In the News

Local News:

Early isle arrival for humpback

LAHAINA – A young humpback whale approached a snorkel tour boat off Lanai Wednesday afternoon as if to substantiate the single sighting reported by crew member SeanPaul Keanini on Tuesday.

Capt. David Larson of Safari Boat Excursions said the crew of the Lanakila first sighted a whale spout about two miles away as the vessel was on the southwest side of Lanai.

Turning toward the spout, he said, he realized a whale was in the area and he cut power.

"It was a young adult male, about 35 feet long. We stopped and waited, and he came up about 200 yards away, dove and came up again.

"We were there about about 45 minutes. He’d go down about 12 minutes and come back up," Larson said.

He said the whale appeared to be healthy and fat, and was accompanied by the pod of spinner dolphins that congregate around Lanai.

When in Maui.....

So I FINALLY got some photos that are blog worthy of Maui. Most are of the beach of course from Paia to South Maui. Some of silliness also. So far, the heat hasnt really been a factor but the humidity is my enemy. Just ask my hair. 3 bottles of conditioner later and still unhappy. No wonder all the natives wear their hair buns. (those girls with flowing manes are for PR only). its hot, sticky, full of insects, random showers, weird hippies, and worth every second. Aloha!

Quote of the Day

I think the worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades...or a game of fake heart attack.
Demetri Martin

In the Valley

Danny and I decided to take a special trip over to Iao Valley on a rare day when there wasnt a cloud visible. Usually the Valley is shrouded in a layer of Heaven's ground but not yesterday. So off we headed. The drive was very nice and only took around 20 minutes. Although, as we headed up the mountain Danny's car had to really kick into overdrive to make it up. When we reached the parking lot the car had begun to overheat and smoke and people were pointing and coughing and I had to hide my humiliation by putting our map over my head and face. I genuinely felt like "white trash". Dan pulled over in the NO PARKING zone and got out of car regardless of my protests and then he was promptly honked at by a charter bus. Needless to say, I wanted to hide for the rest of my life. Here are a few pics.

So here we are.....

So Dan has moved around a bit from white trash to beach trash to insect infested to Paia. In Paia he lives in an older house with friendly roomates. Jerry is an artist, Martina is his wife that cleans houses, and Lukas from Check Republic--who uses his new HP laptop on the carpet. We like all of them and living here is pretty good. In fact, the best I would say yet. Paia is a cute town with shops along Hana hwy and many many mom and pop places to eat. We prefer Milagros which offers awesome Mexican food at a decent price. The town is only 1/2 mile walk and Paia Bay 3/4 mile. We go to the beach and swim and walk in town all the time. When we go running we go opposite of town to the Catholic church and along the sugar cane fields. Its pretty fun. Here are some pics of the sunset in back of the house and a video of Danny's room.

Attack of the Cane Spider part 1

So as I have said before, Dan lives amongst various species of insects including but not limited to centipedes, roaches, skeeters, and of course the infamous Cane Spider. However, I had not seen one alive, although I did see an enormous brown spider at the beach that could rival the Cane spider any day. In fact, it was much bigger than the spider in the video which I have decided to name Pete. Pete, Dan claims, was only a baby. REGARDLESS, it was a large brown hairy beast in which all that night I was convinced had swam out of the blue abyss and was plotting its revenge on me, therefore causing me to not sleep all night. Evil, evil Pete. Anyway, here is a glimpse into the ongoing fight Dan has to endure for the duration of his stay on the Islands.

Attack of the Cane Spider Part 2

Here is my second segment. I am not sure what is more frightening, the spider, the dirty toilet, or Dan with his shirt off!!! Love you sweetie!!!

San Fran Love Fest

Pics are missing..........we need to investigate.

Take the Last Train to Clarksville

So after taking a flight from SFO to Lihui. 5.5 hours of cramped hell. Well actually this flight was not nearly as bad as most flights I have experienced. In fact, I slept for 3 hours and had a dream that I was a ninja. Hi-ya! After arriving in Lihui I caught a flight to Honolulu and was stuck there for 5 hours. The flights to Maui were overbooked and I had to wait for the third flight before making it on. Arriving in Maui was a relief but I was exhausted. I drove Dan's crap o metal to the house and pretty much fell asleep. Welcome to Maui!!!! I will post pics once I have a chance to take some. Until then, Aloha.

