Night Drives across Pineapple Fields

Once or month or so, I find myself coming home late from the North Shore. I'm usually alone, but occasionally with friends or my sweetie. Even though I'm inevitably sleepy, it is a beautiful drive and my senses awaken for the experience. I remember dreaming when I was younger about a long two-lane country highway with expansive fields that ended only to touch the sky. Now I know where those fields lie: I drive across them every day.

At night, however, the drive across the pineapple fields is a different experience. The skies in Hawaii are always clear. Even when there are a few clouds, the skies are clear. There is very rarely haze or fog. Drifting clouds only briefly obscure the infinite stars or a brilliant moon. The air is fresh and warm, yet cool. Its not like the daytime when the sun bears down intensely on everything below.

The best part of all, however, is the smells. As you first start up the fields, there is a faint smell of sea air - slightly salty, slightly fishy, but very fresh. As you drive further up, you notice the slightest hint of pineapple in the air. The smell then evolves into a faintly fermented smell. I've never smelled anything else like the faint odor of fermenting pineapples. When it mixes with the smell of upturned earth and the warm night air, it is a heavenly experience that wipes away all your worries and intoxicates your thoughts. At last, you pass the ends of the fields transformed as the fading scents roll through you mind and prepare your for a calm, peaceful sleep.

Outrigger Waikiki Sunset Cruise

Yesterday George, Jason, Tiffany, and I took a sunset cruise on a catamaran from the Outrigger Hotel in Waikiki. I can't believe we've been here nearly two years and we hadn't done this yet. It was so fun and relaxing, I'd be willing to go every weekend. Even with mere 3- to 4-ft waves outside the channel, we go completely drenched as the boat bounded up and down in the water. It was so beautiful, though. We could see Diamondhead Crater and Kokohead Crater from a totally different perspective. Some flying fish even made an appearance. They are amazing creatures. We met some really nice people on the cruise and it was great to enjoy company of friends old and new in beautiful surroundings. Next time you're in Hawaii, I highly, highly recommend a sunset cruise. We capped off the evening at our favorite Waikiki hangout, the Shorebird Restaurant, listening to great live music. More Pictures of our cruise can be found here.

Graduation Party!

I seriously have the best job in the world. I work with awesome young people who are bringing new ideas and energy to our world every day. In honor of the upcoming graduation of three of my students, George and I celebrated with the junior and senior ELL class from my school. We had a great time and the students did too. Yummy fresh garlic shrimp, music, baseball watching, interesting political discussions, a darts game involving push ups for the losing players, and delicious chocolate cake made for a pleasant evening. And in case there were any doubts, there was absolutely NO alcohol of any kind at the fiesta. :-)

Aiea Loop Trail Hike

Yesterday, George and I headed out with his platoon to explore a Hawaii trail that neither of us had hiked before. It was really beautiful. I'm always amazed at the unique plant life here in Hawaii. The elevation of the whole trail was pretty high and there were amazing views in several places. George works with a really nice bunch of guys and ladies and we had a lot of fun just tromping along and chatting along the way. Check out more pictures here.

Sweet Home Alabama

I am a pretty lucky lady. I had two weeks vacation from work and I got to spend it with three very handsome gentlemen: George, Leo, and Gabriel. I also got to make a trip to Washington, D.C. to celebrate my sister's birthday AND celebrate the birth of the darling Claire Sophia, daughter of my dear friends Shelly and Andrew. I don't know the best place to start, so I'm just going to take things in order.

First, our travels took us to George's hometown, Fairhope, Alabama. Fairhope is a small town not far from Mobile, Alabama. It has a sweet and friendly downtown area.
Fairhope also has a long public waterfront area on Eastern shore of Mobile Bay.Fairhope has a slower, more contemplative pace. I always appreciate a pace that allows me to stop and consider and enjoy my surroundings. Of course, being on vacation always helps with that too.

