Makapu'u Tide Pools

Here is the view from the top of Makapiu'u. This hike is on the windward side of the island and it is relatively easy to get up to this view. And oh what a view it is. This was a great first hike to help me get acquainted with the island and to witness the care that is taken by Hawai'i when it comes to their natural areas. In most cases I have found the trails to be clean and the lookout areas to be spectacular. However one thing I will note, Hawai'i leaves you to be responsible for yourself. There are

no railings or prominent warning signs at many lookouts. You are on your own with no one to blame if you get too close to the edge...

Here is the lighthouse on the side of the mountain overlooking the tide pools. The guidebook told me "though difficult to spot and hold, a thin trail of switchbacks can be

discerned from the plunging mass of loose rocks and boulders...step with caution." What an understatement.

There really was no discernable trail and although I am a fairly confident hiker, I only climbed down ab

out a third of the way and then stopped to hang out on a ledge. Being alone,

I thought that maybe getting stuck at the bottom would not be such a desirable thing...

The List...

So. Now that I am in Hawai'i, I have loads of unforeseen time on my hands. Thankfully Chris has many Hawai'i travel books that I have been using to explore Oahu. One of them is Frommer's Best Hiking Trips in Hawai'i. I have made it my goal to tackle all of the Oahu hikes. There are fifteen of them:

1. Makapu'u Tide Pools

2. Koko Crater Stairs

3. Kuliouou Ridge Trail

4. Hawaiiloa Ridge

5. Honolulu Mauka Trail System

6. Manoa Falls

7. Lanipo

8. Diamond Head

9. Aiea Loop Trail

10. Moanalua Valley Trail

11. Wiliwilinui Trail

12. Kaiwa Ridge Trail

13. MT. Olomana

14. Maunawili Falls

15. Puu Manamana

16. Kealia Trail and Access Road

I of course plan to hit every beach I can as well in addition to the largest outdoor shopping mall (Ala Moana) which is absolutely fabulous!!! So stay tuned for scenes from my adventures in paradise!

End of an era...

Well, I finally made it to Hawai'i, although getting here was a journey in itself. After ten years in South Florida I packed up all of my stuff (now comparatively I suppose I don't really have that much stuff, but in my eyes it was a whole lot) and had to say see ya later to my peeps and especially to Kinja, my little princess. And although I miss my friends in Florida terribly, I have shed tears regularly at leaving Kinja. I know that must sound silly, but it wasn't until about a week before I was leaving that I had to make the decision to leave her in Florida until Scott and I settle into a place in October. There were going to be too many transitions that would have freaked her out and because I have such awesome peeps in Florida, she is staying right in my old apartment and being loved and cared for until I can get her.

So this trip is very much an end and a beginning. I have spent the last ten years on a journey of figuring me out.

Leaving Florida is the end of my ties with Shawn and the life we had. It is also the end of my time as a crazy single girl. Finally, it is the end of my time in limbo. I believe that I have truly figured me out. Not that I have perfected me or that there is no more room for growth, but I have figured out how to be true to me. That is where my beginning starts. I have left Florida with my head on straight and my soul at peace. I am so ready for the new great adventures of my life and feel that I can stay true to what is important to me while experiencing all that this next chapter has to offer. I will freely admit that I never believed that this chapter would involve me being head over heels in love and preparing to get married or contemplating the possibility of having children (yes, that's right. Your eyes are not playing tricks on you. I have finally found someone who I am looking forward to possibly having children with. And I know that I said never but I really believed that until I met Scott. So get your "I knew its" out amongst yourselves cuz I don't wanna hear 'em) but as John Lennon so wisely said, "Life is what happens while you are making other plans." So true.

One final note to this post, I would love to hear feedback but also how everyone is doing. I have caved to peer pressure (no names here...KIM!!!) and now have a facebook page so you can "friend request" me or just email me. Either way, keep in touch :)

Keys 100

Yes, that's right, Keys 100 as in 100 miles! No, I wasn't crazy enough to try this one alone though. I was part of Team North & South, consisting of my co-worker and friend Lori, her husband Jim, his sister Sue, Lori's friend Jill, and my friend Lisa. The race was a fundraiser for prostate cancer and there were over 500 people (both teams and those nutty ones who ran the whole darn thing alone). The race started in Key Largo at MM101 and ended in Key West at Smather's beach, just shy of the southernmost point in the continental United States. It was really a fun experience, mostly I think because our team was so easy-going. We each ran 2-5 mile stretches (we had originally thought that we would run three 6 mile legs but because the heat was so intense, we adjusted to save our energy) and then rested in between.

