Some fun reading...

Some of Matt's (and my) best friends are here from Philly, Dan and Christy (no last names mentioned so Dan's students can't look him up on the web). Some of you might remember Dan as the guy who totally rocked the 8-e's bar the whole weekend of our wedding...he's a riot, and is already making "waves" here in Hawaii. He is also a techie...and has already created a blog about their Hawaii trip (They've only been here 20 hours!). So you can keep up with Dan and Christy and us on their Hawaii vacation blog all week long!!

www.hawaiianirish.blogspot.com

YAY! We'll leave it to them to do our blogging for us!

Our Year In 1000 Words Or Less....by: Matt

We got married in Athens on June 30, 2007. Two days later we honeymooned in Punta Cana and watched a bunch of shameless, hairy Europeans prance nude around the beach. Oh, and I lost my sunglasses in the Atlantic ocean. We said goodbye to friends and family, packed up the dog and drove to California in the Malibu (appropriate). I lost my sunglasses somewhere in the 110 degree heat of the Mojave Desert. I think I dropped them in that small lake on the horizon. We got on a plane on August 1st (Jersey almost didn't make it) and moved into a "2 bedroom apartment" that turned out to be just 2 bedrooms in someones basement. Liars! As revenge, Jersey pooped all over their lawn! We got half our money back. I started my job and found out that another guy from Philly, who grew up 15 minutes from me, just started as well. He also just got married. I guess we weren't as unique as we thought. We moved into a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom beach bungalow. Newlyweds Chris and Linda Strom visited. We hung out at Sandy Beach, Makapu'u Point, Bellows, Waimanalo and I stepped on my sunglasses coming back in from the surf. We visited the North Shore and witnessed waves with 40 foot faces. Elizabeth got a job at Kokohead Elementary (what a great name). They called her Auntie before they new her name (strange). Ansley and Michael came to visit. We discussed politics at 3 AM and the cops came by to say hello. We surfed (poorly). We visited the Big Island, got an asthma attack from inhaled volcanic sulfer, and found out that not all Hooters girls are built alike. The Kidds came to visit and we ate Thanksgiving dinner on the beach. We got laughed at by local surfer dudes for trying to go out in the North Shore surf with pink boogey boards. Christmas was spent alone, except when Hawaii 5-0 came by to tell us they loved our Christmas music, but our neighbors had sensitive ears. My Mom came and we saw KC and the Sunshine Band on New Years Eve. He looked aweful, but sounded fantastic. My Dad and Karen came and Dad demonstrated how to fall off a hammock in 1 mintue, how to open a coconut with a large kitchen knife in 45 minutes, and how to fall asleep on the beach next to a corona bottle. I lost my sunglasses somewhere between the parking deck and the hospital. We went to the Pro Bowl (please see previous disturbing blog entry). We hit a low point, got homesick. Our front screen door fell off it's hinges, ants were taking over our bathroom. My friend from California, Mike Brady came to visit. We made a corona commercial and antagonized people in the cold Philly weather with texted beach photos. We then visited Philly and were overwhelmed by the growth of our nephews and the new edition of our niece. When we got back, Rick and Kathryn came to visit. We caught a 17 lb Mahi, saw Jack Johnson and hacked up the course at Turtle Bay. We came home to Georgia, threw Elizabeth a surprise party (welcome to your 30s), missed home even more. We met the new editions (Quinn Clarkson, Johnathan Csontos). I lost my sunglasses somewhere on the Atlanta Highway listening to Love Shack. TK, Greg, and Aletta came to visit. We found out first hand the lives of parents with one year olds. Greg actually fell asleep on the hard tile in our living room, head resting comfortably on the wood table. God Bless them. We went to Maui for our 1 year anniversary. It was luxurious. We stayed at the Westin, drank Mojitos, sang My Life with the top down, drove the road to Hana (3 ours there, 3 hours back, tooth ache the entire time), snorkled at Molokini Crater, and lost my friggin' sunglasses in the Pacific. (Elizabeths' fault). We replaced our screen door. I gave a Grand Rounds presentation at Straub. Elizabeth took a job tutoring two home schooled girls. Apparently their Dad, Phineaus, didn't realize that cheap tutors in the Phillipines are NOT A GOOD THING! We saw Mamma Mia (horrible) and The Dark Knight (awesome). I am growing a beard. We miss everyone and grow more homesick by the day. We have already been discussing our move back to the East Coast, but we still have some things to take care of here. And I will never buy a pair of sunglasses again.

