Is it February already?

Well, here I sit... in my condo in Waikiki... after a 5 month hiatus from blogging, has it really been 5 months?  Wow... well, I've settled into a pseudo normal life here in Paradise.  I've gotten settled into my new place, settled into my new job, and well, settled into a sense of normalcy that is quiet, enjoyable and well, consistent.  No deploying for now, just life in paradise.  It's a good feeling... anyway- I've felt like starting to communicate via this blog again recently, so tonight, here goes... I bought a new computer... a sexy 24" iMac... it's incredible.  And it does everything... you should get a Mac if you are looking for a new computer.  They take a little getting used to, but once you get past the learning curve, they are smooth as butter.  Let's see, I suppose I should highlight some significant milestones I've had in the past 5 months...

- Moved into a condo in Waikiki- it's small, but it's perfect for me- I'm a 5 minute walk from the heart of Waikiki, so people watching, one of my favorite activities, is quite easy.  I'm also about a block from the Hilton Hawaiian village on the beach, so, well, you can imagine how easy it is to get to the water... although, I haven't been swimming but once in Waikiki.

- Bought a Nissan Pathfinder.  I absolutely love it... it's the new body-style and has lots of room and power.  A far cry from the Accord I had in Japan.  I got a steal on it through someone selling it on Craigslist.  I even splurged on a Multi-Media system for it... it's got a 7" in-dash touch screen, DVD, iPod, plays movies and music from a portable hard drive in the glove box and even has a rear-view camera that turns on when I'm in reverse.  

- I've visited Guam, the Big Island of Hawaii, Vegas and DC... more traveling than I anticipated, but it's been good to see some new places, although Guam wasn't really a highlight as I've been there multiple times before.

- Got a new 4-legged roommate- a great lil' Irish Setter pup named Murphy the 2nd... he's quite the crowd pleaser.  I take him running all the time in Waikiki... I don't really have a choice... having a large dog in a small condo requires that he gets lots of exercise, but it works well for us both.  Fort DeRussey, a large ample park is a 2 minute walk away, and it's like Murphy's backyard.  He definitely makes sure the local bird population gets their exercise from his stalking and subsequent chasing.  The park is so large, that I generally let him off leash while we do a couple of laps around the perimeter in addition to walking and/or running around Waikiki.  He absolutely loves it.  There is also a loosely organized group of dog owners that meet each evening around 5PM, so typically we'll meet up with them so he can chase the little ankle-biters around.  Large dogs aren't the norm, but there are definitely some here in the city.  We probably see one a day, compared to 10 or so lap-dogs.  He's all elbows and ears right now so he looks pretty funny lanking around chasing the little guys, but he loves it.

- Work is good... I've got a great group of guys that I work with.  Working with other aviators definitely takes the monotony out of not flying.

-  I've also met quite a few other folks here in Honolulu, not work related, through a group called meetin.org.  

I suppose those are the high points of my life for the past few months.  Finally moving to Paradise, adjusting to life here, and loving every minute of it.  I suppose I will have some more introspective dispatches to come, but I just figured I'd update those of you that read this thing on occasion.  Thanks for reading, or as they say here in the islands- Mahalo Plenty!