January 2015 Journal Photos

New Year's Day

Thursday, January 1^st, we slept in a bit, had breakfast, and then went to the Young's house and helped clean up. We swept up firecracker residue in the street in front and in the back yard. We also hauled some trash bags to the other house next door to use their trash can after asking permission. I repaired the nailed gate board that had come loose with screws so it's better than new.

Caligraphy by George Chen (used with permission).

On January 2^nd we dedecorated. I took the Christmas tree outside and took down the Festivus pole, and then
went to the beach. A storm was coming and the wind was blowing out of the South. I saw this wedding party getting photos.

Not many were on the beach due to the wind (about 30 MPH) and the life guards had their rescue jet ski ready.

FRC Kickoff

Saturday, January 3^rd, we got up at 4:00 AM to go to the FRC Kickoff at McKinley High School by 5:00 AM. The game is Recycle Rush and the password to unlock the encrypted game manuals is R3C3CL3RU$H2015.

The audience as the kickoff gets started.

Checking out the kit of parts. Photo by Andrea.

After the kickoff video. We have a good sized team this year.

We went to Aurelia's first birthday party and met Kelsey and Orian there.

Orian took our picture.

Mom Christie and Aurelia came out to the back yard.

Lots of guests.

After the birthday party we went to the robotics lab where I led the session on systems engineering. Photo by Andrea.

We did a human robot simulation out in the parking lot. Photo by Andrea.

Kalani Robotics FRC Build Season Week One

Sunday, January 4^rd, we went to Kalani High School to continue the systems engineering approach we began the day before.

Darius, the team captain, led today's session.

Presenting a omni-drive design for the drive base.

We discussed design ideas for the grasper, lifter, and drive base. We began prototyping the mechanisms.

We went for a walk after lunch and Andrea took this photo of four ducks in the stream.

Later on Sunday the team published this photo on Facebook with the caption "Feels like Christmas again!
Photo by Kalani Robotics.

Monday I attended in the morning and discussed autonomy with the students.

Tueday morning status meeting.

Building a wooden prototype of the drive base for the programming team to test. We're using a holonomic drive this year.

Testing the claw prototype on Thursday morning.

Date Night Out in Waikiki

Thursday, January 9^th, Andrea and I went for a swim at the beach and then walked to the Moana Hotel for drinks and pupus.

We worked on household projects Thursday afternoon. Andrea fixed a sliding door screen while I refurbished a planter box.
The Hawaiian writing on the blue box says "love one another" (Aloha kekahi i kekahi).

On the way to the Moana Hotel we walked across Kapiolani Park to look at the bed and breakfast where Becky and Eric will
stay in two weeks. Not sure which house was the one at the corner, so we took pictures of both.

The other house at the corner of Holei and Leahi at the base of Diamond Head.

It was crowded at the Beach Bar, but we lucked into a table close to the stage where Hawaiian music was being played.

I wore my new green aloha shirt. Photo by Andrea.

Periodically a hula dancer would perform. We had their excellent mai tais and the ahi poke nachos.

She would do two dances and then rest.

A graceful and accomplished hula dancer.

As the light changed at sunset I couldn't resist taking more pictures.

We walked to the Kaimana and had more pupus and drinks. This is a display of old photos behind glass there.

We drank cosmopolitans and had calimari and steak.

On Friday we went to the beach and stopped at Foodland on the way home.

On Saturday I worked on refurbishing the Chinese coffee table. This is the before shot.

This is the table after cleaning with steel wool and paint thinner. It was made in Tennessee by somebody named David.

Rainbow Bonsai Club Meeting

I presided as VP at the monthly meeting as Marion, President, had a conflicting engagement, on Sunday, January 11^th. I brought my hau tree from seed for show and tell.

Before lunch, Andrea took Lenore for a drive to the Diamond Head lookout to look for whales.

The view toward Black Point.

Lenore didn't see any whales.

Later (after lunch) I varnished the natural wood part of the Chinese table from Tennessee.

Monday morning, the table masked and spray painted gloss black.

With masking removed. Pau.

Kalani Robotics Build Season Week Two

Monday evening, January 12^th, Andrea and I went in to robotics for the start of week two.

Monday afternoon Andrea and I went to the beach. It was a very low tide. The pipe behind the Aquarium was exposed.

Bill arrived while we were at the beach. He rented a Fiat mini.

Talking to Peter's Dad. Photo by Andrea.

The team is very productive this year.

Lots going on. They have a software testbed and are buidlign a drive base prototype. Photo by Andrea.

The coffee table back in the house. Tuesday morning, January 13^th.

Whale Watching

Tuesday mornning, January 13^th, Andrea took Lenore on a drive to look for whales.

