For a couple of weeks, a large camping trip was in the works. Then, due to everyone's personal schedules, plans were changed up until the actual event was taking place. Red did most, if not all, the planning for the campsite. It started as a trip for her parents, who were out visiting from Colorado. They decided that they would only stay one night though, that three nights were too long. They left shortly after I arrived.
I thought I would be going all three nights, but had something come up on Friday night. Went to a BBQ with another friend, and had a great time. I was able to head out Saturday morning though, and stay to the end. Red's friend/boss from the tattoo shop also made it out Saturday, and as she was the last one to ever arrive, it turned into a "Girl's Weekend Out." Not really what you picture when you think of the girls getting together, is it?
It was a nice weekend. Sure, when you think of camping, you think large groups are the way to go, but not always. For one, we didn't need every cooler we could scrounge up, and everything tended to stay a little more organized. It might be that fires are typically built and then maintained by the most inclined of the males, but we did just fine on our own. I never did much with the actual fire, but between Red, me, and gravity we managed to get even the most un-chopable bricks of wood down to a burnable size. We might have looked like we were doing a botched job to any manly man walking by, but we saved ourselves tons of energy through our ingenuity. So you might be able to impress me with your muscles, but I'll take you out with my brains any day, hehe (just give me time to think about it).
Red and I walked along the beach for about 5 miles. Once we got away from the few hundred feet of shoreline right in front of the campground, we had the beach pretty much to ourselves. For the rest of the walk. And while it might seem that beach walking isn't much of a workout, it is. The sand was quite soft even at the shore break, making for tired leg muscles at the end. Totally worth it in my book though, as it was a relaxing type of physical challenge, complete with honu (Hawaiian word for turtle) sightings and plenty of birds.
After our wander we decided no trip camping was complete without some swimming, so we reapplied the sunscreen and went for it. I suppose it isn't so much swimming as bobbing around in the waves and splashing, but fun anyways, like a giant tub filled with salt water. Most of the time we were there we could see two more honu only about 20 feet away. We didn't want to get any closer, and since they didn't move away we figured we were far enough away to not be harassing them.
Both evenings were spent around a campfire, just us girls talking about what girls talk about when no one else is around. Even though at first we were a little bummed at the lack of turn out, by the end we were happy it was just us three.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Hawaii in Pictures
I am finally getting around to posting some pictures of Hawaii. Part of what prompted this is that I finally carried my camera along on a trip the other day, and took quite a few pictures. Not really sure why it is so hard for me to take them, there have been many days when the camera is carried along just for the fun of the extra weight it seems like, since it is rarely used. Suppose it still isn't much, but here is what I have to share so far:
On the hike to Kaena Point. Nice little hike. I mentioned it in an earlier post, and Red has posted pictures of it as well.
Still on the hike. I love the scenery of coastal hikes.
An arch on the way out to the point.The next set of pictures were taken while out on a ride last Saturday. I have actually been spending more time on the back of a motorcycle. So much in fact, that I finally went and bought my own helmet, so that I would no longer have to hunt around for something that would work.
Small beach out near Kaena point. The water up here was pretty rough that day, last time I saw this beach it was much calmer and prettier. Didn't have the camera then though.
A fossilized shell I found while walking around in the rocks out near Kaena point. The smaller shells still had live snails in them.
Turtle at Turtle Bay. The like to come out and hang out in the sun on the beach, but nobody seems to know why they like to do it in this particular spot.
Another turtle on the beach. There were also some hanging out in the surf, but they were harder to catch with the camera.
Picture taken mid-ride. Waimea Beach.
Waimea Beach from the other side of the bay.
Coastal pic taken along the way.
Some nice blue water. Fun stuff to swim in.
Smaller islands off the coast.
A video of a blowhole along the way.
Suppose that's it for the pictures for now. And I'll try to post a little more often too.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Denied!
Back in January I applied to the University of Washington, in hopes of getting into their Cultural Studies Graduate Program. Today I received an email from the program, expressing their regret at not being able to accept me into the program. Uh, can I have my 50 bucks back please? I suppose that isn't how application fees work though. Bummer. Time to take the GRE so I can apply to more programs.
