Ok. So this promises to be a busy week. Tomorrow morning we fly to Oahu so Gavin can spend halloween with his cousin. It will be fun for Gavin and we promised him quite a while ago. We fly back here on Sunday at noon. Then we must get some shopping done in town before returning home. Then Holly has to fly to Oahu on Wednesday for work. She returns on Thursday evening. It all doesn’t sound so bad and doesn’t take a lot of space to write it. But when you consider that each drive to the airport is a two hour drive along Hana highway, it can really make your head spin. So between now and Friday morning we’re talking eight hours of driving Hana highway, an hour of flying for me and Gavin, two hours of flying for Holly and around two to three hours of shopping. That is too much. So this better be an incredible weekend.

We’re back. What a trip. The boat ride was nice. Nicer than I thought it would be. Its a beautiful boat with lots of space and comfy seats. The food was good too, although a little pricy. We ordered the kalua nachos with cheese, guacamole and sour cream. it was extremely tasty. Anyway. The boat had wifi, a few outlets, and a kids space with a tv and some toys. Gavin found another boy who was 6 years old. They chased each other around the ship playing guns, when zombies attack and beg for $1 for the video games. It kept him occupied the whole ride. Meanwhile Holly an I sat and knit and watched Mrs. Pettigrew as Leif slept on my stomach. It was a nice ride.

After getting off the boat, we drove straight to quarantine to pick up Moura. She was very happy to see me. And more happy to find out she was coming with me when we left. I loves my kitty.

The next day was spent knitting and relaxing and dancing. The RSCDS was having a performance in Honolulu which Mary was dancing in, so I dressed up in my Kilt and what-nots and got to join in the fun. 

Monday was another relaxing day. Holly and Mary and Gavin and Leif all went out shopping and left me home to get some work done. Fun stuff. But thats ok because as a reward for my hard work and dedication, Gavin and I went to little Angel’s birthday party at my buddy Gabe’s house. That meant guitar playing. It was a nice night (other than coming home too late and not going on the date with Holly like I said I would). There was food and cake and noise makers and kids and all kinds of funnness. After a bit, Gabe told me I must get out my guitar and play. Of course he was sad that he didn’t have his drums anymore, but hey, what can you do right? Anyway, I busted out the guitar and started playing some tunes. It was awesome. Everyone sang along and was having a grand time. Ahhh, good times.

So we were supposed to go back on Tuesday. I was sad that I didn’t get the time to buy my big screen tv that I wanted. Oh well. But wait. We screwed up. The ship that was supposed to sail at 3pm doesn’t exist. We probably should have tried to book our tickets prior to 3 hours before “sail time”. Dang, so we have to stay another day. No problem. We’ll rebook for 6:30 am the next morning. That gives Holly and I the chance to have the date we missed (thanks to me) the night before. After putting Leif down at 7 pm, Holly and I went to go see a movie. Mary stayed home with Leif, Gavin and a bottle of breast milk. Unfortunately Leif didn’t make it until the end of the movie. We went to see “How to Lose Friends & Alienate People”. Well, we saw most of it. Three quarters of the way through the movie, we got a call from Mary (the phone was on vibrate) letting us know that Leif was awake, he ate his bottle, and wasn’t going back to sleep. So we went back. It was nice while it lasted. 

Wednesday morning we woke up at 4 in order to make the 6:30 am ferry. We stopped for gas, bentos, and iced coffee. We arrived at check in at 6 am. During check-in they checked our trunk, our doors, under the hood, and in the baby seat. After everything was done, they told us we couldn’t get on the boat because our proof of car insurance wasn’t valid. I asked if I could call Geico and get proof and was told that they just couldn’t wait that long. I asked if they could get verbal proof. Again they said no. But they did say we could rebook for the next day. This was the only trip the ferry would take today. After a few words with the check-in lady, I asked to speak to a manager. He was a complete jerk. After refusing to help in any way, shape, or form, he walked away to me while I was still talking. With a cat in the back seat, a baby in the car, and Holly being very upset, another lady came up to see if we wanted to rebook for the morning. I told her we had no other choice. She was very nice and sympathetic. She told me to call Geico and get a fax of proof of insurance and she would radio the captain and see if he could hold off a few minutes. After about 60 seconds, the captain said he couldn’t wait. And just like that the boat left. But on the plus side, we have proof of insurance now. Grrrr. We continued to book the tickets for the next morning, in which they charged us an additional $10/ticket for a booking change. Now that it was all over and the boat was gone, We started to wind down a little. Holly was calmed down by the nice lady who called the captain and I was feeling less pissed off at the manager. The reason I was so pissed off is because the manager was trying to tell me it was more my fault than theirs. It was our opinion that we wouldn’t have been in that mess if the people running the ferry on Maui had caught that before letting us hop on the boat to Oahu. If they checked it then like they were supposed to, we would have been delayed on Maui heading into our vacation, not delayed on Oahu, missing an entire day of work. And the fact that if they had let me call Geico to fax proof in the first place, we would have had plenty of time to make it on the ferry before it had to sail. 

