Defenseless & Nosy Hawaii Drivers

Ok, so I was running some errands yesterday and I just can't help the fact of how annoyed I am to drive on the roads with such selfish, defenseless, nosy, drivers. EVERYDAY there is an accident! It's like where ever you go, you ALWAYS have to plan for an accident so you won't be late. During peak traffic times you have to leave almost 2 hours early just to get to your destination on time. It sucks. If people would just pay attention when they drive and drive defensively, there wouldn't be as many accidents. It's so bad. Hawaii is the WORST PLACE to be a senior citizen or to just cross the road. We have the highest pedestrian casualities in the entire United States. 22 people died last year, IN CROSSWALKS from being hit by cars. Well, this year, as of July 9 people have died, but so many more have luckily survived. It's just crazy how many people are hit on this island because people don't pay attention.

Well, I'm driving around after picking Nancy up from work and we realize traffic is backed up really bad on the freeway because of an accident up ahead. When we pass by it looks like a man rear ended a school bus. This was on a 3 lane highway and both vehicles were off the road on the shoulder. This accident backed up traffic so bad because we realized people slowed down to nearly 5 mph, JUST TO LOOK! There were no police stopping traffic or anything, people were just being nosy. Then when Nancy and I are in the traffic an ambulance comes, I pull the call over and the car behind me as I'm pulling out, tries to overtake me and the spot I was in. He basically tried to force his way in front of me. It was the most ridiculous thing. It's completely insane driving here. You could drive down the street for miles with your turn signal on just wanting to exit off the freeway and people will speed up and drive bumper to bumper to make it impossible for you. It's completely ridiculous. The Aloha State? Well, certainly NOT when they drive. People drive like the biggest jerks, and idiots in Hawaii....it's annoying of how selfish drivers are. It's no suprise why there are so many accidents on a daily basis.

Annoyed in TVA

Okay. I'm quite the easy going guy-patient (I try really hard), slow to anger, compassionate, and I think nearly 99.99 percent of the time, a good neighbor.

Now, I think that's about to change....I've lost all patience, all forms of being nice, and that 99.99 percent I think just plummeted to about 30%. I don't know where its coming from in my building. I originally thought it was above me, but then walking to check the mail one day it sounded as if it was two doors down from me in the house that has just been vacated by a new family. EVVVVERRRRYYDDAAAYYY & sometimes even everyday AT NIIIGHHT, someone plays the trumpet for HOURS! We live in the P Building of TVA on campus which I like to call "The Zoo" which is alright I suppose, but a trumpet?

Of all the instruments that have ever been invented, what are the odds that I get the guy in my building who wants to practice his trumpet and "Hakuna Matata" for hours....even after "quiet hours" sometimes? Our building is full of infants and little toddlers, so I know I can't be the only one who is going crazy. There has to be someone else. Perhaps all my awesome friends of the N, T, and S buildings are just as annoyed. I love music and could settle for a piano, a violin (that would seriously be so nice), a cello, a harp, heck-maybe even some drums.....but I have no idea why I find this trumpet to be the most ANNOYING instrument to ever be played. Of all instruments, why a trumpet? I find it crazy that I've been sound asleep only to be woken in the middle of the night to the sounds of the man who plays the trumpet, only to realize it was a dream. Ok....you know the situation is bad when you're dreaming about it...or having nightmares!

Happy Birthday To Me....School's Out!

What a glorious day it is today...It's my 26th Birthday, not that they age is really cool or significant by any means....but hey, I just like the fact that its my birthday.

So, last night I slept for about 2 hours. Summer term in school has practically killed me over the last month and a half. Managing between school (mainly just my History 202 class), filming, finding time for my two church callings, work, Graduate school applications and the GMAT, and being a dad and a husband full-time has just completely exhausted me. For the first time in my college career I found it crazy that in just 7 weeks, I read 733 pages of World History, but doesn't count the crazy amounts of research I had to do for projects as well. Completely insane!

So, I stay up all night trying to cram for this History Final. It's comprehensive which sucks. I don't understand that method and why you get slammed for material twice. Oh well. We have a paragraph identification where we have to basically answer who, what, when, where, and why- why is this item so significant to history-why is it remembered. Pretty crazy. We had about 100 terms or so, and he only chose 17 and we were to pick 10. Then, there was the comprehensive essay for the past 500 years. I'm stressing out all night and even just minutes before my exam thinking its going to be a hard question. I BARELY studied for any of this Final Exam before cramming. I seriously thought for sure I was going to fail. You know what the question was? "What events in history over the last 500 years has helped shape who you are?" Wwwwhhheew. I ended up doing much better than what I thought I would on the exam, and I felt like as I left the classroom, that I blew the final out of the water!

What a great feeling it was to end the Summer Term on the day of my birthday. I felt like this term this was such a HUGE weight off my shoulders. I told Nancy a few weeks ago, "Man, its hard being an A student." Nancy: "why?" Me: "Because you seriously have to study ALL THE TIME" Nancy: "Yep" Me: "It's so much easier just being a C student, you don't ever have study. You can just take the exams and still do good." It's been such a challenge, but I'm so glad it's over. Now I can finally rest....for about a day.

