It's time to go

It's hard to believe that it's time to go. Time has flown by and even though it seems like the end of summer, it's really much later in the year. I'll be getting out the Christmas tree when I get home! So this is good-bye to all our dear, dear friends and family here, and hello to our friends and family at home whom we are looking forward to seeing.

Halloween in Waikiki!!

Mike, long time business associate of Rays, and Mike's wife, JoAnn arrived the day before Halloween. This was their first taste of Waikiki. It was a crazy night. It was very loud all night with fireworks, etc. One loud boom sounded like the North Korean missle had arrived and we shot straight out of bed! It turned out to be some explosion at a substation near our place.

Can you see how extreme the crowds were in the streets! (Look in the distance) I told a policeman his costume looked authenic and he did laugh.....right before he snapped the cuffs on.

And Ray said he was just trying to get me in the picture!

Ray says this is all he is packing for next year.

Hey Friends! Have been trying to get some pics on the blog showing Mike and JoAnn's visit. They got in the day before Halloween! We went down to Waikiki for the Halloween festivities! OH MY GOSH! You've never experienced a Halloween like this! Guess who I found? Elvis! (PS, that is not my hair but someone standing behind me. ha) PSS all these pics are mixed up, so bear with me!

Scene from the new show at the Polynesian Cultural Center. It was AWESOME!

We hiked Moana Falls! Love the arch in the trees!

Huge trees in the rain forest!

The reward at the top of this 1.5 mile hike!

Mike, JoAnn and Ray at the entrance. Notice, no slippery boulders yet!

No, I'm not as agile as I thought. I slipped on a boulder and twisted my knee. Ouch!

Here's a shot of some huge waves on the North Shore. They will get much bigger later in the year for the pipeline but this is big enough for Ray and Mike!

The catamaran was so much fun! On board with us were 3 cute Japanese girls.

We had a great time with Mike and JoAnn! Ray and Mike worked together for 30 years. JoAnn and I decided they might be a bad influence on each other! (Especially Ray on Mike!)

Rush and Sheenu's Visit

If we look happy, it's because we are! Rush and Sheenu visited us for a week. We hiked and toured the island and tried to show them as much of this beautiful place as possible in the limited time we had with them. I think they know why we love it so much here.

We had dinner at Kobe Steak restaurant near the Hawaiian Hilton Village which is very close to our condo. We had a good laugh that evening asking a photographer to take a picture with my camera. (He sold us one he took with his camera!)

Rush had almost had enough pictures at this point! I'm glad we got this shot though.

Another shot of us waiting for our table.

Waiting for a table at the Italian restaurant at the Marriott, which was our home away from home last summer.

Sheenu's on top of the world! She's a beautiful jewel in a beautiful place.

Hanging out at the Moana Surfrider Hotel under the banyon tree shortly after Rush and Sheenu arrive.

One of my favorite views on the island with two of my favorite people on earth in it!

We went to the North Shore to experience some of the big waves of Haliewa town and ate at one of the famous Shrimp Trucks!

Randy, a good friend and work associate of Ray's, visited last week. His wife's name is Connie too! (and she's a teacher) We hiked to the top of Diamond Head from inside the crater. The view is just awesome from the top!

Connie Thomas tried to clear these people out of our picture, but they didn't listen to the teacher!

Randy and Ray getting ready to snorkel! Randy's famous white shirt, I put this in for you Connie. (You accidently left it with us!)

These meals make our hikes harder!

Another picture of Randy at the top of Diamond Head. He and Connie were so physically fit, they ran up like mountain goats.

I thought I was going to die on the last 99 steps going straight up! It's been 2 years since we hiked it.

Island visitors

Ray's cousin Ronald and his wife Gillette visited for 10 days and really enjoyed our island tour. We suggested a couple new ideas just to mix it up a bit but they didn't want to do the shark cage! We visited Pearl Harbor and had lots of fun visiting as family.

