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Ireland post (finally)
Zion and Bryce Canyon
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Monday, January 26, 2009

A Few Days on Oahu

After all the craziness of the holidays along with Em and Maddie getting sick, we were ready for a little fun and relaxation on a different island. We booked some flights and a car last minute and flew to Oahu on Sunday afternoon. Now let's get this straight - I've never been a big fan of Oahu with Honolulu and Waikiki bearing the brunt of my dislike due to their huge population and traffic problems. Honolulu is the 46th most populous city in the nation and that alone is enough to make me avoid it. In any case, we haven't spent much more than a layover on Oahu and my friend has a nice place in the hills above Waikiki that he was willing to share (read: free!).

On our arrival, we were greeted by the predictable Honolulu traffic, but soon found respite at my friend's house above Waikiki. We could see the city from his multiple lanais, yet we were far from the madness of the city. The house was gorgeous and he graciously offered us the master suite for our stay since he would be off-island for the duration. We made ourselves comfortable and enjoyed an afternoon on the lanai overlooking Diamond Head while Maddie napped. I made a quick run to The Liquour Collection, known to have the best beer selection in the islands. Sadly, it was less than spectacular and overpriced to the tune of 16 bucks for a sixer of California microbrew.

Diamond Head and Waikiki

Later we went to the atrocity that is Ala Moana - the largest outdoor mall in the entire world. Such a monument to consumerism I had not seen. Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabana; if Paris Hilton wears it, they've got it. I was embarrassed to even be seen there. Luckily it was Sunday evening and the stores were closing so we grabbed a quick, decent burger and got the hell out of there.


Monday, we got a fairly early start and headed out around the southeast side of the island for the coastal drive to the Maunawili Demonstration trail. Maunawili follows along the sheer pali (cliffs) of the eastern side of the island and offers distant ocean views. We hiked about 7 miles and despite the low-lying clouds, did not get soaked by rain. Upon our departure from the trailhead we became entrenched in outbound Honolulu rush hour traffic resulting in a late dinner. Luckily, the pad thai at Singha Thai was worth waiting for and Maddie was well-behaved while watching the thai dancer.

Rabbit Island








The following day we spent checking out the north shore sights in hopes of seeing some massive waves. The surf was disappointing, but the sights and laid back vibe were a nice contrast to Honolulu and Waikiki. On our return, we scored some pretty good Mexican food a short distance from the house. Maddie had plenty of energy so we enjoyed the rest of the evening in the sunken hot tub on the lanai under a nearly full moon.


Banzai Pipeline (low surf, not the real deal)








Our scheduled departure was not until 6 PM so we ventured out to the nearby Hawaii Loa ridge trail to the summit of the Ko'olau mountain range. Rain and clouds greeted us at the trailhead and kept us intermittent company on the trail. Seeing the clouds covering the summit of the mountain, we hadn't had high hopes for seeing anything from the top, so when the trail became really slick and treacherous, especially with Maddie on my back, we retreated. Not being the type of people to give up on anything, we were disappointed, but knew we made the right decision for everyone's safety. Reaching the summit wouldn't have offered anything besides being ensconced in clouds, a longer return hike and probable late arrival at the airport. Our early return from the hike made for a low stress departure except for being stuck in crawling traffic for an hour.
For a quick, cheap trip it was certainly a success, but 3 days was definitely enough. None of us were ready to give up our laid back Kauai lifestyle for the big city just yet. We did enjoy the food and the myriad hiking opportunities, but happily returned home refreshed to endure the drudgery of life on Kauai (hahahahahaha).

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

This Just In...Maddie Takes Her First Steps on Video

First a picture of Maddie standing on her own.

It's like the quality of a Loch Ness Monster or Sasquatch video - it may be fake.


Sunday, January 11, 2009

The Year in Review

The first weeks of the year were dominated by learning how to be a parent, though we still haven't mastered it a year later.  From what I hear, we shouldn't hold our breath waiting.  Thankfully, we had the help of some very skilled parents, Big Den and Cindy, to help us along in those very difficult early weeks. Em turned the big 29 without much fanfare.  Big Den and I went deep sea fishing and brought back some ahi to keep the freezer stocked for the majority of the year.  Maddie went on her first vacation to the north shore of Kauai only a few weeks after her birth.  Gotta get 'em started young!
Not more than a few days after Em's parents left, my parents and grandma arrived to help us out further.  By this time of year (February), rain had become a major consideration in any outdoor activity.  Maddie ventured up to the north shore again for her second overnight road trip.  Erv and I hiked some killer trails including Secret Waterfall and Po'omau Canyon Ditch as a precursor to our legendary Memorial Day trip to Yosemite.

