Ok. So I’ve dropped off the radar for a bit. It’s just been a busy 9 months. So here is a catch up post.

Burns night was really fun. Lots of scotch, haggis, dancing, bagpipes, kilts, dresses, accents, friends and family, and scotch. Oh, and haggis.

We finally got around to getting rid of the Equinox. We traded it in for a very plain, perfectly ordinary, Kia Optima.

Still going to therapy and enjoying the contemplation time (and view) at Gordon Biersch afterwards.

Leif, Gavin, and I, went camping with some friends up at the Malaekahana campgrounds near Laie. We pitched our tent, ate ribs, burgers, hot dogs, played frisbee, went swimming (made it to a small bird sanctuary island and had our own private beach to play on), made a giant campfire, played guitar and made s’mores. It was an awesome weekend with the kids.

Somewhere in all this mess, I gave blood, Leif swam with snakes, Gavin and I did homework together, and Gavin finally finished building his ATR robot that he received for Christmas.

Holly and I got married. We were really classy. We eloped at the Hawaii Civil Marriage building behind the First Circuit court. Leif watched from a bench, Holly 8 months pregnant, me in my Gordon Beirsch shirt. It was perfect. Afterwards, we celebrated by eating a fancy dinner of Cajun Pasta and Apple Bread Pudding, with a side of Root Beer and Märzen. At Gordon Biersch of course. After all, that is where we ate after getting our divorce. Why not again after we re-marry? Oh. I forgot to mention. We did this on Valentine’s day to add to the clicheness. And yes, I did buy her a rose.

Work has been good. I have lots to keep me busy. I get to play with computers all day.

RSCDS held there annual Aloha Weekend Workshop. Mary and I pulled off the Saturday and Sunday breakfast and brunches. It went pretty smooth and I even got to dance a few dances.

We’re getting into the last week of big belly-ness. Any day now, we’ll be spending a night in the hospital. The boys are excited. Holly is ready. We don’t know who this baby is yet, but we’re all super excited, curious, and ready to meet her. Any day now.

Beer. What would any post be without beer? I’ve bottled a few beers, but not as many as I had hoped. Among those I bottled is a Bourbon Scotch ale, Blueberry Sweet Stout, and a New England Cider (not pictured) that I brewed up for the celebration of a certain babies birth.

I normally don’t make any sort of New Years resolution. Usually I just support those around me who do. But this year is a bit different. I’ve decided, through recommendation, to pick a word that I think should be pertinent to this coming year. I thought about it for a while and just couldn’t think of a word. Instead I decided to just create a list of things I want to accomplish this year. In doing so, I found a that all the items on my list have a common theme. They are there to strengthen areas of myself. So there it is. By the end of 2013, I will have become crazy strong.

My word for 2013 is strengthen.

Here’s the list in no particular order.

• Make lots of beer
• Enter at least two beers in a competition
• Have more presence in beer community
• Get more buffer
• Run on a more frequent basis
• Get a house
• Enroll in Grad school
• Take courses
• Do more paintings
• Finish tree skirt
• Build up my savings account
• Read more books
• Become an Apple Certified Technician
• Happily continue going to therapy
• Strengthen relationship with Holly
• Go on more dates (Holly says, “With who?!” I reply, “I just wrote that I need to strengthen my relationship with you. Who do you think I mean? Sheesh!”)
• …

Christmas Eve. It was a full house. The cousins came over for a beautiful dinner. The roast beast was 13 pounds of pure deliciousness. The cousins were evil and the uncle more so. The glasses were always full of whatever suited our fancies. The kids played hard with fits of excitement as they discussed how Santa gets in and out of our houses without chimneys. That’s when Gavin discovered we were visited by elves, who left pajamas under all our pillows. How do they do that? The cousins were jealous.

Pajamas left by the elves make Holly look like a peach
.

Leif hangs stockings with care. No fire required.

After the relatives left, the kids seemed to get more wound up. We found a gingerbread man (made and decorated the previous day), a small glass of cherry wine, note cards, and a pencil, which we arranged neatly for Santa with two little notes from the kids.

Christmas Day arrived. The advent calendars are empty and their pictures complete. It was 4 am when Gavin opened his eyes. It was an hour later he woke us all up announcing that Santa had come. He ran downstairs to find the stockings all overflowing with candies, fruits, and gifts. Leif was a little slow starting, but it didn’t take long for the adrenalin to kick in and activate the Christmas morning energy pack.

Five cuckoos of the clock later, the house was torn to shreds and littered with new toys for all.

This has been a crazy year for us, but we pulled through and got to spend Christmas holiday together in a happy fashion.

It’s amazing how time goes by so fast. It’s been over a year already since I moved back to Oahu from Maui. It’s been a turbulent, messy time for us. Now, after that big mess of messiness of a year, I have my family back together. Gavin and Leif have moved  back in September. Holly moved back in late October. Now we are all living together  with Mary on Oahu. Things are looking up now and the future seems brighter. And just in time for the holidays too.

Holly’s back and she has brought company.

The boys take up flying.

We’re able to do fun family type things again.

Even the cats like to be part of the fun.

For months now I’ve been saying I need a new helmet. It’s been more like a year I suppose. I’ve looked online and just can’t afford the $225 + for the ones I like. They’re all name brand and with nice artwork on them. Since I can’t afford one of those, I’ve decided to make my own one-of-a-kind helmet. All it takes is a blank canvas (cheap matte black helmet), a thought out design, and a few metallic markers and pens.
With those items, a little time, patience, and a steady hand, I was able to produce a helmet I think would go for $200. And it’s mine. All mine.