Facebook...or the devil?

Unfortunately I have ignored our blog because I decided to move to the "darkside" and joined Facebook. I stayed away from it for years...laughing at my brother and his young 20 something friends who obsessed over it. Lately the Facebook buzz has made its way into my 30 something group of friends and one of my best friends urged me to join (yes, Reag, I will always hold you responsible for this). I joined under a fake name at first just to see how it worked...I quickly learned that you can't do much if the other people don't "accept" you, and whose going to accept "Jessica James" when they have no clue who that is? So I sucked it up and joined as ME...how novel. I found out that a lot of my other friends were already "profiled" which made me feel a little better. I easily recruited some friends. Now, some of these "friends" are people that I maybe knew of or was an acquaintance of in high school. It has been fun seeing them and reading about what they're up to, but is it necessary for me to spend 3 hours on Facebook looking at every picture they have posted and every comment that someone else has written on their "wall"?? I hadn't even thought of this person in 10 years...and now I'm obsessed with their daily life?? This can't be healthy!

Many people, not me of course, may join Facebook to spy on folks you've always wondered about...maybe your husband's last serious girlfriend before y'all met, maybe your freshman year crush...whatever, all hypothetical, BUT even this is hard. Because if you're spying on someone through Facebook the only info. you may be able to get is a 1inchx1inch photo...which leaves even more to be desired! If you really want the juicy stuff you have to ask them to be your friend and basically out yourself as a stalker.

Another "issue" I'm having is the fact that I'm now receiving friend requests on a daily basis from people that I don't know...or more likely, I don't remember. Of course, I feel guilty turning someone down, so I'm just accepting (maybe said husband's ex-girlfriend is now officially stalking me and I don't know!). I am currently having a love/hate relationship with Facebook...Frankly, the whole thing is ridiculous, but I'm a part of it now and I don't think there's any escaping it! I'm not sure if I would recommend that you join (YAY, more friends for me) or if I would tell you to stay the hell away...probably a combination of both. I will promise to pay more attention to our blog though, which is read by and written for people we miss and care about, unlike my Facebook profile which is being studied by someone that sat next to me in high school Biology and we haven't spoken since.

Other troubling facts about Facebook:
* MOM has triple the amount of "friends" than I do...and she didn't accept me as a friend for 8 long days after my initial request.
* My MOM is even on Facebook...okay, for the record, she's on it because she works with all 20 somethings who only communicate through the damn thing.
* At least 3 of my "friends" are kids that I taught in 1st grade in 2000...and one of them sent me a facebook message that read..."Ms. Kidd, plz dont tell my parents that I have a facebook page!"
* I was compelled to immediately join the Guiding Light fan club and the Addicted to the Hills Facebook group...I can't even believe I'm admitting that!

A Moment of Silence, Please

ATHENS, Ga. --- Private burial services for Uga VI, the mascot for University of Georgia athletic teams, were held Monday afternoon in Sanford Stadium. Uga VI died in his hometown of Savannah, Ga., on Friday from congestive heart failure. He was buried in a marble vault in the Southwest corner of Sanford Stadium with his five predecessors. Speaking at the services were UGA President Dr. Michael F. Adams and former Georgia team chaplain Claude McBride.The Georgia football teams compiled an 87-27 record during Uga VI's tenure, which officially began in 1999 with pre-game ceremonies prior to the South Carolina game. The Bulldogs captured both the 2002 and 2005 SEC Championships as Uga VI became the winningest of all Georgia mascots. Uga VI's record surpassed the previous best mark of 77-24-4 by Uga IV. All of Georgia's athletic teams enjoyed remarkable success during Uga VI's reign. All told, 19 of Georgia's 35 national championships were secured under Uga VI, and Bulldog athletic teams won 35 SEC Championships. In addition, Georgia recorded six top-10 finishes in the Director's Cup, the annual all-sports competition ranking the nation's top athletic programs. A successor to Uga VI will be announced by the Seilers and the Athletic Association at a later date; however, the Seilers have stated that the lineage is secure.

Matt broke this sad story to me while on our anniversary trip in Maui...dampened my mood for sure. A sad day for DAWGS...if the baseball team didn't break our hearts enough last week!!

