Big Plans

I have them. Yes I do. At the moment, there are plans in the works to map out and perpetrate a bicycle ride around the island of O'ahu. This is made more difficult by the fact that I don't have my bike here, but there is a store nearby that will rent me a road bike in my size for a (somewhat) reasonable price. After a little searching for routes to take, I've finally settled on one that is about 14o miles long and includes a hike that is approximately 5 miles thru a state park/game land on the northwest corner. That might actually be a nice place to spend the night now that I think about it. I wonder if I could find anyone who wants to go with me. I would also be traveling without a tent during the rainy season, but perhaps camping on the leeward side would protect me from the torrential downpours that seem to be a nightly (and daily) occurance 'round these parts. I wonder if I can pull this off, because it would be fun. Maybe I can get my dad to come bike with me. He's retired now, or so I hear. He even went fishing the other day.

Because I found it funny, that's why.

The soap dispenser in the bathroom at work is broken. The only way to get soap out of it is to squeeze it in a motion IDENTICAL to the one you would make if you were milking a cow.

Ephemeral Encounter

I saw a girl on the bus today
Her beauty passing fair
When she smiled I’d not look away
Her face framed with honeyed hair

I spoke not to her on this day
But doubt I’ll soon forget
All the things one cannot say
To those one hasn't met

To the woman I may never know
Thank you for the way
You made the world turn so slow
Tho I had naught to say

I'm big in Japan.

Today I got to be in a show! We were late getting in for the first interaction, and so we were short staffed during the first JTB (Japanese Travel[or Tourism, I forget which] Bureau). A JTB program is when a bunch of Japanese tourists pile off a bus, come in, and watch a 10 minute program. (Hence the derogatory name Japanese Tour Bus) Because we were short staffed, I and one of the other interns were pulled away from scrubbing coolers and enlisted to help control the dolphins that would be used. I ended up with Laka, a blind retired Navy dolphin, and one of the oldest animals at the park. She can't see at all, and so all her commands are done by touching certain parts of her body. For example, to make her vocalize, you have to stroke the area on the left side of her melon between her eye and blowhole. To make her hula dance, you have to draw a small circle on her head, etc. So, we got to perform for a bunch of Japanese tourists, and by Jove, it was FUN. Also, I am a big fan of Tim's collaborative fiction project if you have not heard of it, check it out. Contributing authors as of this moment are Tim, Mooney, and myself, but I'm sure this will grow rapidly in the very near future.

http://collaborativefiction.blogspot.com/

Mission: Productivity. Status: SUCCESS!

Well, this weekend I had my first days off in about a month. In fact, I had three of them. In a row. First day was spent with you typical lounging around, beach napping, and reading, but the second day, woooooBOY!

8am: wake up
9am: get on bus, go to bank, deposit check, pick up prescription for roommate
10am: eat breakfast at Boots & Kimo's, a famous local breakfast place
11am: get back on the bus, go to Honolulu, get off at Ala Moana Center, and wander around the 4 story outdoor mall with KOI PONDS inside.
12pm: stop off at Swatch store to see if they can fix my watch pin problem. They not only do so, but they also clean it and re-size it for free!
1230pm: Go to the body exhibit. Walk thru the skeletal system, respiratory system, circulatory system, nervous system, look at a body sliced into about 1oo different parts. It is AWESOME. Sadly, pictures were not allowed
2pm:Go to the bookstore
3pm: leave the bookstore
310pm: pick up watch, go have a wonderfully spicy burger and a beer while reading my new book that I picked up. Also talked to my parents for about half an hour. That was nice.
4pm: Walk into the Honolulu Zoo. I get in for $4 because I'm a "local".
5pm: get chased out of the zoo because they are closing
7pm: get home, eat dinner. Productivity successful.

Oh, and the other night I was mistaken by a local for his friend's son. Apparently I don't look like a haole too much. Probably because I'm not blond.

In other news, THIS is really kinda funny if it's true.

And now for something completely different. . .

. . .A praying mantis in a party hat.