7/30/07
Back from the dead…
So a guy drowned in the pool today. His daughter saw him go to the deep end of the pool – he went down – then came up. Then went down and after about a minute - she thought he can not hold his breath that long. So her husband jumped in, pulled him up to the top of the pool then 2 guys around the pool helped get him on the pool deck. There were 2 doctors within 20 feet. They started CPR and brought him back. By the time I got there – he was lying on his side and barely breathing – but he was breathing. He then started to wake up – and the police and fire department was there in about 10 minutes. They took him to the hospital on the other side.
You go on vacation in paradise and die. That is such a crazy thing to happen.
3 physicians and a nurse within 20 feet of you when you drown. That is truly a miraculous thing…
Here is my new thinking – No one dies on my shift. That is what I hope for.
8-4
My boss told me to get a haircut. He told me on two separate occasions. I knew I had to get a haircut – so I used a #2 guard on a set of clippers and cut my own hair.
8-7
I had lunch with my boss and the yoga and Pilates instructors. It was fun – they were great to talk to and to get to know. I got a hug from each of them when lunch was over. They liked the Southern Gentleman in me :) – but were sketchy of the fact that I like surfing.
I had a managers meeting today. It is all of the Department heads of the hotel and we talk about what is going on. As it turns out, the director - of - fun is actually an executive level position. I am a department head of the hotel. Front desk, security, food and beverage, engineering, HR, sales, banquet, (and more…) & FUN.
My boss said he liked my haircut. Then he asked me what size shoe I wore. I took my shoes off and looked at the tag and told him an 11. He likes to ask people what size shoe they wear, and then he goes and buys them a pair of shoes.
Back to work tomorrow – another day at the pool.
Showing posts with label dream of quitting my job. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dream of quitting my job. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
SO I got a package today... My brother Jon sent me some cigarettes. The box was postmarked June 6. It arrived July 14th. That is a slooow boat. I was happy to see it. Jon had given up hope - he thought it got jacked - and swore he would not send anything else. I still had hope. I knew it would arrive.. I projected positive thoughts during his negativity - and it came the next day.
He also sent me a DVD with out pictures from our vacation on it. I have a special treat for you. I picked out some of my favorites and uploaded them to the web.
I hope you enjoy my first week of vacation as much as I did....
He also sent me a DVD with out pictures from our vacation on it. I have a special treat for you. I picked out some of my favorites and uploaded them to the web.
I hope you enjoy my first week of vacation as much as I did....
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| Why I stayed in Maui.... |
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Aloha!
Ya Ya – I know I have not posted in a while. My Bad. To tell you the truth – I was tires of writing. I have been going to bed early (some nights) and blogging was not on the top of my list of things to do. So here are some highlights:
I quit my job as an OPC (Outside Public Contact). I got tired of working for free. I worked 10 days and made roughly $65. That comes out to $6.50 a day, or 92 cents an hour. I know I am worth more than that – so I just didn’t show up for work one day.
I got a new job as a cabana boy working for Beach Activities of Maui. Yesterday was my first day. It went pretty smooth. I spent most of the day trying to look like I was busy. The other part of the day was digging in the sand setting up umbrellas and carrying chairs to the people who rented them. The part that was really tough was dragging the cabanas in after people left for the day. I have to tell you that yesterday was probably my first day actually working for a living. I have never sweated so much or done so much manual labor in a day of working. It was not too bad. What really sucked was the diaper rash. It was hard to walk and painful. I learned an important lesson – always carry baby powder with me.
The upside of my new job is that I have interviewed for other positions in the company – an Assistant Manager position that will basically involve walking around the pool, talking to guest, and doing activities like teaching snorkeling, bocci ball, cliff jumping, etc. I had an interview with the Manager of the position last week – and it went extremely well. I am meeting with the President of the company tomorrow – and I hope that goes well too. I know it will…
Last week I took the bus to the other side (of the island) to go to Walmart with some of my housemates. I had to get some white shoes for my job as a cabana boy. We spent 22 minutes inside Wal-Mart – and the bus ride was 3 hours!. That was a long day!
The Irish invasion has begun. It seems that Hawaii has a worker visa program for Irish kids where they come to Maui and work for the summer. So there are about 300 Irish kids in Lahaina for the summer. I met 2 girls that I work with and they told me they had 30 roommates in a 4 bedroom house. They said that rent was roughly $120 each per week. That comes out to $3600 a week for the house – or $14,400 per month. Does any one think that rent here is expensive?
I hope everyone is doing well. I am having a great time and enjoying my new life in Maui. Talk to yall soon.
