Slowly but slowly

“Slowly but slowly,” as our roommate at the company condo Egan likes to say. “We’re slow, but we’re expensive!” as my uberskilled carpenter cousin Ian likes to say. 

It's all coming together here, but it'll be a while until we're truly cruising. We’ve moved into our new place and are getting settled in. 

We had a *great* ultimate tournament last weekend.  One of the best I’ve been to.  My opinion may be partially swayed by the fact that I felt the best I’ve felt at a tournament for a long time.  This was another story, thanks to lots of stretching and really slow running for the last year or so.  Ah, the discipline I never had in highschool or college.  I didn’t get the least bit injured, as far as I can tell.  That may actually be a first.  But on top of the personal victory, the tournament was awesome. 

We got good beer Friday and Saturday nights, good dinner both nights, a live band and a firedancing performance on Saturday, camping both nights, breakfast both days, great field food, including all the fresh local avocados, starfruit, and bananas you could eat; a pool and an ocean to swim in…all for $50.  Big props to the TDs.  It was really great to meet all the players, too.  Many from Alaska.  Many from the mainland.  I was most happy, though, to meet the other Hawaii players.  Ultimate is going to be fun here.

I’ll try to keep it short.  We don’t have internet at our new place yet, but every once in a while, my computer picks up a signal from one of the coffee shops down on Alii Drive.  Right now, I’m riding their waves and feeling fortunate.  So I’ll sign off and keep my fingers crossed that this actually posts.  When we get a more reliable connection, I will balance the personal posts with some more informative (and graphically interesting) ones.  For now, I’ll take the fleeting connection as a good omen!

comments

I've gotten some complaints about not being able to post comments!  I don't know what the problem is.  I'll try to fix it!


In the meantime, here are some of my responses to yer comments:

Thanks for the comments!  Glad you're out there checking this out.

The frisbee pickup was fun.  A good group of people out there, playing hard.  Wide range of skill levels. A good family game to get in on.  We are excited to go again this Sunday. We are also planning to attend a hat tournament next weekend north on the Kohala coast with some of the players.  Exciting!

Carl the cane spider left us.  I've yet to see any a 'is kin. I have see a lot of these buggers called orb spiders.  They are much smaller, but more scary looking.  Have a peek.   Also huge crabs?  Easy blog to waste time on.  Kind of like mine?

Here's a new (and accurate) picture of a garden orb weaver spider, on the milkweed bush in our yard. It caught a honeybee, so you can see how big it is.  What a feast!  These things are everywhere.  No problems yet. This milkweed bush is really buzzing with activity. I'll for sure put some more stuff up on it.

this is Argiope appensa, commonly called the Garden Spider or orb weaver spider.  Scientists eh?  Can't even be moved enough by that nasty bugger to give it a unique name!  I bet I can find a Hawaiian name.  In theory, I like spiders.  But the ones around here are giving me the creeps.  Fortunately, I haven't found a dangerous one yet.

Here's a good info page on weaver spiders. It sounds like there will be some interesting spider discoveries in my future here.

Kale?

Some personal updates:

Beth and I looked at a pretty nice house yesterday.  We're submitting and application tomorrow.... we'll let you know!

Today, once I finish my chores (Beth ain't happy when she gets home from work and I haven't gotten my chores done) we're going to go to the local pickup ultimate frisbee game!  We're excited, but don't know what to expect.  This is a small town, and I think most locals are more apt to get out the surfboard or soccer ball than frisbee, but it should be fun.  Sorry Robbinsdale.

There is a local fruit and vegetable market/bazaar down in Kailua Town, just a walk or short bikeride from Ali'i Cove.  I went today and scored this:

A bag of Thai chillies, two limes, a tomato, a huge avocado, two mangoes, two peppers, two bunches of bananas. $7.  How them hard squashes?  I haven't found any squash or suitable kale replacement yet, but I think I can make due.  Can you find the frisbee in the picture above?  MN pride?

I got a kama'aina (hawaiian for child of the land) or resident discount on these beauts; I'm learning how to ask for a kama'aina discount and when its appropriate to bargain.  It's a whole new challenge.