i don't want to go

interesting developments

Today I decided that I had surfed enough, and really needed to seriously work on the tan. I actually made the decision last night. Good thing.

At 6:30, I looked out my wall of windows. There was much more activity from the lifeguards and waterfront staff than there had been all week. Hmmm. What was up? They were pulling buckets of water from close to the shore....looking in the bucket and discussing it between all 6 of them. They didn't dump the water out, they got a kitchen bucket and poured the sea water in there. Then I knew immediately what was up. I have been a lifeguard for 27 years. About 10 of those were ocean front. Jelly fish. And no sooner had I said it out loud on my balcony, another waterfront man emerged from the storeroom under the restaurant on the beach level with a warning sign & flag and a shovel to dig it's hole in the sand. The sign is funny. The crossing the street stick figure is floating in an inner tube and under the water line are little jelly fish! Good to know he gets to go to the beach instead of just being on street signs!

So now the plan to work on the tan at the pool turned out to be a good idea! I thought it would be prudent to get in line for my pool towels and to get a prime spot with a beach chair around the pool. This is a very interesting process. The pool area opens at 8am. So when I got there at 7:45 there were already 5 people in line. Most were enjoying a cup of coffee, person #4 coffee and the morning paper. Here's how it goes: you wait in line, the pool attendant hands a pad to fill out to the 1st person in line. He fills out his slip (Room #, # towels and signature) and he hands the pad & pen to the next person...and so on. I filled out my slip and passed it on. Not unlike taking the blue test booklets and passing back from college days! When the attendant opens the plastic chain each person takes their towels from a neat stack and they claim their chair/chairs. It is a very territorial process (apparently). Person #4 took 14 towels, and claimed the front row of the upper level for all 7 members of his traveling party. The row faces the ocean and is on the same level as the pool. Person #3 thought about taking one of those chairs, but person #4 said something that made person #3's head turn abruptly, and he re-thought his towel placement. I actually thought about shouting out, "You don't own those chairs," but I didn't know if he was the CEO of the resort and since it wasn't the chair I had pre-chosen, I kept my mouth closed! I chose a chair right in front of the pool, and in the row behind Person #4 and his 7 chairs. It was prime! It also faced the ocean, and since there was an aisle between the two rows, it wasn't any worse then front row man. Plus, I was one step from the pool! So, once your chair is chosen and you claim it with the striped towels you can leave for as long as you want. Pool chaise lounge decorum says once a chair is claimed, no one else can take it all day, until there is no towel on it! Who knew?! It's cool how people really do honor the towel!
After my conquest, I returned to my room to get my coupon for breakfast. By this time the sand was filling up with tourists and parents were setting up the umbrellas, while the kids took the inner tubes and ran to the water.....you remember, the water with the jelly fish! I counted over 100 people pass the jelly fish sign and take no notice. Glad I wasn't the lifeguard today. The one Adonis with the 18 pack abs was in the water more than I was today. Not that I was complaining have to watch him make the rescues! He was gorgeous! There were 95 jelly fish stings on Waikiki today - probably 35 at this one tower. Surfers were having to be towed in and I saw the lifeguards using gallon bottles of vinegar to quell the stings. The evening local news reported that they had removed over 350 jelly fish before 8am, but with the hot weather (90 degrees today) and higher tides, the jelly fish are around. I wonder how many stings there will be tonight while couples stroll along the water's edge, arm & arm, oblivious to what lurkes in the dark water?

Tomorrow's weather: carbon copy of today. I am going snorkeling tomorrow. Five people were stung by jelly fish at that particular location today. Hmmm. Great. I don't need that for a souvenir. I hate jelly fish.

My tan is perfect though! I have the perfect process for outdoor sunning: 1) Hawaiian Tropic all over front areas 2) lay on back for 15 minutes 3) dip in pool 4) lay on tummy, letting water evaporate 5) Hawaiian Tropic on back and legs 6) lay on tummy for 15 minutes 7) turn over to front and repeat. At every turn take a drink of water and viola! tan all over!!!

I did do some shopping tonight. Eight t-shirts for $18.00. Great deal. Andy got 2, Mike, Nathan, Carla, Cathy, Jenny, Brother-in-law Don (at sister's request). Then I got the $1 Haggen Dazs Chocolate cup at ABC Stores and made it back to my room! Tomorrow I have to get Christy, Ladennia, Tami, and Margaret a little something. Should be easy! I am on a roll now!

So Aloha for tonight. Snorkeling & jelly fish dodging tomorrow morning!

still on vacation...

Vacation can be a tough gig!

