I enjoy frosting...

Lana'i: The Pineapple Isle

Over the past six weeks or so mom and I have been taking trips to Lana'i to teach a series of classes known as KAPP classes (Kidney Action Plan Program). It is my job to coordinate these classes including finding and training healthcare professionals to teach them. And as you know mom is such a person, hence the reason for her going to Lana'i. Anyway, Lana'i is the cutest little island of them all (note: I have not yet been to Kaua'i). It only has one city known as, you guessed it, Lana'i city. The first time we went we had a rental car and were able to explore the entire island pretty quickly. You can tell wealthy people like to vacation there because everytime we were there at least one private jet was parked at the airport. It hosts not one, but two Four Seasons hotels and I must say they are top notch. One is on the shore, the other intown with more of a New England feel. Love it! But if you are not feeling to spendy there is the Hotel Lana'i and many houses in town to rent out. I would not recommend planning a vacation entirely around Lana'i, but if you are visiting Maui you can catch a ferry over for a night or two. You'll love it!
Oh, and it is called the Pineapple isle because it was once entirely pineapple plantation owned by Dole. Also, on an earlier blog I stated that Moloka'i was known as the Friendly Isle...yeah well they aren't and Lana'i residents are MUCH nicer!

Officially official

Taste of the Fatherland

Tonight mom made Bavarian Potato Pancakes. She said some Germans eat them with applesauce, but there was no way I was going there. Ketchup suits me just fine. They were very good bytheway.

A Blog About Vog

When I went to work today I thought it was just your average cloudy day, but as the day rolled on I realized that despite the overcast there were indeed no clouds. What the heck?! "It's vog," explained my co-workers. I knew there was more gas being released from the Big Island of Hawaii, but I never thought it would have this big of an impact on Oahu (three islands away). So, I thought I would share some pictures I found online and the definition of vog. Enjoy!


Definition: Vog (volcanic smog) is a mixture that includes gases but is predominately aerosols (tiny particles and droplets) formed when volcanic gas reacts with moisture, oxygen, and sunlight. It is this unique mixture of gas and aerosols that makes vog both difficult to study and potentially more harmful than either gases or particles alone.
Even though potentially hazardous effects of vog may be less dramatic than those of lava flows or earthquakes, there are many, many people who would be vulnerable to such a hazard. With about 1,000 tons of sulfur dioxide being released by the volcano each day, some large area on the island always gets vog. If trade winds blow, vog can be found in areas from Kilauea to Ka`u to North and South Kona. If trade winds are absent, areas in east Hawai'i from Volcano to lower Puna to Honoka'a can be affected.
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/