive. Phew. Near social disaster averted, maybe. Nah, he knew we were frauds the moment he laid eyes on us :) Simply put, being at a place like this is a lifestyle that I'm unacquainted with. It's crazy to me to think that there were kids at this hotel the same time we were that probably come every year or places just like it in other places around the world and doing so is "normal" to them. They've never known any different. Yeah, crazy to me.
We checked in. We got to lei each other courtesy of the lady behind the desk. She also offered us a free bottle of wine as a "honeymoon" gift. We told her that we wouldn't be drinking it so she scored us a voucher good for dinner-for-two at the hotel down by the beach. We got up to the room. I have returned, finally! We have a decent view from the balcony. We took a quick nap before dinner and our evening entertainment at Warren and Annabelle's magic show.
We get to the restaurant downstairs and score a sweet table over looking the beach and Lanai in the background. Turns out our dinner-for-two would have cost - I'm ballparking - $150-$200 compared to a $40-$50 bottle of wine. So awesome! Our waiter is from Colorado. Kind of a small world moment as we're chatting about Denver and Colorado Springs as the sun is setting in Lahaina, Maui. It was a beautiful night with great food! We were really blessed with great weather and a great trip thus far!
After dinner we headed into town for the magic show. Warning: The magic show really was pretty entertaining but the magic show is the last 2 hours of the evening. They'll invite you out for a 4-hour event and the first 2 hours are pointless if you don't intend to buy their dinner or drinks. We were supposed to "start" at 7:30pm. We got there and instructed to return at 8:30pm when dinner was done. We putzed around for an hour and came back only to sit for another hour in the lounge listening to this lady with the worst Jersey lounge accent I've ever heard (fake or real) trying to entertain us with worst "Annabelle the piano playing ghost" routine of all time. Meanwhile, every one is getting sauced on what I'm sure were overpriced drinks. Finally the magic show started at 9:30pm. Pretty funny. I'm glad we went once. I doubt I'd go back a second time.
We headed back to the hotel. Walked by a family with BYU shirts and hats. That was fun. "Go Cougs!" may, or may not, have been exchanged. Tomorrow hits the big 1-year!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Hawaii :: Day 2
Still need to finish Day 1...(con't): We're sitting at the airport and a storm blows over. It is the rainy season... We finally board the plane to Maui. We're sitting next to each other - about mid-way in the plane - when the stewardess announces that she needs two people to sit in the back of the plane for take off. I'm assuming it has to do with balancing weight loads and stuff...I bet Elder Uchtdorf would know... No one is moving and the social awkwardness begins to build. So I look at Oriah and bolt for the back. She kindly plays my reindeer games and people clapped for us as we headed towards the back of the plane.
A whopping 26-minute flight later we land in Maui. Jump in an Enterprise shuttle and get our car. Drive to the hotel and when we get to the room the bathroom light won't turn on and I realize that we have two-double beds and not the king bed I thought I remember reserving. I called down to the front desk and ask if they have my reservation to include a king-size bed and the lady responded with, "you can reserve it but it's based on availability. If it's not available...yada, yada, yada." I'm ticked. I ask her to see if there's a room with a king bed open. Fortunately, there is. Glad I asked. We move into the new - and smaller - room but it has a bathroom light that works and a big, big bed :)
It's about 8p by now and I'm hungry. I'm sure Oriah was also. We thought for a second about what to grab and settled for the restaurant that was attached to the hotel. Convenient solution. Not the best one. The food was adequate, inattentive waiting staff, over priced and I got ripped off with shreds of cabbage in a coleslaw-like sauce substituted for the mac salad that was advertised in the menu. I called the waitress out on not telling me that they were out of mac salad and I wanted a discount. I guess she didn't feel like playing my reindeer games. No discount. My word of mouth: Do not eat at the Coconut Grill if you're staying at the Maui Seaside Hotel in Kahului.
Day 2: With the jet lag we figured we'd get up at 3am (which would be 6a in Utah...normal-ish wake up time) to catch the sunrise atop Haleakalā volcano. It was cold. Not as cold as Utah but it was not warm up there. I thought I learned the lesson the last time I made this trip that the sunrise doesn't come as early as you think being on top of the world in that part of the ocean...yeah, about 5:45a is when you need to be up there to catch the fireworks. We left way too early...my bust. I remember just being in awe of the experience as the sun cast the shadow of the volcano across the sky and landscape below. The show wasn't quite as awesome the 2nd time around but I was glad to bring Oriah up there.
Got back to the hotel and took a nap. Decided to drive to Hana the back way to hike the Pipiwai trail to see the 400-foot waterfall at the end. The bamboo forest was a first for me when I hiked this trail my last visit to Maui. After getting back to the parking lot we headed to the beach and snapped some shots of the black sand. Nice contrast to my white whiteness. With those fun things under our belt it was time to head home so we decided to take the real road to Hana. It was getting close to night time. We saw some of the drive with what day light remained but most of the slow, winding drive was done in the pitch black and it was lame. Took over 2 hours to get back to town. I forgot how miserable "the Road to Hana" really is. Even worse when there's no scenery. Made it back to town. Stopped at Panda Express for dinner and made a stop at Wal-Mart. Tomorrow = LAHAINA and the HYATT!!!
