The New Camera

So when I was home for a time in August after my great backpacking trip my father was so generous and gave me his new camera as a present since mine broke. It is a waterproof camera and I have been playing with it to get used to how it works and practicing to take good pictures. I will do what I can to put up some of the many pictures I have taking in other posts. Today I took it out for the first use in the water. Me and my roommates went to pounders today to do some bodysurfing and I took the camera along to get acquainted with how it works for water action shots. Here are some of my best shots from my first attempt. I hope to keep improving and take some great pictures.

FInal Preperation

This weekend as a final preparation before the big event I went to Kauai with some friends and hiked the Na Pali coast. It was a 22 mile expedition that took two days. It was a wonderful trip it is a beautiful hike and was just so much fun. Tomorrow I am going to get some pictures of other people's cameras and I will then post some and tell more about the trip. The basic story is that we hiked alot made friends with some nice people camped on the beach and I wish I did not have to leave and was still there.

Here is the Story

So it has been a long time since I wrote anything on the blog and I decided that I will take sometime like I promised I would this week and tell a little story. This story comes about because of the request for a picture but I feel that we should start at the beginning many months ago. So here is the story behind my car and why the picture turned out this way.

A number of months ago I was looking at my financial situation and I realized that come September I was going to be in a tight spot to pay my tuition. Seeing I was running into a shortage of money I started to look for ways I could make some extra money to pay the bills since I knew that the minimum wage job I had was not going to help me save much. After doing some research me and a few other poor students signed up and were accepted to participate in a study at a place called Covance. This is a clinic that tests new medicines and pays really good to do it. After being approved to be a healthy member in a trail of a new herpes medicine I realized that we were going to need a way to get to honolulu for the check ups they needed to do. With this situation and my roommate selling a car I decided I could use some of the 2150 that I would get to buy the car and still save enough to pay tuition. All worked out wonderfully and with four others in the car the gas prices were split kept low.

Everything was just going wonderful and got even better. After just 4 days of taking the medicine we got a call that we had to stop because someone on the mainland participating in the same study got sick. I am glad I was taking a placebo, or so I tell myself, and had no problems. So after two more visits to make sure that the health was fine they paid us in full for about a fifth of what we were supposed to do. At this point everything was wonderful. I had the money I needed and a car and was living in Hawaii.

Then there was an unexpected change in the plans for the summer and some extra time opened up. When this happened it was announced the opportunity to do an internship in Waikiki. Knowing I would need something to keep me busy and from going crazy I decided I would look into it. After thinking about it and talking with those in charge I decided that it would be beneficial in a plethora of ways to be an intern. Not sure how long the car would survive the 60 mile round trip a few days I week I decided to test it out. As it happened we made many wonderful drives and I had a wonderful time and learned lots of things and I also discovered that I have found something that I really enjoy doing because despite the lack of sleep, long drive, working for free and lost time I could have spent on the beach I was happy every minute I spent in the restaurant and looked forward to it everyday.

As life goes the bad things come along and this finally happened. It was another beautiful day in Hawaii, a Friday, July 17 to be exact. Well stopped at the light just before I turned into the parking garage of the hotel the car decided that it had had enough and died on me. I tried to start it up again but it would not. So after a few tries some nice men off the street gave me a push out of the way where seconds later a police officer came to help. He called a tow truck for me and stayed there waiting behind my car with his lights on so cars would know to go around. I imagined what people must have been thinking as I stood on the street and sat on the curb talking to the officer I amused by the thoughts. I got the car towed just down the road to a mechanic that I would be able to talk to another day. After that I got the bus and rode back home to rest before another adventure Saturday.

Saturday morning I was up and out early to figure out what to do about the situation. After the bus ride and a two mile walk or so to where the car was I was told it would cost about 4 or 5 times what I paid for the car to have it fixed. Since I did not find that worth it or have the money to pay for it I told him no and that I would find a way to dispose of it. I then walked across Waikiki to where I was interning and told the lady in charge that I would no longer be able to make it and would be ending my internship a week earlier than planned which she understood, more on that in a minute.

Finally after many phone calls I found a place that would take the car and so on Tuesday I once again jumped on the bus and took the 2 mile walk to where the car was and waited for the tow truck. As I waited I loaded up the stuff in the car into my backpack and took out my camera to take a picture. I had been planning to take a picture long before but with everything that was going on in life and all I was doing I never remembered at the right time. Well taking the picture was another surprise As I pushed the button I looked at the screen and all that came up was white. I tried once more and the same thing happened. Just wonderful it seems my camera has broken as well. I check some things and see what I can do and try some more pictures but the batteries die. To be sure I take a picture on my phone which won't let me send pictures and continue my wait. Finally the tow truck comes and I say my farewell and start on my 2 mile walk to the bus stop, which was quite a sight to see. I had left some things from costco in the car and so I was walking down the street with a full backpack and on top serving like a head rest was a box of trash bags. So as I walk I just smiled the whole way wondering what people were thinking and laughing at the big surprise life threw my way. A car and a camera down at the same time what else do you do but laugh.

Though it was sad and I miss the internship this event has caused me to do something I have not done all summer and that is take sometime to slow down and relax. this last week of relaxing has been wonderful and well worth the ordeal I had to go through. Sorry about the picture some day you all can see it on my phone and remember when life threws surprises your way just smile and find the good part of it.