I quit my job as an OPC (Outside Public Contact). I got tired of working for free. I worked 10 days and made roughly $65. That comes out to $6.50 a day, or 92 cents an hour. I know I am worth more than that – so I just didn’t show up for work one day.
I got a new job as a cabana boy working for Beach Activities of Maui. Yesterday was my first day. It went pretty smooth. I spent most of the day trying to look like I was busy. The other part of the day was digging in the sand setting up umbrellas and carrying chairs to the people who rented them. The part that was really tough was dragging the cabanas in after people left for the day. I have to tell you that yesterday was probably my first day actually working for a living. I have never sweated so much or done so much manual labor in a day of working. It was not too bad. What really sucked was the diaper rash. It was hard to walk and painful. I learned an important lesson – always carry baby powder with me.
The upside of my new job is that I have interviewed for other positions in the company – an Assistant Manager position that will basically involve walking around the pool, talking to guest, and doing activities like teaching snorkeling, bocci ball, cliff jumping, etc. I had an interview with the Manager of the position last week – and it went extremely well. I am meeting with the President of the company tomorrow – and I hope that goes well too. I know it will…
Last week I took the bus to the other side (of the island) to go to Walmart with some of my housemates. I had to get some white shoes for my job as a cabana boy. We spent 22 minutes inside Wal-Mart – and the bus ride was 3 hours!. That was a long day!
The Irish invasion has begun. It seems that Hawaii has a worker visa program for Irish kids where they come to Maui and work for the summer. So there are about 300 Irish kids in Lahaina for the summer. I met 2 girls that I work with and they told me they had 30 roommates in a 4 bedroom house. They said that rent was roughly $120 each per week. That comes out to $3600 a week for the house – or $14,400 per month. Does any one think that rent here is expensive?
I hope everyone is doing well. I am having a great time and enjoying my new life in Maui. Talk to yall soon.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Day 2 in a booth as an OPC
Today was my second day in a booth as an OPC (Outside Public Contact). I had 1 guy that was interested in some activities for his family of 5 – and even mentioned that he was interested in buying some properties – but he wanted to drive by the resorts to check them out before he would book the activities. That was the best lead of the day. I spent the other 6 hours and 45 minutes saying ALOHA to try to get people to come over and talk. I had a party of 4 that was from Sydney, Australia (who did not qualify) that was looking for a helicopter tour. There is one company that only comps you if you book a tour, so I tried and tried – but they did not book at retail – they wanted to look around. I had another young couple from California who did not qualify – and I informed them of the best way to save money on activities (answer yes to all the questions that the agent asks.) So I sat in a booth for 7 hours and did not sell a thing. I felt A LOT better when the manager told me that only 1 tour had been booked.
I know it is only day 2 in a booth as an OPC, but I am beginning to question if this whole commission thing is for me. I am quite happy making a set hourly wage – but showing up and filling a booth and making ZERO – I question that… I have also discovered that I do not miss working – I miss making money $$$
I took the Jeep out for a drive today to see what would happen. One of my roommates wanted to go to McDonald’s – so he came with me. I was glad to have a passenger in the car (so if it died he could push it out of the way…) I am glad he went. We were at McDonald’s drive thru – next in line to get our food – and it stalled. He pushed me to the drive thru window to get the food – then we pushed it to side in order to not block the 1 lane drive thru. While we were waiting (which normally helps for the POS – aka Piece Of Shit) to start – I saw one of my managers from LTC come out. I was kind of embarrassed, but I explained the situation. He said it was probably something simple – and let me tell you that was a HUGE relief – since we both obviously know JACK about cars. After about 5 minutes (time for Eric to eat a double cheeseburger – and time for me to smoke) old Stall-out-er started. I knew how to drive her now. When you slow down – put her in Neutral, left foot on the brake, right foot on the gas. NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Otherwise – you will pay – and how long you have to wait to restart is up to her. I created my lovely Jeep Cherokee Sport a new nickname today. I was pretty impressed it with it – and I had only had < 1 drink. THE PUSH MOBILE. What do you think? I think it fits my JEEP perfectly. You never know when it will die and have to push it. I think it is also best to be on the buddy system – have someone riding shotgun so if she dies, you have some one to push it. Granted, I do have to get out to let the buddy out (because the passenger side door hinge was not welded properly – or is that re-welded?) Now you can get in and open the passenger side door – but you run the risk of not having a door if it falls off the hinge. So I tend to leave it to my passengers as to what is more important – crawling over the drivers seat to get in & out – or rolling the dice and possibly not having a door on your side. Take your chance – I don’t care. The worse case for me is that my door falls off and I put the door in the trunk. The worst case for you is you are riding shotgun with no door… Either way – I have a door protecting me :)
From my research on the internet – the fuel filter is not the problem, because it only happens at idle, and or slow speed – which is the exact opposite of the cause of clogged fuel filter. If anyone has suggestions, then please, PLEASE let me know…
I saw the sunset tonight. There was a huge cloud that the sun went behind, then reappeared before it went down. There were also clouds on the horizon, so no green flash tonight… Although, it was the first time that I REALLY appreciated the mountains (and the clouds that were being accented by the setting sun.) Which taught me an important lesson – when you are enjoying the sunset (or anything beautiful) never forget to do a 180 and look behind you – it may be more magnificent than what you are looking at…
MAHALO!!!!
