Finally On The Road Again!

Sorry for the long delay between posts, but life has been keeping me busy.  I did leave HI and am now back on the mainland.  Julie stayed in HI and is keeping busy with her many jobs and the canoe club.  Her canoe team is fighting for first place!  Julie and I are not together anymore, but are remaining good friends.

Baltimore treated me well, as I got to kayak, wakeboard, and catch up with lots of friends and family.  I ended up staying in Westminster with the parents for 15 days.  The big projects where finding an outfitting a cross country ready car and buying a new laptop.  The laptop was easy, and just required a large CC payment:(  The car was a complete headache.  I finally settled on a '98 Volvo V70 wagon.  It is nice with power everything, leather seats, dual climate controls, heated seats, CD player and it even has a tape deck:)  I did have some major issues that required the car to be in the shop for a few days and had me writing another $2K check.  In the end, with the roof rack setup, the car came out to about $7K.  The issue now is that the check engine light is back on and the trunk won't open.  Apparently it is going to cost me another $300 or so to get the trunk to work again.  For now, I guess I'm climbing in through the front:(

The next adventure was a week in Boston to visit Heather and Erin.  It ended up being tons of fun, even though Heather was a bit decapacitated due to a bone spur and bursitis in her ankle.  My ankle is still messed up from kiting in HI and I really hope I don't have to deal with the pain and issues that Heather has been dealing with.  I managed to get to the local rock climbing gym 3 times with Erin, kiteboard in downtown Boston, catch the "Grand Canyon" & "Alps" IMAX films, and enjoyed a lot of quality meals and drinks out on the town with the girls.

(Boston as seen from the Boston Science Center Parking Garage)

(Wide view of Pleasure Bay with the city in the background)

(The Locals go HUGE out here!  I'm flying the red kite in the background.)

(A bit of an industrial setting, but quite fun)

(Laid out and lovin' life)

(Heather, Erin, & I havin' some drinks in H's kitchen)

Today I left Boston and headed up to Montreal.  It was a long drive and I had to deal with the many issues of picking up a new Fluid kayak from the distribution center in VT.  The distributing company is a quality outfit, but I'm so glad to not be doing business with Fluid Kayaks anymore!!!  I did manage to get a great session in at the Habitat 67 wave in downtown Montreal in the new boat.  After a quality kayak surfing session I headed over the bridge just downstream of the wave for a bit of gambling at the Montreal Casino.  It is a very cool and interesting casino and I luckily walked out with enough extra money to get a hotel room tonight.  I'm looking forward to some more boating, and possibly gambling, before heading for the Ottawa River tomorrow.

(Arriving in French Canada)

I'm excited about this trip.  It has been way too long since I've been on a solo cross country adventure.  I'm hoping to get in shape and find as much kayaking and kiting as I can as I go.  My plan is to make it out west in the next month or so and set up roots with a new career.  I'm working on a number of options, but I'm keeping my eyes and ears open if you hear of anything.  Please be sure to keep in touch.  More adventures and photos to come shortly.

(Boston Kiting Photos taken by Erin Higgins)

Farewell Hawaii

The past few weeks have been intense to say the least.  We had lots of visitors, we canoed, we partied, we hiked, and I made some big decisions.

Julie and I took out some one man outrigger canoes that her work generously let us borrow, these things are over $3K a piece!  It was tons of fun and Julie got to show off her canoeing skills.  Julie did manage to tip over a few times, but it was a hot day and I'm sure she was just trying to stay cool;)  Julie also caught the wave of the day surfing it all the way to the inside of the breakers.  Luckily for her she was able to put those speedy canoe strokes to work and make it back to the outside before she and the boat made friends with the reef.

(Julie showing off her canoe form on the new Kamanu composits design the Pueo)

(Bryon giving the outrigger canoe thing a try)

We had a ton of house guests over the past few weeks as Aaron had three friends in town (Andy, Tim, and Nate) and Julie and I had Heather and Erin.  It was a full house, but everyone got along and had a good time.

Julie took a day off early in Heather and Erin's visit and took them out to the Mokalua Islands by kayak.  They got to enjoy the beach, check out the tidal sea life, as well as enjoy some cliff jumping.

(Heather enjoying the local sea life while the ocean explodes behind her on the Mokes)

(Julie jumping on the back side of the Mokalua Islands)

Two Saturdays ago we had a huge party at the 651, our place.  Aaron decided that it would be an Indian Jones themed party, as the movie opened that weekend.  The crew went all out with movie posters, full size Indian Jones cutouts, the official movie display, fake whips, Indiana party hats, booby traps, tiki torches, balloon snake pits, balloon boulders,  and the list goes on.  Derek made sure the party would go off properly by providing a keg of Longboard Ale.  We had a few less people than anticipated, but that was a good thing and we still managed to tap the keg!