Midnight Plane to Georgia

Reagan, Taryn, me and Ansley

Okay, so yes, technically we took the midnight plane to Georgia almost a month ago. I promise I've been meaning to blog about our awesome visit, but I think I've been subconsciously putting it off for fear of becoming incredibly homesick. BUT, I will try my best...

We left Honolulu at 5:00pm on May 15th and arrived bright and early in Atlanta on the 16th...which just happened to be my 30th birthday. Mom picked us up and we drove straight to Athens and got in bed (around 10:00am). Matt and I proceeded to sleep the day away and finally drug ourselves out of bed around 4:00 that afternoon. I bolted over to Ansley and Michael's as quickly as I could to meet sweet Quinn and visit with them. Later we had a great Birthday dinner at The Last Resort. Oh, it had been too long since I indulged in some praline chicken! It was fabulous! Of course jet lag sank in and I ended up staying up till 5:00am, which is only 11:00pm in Hawaii, so seemed perfectly natural. I got to hear Alex come home from downtown at 2:45 (Some things never change) and dad get up to go hunting at 5:00 (and more things stay the same). Needless, to say Matt and I were pretty much worthless every day before noon.

Ans, me and Quinn

The next day I was pleasantly surprised! Matt, my parents and my dearest friends had planned a surprise birthday party for me. It was so great to see so many people that we might not have gotten to see otherwise. I am so grateful for the truly wonderful friends and family I have. Okay, starting to get sad..., but living so far away and really missing those you are closest to, has taught me not to take anyone for granted. Thanks so much to those of you who came by and helped me celebrate...it was awesome. Reag and T thanks so much for making the long drive..it meant the world to me.

Matt and I had a wonderful time early in the week spending the night with grandmama. She knows that I miss her tons and staying at her house (which I hadn't done in awhile) was so fun! We ate like champs and even made a trip to the Lavonia Waffle House...we had been craving some scattered, covered and smothered!! It beats a spam musubi any day...you don't even want to know!

Matt and I with Grandmama

We made it to Atlanta by mid-week. We hit up Smith's Olde Bar, The Brick Store Pub, The Flyin' Biscuit Cafe, the O.K. Cafe and of course Cliffy's front porch. Cliff hosted a keg for us and we got to see all our old ATL buddies. It was so great to see everyone and we had a blast! I spent a morning at Clairemont (and yes, was forced to sing at morning assembly...I loved it!). I loved seeing all my kids from last year and it was funny being called Ms. Kidd over and over again...just when I had gotten used to Hogan! I really miss that special school and sweet Rachel, and Karen and Jan and all my wonderful friends there. Matt and I also have to send a thank you out to my Aunt Penley, Uncle Doug, Fields, Jack and Beau for letting us crash at your house while we were in the ATL. Y'all always hook us up...Thank You!

Cliff, Matt, me, Matt Hoffman and Shelby

Coincidentally, we were back in Athens in time for Clarke Middle School's graduation. Normally this would not be a big deal, but the graduating class happened to be the kids that I taught in first grade during my very first year teaching (2000)!!! Wasn't this an eye-opening birthday present!!? So my first group of first graders are off to high school...totally crazy!! It was so great seeing them all grown up. I was so proud of them and of course I cried through half the ceremony.

Quintavious...can you believe it!?

Raisa and YhakeyiaShamarious

Emma and Kate

As our last days in Georgia wound down, we headed to the middle of nowhere (Cumming, GA) to see Dave and Amanda's (oh, and Johnathan's) beautiful new house! We had such a good time hanging out with the Csontos'...just like old times, plus a baby! Their new house is really amazing and seeing those two as parents is a trip...they're naturals! Check out the Csontos blog for pics. of Matt and I with sweet Johnathan! I can't seem to get them over here!

On our last night in town, Ans, Michael and Quinny had us over for an awesome dinner. We didn't want to leave. It breaks my heart to think about how much Quinn will grow before I see her again! Thank goodness Michael is promising a return trip to Hawaii!

Mom and Dad got us to Atlanta in time for our 11:00am flight. We were back in Honolulu by 5:00pm and were lucky that neither of us had to work the next day (memorial day). Since we've been back we've been running around like crazy folks. Matt worked for 14 straight days, I wrapped up the school year and Jersey Girl has just been crazy happy that we are back.

Thanks again to all of you that made my 30th birthday and our trip home so wonderful. Can't wait to do it again!