We had two chase vehicles, one was driven by Jill's significant other Kirk (what a sport he was for driving the WHOLE way) and then we had the RV, which was driven by pretty much everybody at some point. Lisa had never driven an RV so she was able to check that off of her bucket list. The RV was a godsend since we were able to stretch out, take naps, make sandwiches, and even take showers! I had never taken a shower in a moving vehicle so I was able to check that off of my bucket list :)













Along the way, we got really hungry and found a great big bug (Florida lobster) but alas, the creature was made of plastic...what a disappointment. Oh well, back to bananas...










Among the many teams we played leap frog with throughout the race, the team in this photo struck a chord for me. They carried the American flag (and not a tiny one either) for the entire duration of the run. I would have liked the opportunity to speak with them after the race, as I truly admired their patriotism. It is becoming more difficult to find people who do little else than to sideline officiate about what the government is or is not doing correctly. They have opinions about what everyone else should be doing but are unwilling to make any changes within themselves towards that end. This photo gives me hope that there are still souls out there who believe in the founding principles of this country and work to point out their existence in daily life.







Here I am, running strong, feeling good, making progress. Shortly thereafter I was sapped of all available energy due to the brilliant repaving project that laid blacktop down on the walkways. It was over 90 degrees and my feet felt like they were on fire!! I believe that it was after this leg of the run that I told Lori the next time she wanted to go to Key West we could just drive.....












Ah yes, here I am being the epitome of a good teammate, cheering Lisa on as she finishes her run. Do you see the path behind her? Ugh. That had to suck. I think Lisa is saying things in her mind at that particular moment that I would definitely NOT be able to include in this blog...






This is Lori, a pint sized powerhouse of a runner who tackled the seven mile bridge (no switching runners on the bridge at all), and ran in the heat while still brandishing a smile. She was our team captain and my personal hero for this run.
And as it got dark, we were required to dress like we were billboards in Las Vegas. There were some parts of the run at night that were pitch black. Truthfully I was a tad bit scared, especially since my night sight is not so good. But Lori and Jim had us decked to the hilt in state of the art blinkies and bibs for just such an occasion!






So, did we make it? HELL YA WE DID!!! We finished the 100 miles in 19 hours and 58 minutes. There was even pizza and beer at the finish line when we arrived!




We spent the next day or so in Key West and then headed home. Lisa and I made a pit stop in Little Torch Key to have a private tour of Little Palm Island, the resort that Scott and I are planning on getting married at. It was something right out of the travel channel's ten best show and I am absolutely convinced that there is no better place for us to start our life together. You can check it out at www.littlepalmisland.com
Aloha peeps!

My Spring Break...