A whopping 26-minute flight later we land in Maui. Jump in an Enterprise shuttle and get our car. Drive to the hotel and when we get to the room the bathroom light won't turn on and I realize that we have two-double beds and not the king bed I thought I remember reserving. I called down to the front desk and ask if they have my reservation to include a king-size bed and the lady responded with, "you can reserve it but it's based on availability. If it's not available...yada, yada, yada." I'm ticked. I ask her to see if there's a room with a king bed open. Fortunately, there is. Glad I asked. We move into the new - and smaller - room but it has a bathroom light that works and a big, big bed :)
It's about 8p by now and I'm hungry. I'm sure Oriah was also. We thought for a second about what to grab and settled for the restaurant that was attached to the hotel. Convenient solution. Not the best one. The food was adequate, inattentive waiting staff, over priced and I got ripped off with shreds of cabbage in a coleslaw-like sauce substituted for the mac salad that was advertised in the menu. I called the waitress out on not telling me that they were out of mac salad and I wanted a discount. I guess she didn't feel like playing my reindeer games. No discount. My word of mouth: Do not eat at the Coconut Grill if you're staying at the Maui Seaside Hotel in Kahului.
Day 2: With the jet lag we figured we'd get up at 3am (which would be 6a in Utah...normal-ish wake up time) to catch the sunrise atop Haleakalā volcano. It was cold. Not as cold as Utah but it was not warm up there. I thought I learned the lesson the last time I made this trip that the sunrise doesn't come as early as you think being on top of the world in that part of the ocean...yeah, about 5:45a is when you need to be up there to catch the fireworks. We left way too early...my bust. I remember just being in awe of the experience as the sun cast the shadow of the volcano across the sky and landscape below. The show wasn't quite as awesome the 2nd time around but I was glad to bring Oriah up there.
Got back to the hotel and took a nap. Decided to drive to Hana the back way to hike the Pipiwai trail to see the 400-foot waterfall at the end. The bamboo forest was a first for me when I hiked this trail my last visit to Maui. After getting back to the parking lot we headed to the beach and snapped some shots of the black sand. Nice contrast to my white whiteness. With those fun things under our belt it was time to head home so we decided to take the real road to Hana. It was getting close to night time. We saw some of the drive with what day light remained but most of the slow, winding drive was done in the pitch black and it was lame. Took over 2 hours to get back to town. I forgot how miserable "the Road to Hana" really is. Even worse when there's no scenery. Made it back to town. Stopped at Panda Express for dinner and made a stop at Wal-Mart. Tomorrow = LAHAINA and the HYATT!!!
Friday, January 14, 2011
How To Save +$500
Step 1: Have a GE Profile washing machine on the fritz;Step 2: Have a sister-in-law with another - albeit slight different model - GE Profile washing machine chillin' in her garage 50 miles away;
Step 3: Have neighbors of your wife's parents who offer their Suburban to use any time for any reason;
Step 4: Have a service-oriented father-in-law to volunteer to:
a. Pick up said washing machine in;
b. Said Suburban and;
c. Drive 100 miles round trip to deliver replacement washing machine free of charge.
Step 5: (Optional) Have said father-in-law take said fritzy washing machine to the Southern Utah Valley Solid Waste District for disposal.
There you go! No more than 5, easy steps to not spend money on a new washing machine! I absolutely love living on the cheap! Mega "BOOYAH" shout outs to the Stanimal, Celeste and the Coopers!
In other news: Learned far too much about mold this morning. Thank you Russell. I got a call from California last week from an owner of one of the units in the complex stating that the tenant has mold in the master bedroom. Said owner had a relative come out and "take a look at things." I guess the relative was expert enough to know that if the owner played their cards right that they may be able to get the HOA to pay for the clean up/repairs.
So the owner pushed the "HOA is responsible, right?" card and I played the "Let me get back to you" card. Enter Russell who cleans mold for a living. He was so kind. He told the concerned tenant that they needed to open their air vents and move their furniture away from the corners of the room and from out of the closest. Classic case of internal wall/condensation/air circulation/mold buildup scenario. Gonna cost a "washing machine + dryer"'s worth to clean things up. Ouch.
Dear owner: Not the HOA. But, you can tell your tenant to open her air vent by the bed. That may, or may not, help the situation. Don't worry though. Right after this little episode ended I went home and checked our place top-to-bottom for mold. I think we're ok. I may have moved a few things away - not too much - from the walls and corners just in case.
In other, other news: Condoleezza Rice came to town to speak at BYU yesterday. I saw old girl just a few years ago. March 16, 2006, to be exact, when she came to visit good, 'ol USS PORT ROYAL (CG 73) in Sydney, Australia. The week leading up to her visit was, without a doubt, the biggest sweatex (short for: sweat exercise) I've ever endured. Talking about cleaning ship passageways and walls on my hands and knees with a toothbrush. True story. Good to see she's still kickin' it with whatever she does these days...giving speeches here and there, I guess.
