March 2014 Journal Photos

Whale Watching

Andrea drove Lenore to go whale watching on Saturday afternoon, March 1^st.

They're out there, somewhere.

Tourists ignoring warning signs about going down there. Danger.

Rainy Weekend

It rained Saturday evening, night, and continued the next day, Sunday, March 2^nd.

The yard looks nice and green when it rains. The rain gage holds up to ten inches. The inner column and funnel
form a ten to one multiplier: each inch of water in the inner column represents a tenth of an inch of rain.

View of the back yard from the opposite direction.

Oscar Night

We went to Paul and Faye's Academy Awards party, Sunday, March 2^nd.

We arrived at 7:00 PM at the 20-seat theater on the fifth floor of their building and had a great time watching the Oscars.
Photo by Andrea.

Monday afternoon we went to the beach. This is the hau tree arbor at the Natatorium.

Tennis

I played doubles with some friends on Wednesday, March 5^th.

Ann took this picture of me, Eder, Alan, and Monica.

Then Monica took this one with Ann's phone.

At the beach on Thursday there seemed to be some sort of media work going on behind the Aquarium.

Beyond Earth

Andrea and I picked up Simina at her apartment on Thursday, March 6^th, and went to a lecture called Beyond Earth, put on by the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii.

Long term strategies for the survival of civilization.

Space elevators and fusion power are two technologies that will help to enable survival.

It's a long term program with a time scale in the thousands of years.

Date Night at Park Restaurant

Andrea and I attended the Kalani Robotics post-travel debriefing meeting on Friday, March 7^th, and the went to Park Restaurant in Waikiki for cocktails and pupus. We used valet parking because it was raining.

Rain squalls were out to sea at the beach in the afternoon after our swim and before the robotics meeting. Photo by Andrea.

At the debriefing meeting. The robot needs a new chassis, which we will start building Sunday.

We had rye Manhattans.

Our neighbor at the bar offered to take this photo for us.

Women's Campus Club Dinner

Andrea and I took Lenore to the WCC annual dinner at KCC on Saturday, March 8^th.

The culinary arts school provided dinner. The salad course.

The event was well attended. We had seating for 70.

The dining room has a view of Diamond Head.

Daisy and Andrea with the dessert course.

Dr. Ben Young's granddaughter with the opening chant to ask permission.

The responding chant.

Concluding the opening ceremony. Dr. Young presented on the history of women in medicine in Hawaii.

Bonsai Club Meeting

Andrea and I attended the monthly meeting of the Rainbow Bonsai Club in Waimanalo on Sunday, March 9^th.

Members' show and tell before the meeting.

Waterfalls on the Koolau.

Mount Olomana shrouded in mist.

The business part of the meeting.

Keith gave a demo on directed pruning and wound healing.

Making a point with a Chinese elm sprig.

Putting cut paste on a banyan wound.

After lunch I went to the robotics lab to help with the chassis repair preparations for the Hawaii Regional FRC.

Hawaii Regional FRC Preparations

The team continued building a new chassis and I helped again on Thursday, March 13^th.

Laying out aluminum pieces to be cut.

At work with the machine tools.

Thrift Shop Student Cinema

Andrea went to the WCC thrift shop to accompany students doing a cinema film project on Saturday, March 15^th.

The interior of the thrift shop.

Film crew.

Actor.

Film crew at work.

At the end of the day.

First Hawaiian International Auto Show

Andrea and I went to the auto show on Sunday, March 16^th. We arrived at 10:00 AM, just as the doors were opening.

On the way out the door, Emma was presiding in my chair. Photo by Andrea.

Once inside, the picture taking began!

Back at you! Photo by Andrea.

Andrea checks out the Tesla on display with Blue Planet.

We really liked the Nissan Leaf.

Andrea liked the old VW section.

A 1949 Studebaker and a 1954 Kaiser Darrin, side by side. Those are our birth years. Photo by Andrea.

Andrea liked the 1910 Model T Ford. Photo by Andrea.

Andrea talked to the Model T owner.

The new 2014 Lexus sports car. Photo by Andrea.

We finished up in the Ferrari and Lamborghini corner.

I take a look at the gray Ferrari sedan. Photo by Andrea.

Some fast cars. Photo by Andrea.

The Rock Opera Rent

Later Sunday, in the evening, March 16^th, we went to see Rent, the rock opera, at Manoa valley Theater, and afterward had dinner at Paesano's, the white tablecloth Italian restaurant in the shopping center behind the theater.

The stage set inside before the performance. As at most theaters, photos and videos of performances are kapu.

MVT publicity photo.

Andrea got the requisite photo.

Lenore enjoyed herself. Photo by Andrea.

The next day, Monday, St. Patrick's Day, we went to 12th Ave. Grill for dinner.

Kalani-McDonald's Fundraiser

The owner of the Aina Haina and Kahala MacDonald's is a supporter of FIRST and STEM and helped the team with a fundraiser again this year. Andrea and I walked down to the Aina Haina Shopping Center on the morning of Friday, March 21^st, and had Egg McMuffins for breakfast.

The poster on display inside the first McDonald's in Hawaii (a new building, however, in Aina Haina). Photo by Andrea.

Good breakfast. Photo by Andrea.

Fireworks at Ala Moana

In the evening of Friday, March 21^st, Andrea and I met some friends at Ala Moana Beach Park for pot luck dinner and watching fireworks.

