Hawaii Week - 1,000,000

I love Hawaii.  I love my life.  I'm fit, healthy, and happy.

Hawaii Week of July 4th

Went to Aloha tower yesterday to watch the fireworks with matt, adam, sam, jen, ashton, aaron, and kenny.  The fireworks were cool.  Been working 8 hours a day.  Worked all day today, fell into one of the displays and broke it, it was hilarious.  It's about shoulder high and i jumped into it, tripping over the top and falling onto my face inside this huge box structure with my legs in the air.  Then left work and went to Magic Island to watch the fireworks with Matt and Ashton.  It was the best firework show I had ever seen....long, big, eventful.  We ate hotdogs, drank beer, and laughed. 

July 6-7

What a 2 days.  Went and worked out at about 10 at night, then began partying.  Headed to Nashvilles, threw up...it stunk so bad Karl threw up, then met a crazy canadian at denny's.  Karl almost got arrested, went to Lani Kai and slept on the beach.  Saw the best sunrise, drove to Makapu the back way, played at makapu forever, found callahan and ashton, met my girlfriend driving back from the beach, then she drove off into the sunset smoking a clove, ate watermelon in waikiki, and took a nap. Woke and drove to Cheer 808, closed.  Today learned a new trick i've been working on for a few weeks.  i'll post it when i get a camera.  Tomorrow supposed to go on a sailboat for the first time... 

August 15

Didn't end up going on the sailboat.  Went to the west side instead with Karl, Adam, and Jess instead.  Had a blast, that's definately my favorite beach.  Until...THE CRABS came.  I hate crabs so much.  I was sitting there near sunset and all of a sudden from all around me, they started to come up from the ground like night of the living dead.  They encircled me and I had to run for my life out of the vicious fray.  So we spent the rest of the day chasing crabs.  I now don't mind crabs quite so much.  Went to vegas for camp.  Stayed for 11 days.  The highlights: sand storm/mexican kid crying, getting kicked out of pure for my snazzy footwear, failing at all-american for the 6th time in a row (but having the best tryout of the camp), enchillada, hard rock cafe slide/dinner with team, looking for the hookah bar with maynard and kali, PF Chang's with Kali, Karl, and James, opening rally, hand in hand contest, camp relay underdog winners, house of blues night, winning at gambing, losing at gambling, the front poker machine at hooters, the helpful rodessa lady on the slots, missing my flight and having to buy a last minute one way ticket from vegas to hawaii and forgetting my phone and wallet on the plane....but getting drunk on the plane helped. 

Now back on the island.  Since Jeff has landed we've been continuing to explore the island.  Climbed Kokohead and established the Gripers Club to which  I am now the proud president.  Found where we'll be filming the Goonies sequel and did hand in hands in the sky.  Played like 7 year olds in the water at the bottom, and then went the China walls where I was thrown from the top several times into aerial maneuvers of the strange and difficult variety.  Broke my jaw at lani kai, it's since healed, had an everclear night that ended quite bad for some, but quite hilarious for others.  Finished reading Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, and now await the commencement of the fall semester.  I need to keep this thing more updated because it's more interesting to read when there are stories rather than just a series of events.

August 26th, 2007

Mom's b-day, they're camping in Oklahoma.  Last night was the Rumble in the Jungle party, it was fun.  Chi-town.  Had a team barbeque today then went to Spitting caves.  11 of us went on mopeds up near Hanauma and it was so fun.  Like a damn biker gang of mopeds. 

We jumped at Spittting caves, it was pretty intense.  You have to jump out in front of this cave that shoots/sprays a blast of water like 3 fire hoses out of the mouth of the cave, then sucks you into the cave if you don't swim like hell.  We all got beat up, blood everywhere, one of my friends almost drowned.  Whoa.  Then we walked along the sides of the cliff to a 110 ft. jump, slipping and almost falling to our death the entire time.  It was extremely cool to see the Molakai in the distance and the see the spanning ocean.  Then we went to China walls where we took a million funny pictures and everyone got beat up some more.  Brian the worst. The sunset was incredible today as we drove back into town and then we went to the hot tub to relax.  Supposed to go on the SUPERFERRY on tuesday.   tired.