By the Way... SPAM Musubi...the most popular breakfast food in Hawaii.

My Sweet 31st?

Birthdays begin to lose significance as we get older. Sweet sixteen graduates to 18. 18 begs to be 21. 21 stumbles into 30. And then what? We begin counting our lives in decades instead of events, often forgetting entire years in an effort to deny. Well, I decided to reject that notion. I decided to make my 31st birthday (this past April 18th for those who forgot!) the day to hit for the cycle! I played doubles tennis and mastered a wicked cross court return. I bowled a 226. I birdied a 515 yard par 5 that was littered with 100 foot cliff drops into the ocean. I hit a bottom of the ninth, 2 out, 2 run homerun to win a 1-1 battle. I boxed the toughest girl on the planet and knocked her ass out in the third with nasty jab, jab, body blow, roundhouse jaw breaker combo. Then I finished the day by mastering the guitar, playing to a sold out crowd in Japan, and inviting Slash on stage for an encore jam session. It was a truly eventful 31st birthday.


The two weeks prior to my birthday had been taken up by one grueling day in the hospital after the next. The only thing I really remember during that time was a man from Alabama, here on vacation, who came in with pneumonia. He frequented the islands, visiting with his wife twice a year. I told him I completed my residency at Emory and married a girl from Athens. He then said "I know these islands fairly well and you aren't Hawaiian. And I'm from Alabama, and you sure as &*%$ ain't from the south. So where you from Doc?" He got a kick out of himself, and so did I. Then I told him I was from Canada and called him a hoser.


I worked up until April 14 and am currently in the middle of 2 solid weeks off. On April 16, our friends Rick and Kathryn Rodrigue arrived for what would turn out to be one of the best weeks Elizabeth and I have had in Hawaii. The weather reports leading up to that week were grim. It had rained non-stop the week before and Guy Hogie (his real, real funny, name), our local weatherman, was predicting the worst for the week to come. Now I realize that putting your faith in a weathermans' predictions is akin to believing Philadelphia will win a major championship in the next ten years (better make that 20). And I also realize that backing a hack named Guy Hogie (or Hurricane Schwartz or Flip Spiceland or Amy Freeze) is filled with it's own pitfalls. But despite how often they are wrong, when it comes to ruining your plans, they always seem to get it right. Thankfully, though, Guy continued to be a stellar underachiever and the week turned out to be sunny and 85.


We began with a deep sea fishing excursion aboard the Blue Nun. The boat would suit our purposes, but on first sight it appeared the only thing more removed from a good cleaning were the captains teeth. Captain Bob was a man in his late 50s who had sailed these pacific seas for 20 plus years, never finding the time to see a dentist, or wash his feet apparently. His first mate was a drunk named John who nearly missed our trip after he woke up in his car at 3AM in Waikiki. But John knew his way around boats and gave us all the pointers we needed to reel in the big one. He also told us where to stand, sit, throw-up, and relieve ourselves (very important details in a deep sea adventure). The one warning he gave us was to avoid the fish box (the compartment where the fish are placed when caught) when the door (which opens vertically) was open because it could easily slam down on the person bending over the box to tend to the fish, as it is only held up by weak abutment to an overhang. The door itself was also equipped with two nasty screws just right for puncturing an unsuspecting lung from behind.


So we set out. With the girls on the top deck getting tan and subjecting themselves to the political leanings of el capitan, Rick and I headed to the bottom deck so Rick could throw-up (sorry for calling you out on that one Rick) and I could drink my first birthday beer, before noon. Then, hours passed without a bite. I fell asleep under a false calm. Suddenly, a loud snap broke the din. Elizabeth thought something had broken on the deck below. But I looked up and saw a reel giving way. "Fish On!" I yelled. Everyone came to the bottom deck and Rick got in the chair to haul in the first bite. As he was fighting the fish, a second bit on Kathryns' rod and she too joined in. We were fighting two Mahi Mahis (I think) while the boat rocked violently to and fro. But it wasn't meant to be. After about 5 intense minutes, both fish got loose. Bummer! So I had another beer and went back to sleep. A couple more hours passed, then SNAP! "Fish On"! The bite came to Rick's rod again. However, being the generous, kind soul that he is, Rick let the birthday boy get a crack. I strapped in the chair and began to tug and reel. Tug and reel. The fish jumped as it got closer. As it was nearly boatside, my line knotted and I couldn't reel anymore. In my excitement I forgot to tend to the line. Idiot! But it was still too late, for the fish that is. It was close enough for John to hook it and pull it aboard! A 17 lb Mahi Mahi! Elizabeth wasn't permitted to get near the fish as she would, no doubt, feel immediate remorse and likely attempt to throw it back.