A New Car
I bought a new car... well, a car that is new to me. It's a 93 Nissan Maxima, and though it is only 3 years younger than the Camry sitting in my Dad's driveway, it looks like it is a much nicer car. Then again, me and the little blue car have been through 90,000 miles and three deer encounters together. I suppose this new car will be spared the deer: there aren't any in Hawaii.
Now I just need to find a job, a task that I feel will be easier to complete now that I can drive around to look for one. I have been doing all my job searching online thus far, and so far all my applications have yielded nothing. But I have hope, and an emptier savings account after acquiring the new car.
Now I just need to find a job, a task that I feel will be easier to complete now that I can drive around to look for one. I have been doing all my job searching online thus far, and so far all my applications have yielded nothing. But I have hope, and an emptier savings account after acquiring the new car.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Still Here
I am still in Hawaii, with no real desire to head back anytime soon. Two weekends ago I headed out for some camping with Red, her brother, and some of their friends. It was 3 nights of great fun. No worries of what time of day it was. And there was plenty of fun things to do, from swimming in the ocean to collecting shells along the beach to searching for tidal pools in the rocks. I had my camera along for the trip, but once again didn't get around to taking any pictures. The campground was full of chickens, and while one might think that is annoying, it really isn't. They take care of the bugs, which to me would be more of an annoyance.
On the camping trip I had my first chance at beach fishing, but never caught anything. Since then I have tried a few more times, but still no luck. A few nibbles here and there, but nothing seems to bite hard enough to be pulled in.
Yesterday I had the chance to go out for another motorcycle ride. It was a long day riding, but loads of fun. On one road that followed the coast traffic became quite heavy, but the reason was soon presented: everyone was whale watching. Though they were quite a way out, they could still be seen as they came up for air. All I had to do was watch for the water coming through their blowholes, and the hump of their backs could be seen shortly afterwords.
Now it might be time for me to get more serious about the job search. All play and no work makes a girl broke. I just hope I find something that won't interfere too much with the play, or I might not last long.
On the camping trip I had my first chance at beach fishing, but never caught anything. Since then I have tried a few more times, but still no luck. A few nibbles here and there, but nothing seems to bite hard enough to be pulled in.
Yesterday I had the chance to go out for another motorcycle ride. It was a long day riding, but loads of fun. On one road that followed the coast traffic became quite heavy, but the reason was soon presented: everyone was whale watching. Though they were quite a way out, they could still be seen as they came up for air. All I had to do was watch for the water coming through their blowholes, and the hump of their backs could be seen shortly afterwords.
Now it might be time for me to get more serious about the job search. All play and no work makes a girl broke. I just hope I find something that won't interfere too much with the play, or I might not last long.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Tropical Fun
Still having a great time here in Hawaii. Of course I guess that is to be expected. The tropics do that to you.
A week ago I went out for a ride with some new friends, a motorcycle ride that is (and yes, I was wearing a helmet). It really put into perspective just how small this island is. We went around along the coastline for the most part, and it was just an afternoon ride. We didn't go around the entire island, but that was probably due more to the fact that there isn't a road that goes all the way around.
I've also been doing loads of other stuff. I camped out for a night on the beach, in the sand, without a tent. Had there been rain that might not have worked so well, but it was a clear night. Most of the moisture encountered was from the morning dew, and of course swimming in the ocean. Even at night the air and the water are warm enough to enjoy the salt water.
I went for a hike with Red out to a point where there are no roads. We didn't manage to make it all the way to the end, but that wasn't because we didn't want to. Turns out the point is used by birds as a breeding ground, and since we had the dog with us there was a point at which we had to stop. Along the way I saw some pretty interesting spiders, a small centipede (which I thought was quite large), and water being forced through the blowholes of a pod of whales. We had no binoculars though, so we couldn't see the actual whales too well.
As for the small centipede, I learned why the one on the hike was small back at the house. Those things get HUGE. And the bigger they get, the scarier and uglier they get. Apparently they are capable of stinging, so out of our desires to not encounter such a thing, a can of Raid was used liberally in both cases that I saw one around the house to take out the creepy-crawly creature. Cockroaches are another thing that the Raid is good for, and though they don't get as big as the centipedes, they too get much larger than any that I have seen before. On top of getting bigger than what I consider to be normal, they fly too, and my first experience with a roach in the house involved one attempting to land on my head. Once it was no longer a threat, I still continued to shudder at the thought of it landing on me for a good 10 minutes.