I know it is only day 2 in a booth as an OPC, but I am beginning to question if this whole commission thing is for me. I am quite happy making a set hourly wage – but showing up and filling a booth and making ZERO – I question that… I have also discovered that I do not miss working – I miss making money $$$
I took the Jeep out for a drive today to see what would happen. One of my roommates wanted to go to McDonald’s – so he came with me. I was glad to have a passenger in the car (so if it died he could push it out of the way…) I am glad he went. We were at McDonald’s drive thru – next in line to get our food – and it stalled. He pushed me to the drive thru window to get the food – then we pushed it to side in order to not block the 1 lane drive thru. While we were waiting (which normally helps for the POS – aka Piece Of Shit) to start – I saw one of my managers from LTC come out. I was kind of embarrassed, but I explained the situation. He said it was probably something simple – and let me tell you that was a HUGE relief – since we both obviously know JACK about cars. After about 5 minutes (time for Eric to eat a double cheeseburger – and time for me to smoke) old Stall-out-er started. I knew how to drive her now. When you slow down – put her in Neutral, left foot on the brake, right foot on the gas. NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Otherwise – you will pay – and how long you have to wait to restart is up to her. I created my lovely Jeep Cherokee Sport a new nickname today. I was pretty impressed it with it – and I had only had < 1 drink. THE PUSH MOBILE. What do you think? I think it fits my JEEP perfectly. You never know when it will die and have to push it. I think it is also best to be on the buddy system – have someone riding shotgun so if she dies, you have some one to push it. Granted, I do have to get out to let the buddy out (because the passenger side door hinge was not welded properly – or is that re-welded?) Now you can get in and open the passenger side door – but you run the risk of not having a door if it falls off the hinge. So I tend to leave it to my passengers as to what is more important – crawling over the drivers seat to get in & out – or rolling the dice and possibly not having a door on your side. Take your chance – I don’t care. The worse case for me is that my door falls off and I put the door in the trunk. The worst case for you is you are riding shotgun with no door… Either way – I have a door protecting me :)
From my research on the internet – the fuel filter is not the problem, because it only happens at idle, and or slow speed – which is the exact opposite of the cause of clogged fuel filter. If anyone has suggestions, then please, PLEASE let me know…
I saw the sunset tonight. There was a huge cloud that the sun went behind, then reappeared before it went down. There were also clouds on the horizon, so no green flash tonight… Although, it was the first time that I REALLY appreciated the mountains (and the clouds that were being accented by the setting sun.) Which taught me an important lesson – when you are enjoying the sunset (or anything beautiful) never forget to do a 180 and look behind you – it may be more magnificent than what you are looking at…
MAHALO!!!!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Another day of training to be an OPC
I have been slack on posting lately. I know that. Part of it is because I have made friends at the house. I come home and rather than type – I hang out with my houseies (aka roomies.) I apologize – but sometimes I play poker, sometimes I have a few beverages- and sometimes I just don’t give a fuck…
Today was interesting – I showed up at work @ 2 PM (which I had been told) and waited out front till 3 fucking 30. Now I have to tell you that I am ALWAYS on time, with one exception – I was purposely late for 1 year at a previous job because I was trying to get fired. I was at least 30 minutes late very day for a year – and NO ONE said anything. Not a thing…. The way I figured it, was if no one cared enough to say anything, then why should I show up on time? I stretched it sometimes – I was 1 and a half hours late a couple times. I received a call once – which I had honestly overslept. But it was still no big deal.