(Julie & Erin getting into character, too bad it was more Charlie's Angels than Indiana Jones:))

(From Left to Right/Back to Front: Andy, Nate, Derek, Aaron, Tim, Jenny, Erin, Heather, Julie, Bryon)

(Julie attended the canoe blessing ceremony at the Kailua Canoe Club on Sunday)

On Sunday Heather, Erin, and I attended the Land Rover Wheels Event at Kualoa Ranch.  All of us had a hard time getting up after the crazy party the night before, but everyone managed to hold it together and enjoy themselves.  We couldn't have asked for a better day or a more fun group of people at the event.  It is always fun to take Land Rovers out into their natural environment.

(Land Rover Wheels event at Kualoa Ranch)

On Tuesday I took Heather and Erin up the Stairway to Heaven Hike.  It was a beautiful day for the hike and the views where spectacular.  I think the ladies will remember this one for awhile just because of its uniqueness.

(You could see most of the windward coast, Pearl Harbor, and all the way to the North shore from the top of Stairway to Heaven on this day)

(Erin, Bryon, & Heather at the top of Stairway to Heaven)

(Heather & Erin descending the final set of stairs on the Stairway to Heaven Hike)

(Bryon getting in a little light wind kiting)

On Wednesday Julie, Heather, Erin, and I took the scenic drive up to the North Shore.  We toured around all the famous surf breaks and checked out a ton of surf shops along the way.  We had lunch and drinks up at Cholos in Haliewa and then headed down to Sharks Cove for some napping and snorkeling.  We also took the ladies out to Kona Brewing in Hawaii Kai for dinner and drinks.  By the end of the day we had circumnavigated the entire island of Oahu!

(Erin wondering like the rest of us why Haliewa had NO waves!)

(Snorkel Julie ready to see the fishies at Sharks Cove)

(Heather and Bryon enjoying a beautiful sunset at the Paradise Cove Luau)

This past Thursday Julie and I took a sick Heather and friend Erin up the Olamana hike.  Heather was a trooper and ended up enjoying herself, even though she looked like she might keel over ascending the first peak.  Erin did an amazing job fighting off the jitters with the extreme exposure that the third peak offers.  It was a great day with amazing views of the windward coast of Oahu.

(The girls atop the third peak of Olamana with Kailua in the background)

(Erin descending the third peak on Olamana)

My Turkish motorcycle friend Umut found the love of his life and got married this past Sunday on Lanakai Beach.  It was a beautiful ceremony and he is extremely happy.  He also doesn't need to worry about his expired US work permit anymore:)

(Jenny and Umut's wedding on Lanikai Beach)

My big decision has been to leave Julie and the Land Rover job behind in Hawaii and move back to the mainland.  I'll be back in the DC/Baltimore area for a week or two sorting things out and then I'll be hitting the road.  I'm hoping to squeeze in a bit of kiteboarding and kayaking as well as catching up with friends and family.  My plan is to find a new career in the Pacific Northwest.  I have a number of solid prospects, but have yet to nail one down.

We'll see how often I'll update the blog, as I need to buy a laptop when I get home.  Hopefully all will go well and I'll have some great adventures and career news to share shortly.  Please do keep in touch and maybe I'll get a chance to catch up with many of you soon.

Surfing & Paragliding

On Thursday Julie and I had the day off and went exploring on the North Shore.  Julie also passed the drivers test and got her HI liscense.  We spent an hour or so surfing 6-8ft swell in Haleiwa.  Julie and I both took our beatings, but also got some great rides.

(A very good longboarder surfing at Haleiwa)

Paragliding off Makapuu point was the big excitment for the week.  Aaron made arrangements for the three male housemates to get tandem rides with some of his buddies friends.  It wasn't cheap, but we got a good deal and had an absolute blast.  All our pilots were very proffessional and really cool guys.  They were also kiteboarders, which made it really easy for me to relate with them.

(Aaron just after launching off the cliffs above Makapuu)

(It was a beatifull day and there were a lot of pilots out flying)

(Aaron enjoying some acrobatics with his pilot Jorge)

(Derek & his pilot Dave preparing to launch)

(Derek taking flight)

(Derek soaring over the ocean just after takeoff)

(Derek and I launched just below the road where it takes the 90 degree right turn.  Aaron launched from the first plateau on the island side of the road by the turn.)

