Hawaiian Hangover

I knew it would hit. I knew it was going to be a hard hangover, but like any good party, it comes to an end. Then you forget, the hangover hurts. And sometimes, it hurts hard.

Took longer than I thought to hit. In fact, a week. Usually, at least for me personally, the first day back from a vacation isn't so bad. It's day two. And I don't mean, I get back on Saturday, and Monday stinks. It's day two of the normal routine. Meaning Tuesday. Sunday's and Monday's are usually filled getting caught up. One with house stuff, the next with work. Maybe it's just Tuesday's??

The "hangover" started yesterday. It was busy. Work is busy (by the way, THAT is ALWAYS a GOOD thing). Boys were back from their dad's house. Pre-season hockey started. Back to the routine.

I was handling it well. I needed to work out. The day before (Sunday) I participated in a triathlon (triforthecure-denver.com)*** (someone please remind me to write a story on that experience in my life). I lost my Garmin - but it was turned it to lost and found and is being returned to me. Sorry for the tangent - back to swimming laps....

During the Tri, I remembered I really like swimming. Of course, I think I'm part fish and had been swimming in the ocean all summer... I should go swim. I go to our athletic club and start swimming laps. Swimming laps in a murky pool with tons of people in it. Not sure it helped with the hangover. In fact I think it pushed me further down the drain.

Today, full blown hangover hits. It's a busy day. Orthodontist appointments for the boys at SEVEN AM. Drop off school registration. And work. I made it until about 3 and I needed to swim. Back to the club, back to swim.

In the meantime, the Hawaiian house owners (anyone have a good name for them?) call and say they are back. The house looks great. Thanks for taking such great care of it. Thanks for the gift. And thanks for our house too. I now have tears in my eyes. I really was hanging in there - by a thread.

On the way to the pool, Hawaii calls and asks if I knew how to operate their dryer (BTW, I only used it once - they have a line to dry things) - they couldn't remember, it was new when they left. Wait. You are calling me to ask me how something operates in your house? You mean my other house????

I get to the club.

POOL IS CLOSED. Some kid pooped in the pool and they had the shock the pool. No swimming laps.

Hello real world.

Wait, this isn't a hangover - this is REAL life. And although today, re-entry into the real world seems a bit rough - I have my health, my children, my experiences, a roof over my head...... well, you get the idea. It's perspective. And really, it's not that rough. I'm just having a bit of a hangover from the dream.

This too shall pass. Nothing a Bloody Mary and an Advil couldn't cure. My only fear is this "hangover" may last a little longer than normal.

I was supposed to.....

Not sure to start at the start of this little adventure, or back at the age of 13....

The picture is from the driveway, at my "Hawaiian Hale" the morning of the day we leave. And once again, even back in Denver, I couldn't have written it so perfect.

Really, I lived in Hawaii for a month? I closed a deal - proving to myself that yes, I can work and play all at once. (All my friends never had a doubt, the 13 year old whom sometimes lives inside my head, she has doubts). My sons had a summer they will never forget - and neither will their mom.

I'm home. Denver. In my own bed, in a city I love. And truly, it is, looking at a long lost friend whom I haven't seen in years. While you are glad to see the friend, not quite sure if you want to keep in touch, but so glad to re-connect. We are talking MY OWN HOUSE HERE.

Truly, as I said on an earlier post - home is the present. It's not a house, it's not a place, but a moment. Contentment.

My house is a place I sleep, raise my children and a roof over my head. HOME is a whole other category.

What was I supposed to do?? Learn to surf. CHECK Learn to dance? Hula lessons? A helicopter ride? Ride my bike? Run the IRONMAN Course???? I had all these hopes and dreams. Don't we always have hopes and dreams in life????

I accomplished NOTHING on my list!! Okay, one thing - surfing lessons. And you know what??? Hands down - the best month of my life. Goals and dreams are great. We just have to realize it's okay if we go off track. We have to also realize dreams come true and they just don't look how we thought they would.......

Truly, the only thing I wish from this entire adventure: I WISH I could have given the 13 year old Leasa, wait make that the 20 year old Leasa, wait make it the 30 year old.....a glimpse of this is how it turns out now..... She wouldn't have believed it. She probably would have somehow thought something was wrong with the picture. She had these ideas..... These ideas everyone has..... The way it's supposed to be......

