Hey, Want to See Some Vacation Photos?

I suppose it's a bit of a cliché, but we had a great time in Hawaii. I just wish you could've all been there with us, readers!

Anyway, maybe you already saw the set on Flickr, but some of these turned out great, so I'm re-sharing.

Iao Valley, which is both pretty and has a nice and bloody backstory.

We also had the chance to drive the road to Hana, a narrow winding highway that takes you through rainforest, towering stands of bamboo, and some amazing views of the ocean.

It also goes by the Keʻanae Arboretum, and luckily Emily had just installed the Hipstamatic app on our phones, so we were ready.





Love these Painted Eucalyptus trees:




Black sand beach:

Pretty cool, but I decided not to swim...


Once we go to Hana, we kept going, and experienced some of the charm and excitement of the Piilani Highway.


At least that highway has those chains on the rocks. A few days later we tried to drive around the north side of the island, but turned back once we saw what the rain had done to driving conditions:




Here's a map, in case this is getting confusing (or is it just me?):

View Maui in a larger map

We also booked a trip to Molokini, a volcanic crater in the ocean with great snorkeling. Also great: Maui Dive Shop--if you're in the market for a snorkeling trip, or gear rental, I'd definitely recommend them.

Should've gotten an underwater camera, but here's a boat photo:


Lots of fun. And Kihei, where we stayed, has lots of nice beaches, so I could enjoy the water and work on avoiding the sun:


Good sunsets in Kihei too!


Okay, back to work.

But don't worry: we have at least one small reminder that we brought home with us.

See it? How about a close-up?


As I said, there are more photos in the set on Flickr. In the meantime, here's a thanks to you for reading, courtesy of Emily's camera and the waste bins at the delicious Maui Tacos:

Leaving the Mainland

Talk to you soon, reader.

In the meantime, I've finished my grades and submitted a draft of a huge project... and now E and I are heading out in search of this sort of thing:



View vacation! in a larger map

Cheers, and Happy holidays!

Birds, Frogs, and Kids

Thanks to Magen for sending more cute photos!


As she reminded us in an email, Evan's outfit was once Braxton's... here's a blurry old cell phone photo:






Now for a few more kids, courtesy of one Luke Tillo (and Facebook):


Finally, I think I may have posted this song in past Decembers, but it's worth another listen, especially with the recent sad anniversary:

Suit the Action to the Word, the Word to the Action

Maybe you heard that we were at the Center House Theatre.

We were there to see Hamlet, which continues to amaze me. This production got some raves, so we checked it out. A few interesting moves, but on the whole a pretty straight and very good version of what is by far the greatest work of literature I've ever spent time with.

Last shows are this weekend, so you'd better get moving if you want to see it! ;)

In other Shakespeare news, did you hear about Patrick Stewart doing Macbeth a couple of years ago? The review in the Times was so positive we were checking airfare to New York at the time.

Alas, we didn't make it, but don't worry: PBS has put a recording up online! Haven't had a chance to watch yet, but I'm really looking forward to it.

Can't wait any longer? Here's the opening scene:

Watch the full episode. See more Great Performances.

Play on!

Thanks for Last Week--with Photos!

So our friends Nick and Ben live just down the street, and they had us over for Thanksgiving at their lovely home.

(And thank goodness they live so close, with all of that SNOMG business!)

Jon, Emily, myself, and Ben, enjoying pre-dinner snacks (yes, snacks on Thanksgiving: I laugh in the face of danger!)

Nick and Sara took most of the photos, but here's Nick, carving the (delicious!) turkey:


After dinner board games:


And of course pie!

Everyone agreed it was best to just have both...

Among so many other things, I'm grateful for our wonderful friends.


Meanwhile, they get serious snow in Montana:

Good thing King County doesn't have any buses there!

(Thanks to my dad for the photographic reminder of what November looks like in the mountains!)

Okay reader, our quarter's ending in a flurry of excitement, so, for now, cheers!