Homeless Computers

The company I work for donated 26 old computer systems and monitors to the homeless shelter today. They've been gathering them up from the office and home donations. I went with three others and their pickups to drop them off at the shelter. They use the systems to help residents of the shelter access information online, and manage the resources of the shelter. Very humbling experience. Of the 290 people in the shelter this week, 99 of them are children....

Can't believe it's been a week since I left for Vegas. Seems like I'm still walk'n around in the haze.

Viva Las Vegas

Flying out to a JIS reunion in Vegas today.

Bachelor Pad

Eric invited us over after work. The kids and I went swimming, hot tubbing, and bowling all inside his apartment complex. Everyone was pretty fried by the time we got home. The kids should sleep well tonight. Thanks Eric!

Training Swim

Bill Goding and I swam from Sunset Beach park to Lanis today. We are training to swim the Maui-Molokai channel. It took us about 2hrs 20min to do the 5 mile swim.

Tour de West Loch

It was pretty windy today, so despite reports of good wave size I went on a bicycle ride instead. I did a circuit through Iriqouis point and the opening of the harbor, then West on Fort Weaver, through Hau Bush, Coves, and White Plains and then back to home via Geiger road.

Got Tanked!

I took the kids to Schofield Barracks again after work, mauka side this time. We went to the Tropic Lightening museum on base. Allthough it was closed the kids did get a chance to play on some of the static tanks and guns out front. Before leaving the base and heading home, we stopped into the bowling lanes and had a quick game.

I had fun at work today, I figured out how to get a desktop Java app to take input from a Wii-mote. I proposed it as a way to demonstrate movement in a virtual training environment.

Passing of a Pachyderm

Over lunch hour I had dim sum (and then some) in China town with Eric again. We were full enough we thought it would be a good idea to take a two block hike up to Bethel St. for a cup of coffee at The Red Elephant before heading back to the office. Things seemed a little different at the typically hep coffee shop. I wasn't sure why at first, it just seemed a little more -- sparse. Then as we were fixing our Red-Eyes, Eric asked the barista for a refill in the artificial sweetener bin. The man behind the counter replied that they were closing tomorrow, and so they were just going to let stock run out, 'sorry'. Bummers.

(photo source)

Moonlight Session

This evening Greg and I went out for a full moon session at "Threes". At first I couldn't find them; I caught a few waves and ended up over at "Canoes" before I got out and walked back over to the jetty at the Hale Koa again. (Pro-tip: if you can't find a surf break, ask one of the metal detector guys on the beach). Threes was smooth, no wind, and almost overhead. Its a long ride to the right. There were about a dozen guys out and the sets kept coming, plenty for everyone.

Earlier today, work was good. I got RemTaskIf working in JSAF. After work I took the kids to Ko`olina Lagoon 1. Sue needed a break from watching the kids all day (summer vacation) and didn't have to work tonight. She headed North and went snorkeling at Three tables.

Bush Men

Grabbed a dawn patrol session this morning at Hau Bush, I was hoping it would stay as pretty as it was yesterday evening (super glassy). Maybe not quite, but atleast I was in the water this time. Good times. Picture was taken from the top of my car, look closely, the 3 spots in the distance are early risers already out in the water.

Jimmy Neutron

Went by the Launer's today and borrowed a few movies from them. The kids all agreed on Jimmy Neutron by the time we got home.

Backpack Back

After teh Suz went to work, we went back to the movie theatre and reclaimed Ben's backpack. The theatre manager at Pearl Highlands was very nice. Afterward, we had snacks and playtime at Blaisdell Park down the road. Ben played football with the kids and developed a heinous allergic reaction to rolling in the grass on the way home. Gave him Benadryl and Soaked him down in Baking Soda water before bed.