After I finished my Final I got prepared for a long weekend. I stayed in Honolulu with Nancy and the kids and she had something planned today that I had no idea about. She told me all the stuff I needed to pack and to not make it into town past 5 pm. My original thought was...hmmmm, a dinner cruise. Wrong. It was dinner, just not on the ocean. Before I left I felt like it was something really nice and I was bumming it wearing my Adidas sweats and just a tight T-Shirt. I kept asking her "Is this ok to wear what I have on?" She kept telling me yes. Being under dressed doesn't sit well with me. I don't like to feel like the oddball. I like to be comfortable in a room with others. So I ride "The Bus" into town, take myself a good book (for once it isn't a textbook), and I crank the IPOD, and enjoy the nice 1 1/2 hour ride into Honolulu. I get there quite early to Nancy's work, about 2 hours before our dinner appointment.

Nancy ended up taking me to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse on Restaurant Row. I had never eaten here, but man was it nice! Incredible! This place had over 300 different bottles of wine. We both ordered the Prime Time Special. I get a fat juicy Ribeye, a caesar salad, and some sauteed mushrooms. Nancy gets a Sirloin Filet, a caesar salad as well, and some creamed spinach. We both finished it off with Strawberry Sorbet. Also, I had the most AUTHENTIC fruit punch I've ever tasted too. It was out of this world! So delicious. The steaks were made in 1500 degree ovens and delivered sizzling HOT on 500 degree plates. The steaks tasted like butter they were so good. So tender, so flavorfull. Everything here was magnificent. Being a Chef myself I had never even really eaten creamed spinach before but it was incredible. There was so much flavor to it. The only thing that wasn't nice about this night, was the price tag for our meal. But, tonight was quite special and one that Nancy and I have needed for a long time. What an awesome birthday it was for me today.

At the end of our meal Nancy mentions that it's still not over. Tomorrow she planned for us to go on a "sunrise hike." I asked "whereto?" and she said, "I don't know, I haven't figured it out yet." I roll my eyes, give a nice convincing smile and say "great....."

The minute Nancy and I pull in to her parent's house, Brandon is RUNNING FULL SPEED AHEAD at me, laughing his brains out and smiling from ear to ear. I grab a few more items from the car while Brandon sits in the driver seat and pretends to drive and I hear Brandon say "grwass" I had no idea what he was saying at first and then I realized the green sunglasses in his hand, and he wanted me to put them on for him. He's such the coolest boy. He is my friend, he is my hero, he is one of 3 reasons of what I live for and why I try so hard. What more could a man ask for?...I'm simply elated.

I'm Addicted, What Can I Say?

I felt quite ashamed that I've lived in Hawaii for nearly 6 years and I've never once learned to surf. Intimidation? Feeling of inadequecy? Yea, maybe a little bit. I'm quite the body surfer and boogie boarding though. It would be nice to get Nancy out there, but she's not really a strong swimmer, so it's okay I guess.

I first tried about a year ago to surf when my cousins from Germany were here visiting and staying in a beach house in Kailua. I met some local surfers in the water and I just said, "Hey bro, I heard it's pretty hard surfin'." To which he responded, "Aww cuz, you like try? I got choke boards, I go get 'em" He was the coolest dude. I thought it was nice that a total stranger that I never met could be so generous to such a rookie. To those of you who don't know, surfers can be a bit crazy in a sense and are pretty protective of their boards. As they should be. Well, I seriously almost killed myself. I can't even count the numerous times I was pounded in the waves and ate the sand. I got busted up and my side got rubbed raw and started bleeding from all of the wax. It sucked. I could have been fish food. I ended this surf session never standing once.

Now, a little more than one year later, needless to say, surfing has become my latest addiction. Is there rehabilitation meetings for these sort of things? I should probably go. I suck royally, but it's pretty sweet riding on some waves. I've only surfed a few times with some buddies of mine bright and early during feeding time for the local sharks at 530am. First time I went, it was low tide and let's just say I took A LOT FOR THE TEAM! I got so cut up on the reef. It didn't feel too good. I was totally exhausted in like 1 1/2 hours. My last adventure....I rolled with an 11 foot board, cause that's what I do. I cut through the water like Moses on that thing. I felt like I was on yacht-I totally could have had a BBQ it was so huge. I still sucked at standing up, but I got to catch a few waves, while on the other hand, the rest of the guys rode like every single one as I watched in total jealousy. It was a great day to surf. Not once did I hit a reef and I'm gargantuan in the water so I felt good. But, my buddy Troy nearly took my face off with his board when I got slammed by some white wash. Had I not blocked his board with mine, my face would've gotten blasted. His board barely nicked mine but I got two cuts on my hand from trying to block it. Once I saw blood, that was a wrap for me. I didn't wanna be fish food. Plus, in just a small area where we were surfing came a whole bunch of inexperienced tourists who just didn't know what they were doing so I felt nervous being out there.

So, every chance I get, I try and go. I got a nice support system of buddies who help me learn and being the competitive guy I am, they help me stay confident in getting better. I don't know where we'll end up after I graduate, but leaving paradise and the waves isn't the best of feelings. Not just myself, but Nancy too, have made some wonderful friends. I've grown quite attached to this place. Yea, I know right, tear. However, It's seriously gonna be great next semester because all my classes are late in the afternoon. I usually play basketball bright and early at 5am, but I think I'll be surfin' instead. I'm looking forward to my next surf session.....tomorrow!

Before We Were Bloggin'

With so much going on in life, it's been incredibly difficult trying to keep our extended families in touch with what's going on in our lives. What better way to do that than "Bloggin." So, though we just started our blog this month in July, here's a look into our past (this might take awhile to accomplish this, but keep checking back for new pictures)....