Losing Track

Week #8... I think. In Week #2, I wrote about getting in a groove. In Week #8, I speak of losing track. Honestly, I am starting to lose track of time, dates and general happenings in rest of the world. For example, did you know that Jennifer Aniston (39) is back with John Mayer (32)? According to him, "she just gets him". Women-who-appreciate-younger-men around the world, rejoice! (FYI - Neil is almost 3 years younger than me).

The only thing we do keep track of is gas prices, exchange rates & surf reports. As gas goes down (good thing), the dollar does too (bad thing) and wave size mitigates both. And since I've been waxing poetic and philosphic about our little time away here, I thought I should lighten up a bit and actually tell you what we've been up to.

The beginning of the week saw us venture out in a veritable hurricane to check out a beginner surf area in West Maui south of Lahaina. The four of us pile into the car after my yoga class, when experienced surfers would be thinking the wind was too big and the waves too small. Strapped onto the car is our new, old surfboard and strapped into the car are our little children. While I passed out the lunch, Neil paddled out to the waves. Then, we switched. It'd be nice if we could surf together, but for now we have to take turns. So, basically the waves were okay, small enough not to scare us, but big enough to get up on. Well, if one knew how to surf, one could get up on them. Me? I did get to my knees. Which, on checking with experienced surfers is generally how one learns. Neil did better, got to a squat, which was an improvement over last time. So a bruised knee, a few expletives and many rubouts later, I packed it in, but was not so disappointed that I won't do it again, and again, and again. Neil and I agreed on the drive home, that one should not try surfing for the first time on the 12 foot foam boards. It contributes to the highly deluded belief that one was made to surf, even born to do it, since "it is so easy!" Yah right. It's (expletive) hard, and because it is, makes one even want to do it even (expletive) more.

So a couple days later, (I think), we get ready for another first. The arrival of friends! People to talk to, playmates for our children. We had lost track of what it was like to spend time with people other than our family! They're here for a few days with us, then move on to their own condo. They're awesome to have around, great houseguests, but we're pretty sure they'll enjoy the peace and quiet of their own vacation rental, replete with pool. And, we're excited too, since that means we can visit and go swimming without washing handfuls of granules from our most private parts. We've had a great time with them so far - the first day was spent at the beach frolicking in the omnipresent sun. The second day, it rained in the morning. The first rain since we got here (except for that one little early morning shower a few weeks ago). And it rained before lunch. We ventured out anyway, hoping Lahaina would be drier. But we were forced to eat our picnic lunch under the awning of an empty shop on Front Street while the rain poured down. We were soaked, and got home and checked the weather forecast while it rained all evening. "Rain tomorrow, the next day, the day after that, the day after that". Seems the trade winds had died away and there was some sort of system that was causing flash flood warnings state-wide. Man, did we ever feel bad for our friends. We're here for 5 months, but when you go on a tropical vacation for 2 weeks, you want sun! We were a little dejected last night, trying to make them and ourselves feel better. But then - we woke up this morning to clearing skies and calm waters. So, of course - we headed to the beach! Key Learning: Don't bother with weather forecasts.

And so we come to the end of this week. Tomorrow our friends will move on to their spot and we'll pick up Neil's parents at the airport for the start of their 6 week tour of duty with us. And thanks to this tour, Neil and I will be able to rediscover the track of time well spent with each other.