Staycation

Amanda and I had planned a trip to Oahu this weekend, but didn't go. Instead, we decided to stay in Maui County and spend all our money at home. Plane ticket funds turned into a lavender cocoon spa treatment at the Grand Wailea. Taxi fare turned into cocktail money. And any cash we would have used on a hotel morphed into a boat trip to Lanai, where we spent a beautiful Sunday on the beach watching the spinner dolphins.

My Pretend Adventure Girl moment came when we first arrived at the beach at Menele Bay. The planning of the trip was whirlwind: we sprang out of bed, shouted "Let's go!" and rushed out the door fifteen minutes later only to run (literally) to the ferry and hop on in Lahaina, hop off on Lana'i, and walk to the bay. The yerba mate had no time to sink in. We had just spread our towels neatly on the sand when Amanda yelled, "Wild dolphins! Grab your snorkel! Let's swim out!" and ran to the water. I grabbed the one snorkel we had time to snag while bolting from the house and jogged down to the water. I hesitated. The dolphins were half a mile out from shore, jumping and spinning, and...I wasn't going. The idea of swimming near wild dolphins may sound like a blissful, once-in-a-lifetime dream to some people, but the reality of standing on the shore looking at enormous wild creatures far, far out in the ocean sent me spinning and my stomach jumping. Amanda was mumbling encouragements of "You'll only get this opportunity once" "Amazing" "Breathtaking" "Incredible" "Regret later"--and for every good reason she could come up with for going, I could come up with an excuse: "I'll see them again" "None of us are going anywhere" "I live just right over there on that other island" "No for me" "Too far out" "Not a good swimmer" "We just got here..."


I felt obligated to give it a try. But once I was in the water, years of accumulated swimming abilities left my being. We got about 1/3 of the way out, my snorkel feeling rough & suffocatingly tight on my face (which it never does), but all the same, my breathing my ragged, my "strokes" were spastic, and I finally just choked out "No. I have to turn back. I'll be eaten by a shark before I even get out there! For heaven's sake, I'm emitting the energy of a dying fish!" Amanda laughed and said I wasn't going to get eaten, that I was indeed swimming -- but I knew better. I was pulsing the "I'm not going to make it, come eat me" vibe. So, we turned around. I felt embarrassed but not defeated. Amanda seemed to think that the only way to get over the embarrassment was to go out there. I claimed there were other ways, so I'm admitting my fright publicly. I'll let you know if I feel better about it later.

But the Lanai day was not a loss...we soaked up plenty of sun, drank & ate plenty at the Four Seasons, met sailors from Oahu who had been traveling the islands for a month, read aloud on the beach, watched a gorgeous dog fling itself into the water over and over (and over and over) again to retrieve its ball, and just relaxed. Really relaxed. So maybe that was it. Relaxation taking priority over adventure. I'm okay with that.

Acrobatics + Yoga = Acroyoga

I threw Amanda into the bookshelf today. She tried "acroyoga" for the first time and, intrigued, I thought I could somehow join her in her adventure, if only as a base for her acrobatic moves. Ever the bestest of the best friends, she agreed.

I was the base for a move called "The Whale" in which I was supposed to be flat on the ground with my legs up in the air supporting her lower back. My hands were around her ankles. Easy enough. Trusting Amanda leaned back. I was "flying her" (as they say) for a moment, before all balance went out the window and she flew into the bookshelf. Trooper Amanda just sat there stunned and said, "If you don't like me, you can just say so. There's no need to bring the bookshelf into it."

So, I'm looking for a new acroyoga partner. Any takers?

All right...

...I get it. I need to maintain the blog. Nurture it. Once you start, you just can't stop, right? The funny thing is...so much has happened since November 2008 (heck, so much has happened since yesterday!) that I'll give you some highlights...in reverse order.

• Valentine's Day 09! There were yellow roses, French fondue, champagne...and a roasted turkey and mushroom crepe cake in the oven, with nutella dessert calzones waiting in the wings with a fresh strawberry sauce warming...what a night we had planned! Amanda and I ate ALL of the fondue, loaves of bread (literally), and then put everything else in the fridge. We were so full of bread and cheese and champagne that we spent the rest of the evening chugging water and trying to stave off a fondue coma. Truth be told, Amanda did eat her dessert. I took two bites and then dropped my head into my hand crying "uncle!"

• Pink Panther 2! I had to drag an unwilling Amanda into the stinky movie theatre (it is literally stinky) for this amazing event! We were one of four sets of people laughing at the show on opening weekend, when all of a sudden...a fight broke out! No joke! These two dads in the rows right behind us starting yelling at each other to "knock it off!" "chill out!" "be quiet!" "calm down!" They continued until we heard the infamous "Hey, you wanna take this outside?" I was sad. Pink Panther 2 had been upstaged by a couple of beach bum dads. I barely remember the movie.
  
