The Prodigal Son Returns!!

I am back on Peaks Island from Hawaii. All I'm looking for is the name of the truck that ran over me Friday night!!

I departed Honolulu on Thursday evening at 9:30pm and flew directly to Newark arriving around 1pm Friday afternoon. There's nothing like a four hour night to throw your internal timing mechanisms off kilter. Of course Newark was having all kinds of puzzles due to storm conditions around the country so we had to circle for about an hour. After a ten hour flight, that news was not well received but we all somehow survived. With the storm conditions plus rain in Newark, every time I checked the Departures board, the gate for the flight back to Maine had changed and with each change the time of departure became later and later. I already had a three hour layover which turned into six hours. At least I got my exercise wandering the different concourses as our departure gate kept changing. Being an islander, the only time that mattered was what would be my estimated arrival time on the Casco Bay Line's dock and would I make the last boat or spend my evening intown. My extreme thank you to all my family members for purchasing me an IPod which was my saving grace. As soon as I arrived at a gate and after finding a quiet corner, out would pop the IPod and I'd disappear into my music for some quiet time.

I did make the 9:15 boat and made it back to the island around 10pm. Since then I've been napping, roaming the house at 4am and slowly letting my body recover. It feels like my body's in Maine but my brain is still somewhere over Kansas. At some point, everything will be reconnected but for right now, no important decisions will be made.

My heartfelt thanks go out to the Hawaiian branch of the Tiffany clan. It was wonderful seeing everyone again especially Blaine and Katie as they chug along so well into adulthood. Family is always family even when there's a 6,000 mile gap.

Spending some time on the backshore late yesterday was simply perfect. The sun was high, the breeze was warm and the colors of the trees were still visible. It's hard to imagine that in a single 24 hour period one can cover the distance between a Hawaiian lagoon and a Peaks Island cove and be mesmerized by both of them. Here's some pictures Jill took today while walking her dog Otis; dog is definitely her co-pilot. It's always good to return home no matter where that may be. On to the Red Sox tonight; it was fun listening to the Patriot fans in Miami giving a Red Sox cheer this afternoon. Those bloody New England roots sure do run deep. Go Sox!!

It's Get Out of Town Time!!

Well, the bags are packed, the alarm's set for the 7:15 am boat and I'm as ready as I'll ever be to make another trek to the wonderful, beautiful, warm Aloha days of Hawaii. Portland to Newark to Honolulu; how long can my IPod last is a major question??? I'll be back in Maine in a couple of weeks ready to root the Sox home in the World Series; one absolutely has to be an optimist in these end times.

Here's a couple of pictures showing where I'll be. You can't see it but there's a house in the background midst the palm trees with a huge Red Sox banner hanging from the deck; you may take a New Englander to Hawaii but you can never take the Red Sox out of him!! Aloha all.