Year six (!) on O'ahu...: Monsoon and hiking (not necessarily in that order)

So I was off call this weekend, so on Saturday morning I decided to bail on the boring baby shower I was invited to and go hiking instead. A quick note: I know all of 15 people on this island, and the fifth baby of a friend and/or colleague here in Hawaii was born this morning. Seriously. Apparently fertility not so much a problem here. Baby gifts are going to freaking bankrupt me.

Anyway, I went to Manoa Falls, a popular trail not far from where I live. I got a late start and was worried that it would be exceedingly crowded. Instead, it turned out to be about perfect. There were three cars in the parking area when I left, but about 18 by the time I got back. There were few enough people that it was quiet and enjoyable, but not so isolated that I start wondering what would happen if my propensity to sprain ankles would rear its ugly head once again and no one would be around to carry me off the trail.

The only downside was that, because it's pretty much a rainforest, it was disgustingly humid. I started sweating during the process of switching from flip flops to hiking shoes in the parking lot (I believe excessive perspiration is a lovely genetic gift from my father -thanks, Walls!). I doused myself in insect repellent as well, as instructed, but still managed to get quite a few bites before the hike was over. Here are a few pictures, but I actually was relatively committed to pictures on this little trip, so I have several. I'll post a link to the album soon.

That was Saturday late morning. After I got home, I did laundry, played outside, then barbecued with some friends at the park near my apartment. Then, on Saturday night, the monsoon began. Let me start by saying that I have not used an umbrella since I moved here. Certainly we've had rain, but usually in ten minute increments followed by clear skies and sunshine. It rained from Saturday night until Monday afternoon virtually constantly. Still, under normal circumstances, I like days like these that virtually require laziness. Football in my pajamas (damn you, Redskins, for keeping 3 or 4 people unnecessarily alive in the pool), Sunday brunch, reading on the couch, an afternoon movie... all good things. But, it kind of sucked to have my weekend off call washed out. After 36 hours, pretty much the entire island is flooded, there's a bunch of sewage that ran off into Pearl Harbor, the South Shore beaches had waves of 16 feet (which is crazy), and it's been humid and sticky and gross ever since. Word on the street is that we were getting up to 3 inches of rain an hour, with a total of 16-18 inches over that day or two. My apologies to those whose homes and cars were damaged, but at least the local news now had something to cover. Seriously. Nothing happens here. A few weeks ago I saw a tv crew at one of the local hospitals to cover the birthday celebration for the therapy dog. Birthday parties for Labrador Retrivers make the 6:00 news (and may be the lead story).