We spent most of our time in Fairhope riding our bikes from place to place. The four of us stayed at a little cabin we rented right on the Bay. It was a nice place to rest for the night, but it was still plenty close to George's mother's and father's houses. We easily rode around town and hardly needed a car for the whole two weeks.

During our stay, we were able to soak up relaxing hours at both of his parents' houses and share laughter, meals, and good times. George shared tidbits of his childhood and youth throughout our trip. He also pointed out many beautiful homes that he helped build or remodel back in his carpentry days. We made trips to the park for whiffle ball and stops at Mr. Gene's Bean's Ice Cream Shop in downtown Fairhope. We also enjoyed many episodes of Mythbusters and Cash Cab back at the cabin. We made side trips to Mobile to see the USS Alabama and also to Gulf Shores, Alabama to enjoy the beach. We also trekked to Gulf Shores for mini-golf and go-karts. On our way to the beach, we saw this guy!:
Every day was filled with so many enjoyable experiences, its hard to mention them all. I must mention, however, that George's brother Marc took me to hear Joshua Bell with the Mobile Symphony at the historic Saenger Theater in Mobile. What musical bliss! If you've never heard him play, he's more than worth every penny of the tickets. He's not just a bunch of hype - he's the real deal.

The best part of all of my experiences, however, was the company. I am very lucky to have such wonderful in-laws and such bright and funny step-sons.

DC Weekend
In the middle of our Alabama vacation, I flew to DC for a weekend. As trips to the mainland are somewhat rare, I want to see as many folks as possible. The timing of my trip was perfect. Shelly gave birth to her adorable little girl, Claire Sophia, on March 18, just a few days before my arrival. What a little angel! (who has exhausted, but elated, new parents.)In addition to spending time with my new "niece," I celebrated my sister's birthday . . . . . . and had some time to catch up with some of my DC pals. I didn't get to see everyone, but that's the nature of a 48 hour trip. I'm already looking forward to my next East Coast trip in June for Cary and Kyle's wedding. Hooray!

You can see more pictures of our trip including our Gulf Shores side trips and our run-in with an armadillo! Sadly, I forgot my digital camera so some of my pictures didn't come. I relied on the disposable cameras to capture the trip. Still, you can get a good idea of our vacation if you click here.

The New Year for Lisa and George

Hello friends! I apologize for keeping so quiet over the past weeks. We had a holiday season made lovely (and busy!) by seven visitors from the mainland. Big mahalos (thank yous) to Rachel, Mike, Rita, Becca, Duane, Alison and Matt for making the long trip to our little corner of the ocean. While I love Hawaii, it is still always hard to be away from the best friends in the world. They soften the homesickness by coming out to see us. I don't think we can fully explain how meaningful it is to have our guests.


Needless to say, I was keeping too happily busy during late December and early January to log on and blog. While I did take some pictures with our guests that can be found here, a much more complete picture of our holidays can be found by looking at Rita Shah's (photographer extraordinaire) pictures here. She took many lovely, lovely photos.

With our guests, we saw many sites, went hiking, tried surfing, enjoyed a luau, spent quality time at the beach, and last but not least shared laughs and good times at our place and around the island. We were once again awed by the amazing fireworks displays on New Years Eve. I'm not sure I'll ever want to spend December 31st anywhere else.

The fun had to come to an end, however. The Christmas lights and decorations have come down and we are back to our ordinary lives. All of our visitors, have gone back home. Luckily, my second semester at school started out surprising well. As a new teacher dealing with tough students, I still have a perpetual anxiety that permeates most everything. I am proud to say, however, that my passion for teaching has not gone unnoticed. I was nominated by my principal for a new teachers' award called "Teacher of Promise." While I did not win the state award, I was one of 5 state finalists and I earned Oahu's Windward District "Teacher of Promise" award. The encouragement has helped me feel positive about work, despite all its challenges. Do a good deed: tell a teacher - past or present - how they affected your life. The encouragement helps a lot!