Finally

After a much anticipated wait. I am going to Maui. I will be living there with Danny for around 2 months before heading home to meet Jonathan's son due mid-Dec. I am looking forward to a good tan so I can possibly look like the Mexican I am. Maybe I will even learn how to surf. Maybe. Sadly danny broke our digital camera today at the SF Love Fest. So pics may be a problem. We shall see. Pics of Love fest will hopefully be uploaded tomorrow.


Aloha

This episode is called WTF?

tonight Luke and I went to a surprise birthday party for my friend James. However when we arrived James answered the door. UM, WTF? so james says" what the hell r u doing here?" and we say " um we were in the neighborhood" AS IF!!!!!! so yes eventually he was sent to the store and everyone else showed up and then...yep, you guessed it, SURPRISE BIOTCH!!!! but the best WTF part of this story is that Luke and I got soo drunk we just walked home at 2am. 2 miles. arriving at 3 am and currently enjoying quesadillas. good times.

PiX Place

Pix of our Pad: these are just a few. There are no words to describe Luke or Dan's behavior in any of these photos.

Growing older

Dont people say something like Grow old with style? I say Fuck that. I dont want to grow old at all. So what?, having sagging skin, sun spots, arthritis, and no bladder control is style? What style? CRAZY Old People Style??? No way. I just had a birthday and truth be told I am far from my days of bladder control true, but that doesn't mean it wont happen. I want to know how many old people love being old? It seems to me a sad ending to a good middle and great beginning. But just becuase my great beginning involved getting my diaper changed and bottle fed doesnt mean i want that as my ending too. Mental note: eat healthier, exercise daily, sex all the time, take the stairs, and cherish every moment. You know your getting closer to death when you go to the doctor and she tells you that you have the start of a varicose vein. I mean WTF? i am only 29 for God's sake. She says your parents give them to you. Thanks a lot mom, now i can write wear daisy dukes off my list. This is my last year in my twenties, i better make it good.

The SImpsons Movie

Has anyone seen this movie? I really want to and I realize now that donuts are very yummy.

Quote of the Day

Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.

-Brendan Gill

In the Kitchen

Desserts:

Banana Split


Ingredients:
1 banana
ice cream
nuts
topping sauce
cherry

Directions:

in a small bowl scoop 1-2 parts ice cream. slice banana in half length wise and add on sides of ice cream. add warm topping. add whipped cream, nuts, a cherry, say a prayer and enjoy.

prep time: 2 mins
cook time: none, thats just silly

Ease on down the road....

So the latest headline is I have decided to take a semester off from school and spend it in Maui with Danny. This has been decided for a few reasons. If I finished out this semester I would be ready to transfer to Humboldt State. However, I would not be able to attend for the following reasons: not enough money and cannot under ANY circumstances get a loan to pay for it, Danny has not been hired by a major airline yet and therefore commuting to Arcata, CA would be impossible, and 2 of the brothers are having babies and i would miss out on that. So with that being said , taking a semester off to spend time with my man in "Paradise", i mean is it really a toss up?

whats the deal

OK so here it is, my reasoning. its not difficult to understand. Its common and most of the English speaking world will understand. I mean, I am human. I am not perfect. I have flaws, not many, but some. here it is. Here goes. the reason why I have not blogged in a long time...........I ...... am...... Lazy. There you go. Its been said. Its out there for everyone to know. Will I be judged for my honesty? Yes. Will I be persecuted? Probably. Will I be stoned to death? I hope not cos that would just suck. But the facts are just these; 1. does anyone even read this blog? 2. nothing is exciting enough to blog about and 3. for the occasional 1 or 2 peeps that reads this, is it really worth the five minutes? I didn't think so. Yet, there are those of you who have sick and twisted minds that feel their souls can only be fulfilled by living vicariously through the events of others. A horrific mind game you play, that if not fulfilled can lead down a road of vicious and unexplained self mutilation. In that case, I cannot sleep easy knowing that I may have brought about the self destruction of a once semi-normal individual knowing I have starved them from what they urgently need most; the words of Dan and Cat's earthly adventures. no matter how small they seem. LEAD NOT INTO TEMPTATION, FOR I WILL BE YOUR SALVATION!!!

