hookem2010

Heading to the in-laws this weekend with my wife to figure out how to help her mother, who is 68 and has had dementia for over a decade. She has been in absolute free fall the last 3 or 4 months and almost certainly needs 24-hour care at this point. Thank God my wife is adopted. I could not have imagined how devastating this disease is until seeing its impact first-hand. Just a horrible situation and there seems to be so little you can do to make anything better. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Imagine Nation Brewing has a nice outdoor patio and good beers. Glacier is worth the drive, even if you just did a single night near the park. I did a rafting trip out of Missoula as well that was just 2 or 3 hours but a good time. NW Montana is among the most beautiful places I've ever been so definitely go outside Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I arrived on the island with the floods so we didn't really get to experience the north side like we wanted to. That said, an amazing trip can still be had out of Poipu. If I get the chance to go again I will definitely be doing the Kalalau Trail. I would love to do the full 11-mile hike and camp out there. The beach looked amazing from the helicopter, I cant imagine how great it is after hiking all day. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I dont know what it is but anytime I walk into an airbnb, nature immediately calls. I'm not picky about locations, fortunately. The other guests dont always appreciate it but I instantly feel at home. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

20 straight missed 3's by Harden. Certainly he will make one by accident soon, right? RIGHT?!? Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I am for Bada Bing/Daily Texan serving as the Bernard forum. I always forgot about that one (unless I wanted to feel miserable, and that is what the cloak room is for) and it's important that we don't ignore this shit. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Pruitt and Zinke are both giant pieces of shit, and Pruitt doesn't even attempt to mask his absolute contempt for the very thing he is supposed to be protecting. All these people who care for nothing but lining their pockets are really taking us backwards. Hopefully there is still shit worth saving in 2 1/2 years. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

We may only be there for a couple years so at this point we are just looking to rent. Will I be saving myself significant commute time to Denton by living in the Oakhurst area vs getting a place downtown or close to the university? It does look like I would at least be bypassing a few big highway intersections but I have no idea what downtown FW traffic looks like. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Internet tough guy in the house! Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I bird watch all the time. I'm 30 years old and have been doing so frequently for the last 2 years. Somehow I have a wife. She likes to let people know about this hobby of mine almost immediately after introducing me. It started with hiking and I quickly realized there is not a ton of great scenery or wildlife outside of birds in the Houston area. Plus, I like making lists so seeing my life count increase is incredibly satisfying. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

So I may be taking a job in Denton in the next month or so. My wife is going to be going to grad school at TCU. Based on my drive from FW for the interview there is not much in between. Any recs for an area to live more on the north side of town? Or should I just suck it up and commute from closer to downtown/university area? Not sure what rush hour traffic is like heading north, but at least I won't have to deal with Houston 290 anymore. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Well DixonHur is a tough act to follow. Was that in the 80s? I got to walk through the Tenderloin in SF in the middle of the night to my hotel without my phone. Slipped out of my pocket as I was getting out of my then-gf's car at the airport and was unable to get hold of her before I had to board. I memorized a map on the BART and wasn't even aware of the existence of the tenderloin when I started my trek with a rolling suitcase around 1 am. I felt like I was in Hamsterdam and I realized I probably shouldn't be there well before a cop I passed told me to be careful. I worried that if I deviated from my memorized route I would end up in an even worse neighborhood. Made it through without any incidents other than being offered a lot of fun-sounding drugs. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I did a similar trip 2 years ago in late April with my then-gf, heading the other direction, although we didn't make it as far south as Redwoods. Flew into Portland then camped a couple days along the gorge, drove around Mt Hood down to Bend, got wasted there for a night, spent a night outside Crater Lake, then camped for a couple days along the coast near Yachats. One of my favorite trips ever.

I've always leaned pretty left, but have only voted in the last two presidential election cycles. Can't wait to make this my first mid-term! Thank you Cruz and Trump, you have motivated a lazy millenial in myself to not only participate in the electoral process, but to also venture into the cloak room and pay pretty close attention to current events.