So for an employer to make me wait 1:30 on a training day – was totally unacceptable. I thought about walking many, many times – but I did not… We had computer training when the ‘manager’ was ready. I was about 8 feet Away from the 19” monitor, and I learned it. Cake. Software is all about playing and figuring it out. I did this for a living - so I have a pretty good idea of what I am talking about. I found 4 bugs in the system in 20 minutes. It is written in VB (aka Visual Basic) so I understand the limitations…
We had 3 = 30 minutes breaks after the training started… After the last break around dinner time – I was told to go ride a booth (go watch what an OPC = Outside Public Contact – which is my new title….) during the shift. Basically that boils down to sitting in the booth and either jerking it or cat calling the tourist. I was glad I landed with a dude who preferred to sit back with his feet on the desk and wait for tourist to approach. We had 1 couple come up that wanted some activities. He managed to talk to them for 45 minutes – 35 of it was after they learned it was timeshare. He did an excellent job – I was impressed. He took BS and SSLLOOWW talking to a whole new level (but it did make me realize how desperate some people are for human contact and an interesting story…) While the happy couple was at the booth – a couple came up to me and asked about the $20 snorkel trip. It was good for me to practice on them since they were from Germany and had NO chance of getting the discounted price. Now I understand the importance of asking “where ya’ll from? Question… I can immediately tell them how the “promotions” work on Maui. You have to own a home – and make 50K+ a year. So the couple ended up walking after :45 minutes. He confessed to me later that he had all the feelings of regret – If I would have done this – or that they would have booked it. It is always good to hear the thoughts of doubt coming from someone else – we all have the same thoughts running in our head after rejection – but it always comforts me to know that other people have them too… We ALL do – we hate being told no. We hate not getting what we want… But to hear someone else EXPRESS it – makes me feel better. – it makes me know that I am human – and that hindsight is 20/20.
I am still curious as to how I will do on commission only. It is SCARY - but also exciting. I wonder which thought in my mind is going to wind up winning the battle??? Or will FREE activities win me over??? Time shall tell – and I will let u know…
I am Grateful for the friends I have met…
I am Grateful for the opportunity to take a chance…
I am Grateful to live on an island…
I am Grateful for my family, extended family (that I do not see too often) and for my mainland friends….
I am Grateful that I am an excellent saver…
I am Grateful for beer (and alcohol) – it is proof that GOD wants us to be happy… (Benjamin Franklin)
I am Grateful for the Plumeria tree in my front yard…
I am Grateful to live everyone’s dream..
I am Grateful for family & friends coming to visit (even though it has not happened yet….)
I am Grateful for life…
Mahalo!
Today was interesting – I showed up at work @ 2 PM (which I had been told) and waited out front till 3 fucking 30. Now I have to tell you that I am ALWAYS on time, with one exception – I was purposely late for 1 year at a previous job because I was trying to get fired. I was at least 30 minutes late very day for a year – and NO ONE said anything. Not a thing…. The way I figured it, was if no one cared enough to say anything, then why should I show up on time? I stretched it sometimes – I was 1 and a half hours late a couple times. I received a call once – which I had honestly overslept. But it was still no big deal.
So for an employer to make me wait 1:30 on a training day – was totally unacceptable. I thought about walking many, many times – but I did not… We had computer training when the ‘manager’ was ready. I was about 8 feet Away from the 19” monitor, and I learned it. Cake. Software is all about playing and figuring it out. I did this for a living - so I have a pretty good idea of what I am talking about. I found 4 bugs in the system in 20 minutes. It is written in VB (aka Visual Basic) so I understand the limitations…
We had 3 = 30 minutes breaks after the training started… After the last break around dinner time – I was told to go ride a booth (go watch what an OPC = Outside Public Contact – which is my new title….) during the shift. Basically that boils down to sitting in the booth and either jerking it or cat calling the tourist. I was glad I landed with a dude who preferred to sit back with his feet on the desk and wait for tourist to approach. We had 1 couple come up that wanted some activities. He managed to talk to them for 45 minutes – 35 of it was after they learned it was timeshare. He did an excellent job – I was impressed. He took BS and SSLLOOWW talking to a whole new level (but it did make me realize how desperate some people are for human contact and an interesting story…) While the happy couple was at the booth – a couple came up to me and asked about the $20 snorkel trip. It was good for me to practice on them since they were from Germany and had NO chance of getting the discounted price. Now I understand the importance of asking “where ya’ll from? Question… I can immediately tell them how the “promotions” work on Maui. You have to own a home – and make 50K+ a year. So the couple ended up walking after :45 minutes. He confessed to me later that he had all the feelings of regret – If I would have done this – or that they would have booked it. It is always good to hear the thoughts of doubt coming from someone else – we all have the same thoughts running in our head after rejection – but it always comforts me to know that other people have them too… We ALL do – we hate being told no. We hate not getting what we want… But to hear someone else EXPRESS it – makes me feel better. – it makes me know that I am human – and that hindsight is 20/20.
I am still curious as to how I will do on commission only. It is SCARY - but also exciting. I wonder which thought in my mind is going to wind up winning the battle??? Or will FREE activities win me over??? Time shall tell – and I will let u know…
I am Grateful for the friends I have met…
I am Grateful for the opportunity to take a chance…
I am Grateful to live on an island…
I am Grateful for my family, extended family (that I do not see too often) and for my mainland friends….
I am Grateful that I am an excellent saver…
I am Grateful for beer (and alcohol) – it is proof that GOD wants us to be happy… (Benjamin Franklin)
I am Grateful for the Plumeria tree in my front yard…
I am Grateful to live everyone’s dream..
I am Grateful for family & friends coming to visit (even though it has not happened yet….)
I am Grateful for life…
Mahalo!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Resort Promotion... day 1 on the job....
SO I showed up for my first day on the job as a "resort promtionalist" - aka time share activities salesman. So my job is to sell activities to tourist who are qualified. And in return I am well compensated. And by well compensated, I mean that I can take a cut into my commissions in order to sell more activities. I have never worked/ lived on commission alone - so I am willing to see what it is about. Maybe I will kick ass and sell a butt load - and make the other "independent contractors" eat it - maybe I will choke from the pressure - but I am up for the challenge. 30 days in the commission business may do me well. Maybe I can cut it - maybe I can't - but the busy season is coming up (aka SUMMER) - so lets see what happens. I have already talked to a couple of my "enterprising" roomies - and some seem as if they can help. I am always willing to kick some back to make some more...
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!
some of you celebrated by camping, some of you drank at home - while I started a new job - on commission only!!! This is a leap for me. But I figure the one thing Front Street is missing is a dude from the South saying "Aloha!!!" to the tourists. How can you not love a Southerner who has embraced the Aloha spirit?
O -O - O - & I get to do activities for free. - aka COMP. aka complimentary. So while you are dreaming of taking a helicopter ride - or going to a Luau, or biking down the volcano - or taking an off road ATV ride - I WILL BE!!!! HA-HA. So who is going to be the first to visit me? Who wants to go on the adventure of a lifetime - FOR FREE??? I got a $100 for the first friend/ family member that takes me up on it... I am trying to bribe y'all... Who is the lucky one??? Who is the brave one??? Who misses me the most??? :)
I miss you all - please come visit - some of you have wanted to come to Hawai'i your whole lives - some of you have dreamed it years - some of you WANT an excuse to escape the rat race.. SO DO IT!!!
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!
some of you celebrated by camping, some of you drank at home - while I started a new job - on commission only!!! This is a leap for me. But I figure the one thing Front Street is missing is a dude from the South saying "Aloha!!!" to the tourists. How can you not love a Southerner who has embraced the Aloha spirit?
O -O - O - & I get to do activities for free. - aka COMP. aka complimentary. So while you are dreaming of taking a helicopter ride - or going to a Luau, or biking down the volcano - or taking an off road ATV ride - I WILL BE!!!! HA-HA. So who is going to be the first to visit me? Who wants to go on the adventure of a lifetime - FOR FREE??? I got a $100 for the first friend/ family member that takes me up on it... I am trying to bribe y'all... Who is the lucky one??? Who is the brave one??? Who misses me the most??? :)
I miss you all - please come visit - some of you have wanted to come to Hawai'i your whole lives - some of you have dreamed it years - some of you WANT an excuse to escape the rat race.. SO DO IT!!!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
May 19 Hawai'i Sunset
Another day in paradise! I went to the beach (505 Front Street) and found a lounge chair. It was the first time I had laid in a lounge chair on the beach and I have to tell you, I highly recommend it. I think I finally got some sun on my stomach and chest. I also pulled up my board shorts and got some sun on the white part of my thighs. I can feel the burn now…
Today was my Dad’s 60th Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! I wish I could have been there to help you celebrate. I am drinking Coors Light tonight just for you. ($10.99 for a 12 pack) I also talked to my Granddad and he was talking about coming out to visit. I hope he does. I would LOVE that! That would be an amazing time for the both of us.
I talked to a couple of friends today – and for the most part everyone is VERY supportive. They are jealous and wish that they could/ would have moved to a tropical paradise. I always ask what is stopping them? If you want something – go and get it – go and do it. Life is short – you might as well live where you want and do what you want to do. The ones that are a little less understanding – are just worried for me. They are afraid that I have jumped off the deep end and are scared that this is something that is irrational and that I have not thought through. BELIEVE me – I have thought it through. I know why I am here. I know what I must do in order to live and survive. I am smart enough to survive – and get ahead. I have always heard that if you make it in New York City – you can make it anywhere. Well, to me, if I can make it in Maui, Hawaii then I KNOW I can make it anywhere. I believe in abundance and there is plenty of abundance and opportunity in Hawaii. I am grateful for the chance and opportunity! I do miss my friends – but I am also making some great new friends and learning A LOT.
SO back to me… I have am down 2 notches on my belt. I will have to punch another hole in it soon. I have lost about 20 pounds in weight. It is amazing what the sun and exercise will do for you. I have a great tan. My knees are the darkest part of me. They got burned when I went SCUBA diving with Jon & Jan. I rode in the front of the boat and got burned. I got burned so bad that J&J went to get me Aloe and a pint of rum to help with the burn. The rum was for my inside – the aloe for the outside… I am not sure which one worked better – but it worked most excellently. I put on 15 SPF sunscreen today and I think I get more sun when I use sunscreen than when I do not. If someone can explain that – then I would love to hear the answer.
The crescent moon is next to the planet Venus tonight. I always love when the moon is next to a planet. I watched the sunset at 505 Front Street. Clouds were on the horizon – but it was pretty. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I know I did! Aloha!
This is FOXY Brown. She was the landlords dog - but he moved out and can't have dogs - so I think of her as a "house dog". She is a good dog. Every one loves her. I like her rhinestones :) I think she is a little sweet on me...
Today was my Dad’s 60th Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! I wish I could have been there to help you celebrate. I am drinking Coors Light tonight just for you. ($10.99 for a 12 pack) I also talked to my Granddad and he was talking about coming out to visit. I hope he does. I would LOVE that! That would be an amazing time for the both of us.
I talked to a couple of friends today – and for the most part everyone is VERY supportive. They are jealous and wish that they could/ would have moved to a tropical paradise. I always ask what is stopping them? If you want something – go and get it – go and do it. Life is short – you might as well live where you want and do what you want to do. The ones that are a little less understanding – are just worried for me. They are afraid that I have jumped off the deep end and are scared that this is something that is irrational and that I have not thought through. BELIEVE me – I have thought it through. I know why I am here. I know what I must do in order to live and survive. I am smart enough to survive – and get ahead. I have always heard that if you make it in New York City – you can make it anywhere. Well, to me, if I can make it in Maui, Hawaii then I KNOW I can make it anywhere. I believe in abundance and there is plenty of abundance and opportunity in Hawaii. I am grateful for the chance and opportunity! I do miss my friends – but I am also making some great new friends and learning A LOT.
SO back to me… I have am down 2 notches on my belt. I will have to punch another hole in it soon. I have lost about 20 pounds in weight. It is amazing what the sun and exercise will do for you. I have a great tan. My knees are the darkest part of me. They got burned when I went SCUBA diving with Jon & Jan. I rode in the front of the boat and got burned. I got burned so bad that J&J went to get me Aloe and a pint of rum to help with the burn. The rum was for my inside – the aloe for the outside… I am not sure which one worked better – but it worked most excellently. I put on 15 SPF sunscreen today and I think I get more sun when I use sunscreen than when I do not. If someone can explain that – then I would love to hear the answer.
The crescent moon is next to the planet Venus tonight. I always love when the moon is next to a planet. I watched the sunset at 505 Front Street. Clouds were on the horizon – but it was pretty. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I know I did! Aloha!
Oh - and by the way - I have a new bitch in my life. She is a sweaty pie. She is brown and sure likes to use her tounge. Nothing like wet kisses... She is so FOXY!!! I thought yall may like to see a picture of her - so here she is...
This is FOXY Brown. She was the landlords dog - but he moved out and can't have dogs - so I think of her as a "house dog". She is a good dog. Every one loves her. I like her rhinestones :) I think she is a little sweet on me...
May 18 Hawaii Sunset
Another pretty sunset. Clouds on the horizon so I have still yet to see the "green flash". http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/atmos/redsun.html
I played horseshoes on the beach as the sunset. I ended up winning. I threw 2 ringers and 1 leaner. It always feels good to win no matter what you are playing.
Not much to write about today. I am going to bed early. Enjoy the sunset:)
The Crescent moon did not turn out so well. It kind of looks more full than crescent and a little blury too.
I played horseshoes on the beach as the sunset. I ended up winning. I threw 2 ringers and 1 leaner. It always feels good to win no matter what you are playing.
