“I’m going back to bed. Tell me about it in the morning, I’m sure it’s going to be really cool.”

“What? Really?” The Bohemian is standing in the dark of the room at the end of the bed where I have just crawled back under the covers and put my head to the pillow. It’s 3:11am.

I’m smiling to myself with my little joke. Loving to hear the tone of genuine disappointment in his voice – just for this quick moment – as it affirms to me that he actually wants to do this. Still surprising me, this man seems game for anything.

And this morning’s mission consists of a wee-hour drive to follow the moon. It’s the last total lunar eclipse North America will see until 2014 and Hawaii’s view time of the moon, completely shadowed by the earth, is set for 4:06am.

Joke over, I’m out of bed and making snacks. I throw some blankets in a bag and we’re off on to the quiet highway with the eclipsing moon above us through the windshield. We find a great spot on a country road that overlooks the ocean, though it’s so dark as the shadow seeps across the moon’s surface that we can’t really see the sea. But we can see stars. And in the two hours we spend laid out in the back of my truck, watching our celestial movie, we probably made at least 10 wishes.

In steady time, there remained only a thin smile of light stretching across the bottom of the moon. All was hushed. No dogs barking, even the roosters that crow 24/7 were quieted in the darkening night. We watched in wonder when suddenly the shadow of an owl swooped low – with impeccably silent wings – right over our heads, our awe expressed in reverent whispers.

Eventually, it was time to come out from the shadow. As promised, the moon began to emerge, casting light on the coconut fronds and ocean waves below us. In the early morning hours the sky lightened, though the sun was not yet risen.

“How about a double feature?” I asked.

The Bohemian (though a major movie lover) is not familiar with my English term.

“You know, sometimes at the movies they’ll show two for the price of one and call it a double feature. Wanna go see the sunrise? I think we’ve got time to get to the East side.”

As always, the man is game. And we arrive in time to see low clouds on the horizon as small waves roll in warming air. We back the truck up to the sand and situate ourselves once more for the nature show.

Upon the sun’s first beams of tangerine light through the cloud line, I’m humming “Here Comes the Sun” and the Bohemian is offering his mantra “It’s another day! We get another day!”

And so with the morning officially on and the Saturday traffic beginning to resume its zoom, we’re sleepy-eyed and happy.

Did I mention the pending birthday party I was to host that day?

Yes, Jeb had a party that was scheduled to begin in a few hours and his dad would be bringing him to our place for the day’s festivities.

Celestial events and shooting stars aside, I had hot dog buns to buy. So we made our way to the bright lights of Foodland to pick up my last-minute party items. Then back home, where the Bohemian washed dishes and swept my floors – whistling all the while.

In the two hours, pre-party, the man had juiced 40 starfruit, cleared dead coconut fronds from the yard, taken down cobwebs on the lanai and cleaned the barbecue grill. Just when I thought he couldn’t do much more, he suggests the gorilla suit.

And so, yes, in the afterglow of a lunar eclipse and little sleep, party introductions to new friends, some hang time with Bodhi’s father, and a gaggle of eight year olds high on cookies, the Bohemian dons a gorilla suit. Well, at least the upper portion of it, which is saying a lot in the tropical heat of Hawaii.

From around the back of the house, through the bushes, he emerged as a sunglass-wearing gorilla, presenting Jeb his birthday cake. After their initial surprise, the throng of boys upped their alpha and all began attempts to wrestle the beast. Soon the Bohemian was surrounded (the cake safely in my hands) as the boys each took turns grabbing the primate and then being spun and flipped, ever so delicately, by monkey arms.

By day’s end, the party was over and the boys had all gone home. I sat in a swirl of tiredness and amazement. The morning’s eclipse seemed like a distant dream. I observed the Bohemian with genuine curiosity, as he appeared to effortlessly switch gears from the mystical realms of night owls to the practical world of the garbage can with grace, never losing his smile.

Ok, so maybe my view is tainted by infatuation.

I know I’m smitten with the man in the gorilla suit. But so far, this guy seems game for anything. And I gotta say, I just love that.