Twilight

Timber and I both teach Jr High School students. I've seen all of my female students go gaga over the book Twilight. I'd seen the previews for the movie (recently released) and wrote the whole thing off as a high school epidemic. Until...

Timber has quite a reader in his class. They connect with each other by sharing books. Often time Timber will roll his eyes while reading saying, "This one is for kids." However, after his student gave him Twilight, he read the book with very few eye rolls.

I got a cold last week and picked up the book while I was confined to the couch. I read it in the two days it took my body to fight off the grimies.

WE ARE HOOKED!

Ya see, there is a series of 4 books. The student had all of them and has graciously passed them on to us. Timber stays just a book ahead of me and has been keeping the secrets well. Here it is just 2 and 1/2 weeks later and I'm waiting for him to finish the last book so I can suck the blood out of it.

Baby Girl

Here we are with our bun in the oven. This photo was taken the second week of December while Dick Auth was visiting. It was just about that time when people started saying, "Oh, you are starting to show." So here she is...Miley Rain Auth.
We're in the 5th month of pregnancy and doing great. the nausea has passed. Thank goodness! I'm back to doing yoga and taking walks and treating Timber nicely.

BIG News!

Timber and I are very excited to share the news about our pregnancy!!! We're expecting the new arrival to our family at the beginning of May. So far the pregnancy has been quite an adventure in nausea and fatigue for Jean E and extra house work and cooking for Timber. We strive to be present throughout each moment, knowing that we will never be in this exact space again. However, I think we will both be happier once the nausea passes.

Yesterday we had our first prenatal doctor visit. We're just starting our 11th week of pregnancy. We got to hear baby's heart beat. It was so authome; it made us both a bit teary.

Kip and Katie

Our good buddies Kip and Katie make quite a trip from Colorado to come play with us here in Hawaii. They did a great job stripping those ski boots and wooly hats for some tropical sun. Here are some photos from their visit.

Check out this photo from the when we went to see the lava. AUTHOME!

Lava is Authome!

Anyway you think about it, lava is amazing. It is hot, red, powerful, metamorphasizing, liquid rock. Yum!

Pele has been letting it rip for the past month here on the Big I. Timber rallied the troops (Sarah, Mike, Katie, Phil, Gus and me) to head out to see the show. We dragged our bums out of bed on Sunday morning and made it to the lava field at 4:15 am. We got an amazing show! Here are some of our photos. Oh and a little film clip with famous star as the main character.

Friends

On our East Coast travels, Timber and I got to see some good buddies.

Jen Smith is one of my best friends! We were roomies and teammates in college. She was the maid of honor at my wedding. She has become an honorary sister in my family (she has joined us for Christmas and other important holiday). Even though she lives in DC, I still get to see her cute face at least once a year. She flew up to Maine for the 4th of July and played with us at the lake. She paddled Ry and I around in the canoe. We also had an enjoyable yoga sesh on the dock. I love ya Jen!!!

We also got to hang with Crister at the lake. We met in college and became great friends. She was also one of my roomies in Chico. She is a Maine native and made a short drive over to the lake to hang with us. Crister is a wonderful guitar player and has a beautiful voice. She strummed for Lainie's wedding and sang a few songs around the campfire for us.

Other visitors to the lake; Josh, Katie, and their dog Betty. They drove up for a night at the lake, and then we met up with them at their place in New Hampshire. More to come about our adventures in NH.

Handcock Pond

Handcock Pond is really a lake. A beautiful lake in Maine where Timber and I got to meet and hang with the Conley family. They showed us how to summer it up Maine style. Here are some highlights...

FIREWORKS
Jeff and Timber paddled out to the dock at sunset on the 4th of July. In the canoe with them were many illegal explosives which they proceeded to blow into the night sky. I love that Jeff's wife Amy asked Timber to do the honors with Jeff (all others wisely declined the pyro position on the 4x4 wood dock) because if both her and Jeff were killed in an accident "Who would care for the children?"

As the guys got into a rhythm and their brilliant display flowed into a bouquet of light, the Pond Fire Marshall showed up. No more boom boom.

SPEED BOAT

Cousin Tim owns a boat and the many recreational accessories that got with it. We enjoyed water skiing. It was the first time either Timber or I had been on water skis since were were about 12. FUN!

Not so fun...the Hot Dog. Timber, Ry, and I all piled onto the inflatable Hot Dog and dared Tim to rip. With a sly grin, he gassed it. We held on for about 3/4 turn around the lake then, as Tim got to mock 5, the Dog started hydroplaning across the water surface. I smiled ear to ear feeling those milliseconds of zero gravity between lifting away from the water and coming back down. Freedom.

But, one of those weightless touchdowns, where the dog is supposed to kiss the water's surface and lift off again, we hit the wake.

FU@K*N$ OUCH!

All three of us were hurled off the Dog. Like sipping stones we skimmed the water (which at mock 5 is more like cement) and then slammed into the cool depths. With the air knocked from our lungs, Timber, Ry, and I resurfaced gasping for breath. We all managed to wave a white flag to captain Tim, who gave us the gentle kiddy ride back to the dock. (note: Timber and Ry along with Mike took another round on the Hot Dog and really enjoyed themselves. They've mastered the Hot Dog technique and can take Tim's mock 5 . I'm not going to try it again.)

Mike and Lainie est. 7/5

This one goes out to Mike and my sis Lainie. These two amazing people who have a wonderful life ahead of them. They were married earlier this month on the shores of Handcock Pond in Maine.

Ironic fact about the couple:

Mike is the oldest of four brothers.

Lainie is the oldest of four sisters.

.Another irony: All eight of the siblings were present at the ceremony. Now that part really excites me because I know how difficult it is to get our family together. Add another quad of siblings and BHAM, Brady Bunch reunion. But, no joke, the Connely family is amazing. We had such a great time during the week of festivities surrounding the wedding. We did the lobster thing (see posting below), we watched/set off fireworks (Jeff and Timber got sweated by the pond fire Marshall), we swam and water skied, we ate and drank and sang around the camp fire. So it really was a Brady Bunch reunion. I loved every moment of it. I hope each year Lain and Mike spend together is full of this spirit, love and family. Best Wishes!

LOBSTER!

We've been on a classic American summer vacation. That is... a

classic New England summer vacation. A few long hours cramped on an airplane (okay, two days of flying) found us in Maine. Let me tell you, there are a heap of authome things to do in Maine.

We went lobster catching on the 3rd of July. Here's a photo of my sisters with the bait for the traps. Yummy!

You can tell by the look on Timber's face that the dead fish doesn't smell so pleasant.

We only only caught one lobster that was big enough to keep. Below is one of the lucky little guys that got to live another day to scavenge the bottom of Portland Bay.

On the 4th of July we enjoyed a HUGE lobster bake with the Conley family. I really enjoy lobster! I think the best part is that you get to play with your food while you eat it. Oh, I also like that you get really messy...and everyone else does as well.

Thanks friends for the lobster and the lesson on how to get at that delicious, rich, meat.

Masta

We are doing the Master Cleanse.

Started Monday.

Day 2...I'm hungry, grumpy, and have no energy. Timber is a trooper. We're both already bored with the lemon drink (consisting of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup) that is the only thing we can consume.

Ten more days to go. Please send us a lot of support!

Welcome Jason

We went to Kona Sunday to pick up Jason Bordi from the airport. We left our house a couple hours early so we could enjoy the beach before we picked him up. Timber introduced me to a new white sand beach, Kua Bay. We played a bit in the surf and then decided we had enough time to swim out to a rock, jump off, and still get to the airport in time.
This would have been a correct allotment of time, but... our plans were foiled. Timber tweeked his neck while climbing up the rock for a second jump. He barely made it back to shore as the muscles crampped nto a steal mound at his shoulder blade. I was on my own little swim love with the ocean and didn't even know something was wrong until we met up on the beach towel.

Jason wasn't the least bit bothered by us being late. How could ya be upset in Hawaii? We took him back to the beach for lunch and beers. That definitely dissipated any trace of frustration. Then we cruised back to the East side.

While giving Jayson the tour of our house, we saw a scorpion on the wall in the little house. Strange!!! There are some interesting occurances..one of my yoga students said it has to do with the position of the planets right now.

Well Jayson, we hope you have a great summer here on the Big I. Please come visit us on your days off. (Jayson is working at a summer health camp for kids).

New Wheels

Recently Timber and I got new bikes. He scored his off Craig's List and I from our friend Dine when she moved off island. We are STOKED about the 8 minute ride from our driveway to the ocean cliffs at the end of the road. Our list of "adventures to take" is filling with various bike rides (Puna Coast Ride, Shipman's Beach Ride, cruise along the Red Road, to the landing, etc.).


We took off on the 8th to tick one of these destinations off the list. Our mission: Green Sands Beach. We arrived at the parking lot at South Point in the mid afternoon. The area is notorious for wind (check out the photo, the trees grow sideways because of the constant force) however, on this afternoon, it was EXTRA windy. The car doors blew shut as we got ready. Gusts blew the bikes down as we put the tires on. I was very apprehensive about the adventure. As I braced myself against the gales, I was sure the adventure would turn out to be an EPIC.

The second hill proved me right.

Timber and I huffed up a rocky hill and stopped at the top for a vehicle to pass. The driver waved us on, but looking at the cliffs and holes in my path, I didn't want to go. I offered the way to Timber, who promptly lifted his foot and went for it. I stared after him in disbelief that he was actually going, in horror that he would eat it, and with excited, admirational support.

Apparently he wasn't planning on taking the route that sent him over the edge of a giant rock. As he started toward his line, a rock, wind gust, and/or a malevolent irony of life, grabbed his front tire and led him over the rock ledge. This route buried his front wheel between the ledge and the next rock. Over the handle bars he went.
In the time between leaving his saddle and touching the ground, he turned into a ninja. When he hit the ground, he rolled over his right shoulder and used the momentum to come back to standing with a smile on his face. I didn't even think of asking him if he was all right...that would have been preposterous. Of course the ninja was okay.

Unfortunately, the bike took a beating. Look closely at the photo and you'll see the warped front tire. It was too warped to ride. So Ninja decided to stash the bike and jog the rest of the way to the beach.

We invented the Auth Relay on the way back to the car. Timber took off running and I on my bike. I peddled out in front of him and then hopped off the bike and started jogging. When he got to the bike, he jumped on. He rode past me and then stashed the bike for me to take... This relay was so fun. We made it back to his stashed gimp bike lickey splickety.

Here's to a new wheel and more Authome bike adventures...oh and to a helmet for Timber just in case he can't channel his inner ninja next time.

06/07/08

What a day for a birthday!
Timber and I celebrated my 28th birthday last weekend. We went to Captain Cook (on the Kona Side) and hung there for the weekend. Here we are Saturday morning at Two Step. It is one of our favorite places on the island to snorkel. I was hoping to see spinner dolphins..I mean it was my birthday and all. But, the dolphins were playing somewhere else. Instead, we saw eels, a huge Parrot Fish, beautiful reef.... We had a nice long swim. It made us good and ready for breki.
Timber took me to our favorite breakfast joint on island, the Coffee Shack. Delicious baked goods, rich coffee, fresh fruit...YUM! As we ate, Timber shared his guava jelly with 5 Madagascar geckos. It was quite a show watching them fight over the jelly. A gecko would sneak up behind one that had it's head buried in jelly. The one eating jelly would startle and then run up the window. So the new gecko could grub the jelly with it's head burried, until...
You'd think they would learn to share, there was PLENTY jam for all of them.

After breki we went to our hotel to nap and digest. We also chatted on the phone with many friends. Thank you all for the birthday wishes!

Then we were off for a hike. We have been to the Captain Cook Monument via sea kayak, but we wanted to hike there. It was a nice hike down the pali with astounding views of the coastline. We took left the trail and headed through mesquite bushes and trees toward a grove of coconut palms.
Exploring the coastline we found beautiful white sand beaches, ocean blow holes and arches, and coconuts. We got all aggressive with a stick and knocked a couple green beauties down from a tree. Then we got even more ape to get through the husk and into the precious liquid and fruit. I don't think the juice inside those coconuts replenished the sweat we produced whacking them on the rock to get them open...but it sure was good!!! At the monument, we went for another snorkel. It was so refreshing to hop in the ocean after hiking and getting animal with those coconuts. The reef there is so colorful and alive. There were heaps of trigger fish nibbling at mesquite seed pods that floated on the ocean surface.

We beached ourselves and while drying off, finished the last bit of our water. We didn't understand the monumental bummer this was until we started hiking back up the pali. At the top we were so dehydrated and worked!!! Luckily there was a gas station close by for some cold water. This made us bounce back to life!

We finished my birthday at Mi's, and Italian restaurant. I had a delicious lobster dip and salad and then torte with candles and a wish.

So starts my 29th circle around the sun. It's going to be a great on!

Last day = Surf day

Went out for a surf this morning. It is that last day of school, so I was able to ditch my morning of work.
I just love splashing into that cold ocean early in the morning. Surfing is a beautiful way to start the day: sunlight reflecting off water, glassy smooth waves, and smiling people. Unky was out, Phil, Lei, and Holly came out as well. Katie enjoyed the view from a chair on the beach.
I'm sure she had a good show of me wiping out. Yup, eating it hard. You see, I haven't been surfing in a month. My weak arms combined with those random sets of giant waves (at least they were giant in my bugged out eyes) made a show for Katie I'm sure. After paddling for one wave, and feeling it begin to take me, I knew I didn't want to be on it. The fact that I can't turn, lead me to rip down the face. It was more like falling, only my surfboard happened to be under my feet. At the bottom of the wave (milliseconds later) my survival instinct finally kicked in. I bailed off, in a graceful belly flop. The resulting tumble and toss of the white water filled my sinuses (of which are still draining at inopportune times when I bend over). But is is the last day of school, so I don't really care if my students call me Mrs. Waterfall.
This weekend I celebrate one year of surfing. It has been a fun, humbling, and at time frightening year. I do love the sport. Like mentioned above, it is simply amazing to be out in nature early in the morning. Surfing is AUTHOME!

Congrats Phil

______________


Here's to our friend Phil who just completed his degree at UHH. He is a math wiz.

We were lucky enough to host his grad party at our place on May 17th. It was a beautiful day! In the afternoon sun we played lawn games and grubbed.


With the setting sun we moved to the carport for dancing. Then it was back to the yard for a fire and our favorite frisbee drinking game.

A few folks stayed over for a slumber party. We awoke Sunday to another beautiful sunny day. We had striking views of Mauna Kea as we ate breakfast and chilled in the shade of the car port.


Graduating from University: AUTHOME!
Phil: AUTHOME! (We will do another post about the picnic table he made for us as his grad gift.)
Katie's party throwing: AUTHOME!
You bet that we love our house and yard for parties. It is AUTHOME!

The Love of Frisbee

Like you didn't know that we love Ultimate Frisbee. It's the action, the physical demand, being outside, and most of all the community. The ultimate team is our crew! We love these folks! Thought we would post some photos of this amazing group of folks. These are from the Hopu Ka Lewa tournament that takes place on Ohau every fall. This was the first year we went (2006).

How Does Our Garden Grow?

With buckets and buckets of water!!
I never thought I would be hauling buckets of water to my tomatoes. We live on the rainy side of Hawaii Island. But I guess summer brings drought even to this lush jungle. Despite the fact that there is dew or rain every morning, our grass is brown and crunches when we walk on it and the basil is wilted. So, each evening, we haul water to our plants. Timber lovingly cares for the Hapu'u ferns, the pineapple garden, and the orchids. I care for the tomatoes, peas, eggplant, basil, and peppers.

Mine is Bigger Than Yours

Timber loves to fish. He went out on Unky's kayak with Mike Long when we were at Pine Trees on the Kona side March 23rd. Here's the fruits...uh..fishes of their labor. Authome!