...And Then Scotty Happened. A Hawaiian Adventure (CHAPTER 32 Added 5/23--THE END)

[Mrs. Knowitall]

Yes, somehow this woman had spent 15 years of her life under the same roof with me and hadn’t called it quits or gone insane yet.

Well.....I DID take those happy-pills for a while....but you can blame that on post-partum depression....

It was my Nemesis who came to the rescue.

Thanks, Brian!!!

I know, the name doesn’t inspire awe, but can you blame me? Buy one, get one is a good deal.

The cheapskate in me approves this!

I was alone with the most beautiful woman in the world. Life hasn’t always turned out the way we expected. We’ve dealt with the frustrations of my job, loss of family, major surgery, and surprise pregnancy. It’s those types of fires and pressures that can make or break a marriage, but I think they’ve only served to bring us closer together. I think every marriage settles into a routine, where you develop a familiarity and shorthand with each other as you learn that one person better than anyone else in the world. But every once in a while, we still surprise each other. I hope I never take this woman for granted. She’s a special person, and the perfect companion for me. Not only has she shared her life with me, but she gave up her career in order to give me our 3 (soon to be 4) children. And she’s been even better as a mom than she was as a teacher. What an amazing sacrifice, and what an amazing legacy! I love you, Julie.

Love you too, Mark!

You two are truly an inspiration for those of us not married yet. I hope that one day I have a family as awesome as yours.

Awe..... shucks....

And how did you get photos that are so perfect?????? Hmmmmm?

Lots and lots of pictures. Lots of pictures. (And I believe these are unedited...at least, I didn't edit them - not sure if Mark did.) I had the camera on a tripod and then set the self-timer to take 10 shots at a time. So I dialed in the setting I wanted with just Mark standing there and then arranged the frame so I could go next to him. Then I pushed the button and ran up there. And want to know the craziest thing? Even though the camera was taking a silhouetted picture of our backs, we still smiled like fools when we heard the shutter go off!

IS Julie here reading this? You don't want socks for Christmas do you?

He's campaigning for a new iPad mini....

 

[podsnel]

Lots and lots of pictures. Lots of pictures. (And I believe these are unedited...at least, I didn't edit them - not sure if Mark did.) I had the camera on a tripod and then set the self-timer to take 10 shots at a time. So I dialed in the setting I wanted with just Mark standing there and then arranged the frame so I could go next to him. Then I pushed the button and ran up there. And want to know the craziest thing? Even though the camera was taking a silhouetted picture of our backs, we still smiled like fools when we heard the shutter go off!

I just LOL'd SO loud when I read that you were still smiling even though you were taking silhouettes! That's excellent!! Love it!

 

[Poolrat]

Even though the camera was taking a silhouetted picture of our backs, we still smiled like fools when we heard the shutter go off!

Almost as funny as an Easter event we had where the "bunny" admitted to smiling inside her head during the photo op we had.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Seem like there's always a picture I forget to post when I put up a chapter. This was from the menu at Joe's:

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

What a perfect day except for the job part. Sorry the promotion didn't work out. I'll spare you the platitudes about a door closing and something opening...it just sucks.

Thanks Jill. Yeah, after so many rejections the platitudes don't work anymore. You just start asking: am I just the fat kid in dodgeball here? In any case, we'll keep trying. At least I have a job, which is more than a lot of others can say.

Love the pics of you two on the beach together.

So I don't know what it says about me as a person, but the first thing I feel the need to ask is was the meat really that huge?? Because in the pictures it looks like it's enough to feed 3 people. And by that I mean 3 normal people, because I've been known to put away a full pound of steak in one sitting. So I exempt myself from that statement.

Yeah, it was quite a hunk of prime rib. I may or may not have pigged out on the whole thing.

Loved all your photos, especially the ones of you and Julie. You two are truly an inspiration for those of us not married yet. I hope that one day I have a family as awesome as yours.