Not much to write about today. I am going to bed early. Enjoy the sunset:)
The Crescent moon did not turn out so well. It kind of looks more full than crescent and a little blury too.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Hana the rain forest
Hana was absolutely beautiful. It was my first trip to a rainforest. It is a good 3 hour drive from Lahaina. One and a half hours are treveled over a curvy raod that is only wide enough for a car and a half. The bridges are only wide enough for one car. It is the curviest road I have ever been on. It has over 500 sharp curves and 50 single lane bridges. Some of the curves are blind, so you have to honk your car horn as you are approaching the curve to alert people that a car is coming.
We camped at Haleakala National Park at Kipahulu. The camp ground is located on a rocky cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean (south east side of Maui.) The seven pools in Oheo was only about a 5 minute hike. The fresh water from Haleakala (the highest mountain on Maui) runs down the mountain and into the ocean. On the way down, the water has created some magnificent water falls and fresh water pools. While it is called 7 pools – there are actually more than 7 pools. This is a picture of the bottom 3 pools with the one lane bridge at the top:
We camped at Haleakala National Park at Kipahulu. The camp ground is located on a rocky cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean (south east side of Maui.) The seven pools in Oheo was only about a 5 minute hike. The fresh water from Haleakala (the highest mountain on Maui) runs down the mountain and into the ocean. On the way down, the water has created some magnificent water falls and fresh water pools. While it is called 7 pools – there are actually more than 7 pools. This is a picture of the bottom 3 pools with the one lane bridge at the top:
Our first day at camp, we went to the bottom 3 pools and did some swimming. Walking on the lava rocks is a challenge. The only way I was able to walk was with my Teva’s on. It sure did make a difference and helped to absorb some of the pain that is incurred when walking barefoot.
After a swim in the cold water, we decided to go hiking. It was a 1.8 mile hike through the rainforest across varying terrain. You pass all of the pools that are above the bridge on the trail. We came across a bamboo forest on the trail. The height and thickness of the bamboo was incredible. It grows so straight, and blocks out about 90% of the daylight, but we did find some good walking sticks to help on the trail.
While we were hiking on the way up, I wondered what the end of the trail was. What were we hiking to? I think it took about 1 and a half to 2 hours to reach the end of the trail. It was a waterfall! We had reached Waimoku Falls! It was a 400 fot water fall. It was the first time I had seen a waterfall that close. It was the first time I had seen such a BIG waterfall (I guess I should clarify that – I have seen Niagara – so it was the biggest waterfall in Hawaii I had seen.) The temperature was about 15-20 degrees cooler than when we started the hike. We hiked up hill almost the entire way. We took a short break to cool down and enjoy the beauty of the falls. The hike back was a heck of a lot easier. Downhill and we knew the path, so it was not too bad. It was still quite a hike and I could feel it in my legs, but the beautiful Waimoku Falls made it all worth it. Here is a picture of the falls:
It turns out that I am a snorer – and a loud one at that. Paul and Eric were my tent-mates – and I snored so loud that they did not sleep at all. They got up (well, actually they were already up) and went to watch the sunrise. I decided to get some more Zzz’s. After the sunrise, they same back and slept for about an hour. I woke up to Eric proclaiming that he going to walk to the country store in Hana. I knew it was 30 minutes by car, so I decided I would get up since he was so determined to get some food. We went to the store and ran into the Hippies that we had met the day before at the store. We decided to meet up at Red Sand Beach later in the day.
We went back to camp and went for a dip in the fresh water pools. We looked for Shari – our other house mate, but could not find her. We decided to go out do some more exploring of Hana and while waiting for traffic to pass at a one lane bridge, we spotted her and Eric yelled out her name. Turns out she had hitch hiked to the store and was on the way back. She was carrying an 18 pack of beer and a nice tourist couple had picked her up and gave her a ride for a beer. It is amazing what 1 beer can get you…
We went to Red Sand Beach. It is not marked, and you have to walk through a school to get to the trail. The trail is basically on the side of the ocean with cliffs that go up and down. It is not a bad hike, but it does pay to have 3 points of contact at certain points on the trail. We rounded a cliff and saw the beach. It was the first time I had seen a red sand beach (actually it was more like tiny rocks.) It was beautiful. We made it down the trail and were greeted by our hippie friends that we had met. One of the hippie guys was naked. No one had mentioned it was a clothing optional beach, but no biggie. If he wanted to walk around naked on the beach, then good for him – but I sure was glad when he put his clothes on. We settled in and then went snorkeling. It is a protected cove, but the water was stilla little rough because outside of the rocks that were protecting the cove, the ocean was rough. There was not much to see while snorkeling. One piece of coral and some fish – but nothing of any significant size.