Sandy Beach was flat. No whales. Photo by Andrea.

Makapuu was flat. No whales. Photo by Andrea.

Rabbit Island is still green after ten days without rain. Photo by Andrea.

Our new hinoki cypress bath mats arrived on Wednesday.

Wednesday afternoon Bill and I went swimming at Makapuu beach.

Bill checks out his new camera controls (January 14^th).

Andrea and I went to the robotics lab and dropped off some framed signed prints as donations for the fundraiser.
One of the prints was a 1972 Margaret Keane, Princess of the East, that we received as a wedding present in 1981.

Dinner time at the robotics lab.

A full prototype in week two! Photo by Kalani Robotics.

Date Night in Waikiki

Thursday evening, January 15^th, Andrea and I went to the beach for a swim and stayed in Waikiki for date night out.

On the way to the beach we stopped at Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha to drop off some robotics fundraiser flyers.

At Sans Souci Beach the Aquarium was setting up for a luau.

At the Moana Hotel Beach Bar Andrea had a Manhattan while I had one of their excellent mai tais.

We had the ahi poke nachos.

Hula.

Later we went to the Kaimana Hotel at Sans Souci Beach and had some Tanquerey and tonics.

We listened to a guitarist who played a medly of popular songs.

The first frame piece has been fabricated. Photo by Kalani Robotics.

An Interesting Computer Chess Game

Over Thursday and Friday morning (January 16^th) I played an interesting game with my chess applet, with a minimum look-ahead depth of six.

Rick Wagner versus Homeostatic Chess Player on an Intel Core i7, minimum search depth = 6
Double fianchetto opening

	White	Black
1.	Nf3	e6
2.	g3	Nc6
3.	Bg2	Nh6    This knight move is not usual for humans but characteristic for this computer chess player (fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Position after 3. ... Nh6.

4.	O-O	Be7
5.	b3	O-O
6.	Bb2	f5     The point of the earlier knight move: keeping his lines open (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Position after 6. ... f5.

7.	c4	Rb8
8.	Nc3	b6
9.	d4	Bb7    Black fianchettos his queen's bishop (fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Position after 9. ... Bb7.

10.	Re1	Na5    White prepares a pawn advance.
11.	e4	fxe4
12.	Nxe4	d5     Black blocks in white's queen bishop behind the white queen pawn (fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Position after 12. ... d5.

13.	cxd5	exd5
14.	Nc3	Kh8
15.	Ne5	c6
16.	Bh3	Bc8    Contesting the diagonal (fig. 5).

Fig. 5: Position after 16. ... Bc8.

17.	Qh5!	Bd6
18.	Re3	b5
19.	Ra1e1	b4     White occupies the open file.
20.	Na4	Bxh3
21.	Qxh3	Qc8    Black is now desperate to neutralize white's attack (fig. 6).

Fig. 6: Position after 21. ... Qc8.

22.	Qh5!	Rb5?   ... Rf5 might have been better.
23.	Nc5	Nb7    White offers the sacrifice of a pawn to get an open diagonal for the queen's bishop but black declines.
24.	Ne5d7	Rg8    White's attack is now irresistable (fig. 7).

Fig. 7: Position after 24. ... Nh6.

25.	Re8	Qc7
26.	Rxg8+	Nxg8
27.	Re8	Nd8
28.	Rxg8+ Black resigns. Mate is coming.

Fig. 8: Position after 28. Rxg8+. It's mate in two so black resigns.

Friday afternoon we went to the beach and the Waianae were visible. Vog is clearing out with southeast winds.

Saturday morning I went in to the robotics lab for an hour. They are fabricating robot parts at the end of week two.

Sunday barbecue with Stephany, Lynn, and Bill.

Jury Duty

I was summoned to jury duty for Tuesday, January 20^th.

On Monday, Martin Luther King Day, I stopped by robotics on the way to the beach where a flotilla was going on.

On the way back from the beach I stopped by the Diamond Head Tennis Courts and took this photo of the suggestion box.

No jury duty Tuesday nor Wednesday. Have to call in each day after 5:00 PM. I received this FIRST certificate in the mail.

Thomas arrived on Wednesday the 21^st and Andrea took him to the airport Starbucks while we waited for Becky
and Eric and Eric's parents to arrive two hours later.

When we got home from the airport with Thomas I logged in and found I don't have to do jury duty after all!

Becky, Eric, and Eric's parents, Mark and Cheryl, came over for dinner later with Chinese food from Aina Haina Chop Suey.

Becky and Eric.

Becky's New Car at the Manoa Valley Theater

Andrea and I took Tom, Becky, and Eric to see Becky's New Car at the Manoa Valley Theater an Thursday, January 22^nd.