For George, it has been a time of transitions at work. He's spending his free time working on remodeling our bathroom. Look for an update on that soon. Its coming along nicely, and he's laying down marble in the shower as I type!

Well, I hope this gives you a little taste of what's been going on in our lives lately. Look for more frequent updates now that the holidays are past. Have a happy New Year and as Garrison Keillor says "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch." Love and Aloha, Lisa (and George)

It was a mighty fun evening to be in Hawaii. The chatter over the Warriors had already spread from the die-hard fans to virtually every person on the island. Even signs on "TheBus" city buses flashed "Go Warriors!" in between route numbers. George and I watched the nail-biter against Washington last night from the comfort of our living room, but nearly 7% of the island population watched the game live at Aloha Stadium. The other 700,000 of us cheered from our living rooms. And with windows open, you could hear the cheering over the intermittent rain showers. When the team finally locked in its victory (in the last minute of the game), it sounded like New Year's Eve or some island-wide party.

Its not like I've been a UH fan for a long time, but I've been a quick convert. Football in Hawaii is practically religion, but the diversity on the island brings together players from many different backgrounds into a beautiful blend that makes magic on the field. With no NFL team, UH is the pinnacle of football in Polynesia and its cool that the mainland is finally taking a look at this often-forgotten team. 12-0. See you in January!

Bathroom Remodeling Part III: Preparing for the Plumbing

While blogging away, I decided it was time for an update on our bathroom remodeling project. George has essentially completed the frame for the shower and the tub. The custom-order glass shower doors are en route to Hawaii and the tub and all the tile are waiting in our living room. As soon as the plumber installs a few new lines, we'll be ready for the fun and final part of the project.

The shower window is fully installed and made of lovely glass brick:

A separate light in the shower with a ventilation fan are also in place in the shower. The electricity now runs to a new power outlet by the shower door.

In anticipation of the plumber's visit, George cut and laid the tile that will sit under the faucet for the bathtub. Tell the plumber to get over here already! We're ready!

30 Miles to Kahuku, Part II

At last, I am taking you all on the second part of my daily drive from Mililani to Kahuku. Thanksgiving weekend turned out to be the perfect time to make the trip with lots of stops to take pictures. In Part I, we left off our little drive just past Hale'iwa, a quaint North Shore town. Here we are again on the two-lane Kamehameha Highway that connects Mililani, Kahuku, and much of the island.

As we begin this part of the drive, a little house with this sign posted out front has always caught my eye. Only in Hawaii:

My drive then takes me up a little hill and then opens up to this amazing view of Waimea Bay. On the far side of the bay, you can see the steeple from St.Peter and Paul's Catholic Church which overlooks surfers, swimmers, sunbathers, and boogie-boarders.
On a day with big winter waves like today, surfers wait out in the bay for the perfect wave to ride in.

Across from Waimea Bay, along "Kam" Highway, I pass the Waimea Valley Audubon Center. I've never actually been inside, but the entryway looks inviting. Its on the list.

Then, I come to the Pupukea area, which is the last business district of any sort before I arrive in Kahuku several miles further down the road. The Foodland grocery store is always packed with surfers, tourists, and other North Shore inhabitants. When I stop there to pick up treats for my students, I inevitably run into another Kahuku teacher doing the same thing.

Across from the Foodland is the Sunset Beach Fire House. Probably the best view for a firehouse anywhere in the whole U.S.A.

Next door to the Foodland, I pass Shark's Cove Grill (Yummy!) before arriving at Shark's Cove itself.

On my left, I pass Shark's Cove. For the record, it gets its name from its shape. While not impossible, I've never heard of sharks coming into the cove. When the surf is calm, Shark's Cove is an amazing place for snorkeling as it is filled with beautiful coral reefs and colorful reef fish.