Paul and I went back to the beach and had a beverage, while I happened to look over and see a breast. Sweet! The naked beach is much nicer when you are looking at breast rather than balls. The naked girl got up and got in the water. It was then obvious that she was pregnant. Now I hope you all do not take this the wrong way – but I think pregnant chicks are hot. There is just something about them that is sexy. So I stared at here the rest of the day.
Now I got a kick out of several things while there. The first was the father that was playing with his son that talked to the naked chick for at least 30 minutes. I especially liked when she started putting on sunscreen. I waited and waited for her to apply it to her breast. She waited until her conversation was over with the father and his son. Then she did it. I think the anticipation was better, but I still enjoyed it:)
The other thing I got a kick out of was when the little kid broke his little pink bucket that he had been putting water in. When he broke it, he started crying immediately. Daddy fixed it almost right away, but he continued to cry. I miss the simple days that all you cared about was playing and if the toy broke, you got so upset you started crying. Ahh, the good old days. Kids have a way of making us grown ups appreciate the little things in life.
The next stop was Black Sand Beach at Wainapanapa State Park. We went to the fresh water caves first. The fresh water comes directly out of the mountain and fills a little cave. I was the last to jump in. It is supposedly the coldest water on the island and I was a little hesitant, but I finally jumped off a 5 foot rock into the 7 feet of fresh water. It was COLD!!! There was a little cave that you could swim into. It was amazing. It was the whole reason I jumped in. Being in the cave and looking out into the main pool with the sun was cool. The one down side was it really smelled in the cave, it smelled like farts – and lots of them – so I did not stay in the cave too long.
Our next stop was at black sand beach. There was a little cave off the beach, so we went in and then climbed out of a blowhole in the cave. Here are some pictures from the cave:
It was a beautiful day. I saw so many sights – so many different beaches. After we made it back to camp, we went to Shari’s front yard. She set up camp down the path over looking the cliffs and ocean. It was cloudy, so I could not see the sun set over the mountains – but I did manage to see Venus set over the mountains after the sun went down. The colors in the sky were pretty – so many pinks and blues.
Here are my camping friends: (L to R) Eric, Me, Shari and Paul:
You learn so many things about people when you are camping. I am not a big camper – this was only the second time I had been – but I made it through it and I am glad I went. It was a great experience. Hana was beautiful. The waterfalls were beautiful. The pools were beautiful. Red and Black Sand beach were beautiful. Another beautiful couple of days in paradise:)
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Today was a beautiful day:) It is getting hotter but it is not too bad yet. Today was the most beautiful sunset I have seen. It was clear skies with the sun setting over the Pacific and to the right side of the island of Molokai. My first clear, no clouds in the way sunset in Maui. Ahhh what a peaceful sight - the end to another beautiful day in paradise.
I woke up and tried to call my boss on the east coast. Well, he didn't answer either today or yesterday nor did he return my voice mails messages. I wish he would have - I was prepared to ask if I could work remotely or take some "personal time" off. If all I got were a bunch of no's - then I was prepared to resign. Now I have to write an email and send it to him to let me know that I am not returning to the mainland for sometime. I imagine he wants it in writing - so now I have to be diplomatic in my exit letter. I am considering posting my letter on my blog here. What do you think? I think I will wait a few days - to see what happens...
The point of no return. I am actually going to quit my job! Now that I think about it I have imagined this day for over a year. and now that day is finally here... Dun Dun Dun..... I can hear the Star Wars music in my head. I am excited (and somewhat terrified.) On second thought - I am not scared at all because in my mind I have already quit. I just have not let my employer in on our little secret.
So I am going to go write my diplomatic letter now...
I woke up and tried to call my boss on the east coast. Well, he didn't answer either today or yesterday nor did he return my voice mails messages. I wish he would have - I was prepared to ask if I could work remotely or take some "personal time" off. If all I got were a bunch of no's - then I was prepared to resign. Now I have to write an email and send it to him to let me know that I am not returning to the mainland for sometime. I imagine he wants it in writing - so now I have to be diplomatic in my exit letter. I am considering posting my letter on my blog here. What do you think? I think I will wait a few days - to see what happens...
The point of no return. I am actually going to quit my job! Now that I think about it I have imagined this day for over a year. and now that day is finally here... Dun Dun Dun..... I can hear the Star Wars music in my head. I am excited (and somewhat terrified.) On second thought - I am not scared at all because in my mind I have already quit. I just have not let my employer in on our little secret.
So I am going to go write my diplomatic letter now...
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