Why, thank you! But before you put us on too high a pedestal, lease keep in mind that I only post the awesome stuff about our family online. We keep the screaming, arguing, fighting, puking, profanity-laced tirades, and annoying/quirky habits under wraps.

Aaahhh...

Hey How'd it get so dusty in here?!?

Allergies acting up again, huh?

Sorry to hear that Mark. I hope you get your chance to get more diversity in your experience.

There is only one way to get that, right? I checked at Walmart the other day and didn't see any "diverse experience" on the shelves.

AWWWW So touching and so true. snif, snif Julie, you got a keeper there. I am glad you got a special dinner in a special place. Dinner looked amazing,as do your pictures on the beach.

I think I got the keeper. She's just stuck with me.

But thanks.

 

[Poolrat]

T
There is only one way to get that, right? I checked at Walmart the other day and didn't see any "diverse experience" on the shelves.

Well I just started inviting myself to meetings where some "diversity" was being being shoveled. I learned enough to put it on my resume so the next time I had a nugget.

Next time they tell you that, ask them how you get diversity.As a County employee we are encouraged (forced) to have an individual development plan. So now my " diversity experience" is in my IDP and when it is discouraged I just remind those who discourage that it is part of my IDP and they back off.

I hope you get an interview with someone who see your dedication to learn and gives you the opportunity to grow.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

You made me cry!!! Your anniversary photos on the beach are BEAUTIFUL- but what you wrote about Julie is even more so- So sweet!

She makes it easy to come up with superlatives.

And how did you get photos that are so perfect?????? Hmmmmm?

A tripod. And Julie doesn't let me touch the camera.

I am so, so very sorry about the job- no wonder work is a four letter word to you! God bless you for having such a great attitude about it that day though, on the beach in Maui (which was GORGEOUS, by the way!! And I just adore your kids' smailes on their boogie boards! ). I truly hope everything opens up there for you soon-

I can't say I always have a great attitude. It's hard not to let bitterness and doubt take over. But those feelings don't solve anything, either.

Being able to drown my sorrows in the ocean at Polo Beach definitely helped.

Are we going to Kauai now? Because I am going to be SUPER excited if we are!!!!!!!!!!

Not yet...we're taking a little detour to...oh, I don't know...see some volcanoes, maybe?!

What a sweet and heartfelt update! Sorry about the promotion, those Catch 22's really suck. Dinner looked really tasty! And it looked like everyone had a great time at the beach!

Lousy start, but the day was rescued pretty quickly.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hummmm… why does that sentence sound so familiar?

Um...coincidence?

Congrats!

Thank you sir!

More déjà vu…

Didn't you just say that?

And you’re a smart man.
(something I’m sure doesn’t oft get noted)

I may not be a smart man...but I do know what love is.

And apparently those are a rare commodity over there.
Win, win.

If it's free, it's for me.

If there’s an upside to this…
It’s that at least you didn’t get passed over for someone younger and cheaper.
Sorry for the mounting frustration.

That's ok. It's not your fault.

Well… that’s the first thing I’ve read about Maui that actually makes it similar to my current home.

The difference is that even the greasy spoons are expensive.

Interesting…
I’ll have to remember to ask you to remind me of this place once I get to head over there (probable in my next life time, but still…)

That's why I include the links!

Good rule…
Might be a Man Law (or at least it ought to be)

Nice looking hunk-o-cow by the way.

Mmmm...dead cow...

All outward appearances would indicate that y’all had one right fine evening.
“Purtty” words you dusted off to tell us all about your best friend there.
Nicely done sir. Nicely done.

Thanks, Rob. Here's hoping she never wises up.

Again, congrats on fifteen years.
Now go do it again (and again, and again…)

We'll do our best!

Naaaa… I think I’ve seen enough of Hawaii.

Ok. I'll see if I can post more Delaware pics.

Yah right! What, are you nuts?!
Is this a question?!

Bring it on buddy… bring it on!

 

[KatMark]

I'm sorry about the promotion, Mark.

