Arrival

Hi all,

Day 1 (August 29, 2009)

We have made it to paradise!!!! Our chariot, driven by Monica/Peanut, was awaiting our arrival.

Upon our lei greeting, we headed straight to Costco to stock up with goodies (wine, beer, fruit, bread, chips, nuts, etc. - the damages were $354.99; however a much needed stop).

We made our way around the island to Kapalua where we are staying for the first week; our timeshare, The Gardens of West Maui, is a quaint establishment; there are some sounds of roosters early in the morning but on Maui, everything is welcoming. After settling in, we ventured off to Honokowai Beach Park to soak in some ocean breezes and beauty. We continued our drive along Honoapiilani Hwy. to view some of the natural beauty of Maui.

Our first sunset took place on Napili Bay; of course breathtaking.

We enjoyed our first dinner in our condo while sipping on wine (me a diet coke), eating cold cuts, shrimp, fresh french/wheat bread, and various nuts.

It was a very good first day and that brings us into tomorrow.

Day 2 (August 30, 2009

Today we continued our scenic drive along Honoapillani Hwy. We stopped at Nakalele Pt. to see the blow hole. As we continued our ventures, we arrived at Lorraine's Shaved Ice - known to be the best on the island -- this was my first experience with this yummy treat. A few yards further was Julia's Banana Nut Bread - the best on the planet.

We finished our travels today seeing Iao Parks and the Iao Needle. This valley is very beautiful and reminds me of where they filmed Jurrasic Park.

We had dinner at Moose McGillycuddy's where the drinks were only $4.00. The crew enjoyed Mai Tai's, Bahama Mama's and Lava Flows. We could see the sunset from the restaurant.

It was another great day filled with adventure and fun times.

Aloha,

V

Alas

This time tomorrow I will be basking in the sun!

Indulge

The Grand Wailea is one of the hotels we will be staying at during our stay in Maui. It's breathtaking and I can hardly wait to sink into their luxury. It just has recently foregone $50 million in renovations -- that sounds like heaven on earth to me!

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Surrounded by the rising slopes of Haleakala and the expansive azure blue of the Pacific Ocean, the design of this unique resort captures and delights the senses.
Revel in the tropical splendor of Grand Wailea - a truly blissful Maui hotel nestled within 40 landscaped acres, just steps from the beach. Offering 780 elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites, this restful retreat provides an extensive array of entertaining activities. Indulge in a relaxing body treatment or massage. Tee off on one of three championship courses. Stroll along the soft-sand beach. Or just lounge poolside. Gather with friends and family in one of six restaurants. Take pleasure in this captivating Maui resort shrouded in natural beauty and breathtaking ambiance.

Ocean Breeze

My mind is having a hard time focusing today; it keeps wandering off to sun, surf, and sand.

I am officially on my countdown to Maui - we leave on Saturday and I can hardly wait. It will be an adventurous trip filled with snorkeling, scubadiving, hiking, swimming, eating, relaxing, drinking (I might even have a cocktail), and a great time with friends.

Keep me in your thoughts and know that my mind will be cleansed and my body will be rejuvenated! Everyone needs one of these vacations.

I will do my best to blog as our journey unfolds so stay tuned.

Aloha,
V

P.S. The photo is from my 2007 trip to Kauai.

Monday

Hi all,

Just reporting in with hope for a great week.

This week my gym is having it's annual clean-up so you know what that means ------ I don't have to get up at 4:45 a.m. YEAH! Something so simple makes me so happy. I will go to my other gym in the afternoon instead (which I could do daily but I would rather get my workout out of the way in the morning -- after all, they do say it's better for you to work out in the morning). Anyhow, I will get some much needed extra sleep this week.

This past weekend is what you would consider "low key" for me. Friday night we had an amazing time with our friends Franci and Marc. We went to the Texas Roadhouse and introduced them to some yummy ribs. When then made a jont to the wine store for a glass a wine - this was their first time to the wine bar - they really enjoyed it!!

Saturday we did our regular spin class (25 miles on the bike) and then ran some errands. We enjoyed the comfort of our pool to do some swimming and sunbathing. We headed for the State Fair and then decided we didn't really want to go after all -- we hung around our little town, went to dinner, and enjoyed a nice, quiet evening at home.

Sunday we worked in our yard removing unwanted grasses, trimming bushes, sweeping concrete, and mowing lawns. We found some growth on some plants we thought were dead so that was a joyous moment. We splashed around in our pool before having my family over for dinner - always fun times filled with story telling, laughs, and photos (will post tomorrow).

Yes - this was a low key weekend for us; nonetheless, a fun one filled with warmth, yummy foods, and a peaceful home.

Hope you all had a relaxing time off work.
Happy trails,
V

Learn from yesterday,

Live for today,

Hope for tomorrow.

