It has been about 2 months since I last posted a blog. You would think that would be ok and that nobody was really that interested in my life anyway. But one thing I have learned since Elizabeth started this blog is that most people have too much time on their hands and reading blogs and bitching about lack of posting is one thing they do to pass it. I have not been more harassed about a spare time activity since my masochistic, high school wrestling coach told us, on a daily basis, that we couldn't beat the "Sisters of the F$%^ing Poor". So thanks everyone for bringing back those long suppressed memories.
Anyway, after Halloween, I worked 21 straight days without a day off. I got into a regular routine of breakfast, work, lunch, work, dinner, sleep, work. It was a great time. I forgot what an actual day off felt like. I was able to take advantage of some physician kick backs during that time, however. First, we had a physicians recognition dinner at the Oahu Country Club. It was a very nice club and on more than one occasion I was wondering what I was doing there. At one point they introduced all the new physicians and we had to go stand in front of the podium to be recognized. Elizabeth had to come up with me and while more names were being announced she told me to "stand up straight". Apparently, I was slouching against the window ledge behind me and looked like some kind of professional slacker. That is pretty standard for me. But the night ended without further incident and the ambiance was superb. On another occasion, I went to a drug rep dinner at Nobu, a japanese/seafood restaraunt huge on the West Coast. The cheapest dish is about $50. I ordered the most expensive food on the menu, ate 5 courses, and did not pay a thing. The tab went to some pharmaceutical company I can't remember...thanks. I learned a little about more effective ways to treat heart disease, but mostly I learned how to effectively use chop sticks without looking like a complete jerk. I would later be complimented on my skills at a Beni Hana (ask the Kidd family).
The Kidd Family arrived just as my 21 day shift came to a close. A vacation with the family was just what I needed. Alex came to stay with us and the Mr and Mrs stayed at the Hilton in Waikiki, which turns out to be a cool little village filled with shops, pools, restaraunts, and even a small peguin habitat (that my Mother-in-Law became obsessed with). On my first official day off Alex and I went golfing at the Hawaii Kai golf course. We got paired with a couple who were Boise State fans. In fact, Boise State fans littered the beautiful Hawaiian landscape all week, just waiting to get beat by the undefeated and underrecognized Rainbow Warriors. I vowed to harass the guy the entire game but he turned out to be pretty nice, and from Canada.....phony. Anyway, I played as well as anyone who hasn't played in a year and, thankfully, drank too much to continuously keep score. But the course was beautiful, Alex played well, and we had a good time.
The following day we went to Pearl Harbor. The area is basically a big museum with the official memorial a short boatride to an open structure overlying the location where the USS Arizona sank and still lies (and still leaks oil!). Before going to the memorial, groups of about 100-150 are shown a 23 minute movie. It is a very educational and sad experience, but one any American, or Japanese for that matter (we may have even been outnumbered) would want to see. Interestingly, the ranking Admiral aboard the Arizona was named Isaac Kidd. Needless to say, the place is solemn and patriotic and represents one of the more significant points in American history. But this did not stop one dirty old man from wearing a "Liquor in the Front, Poker in the Rear" T-shirt. Priceless.
The rest of the week we spent traveling the island. On Thursday we went to the North shore where we swam in enormous, 15-20 ft waves and I got bullhorned by a lifeguard for drifting dangerously close to a rocky jetti as I unsuccessfully tried to boogy board on surfing sized waves (just about the entire beach looked at me then and after I got out as I was scolded by the YOUNGER lifeguard. I guess I am just a clueless haole, but it isn't a vacation until someone makes an idiot of themeselves) That night we ate a long, drawn out, 2-3 helping Thanksgiving dinner at the Hilton. It wasn't like home, but we had turkey, prime rib, stuffing, potatoes (not mashed? what the hell?), crab legs (huh?), bread and all the other fixin's. The dessert sucked. We then closed out the week Hawaiian style with a 4 hour luau. The Luau was actually really cool. It was basically one big pig roast, served with a lot of Hawaiian culture and 5 free drinks. There were flame throwers, hula girls, ukelele's, a hukilau (look it up), and games of skill (if you still need to fish with spears). Elizabeth even got on stage (typical) to learn how to hula. In the end, it was a great week and we hope they had as great of a time as we did. 
Well, I wrote a long one. Now stop harassing me and be prepared for my next installment.....in three months!
