Saturday, October 25, 2008

Ahh, Saturday


We're at 8:30 a.m., and it looks like the sun will come out yet again today. The plan is to take the sea kayak for a ride in the morning, putter around for some lunch and shopping midday, return to the beach with the boogie boards and flippers, and see how it goes. The car may not move until dinner.


This, of course, is all subject to change.


As it turns out, the water activities reminded us that it isn't easy to show up merely with the equipment and an interest in that activity. We were pretty much the guy on the first day of hockey tryouts who shows up with all new top-of-the-line gear gleaming, all of which makes it sadder when things don't go so well.


Our kayak drew rave reviews from the guys working at the Four Seasons as we walked by, and they would be treated to a couple of amateurs trying to launch the thing.


We made it out there, and even suffered another injury -- Patty sliced open her finger when one wave gave us a little yard sale incident. Once shoved off and at sea, the view offered from the new perspective certainly made up for her wound, though I'd have preferred less rinsing of the blood in the water on account of the sharks. Either way, we managed to stay on the high seas for about 40 minutes.


Phew. Water: We were made to float on it, boat on it, surf on it, throw footballs and do handstands when it's shallow, but we weren't meant to go UNDER. Besides the collapsing lungs and inability to breathe, that's where there are sharks, snapping turtles and unforgiving reefs. As the son and brother of former Coasties, I am proud to conquer the seas at arm's length of its threats.


We took our lunch back on the lanai (taking the kayak back was less dangerous, but also heavier), continuing our run of eating every meal within sight of the ocean, and returned to the beach with flippers, snorkels and masks. Only slightly more smooth than the kayak entrance, we waddled our way backward into suitable snorkeling waters and put in another 40 harrowing minutes of dodging of the ocean's menaces. Patty took some pictures with an underwater camera and I calculated the odds of being spotted, tracked and attacked by a shark. Thankfully, it's a big ocean, and there were a number of other snorkelers nearby, including one with a bloody finger, so I could relax.


While I may not be ready to audition for Deep Blue, Patty's chances took a hit, too, when both the kayaking and the snorkeling made her queasy. Maybe it was the blood loss.


Persevering, we made it back to Fred's for another sunset dinner. No leftovers this time.


An aside ...
A vacation can also serve as a time of reflection.
To that end, the following conversation took place after lunch on the lanai.
"Has this time here helped give you any sort of clarity on what you might want to do next?"
"Yes. This. Come to Maui four times a year for eight to 10 days."


OK then.

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