(I was flying high above Derek as we flew over the beach, yes those are people on the beach!)

Juile and I are both still working really hard to make ends meet.  Between fuel and food prices things have gotten really expensive here in HI, but I guess everyone is dealing with these issues rite now.  We are really excited about having Heather and her friend Erin come into town this Thursday.  We have a big party planned Saturday night and the Land Rover Wheels event is on Sunday.  Stay tuned...

Slow Going

There really isn't much to report from the past two weeks.  Julie is working hard at her jobs and really getting into her outrigger canoe club experience.  I have been kiting when possible, but there hasn't been any wind this week.  Land Rover sales have dropped significantly since the economy took a dive and gas prices went through the roof.  We did have a fun party at our place last night with a bunch of friends.  We are also really excited to have Heather and her friend Erin coming for a visit next week.

Ice in HI & Mountains in the Desert!

(Julie, Aaron, & Shannon ready to hit the ice in HI!!!!)

Sorry for the delayed post, but life here has been quite busy.  I didn't get this post out last night because we hosted another party at our place.  Time at work has been extremely boring, as not many people are buying luxury SUVs with the current economic situation.  Julie has been busy teaching windsurfing and taking out kayak tours lately.  She also designed some new paint schemes and a new logo for the outrigger canoe company she paints for.  Julie and I have both been working hard to get back in shape and shed a few pounds.  Julie has been doing better at it than I:)  I've gotten out kiteboarding a few days, but the winds haven't been very good lately.

Julie, Aaron, Shannon, Umut, my manager Dave, and I did all get out ice skating in HI!!!  Yes they have A ice skating rink here in HI.  I do have to say that the ice is absolutely horrible, but still tons of fun:)  Dave and Shannon showed us all up as they both play or have played ice hockey before.  I made the mistake of working hard all night to learn to hockey stop.  On my first full speed attempt I crashed hard onto the outside of my knee.  Needless to say that was swollen and painful for a few days.

(Bryon & Julie atop Red Rocks.)

(Bryon working on a 5.10c.)

(Julie flashing the final climb of the day, 5.10b.)

(Julie climbing out of the Dark Corridor at Red Rocks.)

The big news from that past few weeks was our vacation to Las Vegas!  My parent had invited Julie and I back in September to join them for a week in Vegas for their 37th wedding anniversary.  It is funny that our only vacation out of HI has been to what the locals call the 9th island.  The trip was tons of fun with great food, great shows, lots of gambling (for me), and great company.  We saw a standup comedy show, Blue Man, and "O".  "O" was absolutely amazing and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.  We also ate dinner one night at Smith and Wolinsky's steakhouse.  It was by far the best meal that I've ever eaten.  I lost a few dollars gambling, but had tons of fun and did quite well at the poker tables.  Those blackjack tables are what took my money:(  Mom and Dad did quite a bit of geocaching, which turns out to be quite interesting.  We all had a good day out in the desert near Mt. Charleston looking for cashes.

The adventure part of the trip was a day out at Red Rocks rock climbing for Julie and I.  I arranged for a guided trip based out of the local climbing gym.  Our guide was Bob Cons and I highly recommend this guy for any rock climbing trip.  He turned out to be a local legend and a true professional out on the rocks.  We managed to get in 5 climbs.  The first was my first multi-pitch.  The climb was called the Great Red Book, had a hanging belay, and was rated at 5.8.  It was an easy climb, but was a great warm up and provided amazing views of the entire area from the top.  For the rest of the day we stayed in the "Dark Corridor" climbing: 5.9, 5.10b, 5.10c, and 5.10b.  Julie and I both did quite well for not rock climbing since October.  Julie even managed to flash the last climb of the day, a 5.10b.  We both hope to get back to this spectacular area climbing and hiking again soon.

(Julie, the cowgirl, in front of Paris, Las Vegas.)

(Bob & Paulette Dorr celebrating their 37th wedding anniversary at Smith and Wolinsky's.)

(Julie, Bryon, Paulette, and Bob at the Bellagio before "O".)

(I played a lot of poker, but none at Binion's on this trip.)

Vegas was tons of fun and a place I could see spending some time.  Granted I can see getting in trouble there as I like to play a lot of poker.  Julie was not a fan of Vegas in general, but enjoyed the shows and Red Rocks.  Maybe someday we can organize a big group to party and explore all the possibilities that Vegas has to offer.

Slack Line & Time

(Bryon having some fun on the new slack line in the front yard, and no I'm not falling.)