WALL•E

This evening we went out as a WHOLE FAMILY (epic!) to see WALL•E the new Pixar movie at Pearl Highlands Theatre. For the win, we smuggled in McDonald's dollar menu items in Ben's backpack. The kids really enjoyed the movie. Naomi got a little restless in the last 20 minutes of the film, nonetheless, I was still able to console her and watch the movie from the access aisle. Ben left the backpack in the theatre, but I called back when Sue figured it was missing. They have it and will hold onto it for us.

Waimea Bay Race

I did pretty well at the Waimea Bay race this morning. It's one of the four races in the North Shore swim series. Unfortunately I missed race 1 and will miss race 3 this year, so I won't be in the overall tally. There were lots of dolphins out in the bay during the race. I could here them chirping the whole time and saw four that swam right under me in a pod. After the race they were jumping out of the water and playing around, just a half mile from the beach

Ben's Horse

There was a Sharon's Horse in Muncy Pennsylvania. Who knew there is a Ben's horse in the middle of the Pacific? I took the kids to "West Loch Shore Line Park" today. It's a isthmus shape piece of land sticking out into the North East part of Pearl Harbor with beautiful landscaping and it's just off of Ft. Weaver. There are lots of gnarly trees to climb and at least a dozen small fishing piers and couple of gazebos bordering the park.

Love Boat

Sue and I had our 15th anniversary today. Sue left the kids with Destiny and met me at work. I pau'd at 3 turtles and we went down to Aloha Tower area and got pupu's at Don Ho's. We boarded the Star of Honolulu around 5 and sailed off to Diamond Head and back over dinner (crab legs and steak .. Sue not so hungry). The rocking kind of got to us, so we went outside.. much better. I'd recommend sitting in a non-enclosed dining room if we did it again. Sue got a ton of good pictures. This one... was taken by someone who only spoke Japanese and thought that a snapping handshake was amazingly funny (actually its just hopelessly 80's). After we got back in we just malled around some more and went to Gorden Biersch for a bit before heading back home. Good Times!

Free Gas

Biked to work and back today for the first time this year. I only stopped once on the way in to take this strange picture. Maybe I could sell to someone to make an insurance brochure or something. Yeah.

VHS

This afternoon I figured out a way to sample in some 20 year old VHS tapes my folks left with me on their visit here a few months ago. Weird seeing yourself walking around at age 15 sampled into the digital era.

Trek to Tracks

A first. We took the whole family to Pokai Bai. Daddy saw some spinner dolphins while we were there and swam out to say hi. Funny the sounds they make in the water. We splashed around with the kids. Naomi is getting comfortable in the water again, and will even float for a few seconds on her back. Okay! so what, she was wearing a life preserver :) On the way back from Pokai we scored the dollar menu at a West Side McDonald's and scarfed it down at Tracks beach. This was supposed to be a picture but I set the delay setting wrong.

July 4th at the Franklin's

Thanks to the Franklin's for an excellent Fourth of July dinner party complete with Hamburgers, red white and blue desserts and ...Panamanian rice! John and Susan even passed out pyrotechnics for the kids. Hip, hip hooray!

Hancock

Destiny babysat and Sue and I went out for dinner and a movie at Pearl City Highlands Mall. Hancock was a good movie. A nice departure from the typical Super Hero meets Super Villian formula. I wish the movie could of spent more time on the transition from Uber Bum to Super Hero, but I guess the whole thing has to fit in under 2 hours.

Ghost Fleet

With gas prices going up and my car always on the verge of break down, I opted to do my return commute on the bike today. I took the bike trail home (where I could). Here is a shot in my favorite stretch just as the trail starts coming into Waipahu at the very North West part of the harbor. This is where the ghost fleet is parked. The first time you see it it's kind of creepy. Anymore they look more like lazy giants to me.

Sunset after Session

I got into work today soooper early so that I could grab an after work session with Gene, John an dem. I cannot disclose where the session was b/c it is a SECRET SPOT (sssshS!! *spittle*). Anyway it was overhead and awesome. Gene and I had beers and pupus at Dixie Grill afterwards and I took Kam highway home. The sunset over the Waianae range was awesome. Little shafts of light came over the top like fingers.