And, fine. I'll finish the posts about our Hawaii trip this holiday weekend. About time, right? Sorry. I get distracted easily.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
U Got Jimmered
Oh, I love when BYU beats Utah. In anything. Even better when Jimmer hung 47 points on those nasty Utes. Can't wait for when they come to Provo for a second helping of whoopin'! :)
Video Courtesy of KSL.com
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Body Movin'
We interrupt this regularly scheduled post to bring you a tale of gastroenteritis. It's been a rough day.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Hawaii :: Day 1
I'll leave the pictures from our trip to Oriah. She's got a bit of talent behind the lens! Pretty soon we'll start a website where you can buy pictures! :) She's more than free to chime in with her thoughts and memories from the trip to Paradise but here's looking from behind my two eyes for now.
Ah...leaving the snowy, granite mountains for weathered, lush, volcanic mountains. We watched the movie Inception on the flight from Salt Lake to Honolulu. Conceptually brilliant movie. Can't remember being that impressed by a movie in a long time.
Other than the "tour guide" trip two years ago the last time I was in Hawaii was during the height of the housing bubble when fellow Officers in the Wardroom were dropping +$500K for a house in the local neighborhoods. I thought my chance to live the "American Dream" had passed. The price of housing had shot past my reach and I thought I'd never be able to afford a home ever. Funny now looking back how long that insanity didn't last.
Walking out of the gate into the open-air construction of the airport the essence of the islands hit the senses. The breeze rustling palm tree leaves, the smell of the flowers blooming everywhere, the giant monkey pod trees that resemble locust trees, or in Oriah words African trees. I'm back in a place where I spent a good chunk of time and formed a lot of experiences/memories.
We walk to the furthest corner of Honolulu International Airport to get to the island hop. There's no daylight savings here so it's still light outside at 6p. I can see the outside lights turning on and there's the ugly, yellow hue to Hawaii night light. I've never figured out if the lights are made that way for island life or if the humidity in the air turns the plastic which covers the light an unmistakable yellow-orange. We're sitting on the pleather airport seats waiting for the plane for Maui to arrive and a wave of relaxation hits. I have no responsibility here. No Navy, no work, no HOA. Just Oriah, me and the island. I'm so relaxed that I'm told we'll have to check our carry on luggage at $10 a piece. No big deal. I'm on vacation. No matter where you go the A/C is on. Even in December.
I watched Kung Fu Panda a few times before leaving for the trip and there's a part of the movie where the concept of being in the moment is discussed. I've become very aware at how much my thoughts dwell on the past (history) or in the future (a mystery) instead of the present (a gift.) One of my resolutions for the upcoming year will to focus more on the present instead of worrying about what has passed and what has yet to pass but to be conscious of the now. The future is no place to place your better days (thank you Dave Matthews.)
Ah...leaving the snowy, granite mountains for weathered, lush, volcanic mountains. We watched the movie Inception on the flight from Salt Lake to Honolulu. Conceptually brilliant movie. Can't remember being that impressed by a movie in a long time.
Other than the "tour guide" trip two years ago the last time I was in Hawaii was during the height of the housing bubble when fellow Officers in the Wardroom were dropping +$500K for a house in the local neighborhoods. I thought my chance to live the "American Dream" had passed. The price of housing had shot past my reach and I thought I'd never be able to afford a home ever. Funny now looking back how long that insanity didn't last.
Walking out of the gate into the open-air construction of the airport the essence of the islands hit the senses. The breeze rustling palm tree leaves, the smell of the flowers blooming everywhere, the giant monkey pod trees that resemble locust trees, or in Oriah words African trees. I'm back in a place where I spent a good chunk of time and formed a lot of experiences/memories.
We walk to the furthest corner of Honolulu International Airport to get to the island hop. There's no daylight savings here so it's still light outside at 6p. I can see the outside lights turning on and there's the ugly, yellow hue to Hawaii night light. I've never figured out if the lights are made that way for island life or if the humidity in the air turns the plastic which covers the light an unmistakable yellow-orange. We're sitting on the pleather airport seats waiting for the plane for Maui to arrive and a wave of relaxation hits. I have no responsibility here. No Navy, no work, no HOA. Just Oriah, me and the island. I'm so relaxed that I'm told we'll have to check our carry on luggage at $10 a piece. No big deal. I'm on vacation. No matter where you go the A/C is on. Even in December.
I watched Kung Fu Panda a few times before leaving for the trip and there's a part of the movie where the concept of being in the moment is discussed. I've become very aware at how much my thoughts dwell on the past (history) or in the future (a mystery) instead of the present (a gift.) One of my resolutions for the upcoming year will to focus more on the present instead of worrying about what has passed and what has yet to pass but to be conscious of the now. The future is no place to place your better days (thank you Dave Matthews.)
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Welcome Home...
...to 221 emails in my inbox. That's a record. Going nearly two weeks without being on a computer in one form or another...another record.The trip was great! Glad to be home. Not glad to be in snow and 10° weather after being in sun and a fairly consistent 80° for the past 9 days. I do feel behind on a lot of things.
Anyway, much, much more to come very soon.
Mahalo :)