Merry Christmas!

I worked. It was tiring. I am going to have to do some kind of holiday substitute when I get back to Portland, I think.

To the Other Side

Yesterday, Slav and I took a big, fancy trip to the other side of the island. There are things to see and do along the way, but also I was going a bit stir crazy and it was sunny over there.

I thought that we were going to be able to see more lava at the top of Kilauea Volcano, but it was not visible. We did see a lot of desolation and steam, though. Here we are. Slav is only pretending to be happy because there is something (or some things) about the volcano that makes him ill.

See? Lookit the volcano!

Here, I am demonstrating the unusual feeding practices of the nene, the Hawai'ian state bird.

I finally found some sandals on the cheap, and here I am modeling them on the black sand beach. The lighting is weird; my feet are not actually glow-in-the-dark.

In addition to foot modeling, a popular thing to do at this black sand beach is sea turtle viewing.

Me, foreground. Slav and sea turtles, background.
Whenever I see (or think about) sea turtles, I am always reminded of one of my favorite childhood movie, Milo and Otis. There is a sea turtle Otis rescuer in that movie, in case you are not in a position to remember.

Outside of Kona, there is a shave(d) ice stand at which you can win free shave ice for hula hooping for 1 minute. Last year, I got a bad start or cracked under pressure or god knows what and I did not win the shave ice!!! Now, anyone who has been in a hula hooping contest with me (and battle in the case of Annie the intern) knows that a 1 min hula hoop should be no big deal for me. I also know this. So, I had to set things right! Here is a historical reenactment of me winning the shave ice glory! I didn't get any live shots because the pressure was already so great.

Here I am with my shave ice trophy!

Also, thanks to the wonders of new technology and the fabulous new computer that my parents gave me for Christmas, I can share video now! Here is a short one I shot at the sea turtle beach. And believe me, for sea turtle viewing, this is a lot of action!

It is amazing how different things are over on the other side of the island: all different kinds of plants, a different looking landscape and a much more touristy culture. In Kona, we went to the Kava bar for some yummy Hawai'ian food and, of course, Kava, which makes your mouth go tingly and is kind of relaxing. All in all, it was a pretty good trip, even though the stellar smoothie stand we were hoping to enjoy was closed, and there is something about Kona that makes us both irritable.

Today I am planning to (finally) take a bike ride, go to the farmers' market and get at bit of work done on my grad school application.

Coveting

Oh goodness. Malabrigo is now making sock yarn.

I Totally Saw Lava!!

Unfortunately, the photography conditions were beyond the abilities of my camera, but I did see lava!! Here are some other things that I saw...

a pre-black-sand beach

a teensy-tiny baby gecko!!

the lava's steam plume and the sun

cocos on the lava field
This field is from the 1983 eruption... really crazy to think about walking on land that is the same age as me...

Seeing the lava was a little like going to a football game when you don't have very good seats (but awesomer). We were really far away, so we could have seen the action better on TV (aka volcano documentaries), but it was stunning to be able to see it in person. It was a little bit like quiet fireworks as the lava splashed up before crashing into the ocean. The other amazing thing about the lava was that you could see the ground steaming all the way up the volcano where the lava was flowing underneath the surface.

The Latest

First of all, there is going to be a Rubik's Cube masters documentary!

Alright, now some pictures from Hawai'i.

This sign is outside the entrance of the lanai of the apartment in which we are staying. Since Slav has arrived on island, it feels like I am living in an action adventure film: Slav Versus the Cockroach. The big scary bugs to human ratio in the tropics is undesirable.

We went on a very short hike today. The trail was overgrown and we didn't get to complete the loop... maybe the trailhead sign wasn't just some crazy translation?

photos along the hike

So Much

So Much Pretty, so little yarn money...

Okay, I am starting to regret that I knit a sweater. I loved it! Now I want to make more sweaters. Maybe if I had more of a job... but when would I knit the yarn I could then afford? I know this is a classic dilemma of life.
Things are not helped by my expensive tastes in yarn (and most other things, to be honest).

Hawai'i is treating me pretty well. I have been poking around on the internet a bit in an effort to learn about Hawai'ian pronunciations, especially the diphthongs. I haven't found a site with audio yet, though. A basic curiosity about language motivated the search, but I must admit that another element is simply wanting to be able to pronounce the road names properly when giving directions to the cyclists.
I have also been getting little volcanology/island geology lessons from my temporary roomie, Jessica. She has also offered to teach me to play the dijeridoo, so I'm really stoked about that!