What we forget are all those things we DID accomplish not on the list:

Hiking a volcano
Swimming in a waterfall pond
Staying in a local hotel -
Going to breakfast at midnight - and TRULY, it's one of the boys favorite moments.
Getting a black-eye
Swimming with Manta Ray's
Watching your son surf
Seeing outriggers in the sunset
Being impressed your sons didn't flinch when a 12 year old GIRL showed up in a hula skirt and said, we are all going to the beach......
Seeing sharks close up
Telling your sons the beach one "north" of us was "clothing optional" and if they wanted to check it out, well, go ahead.....

And on and on........

Somehow, sometimes, it turns out even better. Even if this wasn't the picture we had in our head.


Maybe the picture was wrong.....

Jet Lag

The boys have never experienced jet lag. We left Hawaii at 9:00pm Hawaii time yesterday (1am Denver time Aug 2). Arrived in San Fran at 5:00am then in Denver at 9:30am Denver time.

Two short flights = no sleep. The boys each slept a bit. Me, I think I slept an hour.

It's very strange to arrive "home" to your own city, get in your own car, and drive to your own house and feel like a stranger. Looking at everything as if it's an old friend you haven't seen in a while.

I took a two hour nap. All the world of difference. Of course, the boys didn't. Four o'clock comes around and Duncan is down for the count. Tried to keep him up until 5. I told him when he woke up at 4 in the morning STARVING and wide awake not to wake me up!

Nolan is hanging in there. And at this point I'm delirious.

The house looks great. The cat is looking at us like we look familiar...... And I wonder where to hang up my clothes. Oh yeah, this is my house.

A Hui Ho

Dear Hawaii,

Are you a place? a state? a state of mind? a thought? an island? Or a new hale?

Fourth of July weekend, 1992, I left Houston, Texas for Denver, Colorado. For a "season".

Yes, that was 19 years ago. I had never been to Colorado. And really, it wasn't on the list. Although, to tell the truth, I'm not sure Hawaii was on the list of places to visit in life. Other than the thought "Oh, that would be nice".

This year on Fourth of July weekend, I headed to you.



Mahalo Hawaii

for the season,
for the memories,
the love,
the black-eye,
the kindness,
the ohano,
new friends and old,
Sunsets and memories,
waterfalls,
goats,
(you can keep your chickens and roosters!)
fresh fruit
and things words can't even describe.


This dream, I couldn't have even dreamed it this well.

We now load up the car, and head to the LAST sunset at Huggo's for one more fish taco and one more Mai Tai.

I say to you:

there is no cash left in the purse, but

there is goodness in my heart,

peace in my mind,

joy in my soul, and

tears in my eyes.



A hui ho Hawaii, A hui ho.....

One last sunset

What to do on your last day???

Well, we were going to kayak and snorkel - then we discovered the kayak still had a leak. Only this time the leak was discovered BEFORE we put it in the ocean. :-)

Let's snorkel. No that's okay - let's stop for lunch where EVERYONE says to stop. We do. It was worth it.

Boys say: Let's go to the beach where we watched our first sunset. So off we go.

The waves weren't as rough, and our friends weren't there. The beach and the sunset were just as beautiful.

Technically we have a sunset tomorrow night before we leave. We won't be in bathing suits and we won't be at the beach. I can guarantee you though, I will have tears in my eyes.

Nolan learned to surf

He had to show his mom how it was supposed to be done......

Nolan's instructor was great. There were only three in the class. Two kids and one adult. I should have tried it again. Pele (the Volcano Godess) had tested me once, I think we are okay now.

Duncan didn't want to try. That's okay - different things for different people.

Nolan loved it. And yes, he rode the waves...... He has ridden a wave, and met a girl, DU might have lost a goalie.... :-)

Clothing Optional

Shoes are optional around here too. We have been very lightly dressed this month. In fact, one pair of my "summer shoes" (flip flops) broke when we were all out dancing. I just left them there and walked to the car barefooted.

Around the house, also very lightly dressed. For me, that means swimsuit with a wrap on, or a summer dress. For the boys, shorts or swimsuit. And I can't tell you how many times I have walked to the front lanai and there are a pair of shorts and boxers on the steps - the boys have just changed into their swimsuits on the lanai.

The shower is even outside.