I have been a naughty and horribly neglectful blogger lately. Same old, same old...there just never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done! But this time I will blame it on my brother, Ramon. Months ago, he bought a plane ticket to come out here for a much needed vacation, and a couple of weeks ago, he finally arrived! As always, I turn into a crazy, OCD-like, house-cleaning mess when I know my family is coming to visit. Those who know me best are probably chuckling as they read this, because the general consensus is "aren't you always like that?" The answer is yes...however, I also happen to possess a secret button on my person labeled "overdrive." So, in preparation for his visit, I pressed it. Perhaps more than once. I stocked up on extra cans of Bustelo, spent an entire afternoon making freezer bags full of empanadillas, scrubbed the house from top to bottom, and cooked up a huge caldero of arroz con gandules. I also stalked my mother repeatedly over the telephone, where I picked her brain over how exactly to replicate her coffee and my brother's favorite foods. Why all the preparation, you wonder? Well, let me tell you why:
My brother is the ultimate, quintessential mama's boy.
I write this with a great deal of amusement, because it is a well-known fact amongst us Colon siblings. We all understand that no matter what anybody does, it will never, ever, EVER live up to the way my mother can do it. Coffee and all. So don't even bother trying.
But I love a good challenge. Which is why I made it my goal to ensure that my brother, who was badly in need of some time away from the stresses of life, had the the best of both worlds: all the comforts of home (i.e., my mom's kind of cooking and pampering) intermingled with the multitude of fun, new things there were to do here in Hawaii. And all the effort was worth it, because we had an absolutely phenomenal time together! I think we may have even temporarily regressed back to our teen-aged selves for part of his visit....I have rarely seen my brother, who is usually very reserved and serious, let go and be such a social butterfly! What can I say? By the time he left Hawaii, the ladies at my Crossfit facility had nicknamed him "Romeo." Here is his trip in pictures:
Visiting Iolani Palace, home to the Hawaiian Monarchy prior to the island's statehood:
Hiking the volcanic crater known as "Diamond Head":
(The view from the top is just GORGEOUS!)
Getting ready to go and hang out downtown with Isaiah and Keith (yup, that's a smile!)
Posing on the beach at a luau:
Of course Ike and I had to get in on the action : )
Enjoying the after-dinner show at the luau:
*Interesting note: Through absolutely NO meddling of my own, Ramon was "randomly" picked out of the crowd at the luau and pulled up on stage by this drop-dead beautiful dancer who proceeded to teach him how to hula. I got it ALL on video....needless to say, he had the HUGEST grin on his face the whole time. Hmmm, I wonder how that happened? :o )
I can't even manage to list all of the other things we did during his visit. We shopped (yes, Ramon secretly enjoys it!), enjoyed the views at Pali Lookout, drove around the island, feasted on delicious pineapple ice cream at the Dole Plantation, lunched at Haleiwa Joe's on the North Shore, and relaxed on the beach at Hanauma Bay. Ramon was able to see Amir's 6th grade graduation, party like a rock star downtown, and experience the Crossfit lifestyle with Ike and I. Which brings me to the final picture of the bunch:
Last, but definitely not least, here he is posing with some of the Crossfit ladies after a morning workout:
This picture was taken on his last day on the island. Bittersweet, I think, because I truly enjoyed having Ramon here with us, and the fact that he was leaving just made me completely start tearing up on the way home. We made some awesome memories while he was visiting...and he even bestowed upon me the greatest compliment ever as we sat drinking our coffee prior to leaving for the airport:
He sipped, looked at me, and said, "It's perfect, Cariluz."
I'll take that any day.