Mammoth Pics

Mammoth Mountain

Danny and I just got back from a backpacking trip to Mammoth Lakes. We hiked about a total of 20 miles in 4 days. so not very many however not exactly an easy hike. The elevation change was around 2000 feet. On the first day I got altitude sickness and ended up puking on the side of the trail. Not too classy. I struggled to reach the top, where we camped at Garnet Lake. It was one of the most challenging hikes I have done yet. Mostly since I was sick and carrying a fifty pound pack and hiking straight up. Danny and Scott even helped me out at one point and carried my pack for me. Embarrassing, but hey, I was puking. Garnet Lake was however an amazing reward for such an overwhelming hike. Crystal clear waters, ominous rock walls and snow capped peaks. Gorgeous. The following day Dan and I got separated from Scott and slightly lost on the trail, so most of the day was spent searching for each other. Which completely sucked. The following day Danny and Scott went off in search of more mountain men to join our camp and found Josh Brown and some dude named Jeremy. We all went fishing and then hiking. It was great. on Thursday Dan and I said goodbye to Scott, Josh, and Jeremy as they headed out for the John Muir trail and we headed for home. Check out the pics.

A volunteers duty....

Today Dan and I are started our first day as Golden Gate Parks National Conservancy Trail Keepers. We are headed to Milagre Ridge to do some hiking and research. I am very excited! Pics to follow.

Maui Pics

1. Dan tries to get a good view of the island. 2. the beach in Wailuku where Dan used to live. 3. Cat gets a snack while on a walk. 4. Cat at a locals surf spot.

sun, sun, sun

Ok so while in Aaron's city Dan flew out, with a bad cold, and gave me the Flu. We ended up driving my brother's Nolan Daniel's truck from Monument, CO to LA and dropped it off with Curtis. We had intended to fly home but sadly we were way too sick. So we rented a car and drove down to San Marcos and suffered in Dan's parents guest bedroom. It was a nice drive however and had finally gotten some time alone together. We stayed in San Marcos for a few days and rented a Uhaul and drove the rest of our crap up from the house to SFO. I finally have my books. well no rest for us cos then we jetted off to Maui. We had a wedding to attend in Waikiki and Dan had to go back to work. He had been off for almost 2 weeks due to his illness and a doctor's note. Thank you, Doctor! So finally, some sun and relaxation. or so i thought. The wedding was very nice, but it took up dan's days off so when I was in Maui he was working the whole time. so sadly we never got to snorkel. i hid in his bedroom while he worked. the one day we went swimming we both ended up with a serious burn and now our snake skin is shedding. so the next couple of days we have to avoid the sun, which, in Maui is almost impossible. We did go for a walk though and spotted some sugar cane fields. Oh the plus side, NO cane spiders during my visit. whew. Mahalo.

So maybe im not THAT old.....

So after my big adventure in Washington, I fly off to Denver to watch Aaron walk the aisle at DU - Denver University. He received his Master's degree in Social Work. Danny, his friend Liz, and I hooted for him when they called his name. I don't think he could hear us. Now thats an accomplishment.

You know youre old when....

OK so remember when you are a kid and someone your parents are friends sees you for the first time and says" oh my god, look at you, you're so grown up! I remember when I used to change your diapers!" and then you think to yourself....damn, you're that person is OLD!. Well, sadly, that day has arrived for me and now apparently without even asking my permission, time has become my enemy. Sarah, the youngest has graduated high school. So now for any of you that has known me a long time, you should be feeling old right about now as well. I fly out to Washington for the week and helped throw a big party for her and see her strut her stuff on Grad Day. I even had a tear in my left eye. I know, right? A big moment. So here are a few pics, if you don't recognize her, she's the black one. :)

blogging hiatus

sorry that i have not blogged in a while, but frankly nothing happens in our lives. no really i have a month worth of vacation to tell about. very soon, so come back later and check it out.