We parked and walked to the beach in front of the tennis courts. Photo by Andrea.

It was just a short walk along the beachwalk. Photo by Andrea.

We brought our folding chairs too. Photo by Andrea.

Everybody shared the food. I had rice and chicken salad. Photo by Andrea.

The views were spectacular. Photo by Andrea.

The fireworks came at 7:45 PM. Photo by Andrea.

The usual Friday evening aerial mortars over Waikiki. Photo by Andrea.

110^th Anniversary Celebration at the Waikiki Aquarium

The next day, Saturday, March 22^nd, Andrea and I went to the Aquarium to participate in the Rocky Horror Show cast flash mob for the "Time Warp" chorus dance. It was scheduled for 1:30 PM, but naturally, the performances on stage were running late. The "Time Warp" was the Kaimuki High School cast's fourth singing and dance number.

There was a line to get tickets, but as members, we went right in.

The Lego enthusiasts had set up a display. Photo by Andrea.

We watched the people having a great time as we waited for the dance number to begin.

Our friend Wendy was there and offered to take pictures. "And a step to the right." Photo by Wendy.

"Let's do the time warp again." Photo by Wendy.

There were two choruses that flash mob were instructed to dance in. Photo by Wendy.

Another "step to the right." Photo by Wendy.

"It will drive you insane." Photo by Wendy. Click image to see the full resolution version.

The Lego display in the foyer.

We walked across Kapiolani Park getting back to the car.

Barbecue with Ed and Elizabeth

Ed and Elizabeth arrived in the islands from Portland, Oregon, with their two children on Sunday, March 23^rd, and came for dinner that evening.

Henry and Elizabeth were interested in the operation of the Big Green Egg in which we cooked the teriyaki steaks.

Under the lychee tree.

Cheers!

Photo by Andrea.

Fort Street

Andrea and I went downtown on Tuesday, March 25^th for her dental appointment. I walked down the Fort Street Mall for a while.

The city was smoke testing the sewer to find illegal rain dowspout connections that cause sewer overflows during rainstorms. See the smoke coming out of the sewer vent on the roof? Photo by Andrea.

This complex is the home of Hawaii Pacific University on Fort Street. Go Nuts!

I met Mitch Kelly, visiting on the Queen Victoria, while walking on Fort Street. Click the image for the full resolution version.

After the dental appointment we went to the the La Mariana Sailing Club for lunch.

Andrea wants a tiki like the one in the sunlight. Photo by Andrea.

That evening Lenore went out with the ladies to dinner at 12th Ave. Grill. Photo by Andrea.

Hawaii Regional FRC

Andrea and I went supported Kalani Robotics at the Hawaii Regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) from Thursday, March 27^th, through Saturday, March 29^th.

Thursday

Thursday was a day to set up the pit, work on the robot, and practice on the field.

We got up at 5:30 AM and drove to the Stan Sheriff Center at UH. Andrea went in to work as a volunteer and I
walked down to Burger King for breakfast (volunteers get breakfast there). On the way down University Avenue
I took this photo of the tower at the Church of the Crossroads where my Mom and Mits are interred.

After breakfast I joined the team (with the new robot chassis) waiting to get into the arena.

Leilehua High has a very nice looking robot.

Wailua High Schook, team 359, eventually was on the winning alliance with 368, McKinley High School, and 2444, Kamehaha
High School.

MORT, team 11 from New Jersey, had yellow and black aloha shirts made for the occasion.

Mount Olive Robotics Team (MORT) has a very nice looking robot.

I attended the safety briefing with Masa up in the stands and took this photo of the pit area in the arena.

Ed Dennis of Project Lead the Way and I had lunch at A Place to Eat on Universtity Avenue. They have good bentos.

The day is half over and the robot rebuild, using the new chassis, is well underway.

Andrea working in pit administration.

Six hours later and the robot is somewhat finished.

Friday

Friday was a day of qualification matches.

A pule in the opening ceremony.

Master of Ceremonies Mark Leone (blue hair) and his wife visit our pit. Photo by Andrea.

Working on the robot between matches.

Henry and William sat next to me for a while during the qualifying matches. They had a good time with the robots. Photo by Andrea.

Working on the robot between matches.

The team performance improved all day.

Saturday

The qualification matches were completed Saturday morning and the eliminations were run in the afternoon.

These competition events are the highlights of the season.

We had great team spirit this year.

Doing the Cuban Shuffle with MC Mark Leone before alliance selections.

Simina and Kai came to watch the elimination matches. Photo by Simina.

Our robot shoots the ball!

Kai liked the dancing mascots during a break in the robotic action.

Kai and his friend Julius visit our pit. Photo by Simina.

The winning alliance, 359, 368 (alliance captain), and 2444.

The Chinese team that won the Rookie All Stars award with Kalani Robotics. Photo by Jenny.

Hawaii Opera Theater: Pagliacci & Carmina Burana

Andrea and I took Lenore to the opera on Sunday, March 30^th, for the 4:00 PM performance and went to dinner afterward at Kincaid's in Ward Warehouse.

Pagliacci is about a traveling clown show, a play within a play. Photographs by Hawaii Opera Theater.

A double murder is in the climactic scene.

The dancers in Carmina Burana are from BODYVOX.

The music was excellent.

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com