Hiking Shipwreck Beach in Poipu

Aloha and Happy New Year from Kauai! We took in the sights on Shipwreck Beach, and rang in 2009 with our good friends Terry and Walt, who got married on this very spot a couple years ago.

Flying Ultralights in Waimea Canyon

Now THIS is adventure, a pure adrenaline rush. We rode tandem on these "trikes" (powered air gliders) with sports pilots certified as instructors that let US fly these babies. They are 4 stroke engines with radio for air traffic control and can go up to 17,000 ft, taking off and landing on regular runways. They also have rocket powered parachutes, just in case.

The ease and grace of the aircraft itself is glorious. We stayed pretty low, zipping in and out of canyons. Mike saw whales breaching, and we both got to fly about 5 feet over the crashing surf at 80mph. It was kind of like being in your own IMAX movie!

Sledding in Seattle

Not just your run of the mill sledding...we were on cookie sheets going down steep Madison Avenue between 2nd & 1st Ave in downtown. That first shot is Mike's back - there was a guy jumping over him as he went down the hill. A total kick in the pants!!!

Blue Thunder cool video!!

The Seahawks may have lost this season, but their drummers show no lack of enthusiasm. These guys performed in front of Hotel 1000.

The party continues!

Surprise! It's Dan, Mike's brother from Illinois, who snuck in undetected to roast Mike with a great speech at the dinner...something about how everyone knows Mike goes 90 miles per hour with his hair on fire.

Below is Mike with 4 of his many former assistants...these brave veterans could handle Mike's classic request "Do what I mean, not what I SAY"!!

Mike's official RETIREMENT

Here we are with Christina, this is the civilized part of the party. You can see how serious it is, because Mike is wearing his TUX. This was before the nerf machine guns, silly string and flying dinner rolls.

Check out the awesome cake! The plane says, "Leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again" Mini frosting Mike has his arm out the window for a thumbs up!!

Silent Night

St. James Cathedral in Seattle, lit by candlelight, while singing Silent Night.

Excavating in Moline, IL

Cool...this was better than any video game I've ever played!! Nick Raney, owner of Raney Forestry Recycling, (and our nephew) let us "play" with the excavator and move steaming piles of sweet smelling bark mulch around. Mike and I spent about 10 minutes each mixing up mulch, and it took Nick all of 1 minute to put it all back...the excavator was like an extension of his hand. Amazing.

Fun & Games in Illinois

Paintball with the guys - tough, but well padded...those paintballs hurt when it's below freezing!!

And below, the first annual Raney family Texas Hold 'Em tournament, which started with about 25 people at four tables. Vicki Raney, a complete poker novice, had that beginner's luck thing going, winning the HUGE $50 first place pot.

Keep Austin Wierd

Is the cry of the capital city. From the top, steer head and pressed tin ceiling at the Driskill Hotel (steeped in Texas tradition, and steps from lively 6th Avenue music scene), urban cowboy on a giant pink BUNNY, and storefront mariachis made of animal bones. Austin is a fiercely independent, very hip city...we can see why people like it!

Underground @ Natural Bridges Caverns, Texas

A large underground cavern carved by a river running through limestone, the humidity here felt great in November. Discovered in the early 60's by college students, this is about a 2 mile cave.

One area called the Hall of the Mountain Kings opens up larger than a football field with a huge ceiling to boot. And no cave would be complete without the requisite tower of bat guano, which we climbed up on the way out. Ahhhh, fresh air!!

San Antonio by Segway

We had a blast tearing around San Antonio on the Segway tour. These are so easy to operate, we recommend them highly for anyone! Here we are at the Alamo, which amazingly is right in downtown San Antonio. Rich history, truly brave men and women.

San Antonio Riverwalk!

This is the heart of the social scene in San Antonio. It's a canal that runs through the city to alleviate flooding, which has evolved into a fantastic place for hotels, restaurants, dancing, boat rides and romantic strolls. Very charming...known as the "American Venice" y'all.

With Dr. Pepper himself in Waco, TX

OK, so there isn't a lot to do in Waco, kids!!

Dr Pepper is native to Waco, Texas and the oldest soft drink in America. Created in 1885, it predates Coca-Cola by one year, y'all. The guy who invented it liked the way old fashioned drug stores smelled, with a mix of 23 fruity syrups in the air...that was the inspiration for Dr. Pepper. It was a big hit at the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis, and the rest is history.

"Dr. Pepper, so misunderstood...if anyone would try you, they'd know you taste good, SO good!!"