All day long this is how it goes: eat, sun, beach, sun, pool, sun, repeat. All I have done for the past 4 days is exactly that. I threw in a couple of walk abouts with some window shopping, but other than that...nothing.

I have spoken only to hotel staff and store clerks. Mimi is my housekeeper...and since I don't need full hotel room service every day, she thinks I am crazy. Don't you want this done? Don't you want that done? Let me change the towels. Let me vacuum. Today, she wore me down. I left, and she was just finishing another room, I just said good morning as I passed (good manners are always appropriate). The sweet lady said, "You want I clean your room today?" (Delicate Asisan accent on a beautiful little lady who does hard work every day.) "Sure!" I said, "I'll be back in about 1 hour. Is that long enough?" She jumped to her feet and said, "I start it right now. It will be done when you get back. You just enjoy your breakfast, ok? You are so nice lady!"

When I returned, the place was perfect. Even though I had hung the towels on the rack (per instructions on the card provided that means you are going to reuse the towels - saving water resources) my towels were gone and replaced by fresh bath towels and they were again perfectly arranged. Tiny shampoos and lotions, teas and glasses were provided. New tiny soaps were again on display, and the partially used bars were gone. Apparently, Mimi can't stomach the thought that I reuse a bar of soap! Tomorrow I can't rely on the same service, as it is Mimi's day off. That's how much she shared with me on the first morning I was here! She is a delightful lady! She was cleaning a room at the end of the hall the other day and saw me and said hello. I asked how her day was, and it seemed like she couldn't believe that how her day was meant anything to me. Funny how people who stay at resorts can be so dismissive of people in the service industry. I am not one of those people. The work that this little lady does every day is amazing. When I asked her about her day, she said, "Come here, I show you something." She motioned me to the room she had just started to clean. It was apparent the guests had just vacated, and the place literally looked like a bomb had exploded in there. There was trash all over, the beds were completely torn apart (sheets, pillows, coverings all over the room). It could have been the room of the Rolling Stones in the mid 1970's. She told me that she had 16 rooms to clean to perfection between check out time at 12:00 noon and 3:00 check in time. That didn't include the other rooms in her zone which, like mine were continuing guests. If the 16 rooms of departing guests all looked anything like this pig sty, I can't imagine how she has done this for 25 years. (Another tidbit she shared!) She said, "Your room so clean compared to this one - tsk, tsk, tsk, 6 people in here. But I think there was more. Lots of people come out every day." Interesting how the people that most guests consider to be invisible really know what is happening in the rooms.

Today was 90 degrees. Lovely, and really great that it never feels that hot while you are on a surf board on the ocean for hours. I came back in 2 times today - once to reapply the sunscreen, and another when it went completely flat for a couple of hours. The wind came back up a couple of hours later, so back out. Heavenly!

I also tortured myself for the obligitory trip to Hilo Hattie's. The trip is great. It's free on the trolley. So, no worries! Part of the package tour that Ken the travel agent got me included 2 free Outrigger tshirts. Clever ploy really. You can only pick up the shirts at Hilo Hatties. So you have to make the trip and will probably buy something there...clever. I, on the other hand, have played this game before. Last trip had the same promotion going on. Get the shirt at Hilo Hatties...I was on to them then. This year, still didn't bite. But get this. When I got there, the lady at the counter said, "sorry, we are out of those tshirts. You get these towels with same logo on them" So, I took the towels and asked for the manager. And in just a couple of minutes, I got one of the promo tshirts, but no size for the hubby at home....so he wanted to get rid of me and gave me a Duke Kahanamoku tshirt in the correct size for the hubby! I happily relinquished my grip on the bag with the towels and he replaced them with the shirts. Not only did they try to get me to buy stuff I don't want by getting me to this store, then when I get there, I don't get the item promised! Even when the stuff is free, I demand my free stuff! Not a cheap replacement item! I love shopping victories!

Tonight after watching the replay of Barry Bonds hitting home run 756 (I didn't know it happened until hubby called and said he watched the game tonight) I did a walk about to look for something for dinner. Walked Diamond Head (that's a direction here...Diamond Head, North Shore, Honolulu, beach = east, north, west, south!) and found a McDonalds. Now, before you start moaning, I have eaten all fresh fruit, eggs, salads, and tons of water. As I walked by I thought about passing, but it was now 9:30 and I was pretty hungry...and a hamburger sounded pretty good! McDonalds in Hawaii is much more expensive. In Washington state a Big Mac Meal is about $5.00 or so. In Hawaii, $7.75. So I got the meal, which in Hawaii comes with a dish of pineapple slices! I wonder if that adds the extra $2.75 to the price. There are 12 chunks of pineapple in the dish...hardly $2.75 worth...but I know that they have to add in shipping costs to Hawaii. I ate the burger, nothing great, but the fries were really hot and still a little shiny with the processed crap they fry them in! They were perfectly salted (Goldilocks fries - just right) and with the dip of ketchup - they were sublime! The pineapple is in the fridge for a snack tomorrow afternoon!

