Monkey Island (almost!)

The vog has cleared! The weather in Hawaii has been as it should be these past few weeks. I'm not sure if we are back to having the cleanest air in the world again, but we no longer have the brown skies one would expect to see in mainland city.

Derek and Nicola have come and gone. We stayed busy with going out to eat and meeting up after work. We also made it out the the sand bar for a day. After over a year of waiting, we finally made our attempt at Monkey Island in Derek's inflatable kayak. It just so happened that I was the only one that had water-capable sandals out there, so I ended up pulling the kayak towards the landmark with three lounging passengers encouraging me.

We made it to about 150m of the island, just before the start of the ocean channel. The waves were about 2-3' and the current was strong. As soon as the water was chest high, I started to have doubts about whether or not it was a good idea. An inflatable kayak does not inspire the confidence that a sailboat -with or without a mast- does.

In the end, it was Derek's call. He decided that it wasn't worth the risk of getting swept into the ocean. I called him on it. In the past, he was always the devil sitting on my shoulder, encouraging me to push the envelope just a little further. When I told him that gaining a sense of caution was a new trait in him, he told me that, "having a heart attack can change your perspective." Amazingly, neither Derek nor I were seriously injured during his entire time here. The worst thing that happened is he lost his wedding ring at the sand bar.

That was also a good day in that we met up with our old friends: Tomollie (also known separately as Tom and Hollie). They were old roommates of Juliet's and were regular attendees at the weekly TV on DVD Wednesday nights. They have been doing a lot of sailing (with no motor at all), so these past few weeks I have been meeting up with them at the sand bar. It looks like we are going to try to get TV on DVD going again next Wednesday. Battlestar Galactica. I know, it sounds nerdy, but everyone who has seen it swears by it. Plus, what better way to break in a new house.

That brings me to my last piece of news: it looks like I will be moving to Lanikai. I don't want to jinx it since I haven't signed the lease yet, but all indications are looking good. Depending on who you ask, Lanikai is the best neighborhood on Oahu. It is small, since the mountains block it in, and it has a beautiful stretch of beach looking out onto the Mokulua's ("two islands"). It's a really expensive area, but you get what you pay for. The house is just across the street from the beach and is very large and open. I am looking forward to getting away from apartment living for a while and having a garage, yard, and more space. Plus, I won't have to park a mile away if I come home after 7:00pm because all of the street parking is gone. That in itself is worth the hassle of moving.

Catching Up

Things in Hawaii have been going on as normal. I have been working on the other side of the island for some time, but it looks like I will be back to the Windward side starting this coming week. I’m not sure how long I will be here, but that means no more books on tape. I love those. It’s like reading, but you don’t have to burn out your eyes.

A couple of weeks ago I spent a night at the sand bar by myself. It had a been a really long time since making an escape like that. I left right after work on a Friday and ended up staying about 22 hours, which isn’t bad considering I only brought a piece of salmon, a small loaf of peasant rye, and a carton of soy milk. It was really nice to get away. I was hoping that I would be able to escape the sounds of all things human, but the din of Kaneohe and H-3 traffic didn’t subside, despite it being about 2 miles away. The lesson to be learned there is that sound really carries well over water. Despite the traffic when I was topside, it was a relaxing evening. When I went below all I heard was the water and constant cracking and popping sounds of the ecosystem growing on the bottom of my boat.

The next day I slept in until about 9:00am and spent the day reading. I broke my own rule of not bringing non-essential electronics aboard when I decided to bring my mp3 player, but it was a good move. My least favorite part about the sand bar is when people think that everyone within a 200m radius wants to hear their choice music blasted over their tinny boat speakers. Listening to Interpol and Songs: Ohia through my headphones was much more pleasant than listening to the indecipherable jumble of Hawaiian music and modern rock being bombarded at me from port and starboard. All in all, it was a really good day.

I have been trying to get out on my motorcycle a little more. Every since the successful radiator flush and fuel filter replacement from about a month back it has been running great. The problem now, I noticed while traveling quite fast on H-1, is that my back brake doesn’t work. At all. As you might guess, that has kept me from riding very much. I’m hesitant to spend more money on a motorcycle that isn’t worth much in resale, but brakes are a key component of any vehicle. Hooray for my $600 economic relief check. I already spent it (and then some) on a new laptop, but that my laptop was made in China, so I guess it doesn’t really count as relieving the American economy. BMW parts are probably made in China, too, but the $75/hr labor is coming from Americans, so that would be pretty patriotic of me to get the brakes fixed, right?

The other good news I have is that Derek and Nicola are here on island for vacation. They are both doing really well. Derek’s memory is back and he we have been able to rehash some of our old injuries/accidents together. I’ve mentioned it before, but every time I’ve gotten hurt on this island, Derek was there. We have a pretty full weekend planned, so I want to be sure to post this before I break both of my arms or lose a foot in a shark attack.