Summer solstice

This past week we experienced the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. On the local news I heard the day described from two perspectives:

- A pessimist sees the solstice as the beginning of the end of summer with every day getting closer to winter. 

- An optimist celebrates every extra second of sunlight. 

Typically I tend to describe myself as a realistic, neither overly optimistic or pessimistic. The glass isn't half full or half empty. The glass is just a glass. However, on June 21st I put on my half full sunglasses and enjoyed everything the day had to offer. 

Diamond Head may be a tourist trap, but it's a quick and easy hike that's great for anyone. 

The weather was really clear, allowing for great visibility. 

I love these girls!

I think I've  realized there is a direct correlation between my attitude and the number of hours spent outside. Vitamin D is no joke. Thank you Summer Solstice!

And now for the pic of the week:

You gotta love this classic family photo in honor of Father's Day. 

Mahalo!

Playing hooky

Every Sunday afternoon I go to ukulele class. However, some Sundays I like to skip out on class. This weekend was one of those weekends. I needed to hike with my girls. 

We decided to try out Wiliwilinui. This is a ridge hike on the east side. Like Koko Head it involves what seems like one million steps, but throughout the hike we were rewarded with amazing views. At one point I could see from Chinaman's Hat to Diamond Head & from Koko Head to Ewa Beach. That's practically the whole island!

This ridge hike is perfectly legal, so I recommend giving it a try... Your quads and glutes will thank me!

Directions: Take the H1 East, past Kahala Mall. Turn left on Laukahi St and follow it up to the gated entrance. The guard on duty will give you a day pass and a map up to the parking lot for the trail. 

Here's some pictures:

The entire trail was well marked. 

Just a little stretch break (PC: Julia C)

This rope swing was our last moment of rest before we started climbing up, up, up! (PC: Ali K)

We went just beyond the radio tower. (PC: Julia C)

LOTS of stairs and a couple of ropes as well. 

We were so high we were actually in the clouds!

Worth it. (PC: Ali K)

So while I normally recommend following through with your commitments, every once in awhile it's worth playing hooky and experiencing something new!

And now for the pic of the week:

One last group shot before we finished. (PC: Ali K)

Mahalo!

Crafty girl

This past Saturday was a whirlwind. I can hardly remember everything that I did. Luckily, I have a few concrete reminders of my day's activities. 

Recently I've been tapping into my artistic side. I've been taking a monthly art class courtesy of the Japanese Cultural Center. This month I finished up my Girl's/Boy's Day project. Initially my sensei thought the perceptive was off, but with a little extra work we agreed the final product was cute. 

And because one craft project wasn't enough Nathalie and I decided to try out making ribbon leis. They're relatively easy to make... Unless you have sore shoulders from working out. Haha. 

I finished the day with a hike. And of course that wouldn't be complete without a few artsy photos:

Silhouettes at Sunset

Aloha Hawaii (PC: Kim G)

My Happy Place (PC: Manny DJ)

Shakas (PC: Nathalie R)

Although the day was busy, I couldn't have asked for a better day. This is how we "relax" in Hawaii. 

And now for the pic of the week:

Here's another stunning picture from Saturday's hike. 

Mahalo!

What's it all meme?

I remember when I first learned about memes. I needed a tutorial on pronunciation. Was it meh-meh? Mee-mee? Once I figured out how to say it ( FYI phonetically it's /mim/), I was hooked. If you read my post "How Old?" then you remember my obsession with the Hey Girl Memes. 

BTW- If Ryan wants to join the competition to become my new favorite trainer, I'd say.... Yes please ;-)

This week I've been going through a kitty meme phase. I've been searching through random cat pics on the interwebs and pairing them with "inspirational" phrases. That's not weird... Right?!?

Here's some of the gems I created:

A classic ... All the school counselors in the 90's had a version of this one. This was my first one and before I started adding my signature purple hearts.   

Every good kitty deserves a BFF. 

Duh. That's why I'm looking for a man. Haha. 

Is it Friday yet?!?! No seriously. Is it?

#treatyoself

Cause you gotta work off all those extra cupcake calories. 

Me every morning at 5:30am. 

Me after my morning coffee break. 

What, what!

I'm not sure how much money is in this hobby, but at least I have a backup if the whole SLP gig doesn't work out. JK. 

And now for the pic of the week:

Check out the surfer at Point Panic. 

Mahalo!