Friday...In Maui...May 16th...2008

Linda got her trip to Hana today as well as an additional trip to the Charles Linbergh grave site....the road to Hana is 47 miles of twisting...narrow....54 one lane bridges (each way)...an exciting venture for sure.....
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Linda's favorite Hawaiian flower is above...the African Tulip tree.

Tonight we walked down to the Moose McGillycuddys Pub for dinner....unlimited fish and chips....I ate too much!

We are back watching a Annie Lennox Concert on DVD...just to remind Linda that she looks a lot like Annie with the short hair....I'd like to see her leave it that way.....after experiencing 1,429 (at least) Linda "bad hair days" in the last 28 years.

Tomorrow is another beach day...Sunday a trip to the top of the volcano in the National Park...We stopped today and got Linda her National Parks Golden Age Pass....one benefit of getting old..."I mean older"....

Monday morning we fly home....

Dave

ps...I heard a statement that caught my attention the other day (don't remember where..but it stuck with me).....and I can hear Linda saying this: "I had cancer....it didn't have me".

Thursday...In Maui...May 15th....2008

Today we went to the beach and found: So we spent a lot of time on the beach and not much else....

Wednesday....In Maui...May 14th....2008

Today we went to the beach and found: So we went back and spent some time by the pool and not much else....

Tuesday...May 13th...2008

Today we drove from Kehei to Lahaina......tourist trap all the way......then up to Kapalua and around the "hill" to the main town of Kahului (where we were docked originally on the cruise)...and had a "fine" lunch at Costco.

When one goes around the "hill" from Kapalua, they don't say much about the road....one lane (at most) for 8 miles and a shear cliff on the driver's side to the waters below (ok, they do.....but by the time you figure out what that really means.....you can't turn around)....It was soooo bad, my vertigo said..."Linda has to drive"...and she did....for 8 miles.

The pictures say it all...starting with the Banyon tree in Lahaina to the beautiful waters north..and then the "one lane" road with Linda driving....

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Monday Evening...May 12th, 2008

Today we went to the beaches and explored the southwestern part of Maui.....and walked to dinner...a Mexican restaurant named "Fred's" (honestly). Tomorrow we travel to Lahaina...and the northwestern part of Maui.

We are staying in southern Kihei where we rented the bottom half of a home with a pool and all.

Click on the map below to make it larger...

Sunday.....May 11th...2008

PS...Did you notice Miss Linda is "spiking" her hair......look closely at some of the pics!

Sunday.....May 11th...2008

Yesterday...Saturday...on Maui... our last day on the ship...we left for Honolulu in the late afternoon and docked this morning and "off loaded"....the pictures are from Saturday on Maui.
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Even though the cruise was "free style" with no set dinner time or table or....like a regular cruise, we "adopted" table "22" with waiter Trevor and assistant waiter Jasmine...they had fun..and so did we.
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Bob and Brenda from St. Louis joined us for two nights at table "22"
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Sunday...May 11, 2008

Off the ship....fly back to Maui....set up house for a week.

Some pictures from a couple of days ago in Kona on the big island of Hawaii:

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Thursday May 8th...2008

More pictures:

Our trip to the active crater...and a walk through a lava tube...then dinner with a delightful couple from Atlanta.....this cruise is called "freestyle"...it has no exact eating hours..we don't care for it much as with the standard dinner sittings on other cruises, you get to connect more with other folks...and the food and service is better...the food has been not very good...for an NCL cruise...not what we are used to on these cruises...oh well!...
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Thursday...May 8th, 2008

Aloha..from the big island of Hawaii...

See pictures below of our "take-off" to Hawaii and our first few days in the islands....we went first to Kauai after landing and boarding the ship in Honolulu....we then have arrived on the big island and spent a day at Hilo (exploring the massive crater on top and seeing the lava flows into the ococean at night...today we are in Kona...exploring the shops...tomorrow it's a day and a half in Maui.

Linda is holding up well...we have been moved to a balcony cabin as our first cabin was the "cabin from hell"..plumbing problems...joggers over our head...cold showers, etc..etc....Now things are much better.

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Saturday...May 3, 2008

Tomorrow the official "Linda's Survival Trip" begins at 6 am tomorrow when we head to the airport for Hawaii and a 7 day inter island cruise followed by 8 days on Maui. Is she up to the "task"....you bet.

Dave

Thursday....May 1, 2008

Dave and I are busy packing up for our Hawaiian trip. I never understand how suitcases get so heavy so fast! We think we have everything we need, but I'm sure we'll forget something.

We leave tomorrow morning for the valley where we are looking at properties before our flight to Honolulu Sunday morning. We met with realtors here today to discuss the marketing of this house. Things have not been selling around here lately, but we are hopeful as we have a very unique home in a great location on the water.

I've been exerting more energy than usual the last week getting this place ready to put on the market, but don't seem too much the worse for wear. That pleases me that I must be getting stronger each day.

We'll try to take some time during our vacation to check in with you and stay "Wish you were here". I know we'll have a great time relaxing and celebrating my new health.

Love and gratitude.....Linda

Sunday Evening...April 27th, 2008

Dave and Linda are celebrating Linda's test results by going to Hawaii...yea!

We leave this weekend and catch a 7 day cruise in Honolulu which travels to all the islands..... which will give us insights for future trips. After the 7 days we fly to Maui where we have rented a home and will see the sights and beaches and all for 8 days.

Linda is doing well...we walked a long ways yesterday and she didn't miss a beat....today we went to our old church in Bend so folks could see how well she was doing...we also ran into some old friends in Bend who didn't even know she had been ill and though she looked the same as always (a compliment in a way).

Tomorrow Linda (and I) are cooking dinner for friends who took good care of us during the difficult times. I then get a couple more days of skiing and then it's off to Portland to get ready for the trip.

Dave

Thursday.....April 24th...2008

Today Linda has been quite "tasky"...going through our "stuff" and donating clothes.....dumping paper files...and consolidating family pictures....of course she ignored warnings and wore herself out...but she is determined. Tomorrow she will most likely be at it again....

Brother Darron spent 3 days here before leaving for the Alcan highway in his motorhome.....on to Anchorage, Alaska. He flew down to drive it back up to Alaska...thinking the weather was good enough. We played cards a couple of times while he was here...and of course he won immediately...per usual...even though he had never played the game before....but last night we got him good...."from the top to the bottom!". Linda's picture reflects the first effort!

.It was a good visit....he was amazed at the progress Linda has made.

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Dave

Tuesday in Central Oregon...April 22nd, 2008

A snowy day in Central Oregon..is it really near the end of April?

I wanted to share some pictures from the Long Beach Grand Prix dinner we put together....they are to show how great Linda looked and did at the dinner...what a"champ" herself:

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Introducing driver Jimmy Vasser and past Champ Car CEO Dick Eidswick...

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Introducing fan favorite Champ Car team owner Dale Coyne.....

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Introducing driver Bruno Junquiera....

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Introducing Autoracing 1 President Mark Cipolloni....

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Introducing fan favorite driver Paul Tracy ("PT") and Tommy Kendall ("TK").....

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Introducing driver Nelson Phillippe...clearly a fan favorite...

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Introducing Champ Car starter (waves the green and checkered flags) JD Wilbur...

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Linda receiving a plaque from the Inner Circle fans for their appreciation...

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Dave