Willie Walk

This is a beautiful picture of a horse that belongs to friends of ours, Harry and Trudy York. I worked with Trudy at NES for many years. Isn't he MAGNIFICENT! His name is "Willie Walk" and this shot has received rave reviews as you can imagine!!! Harry is riding at the horse show although he is barely visable. Trudy, I would give anything for an oil painting of this shot of Willie Walk!

Help Will someone please send my Spanx

Not everyone here has the spirit of Aloha! I just came home from Walmart where I had to exchange a pair of shorts. This time they truly did shrink in the wash! After one washing, they would fit a Barbie doll. Unfortunately, I'm a bit bigger than that. (Plus, I deserved it for buying shorts at Walmart. Buying shorts is like buying jeans or a bathing suit---VERY HARD.) I lined up where I thought I was suppose to. Was it the right place-no. Left was for something else, I think sending mailgrams to Mexico or something, and right was for returns....I was in the left line. I thought it worked like the airport and the lines just fed into the first available person. I noticed after a couple people who arrived after me were waited on, that something was wrong. I stepped forward and admitted I didn't have a receipt. I knew I was in for a verbal thrashing, but didn't expect to get one about the wrong line first. Hostility was hanging in the air. Wrong line, no receipt. Let the interrogation begin. "When did you purchase these?" "You don't have a receipt?" "Did you bring up the pair you wanted?--It has to be an exact exchange since you don't have a receipt. I go get the shorts, return, and wait in line again...."These are not the identical pair in the same size so I can have the code....I have to have the code." After seeing that the person standing in front of her was about to have a melt down that would get one sent back to the mainland, she relented just a tiny bit and said, "you won't have to wait in line again..." I know it's wrong to hate, but I have to say this morning I wanted to get physical revenge. I wanted to manhandle her to the ground and...well, enough about that. I now have the shorts that are two sizes bigger. Why don't I feel good?

Thunderbirds at Hickam Air Force Base

Hello Everyone! The Thunderbirds did an air show at the Hickam Base. The following is a link to a video prepared by Reid, Bruce's son. You may also get a quick glimpse of Landon's new buzz cut!! The show looks incredible. We didn't get to go as planned, but felt we really missed something. The best part is near the end of the tape.

PS... Our time here seems to be speeding by as quickly as these planes! Every day is a beautiful blessing.

http://www.youtube.com/user/5thshot

Friends and Family

Just a lot of fun pics of new friends and old. (Not old, but you know what I mean!) ha

Michels in Waikiki with Ellis and Katie

A fantastic dinner with a wonderful couple....We will watch for Katie in the final season of 'LOST'....Good luck with the Tuesday shoot.....

An amazing virtual tour site for Hawaii!

http://www.vthawaii.com/BIGISLAND/KailuaKona/kailua2.html

Motivation is everything!

Ray has headed out to clean the jeep! He took one of our best towels and his fifteen dollar bottle of Armor All and is off looking for the car wash that allows one to spray and clean without getting water inside the car. This is the man who does not like to let water touch his hands when putting a plate in the sink. He is also the guy who suggested we just wait till we leave to clean the apartment. (Before you get concerned about our living conditions, I nixed that idea.) He loves his jeep and has me lovingly adjust the passenger side mirror every time I get in. I think this is his way to get me to pay homage. If you visit us, you will not be allowed to leave the island without buying a sticker/decal. Michelle and Julie have paid their dues! He is researching ways to store it here as he can't bear to sell it when we leave.

PEARL HARBOR 1941

My friend Eldon sent me this photo discovered years after the fact in a sailor's camera...the picture was still in the old camera years after the attack. He wanted to share the picture since we are taking all our guest for the Pearl Harbor tour.....thanks Eldon

Thanks Eldon

Meeting Michael Emerson (Ben Linus) ** LOST

Guess who I met today?

