More Lanterns.

More Rebecca and the Cucch hang out time happened,
and we released another few lanterns before dinner.
As the third one went into the sky,
this nice older homeless man asked if I was videotaping.
I wasn't.
So then when Meryl and I got back to the condo we asked her sisters for help,
and we released the last two.
This time I did take video.



Here's two lanterns trying to reach the moon.

Kicking it Off.

New Year's Eve.
Meryl and I met up with Rebecca for a lunch at Fresh Mint,
an all vegan place in Pa'ia.
Such a good final lunch of 2011.
Then, after he got off work, the Cucch joined us,
and we ate dinner and rang in the New Year as a big group.

I had those 30 Japanese floating lanterns

(think mini hot air balloons)
and we went to the beach to set them off.

It was so windy,

but we managed to release a bunch before midnight.

A couple of them didn't clear the ocean,

but the rest were headed south last time we saw them.

And they were cruising.

I think I took a nap after that,
and "woke up" at 3:00 am.
The family got into the rental car and drove a few, windy hours
up to the top of Mt Haleakala to watch the sunrise.
Hatsuhinode is the Japanese word for the first sunrise of the New Year,
and their traditions of new years firsts is something I'm so brutally into.
So we saw the first sunrise of 2012 from the top of a volcano,
and it was awesome.
10,000 feet above sea level,
and we were sitting above the clouds.
It was even cold up there.

Goodbye 2011.
Hello 2012.
I think I'm f'n ready.
I get home from Hawaii soon,
then I'm off to Grants Pass, Oregon.
I've set up this year to be the best ever.
I hope everyone had a beautiful beginning to this new year.
All my best wishes to you all.

Hiding from the sun (continued)

It's a crazy place, this Hawaii,

especially for tattooed weirdies trying to avoid the sun (like me).

Yesterday we got driven around Maui in the back of an old bio-diesel Mercedes by the Cucch and Rebecca, and it was so amazing.

We hit black sand beaches, red sand beaches, a billion waterfalls,

caves, spring fed pools, and other other-worldly views.

All of this on a 12 hour, too-close-for-comfort,

driving-on-the-side-of-some-cliffs kind of adventure.

Highway to Hana.

It's even better when someone else is driving,

and you can hang out the sunroof.

Not Allowed in Hawaii

Oh man,

I forgot my memory [card] at work today,

so here's just a cellphone photo of the baby hedgehog tattoo I did.

It's probably better than any of the real camera shots I took, anyway.

{edit: nope, this real photo is WAY better, so i got rid of the cellphone one}

I did it on a day off because Rebecca leaves for Hawaii tomorrow.

But don't worry, she's planning on hanging out for a few months,

so I don't have to fret about her exposing it to the sand and sun while it heals.

She's moving out there to keep the Cucch company,

but we're all invited.

(except for your hedgehogs, they are illegal)

Meryl and I already have tickets (no kidding).

Christmas in Hawaii, kids.

Like pizza in Minnesota;

it exists, but it's weird and out of place.

I also got my foot tattoo finished,

so it's back to sexy gladiator sandals for the next few days.

(good thing it'll be a high of 34° tomorrow)

I have no idea what's on the books for tomorrow tattoo-wise,

but Handsome Adam is back at the shop,

so the day is starting with coffee,

and a grapefruit juice chaser.

Got to start the week off right....

First weekend in June.

Oh man, there's been some serious neglect of this blog for a while.

This past weekend was pretty crazy,
Meryl and I participated in Northern Spark,
Minneapolis' first annual all night art festival.
Meryl was one of the printers working on a project called Call and Answer,
created by Amanda Lovelee.
Here's a photo she snapped of us around midnight,
before Meryl read at the peoptry reading that was also a part of it and started at 1am.
There was also square dancing and pie.
And all of that was just at MCBA.
There was stuff city-wide.
We hit up as much as possible before 4am,
and then went home exhausted.













Sunday was the Cucch's 31rst birthday,
and he came to MPLS to celebrate.
No kidding.
Between birthday brunches and vegan cupcakes
and multiple flat tire bike rides,
we were able to get a few more hours in on his goonies chestpiece.











I also got lasered this week.
I had a couple joke tattoos on my leg,
and then some a-hole in CT said he could do a cover up
but only ended up making it WAY worse.
"I gotch you"
oh, you got me all right.
Got me good.
So now I'm trying to lighten everything from the knee to ankle.
And you know what?
It hurts.
And it's all swollen.
yuck.
Check this out:


















But really, that doesn't look too bad, right?
How about this lovely view?
That's my f'n heal,
being swallowed by what can only be described as what should be my ankle.

Putting serious miles on the rental car

Just as predicted in the previous post,

the trip to Maynard House in MA,

and then the Folk Life and Liberty Fortress in NH,

were both super crucial stops on our East Coast non-stop visiting trip.

4 states, 5 friends, 6 vegan meals, and 9 hours of driving,

all in barely over 24 hours.

Here's a photo of Meryl, Jess, Albie and the Cucch

enjoying the nicest summer day.

We might have all forgotten to bring along our cameras,

but that doesn't mean there aren't any photos.

I figured out the secret to driving to Conway, NH.

Vermont.

Yup.

Drive up I-91,

then east on 302,

and it's the most beautiful roadtrip around.

Thanks to both houses for the hospitality and the good times.

We're back in CT now, but we'll try to keep our spirits up.

ha.

30 and a day.

The Cucch stayed at the Louderhorn Inn all week.
Monday to Monday.
Vegan Pizza Day (at Mayday Cafe) to VPD.
Scones and coffee started our morning every day in between.























Having Albie Rock as a mutual long time friend,
and both being from CT,
we got some stuff in common.
For sure.
But matching toothless green japanese dragons?
"We GOT they".















The day after my big birthday celebrations a bunch of us went out on bikes and enjoyed spring.

Adam doesn't even notice if you lend him a bike that doesn't have brakes.
(he wouldn't have used them, anyway)
He just sails along sipping his Pamplemousse.






















This side of Powderhorn Lake is so pretty and nice and full of Spring.
If you go to the west side of the lake,
there's all the dead stuff from Winter washed up on the banks.
So if you like dead birds,
your birthday weekend is that much more complete.

















Back to work tomorrow,
and the party is over.
It sure was a weekend, though.
Thanks to everyone who made it so special.