November is winding down, Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I’m still trying to recount things that happened in October. Honestly, that’s a pretty good microcosm of what my life has been like lately.

I didn’t want another month to go by, though, without mentioning my week in Hawaii in October. Dave and Aubrey got married on Maui (or “got maui’d”, if you will) on Wed, Oct 17th, and they were gracious enough to invite our circle of friends there to be part of their experience. For those of you that don’t know Dave and Aubrey, well, you should; they’re the best, a great couple made of two unique and amazing people. They’re generous and loyal friends who are always available when someone needs help, whose guest bed is always made up for anyone, and whose home is the willing host to whatever events the group dreams up. We were all thrilled to be part of their wedding, an intimate affair of 25 close friends and family, and it was a week we’ll all talk about forever, I expect.

The trip was also a great vacation, filled with mornings by the pool, afternoons playing in the surf, evenings barhopping in the small town of Lahaina, and nights on the patio or in the hot tub, looking up at the stars. It was low-stress and low-cost, as we stayed together in a 3-bedroom condo and shared grocery expenses, and it was enough time (7 days) for me to forget the rest of my life, put aside all worries and deadlines, and enjoy a life of leisure for a week.

A beautiful beachside wedding between two people I care a great deal about and wish nothing but eternal happiness for, and a week in paradise laughing, sunning, napping, dining and playing with the friends that have become my pseudo-family. That’s the kind of vacation every vacation aspires to be.

Congratulations again, Dave and Aubrey!

… the baristas get creative.

Uh… What?

An angry mob of high school students that want to learn more in high school (trans: nerds).