  
  


• Lori/Lori Oahu Weekend! Lorelei was on Oahu with her husband, toddler, and mother! I flew over on a Friday and spent a wonderful weekend adventuring and laughing with them! Beach time, playground climbing, Pearl Harbor, giant mall, good food, fireworks...it was AWESOME! It makes me want to vacation with Lorelei more often! The Lori*s hanging out again warmed my heart! I miss her! And the little buddy Evan--who keeps getting more and more magical!


• New Years 2009! was on The Farm in Ohio! The perfect start to the year! I wouldn't miss that tree going up in flames for anything! I was very sad to miss out on the tequila. (By the way, it is a hiatal hernia. Crazy, eh? My stomach and my heart have never been so close...)


• Christmas 2008! was also in Ohio! Yay family! Yay new video camera! Look out...as soon as I figure my 'cat cam' out, I'll try to post movies...oooh, aaah! I got to meet Kim's new boxer Dekker (i.e. Decal) for the first time! What a crazy creature! I love love love him! He and Po Cookie were the stars of this year's Christmas videos!

That's it for now...I've had too many misadventures to count! As I remember them, I'll pass them along here. Nashville is Tuesday! (Riverdance is coming to Nashville! I'm trying to convince the traveling circus that we need to go see it...hehehe...).

Thanks for your patience!

Aloha!

Happy Post-Halloween!

Happy, Happy Post-Halloween to Everyone!



It doesn't get any hotter than being featured on Homestarrunner's Fan Costume Page for the 3rd year in a row! (Amanda & I were both waiting to send out our Happy Halloween greetings until we were sure our obscure costume made it on the website).

Check out this year's "win" at http://www.homestarrunner.com/costumes08.html


p.s. That was my dopey vampire pumpkin. I loved him. Until he grew mold in less than 3 days...ah, Hawaii air...

Years Gone By

Hilarious. It has been so long since I graduated from high school that my graduation year (1998) comes up on http://www.yearbookyourself.com/. I'm officially embarrassed. And old.

One of these photos is what I really looked like in 1998. Good luck guessing which one. Ah, the many looks of Lori Beth Huck...classic, always.

Over a Month

It's been 30+ days since I started this blog on a whim. I remember that afternoon...mellow, cool, no list of things to do. That was then. 'Busy' does not even begin to encompass the days since then. Nor does 'magical' really do justice to the fullness of it. I'm still finding the idea of putting oneself out there in an online journal a bit embarrassing, but I'm back with internet access and a bedroom window I can call my own.

I was in Vancouver longer than expected...(U.S. customs held us for two days...unbelievable. When it was clear that we were not going to Maui, I looked out through the one way window in the holding area at all of the travelers breezing through customs and cried). When we arrived home to the island, late late late one night, it was dark and breezy and very refreshing. We laughed and told stories of our younger, 'wilder' selves the whole hour drive to the house. It was unexpected and natural...the ocean was to our left for most of the drive--you can't see it at night unless the moon is being generous, but you know it is there and that is enough. I'm appreciating the island more than ever. Just last night, Amanda and I were 'driving' (we were so exhausted, I think it is fair to say we were actually doing a combo of coasting + praying), back to the house on the one road that leads us home, when we looked up and saw the sunset. Mind blowing pinks and oranges around the clouds, grey-purple shadows across Molokai, the ocean a blue-grey movement in the foreground, bringing the painting to life, reminding you that the scene is really, really real. Amanda and I are blessed to live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. (I know, I know...'don't rub it in'), but this sunset was different. It reminded busy us how lucky we are. After an intense day of painting and babysitting and entertaining and moving and unpacking and and and...we both just sat there in the car on the side of the road and stared at the glorious gift. It was a much needed pit stop, one of those 'remember how gorgeous life is,' moments. It filled up our drained bodies and spirits in an instant.

So, happy to be alive today, (and fully caffienated), I'm putting the second and final coat of light green paint on my bedroom walls. The color is called "Touch of Spring," which I find funny--I'm welcoming Spring as the rest of the world prepares for Autumn. Now really, I have to get back to painting...

Outside My Window

At any given moment, I could be anywhere in the world. One of the perks of maintaining a rockin' job. Right now, I'm in Yaletown in Vanvcouver, B.C., Canada. Outside my window there is literally a boat load of Canadians whooping and cheering. There is a brick boardwalk (what they [Canadians I've met] refer to as a "seawall"), a packed harbor filled with shiny white yachts, a less than busy bridge, construction, sky scraper after glassy sky scraper, a tiny peak of the mountain line (complete with snow on top), and a cool, frisky breeze. Summer in Vancouver: the L.A. of Canada. Wish you were here.