Broadcasting Live from Moloka'i

Must be brief...on vacation...quick preview of Moloka'i. Boating along highest sea cliffs in the world...4WD to Kamakou preserve and hiking in bog...Snorkeling and pool...4WD to deserted, awesome beach, snorkeling...Hike down to leper colony tomorrow. No traffic...barely any people, especially white...very dry...the Boogie won't sleep so neither will we. Much more later.

Father's Day Extravaganza

Extravaganza may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I learned in English class that the title must catch the reader's eye.

Anyway, Father's Day ended up being a perfect day. I got up early and ate breakfast with Em and Maddie - a pleasant surprise (for me, not Em) since Maddie usually goes back to sleep until about 8:30. From there I headed to Kokee State Park to do the Nualolo, Cliffs, Awaawapuhi Grand Loop hike, an endeavor of about 11 miles or so with some pretty hefty elevation gain. details of this hike can be found in a previous post. http://drgebs.blogspot.com/2007/08/anesthesia-boards-are-easy.html
(After looking back on this post, apparently every time I hike this trail I have perfect day - cool!)

On arrival at home, I was pretty spent, more so than the last time. I think this was because it was hotter and I went further along some of the ridges to explore. Also, I got scratched up by a bunch of bushes that had the effect of poison ivy except over minutes rather than days. I'm still not sure what I got into, but I'm still itching days later.

I spent the afternoon playing with Maddie on the bed so I could rest my weary legs. She then gave me my Father's Day presents consisting of a Stone Brewing hat, shirt and Ruination IPA marinade. Vienna Coffee was still en route from TN. I'm a very difficult person to shop for, but I guess Maddie knows me pretty well.

For dinner, Em cooked up some stellar mexican shredded pork for burritos. I stuffed myself full, but still had plenty of room for some Stone IPA (that's beer to you fizzy, yellow beer drinkers out there) that I brought from San Francisco.

It was bedtime for Maddie so I built a fire in the newly finished fireplace then Em and I enjoyed some drinks on the lanai in front of the fire. I went to bed a few hours later with a mild buzz from the Stone and a wicked buzz from satisfaction with life.

Here are some random Maddie pictures - she's the reason for such an awesome day!

Helping with laundry
Maddie's plea to Jeb to bring good beer from Colorado
MMMMMMMMM! Carrots are good!
Cool hair
Looks like her mom
Flyin' Boogie
She might have had a little help getting into those rings

Fireplace Progress and Return to Normalcy

The firebox arrived in port while I was in Yosemite (as predicted) so I went to pick it up on Tuesday. I got it home and then a friend and I struggled with the awkward bulky, 160 lb. piece in order to get it up the steps in the house and out onto the lanai. Once that was completed, the hardedst part was finished. I secured it within the surround (it actually fit!) and finished up the final structural components of the surround.

On Saturday, a carpenter, who is a friend of a friend, came over to help me put the chimney through the roof and seal it properly. Give me a drill, screws and some 2x4s and I'm fine, but with flashing, shingles and chimney pipe I'm out of my league. We got that completed with only a few minor complications and in the matter of only 6-7 hours. Maddie was helping too since Em was at work. As of now the fireplace is functional and needs only decorative work done, although I'm pretty fond of the plywood look.

The following day, Maddie and I attempted a hike together, but somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed and it wasn't me. Needless to say, we didn't do to well on the hike, there was a lot of screaming (by her) and a lot of sweating (by me) as I hustled back up the trail to the car. We still managed about 5 miles of hiking and a hell of a workout.

She was better in the car, but started acting up again as we waited in line at the grocery store while the lady in front of me was making a fuss about the free food she was getting for her dirty kids who were misbehaving in the cart. I guess if I was less constrained by a social framework and political correctness, I would have been making more noise too - especially when I saw the large tattoo on her foot. I wonder if I paid for that as well as her food. More screaming on the way home. By the time we got home, I was fuming, but by dinner time, Maddie and I were friends again, even though she threw up her rice cereal and sweet potatoes. Tough day for the little one.
Enjoying some carrots the next day

Other than those couple of highlights, last week was pretty much average; back to the routine after a week of vacation, but I'm certainly not complaining.