So we had yet another day to kill and it was only 7 am. We had the whole day ahead of us. So what better reason to go out and buy a big screen tv with a dvd recorder/player? So Holly and I went home, put Moura back in with Xebo and Hurcles, relaxed a bit and planned our day. Planning the day was easy. Let’s go shopping. We headed to the mall to pick up a few books and go to the bank. Then we drove out to Costco to eat lunch and pick up a shirt or two. From there we drove over to Best Buy. Holly sat and nursed Leif in the nice plush chairs in the surround sound / big screen tv display area. I roamed around looking at DVD players and large tv’s. You ever notice how when you are just walking around looking at things for the heck of it, you get asked if you need help by about 20 people, but when you actually need help, it seems the place is void of employees? But eventually one came. He treated me like someone looking to buy a rocket. None-the-less, I told him what I wanted to buy, and he rang it up for me. It was another 20 minutes or so, but once everything got worked out, Holly and I strolled out to the car with a pile of man toys. 

The following morning, we rose again at 4 am. I rearranged all of the goods that were piled in the car so that I could fit the added television, dvd player/recorder and a cat carrier. Somehow, it all managed to fit. And so with goodbye hugs and kisses, we drove off to the superferry again. This time we arrived a little earlier. There was a good long line of cars to wait in. We eventually made our way to the front where they checked our car for bombs again. Then we were told that we needed an insurance card for the car. I wanted to scream. I just handed her the fax that Geico sent the previous morning. I told her that. She radioed the office to see if there was a fax from Geico. I told her that she was holding the fax. It’s not in the office. I don’t know if she believed me or not. I didn’t know if the paper was acceptable or not. I didn’t know what she was thinking. But whatever it was, she told the office nevermind and then printed our ticket and set us onto the boat. I would have flipped if they didn’t let us on again. 

So we got on the boat. Moura stayed in her carrier in the car as Holly, Leif and I went up to the upper level to sit in cozy chairs. I finished knitting the back of Holly’s cartigan wrap. Holly knit more of her cartigan that she in working on. And we watched Batman. It was a pretty painless trip. But the boat was only half of it. Once getting off, we had to drive 2 hours down to Hana. Leif didn’t like this part of the trip. We had to stop in Paia to walk Leif to sleep. He slept for about an hour. Then he woke up and started to wail. He continued this until we got home, only stopping to gather the energy to cry again. It was quite a stressful ride. But once we got home we took him out of the car and he was happy. He gave us lots of smiles. 

Moura hid under the couch for a few hours. But then started to venture out and scope out the rest of the house. She recognized the furniture from the house in CA. She got very comfortable pretty quick. It didn’t take long before she claimed the role of Queen of the House. It’s good to have my kitty back. My beautiful, fluffy, evil little kitten. So there you have it. The pussy has been gotten. 🙂

It’s 6 am and we all are awake. We spent last night packing clothes for the weekend. For today is Granny, Moura, Kitty day. In a short while, we’ll be on our way up to the superferry. It’s a beautiful boat ride over to Oahu. And we’re all going. Including the “Mama Car”.  Gavin has spring break next week and my cat is set for release from quarantine today. So we’re all heading over to Oahu for a little vacation. It will be grand. I am so excited to see my cat again. And this visit, she gets to come home with me. I don’t have to turn my back on her again to ditch her in that lonely cage. Oh happy day. I miss her. 

I get to go to Gordon Biersch once again. My favorite restaurant/brewery. I’ve spent many a good time there, including post divorce application/altercation chicken wings and beer. Looking back on it, that evening at GB was a good one. 

On Monday, I get to see my good friend Gabe. His daughter is turning 3. And I get to join in on the birthday fun, which will include a bit of jammin’ on my guitar.

Gavin gets to see Granny again after a few months. He also gets to see a little kitten that granny came upon. That kitten will be coming home with us. 

In turn, Granny gets to see Gavin again after a few months. She also gets to see Leif again. He is quite a few pounds heavier than when she saw him last. Beautiful boy.

And of course Holly gets to see her Mom again. And she gets a wee vacation.

But its time to leave now. Lots to do. O happy day.

I have posted new pictures up on my Flickr page

This was spotted crawling across our floor just before Gavin’s bed time. He told me I had to catch it so it wouldn’t get him. So before bed I trapped it under a pot lid. Gavin was safe for the night, and I was a super hero dad. 🙂 All is good.