Still Alive

We went to the other side of the island for a few days. Have great stories to share.

Authentic Hawaiian luau.

Life is good.

Firsts

We all forget the first time we ever see something or do something. It's amazing, we just take it for granted.

Today, while on the way to the Post Office and on to the beach, there was a hitchhiker. I asked the boys if we should "pick him up". They said "no". Then Nolan said 'WOW, I've never seen a hitchhiker." Really? I completely forgot of course he probably hasn't seen one.

Lot's of firsts for this trip: The boys had never been on a plane by themselves for this long of a flight. Seen a see turtle in the ocean, while snorkeling. I asked Duncan if he had ever seen one before. His answer: At the zoo. One of those things I have taken for granted.

We went snorkeling with our new friends in the bay where I rode my first wave and earned my first black eye.

Firsts......

Day 1 - Take Two

Not sure what really happens when I have others "energy" to bounce off of. WHAM! That's what happens.

Boys are due to arrive yesterday at 2:45. I'm picking up my new friend Al - I'm going to wear the hula skirt and he's going to take pictures. In Hawaii, I should really know better than to think something is going to be THAT simple.

Lily, Al's daughter, wants to go with us. We will then meet Barney, his girlfriend, her kids at Kua bay, just North of the airport. Perfect.

Lily is a good sport - and she wears the grass skirt and coconuts. I wear the Hawaiian wrap. I had picked the fresh pineapple from the garden, cored them. They are in the car.

We are in the cell phone parking lot. We see their plane land. Lily and I walk to the pick up area, with fresh lei's, and fresh pineapple drinks. The boys aren't going to know what happened.

Their look was cute. What the heck? Hope the picture really shows it.

From there, we are headed to the beach. But first, let's stop and take a picture of a goat. Then let's stop and climb down a lava tube. Quite amazing....

THEN, we make it to the beach. Ride some waves. The biggest waves ever and play on the beach until sunset.

Can we stop then??? One clan goes home, my car is loaded with Al, Lily, Duncan, Nolan and Katy. Back to our hale.

Spagetthi for all and hot tub for the kids. Then I go drop Al, Lily and Katy at their hale and the boys unpack. WOW!

Can you say one busy day??????

The boys asked already if we have to leave.......

If I were a betting woman.....

I would bet I have met the girl whom one of the boys will share their first kiss. Her name is Lily. She won the 1.2 mile open water swim - her first open water swim. She's beautiful and was very excited to hear I have two boys her age. She's 12, going into seventh grade. She will first be attracted to Duncan, and then she will like Nolan. There is a heartbreak here just waiting to happen.

I met her Uncle Barney. Yes, Barney is his name. Barney's sister lives in Park City and used to be marred to Lily's dad. Lily's dad (Al) lives here. Let's just say, Al's not so bad to look at either.

Barney - his parents founded Motown records. I'm not making this up.  I couldn't make this up.

Uncle Barney introduced me to Al. We are picking the boys up at the airport tomorrow and going to a local beach.

And here tonight, I was just thinking - I really need someone to go with me to the airport tomorrow. After all, I did buy a grass skirt and coconut shells to wear to pick up the boys. Someone needs to get a picture of their face........ :-)

Weird Feeling

The boys get here tomorrow - and I'm SUPER excited to show them everything. Watch their experiences. See what ends up being their favorite thing.

HOWEVER, I can't believe how I'm also truly sad that this part of the trip is already over. I don't think I would want it to last longer, but just that it's ending. Two weeks went really fast. And I'm just now hitting my stride with the local connections!

The Miata gas tank will be filled tonight, and the parked for the rest of the month. Not really expecting any sympathy. This surfer girl just isn't quite ready to go back. Glad I'm not really leaving yet.

Cabo

Carolyn and I have TRIED to go to Cabo three times. Say it ain't so.

We are not meant to go to CABO.

First time:

Week after 9/11. Nothing to be said there.


Her divorce, my divorce, well, you get the idea.

A friend of hers and actually a friend of mine all have access to a condo in Cabo in October. Not the same friends - we are talking TWO condos - all the same week.

Is this our opportunity????

Husband says "No". Ok, I get it. And I also get why I'm not married......

SO SHE SAYS, "he booked me a ticket to Denver for October. How much trouble would I be in if we flew from Denver to Cabo".....

There's my girl....

I belong to the party of "it's easier to beg for forgiveness than ask permission"

If that's what you want to do, well, let's do it last minute and pay for it later.....





:-)



Do you really think the story ends there??? It hasn't even started yet.

I'm in Hawaii speaking to an Italian couple whom had just lived 5 years in Cabo". I tell them the story. "Oh, call so and so and such and such and you will fine". I send Carolyn the text and say = I think we are all set.

THE ONE TEXT......



Yes, you can guess the rest of the story.

My funny thing:

Her husband says: "I think your girlfriend is trying to get you in trouble"

IT WAS HER IDEA!!!


Ok, I'll take the blame.

TRULY, I adore her husband. What I DON'T want, is for her not to be able to visit and him worry

And TRULY, maybe we will text him from the airport in Cabo. Beg forgiveness

Good Thing

Bad Thing, Funny Thing

We have a routine every night (in Denver) at dinner. We each go around the table and we say our "Good thing, bad thing and funny thing of the day". The only THING you have to have is a good thing. The other two are flexible. BUT you ALWAYS have to have a GOOD thing*.


Timeshare Paul and I met for drinks tonight. Unbeknownst to him, he asked "what has been your best thing". To me, this was a HUGE question. "It's all been pretty incredible". Then I thought for a few minutes. TWO things popped into my head:

Sunset. That's a given. I schedule my entire day around the sunset. Truly, where I am living clouds up every afternoon. Literally, at sunset, about 15 minutes before - the clouds go away. And you can see the sunset into the ocean. It's freaking perfect........

I think I saw a green flash. I have seen ONE before, and truly I know the only one I KNOW I will see is from the airport waiting on the flight out..

Good thing #2

The outriggers.

No, it's not surfing, snorkeling, hiking, etc.

My two favorite things since I have been here have been WATCHING.

Watching sunsets and watching the outriggers.

Quite honestly, when is the sun is setting and the outriggers are rowing and I'm clean and WATCHING, well - then at that moment, life is perfect.

It looks EXACTLY LIKE YOU WOULD EXPECT IT TO LOOK.

It doesn't get much better than that....

And really, what does that really teach us???? The best things in life aren't things.....


***not quite sure where/why/how I started this tradition, but it works much better than "how was your day?". There are times when our dinner lasts 45 minutes or more. It inspires conversation. The kids also tell you things you weren't expecting. All I know is I must have read the idea somewhere. And it started out with just "good thing/bad thing" and "funny thing" was added later.

And there is nothing more heart-warming to hear your kid say "Tell me your good thing of the day?" And EVEN more heart-warming is when your children's great-grandfather (we were at their house) says to your child, "Well, if you don't have a funny thing, just look at me. I'll be your funny thing".

BTW, this has now been carried on to other households in the neighborhood. Carry on.