Breakfast, shopping, surfing, sunning, shopping and fries...a full day will now yield to a good night's rest.

~Aloha

Ahhh! Vacation...

Ok, well, husband is much better! Doctor and his nurse are amazed. Visit last week revealed that he was really considering putting hubby in the hospital (like I told husband I was gonna do), but Doctor didn't do that because of my particular skills from my work! Lucky me, huh?
Doctor cleared him for back to work, but husband weaseled one more week out of the disability, by telling Doctor that "what if I go back to work, and something goes wrong. With her gone on vacation, what will I do?" sniff! sniff! (I feel a tear coming on!) but the Doctor said, "Oh, no! That won't do. You take one more week off, then start back very slowly!" Husband looked like he got out of taking out the trash! So he is home, son is off on high adventure trip and I am in Hawaii!

I booked this trip in spite, actually. See, we could have used the money to pay off the doctor bills that are mounting. We could have used the money on fixing little things around the house. We could have.....oh, damn it....I needed to get away from my husband! I said "love, honor and cherish" 18 years ago, but I kinda think it's like the bible....applied to things a long time ago, but when I said it, there was no mention of husband being in pain and unable to care for himself, and home from work for 6 months-so how does that really apply to today's world?! And I know some women are married to abusive, horrible, lazy creatures, and I really have nothing to complain about, but wait till you have the opportunity to be a full time caregiver to a man in excruciating pain...you will yearn for the white sand beaches of Hawaii as well!

I flew out this morning, and before lunch time (local time) I was souvenir shopping with the best of them! I booked a suite in Waikiki at a Hotel with spectacular views! As I do whenever I check into a hotel, I read the panel on the back of the door - fire exits, check-in/check-out times. This hotel added the room rates for this room. Perhaps that is state law in Hawaii. Anyway, this room varies in rate from $349 per night to $1,299.00 per night. No kidding. How can that be possible?! Same room, same view, same everything. I know the principles of supply and demand, but come on! Now, this is an amazing room, with amazing view, and exquisite appointments (after all, I'm worth it!), but it is much more $349 and not $1299 exquisite!

Flight was bumpy, but with no one sitting next to me, I took up both seats and slept stretched out and not scrunched up! The food on Hawaiian Airlines is always excellent and today was no exception. In flight movie....well, that's another story. Compulsive gambler, lounge singer girl of interest who knows he's a loser who gambles, he has issues with gambler father who wronged mom with the gambling thing...He loses, dad loses, but they settle their differences, and girl accepts he is a gambler loser, but he's got a cute smile and is an easy lay, so what does it matter that he stole all of her money to enter the world series of poker? She forgives him in the end...happily ever after! I expect more of Drew Barrymore. Yuck.

Hotel is great. Free high speed internet, free calls to mainland (husband has already called 5 times - 2 to tell me about baseball highlights, one to ask his checking account balance cause apparently he has forgotten how to use an ATM) free breakfast for 2 (I am alone, but considering hitting one restaurant for the 6:30 menu breakfast and then the 10:30 (cut off 10:45) for the buffet and use that towards lunch! I could do it, cause all I am doing all week is surf! I will be hungry by 10:00 after 2-3 hours on the waves! Then I'd be set till dinner time! We'll see.

My travel agent, Ken, is a gem! He found some terrific deal: 1 night free, breakfast for 2 (again I am 1), free t-shirts (2), beach towels (2), beach bag, sunscreen, baseball cap and visor (not cheesy - very nice embroidered tan & navy blue logo, nice!), upgrade to suite (no cost!), transportation to & from the airport ( I was the only person on a shuttle bus today. How was I the only person at the entire Honolulu airport...in tourist season...who needed a ride into Waikiki? Driver said, "You paid, you go!" So we did!), coupon book with loads of free stuff, surf board rental every day included...the list goes on and on. Kudos to Ken the travel agent! He always does good by me!

Even with all that, the best part of the trip so far has been....king size bed, no one snoring! No one there. No one talking to me (except the 5 calls). Silence has such healing properties.

So, I am off to the king bed, with no other, to sleep in peace, and dream of gentle rolling waves to catch after breakfast!

Aloha!