Hawaii - Week 100

Saturday June 10th

It's been awhile since I've sent any news but that's mostly because I supposed things have slowed down.  I now have a job, so I work a lot when I have free time I do a lot of the same stuff I've already written about.  BUT NOT TODAY.  We went to Shark's Cove on the north side of the island and went through all these underwater caves.  It was scary but really cool.  The first time
I tried it was so hilarious, cause you have to swim like 35 yards underwater in the pitch dark...how scary is that?  So I go for it the first time, I'm following my friend and all I can see is the feint lime green on his flippers, so when I get halfway...I freak out...and whip back around lightening fast and then freak out about how far I have to go back, and since I'm freaking out, all my air is getting used up.  So my little flippers are kicking so fast that they both fall off my feet.  So there I am scrambling back to the beginning like an earthworm in water and get back to where I started.  So then I found another entrace to the cave and go back through this time with much more success, but I didn't like it.  It wasn't like a feeling of accomplishment...I just didn't like it, not my thing.  Here's exactly what it looked like only imagine it 35 yards away.

And some had turns so you couldn't see the exit.  But there were many of them to explore, so it was a good day.  Went and dove of Waimea all day.  Oh yeah, chased peacocks all around the island.  Oh yeah, what am I thinking...I SAW like 12 dolphins today.  They were all playing near the shore, it was amazing.  They were jumping, flipping, swimming.  So cool.  I've never seen a dolphin, let alone 12...really cool.  Swam with another sea turtle, this one was MEAN and tried to bite me when I tried to take it home.  Then had a few beers as the sun set over north shore, can't beat that.  Now I'm sunburnt, tired, and very sad that I missed a very important wedding.  Oh and got a house today.  So i'll spend the next few days putting it together.

I like to make a shoutout to my friends Rhett and Shmeg, I hope you two have a wonderful marriage and that your marriage keeps the kind of zest and zeal it takes to live happily ever after.   

May 11th, Friday

Ok, I have become a science rat.  I am about to test DE-104.  I have to stay in this house/lab for 10 days and constantly have my blood taken and my eyes checked.  If I had to describe this group of individuals being tested I would say....go back in time to high school.  Walk around the FFA department/Auto Shop division and ask for the person with the lowest grades in the class.  Now you'll have 2 people in front of you.  The cool guy that just doesn't give a shit...and Ned, the retard.  I'm in here with 10 Neds.  I'm scared.  I can't leave, food is provided, but I could one day help people with glaucoma.  My bed is by a 40 year old man named Walter....I think he's my friend, or the serial killer that's been on the loose in Kansas since '87.  This blog might be boring for some of you so feel free not the read it.  I'm just going to log my time, because I'm sure a lot of weird things are going to happen.  I will be online often, so PLEASE talk to me.  What have I gotten myself in to? 

May 12th, Saturday

They woke me up at 5:00 a.m. to put electrodes all over me...so I made a sad face and looked out the window..  I'm on the 26's floor in waikiki, so the view is nice.  I can see the ocean, diamondhead, the mountains, and my death.  They took 8 gallons of blood out of my body as I gave it to them in 10 mini death sessions.  I had a blue ray of death poke at my eyeballs 5 times, read numberous eyes charts, and had my blood pressure check so much my arm fell off.  And this was Day One.  I played video games all day and stared outside like a beaten and abused orphan that wants only for once to play with the neighborhood children...just once...to have a friend.  There are yellow circles around my eyes from the dyes they've put in so that I can't see their cancer giving techniques.  As I stepped into the shower today I was certain it was going to be cyanide gas that would spill from the faucet, but was relieved when it was water...I hope.  "Lights out at midnight," they say.  I wonder what they mean by lights out?  I'm scared.   

May 13, Sunday

Got woken up by an evil spirit in a nurse's outfit today.  She slithered, "Time to wake up..."  So the first thing I did was pee in a cup, then give them all my blood...take it, I didn't want it anyway.  Today was not very blood intensive, it was test intensive.  So we're running around like the Schindler's List people from station to station, pee here, stick your eye out, move back, where are your shoes Dustin, oh...and at lunch I spilt fish juice all over this kid when he was on the couch.  Welp, that sucks.  But I was fortunate enough for my friends Zach and Nicole to come and visit.  They came to the Hard Rock Cafe parking lot waving and dancing.  I could see them but they couldn't see me, so we did the old "raise the blinds up and down and flash cameras down at them" trick... you guys know the one I'm talking about....  ? 

So I asked Satan if they could come up and she said yes, so I had human contact through the door.  It was wonderfu.....horrible.  I felt like a leper.  So then we got to go to the excerise room so that our muscles didn't drip off of our bodies.  I now have tetanus AND cancer from that Rusty Death Trap of a workout room.  Plus my friends and I broke the bowling alley.  It was so old and broken that I thought the hounds of hell were coming up from the hole to get us...which would've been quite a vacation at this point.  Now I lay in the fetal position in my bed, praying for death.  Diary, your my only friend in this place....

May 14, Monday

I'm alive, alive!  Barely...and not for long.  Today is a very blood intensive day.  So the electric octopus attached itself to me as soon as I woke up to suck the life out of my heart.  Then it was eye tests, acid in the eyes, and indian rugburn blood pressure machines.  This went on until noon.  NOON.  I've contemplated suicide often...but they took my fingernail clippers....so I'll have to rethink.  Lunch was steak, nice!  I guess it's their way of raising our spirits so they can CRUSH them after we eat.  We have a nickname for one of our needlemen, Bahgdad the Butcher.  It's like he wants to be a sewing machine as he stabs our arms.  When I find my clippers...he goes first.  I found 12 bed sores today.  But got to see a nice firework display on the beach from my cancer room.  I felt like little Timmy before he dies.  Oh well, there's always tomorrow. 

It's after midnight and everyones asleep.  The city looks very nice tonight.  It's very peaceful here at night.  I can see for miles and miles.  Ok, back to sleep.

Week 18

Well this would have to be the week of doing things I've always wanted to do and finally getting around to doing them.  We went to Lanikai for Cinco de hold the Mayo.  Its such a good looking beach.

I think I'm sneezing in this one.

We had Daysia on Sunday.  It was a day of Asia.  Nicole and I went to a Buddist temple on Sunday and that was awesome.  It was entirely in japanese, and they made us sit in the back corner like mice subjects, but it was cool.  Then we went to P.F. Changs for tea and lunch.  Then we had chinese food at sunset on the beach.  It was a good day.

 Then came Monday. Savanna and I went to the University of Hawaii diving center.  It was sweet, they had the best boards I've ever jumped on, they had hotbed trampolines, a spring floor, and best of all platforms.  But what we didn't know is that we were getting "lessons".  This coach was so funny, he acted like any one us would coaching level  1 anything.  Good, Good, excellent, try again, good, good, one more time, yes....speaking in that monotoned-I could care less-voice.  It was funny.  Finally we had to let him know, look..we just want to play.  So then we got to jump off the platforms which was sweet. 

Look, there's me.  So that was a blast...then that night for some reason I went on a 3 mile run uphill.....why? Why would you do that dustin, so now i'm sore as hell in bed on tuesday morning.  Gotta get a job for the summer now.  Peace, I'm outta here.

Today's shoutout goes to the one and only Miss Antonia Steinmiller.  Whoop Whoop.  She sadly has been stuck in the rain in Nacogdoches with little chance of survival.  So here ya go Antonia, here's a little peace of paradise to getcha through.

Hawaii Week 14

4/27/07

Ok, I can confidently say that today was one of the best days of my life.  One of those days where everything perfect happens, continues to happen, and catches you off guard just how much better it can get.  We took the mopeds over the Pali highway, which is very illegal, through the mountains and into Kailua, a town on the east side of the island.  The wonders I saw along the way were of none these eyes have ever seen.  The majesty of the moutains, the depth of the valleys, the clouds passing through the peaks, all leading down in the ocean.  I really can't describe it to those of your that have not been here.  As we made our way into Kailua it was like a modernized Little House on the Prairie, with a general store, saloon, and barber.  But when we got to the ocean, you guys, there were colors that I didn't know the ocean could be.  Teals, aquamarine, dark cerulean...  This beach has been ranked on the world's best top 3 for years, I hear, and for good reason.  There are two islands that can be seen in the distance that complete the whole postcard.  Beyond the fact that we were there, the weather was the best I've experienced out here.  It was like a 10 you guys.  I got buried in the sand, FINALLY, and just acted like a 5 year old for two hours.  I tumbled on the beach, then ate at a badass restaurant.  Then luckily got to drive back through the mountains at a different time of day so everything looked totally different but equally amazing.  For any of you guys coming out here, you will be going on this same venture and hopefully have that same day and I.  I've posted some pics but we'll see if they do it justice.

This is actually what it looks like, no photo editing.  These are the days that make it all worthwhile and I hope you guys can come out here sometime and experience it. 

This week I'd like to give a shoutout to Kali, who just couldn't get off this island.  I've always heard the undertow here was strong...but damn, 9 days.  Ha. 

Upon further review of this post, I feel that it's important to say that my experiences today were focused on the spendor of our world and do not discount the experiences I've had with my friends. Many of my best days were with you guys. (what? now I have to have disclaimers on my blogs?)

4/29/08

This has just been a good week in Hawaii.  I got the opportunity to attend a really weird party in the mountains overlooking the city.  Nicole and I pedded up to the top of Maikiki Heights into some natural tree reserve.  I felt like I was in the Congo, South American Rainforest, and the Irish Moors all at the same time.  Not to mention the sweet houses that are up in the mountains.  The next day we pedded up another mountain and looked at the city at sunset as all the lights of the city turned on...pretty sweet.  Then last night we had our final banquet on a small yacht, boat, ship.  I was really impressed with the HPU program because of all the perks that come with this program.  We sailed from Aloha tower, down past Waikiki, to Diamondhead and back twice.  Everyone looked mint, a good time, if only we had more time and alcohol.

This week's shoutout goes to Brandon Cruz, I don't even think he reads these so I'm gonna go ahead and shout it out to his dad, his sister, his mother, his brother.

May 1, 2007

A tip:  If you want to feel young, surround yourself with people from the ages19 to 24...they have a lust for life that is incomparable.  Such a joy this age group brings.  Today was the last day of school for the semester so I feel like I'm in 8th grade again and the summer break has just begun.  It's a good feeling.  In the words of the great Roger Daltry.."I'm Freee!"

Okay kids, I know it's been awhile since I've written so I have lots to talk about.  I'll remember as much as possible and make up the rest!

Let's see, I met Dog the Bounty Hunter, which was cool.  It was at TGIFridays and his big boobed wife was there and Leland.  She could barely eat those things were so big.  Tyler Bell wanted me to go up to his table and hand him the phone...but I didn't want to get body slammed that day.  I had my quarter of a century B-Day party, which was crazy.  I rented a Tux for the occasion and started in Waikiki for drinks, mosied down to the Yard House for more drinks, then headed to the party for more drinks, then to Bikini's for more drinks, I'm not sure what happened next, but a picture says a thousand words...

Khris Franklin came to visit and we had a great time, we surfed, which was awesome...he was really good...I was not.  My surfboard flew up one time and landed on these two 9 year olds....and those board are heavy...so I just stayed under water and pulled on my ankle cord that connects to the board so that my board came to me as I swam away...I hope they're still alive, I never checked.

 Went to China town....don't ask..

Just got back from nationals, we won.  It was fun but the 6th time just isn't the same as the 2nd, ya know.  We were gone for 10 days and stayed in Orlando first at this crazy Carnival, Mardi Gras, Castle, Circus hotel that freaked the hell outta me.  It had jesters everywhere and clowns....I was scared. 

Now I'm back in Hawaii racing to get all my school work done.  If I stand very still I can hear the mountains, ocean, and waterfalls whispering...."Come play with us Dusssssstin, Ssssstop ssssstudying, we misssssss you!"  So it's hard right now.  We had a banquet last night at Dave and Buster's for our win so that was fun, I have the best haircut I've ever gotten right now....so look our ladies, spongie's on the prowl.  Alright, I hope everyone is well, it was great to see everyone this past week, and everyone else I wish I could see you too.  I'd like to give a shout out to my friends Hecktor and Dookie this week.  Hollar if ya hear me!

