Maui the weather sucks, but the food...

This is evidence of the brown surf. Then the last day in Maui we woke up early, it was dry and we went to go to Lahina to shop and have some breakfast. Only the Typhoon stopped us. Next pic is out our lani in Ka'anapali the pool water was level with the concrete and running toward the main building of the Hotel. We flew to Kauai at 2pm, our flight out was the first one of the day because the airport had been closed during the thunder and lightning earlier in the day. But all was not lost in Maui. We had yummy Malasada's (Portuguese donuts) that were hot out of the oven/fryer. On the road to Hana we spotted this fun bathroom door, that I gave a big kick to and now have a black eye to prove it, just kidding. We stopped at a roadside stand for pork tacos and got to try breadfrui. It actually had the texture of white bread, we ate it with butter and sweet chili sauce and it was tasty. More pictures of Hana and good times there in the rain to come, the battery on my camera died after the breadfruit so Mike has to do some work before you can see the black sand beach.

Maui

Sunday in Maui we started by going to a bar at 8am to watch the MN football game. On the way back we put our toes in the ocean. Based on the storm system that has come through it is the only good day to have done it. Now the ocean is full of runoff and sand and the water is brown and gross. Pati and Eric got married at 5 on the beach and the sky cleared and the sun started to come out for them. We got to watch the lighting of Black Rock as part of our walk out on the beach for the wedding. The woman that married Eric and Pati. Mike and I had seen earlier in the hotel and named her Chaka Kan after her very beautiful hair. She sang to Eric and Pati and gave them a very beautiful ceremony that brought tears to many...even me.

Flying monkey

Bella has a toy that is a flying monkey. The first one was a gift from Kari from back in the days when Bella lived in my car in the EB parking lot. Bri and Kari had bought it at a gas station and for whatever reason this toy became one of her favorites. Its days ended in Seattle when she almost got to the part that houses the electronics that make it scream when you throw it. Here in DC I found her a new one at Bed Bath and Beyond, that is really beyond if you ask me but she was very glad to have it. She has proceeded to chew the face off and now it smells bad so she is due for a new one. I picked one up on Friday while at the B B &B and carried it and the other things I had bought out to the car where Bella was waiting for me. Now that it is colder I take her along as my sidekick so she does not cry in her kennel at home. I left the bag in the car to go run other errands and came back to the car to find Bella and the new monkey laying in the drivers seat. BAD DOG. How did she know that was in there, what must it smell like to her that she can sniff it out like that, and what a weird obsession she has with the flying monkey. The rest of the drive I had to keep pushing her head away from the bag as she was trying to get it back out, she knows it is for her. Now you probably think I am mean and why not let her have it. Well I have my reasons. When we go to Hawaii at the end of the month our friend Isaac is staying with Bella for us so I bought it for HIM to give to her while we are gone so she thinks he is a cool guy and associates him with the arrival of the new monkey. So there.

Halloween 07

I can not resist I admit I am that person. I have to dress up the dog she hates it and that might take like 10% of the fun out of it. We got this costume at Target, love that place. The head piece has slits for her ears to pull through and then Velcro's by her neck so there was no way she could get it off, this is a genius move by someone and people should really note that. I could get her in way more things if this was done. Anyways we are not endorsing Bee Movie and I called her bee girl and tried to get her to dance like the blind melon video, and she wore this thing almost all day. As a kid I remember wanting to sleep in your costume and Mike spared her that and she slept in her regular cute outfit. Oh and notice how her stump of a tail is the stinger. We did not have to pay extra for that it just was there. I dressed up as an unemployed person which meant I wore sweats and my hair in a pony all day. Mike had some special things going on at work so he wore his dress uniform, turns out that is not a costume to him.

Disneyland day 2

Second day we hit the park again, starting at California Adventure. Got some GIANT corn dogs and did the park. Going on a Monday meant that there was no one there. Mike and I rode the rides saw the Muppet 3-d movie and even got on soar'n a second time in the few hours we were there. We joined the fam over at the Happiest place on earth and had some fun with the Streets that were there hiding from any news that something might have happened to their house that was evacuated from the fires. I cannot think of a better place to try and escape from that. Turns out their house made it so that is good.

Disneyland day 1

We went to LA for my grandma's 80th birthday. Managing to swing the trip into Disneyland as well was not hard to wrangle the Lennox clan into doing. Sunday night mom, dad, Mike, Sara and I hit the park in the middle of the Santa Ana windstorm that was blowing dust and sadly lots of smoke from the wild fires that were burning down there. We got to see the Haunted Mansion Holiday that is a personal favorite and did our best to do the whole park in 5 hours. The place is done up for Halloween because why do anything small.

Chinese food

I know every family has traditions and you can not really explain them to others. Ours involves this random Chinese Restaraunt in Whittier CA where we have gone for years. We get the big tables in the back with the lazy susans and everyone orders 1 dish for that will be shared with the family. Sara always orders the hot and sour soup because it is her favorite and a large bowl comes to the table and gets put in smaller bowls so everyone can have some. I had not clearly explained these traditions to Mike so we sat down at the table and he decided he wanted to have some Egg Flower soup. That did not go over well and from now on he will be known for that action. He quickly caught on and even supported wearing a napkin on his head as is tradition at the Chinese restaurant. Again do not ask it has gone on so long I do not even know anymore. Assume it all has something to do with my dad, if you know him, you will understand this.