It has been a good and relaxing week. Several storm fronts have come through, making S-Turns (the break across the street from our apartment) pretty much unsurfable and the rest of the west side water choppy and too big for snorkeling or much of anything else. Staying out of the water has been a bit of a bonus, though, providing time for us to clean house and catch up on other things that have been recently thrown by the wayside in favor of getting outside to play.

My camera finally made it back about a week ago, and I've been out shooting almost every day. Today, I saw a man being pulled on his skateboard by his leashed husky, a line of six red cars parked in a row and a giant sea turtle on the beach...among other things! It's been a relief to get out and take pictures again.

Ben and I spent a day in town recently, checking out a few places we hadn't been before and making the rounds on a few old haunts, including the book store. Ah, the bookstore, my one true addiction. Every time I go, I end up spending more money and coming out with more books than I ever mean to. At least it's towards a higher purpose, right? Anyway, this time I ended up with the best and most complete vegetarian cookbook I have ever seen. It's 350 recipes long and full of interesting and helpful references about how and when to use both common and unusual ingredients. It even explains the particulars of more difficult cooking procesesses. It's called "Vegetarian Planet" by DiDi Emmons. Last night I made calzones and butter bananas, and tonight Ben's making gourmet potato skins and gaspazcho. Yum! Check it out, if you're looking for something delicious, new and meatless!

Now that we're on the subject of information, let's talk movies! Last night, we rented "Food Inc." by Magnolia films. It's a very well done documentary on where our food comes from and the way it's produced. The movie is so full of information that isn't readily out in the open that it's overwhelming and a little scary. Some of it I knew already, but the parts I didn't were shocking enough to make me even more curious about America's "factory" approach to food. One of the more interesting points the film made was that with a very limited number of cash crops (corn, soy beans, etc.), we have a very limited number of ingredients that are used in increasingly stranger and more chemically modified combinations to make the variety of flavors we enjoy today. It details how the corporate structure of American food is based on a series of quick fixes that are often inefficient and harmful in the long run. In any case, veggie or not, it's really really interesting and I HIGHLY recommend it!

Work is going smoothly, however boring it may be. The weather's great, as always, but I'm starting to miss the snow more and more. Our fourth roommate Ryan left for Juneau a few days ago and we're back to the original three. All in all, things are going really well! More soon,

Molly

Well - it seems that everyone wants me to continue updating the blog even though we're no longer on the road. So, by popular request, here's a new entry. And I'll do my best to make them more regular from this point on!

I am continuing to work at the burger joint in downtown Lahaina, but searching for something more interesting and rewarding in the way of a job. Cashiering is easy, but not so engaging, if you catch my drift. Don't get me wrong, though, I'm really happy to even have a job at this point and don't plan on quitting any time soon. Ben is still searching. As he says - "Searching for a job is my full time job!" And it's true - you can really feel the economic impact in Hawaii. Everyone is struggling to find a job or hold on to the one they already have. Homelessness in the state is at an all time high and procuring unemployment insurance is extremely difficult or even impossible. There are too many stories to count of perfectly honest and hard working individuals getting layed off and spending almost a full work week in the unemployment office just trying to get what they're owed. It takes some real gumption to receive your benefits here. The state government has actually taken to flying the homeless back to the mainland for free, because it has become such a widespread problem throughout the islands.

Homelessness and unemployment aside, we're doing pretty well. We bought a couple of old second-hand 9'2" surfboards about a week and a half ago, and we've been surfing like crazy! There's a great break about a block away from our apartment and every chance we get, we go out and ride the waves. While it's not snow, it is fast becoming a good activity to fill the snowboarding/skiing void in my winter. There's just something exhilarating about defying friction and going fast! Both of us are pretty well able to catch and stand up on waves now, so we don't make total fools of ourselves, but it's there's still a long way to go on the learning curve.

Speaking of waves, my parents flew in for a week during Christmas and Ben, my dad and I took a great surfing lesson in the downtown Lahaina Harbor. That's where the surfing bug bit us! Rick and Chris (my parents) rented a car and we showed them all around the island. One of my favorite experiences with them was driving to the other side of Maui to Hana, a tiny town in the middle of tropical utopia. If you think Lahaina is beautiful, just wait until you get to the other side! The lush green-ness, the steep cliffs and amazing beaches are a thousand times more beautiful than the west side. It's easy to imagine old Hawaii in the awesome yet peaceful ravines, forests and water of the east side of Maui. It's the paradise you always imagined you'd find in Hawaii and the landscape that great Hawaiian kings and even greater Hawaiian battles must have taken place against. In a word - amazing!

We're making plans to rent a car and spend some time on the blacksand beach near Hana camping, hiking and having fun! For the time being, we don't have any big plans - at least not until we have a little more money to waste. It's the weekend, though, so I had better get out and enjoy the sunshine while I still have some time today!

Hugs and Kisses from Maui,

Molly