2/22/07

Practice.  Passed out for 4 hours, dropped Vanover off at work then went to the park to tumble.  The funny thing was that I had all the bums cheering for me, coming up, giviing me their expertise on the matter.  One woman, with nary a tooth, went on to say that she was very into gymnastics when she was young and began to call out tricks for me to do.  Let me tell you the tricks she called out didn't go together at all.  Roundoff backhand spring, aerial, back flip, twisty, to jump splits.  To appease her I did them, minus the jump splits of course, she was so funny. "You are so good, you are gonna win...I promise, you will be the winner!"  Of what I thought? The park olympics?   The grass games?  So I said goodbye but it was funny making all the crackheads laugh.  Then went home and got ready for Ash Wednesday.  The church was very nice and I hadn't been in a few years, but afterwards they had the most interesting dinner.  I went to it, cause I was starving, but in the dinner you weren't allowed to talk once it started. It was a nice dinner and while people read different reading, you could only talk to one another at your table with you eyes or facial expressions.  This was in preparation for the lenten journey we were about to embark on and it set apart time for you to reflect.  Like I said, I found it interesting, the wine and cheese was good.  Then I left, much much more spiritually fed than when I arrived.  Went home, ate pizza, went to bed.

It's a nice cathedral.

2/23/07

Alright, school's out let the fun begin.  Supposedly this weekend I'm supposed to do a million fun things.  Tonight barbeque and partying for Matt Callahan's Bday, tomorrow morning T and I are supposed to climb the Stairway to Heaven, which is a mountain climb up these thousands of stairs.  It's called the Stairway to Heaven because as you accend you go into the clouds, how sweet, right?  It should be cool.   I read online it's very dangerous and quite illegal, so that always makes it more interesting and makes me what to get out there faster.  After that I'm going Snorkeling for the first time.  It's called Hanauma Bay and is supposed to be cool, I'll get a waterproof camera and post what happens.  Then there's another Bday tomorrow night so...well see what happens there.  Oh yeah, I'm supposed to go Kayaking on Sunday so hopefully all this works out.  Today practice was intense.  Now I'm just hangin out until the barbeque.  Lates.

2/24/07

Once again Hawaii has given me to opportunity to do something new and amazing.  Today it was snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. 

Vanover, Garrin, Kat, Patrick, Chelsea, Nicole, and Mack all went today and had such a good time.  For starters, even if I hadn't gotten in the water, the scenery was incredible by itself.  So we got in and swam around a bit but then got curious about going out past the reef barrier and that's when the fun started.  We saw all kinds of stuff out there we didn't see near the shore.  It was real rough out there and I cut my finger and side of my knee up real deep on coral but it was awesome. 

 We got to swim with sea turtles, that was probably the coolest part.  Vanover was gonna ride on one, but I think it tried to bite him, so we were fine with just petting them.  We swam through schools of like 200 fish a couptle of times, which was gnarly. 

Now we're beet red and exhausted.  But I brought an underwater camera and I'll get those pictures developed and posted.  Skipped Stairway to Heaven, I'll do it next week.  Tonight Josh Jones' Bday party. 

2/25/07

Sunday practice, good practice.  Ate at Dixie Grill...mmmmm.  Went to Kukui Plaza and acted like 5 year olds in the pool all afternoon, I fell into the bushes, we built 1-1-1/2s, yeah the 1-1-1s didn't go up all the way...then went and saw Apactylto or whatever mel gibson movie.  It was a well made movie I thought.  CRASH!

2/26/07

Vanover and I drove around all day trying to get licenses and getting lost.  Here's mine.

Good to know I look like I'm a registered sex offender now.  Now going to Andy's 21st birthday party with the team at Dave and Busters, then more homework.

2/28/07

Tumbled at cheer eruption, that night went to Mercury.  Then china town.  Then the beach. 

3/01/07

Wrote a paper all day, yeah!

3/02/07

Went to check out mepods in Waikiki...looked a little shady so I skipped purchasing today.  Went to Kukua before the game and saw an amesome view of the city.  It was so HIGH up, it looked sweet.  It took us an hour and a half to get to the game cause of traffic but that Pali Hwy view you just cannot beat.  I felt like I was in damn Jurassic Park.  We were there 5 minutes then got to go back home.  Slept on the Big Yellow Schoolbus all the way back then went shopping at Safeway for Kashi.  I got my pictures back today from snorkeling. So...