I went on a short run today... my body surely revolts against humidity, but there has been a period of laziness as well.

Attempting Personal Growth

I tried to be brave today, and walked on the grass with bare feet.

It was terrible.

I guess I am going to have to buy some sandals.

Rainforest

Lots of rain, but I haven't drown yet!

Aloha, Hawai'i

I arrived safe and sound in Hilo yesterday. I shared my seat row across the pacific with a guy, maybe late 20's or early 30's, who was flying for the first time. He said he wasn't scared about flying, but he was rather chatty in that nervous-seeming way. I normally appreciate a chatty row-mate, but I had only gotten a few hours of sleep the night before. I was a bit antisocial but did try to be a good flying mentor. On the inter-island flight, I shared a row with a couple of retired Portland school teachers who were visiting the island for the first time. I think I have an innate concierge sensibility, because I immediately and happily entered into that role. They were lovely and adorable.

Getting into Hilo was bittersweet. I love the indoor/outdoor way the buildings are designed here, and since even the airports are open-air I was able to get a taste of that right away. But I was sooo tired that I wasn't able to emotionally cope with the humidity, my least favorite weather element, or the fact that I was enjoying lots of wonderful company in Portland, and now I'm on the world's most remote island with not many people I know around. I had dinner at a fantastically delicious, though expensive, restaurant and went to be early.

I am feeling much more rested and happy today. I had a nice long sleep and gained two hours from the time change (Michiganders, please remember I'm 5 hours behind before calling). I have already done some gecko observation, kookie frog listening and English muffin eating. Even the humidity has it's benefits – my throat is feeling much less scratchy than it has been since I was in Minnesota. I plan to get some work done, eat tropical fruits and perhaps reassemble my bike today. However, I bought Dune at the airport, and I'm not sure I'll be able to do anything apart from reading that, now that I've started. I also have a completely impractical desire to drive across the island just to go to a particularly great smoothie stand I remember along the road outside of Kona. Last year I got a dragonfruit smoothie there. The novelty!

Hmm... Maybe I am more out of it than I realize. I almost couldn't find this file. I name my blog files with the date and, if traveling, the location. I saved this under February 4, 2007.

Loose Ends

After a rather significant delay leading to much lounging in the Denver airport, I am in Portland. The Pacific Northwest has greeted me kindly with sun and middling temperatures. After being in Michigan and Minnesota, it feels a bit like seasonal time travel. I haven't been here long, but I have been enjoying myself so far. Last night, I spectated at a fencing tournament. With the help of Kyle and others, I am learning a lot about the sport. I am now at the point where I feel like I have the beginnings of an idea of what is going on when I watch a bout (See, I know lingo!). Today, I ran some errands... including getting the paperwork I will need to get what Beth and I are actually owed by the property management company we have had the pleasure of dealing with for the last year (grrr...). Then I went to knit and drink tea at Abundant Yarn and Dyeworks in Sellwood. I think they may have the best knit-in cafe I have seen: lots of natural light, a variety of seating types and full of knitterly types. Yay! Still no knit pics to share... there will be an extravaganza after Chistmas is over and the secrecy is uneccesary.
Ethiopian food tonight and caving tomorrow!! Yay Yay!

I still have some pictures from the past few weeks that I would like to share, so here you have them!

I hiked to a beaver pond along the Superior Hiking trail in MN with Kathleen, a super amazing person I met at North House. Note the hunter's orange. Safety first!

Thanksgiving spread with hungry onlookers. Mom is giving me an especially good look here (yellow shirt). You can see our veggie dishes along the side of the table. The roasted roots were a big hit! Score one for the vegans.

Around the table: Aunt Cindy, Grandpa carving the turkey, Laura looking apprehensively at the vegan fare, Dad.

Apart from a few run-of-the-mill fist fights between brothers, Thanksgiving was peaceful. Our roasted roots dish put a damper on the annual mashed potato consistency dispute, and Don didn't go through with his pumpkin pie theft attempt. Speaking of Don, don't miss this winning shot of him in the background, watching with gravity as his sons pummel each other.

I gave my gifts for Ayla early so I could see her open them. I had a lot of books I had read and thought she would like. On top of it all, I gave her this knit hat that turned out super cute!

Before leaving Michigan, I got to see a pretty significant snowfall! In true Michigander style, most people were complaining about driving in it instead of rejoicing in the beauty and fun of it, but I loved it anyway!