What a wonderful update. Such fun pictures at the beach with the kids, and then nice pictures of your food at your anniversary dinner and you and Julie on the beach. And yes...I'm a softy and sat here with tears in my eyes reading what you wrote for your wife. I haven't had the pleasure to meet Julie yet, but I have met you...and I have to say she is pretty darn lucky too.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family, Mark.

Try not to do too many updates...I leave for Disney on Tuesday.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

IS Julie here reading this? You don't want socks for Christmas do you?

Maybe I'll get upgraded to a necktie this year.

Sorry about the promotion- or lack there of. Glad they want someone with diverse experience….

I keep getting told my interviews were terrific. So as usual, I'm an excellent candidate to work somewhere else.

Looks like you had a great time at the beach.. I guess Scotty didn't happen…

You guys are probably tired of Scotty stories by now.

Glad you had a peaceful relaxing anniversary dinner. I haven't had one of those for a while either. I always hear it when I work on my anniversary.

Two words: White Castle.

just when you think you know someone they show there sentimental side, and total throw what you thought about them to the side.

Great. I just lost another reader.

in all honestly very well said words.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Didn't you just say that?

Say what?

I may not be a smart man...but I do know what love is.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Mmmm...dead cow...

Mmmmm…with a side of rancid hops and barley…

Here's hoping she never wises up.

I’ll drink to that one.
I live on the same plane… spontaneous clarity would not be in my best interest.

Ok. I'll see if I can post more Delaware pics.

Throwing down the gauntlet I see…
If you did that, I’d just have to start responding with pictures from the State of Succession.


You think your “loosing” readers now…

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Well.....I DID take those happy-pills for a while....but you can blame that on post-partum depression....

Thanks, Brian!!!

It almost makes up for forcing us to wait 2 hours for pizza.

The cheapskate in me approves this!

Love you too, Mark!

Thanks honey! Your check is in the mail.

Awe..... shucks....

People are going to start feeling nauseous.

Lots and lots of pictures. Lots of pictures. (And I believe these are unedited...at least, I didn't edit them - not sure if Mark did.) I had the camera on a tripod and then set the self-timer to take 10 shots at a time. So I dialed in the setting I wanted with just Mark standing there and then arranged the frame so I could go next to him. Then I pushed the button and ran up there. And want to know the craziest thing? Even though the camera was taking a silhouetted picture of our backs, we still smiled like fools when we heard the shutter go off!

You're destroying our "cool" image I've worked so hard to build up.

He's campaigning for a new iPad mini....

I just LOL'd SO loud when I read that you were still smiling even though you were taking silhouettes! That's excellent!! Love it!

Almost as funny as an Easter event we had where the "bunny" admitted to smiling inside her head during the photo op we had.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Well I just started inviting myself to meetings where some "diversity" was being being shoveled. I learned enough to put it on my resume so the next time I had a nugget.

We get plenty of "diversity" training. But they're asking me to get experience working in different sections. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to accomplish that if nobody offers me a spot to move into.

Next time they tell you that, ask them how you get diversity.As a County employee we are encouraged (forced) to have an individual development plan. So now my " diversity experience" is in my IDP and when it is discouraged I just remind those who discourage that it is part of my IDP and they back off.

I've asked, and they talk about doing a lateral transfer ("sometimes you have to move sideways to move up"). The problem is, those positions don't exactly grow on trees, either.

I hope you get an interview with someone who see your dedication to learn and gives you the opportunity to grow.

Thanks, Pat!

I'm sorry about the promotion, Mark.

Oh, it wasn't your fault, Kathy. And it's ancient history now. Since then, I've interviewed for another promotion and gotten shot down for that one too!

Anyway, I appreciate the sympathy.

What a wonderful update. Such fun pictures at the beach with the kids, and then nice pictures of your food at your anniversary dinner and you and Julie on the beach. And yes...I'm a softy and sat here with tears in my eyes reading what you wrote for your wife. I haven't had the pleasure to meet Julie yet, but I have met you...and I have to say she is pretty darn lucky too.

