What follows here are just my thoughts and words. No fact checking, no spell checking, no promises of great insight or good grammar. Just me dumping the words in my head to words on the screen. Bear with me... sometimes it's a bumpy ride.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Ami's First Post....


[All photos in this post courtesy of Jessica N.]

We went to the beach every day - every single day - when Mom & Dad were gone and the two nice ladies stayed with us, and I got to run and run and run and run and run and run in the waves like I love, back and forth and up and down, and making my signature rooster-tail spin when I turn around and the waves are just right, and I stole the ball from Kona and chased her and we dug in the sand together, and then we'd come home and have hose showers, which I love, and then one time they even put this smelly soapy stuff on us and then rinsed it off again - I don't know what that was all about, that doesn't happen very often with Mom and Dad - and then sometimes back home they would play tug-o-war with me, and I posed for lots and lots of pictures - which I'm sure are great because I am one good looking puppy - and we had lots and lots of fun with them.  Oh - plus we finally got to chase that big white cat that taunts us in the grass when we are out on our deck, and we even chased those big toads one night - they look fat and juicy and tasty - but never caught them, and I'm still on guard duty for the geckos that are everywhere and I watch them and they watch me back and someday I will play with one, and of course I barked at anyone who came around because that's my job and I rolled in the grass because there are always so many new and wonderful smells here, and I burrowed in the blankets like I like to do and I wrestled and played with Kona and we had lots and lots of fun like we always do.




And the rest of the time, we slept.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Off Island Adventures....

(warning... lots of bragging to follow....)

Just got back from a trip all the way across the USofA, to North Carolina where we celebrated the conferring of the degree of Masters of Public Health on Alicia.
A rousing HZAHHH for Alicia!  We - and I think she too, deservedly so - are so very proud.


We had the added bonus of getting to meet and visit with her circle of friends.  What a bunch of funny, dear, kooky, committed, fabulous and very close to each other young people.  These are the kinds of connections that will last a lifetime.


Next stop for Alicia (after a summer of living in Winston-Salem, NC & working for Wake Forest Univ as a researcher) is Baltimore MD and the hallowed halls of Johns Hopkins University where she begins the 4 to 5 year climb to her PhD. 

To the once & future Dr. Sparks - we salute you, in awe and bottomless joy.

Meanwhile... I made the fairly grueling 15-ish hour, 3 flight hopscotch home.  Michael is still on the mainland, finishing out work which he conveniently bookended around the graduation festivities.  Alas, this is the price we pay to live where we live (plus, you know, $1 more/gallon in gas, etc.....)

Sunday, May 6, 2012

A Dog Day at the Beach ....


And then we found some buried treasure!

(Kona will let us do ANYTHING to her...)

Every Picture Tells a Story ....

Our friends Bob & Anna have come for a visit.  Great fun...

Mahalo Nui Loa to Glenn for dinner & drinks at the Tiki Lounge!


A fun (and very silly) full moon night at the beach

Bob & his Maori face

The next day (no, not really)


 
Maui just makes you happy (or was it being with us?)