Friday we had big plans to finally find a board and do some surfing! We had sadly forgone the opportunity for some excellent waves at Waikiki on Monday. That was directly after our arrival and we were tired and still getting our bearing. The waves were coming in from a gorgeous south swell at Waikiki but the newness of Hawaii along with the crowded waves turned us both off. Assured that people also surf the north beaches, we made plans for an entire day of the beach on our last full day on the island.
Our first challenge was to find a board to rent, and lucked out when we spotted a little sign beside the road in Laie. The transaction was quick, convenient and inexpensive, and we had the straps to tie the board to V’s car in no time. The woman who provided the board also recommended a beach, which was very close to where we had explored Tuesday near Goat Island. In 5 minutes we were parked and hauling the board to the Malaekahana beach.
Sadly, the conditions were poor and our skills were weak as we tried to catch the sad little waves that did present themselves. Tara and I both managed to catch waves and ride a little, but it was only after a great amount of effort and thus the payoff was not what it could have been. My girl was determined, and spent at least four hours in the water, off and on, trying to coax herself into the path of something rideable. She ended the day very tired and frustrated, which was just too bad, considering our location and the unlikely prospect of returning any time soon. It made me think, for only a moment, that we should have joined the hordes at Waikiki on day one.
In between bouts of surfing, we lay on the beach and ate from our packed lunches and snacks. We both got sunburned again, of course, despite multiple applications of waterproof 30-protection sunscreen. I had forgotten, prior to the visit, how much closer we were to the sun there, compared to home. I could lie on a towel in my back yard in Portland for three hours and barely get a tanned haze on my skin. But here, twenty minutes sans protection would cook us both lobster-like. By the end of the day we had soaked up as much golden sand and warm sea water and sunshine as we could get.
Back home that evening we packed for the trip home and slept hard.
Saturday morning our departure was a comfortable 11am, so we arrived at the airport at 9am and said our thanks and goodbyes to V for opening his home to us for a week, and dedicating himself to driving us around the island for six days.
We arrived home after 8pm Pacific Time and set out Tara’s Riza Hawkeye costume for the following day. Every Labor Day weekend we ship her out to cosplay with all her anime & manga-maniacal friends for the annual Kumoricon. It’s a three-day festival to celebrate anime comics, TV series, art, and characters. Everyone dresses up and it’s a fabulous social event for over 4,000 attendees! There are workshops for drawing, marketing, making your cosplay costumes, and more. Last year I sewed Tara’s costume so that she could cosplay a Kyoshi warrior from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This year, she chose Hawkeye, a lietenant in the state army from Fullmetal Alchemist. We purchased the costume, which turned out pretty good. Her plan for Monday is to dress in one of my royal courtier renaissance costumes and be Elizabeth, from Black Butler. With costumes and accessories all in order, we turned in without even eating dinner.
Conscious Engagement 