I just got back from the gym on Hickam AFB. I burned about 1000 calories on the elliptical crosstrainer machine. I’m not trying to lose weight or anything, though, so I downed a mocha shake w/ whipped cream at a starbucks wannabe place in the NEX mall on my way back :-).

I really do like how I feel after doing the elliptical thing for an hour or two. Everything seems to move so slowly for the first few minutes afterward–very calming and pleasant. I also like the feeling I get in the middle of a workout after pushing my speed up as high as I can go for about minute or so, and then settling back down to ~60-70 rpms. I like the elliptical thing better than the treadmill, too, because it’s easier to maintain a good rhythm.

The luau was fun. It was very, very tourist-driven.

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(The front sign)

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(Me jumping into a shot right before the camera went off)

While there, my bro felt the uncontrollable need to do the hula.

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(I know he knew what he was volunteering for before he went up)

I found out that one of the hula girls knew me. We took a couple spanish classes together at UH and did some presentations together before. I don’t know how she saw me out of the huge audience.

The view was really quite amazing.

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(a rainbow)

Drinks were good. I tried as many different kinds as I could before the evening ended..blue hawaii, tequilla sunrise, mai tai, greyhound, sex on the beach (irish style). I also bought a souvineer glass to put the drinks in, so that I got more, and I didn’t have to drink out of little plastic cups.

(a rather cool beer glass with an ugly endorsement on it)

Overall, it was fun night.

Below are some pics of the family in waikiki a couple of days ago.

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Speaking of waikiki…I just ate at the “top of waikiki” revolving restaurant tonight. I had the chicken linguini and a “supreme salad”. The salad was probably one of the best I’ve ever had.

Today was an interesting day. This morning I took my grandpa down to Waikiki and we just walked around, looked at the water, and talked. It was a lot of fun. Then, in the afternoon, my dad, my bro, and me went to a photographer and got our pictures taken (We all graduated this semester). My mom and grandma jumped into a couple of shots, too.

Later on tonight we are taking my grandparents to a luau.

(Click a thumbnail to get a bigger version of the picture)

Graduation was fun (but a bit long and boring, too).

My grandparents flew in from Illinois to watch me graduate. It’s been nice visiting with them. We took a boat ride around Pearl Harbor checking out the USS Arizona, USS Missouri, and USS Bowfin (among other things).

They’ve been shopping a lot, too. They went to the flee market already once. They are going again today, and they also went to the International Marketplace in Waikiki.

Anyway, time for breakfast.

(Click a thumbnail to get a bigger version of the picture)

(this fan sign brought to you by me for Stacie Fidler)

Today is finals week. I had a final today and I have one tomorrow. I also have some catch up programming and writing to do before friday, but I don’t think any of it will be too bad. Then, that’s it for me. Graduation is on Sunday.

Been saying bye to various people today, but there is one person I didn’t get to say bye to, who I was really hoping to talk to one last time. I don’t think I will be able to before I graduate, either. Oh well, it’s pretty clear it was never meant to be anyway.

Hmm..what else…I’m meeting with my group from one of my classes after final’s week to celebrate getting through the class. We’re going to go to Peppinos in Kailua, I think, and then maybe out for drinks afterward. They’re really great guys, so it should be fun.

Then, after all the post-grad partying is complete, I’m off to fly to Boston on June 1st. As soon as I get there, I have to find an apartment (so the hotel bills don’t kill me) before I start work on the 7th. Then for my first day of work, I’m flying to North Carolina for a 2-day stint of “Employee Orientation”.

In somewhat related news, one of the senior programmers there (at Red Hat) emailed me the other day and asked me what kind of computer I wanted, so they’re going to buy me a laptop.

Alrighty…s’more pictures of me (click the thumbnails for full):

Welp, today’s my last day of school. I’m sitting in the lab now waiting for an hour to pass so I can go to my last class. I still have finals next week, though. It’s been a fun semester, but way too busy and if I could go back and do things differently, I would probably would. Ah well. Anyway, I’m off to some nice place on campus and soak up the sun.

Well, I’m about to go out for drinks, but before I go, I just wanted to wish Stacie a happy, happy birthday</a>. Even though it’s still the 27th here, it’s the 28th on the mainland, so we are actually both b’day’n at the same time. Anyway, so here it is:

Happy, Happy Birthday!

Stacie, if you still have to study after you wake up, at least have a cake and eat it (too) as you go. ooh or ice cream.

Welp, today’s my 21st birthday. I am going to be doing a lot of school work today, which sorta sucks a lot, being that it’s my birthday and all, but tonight I’m planning on going out for drinks with a friend of mine, so I’m sure I’ll have a good time with her.

Well, I just woke up from a long nap…I think something like 14 hours or so. I had a demo yesterday for a game I am programming (for school) called “Tobi and Ed’s Dam Adventure”. It’s the heart-wrenching story of a turtle (Tobi) and a pygmy alligator (Ed) as they make their way up a dried up river and through a mountain to a power plant with a huge man-made dam. This dam has blocked the flow of water to their pond, you see, and so they are going to blow it up (using dynamite they borrow from mole town in the mountain).

I was up from 8:30am Thursday until 2am Saturday working on it, then I got 6 hours sleep from 3am to 9am, woke up and worked all the way up until the demo (which was at 4pm Saturday), and got home about 7pm. That’s when I crashed.

Okay more picture fun:

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That’s me last week, right after a shower and right before I went to Hickam gym for some running on the elliptical, cross-trainer thing. yea..yea…i know my hair’s not combed and I hadn’t shaved in two days.