I'm not even sure where to begin this post, suffice it to say that it has been arguably one of the best times in my life. My spring break began on Saturday 27 March, technically a week earlier than the rest of my school. I took the extra week because on that Saturday Scott arrived for his mid-deployment break from Afghanistan. He was given two weeks leave and I made sure that I cleared my schedule for it. It has been a very, very, very long 6 months since he left and although I made it through successfully, time does NOT fly by. I tired very quickly of hearing people tell me that the time "would fly by". In any case, he finally arrived and we had an incredible time together. I could spend the rest of my life with that man, we get a long so well. Funny thing, he must have been feeling the same way because on Saturday 3 April, the day before his birthday, he took me to a seaside restaurant for a beautiful dinner and starlit walk on the beach. And after reminiscing a bit about how the sky and stars reminded us of our first weekend together in Death Valley (I know it sounds kinda funny, but it was really the best first date I've ever had), Scott asked me to marry him. I told him absolutely, that I would marry him yesterday, today, and any other day. He then slipped onto my finger the most gorgeous ring I have ever seen. The photo doesn't do it justice but it is a platinum infinity band with a Hearts on Fire diamond. There are two tiny diamonds under the big one. It is so perfect for me and apparently he (with his mother's help) spent a great deal of time researching and choosing something that he thought I would love and he did a perfect job (I keep using the word perfect because I really can't think of anything better to say-lol). His whole family knew about it ahead of time and were ecstatic. They have been so wonderful to me and welcomed me into their family with open arms.
So how did we celebrate? We went fishing of course! Sunday morning Scott, his parents, and I took the boat out and fished the bay for a few hours. Scott's parents had gotten him a new rod & reel so he had the chance to try it out. Thank goodness they gave him the rod & reel because he had been set on buying one as soon as he got in and I had used every tactic I could muster to keep him from going to the store and buying one himself. And people, you all know that I am not the best at keeping secrets and this was a mighty difficult one since Scott is fairly stubborn and when he wants something he goes and gets it (sound like someone else you know? lol). The set up that his parents bought was very similar to the one he bought me for Christmas (yes, I am the girl who was absolutely thrilled to get a fishing rod for Christmas) and although neither of us caught any fish that day, we had a good time putting our poles to good use!! Well, I put my pole to good use in between phone calls and text messages about our engagement :)
The rest of Scott's visit was spent mainly in the Keys. We were able to rent a townhouse on the Navy base in Key West and headed down there Tuesday-Friday. The ride was fantastic because Betsy (the '83 Jeep CJ 8) was fixed and ready to go. The weather was marvelous for driving and we took the hard top and doors off for the trip. I love that Jeep, it is so fun to ride in and drive, however not so good for the hair :) It was fitting also since we spent our first weekend in Death Valley rompin around in her. Scott's parents and uncle met us down there with the boat and the boys spent two full days fishing. They went the first day without Scott's mom and me, mainly because it was fairly rough with the wind and we also knew that they would be going again the next day. Also there was shopping to be done in Key West. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the Key Lime Pie on a stick. Those of you who have not experienced this culinary miracle are missing out!! This is frozen key lime pie with a layer of chocolate around it. It is a must for any Florida Keys trip.
So the day we all went out off Key West to fish was wicked awesome! Ok, it didn't start that great for me, I was more than a little embarrassed that I was queasy on the trip out, but as soon as we stopped I jumped in the water and felt instantly better. From then on it was non-stop fishing. We anchored over a wreck and stayed almost the whole afternoon. We were just catching one fish after another! The best part was that I finally got to christen the fishing pole that Scott bought me for Christmas! I probably caught at least a dozen fish that day. Blue runners (not to keep but fun to catch), Amberjack, Grouper, and Snapper. Most I threw back but some were kept for eatin :) We all caught a load of fish over the day but the highpoint of the trip was Scott's catch just before we pulled up lines to head in. He had thrown out a line with a crab in hopes that he would lure Permit in. We had just decided to pull in the lines when Uncle Charlie, me, and Scott all hooked up at the same time. Charlie and I lost our fish but Scott ended up reeling in a 30+ lb Permit. The craziest part is that the hook was just barely sticking into the fish's lip. This was the fish that Scott had been waiting for and will probably not see again. He had permagrin for the rest of the afternoon :) The ride in was the icing on the cake for us as a huge spotted ray was jumping out of the water as we were cruising by. What an awesome display of nature's beauty!!
We finally came back to Stuart and had a few people over to celebrate our engagement. Kimmie went into party mode (I think she just likes excuses to put her culinary education to good use-lol) and created a fabulous display for us. The ducks even have tongues!!!













Scott brought me a gift from the interpreters that he works with in Afghanistan...a birka. This is the traditional attire for women. Women are not allowed to show any skin (I think I broke the rules by showing my hands). Can you imagine having to wear this getup all the time????









This final photo is of my big fish of the trip. I almost was voted off the boat by the boys for this one-lol
It is a 28" Gag Grouper that I caught off Tampa Bay. I was certainly tired after fighting this monster. It is the first grouper I've ever caught!!







So...you may be thinking...what now? The plan is that I am going to finish out the school year and then pack up my stuff. put it into storage, sell my truck, and take off to Hawaii. My friends Chris and Sarah live in Honolulu and they have graciously invited me to come stay with them. I am going to probably do some odd jobs while there and then at the end of September I plan to head to my brother's in NH to help out for a week or two since they are expecting their first child!!!!! I am so freaking excited for them and can't wait to see my brother as a dad :) I will stay with them until 7 October when Scott returns from Afghanistan. We don't know where he will be stationed yet but he is getting promoted to Major (YAY!!) so it is quite possible that we will end up at Ft. Leavenworth, KS so he can go to military school. Yes, I know, Kansas. However to me it doesn't matter where I go, as long as I can be with Scott. Once we get settled then I will evaluate my job prospects and decide what to do. In the midst of all of my moving, Megan will be giving birth to her second child so as you can see, there really is never a dull moment in my world! Love and happiness my peeps!

2010...

