Earthquakes and dolphins are on my mind. I'm here in Kona, and have finally found my way to a wireless hotspot for an update. Thanks for being patient and for checking in again.

Yesterday's tremors work me up from a sound sleep. At first I thought it was a violent thunderstorm, as we've been having A LOT of rain this week. When I realized it was an earthquake, my instincts made me roll over and cover Amanda, in case the ceiling fan ripped out and crushed us. That would have been quite dramatic. That did not happen, but I felt quite heroic nonetheless. Fortunately for us, our condo is fairly new and well built, so Amanda and I did not have to evacuate, as some of our counterparts have reported doing. Aside from slowing down the start of our day, our plans were not disturbed too terribly much.

Last week Amanda and I went for a really nice swim. We set out to conquer the entire swim loop, but at an easy pace with plenty of stops to chat and see the sights. Turns out there were plenty of sights to see: about 12-15 dolphins! On the return trip, I popped up to wait for Amanda, and while floating in the pristine salt water, I spotted a handful of dorsal fins poking just above the surface of the water. After a slit-second of 'are these sharks?!' panic, I realized they were our friends: some playful dolphins.

We enjoyed watching them splish-splash about, jumping and flipping, gliding and flopping. It was amazing. We went on our way, and they on theirs, but moments later we caught up with them again, further down the way. This time they swam below us upside down, and seemed to head back out to sea. What a fun-loving animal! And what a great experience for us both!

Aside from those two noteworthy events, most of our week has been the Kona Norm. We've done some nice rides and runs; we took a great drive to Hawi for some exercise and delicious sushi; we've lounged about; and we had a great birthday dinner (mine was the 14th) with our friends Graham and Sue.

It's now Monday, and the official start of Race Week. It has begun to get a bit more crowded around town, and the reality of the pending competition is becoming more clear. I love it.

I have some a couple photos of myself and Amanda in our comfy Kona condo. I plan to use that surf board after the race, by the way!

More later, as the good stuff is only just beginning!

Aloha!