We wouldn't get another bite the rest of the day, but we did have one more bit of excitement. John let the fish pass in the box for 15 minutes. He then opened the door (vertically, with the two death screws waiting patiently) to tend to it (get it ready for a good picture). The boat was rocking non-stop. I got up to see my catch and was off balance from the get go. You know where this is going. As I neared the box, one good jolt of the boat knocked me sideways. To brace myself I reached for the closest "stable" object. It happened to be the box door. As John leaned over the box, the door broke loose. Rick gave a warning shout, which sounded like a slow motion "whoa!", but it was too late. The door mercilously slammed down on John's waiting, unsuspecting, fully exposed back with one loud crunch. Idiot! I immediately assured Jim that I was a doctor to which he pointed out my stockpile of empty beer cans. Touche. Luckily John was cool. And luckily those screws somehow didn't end up lodged in his chest wall. He was fine. Phew! The only comfort I take from this stupidity is that I know it won't be the last time I do something like this. It is just in my nature.


Over the next few days we ate Mahi Mahi, caught some rays, went surfing (if you can call it that), and headed to Turtle Bay. For those unfamiliar, Turtle Bay is a beautiful resort at the North Shore and home to a championship golf course. Rick and I played the Palmer Course while Elizabeth and Kathryn hung out on the beach. Rick tore up the course. So did I, just not in the same way. He played well, while I had enough grass on my clubs at the end of the day to build my own course. But we had a great time.




Sunday soon rolled around for the main event. The Kokua Festival is a concert at the Waikiki shell held by Hawaii native, and resident haulie, Jack Johnson every year. This year, along with Go Jimmy Go and Mason Jennings, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds opened up for Jack. The smell of petuli oil and grass provided an intoxicating aroma (for those who can smell) as the day evolved. Dave and Jack both played awesome sets. They pandered to the crowd, playing favorites like Ants Marching, Crash, Mud Football, and Flake. Tim Reynolds electrified with his fine finger movements culminating in truly great guitar riffs.





I hadn't been to a concert like this in 3 years and was moved to nostalgia. The last one was Music Midtown in Atlanta when John Fogerty opened for Tom Petty, the same concert where I fell in love with Elizabeth. Jack finished his set and walked off the stage. The crowd was not ready to go home and chants for a duet rained down. Finally, Jack and Dave reappeared and sat down for the much lauded finale. They strummed a few cords and we took guesses on what they were going to play. That's when I got punked by Kathryn Rodrigue.





She knew from the first cord that it was Buffett and layed the smackdown when I denied it. But what a great way to end a concert. A Pirate Looks at 40, one of the best Buffett songs of all time, sung by two of the best singer-songwriters of this era.


So my birthday went swimmingly (I love that phrase, even if it makes me look like a dork). I fished, I golfed, I surfed, and I saw a concert for the ages. Oh, and I got the Nintendo Wii and the game Guitar Hero (thanks to Elizabeth and my wonderful in-laws). It's a very cool interactive game system where you can play doubles tennis, bowl, golf, play baseball, box, and jam with Slash. Or, as I call it, hit for the cycle.

Philly Photo-Blog

Matt and I had a wonderful trip to Philadelphia (Ridley, West Chester, Coatesville, Conshohocken...etc)! It was so great to see our family and friends. Matt's friends never cease to amaze me. They ALL came to our wedding in Georgia and when we arrived in PA they promptly planned some great nights out for us. The highlight for us was spending some quality time with Charlie, Billy and Evie Cait (our nephews and niece) and Matt's grandparents, who drove up from Virginia. It was a much needed cure for our island fever, although the 85 degrees today in Hawaii was awesome after a week of 45!! BUT, we'd suffer the cold for these awesome folks anyday!

Thanks so much to everyone that made our trip so great!





Matt, mom-mom &pop-pop, Charlie and Evie, Me and Evie


Bill and Billy, Us and the Maguire Fam, Matt and Christy

Us and John Tinney, Matt and Evie, Billy

Matt's Penn State Friends, Charlie and uncle Map, Me and Christy