Once Tina, Erv and Grandma T left, we had a few days to ourselves and then Maddie, Em and I flew to Cincinnati so all of our friends and family could hang out with Maddie.  The bulk of the days in Cincy were spent with Em taking Maddie to see everyone we had ever known and me sitting alone studying for my American Board of Anesthesiologists oral exam. 
 Once we were back on Kauai, I would beat Em and Maddie frequently as an outlet for my frustration with studying or, if that didn't work, sneak in a hike between rainy days.  I'm sure Em would agree that I was a real bitch for a couple months while studying.  The majority of March and half of April were consumed with studying.  Mike made a visit and we took Maddie camping for the first time at Mahaulepu.

In early April, Em and Maddie went to Cincinnati again while I traveled to Tennessee for some grilling at the hands of my anesthesia attendings from residency.  This was my reward for spending 24 hours in airports and airplanes.  It was cool to see some of the TN crew again, but after a few quick days of cramming and mock oral exams, I was on an early morning flight to the lovely burg of Miami, FL.  That's right: 5,000 miles of travel to visit a beach one tenth as nice as the many within biking distance of my house.  I spent the day before the exam sweating, trying not to think anesthesia and using some malt beverages to anesthetize my brain so I wouldn't spazz out before the exam.  The exam was straightforward and anticlimactic - no doubt due to the massive amount of time and effort expended in preparation.  I nailed it, but kept my feelings to myself until I knew definitively.  Recuperation from the effort was achieved during a 2 night backpacking trip with the fellas at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area where we enjoyed a serene riverside setting.  We also enjoyed days hiking, nights by the fire, liquor, backpacker meals and chicken florentine.  My stay in Cincy was abbreviated, but good and it was nice for Em and Maddie to see friends and family for 10 days and vice versa.
I was excited to return to my "normal" post-residency life of spending lots of time with Maddie and Em, frequent outdoor adventures, lots of time off and the occasional low-stress work day.  Maddie had changed a lot during my time studying - in the blink of an eye, she was already hitting the bottle. 

Em and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary, a testatment to Em's tolerance for my bullshit and Em celebrated her first mother's day by working at Kalaheo Cafe (I'm a slavedriver).  Maddie was hiking with me regularly and growing bigger by the day.  Em worked an occasional day at Kalaheo Cafe and hiking with Maddie on these days became tradition.  It seemed like no time at all before I received my notice of passing the oral board exam and board certification - the pinnacle of my medical career thus far...or something like that.  Most importantly, it meant no tests for 10 years!  Something I have NEVER experienced.  By the time I received the news I was already in full excitement mode for the trip to Yosemite with Erv and Paul.  Before departing for California, I started building my fireplace on the lanai and had the pleasure of hiking to Blue Hole, essentially the birthplace of Kauai and a highlight of the year in hiking.

The Yosemite trip did not disappoint, in fact it was stellar.  A dream trip by all accounts and now a priceless memory enjoyed by the three of us.  Fellowship, long mileage days, awesome views, good conversation and beer by the fire in the evening - I define my life with pinnacles like these, not certificates on the wall.  Before the trip was over, we had already begun thinking of the next trip and where it would be.

On return from Yosemite, I continued work on the fireplace which was starting to take shape.   I celebrated my first father's day with a long hike, good beer and sitting by the newly completed, functional fireplace (not a single thing has burned down...yet...knock on wood).

At 6 months, Maddie experienced and enjoyed her first dip in the ocean.  The three of us departed on our first real vacation as a family to Molokai which turned out to be a fun, but frustrating trip.  We saw amazing things including the highest sea cliffs in the world, the highest waterfall in HI, a still functional leper colony and an island with beaches entirely devoid of people.  On the other hand, Maddie barely slept, screamed her head off while 4-wheeling and was generally crabby due to teething. 

Upon our return to Kauai, she had a short time to recover before Laura, Paul and Dominic arrived.  Maddie and Dominic were quite the team when it came to making noise.  All of us enjoyed the week, but realized vacations with kids can be less than relaxing.  The highlight of their visit, I think Paul might agree, was the hike to Jurassic Park Waterfall, an amazing, private, 300 foot waterfall.

Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to some great friends, Nate and Nicole, in mid-July.  The island won't be the same without them, but at least we said goodbye in style with a reggae concert and lots of partying.  Shortly thereafter, I managed to get the FJ stuck in a very remote location and had to rely on some quick thinking and good aerobic conditioning to get Maddie and me out of trouble.  Maddie was a great hiking companion on a regular basis and she got her first haircut.  Grandma D came to visit us for the shortest Hawaii vacation on record at 4 days.

Lisa spent the majority of August with us, helping us with childcare and working on her tan.  Maddie surprised us one evening during dinner preparation when she pulled herself to stand for the first time.
In September, Maddie, Em and I left the sunny beaches and mountains of Kauai for the excessively rainy, but amazingly beautiful state of Alaska.  6 days in and around Juneau, 3 days in Haines, 3 days in Talkeetna and a day in Anchorage made for a pretty adventurous undertaking with a 9 month old.  Maddie, being the flexible and fun kid that she is, took the cold, wind and rain in stride and enjoyed our hikes in her pink furry bear outfit.  We saw tons of rain, glaciers, grizzlies, bald eagles, rain, waterfalls, lakes, brewpubs, rain, mountains and rain...but no Denali.  Our accommodations ranged from beautiful to very unusual, but suited us well and allowed us to do everything we wanted...except see sunshine.
October was dominated by a 2 week trip home to Cincinnati which encompassed my 2 day backpacking trip to Shawnee State Park with the guys, a day trip to Knoxville and lots of time spent with family and friends while back in Cincy.  Our planning for trips to Cincinnati was less than ideal with some trips being over 6 months apart and others within 2 months of each other.  Maddie had fun on her first Halloween handing out candy to the other kids in costume, while Em and I had fun partying with just adults for a change. 
Maddie has now been hiking with me almost every Saturday for several months and aside from the occasional whine, we've got it down to a science.  Maddie wakes up, we eat breakfast and get prepped for hiking, Maddie naps on the way to the trailhead, we hike 3-4 miles to the destination, spread the blanket and eat, Maddie crawls around and uses up some pent up energy, 3-4 miles back to the trailhead, drive home and Maddie either naps in the car or on arrival at home.  Everybody's happy!
For Thanksgiving, we gathered at Joe and Chelsae's to feast on everything from imu baked turkey to garlic mashed potatoes to decadent green bean casserole and pumpkin praline torte.  Our group was 12 strong, evidence of our accumulation of friends over the past year and a half on Kauai.

In early December, Maddie and I ventured onto the Alakai Swamp Trail for the first time together and managed to arrive at the Kilohana overlook of the north shore under clear skies, thus being blessed with stunning views.  Our close friends got together for 1 night at nearby Kahili cabins to relax and relish the fact that none of us had to work the following day - a first, since we have such differing schedules.We made our 4th and final trip of the year to Cincinnati in order to celebrate an early Christmas and Maddie's 1st birthday.  Most presents were sent to Hawaii, but we still got to open some while in Cincinnati.  Our time was filled with family gatherings, but we still managed a night out without the kids. 
On Kauai again, I celebrated Maddie's 1st birthday/Christmas Eve, Christmas day and New Year's Eve while on call for the hospital - a small payback for my partners' support during Maddie's birth last year.
Maddie - Christmas '07
Maddie -  Christmas '08
 Interestingly, I performed anesthesia for the last delivery in the entire world for 2008.
2008 was an amazing year, full of fun and excitement and I'm surprised how many cool things we experienced...and thankful for a happy, healthy and fun family.
2008 by the numbers:
54,200 - Approximate miles flown by Maddie
2.18 -  Number of times around the world equivalent to 54,200 miles
28 - Years it took me to fly 54,200 miles (dedicated to Erv "Do you know how old I was before I...)
7 - Vacations (off island)  taken by me
3 - Number of top 5 all-time hikes this year
11.5 - Age in months, it took Maddie to say "Christmas Tree"
7 - Times microbrewed beers were brought by plane to me (by me or others)
8 - Longest distance, in miles, hiked with Maddie on my back
16.2 - Longest distance, in miles, hiked alone
3 - Maddie's age in months on her first trip to Cincinnati
66 - Days that Maddie has spent vacationing off island
18 - Percent of total lifetime Maddie has spent vacationing off island
15 - Number of pounds Maddie has gained since birth
0 - Number of ear infections Maddie had before age 1
42 - Miles hiked in a week in Yosemite with Erv and Paul
9 - Years before I take another test