Avon Walk for cancer

from my brother Curtis:

We walk to save breasts (a very dear subject to me)...read on to help stop breast cancer


Hello All...

Yes, I am asking for money again. For anyone that has already helped or promised to donate, thank you very much. To the rest of you, curses to you until you do open your wallets...Thank you.

For one weekend in September Curtis and I will walk almost 40 miles with thousands of other men and women to help find that cure for breast cancer. We will sleep in tents, take showers in trucks, walk a marathon one day and a half marathon the next. We have committed to the training and fundraising required to participate in this life changing event known as the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. The net proceeds from this event (and others across America) will support non-profit breast health programs, as well as medical research to help find a cure for breast cancer.

This year, over 180,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Over 40,000 will die.
That's why we're walking.
To do something big.
To be a part of something special, and something very, very important.
We hope that you'll be a partner with us in this effort.

Each walker must commit to raising at least $1800. Maybe we're crazy--but if this is what it takes to find a cure, and help our many friends and family who are breast cancer survivors--we'll be there.

Would you make a fully tax-deductible donation (on the enclosed coupon) to help us meet our combined goal of $3600? Please look the form over and designate the amount that's right for you. Please mail the coupon back to us in the enclosed envelope. We'd like to personally thank each one of you for joining us in this fight. Another option is to make your donation on-line at: www.avonwalk.org – click on Support a Walker – then click on Los Angeles. You can make a single donation or spread your contribution over several months.

In the time it has taken you to read this, another woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.

Please help us change that statistic. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and to help us reach our goal both personally and financially.

Feel free to forward this to anyone who might wish to help!

Much love & best wishes,

Renee Lyons & Curtis Shipman

To visit my personal page, you can copy the following the web address into your browser:
info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR?px=3460214&pg=personal&fr_id=1284&et=LJwI7Tg6HRabHwp5bJPE3A..&s_tafId=154266


To visit our team page, you can copy the following the web address into your browser: info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR?team_id=38600&pg=team&fr_id=1284&et=B0McfeoIjxXDCX9YEXQTRw..&s_tafId=154266

Quote of the Day

I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally.
-- W.C. Fields

Cane Spiders

Ok so Dan has moved into a new room in Paia and he has an interesting roomate. The Cane spider seems to be Dan's new best friend. Apparently Dan cannot get rid of them. Check out this info below I got online:

Creepy! The Cane Spider (also known as the Large Brown Spider) is one big spider. Usually the size of a can of tuna fish, this spider has a huge body and thick hairy legs. 3-4 inches in size. the one pictured is the size of a tuna can.

The Cane Spider can be found on all the Hawaiian Islands and, as the name implies, the spider frequented the cane fields. Indeed, 4-wheeling through any abandoned cane field can result in a number of uninvited cane spiders attached to your vehicle.

While certainly scary looking, this spider is actually quite a helpful arachnid. The Cane Spider does not spin a web, but instead hunts for food at night. Just about any insect is fair game for this spider, including cockroaches and silverfish.

Cane Spiders are very reluctant to bite and prefer to run instead of defend. However, if sufficiently provoked the spider can bite and though rare, can inject venom. The spider's bite is small and usually does not result in any long term problems.

Cane Spiders will often find their way into houses. While nobody wants to be startled by the sudden appearance of one of these hairy beasts, they are beneficial in the home and it is not recommended to kill the spider (either let it out or let it live in the home).

NOTE: the spider in these pics in missing a leg. even more creepy.

Pics of our SFO vacation

Melissa visits!!!

