Aloha Menehunes and Mele Kalikimaka, 1 August 2009 was the beginning of our 10th year on Oahu, but .. this wont be another boring we love being in paradise letter. Our signal event was the news that were expectant grandparents. Our daughter, Sarah, and her husband, Jacques, are expecting a boy in March. We are very much looking forward to our grandparent duties and hoping to see them often . out here !!!!!
In addition to Vics Honolulu routine of teaching high school, teaching college and teaching flying, hes also branched out into mountain climbing on all three peaks of Olomana (sometimes called the Matterhorn of Oahu). Olomana is a really challenging series of peaks . not our highest climb, but certainly one of our steepest. He also checked out in a new airplane, the Liberty, a powerful two seat trainer with lots of speed and great maneuverability. The Liberty has a stick, vice yoke, so its a lot like being back in the F-4 and the A-10. The North Shore Challenge 2 ½ mile swim took a bit longer this year: 2 hours and 8 minutes vice last years 1 hour and 30 minutes. Strong currents?
One very satisfying aspect of teaching is watching the students grow from being 14 year old freshmen to Air Force lieutenants and pilots (also Army, Navy and Marine). Weve been in the education cycle long enough now to see that happen and its very predictable that it will happen again. Vics JROTC program got a nice kudo from the Hawaii Chief of Junior ROTC when she said that Vics students got more scholarships to the academies and to college ROTC than any other high school in the state. We now have one more cadet at the Academy, one at the prep school and a former student now in his junior year at West Point. This year we have a cadet with an Annapolis appointment and one seriously competing for Coast Guard. In the last 5 years, Moanalua High School students have maintained a continuous presence at the Air Force Academy and, if this years Academy and Prep School appointees stay in, theyll be there for another five.
Mary has seen the third grade students she worked with in 2005 move to the middle school for their seventh grade year. Will she be able to stay with the job long enough to see her first Kindergarten class reach that milestone? The excitement of a grandchild has made us think of living closer to family, but it will probably be a few years before we summon the will to go through the moving process again.
Marys visit to Atlanta and Mississippi in October to see family was a delight: being with Sarah and Jacques to participate in the preparation for the baby, seeing parents, siblings, and the special Columbus Day weekend when Nathan and Sundi flew to Mississippi were the highlights of those three weeks.
Happy Christmas to all, and Gods blessing for your New Year. Fly safe and Mele Kalikimaka,
Vic and Mary |