After passing Shark's Cove, I come to Ehukai Park - home to the Banzai Pipeline - which sits across from Sunset Beach Elementary School. I tend to think that kids that can walk across the street after school and watch the waves at a place as beautiful Ehukai must be some of the luckiest kids on earth. These same kids attend Kahuku High and Intermediate School after they finish 6th grade.

Check out how the nutty surfers have covered the stop sign at the park in surfing stickers:

The next landmark on my drive is this large tiki-looking object, which sits adjacent to a few little shops.


At last, I come to Sunset Beach. This is my favorite beach in Hawaii. The wave forecast on the day of these pictures predicted 15-25 foot sets. I don't think they'd reached that height, but they were still bigger than I'm willing to swim. In the summer time, Sunset Beach is an awesome place to swim and snorkel. Now that the winter swells are coming, it is a supreme place to watch expert surfers.

In fact, O'Neill was getting ready to host something when I stopped by.

Another great feature of Sunset Beach is the running/biking trail which parallels the shore.


I don't usually stop on my way to school, but I jumped out of my car to get my picture taken.

Just past Sunset Beach, I come to Ted's Bakery. If you come to the North Shore, Ted's Bakery is a great place to stop for food. They have scrumptious pies and baked goods. They also have the best burgers on the island, in my humble opinion.

Past Ted's is a little University of Hawaii Agricultural facility. There are usually sheep grazing in the fields, but they must have been asleep on the day I came through with my camera.

Still, I got this nice shot of the windmill.
The next unusual place I pass is Crawford's Convalescent Home. Should I ever need to convalesce, I would happily do it here.


This odd and gutted historic building sits adjacent to the home, too. I'm not sure what the connection is, but its a neat sight.

After passing Crawford's, I start to see more and more little fruit stands. While they are closed in the early morning, in the afternoon I can stop in and get fresh pineapple and all kinds of other fresh produce that comes straight from the many farms in the area.

This little park is the next eye-catcher on my drive. I'm not even sure what its called, but its such a beautiful little spot and surprisingly un-crowded.

After Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay, the last famed place along my drive is the Turtle Bay Resort. It is a beautifully groomed section of the shoreline, but it has a tenuous relationship with its North Shore neighbors. Its owners have dreams of expanding the resort, but most residents of the North Shore fear that this will jeopardize the rural quality of the area. Bumper stickers that read "Keep the North Shore Country" are seen everywhere in this area and are quietly directed at Turtle Bay and other hopeful developers.

Still, it has a beautiful golf course that is host to major PGA/LPGA competitions.

One of the last places I pass on my way to Kahuku is Fumi's Shrimp Truck. Besides football, Kahuku's claim to fame is its farm-raised shrimp. Fumi's shrimp truck serves fresh shrimp straight from the farm. They will cook the shrimp for you a dozen or so different ways. You can sit and enjoy the salty sea breeze, delicious shrimp, and icy beverage in a totally relaxed atmosphere.

The shrimp is grown in little ponds some of which are less than 50 yards from the truck. Talk about fresh!

After passing the shrimp ponds, I come to a wildlife preserve. Its another place I've never been, but its on my list.
At last I reach Kahuku. As I roll into the tiny one-stoplight town, I pass the Kahuku Sugar Mill. Now a historic site, the Sugar Mill used to be an important part of the North Shore's economy.


And finally, I reach Kahuku's one and only stoplight. Kahuku High and Intermediate School sits here, in the heart of the little town, immediately across the street from the Kahuku Suprette.

The unremarkable looking Kahuku Suprette has some of the best Poke (Hawaiian style raw tuna) anywhere on the island. Yummy! Believe it or not, this haole mainlander loves the stuff!

Last but not least, the Pride of the North Shore: Kahuku High and Intermediate School. The school of 1800 students sits at the foot of the mountains, less than a 1/2 mile inland from the beach. Like Sunset Elementary kids, I wonder if these students know how lucky they are. I certainly am lucky to be a teacher there.