The only road down when I left was a stretch from Hanalei to Ke'e Beach, which is the trailhead for the Kalalau Trail. Per google maps, it's set to reopen in early May so I'd imagine you will be fine. I would absolutely do a helicopter tour and Waimea Canyon. As mentioned in the old Kauai thread, take dramamine if you have any motion sickness prior to the helicopter flight. I felt fine but my wife felt miserable the entire time. She played it cool though and I had no idea until she puked in the parking lot. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Saturday We were scheduled to fly home around 9 pm, so I called a different helicopter company to try and book a helicopter tour for the 3rd time. We were able to book with Blue Hawaiian and I'm really glad we got in last minute, especially since we didn't do a coastal boat tour or Na Pali Coast hike. Seeing it from above, Kauai looks like it was CGI'd to be the perfect movie background. Waterfalls everywhere, carved cliff faces, covered in green. It was an awesome end to the trip. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Thursday We booked a horseback ride with CJM stables last minute. It was a 2-hour ride that takes you along Gillin's and Mahaulepu beaches, although the majority of the ride was inland. It was alright, the wife loved it. Stopped at Puka Dogs in Poipu for lunch, which was delicious. The wife wanted fish express for the 3rd time, so while we were up that way we stopped at Nani Moon Meadery in Kapa'a. It was a nice, quiet tucked away spot for something different to drinj. We had dinner at Keoki's paradise. The prime rib was really good, the fish was just OK. Friday Helicopter tour canceled for the 2nd time. We did a zipline tour through skyline eco adventures. The top 3 lines were closed due to weather so we only got to do the lower 4, one of which we repeated. The wife still loved it, but I think the money would have been better spent tubing or kayaking or something. We ended up spending the rest of the day around the resort and checking out Spouting horn nearby. The Sheraton has a decent beach and some snorkeling, although not as well protected by reef as Poipu so the water was much rougher. Dinner was at the fancy resort restaurant, Rumfire. The filet mignon and butterfish were both fantastic and the restaurant had huge windows looking out over the ocean. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Wednesday Breakfast at Little Fish Coffee, where they had really good yogurt and acai bowls. Then we headed out to Waimea Canyon. It looked cool in photos, but it was so much more incredible in person. There are a ton of lookout points and parking can get crazy at the big ones so get there early. There are also some hikes into the canyon. We didn't do any of those and instead continued to the Pihea Lookout, which is also the Pihea Trailhead. The hike to the Pihea Vista Lookout is only a little over a mile each way, but it gets pretty muddy and steep. It's essentially along a ridge that runs from the east to west side of the valley with great views the entire way. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Attempting photo posting again Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Monday We had a few things planned for this day that got canceled or delayed due to rain, a common theme unfortunately. We did make it to the Kauai Coffee Co. There are guided tours, but we just did the walk-through and I doubt we missed much. Not a bad spot to try a bunch of free samples of coffee. That night we went to the Auli'i Luau at the Sheraton. It didn't have as great of reviews as some of the others, but I really enjoyed it and the food, particularly the kalua pork, was really good. That being said, I was several drinks deep before the event started. It is apparently the only beachside luau on Kauai so the setting was fantastic. Tuesday Helicopter tour was canceled today. I knew the north shore was a mess, but we decided to drive up there and see how far down the road we could get. It was closed just past Hanalei, so unfortunately that ruled out the Kalaulau Trail for the entire trip. This was Hanalei Bay a couple days after the major flooding. We stopped at the Kilauea Lighthouse on the way back. Boobies everywhere, of the avian variety. On the way home we stopped at the Koloa Rum Co. They do free tastings every half hour. If you have to wait, go get a drink at the Mahiko Lounge on the same grounds. Not getting to really experience the north shore and do the Na Pali Coast hike were the most disappointing parts of an otherwise excellent trip.

Trip Report (on Tapa so let me know if pictures dont work): We arrived in Kauai last Saturday, right around the time the heaviest rains devastated the north shore. Fortunately for us, we were staying at the Sheraton in Poipu on the south side. Even so, weather was kind of hit or miss the majority of the trip, so my tentative itinerary was pretty much shredded. Saturday Flew into Lihue around 11 am, picked up the rental car (must-have on Kauai) and started our trip with pole from Fish Express right next to the airport. The spicy ahi was the fantastic. Before heading to the resort we checked out Kauai Beer Co., as did apparently everyone else on the island due to the rain. They were generally good, although I think Maui brewing Co. makes the best beer in Hawaii. The Sheraton had a solid beach-side pool with an attached restaurant-bar that served as our home base. Decent, if over-priced food although I imagine this is the case at many resorts. The bartenders got to know us really well. There's apparently a second garden pool that is much less crowded, but there was construction going on all around it so I never even saw it. Sunday Spent pretty much the entire day at the resort pool and Poipu Beach. You are likely to see monk seals and sea turtles on the shore, especially if you get there in the morning. This is the spot to snorkel on the south side of the island. The water was somewhat rough in general while we were there, but there was a ton to see close to shore. You can rent scuba gear for $8/day or $32/week from the dive shop next to Da Crack, which has excellent burritos. There's also a shave ice place there called Loco Coco that we went to 4 or 5 times. So good. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Good thing I'm staying on the south side. Hanalei is fucked. We were looking to go there tomorrow to chill on the beach and then do the Na Pali Coast hike the following day. Both look pretty unlikely at this point. I'm hoping our helicopter tour tomorrow doesn't get canceled. Hanging out at Poipu Beach and the resort hasn't been unpleasant though. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Original Ninfa's is within a mile of the ballpark. Dak & Bop is just a few miles south for Korean fried chicken and a pretty solid beer selection. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Two more days until we fly out. This work week is now no longer moving at all. It looks like we will be getting a fair amount of rain but hopefully that doesn't limit things too much. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

It was a partial mash. Turned out alright, but definitely need to increase the regularity of my brewing to get better and not just make something that's merely drinkable. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk