... life in Paradise truly Doesn't. Suck! As I said in my previous post, even though it's not yet entirely complete, we have fallen in love with our new home resort. I give deep and profound thanks to God for His generosity to us. and I thank Hilton fordesigning and building great properties and staffing them with superior people!
We bought into this particular resort perhaps about 20 months ago; we've been Hilton Grand Vacations Club® owners since 2006. We've been extremely happy with HGV, and have really used the resort stays. Combined with our Hilton HHonors points, we've really been able to leverage our resort ownership into some wonderful travel benefits!
As I say in the video, I've been quite frustrated that I could only find very basic information online, so now that we're here for our first "home resort" stay, I want to show the world how beautiful and luxurious these resorts are, and how wonderfully well Hilton builds, furnishes and manages them.
I haven't taken any video of the little pool they currently have open. It's the precursor to the large pool, which I think should be done, along with the other buildings, by October of 2009. But I do have pictures! It's a salt water pool, and I think it's quite charming (click to embiggen, of course!):
We are in building Five at the moment, which is a few buildings to the left (as you face it) of the Club House complex (still under construction). From the mock up in the Member Services Office, the main pool will be behind the Club House, and will be quite an elaborate affair. Last year, the manager, Phil, implied that the water slide here at King's Land might be bigger and better than the one at the (hotel) Hilton Waikoloa Village! Of course, I don't know for sure, and last year Phil wasn't either - but there's a bit of friendly competition going on, that's for sure!
My pictures of the mockup don't really do it justice, and it only includes the Club House and a building on either side.
Here are some of the other pictures I took, interior and exterior:
But John Wayne has several other paeans to the simple greatness that is America:
Ah, we miss you, Duke!
"God of Our Fathers" was written by Daniel C. Roberts in 1876 (one would assume for our Centennial) and set to music already composed by George William Warren. The CompleteLee Blog has a little Bible study, and goes a little deeper into the history of the song. More information can be found here, here and here.
God of our fathers, whose almighty hand,And how ungrateful we have become, to turn away from the One True God who brought this country into being. How sad that the songs lifted up in faith and praise to Divine Providence have faded into a background murmur! How foolish we have become, to deny His presence and power, which are proclaimed throughout Creation!
Thy love divine hath led us in the past,Father, we have turned astray from the faith and love that built this nation under Your guidance. We reject Your good law and immerse ourselves in sin and unrighteousness, we kill our own children for convenience's sake and praise vain and selfish people rather than simple, honest and good citizens. Father, lay Your hand upon this nation once again to turn us back to You in faith, trust and obedience!
From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence,Only God can bring peace, and where the Spirit of God is, there is true liberty. It is the freedom to act with dignity and self-control, simply and humbly living for others according to God's will. It is the peace which passes all understanding, with which we can face the greatest bounty and the sorrows of war with hope and confidence, keeping our eye on the God who holds all history in His hand.
Refresh thy people on their toilsome way,Return, O Lord! Return to us and turn our hearts to You! Renew within us a right spirit, renew our minds with the washing of Your grace and Your word! Take away our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh that love Your commands and long to obey them! Make us into a people of praise, living Your precepts, worshiping You in spirit and in truth. Let Your work in this nation and in our hearts and lives be proclaimed to the glory of Your name throughout the world!
And though I despise the heresy of their church, you can't deny the beauty of the voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir:
--- I posted this three years ago, and it was well received. And so I post it again in hope that it lifts up someone's spirit and reminds them of the foundation of this great country on its birthday. Here is the wonderful mix that Alton made for me. He'd asked me to record this post, and then he added music. Listen or read - but enjoy either way! .---
Two hundred thirty three years ago, a group of men - men of influence, wisdom, and courage - gathered together to sign a Document and birth a Nation:
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
And so began the war for our Independence, a war where we threw off the stifling apron-strings of our Mother, Britain, and began our journey of discovery. The War was long, and fraught with set-backs, disasters, tremendous hardship, and discouragement. But through it all, one man held true to the ideal and fought with dogged determination to keep his army and his new country from giving in.
General George Washington. He was not necessarily a brilliant man, but he was honorable and resolute. He had been given the duty of defeating the British and winning the War, and he pursued his orders with unflinching persistence.
And in October of 1781, the British General, Cornwallis, surrendered at Yorktown, VA.
The United States of America was free.
But freedom doesn't come easily. The States had adopted the Articles of Confederation in early 1781. The Articles gave the States many sovereign powers, and any changes to the Articles had to be approved by nine of the thirteen States. Federal power was practically non-existent: it couldn't raise taxes, it couldn't regulate trade, it couldn't stop States from printing their own money.
With authority to act scattered throughout the States, and an anemic central government, America threatened to dissolve into a group of bickering little provinces. The States had their own armies, their own international ambassadors, they argued over interstate trade, the justice system left quite a bit to be desired. In other words, it was a bit of a mess!
In 1786, after much unrest and disputes among the States, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton petitioned that the Constitutional Convention convene to write a new Constitution which would strengthen and unify our young Nation. The man the Convention elected to preside over this process was none other than George Washington, the man all Americans look on as our First Father. General Washington was reluctant - he had recently lost his brother, and he preferred to remain at Mount Vernon, managing his lands. Finally, however, he accepted the duty, and made his way to Pennsylvania.
Under his calm influence, eventually each of the States made compromises and came to agreements, negotiated the power of the Federal Government and State Governments, outlined the authorities of the branches of the Federal Government, and placed the ultimate power of Government firmly in the hands of the People. The first draft was accepted in August of 1787 after months of wrangling and debating. Five weeks later, on September 17th, the convention dismissed, and the Constitution went to the States for ratification. It wasn't until July of 1788 that the Convention received word that the ninth State, South Carolina had ratified the Constitution.
Finally, enough States had accepted the Constitution to begin to implement its laws. Of course, there was further debate about the Bill of Rights, which were passed by a total of three quarters of the States by late 1791, but now America had her "supreme Law of the Land," which began:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Thus we began to work out this fine balance between the Power and Authority of the People, and that of the Government. Men and women have stepped up to serve our country in war and in peace throughout our 230-year history. Elected officials, military, police, firemen, medical personnel, charity organizations, human rights groups, and so many more have furthered the cause of Freedom and Liberty in our country.
But for me, no group deserves our honor and our respect more than the men and women who serve her in our Armed Forces. Each man and woman who enters the military takes this oath:
...I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...
Our men and women do not swear to a particular leader. They are not members of a cult of personality. They swear to uphold the Law, and the Supreme Law of the United States of America is the Constitution.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what the Fourth of July means to me. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," "We the People," and "I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same."
Happy 233rd birthday, America! I love you dearly, and pray that God will continue to bless and guide you. I pray that you will always be that "shining city on the hill," a light and example to the rest of the world of Freedom and Liberty.
Happy birthday!
hen
in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to
dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and
to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station
to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent
respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare
the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
... from ReasonTV via the Puppy Blender...
Wow! Can we do that every year until the morons in D.C. actually learn fiscal responsibility?!
I forgot that I didn't upload some pictures of A-Bay here to CHC! When we visited the other day, I took a lot of neat pictures, but then got caught up in finding a Flickr uploader that would work with my Ubuntu operating system. I did find one, and although it took a few tweaks, and has one or two small quirks, it's working like a champion! So don't forget that you can see all my Hawaii photos from this year in my Hawaii 2009 set.
One wonderful thing about my little photographic excursion along the Bay was this handome little fellow (he was about 2 feet from lead-edge-to-end-edge of his shell) -
I don't believe I've ever seen a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle so close to shore. They are a protected species, so they're supposed to be able to come and go as they like without people chasing them around.
Here are some more pictures of A-Bay for you to enjoy. As always, click to embiggen!
Well, now that I've had a night's sleep and digested some of that delicious sushi from last night, I can post some pictures for you.