2/07/07

I have been slacking on my blog, but things are kinda settling down now as they often do.  My routine is practice, school, work.  School is snowballing, I knew an MBA would be difficult but...now I'm getting to the nitty gritty.  Don't have much time to go play now.  Lots of reading/writing/studying.  I'm reading Perfume, a new movie coming out, it's good.  I've been starving due to bad financial planning, didn't spread my savings out well enough..so I'm hungry.  But all should be well soon.  Found out I get to perform with Cirque Du Soleil Hawaii and am psyched.  I've longed to work with them for years and now it's all happening.  Hungry...starting to look for my own apartment, I've squatted at Garrin's long enough.  Alright, deuces.

Oh, I hate my job.  Can't wait to quit on Friday.  Like, I look forward to it so bad. 

Week 6

2/15/07

Ok some catching up to do.  Since last week I have...gone to the Pro Bowl and worked with children.  We passed out lunches and drinks to them, got free Pro Bowl t-shirts.  Went to North Shore and stayed in a million dollar, beach front house that was amazing.  38 steps to the beach, and not just any beach.  I got pictures...I'll post them.  Went to Cheer Eruption and tumbled a lot, working on standing fulls, sore.  Went yesterday to tumble with Cirque Hawaii.  It was funny.  Had  to throw Kenny around, that sucked.....but fun.  Had a chicken alfredo dinner at Chelsea and Macks for V-day...CRASHED on the sofa.  Today, didn't do anything and it was great.  Worked out.  Finished up all my homework for the week tonight so I am very content right now.  I can do anything I want tomorrow, and plan to.  I am doing great at school.  I have all A's and I got a 100 on my Concept Analysis paper.  Still love my classes and learning a lot.  Peace to all my friends reading this.

Oh, I can add images....

this is when I hiked up Punchbowl to the National Cemetary.  Alright, peace.

2/16/07

Woke up relaxed, rested, peaceful, healthy, happy. Went to the beach and swam out to the coral reef area to swim with da fishes.These are called banner fish. I only saw 3,but hey, it's more than 0.

Went and looked like an idiot at the grocery store cause I bought a lot of stuff, then they wouldn't take my temporary check so I had to play the "wager game" with the checkout guy. 

"Give me three corns, a butter, and the chicken." 

"That's too much"

"Ok, how about the soy sauce, two corns, and a loaf of bread."

"You still have 3 dollars left over..."

"Ok, add in the cereal and take out a corn"

"Too much now.."

I looked like a freak and the line backed up all the way to frozen goods, oh well.  Now I'm relaxing cause I got Cirque du Soleil tomorrow.  

2/19/07

Cirque was just as much fun as I thought it would be.  Imagine 5,000 japanese women, all dressed in their finest, going crazy.  It was hilarious.  I took a lot of pictures for you guys at home to see.  Rode the longboard around everywhere.  The russians were a little inhospitable was maybe that's their nature, it was my first encounter.  We were there ALL damn day though, then Saturday night went out to relax a bit.  Got tanked before the club and acted a full.  Got kicked out thrice, so obviously a good time. 

2//20/07

Applied for a job at the bank, which I would like to get.  It would build better credentials than gymnastic coaching.  Went to the beach and played in the coral again,  this time Vanover went out there.  Man, I love the ocean and being able to just swim out as far as possible, it's pretty liberating and the colors here are insane.  God musta spilt all his blue crayons in the ocean near hawaii.  Then studied all day till midnight. 

1/28/07

Cleaned Garrin's house, went to Hooter's, took a picture doing a handstand on a cruise ship's propeller, met Danh/Darnel/Kelly at magic island and worked on my standing full and played football.  Went across the street to Mai-Tai's and had a few too many.  Never had a martini before, had 6, ate calamari, then went back home.  Tried to sleep in my hammock outside...too cool, snuck inside, slept in the kitchen. 

1/29/07

Practice was good.  Didn't do anything until my class at 5:30 except lose my debit card and school ID.

Grad school is so fulfilling to me.  The topics, people, professors and all so interesting to me and I am really enjoying myself.  I wish my current position on anyone.  Praise be to Allah!