So our friend Melissa came up to visit this past weekend and we had such a great time! Here is our adventure.....on Day 1 we went to Seal Rocks, Sutro baths, and Louis. then explored Golden Gate Park and Danny drove us across Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands for a beautiful overview. On our way home Dan then tried to kill us with his driving. Never a dull moment. on Day 2 we all took a double decker red bus tour starting in Fisherman's Wharf. It was the perfect tourist attraction and actually pretty damn fun. We jumped off at civic center to see city hall and checked out a mini sidewalk sale. We also hopped off the bus at Chinatown and ate at the famous Man of Nanking Restaurant where Danny somehow embarressed us without even ordering anything. We then shopped and explored Chinatown including a visit to Uncle Gee at his famous teahouse. By the end of the day, loaded with bags of goodies, we headed to Green's at Fort Mason where Melissa spoiled us by treating us to a luxury dinner. It was amazing!!! Day 3, Cinco de Mayo, we went to the Mission District which is well known as the hispanic area and went to Dolores Park for a festival. which in my opinion sucked crap, so I forced everyone to eat at Puerto Allegro, a fantastic mexican food place that can rival authentic places in Baja anyday. after our margaritas and burritos we headed to Pier 33 for a night guide of Alcatraz!!! Indians welcome. Wow, what a freaking scary place. i mean seriously, anyone who visits SFO really has to go to Alcatraz. Its amazing. I mean, The Birdman..........freaky. on Day 4, Danny called in sick...which wasnt too far off actually cos he was having a mad allergy attack.....and we all went across the bay to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. um, I chickened out on a few of the death coasters but Dan and Melissa went twice. Maniacs. We saw a white tiger "spray" some of the tourists. its was hysterical. There were baby animals and Shouka....in no way related to Shamu however they looked exactly the same. I wonder how they came up with such a unique name, Shouka. Startling. Danny again drove home while I hid in the back seat and Melissa begged God for mercy. I was too tired to drive. on Day 5 Dan and Melissa headed home. Sad and lonely, yet one of the best weekends ever. I felt that we were on vacation too! Thanks Melissa!!

Quote of the Day

In the beginning there was nothing. God said, 'Let there be light!' And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better.

Ellen DeGeneres,

Quote of the Day

Shut-up! I can't take it anymore! Argh!
- Catherine Shipman. while yelling at the wall.

In the Kitchen

Cheeze and Crackas.

Ingredients:

Cheeze (any flava)
Crackas (not white people)

Directions:

Slice the cheeze. Place on Cracka. Eat.


Prep time: 1 minute
cook time: 2 seconds

Ceramics

sadly, my only pic from class. Taken by a classmate, who doesn't understand auto focus. oh well. at least he tried.

lately simplified

Our lives ......simplified.

Dan:
1. Got his lunch stolen at work
2. Celebrated Earth Day at Golden Gate Park
3. One day off from work. Went for walk.
4. Witnessed a high speed fly-by 10 feet away. ok, it was an owl, but still.

Cat:
1. trying to make ceramics
2. preparing for Melissa to visit
3. bed ridden with icky illness
4. yelling at rumbling sound that now occurs in kitchen wall.

SF burns......

in the news.....

Highway buckles: Tanker overturns on I-880 connector, igniting thousands of gallons of gas -- key overpass collapses

A tanker truck carrying 8,600 gallons of gasoline had overturned at 3:41 a.m. and burst into flames on the 50-foot-high ramp connecting westbound Interstate 80 to southbound Interstate 880. Within minutes, the ramp above it -- connecting eastbound I-80 to eastbound I-580 -- collapsed in the 3,000-degree cauldron.
The overpass was a critical component of one of the Bay Area's busiest highway interchanges, the MacArthur Maze. The network of connector ramps merges the East Bay's three major highways: Interstates 80, 580 and 880.
The severed highway is a three-lane artery that served about 45,000 vehicles each day, and the damaged two-lane highway below it was used by about 35,000 vehicles, said Caltrans Director Will Kempton. Not since the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 has any other incident caused such major damage to a Bay Area freeway.
Only the tanker driver, who suffered burns to his face, neck and hands, was injured. No other vehicles were involved in the crash or fire.

Sucks to live in East Bay........

Our newest gadget

So Dan and I have finally bit the bullet and bought a new digital camera. I guess our 2.1 megapixel HP with tape on it to keep the batteries from falling out, well, is outdated. So thanks to our friends at Kodak we have a new arrival. Welcome the 5.1 megapixel Kodak Easy Share C533. Check out our first pics! Whoohoo!