Hawaii pics

Hawaii...

On Thursday 20th we returned from a 10 day trip to Hawaii. This at least I have learned. A vacation with a child (even with a helping mother-in-law) is a very different proposition from the romantic tropical getaway that Cathleen and I had previously experienced in Hawaii. To start with, Landon hated the rental car/rented car seat, so that meant any time we had to drive anywhere, he had to be forced into the seat with much tears and struggling (his, not ours... though, come to think of it...). And of course, we had to drive almost everywhere.

I've come to the conclusion that everything I've ever watched about KGB interrogation techniques is a load of c**p. All they need to do was play a tape of a screaming infant for 48 hours, and before you know it, you'll have the location of every missile site in N. America. Is there anything else that jars the nerves quite so effectively, even through earplugs (which I now keep in the car)?

To be honest, I'm much more relaxed now that I'm back than I ever was on this vacation. I admit, it wasn't all bad. There were some highlights such as a helicopter ride, snorkeling in the Molokini crater, a great dinner at Mama's Fish House, swimming with turtles, swimming in a waterfall, hiking in a bamboo forest etc., ... but this was easily offset by the general stress. Added to that there was some stuff happening back home in UP world that I needed to continue to deal with by email.

The irony is, sitting here looking at the pictures of the vacation on my computer is actually much more relaxing than being there!

I shouldn't be such an ingrate. In the end, it's all about expectations, and I had to adjust mine pretty quickly. It reminds me of my current life theme of The Gap, as in The Gap Between What Could Be, and What Is... what's your experience or expression of The Gap?

For what it's worth, here are a few pics of the tropical paradise :) Well, I thought there would be, and blogger says it is still uploading them, so perhaps they will appear...