Wow. That we have entered another decade is nothing short of mind blowing. When I was a kid it seemed that time couldn't go by fast enough until I was old enough for whatever the next milestone was. Now...I actually feel like I am in two different worlds. The world of school and teaching seems to be blowing by at light speed. However the world that has Scott in Afghanistan seems to be creeping by at a snail's pace. As of Tuesday (12 Jan) he will have be gone for 14 weeks. Just over 3 months. He is in Kabul, training the Afghan soldiers to fight for their own country. I have been able to talk to him almost everyday, truly a blessing as far as I'm concerned. He is planning to come back to Florida at the beginning of April for his mid-deployment break. This will coincide with my spring break and I don't think words could possibly express how much I am looking forward to that time :)
Anyhow, here are some photos I thought I would share from the last couple of months...





This is a photo of all of the cards I received for my birthday and the holidays from the absolutely fabulous people in my life!!









And here is my crazy sleeping princess, Kinja....


















And...since Scott was not here to be my date for all of the parties I had to attend, I had to make other arrangements...









Yes, these are fuzzy bunny slippers. And they are pink. And I love 'em!

Here comes the fall...

I can hardly believe that we are already in the middle of October. In a couple of short weeks the first quarter of the school year will end. It just blows me away. As most of you know, I have spent as much of the last month and a half with Scott, whether that be here in Florida or in Kansas, where he was temporarily stationed. He left on 6 October for a yearlong deployment in Afghanistan. Scott is a Captain in the Army but he is my knight in shining armor. I admire that he has now gone to a country where the people are almost entirely illiterate, afraid for their lives, and living very primitively compared to how we live. I hope all of you are thankful for all that you have, I know that I certainly am. Anyway, I will wait patiently (okay, stop laughing, I have no choice in the patience thing) for him to return next year. He will have a mid-deployment break at some point, which I am looking forward to very much.
So the first weekend in October was the last time I saw him, and I traveled to Kansas. As usual, we found lots to do, without even spending time in the city. We drove on Saturday out to a classic car show. Now I will be totally honest, I didn't really think I would enjoy it all that much, not being a huge car buff, but I found that I had a great time (could've been the company...). I also realized that for the most part, I really like old trucks more than old cars. However, the highlight of the show was what turns out to be my dream car. Check out me next to this beauty. A 1965 Mustang, and yes that baby is pink! I so want that car!!! Someday, I aspire to own a classic pink Mustang. It was fantastic. Scott is very much a classic Camero fan and since there were many there, his eyes were as big as saucers and I don't think the smile left his face the whole time. It was great :)

On Sunday, we drove to Wamego, KS. What the heck is in Wamego you ask? Only the home of the Wizard of Oz for cryin out loud! Yes, and we happened to catch the Oztober Fest, the only festival dedicated solely to the movie that this year celebrates 70 years. Its not as big as I thought it would be but there were a few fantastic things in Wamego.
First, they have a Wizard of Oz museum. Believe it or not, it cost $10 to get in. That was a little crazy to me but I guess they have to get the money while they can. There were all sorts of pieces of memorabilia from the movies and from the books and from the actors and actresses themselves. There were even relatives of Frank Baum (the author of the original story) on hand to sign books and stuff. And next door at the theatre they were of course showing the movie all weekend. But on Sunday from 11-1 you could meet one of the original munchkins! We decided to skip that because the line was so darn long....REALLY! They had the munchkin hidden through some secret door so you couldn't see 'em, and I think you had to pay to see the munchkin. No thanks. Now I know you must be so darn jealous that I got to experience this very cool slice of Americana but I haven't even gotten to the piece d'resistance...
Wamego, Kansas is home to the Oz Winery. It just doesn't get better than that. Of course I had to go. And what would I buy there? Check out the photo people...
Yup, you are seeing it correct (I added the flowers cuz it made a nice photo :) But isn't that just a hoot??? I HAD to have a bottle of Witch in a Ditch. And let me tell you, I would be hard pressed to ever get rid of that bottle. Between that and my now favorite saying, "Don't make me call my flying monkeys!" I thought my trip to Wamego was wicked cool.
Kansas was also experiencing the first signs of fall and there were spots of beautiful leaf colours on the trees and wild turkeys running around. I miss the fall, especially on nights like tonight where here in Florida the temps are actually dropping down into the 50s...bring out the fuzzy socks baby!! And I want to hear NO snickering from you northern people. You know how I feel about cold weather...
Well, that was my latest adventure. I'm not planning anything for a while (okay so I say that now but you never know what I'll come up with at the last minute...). I am back in the gym weight training 5 days a week and I am committed to finishing my masters program in holistic nutrition within the next year. I've been putting this off and have decided to get the lead out and finish it up. So between that and teaching, I will have my hands full which is what I need to get through the next year. Hope all is well in your worlds-Love and Laughter to all :)