Birthday Boy

Yesterday (8/17) we took the birthday boy, Carlos, to Napa to celebrate his 50th. It had been years since he had visited the region so any wineries were welcome. We visited August Briggs, Frank Family Vineyards, Vsattui and Alpha Omega. For a Monday, the valley was quite crowded -- this didn't get in the way of tasting though. The boys enjoyed quite a few flights.

Our evening wrapped up with a scrumptious dinner at Rutherford Grill; always an excellent choice for dinner. Their warm cornbread was hit and their prime rid french dip is out of this world. They enjoyed a good bottle of Alpha Omega wine with dinner and topped off the night with a keylime pie (with a pecan crust).

We enjoyed so many laughs (so many that our guts were hurting and we had tears in our eyes). It was a great birthday celebration.

Cheers to 50 more years for Carlos!

V

Recapping the Fun

Hi all,

A faithful friend is the medicine of life

--Apocrypha

Yet another successful weekend with friends.

Friday (8/14/09)

Had a BBQ at Peanut's -- did some great queing (chicken, ribs, tri tip). We enjoyed a night of shot gunning (of course I wasn't involved - I was the score keeper), hot tubing and star gazing. It was a super fun time filled with tons of laughs.

Saturday (8/15/09)

Spent the afternoon soaking in the sun and swimming. Breanna brought her friends over and everyone did some splashing in the pool.

Saturday night we celebrated Carlos' 50th birthday - another fun night had by all; lots of food, drinking games, vino, Hawaiian dancing, and socializing. (Will post these photos tomorrow).

Sunday (8/16/09)

Headed out with the boys for yet another weekend of wine tasting and music. Visited Wente, Murietta's Well and McGrail Wineries. There was an excellent band called Sage that kept everyone dancing and singing. It was a perfect day for some relaxing.

Enjoyment

Had another GREAT weekend!

Friday we went to see the movie "The Hangover"; how super funny! We laughed through the whole movie. I would definitely go see it again.

Had a great dinner after the show at Prevot's. The seafood chowder was delicious. Stuck with my staple of Fettuicini Alfredo - they made it fresh and it was yummy! It had just a hint of nutmeg and it was super cheesy. Loved it! Topped off the night with a visit to the Wine Bar - the Lawrence Welk band played some tunes in the background -- had a good night of conversation with friends.

Saturday was a full day:

- Shopping in Walnut Creek with friends.
- Lunch with the boys

- Livermore Winery Tour: Marietta's Well, Tamas, Wente and McGrail; all wineries offered something new. The boys couldn't resist picking up some wine for the house. It was a gorgeous day!

- Party at Carlos' to celebrate Kiani's departure to college

Sunday - a day of rest.

Hope you all had a great break.

V

At the End

TGIF! I'm so thankful today is Friday. I've been a little stressed this week and I'm happy I'll be able to clear my mind this weekend and take a step back.

TO DO LIST:

- Continue praying for Ally

- Write cards to my friends - I hate having friends so far away (I miss them too much)

- Enjoy the sunshine

- Spend quality/fun time with friends

- Take in a movie

- Listen to silence

- Do something creative

- Enjoy the Sunday time with my family

- Begin finalizing plans for our trip to Maui

- Attend my Saturday spin class

- Eat something yummy

- Attempt to clean the garage

- Bake some brownies

- Record memories with photos

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! We all deserve this down-time -- take advantage of it.

Cheers,
V

Snap Happy

I was selected to attend a Kodak workshop yesterday -- how cool is that for me since I love photography! (Not only that - they paid me to do it!)

It was a research workshop geared to online photo services. There are so many out there these days (Shutterfly, Snapfish, KodakGallery, Walgreens, Costco, etc.). It was rewarding to be able to contribute with my thoughts (pros/cons).

I'm a hard core fan of Kodak Gallery and use their services daily. Maybe they are planning on expanding their horizons and bettering their services. It can only get better.

Shutter happy,

V

A Great Visit

We all had a great visit with Mandy this weekend. It's rare that she comes to visit so we made sure to soak it all in.

Saturday we giggled, told stories, and played cards. We went to dinner and shared some good eats. In the evening we visited Monica and Peanut - they were happy to see little Mandy.

Sunday was family day - we celebrated my brother's birthday with a family dinner. It's always so good to all be together. We missed Breanna but she'll be with us during the next get-together.

Have a positive week.
V
Will post pictures tomorrow.

Prayers Needed

My girlfriend's niece, Ally, is 14 and desperately needs a lung transplant. Please pray for her.

We attended a vigil for her on Friday and it was very touching. She has a lot of love, support, and prayers surrounding her. Please keep the faith, hope and prayers directed her way.