It has been a relatively uneventful week.

Julie hasn't had to paint any canoes, as the company was loading a shipping container for the mainland all week. She has been thourghly enjoying her outrigger canoe team practices and has been pretty good about exercising on a regular basis.

(Julie giving the slack line a try, with a little "support".)

I've been plugging along at work, as things have slowed to a crawl in the car industry. I've also been okay about getting back in shape, as I've run a few times this week. Luckily the wind has picked up and I've been out kiteboarding a bunch. On Sunday I spent the entire day at the beach riding when the winds were good, as it was all over the place all day. I did get a horrible sunburn on my face, eyes, and lips, even though I used sunscreen. When I did get out and rode I had a blast and worked hard on controlled jumps. I managed a few really nice 15 ft airs with controled landings. I also did have a few wipe outs and managed to land on a blue bottle jelly fish on one crash landing. My hand burned for about 24 hrs. I also got a chance to ride a strapped surfboard while kiting on Sunday and I think one of those is going to be my next purchase. The best was this morning when I woke up hearing the wind hitting the house. I got up at 5:30 and went out riding. I was the only one out on the water and enjoyed a beatiful sunrise as I surfed the big surf. It was a great way to start another slow day at work.

Julie and I fly to Las Vegas late Friday night to meet up with my parents on Saturday. A week away from work, some quality time with the family and the poker tables should be fun:)

(Aaron set up the slack line and is seen here jumping onto the slack line.  He is pretty good.)

Puppets, Haircuts, Canoes, & Kiting

(Lauren with the Julie & Bryon puppets that made their way back to B-more)

I apologize for missing yet another Tuesday post.  I think I'll make this a biweekly thing unless I get really motivated or something really exciting happens:)  Life has been keeping Julie and I busy out here in the middle of the Pacific.  I'm also happy to report that the Julie and Bryon puppets had a great time at Justin and Sara's party over the weekend.  Thanks Lauren for giving us a lift to this great event.  We really miss all our B-more friends:(

I'm still trying to get rid of this cold thing, but it keeps sticking around in a really mild form.  My foot is also still healing, but is now much better than it has been.  I started running again yesterday and already feel a bit better, although I am really sore!  Work has been REALLY slow lately, but I'm still selling enough cars to make a good living.  Hopefully the economy will pick up and things will get better soon, but I'm not to hopeful on that front:(  The big news for me is that I've been kiteboarding a ton!  I can now ride toe side, make controlled jumps, ride/surf waves, and kite in onshore winds.  I'm not good yet by any means, but I'm picking up the sport really quickly and enjoying every minute of it.

Julie is really the one doing all the crazy and exciting things lately.  Her jobs at KSK and canoe paint have been keeping her quite busy.  Besides all that she has also decided to join the Kailua Outrigger Canoe Club.  She practices three times a week and is really enjoying the exercise and social atmosphere of this traditional Hawaiian team sport.  Julie also got a chance to get out on a boat in Kaneohe bay with some friends from KSK and enjoy the "sunken island," the sandbar in the middle of the bay.  She did have fun playing with a trainer kite while at the sandbar.  She also got a haircut that shocked me a bit when she walked in the door.  I've never seen her with straight hair!  She thinks I'm over hyping it, but it was an all new look for her.  Check out the pics below.

(Julie pre-haircut)

(Julie just after her haircut)

(Julie today)

Julie did talk me into going out on the town for the First Friday celebration in Chinatown last week.  Everyone got all dressed up for the nice nightclub we went to, but I was in my Land Rover work clothes:(  The crew got there early, but I wasn't able to get there until later when I got off work.  It took me over a 1/2 hr to get parking, and ended up Valeting my P.O.S. car, and then another 1/2 hr waiting in line by myself to get into the busy nightclub.  It was tons of fun once I got in though and the Martinis flowed like water as they were only $3.50 until 8 pm!  Our friend Catherine and our roommate Adam joined the party.

Adam arrived about a week ago, moved his stuff out yesterday, and will be gone for good on Friday!  Our roommates are all over the place: Aaron got back from 10 days in Japan today and Derek gets back on Thursday from a trip to DC, Oregon, and Vegas over the past 10 days.  We are also now searching for a roommate to take over Adam's room.

(Bryon, Julie, Catherine, & Adam at Indigo nightclub)

Hopefully life is treating everyone well.  I wish cousin Laura the best with here PHD dissertation this week.  I also hope that all the traveling family members have fun and travel safe.  My warmest thoughts go out to Laura in this exciting time of accomplishment.