In the afternoon we took Tom and met Becky and Eric and Eric's parents Mark and Cheryl and went for a swim. There was
big west swell and strong currents. 30 foot waves on the north and west shores.

Folding up the towels after getting some sun.

Getting ready to go home.

We had dinner at Paesano's in Manoa before the show.

At the theater.

Becky with her ticket.

The stage set inside the theater.

Lenore's 90^th Birthday Party

We had been getting ready all week for the party to be held Saturday, January 24^th. See this section as its own separate page.

Bill brought home and cleaned a fish on Friday morning, a gift from a fisherman near the blowhole. Click the image to see the
full resolution version.

A gift arrived for Lenore from Pete and Kim. Becky helped open it while I was at the beach. Photo by Andrea.

It's an edible fruit arrangement with "90" in carved pineapple pieces. Photo by Andrea.

Mike and Jan came over to help assemble origami cranes onto miniature clothes pins with hot melt glue. Photo by Andrea.

Sans Souci Beach was practically deserted when I got there at 2:00 PM.

The city installed a "No Soap or Shampoo, Drains to Ocean" sign on the shower at Sans Souci Beach.

Eric, Lenore, and I watch the news on TV.

In the evening we added origami cranes to the branch.

Joel and Sylvia brought Lenore a tiara. 4:44 PM.

People began to arrive in earnest. 5:01 PM.

The sash Andrea gave Lenore says "Birthday Princess." 5:01 PM.

Mike and Alan. 5:03 PM.

Becky and Stephany chat with Linda. 5:24 PM.

Lenore and Estelle. 5:25 PM.

The party is in full swing, but it's too cold and windy to go outside. 5:25 PM.

People enjoy the food. 5:27 PM.

Lots of good things to eat. 5:27 PM.

Doug gets a nametag. 5:48 PM.

Tom and Stephany. 5:48 PM.

Doug chats with Lenore. 5:50 PM.

Lots of food for everyone. 5:51 PM.

Ron and Doris. 5:51 PM.

Simina, Eric, Sabrina, and Zack. 6:02 PM.

Only a few people ventured outdoors including Mark, Cheryl, and Alan in the background. 6:02 PM.

Most people stayed indoors. 6:15 PM.

Eric was a great help with the barbecue. Photo by Andrea. 6:17 PM.

People gather for the reading of the stories. 6:30 PM.

Memories of the library activities. 6:30 PM.

Stephany gives her story. 6:33 PM.

Elsie sits on the floor. 6:42 PM.

Lynn brought the birthday cake. Photo by Andrea.

Bill is ready with the fire extinguisher. 6:49 PM.

Ron with Kai, Doris, and Alan. 7:31 PM.

Simina, Ron, Kai, Doris, and Alan. 7:31 PM.

Cheryl and Anna helped clean up in the kitchen. 8:07 PM.

Whale Watching

Andrea took Lenore, Bill, and Tom for a drive to look for whales the next day, Sunday, January 25^th.

They stopped in Waimanalo to get ice cream. Photo by Andrea.

Decision time in Dave's. Photo by Andrea.

Eating the ice cream. Photo by Andrea.

Sunday buffet leftover dinner. Photo by Andrea.

Drive Around the Island

Andrea took Tom, Becky, and Eric for a drive around the island on Monday, January 26^th.

Chicken in a tree at the Dole Plantation. Photo by Andrea.

At the Dole Pineapple store in Wahiawa. Photo by Andrea.

Becky with her favorite pineapple. Photo by Andrea.

Waialua Sugar Mill. Photo by Andrea.

I received this 2015 FIRST certificate in the mail.

Kaena Point State Park. Photo by Andrea.

Haleiwa Joe's. Photo by Andrea.

The next day, on Tuesday, January 27^th, Becky, Eric, and I went body surfing at Makapuu after breakfast
at Jack's with Lenore, Bill, and Andrea.

On the beach at Makapuu. Eric and I both caught some waves.

Banyan Court Beach Bar at the Moana Hotel

Andrea and I met Becky and Eric at Sans Souci beach on Tuesday, January 27^th, went for a swim, and then walked to the Pacific Beach hotel to meet Mark and Cheryl. We then went to the Moana Hotel Beach Bar to get drinks and pupus.

City workers have been looking at some undermining of the wall by the Natatorium.

With our drinks and a view of Diamond Head.

The weather was nice. Photo by Andrea.

Music and hula.

Manoa Heritage Center

Andrea and I met Becky, Eric, Mark, and Cheryl at the Manoa Heritage Center for a tour guided by Andrea on Thursday, January 29^th. Andrea and group then went to the Bishop Museum while I went home to fix lunch for Lenore.