Well, I'm very glad to hear that. But there's a reason she's called The Better Half. It's because it's true.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family, Mark.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Try not to do too many updates...I leave for Disney on Tuesday.

And I'm supposed to feel sorry for you?!

Seriously, have a great time! I doubt I'll be on much over the holidays.

Say what?

What are we talking about?

And that's all I have to say about that.

+1

Mmmmm…with a side of rancid hops and barley…

Everything a growing man needs.

I’ll drink to that one.
I live on the same plane… spontaneous clarity would not be in my best interest.

It's a long con that we're playing here.

Throwing down the gauntlet I see…
If you did that, I’d just have to start responding with pictures from the State of Succession.

Here's Delaware in Lego form:

 

[jmwest]

Our last full day on Maui was also a very special one for Julie and me: it was our 15th anniversary. Yes, somehow this woman had spent 15 years of her life under the same roof with me and hadn’t called it quits or gone insane yet. I can’t help but think that this has only happened with the help of some powerful medications, but whatever the reason, I ain’t gonna mess with it.

Well, minus the ill-timed phone call, this seems like it was just about a perfect day. Congratulations on 15 years!

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Here's Delaware in Lego form:

I warned you...

 

[Mrs. Knowitall]

I haven't had the pleasure to meet Julie yet, but I have met you...and I have to say she is pretty darn lucky too.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family, Mark.

Try not to do too many updates...I leave for Disney on Tuesday.

Hmm....perhaps I could meet you AT Disney? Hmm....I like the sounds of that. And Mark DID say

Your check is in the mail.

Sounds like a plan to me!

You're destroying our "cool" image I've worked so hard to build up.

Dude. We've gone over this. We're not cool. We're nerds. Remember the Jim Gaffigan chapter? Yeah.

 

[Cinderella's Fella]

You guys are probably tired of Scotty stories by now.

 

[OurDogCisco]

Who knew about the apple pies at McDonalds. We've been going to Hawaii for 17 years since we live so close and I didn't know that about McDonalds. I'll definitely stop there on our next trip. Keep up the good work on your trip report...

 

[MEK]

At some point during the day, we wandered along the coastline. We found an area full of lava rocks and tidal pools. We climbed around the rocks for a while, looking for fish or other creatures trapped in the pools. We saw a few tiny crabs, but otherwise nothing too exciting.

I hope I got the right pictures, because I love this. So gorgeous. You really have so many wonderful pictures from this trip. Well done!

I was alone with the most beautiful woman in the world. Life hasn’t always turned out the way we expected. We’ve dealt with the frustrations of my job, loss of family, major surgery, and surprise pregnancy. It’s those types of fires and pressures that can make or break a marriage, but I think they’ve only served to bring us closer together. I think every marriage settles into a routine, where you develop a familiarity and shorthand with each other as you learn that one person better than anyone else in the world. But every once in a while, we still surprise each other. I hope I never take this woman for granted. She’s a special person, and the perfect companion for me. Not only has she shared her life with me, but she gave up her career in order to give me our 3 (soon to be 4) children. And she’s been even better as a mom than she was as a teacher. What an amazing sacrifice, and what an amazing legacy! I love you, Julie.

*sniff sniff* You have me all choked up. What a lovely tribute to Julie.

I love the silhouette pictures. They are lovely. How did you take these? Did you set up a tripod? I am doubtful that another random person on the beach just happened to take these.

I am really sorry about missing out on another promotion. It just makes me dislike your employer because they are do dumb to keep passing you over. However, I am hopeful that that new job posting turned into something.

I almost forgot - dinner looked really yummy and it sounds like it was a perfect choice. How nice to dine out without the kids. That is always such a special treat!

 

[middlepat]

We were passing Kihei and getting close to our destination when our cell phone rang....

Sorry about that call. Eventually they'll see their errors in their ways.

In any case, I hung up and then took my family to a beach in Maui. Which really made me think—who am I to complain? Sure, it hurts to be shot down again and again, but I’m pretty sure there’s a law that says you can’t complain about anything if you’re sitting on a Maui beach. At the very least, it’s a good place to forget your troubles.