I AM SO FUNNY

Today I had my first final of the week. I was there in the class waiting for my teacher to arrive and give us the test. I decided that I would look at the news and see what was happening. I came a cross this picture that just upset me a little. It was nice of them to make a cake for my sweet niece, even though her first birthday is still a long way off, but to say that she looks like a dog was just uncalled for. So I decided that I would try to make it right and have seen some of the results before I got it right. We went to the cat because it was cuter that the dog, next came tootsie (it comes from the video I made when she was born), an angel followed because that is what she is and finally I arrived at the picture of her. So if you are already looking for ideas for the cake at her first birthday party I have already submitted my idea. I think that should get bonus points when you are debating the idea because it was put in way ahead of schedule.  I love you Sadie Butt. 

Waterfall 2

 Well as promised I got the rest of the pictures from the hike that I went on a few weeks ago. You can see me coming down the waterfall that we had to climb and also me wading across the little pond there. If you examine closely you can see that I have my camera in my mouth to keep it dry. Next up I will give you all part two from Thanksgiving the last week has been crazy with the semester ending, but for the first semester as a collage student I did not have to pull 3 or 4 all nighters in order to get all my work done. That is definitely a big plus. 

Thanksgiving Part One!!!!!!!!

Well this day of turkeys and thanking started out just wonderfully. I got up early, I did not plan on it but I forgot to turn off my alarm so starting at 7 it was beeping at me and I finally was awake enough and decided to start the day. After a simple breakfast of yogurt, I was planning ahead wanted to leave enough room for all the turkey and fixings and pie I would eat, I headed down to campus to help set up the room for our lunch. After moving around some very round tables and setting up some very cushioned folding chairs my work was done. It was now time for one of the great highlights of The Great Turkey Day, Turkey Bowl. There I was all decked out in my football attire. I will have to dress up again and put up a picture of how wonderful I looked but for now I will just describe it. I had on my red hat, backwards, my long sleeve HART shirt, I ended up rolling the sleeves up after a while when it started to get hot. When the sleeves came up my orange monkey faced wristband was revealed, a great accessory to any clothing. I had on my green basketball shorts, knee socks and my basketball sneakers. Then finish off the whole outfit you had the knee brace on the left knee, a sign that I am getting attacked by old age, and the patriotic mouth guard. I was hoping that I would be able to play as good as I looked, and yes I was successful. We played against another ward and there was a great turnout of people. We all had a wonderful time. I was able to throw a few touchdowns and even caught some too. I was able to use my long arms to out reach and make some spectacular catches. I had a pretty good highlight film if I may say so. I even caught the game ending and winning touchdown so I was happy about it. Then with about an hour and a half until lunch would start I took the long trip, a few seconds crossing the street, to the beach to cool off. I body surfed a few waves and had a nice time. Just love that ocean it is such a wonderful thing. I am thankful for the ocean. Then I came home showered and got ready for the first meal of turkey and all the fixings that I would have. I put on my shirt that Mom said would be the most Thanksgivingy that I have. Boy did I look good too. :) Then I was off to campus to get the party started. I arrived in the ballroom and made my presence known, doing what I do best, acting like an idiot. There was loud pointless noise, dancing, picture taking and anything else you can thing off that would make me seem weird as can be. It then came to the most awaited moment of the year, time to eat the turkey. There was a blessing and off we went, but of course we all know that it is ladies first. So as all the sisters in the ward swarmed to the food line I noticed that there were all there and no one was at the desert table. I figured it smart of me and alright to go and start with the desert portion of the meal first. I grabbed a bowl and filled it with some pumpkin cake, chocolate haupia pie from Ted's Bakery (the most amazing pie) and some ice cream (my bowl is pictured above). After enjoying the wonderful deserts and working the room some more, taking pictures, dancing and clowning around, the line for food was gone. Now it was my moment to shine, the long anticipated, long awaited turkey time. Would it be a disappointment? Would it end up as an Ode to a Grecian Urn time like the tram ride to Disneyland? I grabbed a plate and with a big smile on my face, as if I were a child swimming in a pool of chocolate milk, started to pile on the food. I started with the turkey and then added just a little more turkey and then to go with all that turkey I put just a little more turkey on the plate. When I moved on to the next items of food I realized that my plate was already full. I did my best possible arranging to put the mashed potatoes and gravy on the plate. I also included a little ham, lots of stuffing and a roll. I walked over to fill my cup with some punch and as I went I passed in front of the bishop who said "Kenny is happy" and I replied smiling from ear to ear "oooooooooooooooo yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh" in a voice that was unnecessarily loud. I then commented to him that I thought they should find bigger plates for next year because I had trouble fitting enough food on my plate. I then started into all that wonderful food until it was all gone, every once in a while standing to take a picture or just dance a little. After I and everyone else had gotten their share of food it was time to start a program that had been prepared. As you will see in the short video I made we had some people singing and some people dancing, then we had a fire knife show, without the fire for good reasons, and some games. There was a contest to see who could do the best turkey gobble. Everyone was involved and having a great time. Then I found so time to play with some of the kids of the bishopric. As all was coming to an end I won this sweet hat that you can see and then I headed home. I had an hour or so to prepare of the next meal that I was to eat. We shall all see how that turned out and how Thanksgiving 2008 ended. To Be Continued. 

Random Pictures

Here are some pictures I found from earlier in the semester. We off of Laie Point and it was fun as always. I went with some of the girls that I home teach and my roommate Tommy (he is the runner). There are also some more random pictures from hanging out at the house. Just look at how I have slimed down since the start of the semester.