Hello again,

A lot has been going on here. We have some good news ... our house will be here tomorrow (Tue 16 Sep that is). We are totally excited. We can't wait to open all the boxes and see what's broken. Seriously, I hope all is well, that way we can hopefully get life back to normal.                  

Our unit (this is my clinic bunch) had our O'day end of Aug, we had lots of good eats and some good fun. Many played some volleyball, some went surfin' and others just sat around and enjoyed the day.

We really know how to eat!!

I spent a few days in Seattle last weekend at our Annual AAP (that's American Academy of Periodontology) conference. It was good to see all the Army guys, and we did get to see a little of the city (not much, mind you). A couple of us went to Pike's market, it was awesome.  I have never seen so many huge fresh flowers. I got back, only to study for the week and take my Board Certification exam. We'll see how I did.

We did take the morning off and got to go to the beach. We found this little stretch on the north shore that wasn't very crowded where the sand was like powder under your feet. The water was so clear that we couldn't pass it up and so H and I went snorkling. Good stuff. On the way back we stopped at 'Turtle Beach' (that's not the real name, but it fits). It is probably the best place to see the huge sea turtles.

After the show, we had some good lunch at this place called 'Killer Tacos' and another place, this local icon shrimp truck called Giovanni's (somebody wanted to have shrimp with her tacos), when you come we'll take you. For desert we had another Hawai'i favorite, Matsumotos Shave Ice. This is good stuff. It is basically a snow cone, though the ice is truly shaved not crushed, then before they load up the cup, they put soft serve on the bottom. Excellent.

We we now know why there is a Rainbow on the Hawai'i license plate, there is one nearly every day. Somedays they are really bright with deep colors, others you get to see a double. Regardless, they really help you appreciate the day. 

Enjoy!!

summer fun, eat your heart out

Hey all

     So yesterday, as all of the summer fun on the mainland begins to wind down, B and the band went to Hawaiian Waters. It is a pretty good sized water park just outside Honolulu. I ended up being the taxi, so H and I went along. We all had to work hard to make the plans without letting the secret loose on G. She and L stayed  home. We told her I was taking the girls and H was riding along and that appeased her questioning ... for a while.

     L said that we had been there for a couple of hours when G looked at her and said 'So when is daddy and H coming home?' L says 'this evening with B and the other girls.' So G says 'You mean he and H are STAYING at Hawaiian Waters. You know that I wanted to go there Mamma.' No gettin' over on that one any more.

     At the park, H and I deserted the other band geeks and headed out on our own. There are a multitude of different rides. We did nearly everything except this 'Half-pipe' that H wouldn't get on. It was about a 40 ft slide down and then back up the other side, usually about 25-30 ft. It did look a bit intimidating as you were walking up, so H bailed and it was a 2 person ride so I had to bail too. We did go on a nearly vertical drop, rode a tobaggon slide (I made it all the way to the very end of the chute), rode a multitude of 2-person inner tube rides, and then went on this ride called the Tornado ... it is this huge funnel-shaped thing that you are jetted into from a steep drop coming in from the side on a 4-person tube. The water is a jet-stream that shoots the tube up the opposite side of the funnel about 1/2 way+, then lets you fall back to the other middle and up the other side. H's face was unbelievable, I would not have believed that her mouth could open that big. It was way cool.

     So here in Hawaii, you tend to wear a different type of shoe. They call 'em slippa's (or slippers) and they have a direct effect on the color of your feet. Take a look ... 

and eat your heart out!! 

(I know it's not THAT impressive, but you get the idea, and especially on my feet, that haven't seen this much daylight since the summers of '69-'75!!) Have a good one.