Paradise Revisited

Connie and I are off to Maui again. Spring break is here for me. Connie has got to break out of work before she springs a leak and explodes. ;) It is also Ed's birthday, so we all decided to meet in Maui to celebrate it despite the fact that Ed was in Oshkosh up until two days ago. (Yes, we're all insane.) Karen Smith, Connie's sister for those not in the know, came with us. This is her first trip to Maui. Because the prices were down and it can be a very uncomfortable trip, Karen, Connie, and I went first class.

We spent last night at the Chicago Hilton to ease catching a 7:15am US Air Flight that didn't leave until after 11am. To be fair, the pilot was preparing to taxi on schedule, but every time he applied the brakes, the plane shuddered and tried to turn hard right. Rather than deplane us and board another aircraft, we all sat there as he first had to wait for an open gate and then for the mechanics to fix the problem. Being in first class, we at least had comfortable seats and plenty of complementary goodies to keep us entertained when the mechanic's circus act got slow.

Once finally in the air, most of the trip was cloudy, so we both read. I managed to polish off a 436 page novel by Clive Cussler called Corsair. It was a fun light read that replaced the usual technical and teaching manuals my mind has had to absorb of late. Connie consumed Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child -- not much deeper, but a fun read for her nevertheless.

We transferred at Phoenix and spent several more hours of uneventful flying to Maui's Kahalooie (OGG) Airport. Ed met us at baggage claim with leis in hand. After a short trip to his condo and some quick unpacking, we watched the sun set then walked over to Mateo's for pizza. By the time we got back to the condo, it was 9pm local time. I prepped for an early morning dive (why do I do this to myself?!? Oh, yeah, I'm insane...) and we all dove into bed.

More tomorrow

-Rob
:)