A Hint of Maile

When I enter my apartment now I am greeted by the gentle hint of maile from the lei on Friday night. Only someone who has lived in Hawai’i a long time can know how special it is to be greeted by that fragrance when you walk in the door. Thank you for that wonderful evening. It pulled together the last eight years in a wonderful way.

As I said to many of you at the party, I was expecting a dinner with half a dozen people. I never expected anything like what the evening that you put on. It was particularly nice having my family there to share the evening.

Trying to figure out who to thank is a dangerous thing because I will undoubtedly leave someone off the list, but I must mention Winnie, and Laurie Ann, Joe and Rika, Nan, and of course Min. I wish she could have been there. My only regret for the evening was that the words to “Way Down South in Australia” escaped me and I was not able to finish the ditty.

I spent this weekend learning how to “kindle,” assuming that is a verb. (For anyone interested, my first order was a subscription to the old Gray Lady, the New York Times) and reviewing Laurie Ann’s seven page instruction sheet on how to blog (another noun that that doubles as a verb?). After some fits and starts with the blog, I expect to put both skills to good use.

Finally, I must once again thank you all for your friendship, your support, and for entrusting your greatest treasure to our hands. It has been an honor.

Andy