So we went here:

I can almost see my house on this pic. (The red roofs are the complex where my folks have their place)

There, that’s more like it! A few more pictures just to show you that nobody was having any fun:

Nope, no fun here.

And lest you think we would leave our belongings unguarded on the beach, we made sure they were in good hands:

I’ll leave it to you to guess what we ate for lunch on the beach.

Pan seared ahi with a wasabi crusted topping?

1) High-end seafood restaurants that specialize in dishes you can’t pronounce, presented in a form you can’t recognize, and that cost more than the GDP of Nicaragua.
2) Burger joints and greasy spoons.

Yup, that about sums it up.

It was my Nemesis who came to the rescue.

Muhahahaha!!!

Brian (middlepat here on the boards) is my Official Nemesis® in the DIS Dads Club. This means we are sworn enemies who show our mutual distaste for each other by making fun of each other’s sports teams, trying to pull pranks, and occasionally buying each other dinner when we get together. Ok, so maybe we’re not very good at the nemesis thing.

Yet something else I'm a complete failure at. (right up there with pizza joint selection)

Anyway, Brian recommended a place in Wailea that he enjoyed quite a bit on his visits. And even better, they offered an early-bird special if you arrived before 6:00 p.m.: buy one entrée, get one free.

So it came to pass that on the 15th anniversary of our marriage, my beautiful bride and I enjoyed a quiet, romantic dinner at Joe’s Bar & Grill.

Wait for it.....

I know, the name doesn’t inspire awe, but can you blame me? Buy one, get one is a good deal.

The restaurant is located on the grounds of a tennis club, and it’s actually somewhat hard to find if you don’t know where to look. You have to park in the lot for the club, and then they have a guy driving a golf cart who picks you up and gives you a ride to the restaurant (for a tip, of course).

He's falling into my trap.

Joe’s is owned by the Gannon family. Bev Gannon is (apparently) a famous chef who owns a few restaurants on Maui. Joe Gannon was formerly a record producer, having worked with KISS and various other acts, producing their albums. He has some memorabilia displayed at the front of the restaurant.

I'm still impressed by the signed "Welcome to my Nightmare" tour poster as this was (is) still one of my favorite albums of all time. (I know, I'm a dork)

Dinner included meatloaf for Julie and prime rib for me. Because when I hear buy one, get one, my rule is to immediately go for the steak entrée.

But of course!

Amazingly, everything my nemesis recommended was great. So I must begrudgingly say: thanks, Brian!

Wait, what? They didn't give you the leftover slop that I had pre-ordered for you. CURSES!

Although, I'm glad you liked Joe's as much as we do.

But it wasn’t a big deal. I was alone with the most beautiful woman in the world. Life hasn’t always turned out the way we expected. We’ve dealt with the frustrations of my job, loss of family, major surgery, and surprise pregnancy. It’s those types of fires and pressures that can make or break a marriage, but I think they’ve only served to bring us closer together. I think every marriage settles into a routine, where you develop a familiarity and shorthand with each other as you learn that one person better than anyone else in the world. But every once in a while, we still surprise each other. I hope I never take this woman for granted. She’s a special person, and the perfect companion for me. Not only has she shared her life with me, but she gave up her career in order to give me our 3 (soon to be 4) children. And she’s been even better as a mom than she was as a teacher. What an amazing sacrifice, and what an amazing legacy! I love you, Julie.

Congrats on the first 15 years. Sounds like you guys are set to keep this thing going for quite some time.

Thanks, Brian!!!

I do recall mentioning to Mark that since this was also Julie's anniversary that I wouldn't go too far off the map.

Seem like there's always a picture I forget to post when I put up a chapter. This was from the menu at Joe's:

As someone who has taken his kids to Joe's for dinner on more than one occassion, I can vouch for this menu. Also, I think I'm 2 mongooses (mongeese?) away from having to register as a mongoose rescue agency.