On top of that, I’ve taken a nap, eaten cupcakes, and done some reading. Plus there are two very happy guys in my backyard (okay, one’s my husband) drinking gin and tonics and grilling pork.

Waikiki and Diamond Head

Toes

Sails

Sunset

The espresso machine at Manifest, a bar Frans has become very fond of as a place to hang out and wait for me after work until I show up and the adventure begins:

Gold Gate Lounge sign:

Frans and Nuuanu Ave sign:

Shop display:

It’s actually a darn cool tree – there are already five or six fruits on it, and hopefully it will make more. We’ll get it in the ground this weekend.

But we got there, more or less on time, and it was beautiful, and we were truly the dork library couple as the following photo attests:

(photo by Andrew Wertheimer)

I sat in various sessions by various librarians and learned a lot about how libraries are working to incorporate new technologies to be more useful/relevant/far-reaching in their communities. Sarah of Librarian in Black talked about (among many other things) free software that could help libraries do more with less. I’ll get links up to some of it eventually, but for now I’ll stick to pictures. Speaking of which – just loaded the mountain photos from my camera:

Incredible, yes?

Frans and I have been saving leis for the last two or three years – leis we’ve been given for birthdays, graduation, our wedding, and other things, as well as leis visitors have left at our place before leaving the island. We would throw them over the arm of a reading lamp we have, and the collection got so heavy that in the end we couldn’t even raise it up to read by. Unfortunately, some of them started getting a little stinky, and pieces were constantly falling off and getting all over the floor and sofa.

So we finally decided to throw them all out. It was a rough decision, because they were so pretty, and there were so many memories wrapped up in them. But at least I got a photo, and now I won’t have to sweep stinky flower petals off the floor every day.

I’ve been taking guitar lessons for a few months now, but today, with my teacher’s blessing, I brought the ukulele to my lesson instead. The poor thing’s been sitting around neglected, and I figured it would be a good idea to at least learn the basics so I could mess around with it at home. I learned some basic chords and a couple fun songs, and realized a ukulele’s a lot easier both to play and to carry around. It was great fun.

Still, I think I’ll keep concentrating on the guitar. I love how it sounds, and I (sometimes) like the challenge it gives me. I guess the greatest thing is having both sitting next to me, so I can pick up whichever one I feel like.

Tiniest apples, found at Star Market. For all their cuteness, they really didn’t taste that great. A little mealy.

Brown rice has become our staple rice now. It’s easy to make in the rice cooker if you just add a touch more water than for white and soak it fifteen minutes before you turn the cooker on.

Blueberries from Pike Place Market in Seattle a few weeks ago. Yum.

I am very interested in the launch of Belletrista, a journal of literature by women from around the world. Must read. Also want to donate and get that cool tote bag.

Have started compiling photos of our Cooking Adventures – mainly to print out and paste into a new blank book we got from a friend, but an online component might be fun too. Tonight Frans grilled whole sardines (!) and showed me how to pull out the spines and eat the rest.

Guitar is excellent. I am learning cool songs and playing them very badly but enjoying the whole process.

Adele. I cannot stop listening to her album. To the point where my obsessive dedication to Bregovic is suffering.

Funny guys outside Cheeseburger Waikiki.

Flower at Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Seed pod on the sidewalk. This picture disturbs me because it looks like a painting. But it’s not. That’s just how the sidewalk looked, and how the seed pod looked.