This morning I returned from my brief trip to Oahu, Hawaii. Despite the torturous travel time (25 hours total), a scary incident on the airplane, and a few too many rainy days, visiting this island was definitely worth it. I put together some photos that you can look at if you wish.

http://www.4dots.com/hawaii/

I'd also like to take the time to thank everyone here at Mobileread for running the show so well without me. In fact, some of you - Bob, do you listen? - did such a great job that I am now considering early retirement. Also my best regards to Sammy of Palm Addicts for his continuous support of our site. Thank you guys!!

Glad to see you had a great time, Alex. A nice holiday can do a lot to recharge the batteries :)

Welcome back!

Thank you Craig! And now that I am back at work, look here (http://nzz.ch/2006/03/05/eng/article6523261.html), here (http://nzz.ch/2006/03/04/vm/newzzEKDYBL86-12.html) and here (http://www.20min.ch/diashow/diashow.tmpl?showid=6418) what I've to deal with. I miss the drinks on the beach.

Sounds like a wonderful trip for the middle of winter. That jungle was amazing, especially considering it was just moments from town. Must have been a national park of some kind? But I can't even imagine the shock to the system to come back to all that snow.

I'm so very glad to have you back home. No retirement allowed! ;)

Oh yeah... and we're on the edge of our seats waiting to hear about the "scary incident!"

Sounds like a wonderful trip for the middle of winter. That jungle was amazing, especially considering it was just moments from town. Must have been a national park of some kind?
Are you referring to this picture (http://www.4dots.com/hawaii/file/pictures/CIMG1670.JPG)? This was taken from the Manoa Cliff Trail (http://www.backyardoahu.com/index.html?mclf1.shtml) in the Honolulu Forest Reserve -> Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=honolulu&ll=21.319941,-157.825491&spn=0.014052,0.029697&t=k).

I'm so very glad to have you back home. No retirement allowed! ;)
I was afraid you'd say that :huh: ;)

Oh yeah... and we're on the edge of our seats waiting to hear about the "scary incident!"
It happened shortly after take-off from Honolulu on a Boing 777-200. You know the time when the plane is making steep swings to get on the right flight track all the while giving you a wonderful view of the ground underneath you. It was all quiet when suddenly some LOUD brumming noise almost made us fall out of the seat. It was accompanied by the plane vibrating and trembling. Very uncool, I thought. Even Rebecca, who is normally not at all afraid of flying, looked a bit pale around the nose. A minute later or so (!) the captain explained the situation. For some weird reason, which he didn't bother to tell us, the gear was overheated after take-off (I found some more on this topic here (http://www.aviationtoday.com/sia/20020901.htm)). To avoid the gear from catching a fire WITHIN the aircraft, he had to extend it again and have it cooled by the surrounding winds - book procedure he said.

Let me tell you, it did so not sound and feel like what you know when the landing gear is lowered usually before a final landing.

Let me tell you, it did so not sound and feel like what you know when the landing gear is lowered usually before a final landing.
Perhaps the plane was going faster than it would when trying to land?

Anyway, welcome back. Always nice to have a vacation!

Perhaps the plane was going faster than it would when trying to land?
Yeah, that's most certainly the reason. I only mention it because until the captain told us what's going on, I had thought of a hundred things but not that he would be lowering the landing gear again.

Looks like it was a great vacation. Quite a difference from Hawaii now with the snow.

Glad you had pilots that were NOT clueless!!!

Yep, that's the jungle pic I meant. Can you even begin to imagine how much that land is worth!? I'm glad they keep it as a preserve.

It's a preserve, but some wealthy 900 residents (like the Dillinghams, Wilders and Castles) live in this mountain-top neighborhood -> The temptation of Tantalus hard to resist (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Jun/30/il/il27a.html), Tantalus photographs (http://www.tantalus.ws/tantalus/photos.html).

Back to reality with the weather, what a bummer.... at least things will be warming up for you soon, Alex (and the rest of you northerners :) )... I can feel winter coming in my bones...

Exactly! It's March, shouldn't we deserve something better than snow everywhere?

Lovely vacation Alex! I am so jealous...