Sunday in Hawaii

I slept most of Saturday away, unfortunately.  I tried to get back on this state's schedule but intstead was up most of the night and slept most of the day!  So I used my insomnia time to catch up on U.S. politics.  I listened to the President's State of the Union Address via podcast, which I thought well done, very strong and straight forward.  I was even more impressed by his two hour meeting with House Republicans.  I thought his mastery of responding to their direct questions calmly and intellegently with just the facts was brilliant.  In fact, I thought as I listened to his sharp responses, that we may have elected one of the most intellegent individuals on this planet as our president.  I still can't figure out why Massachusetts voted for an individual that would not continue the legacy of their most beloved Senator -- Edward Kennedy!  How could they elect someone that will not vote for the health and long term care bills for which he dedicated much of his life?  Incidentally, that piece did make news around the world. We read about it in Nepal.

In any case today, Sunday, I managed to wake up at a decent hour and Tammie and Jeremy took me to see their favorite beach: North Shore.  They both said that it is usually calm swimming water in the winter but today the waves were so high, the lifeguard declared the beach a non-swimming beach unless you were an experienced surfer or swimmer with fins.  In fact, we watched a lifeguard bring someone in, who could not do so, by himself.  We did get in the water a little, though, and it was relaxing to finally be on a sunny beach.

A scene from the North Shore

Enjoying a relaxing day on the beach with Jeremy and Tammie

Tammie said my trip would not be complete without getting shaved ice from Matsumoto.

They also indulged the tourist by stopping the car so that I could take a picture of the pineapples growing in the ground.  Did you know it takes 18 months for one pineapple to ripen?

Tonight we are going out to dinner at Waikiki Beach.  By now, Dr. McCormick should have arrived in Hawaii from Delaware.  We are meeting early in the morning for class with the students at the Center for Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii (one of our UCEDDs).