Enjoying maui, part II

Its a lazy afternoon here in maui. Which was needed after this morning's sunrise tour to the volcano.

I wish I could say we were up at the butt crack of dawn, but to do so is a huge understatement.

This morning we got up at the crack of the butt crack of dawn. At 2:00 am we were up and getting ready to meet our tour guide in the lobby of the hotel.

1 hour later we were at a local convinence store buying coffee and looking for a snack to eat.

After settling for some boring pastry next to the donought island we made our way to the counter. And while paying, to my surprise, I got the biggest treat of my early morning life. Behind the counter were piping hot fresh Manapuas.

I couldn't believe it, this convinent store had fresh manapuas.

I love me some manapuas.

If you don't know what manapuas are let me explain.

Manapuas are white in color and resemble pizza dough balls prior to being cooked. However, manapuas are fully cooked and in the center of them are filled with one of many fillings. The one I had this morning had a traditional filling of pork.

Bitting into a manapua has no comparisson. Although I will say this, the meat filling is fabulous and the dough salty and sweet flavor.

I didn't share any of my manapua with MaryAnn, altough she did offe me some of the pastry we bought. I didn't see the need to offer since she probalt wouldn't have like it anyways. Nonetheles, why chance it to only find out she really does like 'em? Then I'm stuck trading half of my manapua for some day old stale pastry.

-- Ramon

P.S. The sunrise and the volcano were cool, we got lots of pictures.

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Ramon Avendano
via BlueBerry

Enjoying maui

We are in our second day in maui and are enjoying the traditionally popular event: relaxing in a cabana on the beach in front of our hotel.

Sex is GOOD.

More details to come.

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Ramon Avendano
via BlueBerry

Desires

I told MaryAnn the other day that I want to learn to play the piano. I think deep down-inside me, I believe, I have a hidden talent -- a prodigy, of sorts.

Now, I'm not saying I'm a prodigy. But I have a craving and yearning to deeply express myself via the piano.

There's something mysterious about engaging your whole body, mind and soul into an activity that when done right, produces some phenomenal music.


Saturday (June 17) is 4 days away

Four days and counting...

Since our wedding date has approached the 'days' instead of the 'months', I've been keeping a running count.

Today is precisely four days away till I marry her and she marries me.


A future Hope

The future hope of us getting married is so soon and so far away. These last few days seem to wallow in drudgery. And in turn, these last four days seem "to soon" to get married.

This future hope of marriage is a ubiquitous euphoria that one day will realize itself. To get to that day requires work. Some of that work has been joyful. Other parts have been tedious.

My running count of joyful vs. tedious right now has tedious winning 5 to 1.

Now before I get strung up by my toes for making such an "insensitive" remark...I say as Jesus said:

"A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world."

So, we too will forgot our 'tedious' pains of getting married and then one day soon celebrate with joy!

12 days

Some days are easy, some days are hard.

Its hard for me to completely comprehend that we...that...I...are...am...getting married.

I know we are getting married, but it is hard for me to comprehend that we are getting married.

12 days remain. I know there is great beauty ahead. And I know there is hardship ahead as well.

There is joy and there is pain.

I stand at the crest, dawning a new time.

I think of the disciples becoming disciples, for the first time since their natural birth they would know a new life -- one packed with joy and pain.

 

I'm sure they welcomed they joy and squirmed off the idea of pain. But as they grew in Christ, they somehow, God-led, welcomed the pain.

 

Us too. May we welcome the joy and may we not dwell on the future pains. Rather, may we accept them and deal with them as they come.

 

This I need help in.