Today as i was walking back from the beach with my float in hand..i met a face I recognized meeting me on the sidewalk. It was MICHAEL EMERSON who plays Ben Linus on the hit TV show filmed here on Oahu "LOST".. I told him that my wife and I were big fans of the show..he was very nice. We chatted for about 5 minutes. They started production again this week. He asked where i lived on the mainland and when I told him he has visited Nashville and really enjoyed the city. He told me that the actors really loved Oahu and they all mingled around so I would probably see other's during my visit. Although he is the only one living in our neighborhood. He had on the "Harry Potter" glasses and looks exactly like he does on TV except is younger looking in person. He had been to the same neighborhood food pantry we use for small shopping items...he was carring a 12 pack of Pepsi.....a very down to earth star!

Island Friends

We are meeting so many nice friends living here at the Waipuna. We had dinner last evening with Ron and Diane from Nevada and our neighbors (underneath our unit) Jim and Ann that moved here 10 years ago from northern California. This morning as Queenie and I were going out for breakfast we got on the elevator with Senator Daniel Inouye who has lived at the Waipuna for 25 years. He was very nice and said he was leaving to go back to Washington for Senator Kennedy's funeral. He is very popular in the islands since he gets huge funding for all the military here as well as "pork" projects all over the islands. He was very friendly although I was not lured into being a democrat... very fun and interesting all the people we are seeing from around the world....but we love and miss all our wonderful "Mainland Friends"....be safe everyone....ray

For a fun video of the fam in the Phillipines follow this link!

Young people can do such AMAZING things! Here's a link to a video prepared by Mary and Reed (Bruce's son) on their recent trip to the Phillipines!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93_pnACKIqo

Dogs and Puppies

This place has the cutest dogs! When I see a cute one, I don't hesitate to act like the owner is my long lost sister who wants to talk to me. Yesterday I saw the cutest weinner ever! I wanted that dog! If they didn't have such atrocious toileting habits, I'd be sneaking one into the Wiapuna Condo and let the chips fall where they may. "Gunter" was a tiny little dachshund-cuter than this picture if you can imagine. He was licking my fingers and seemed to want me as his owner. (I had just eaten a few Doritos.) He was soft and cuddly and if you've ever owned a weinner, you know there's nothing like them. Now that brings me to another dog who lives in our building...Cujo. I think his real name is Fluffy or something, but he is not a Fluffy. He is the size of a small pony, strains at the leash, and I think I've even seen a tiny bit of foam. His owner is frail and gray and over 80. Behind her walks the daughter who is at least 70 and together they are both struggling. Cujo especially hates Ray. Everytime we enter or leave the building, Cujo is on the elevator straining and snarling, and Ray cups his privates with his hands. Last time we saw him his owner said, "He's a good dog, just dislikes men." Ray ever trying to be polite, didn't quite know what to say as he gently removed his right testicle from Cujo's mouth.

We are about 1 and 1/2 miles from one of the most fabulous shopping centers on the face of the earth. It has a food court with every conceivable type food. It has an entire level devoted to my favorite restaurants. I can't even begin to describe the stores it includes such as Macy's and Neiman Marcus. The others don't sell anything I really want or can afford. I think Ray would draw the line at the $3,000 purses. Steve the hairdresser is about at the margin of his endurance. That leads me to my question: How can a man who can spend days in a glittering casino pushing a button on a machine watching for the 3 red sevens, not have an attention span longer than 20 minutes in the mall??????? (This includes the time spent eating at the food court.) He literally is sauntering around asking me if "I'm about ready to go" before I find the department I want to shop in. I almost panic and shut down because I know I have such limited time.. He also has esp. I have never checked out of a store in my entire life without the phone ringing. He must have put some sort of alarm on my wallet. Anyway, I am going to start going without him, but will probably need a map of the mall and have to end up calling him to come get me out. It would be so embarrasing.

QUEENIE TAKES RETIREMENT IN STRIDE

Yes as the school children returned to Nolensville for the 2009-10 season I could tell Queenie was missing the excitement of the first day of school ....but after a day at the beach and a great dinner at Outback (thanks to a retirement gift) she seemed to get over it! ha

Important to follow the rules