I cannot say how yummy it was! Sansei did a wonderful job, and my only quibble (and only a quibble) was that the fit was rather tight at the sushi bar. However, the place was packed - and was the whole time we were there, with people waiting when we left at about 8p - and I do need to lose some weight, so... ;-)
This restaurant is located in the Queen's Market, which opened last year (2008). I was delighted that almost all of the storefronts were occupied when wee returned this year, and that the Market was bustling with activity.
We went in and were seated, as I said, at the sushi bar...
And we ordered Agedashi tofu...
... the hamachi kama (which is the "collar" of a yellowtail fish - the area around the front fins and gills)...
... and the Kohala Crunch roll...
It was all absolutely delicious, and you can go read my full write-up at Yelp...
... but we had to do something to blast ourselves (particularly the Munchkin) out of our we're-on-vacation-so-we-can-be-slugs-and-do-absolutely-nothing mentality. So, we got rolling at about 9am and ran a couple errands - checking on an upgrade to our car for next week, getting some books to read on the beach, swinging through WalMart to get some supplies - and then went down to Kealakekua Bay (Wikipedia also has some good info), where Captain Cook landed in Hawaii so many years ago.
If you check out the map at that link, we launched the Diveyak at the boat landing near Napo'opo'o Beach, and paddled across the bay to the Captain Cook monument. We only had the little water-resistant Olympus camera with us, so please forgive some of the fuzziness in the photos (caused by water on the lens).
Actually, the Beloved and I think it makes for some pretty cool pictures! And it's kind of fun to use his camera - then *I* get some pictures of me on vacation, LOL
This one was taken right near the Cook monument, which is the white monolith you can see in tee photo above. This is just down and to the left of the monument from that photo's perspective. And you can see our wonderful, tough, and versatile Diveyak there with me - it's DEFINITELY been worth the price paid for it!
Here's the monument
And here's a view of the Bay looking out from the monument and towards shore
And here's a whole bunch of thumbnails (as always, click to embiggen) so I can get them uploaded here and then take some Tylenol and go to sleep - all that paddling REALLY tired my shoulders out, and I'll be paying for it tomorrow!
Anyway, it was one of the most beautiful snorkling spots I've ever seen, and it's too bad that the pictures look rather gray; it was a little overcast, but nowhere near as dismal as is seems. But then, I suppose it does add a bit of "mood" to the pictures...
One last shot, and then I'm going to bed:
AIIIIGH! ;-)
And on that note, good night!
Well, I took pictures from Merriman's Cafe yesterday, so I really ought to post them, don't you think?
First of all, the delicious white wine sangria -
While the Beloved and I were sipping our sangria, the Munchkin enjoyed her virgin lava flow and messed around with her cell phone. You know, the one that's never charged - or, if it is, isn't turned ON...!
When it came time to order, the Munchkin decided to go traditional and get the French fries. But, Merriman's makes their own ketchup and also serves a tasty mustardy mayonnaise on the side...
My Beloved and I, however, decided to indulge our love of Mediterranean food and got some olives and some grilled flatbread with onions and tzatziki sauce
But the soups special also caught our attention, so we ordered a cup of the curried broccoli soup
Everything was delicious, which is why we keep coming back year after year!
... gotta feed my addiction! We've ordered a hamachi kama, which is the "collar" from a yellowtail. Also some agedashi tofu, and a Kohala Krunch roll which is a house specialty. I've got pix, so I'll post 'em when I get back to the room! Mmmmmmmmmmmm!
... at the King's Shopping Center here in Waikoloa. We stop by here regularly for the cheerful service and yummy Mediterranean-style food. Today with our pupus (that's Hawaiian for appetizers), we're going to have some white sangria. The Munchkin, of course, will be having a virgin Lava Flow ;-)
Just watch closely - after all, air safety *IS* important!
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Now, that'll get peoples' attention!
This is Anaeho'omalu Bay, or "A-Bay" as the local folks call it, and it's one of the loveliest beaches on the island. If I recall correctly, it was "kapu," and reserved for royalty alone back in the day.
I'm planning on taking a lot of photos here in between swimming and sunning, so I hope to have some uploaded (to Facebook, at least - anyone know a good Flickr uploader compatible with Linux?) tonight.
