Aloha&MerryXmas=MeleKalikimaka!!!!!

Jingle bells on a steel guitar; Thru the palms trees the same bright star!!

Mele Kalikimaka is the island way to say Merry Xmas to You!!!!

Hello again this time I feel like Adam in the Garden of Eden, and have just been delivered a most wonderful Xmas present and I didn't have to give up a rib for her, altho I would have given an arm or a leg: Yes, Santa's sleigh flew my beautiful bird to me here in the islands. She was supposed to come nonstop from Charlotte on an inaugural flt on the Wright Brothers famous day 12/17, but head winds caused them to drop down in LA to take on some more fuel. Sure glad the pilots weren't preoccupied with their laptops!!! See her pics as she came in!!!

Chris comes on 12/30 and then we go into nonstop with hunting on the big island and fishing on Kauai. We will try to fit in all our favorite places and resturants here on Oahu too. He has been accepted into a radiology residency at Madagan Army Hospital in Tacoma, Wa in 2010. Congrats, Dude!!

Shirley and Chris spent a wonderful TGiving with GG's/WH's family in Vero Beach; I sure miss seeing all of them and Matthew and Colson; I hope Santa is good to them!! Matthew has been doing Gr888 on the piano.

I will be 'hanging it up' on January 1, 2010. I have really enjoyed my work here, but I need time now with Shirley to spend the next 6 weeks finding our old selves in the 'old Hava'iki that we experienced 40 some years ago. Life is what the Lord gives us!!!! It is a gift--the present!!!

The Top Ten Events of 2009 are: my wife, my family X 10!!!!

A Very bountiful Aloha and Merry Xmas to all of you!!!! God Bless you and God Bless America.

Al&Shirley

Honolulu Marathon

I wish I had the pic of George Brown and I as we finished the HM together 16 years ago Dec 1993. I was just down watching it, at 5 this morning Dec 13, 09, starting off with the fire works and the StarSpangedBanner!! As I looked for my friend, Dan, running his 30th, the feelings and memories of that morning long ago welled up inside. I couldn't believe myself that I did it and now all that's happening since. Where did all the years go??

George had done all of them since 1974 or so, so that made it his 19th or so. He had been asking me, then encouraging me as I started training back in Sept of that year. Our SpringerSpaniel got into the act and over the next 3 months I figured later that she&I covered the distance to Boston in our training practice; so we did our own Boston Marathon getting ready for the HM!! Why was I doing it?? I needed another reason rather than just to do it.

One day at the hospital a patient's mom said she had trouble taking her very sick boy to the ED; she had no car, no transportation. The idea went off in my questing head: raise money for her to buy a car. That was my mantra and my shirt saying: "I'm running for Linda's car"; on the back it said "Bury me at Punchbowl". Later after finishing we gave Linda a check for I believe, thinking back, about $1800. There was a write up in the Fayetteville paper.

George&I got to Honolulu 2-3 days before the Big 2nd Sunday, played some golf, got psyched up, me plying him for help tips. Then the time came, gathering down at Ala Moana Park about 430AM, the gathering dread/thrill, wandering if I could really do it--. There were at least 25,000 runners gathered. The Kenyans and other fastest marathoners were put up front. The fireworks went off and so did we, although it took about 6-8 minutes for the crowd and us to really start running. The first 7-8 miles went well, climbing up and around Diamond Head to a glorious sunrise; I was going to be fine. Right.

At Hawaii Kai, about mile 13, I hit the wall!! I had to stop; cramps set in; I thought I was done for; I was lying in someone's front yard; agony of agonies; George was very patient; he even massaged my cramping legs; gradually I got better; unbelievably I got up and started a say-shaying/shuffle-- I learned it from the Trukese (where Shirley&I lived in Micronesia). The next few miles were a blurr; I have memory now of the false finish line at the beginning of Kapiolani Park which was like a Jacob/Rachel thing where you have to work another 7 years to get your true love; 26 miles is a long way, but the other 0.2 miles to the finish is like another 100; the pure joy of finsihing is like no other--well I could mention something but not here--but finish I did and George was right there with me, sacrificing his usual time of 2 hr and 40 min to do my 6 hours and thirty some minutes. Receiving the clapping crowds, the shell lei, the medal, the shirt, remembering the sweaty smell, my own priceless sweat, lying under the huge umbrella banyan trees, just relishing not having to run any more, and that I was still alive!! Thank you, Jesus!!

I swore at the time that I would never do this again, but I did. Running is sorta like an addiction. I ran the 94 HM this time George doing his usual 2+hours; I cut my time by 30 minutes. Later in July of 95 I ran the Grandfather Mtn Marathon. I tried 2 more but my shoes gave out and I could never find another pair. It takes magic shoes. You also have to be a little driven and crazy.

George and I got together again in Dec 95, while I worked on the Big Island for a few months; this time I just did the Mayor's Walk 10K; George continued to do the HN until he broke his hip on ice about 2 years ago. I think he did 37-38 consecutive HNs!!! My running shorts and shoes are off to him for that and helping me achieve these memorable moments in my life!!!

Thanks, George!!!

Cherry Point-Anchors Away Me Boy!! Oct 08-August 09

I was very fortunate to be asked to be the pediatrician at this wonderful Marine Base in Havelock, NC. For me it was just right between New Bern and Morehead City, 17 miles each way. We had rebuilt Shirely's old home place on Brice's Creek about 5 years before. A small condo at Atlantic Beach had been a get away place for nearly 30 years.

I was to bridge the gap until another retired USAF peds could come. Those 10 months were busy and challenging as re military medicine and the Computer which kicked my butt for nearly 3-4 weeks, but it was good for me, later using the same system at Tripler a year later. My CO was the best person possible: Captain John Burgess, not just because he was a double Wake Forest graduate, under grad and Med School, but a super CO, fair, helpful, directive and in command without overbearing. Of all that I miss about Cherry Point, he is missed the most. Here are some pics of that memorable year.

The Micronesian Connection--Keep on Trukkin

Honolulu is a magnet for the Micronesians, the island ethnic groups between here and the Phillipines and New Guinea Island Groups. In 1971-73 Shirley, Jonathan and I lived in Truk-now called Chuuk; I was the pediatrician for about 3 million square miles of ocean and about 50 square miles of land. Micro--nesia means many small islands. Those were exciting days working with their local physicians and Peace Corp, sometimes traveling on steamers for hundreds of miles to see patients on small islands, the people living just like National Geographic pictures them. Shirley fit right in raising a blond 2 later 3 year old toe head. She was the perfect wife in a 3rd world tropical island. She accompanied me on several of the travels. She collected wonderful shell specimens and even snorkled, while I made about 50 some scuba dives on the ship wrecks from WW2.

Now I am seeing many of these folks here; the Chuukese respond very excitedly when I speak their language!! I have reconnected with a Chuukese doctor here who I worked with over 36 years ago, and made pictures recently with his extended family. I am putting a few of these on the blog.

What's the reason for the population shift? Their islands are becoming over populated and life is more difficult there. They are looking for the better life. Most are on subsidies and Medicaid, though I see many working, like my parking garage attendants. Actually along with the Hawaiians and the other rainbow spectrum of people here, they add even more color to Hawaii.