Today was the first good rainfall I have seen since arriving two weeks ago. I am in what is considered to be the "dry" part of the island. Most clouds release all their buildup in Honolulu before coming further west to where I am. It didn't last too long, but there is still cloud cover, so I am hoping it will rain some more.
A week ago I went out for a ride with some new friends, a motorcycle ride that is (and yes, I was wearing a helmet). It really put into perspective just how small this island is. We went around along the coastline for the most part, and it was just an afternoon ride. We didn't go around the entire island, but that was probably due more to the fact that there isn't a road that goes all the way around.
I've also been doing loads of other stuff. I camped out for a night on the beach, in the sand, without a tent. Had there been rain that might not have worked so well, but it was a clear night. Most of the moisture encountered was from the morning dew, and of course swimming in the ocean. Even at night the air and the water are warm enough to enjoy the salt water.
I went for a hike with Red out to a point where there are no roads. We didn't manage to make it all the way to the end, but that wasn't because we didn't want to. Turns out the point is used by birds as a breeding ground, and since we had the dog with us there was a point at which we had to stop. Along the way I saw some pretty interesting spiders, a small centipede (which I thought was quite large), and water being forced through the blowholes of a pod of whales. We had no binoculars though, so we couldn't see the actual whales too well.
As for the small centipede, I learned why the one on the hike was small back at the house. Those things get HUGE. And the bigger they get, the scarier and uglier they get. Apparently they are capable of stinging, so out of our desires to not encounter such a thing, a can of Raid was used liberally in both cases that I saw one around the house to take out the creepy-crawly creature. Cockroaches are another thing that the Raid is good for, and though they don't get as big as the centipedes, they too get much larger than any that I have seen before. On top of getting bigger than what I consider to be normal, they fly too, and my first experience with a roach in the house involved one attempting to land on my head. Once it was no longer a threat, I still continued to shudder at the thought of it landing on me for a good 10 minutes.
Today was the first good rainfall I have seen since arriving two weeks ago. I am in what is considered to be the "dry" part of the island. Most clouds release all their buildup in Honolulu before coming further west to where I am. It didn't last too long, but there is still cloud cover, so I am hoping it will rain some more.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Poke and Plate Lunches
So I have made it to Hawaii, and the plane ride wasn't all bad. The food was good (and yes, it was included) and I sat next to a guy who was friendly to chat with. I expected to be a bit tired after a 6 hour flight, but when I stepped off the plane I felt really good. Must have been that rush of warm, humid air after coming from a place that was pouring down rain on the way to the airport.
My friend picked me up at the airport and we stopped at the NEX on the way back to her place. Not a place she gets to go on her own, but since I have my military ID still I could get us in. It was there that I saw Poke (Poke-ee) for the first time, and she said I had to try it. Turns out the stuff is good. Raw tuna mixed with onions, seaseme seeds, and seaweed (a variety I've never seen before). Being a sushi fan I had no problems with the raw factor, but I can honestly say that is the first time I have eaten THAT much raw fish in one sitting. And it was a good mixture to fry up the next day, after we figured it was too old to eat raw.
On Monday we went up a walk (steep enough to be a hike maybe, but it was paved) where we could see other islands off in the distance. On the way back we stopped at a shack for plate lunches. I tried Mahi, some kind of white fish, and it was just as good. Cheap too, considering that it was fish and how much food I got. I even ordered the mini plate, the "child's size." It was more than enough.
No swimming yet, but I did get up to the North Shore where the waves were pretty big yesterday. I'm told they get bigger, but it was a calm day. We wanted to take the dog for a walk or a short hike, but all the signs we saw said no animals, so we made it just a ride. Next time we'll look and see where we can take the dog before loading her in the car.
Off for another day of living a life in Hawaii. Having a good time so far and I imagine that will stay the same for the next few days.
My friend picked me up at the airport and we stopped at the NEX on the way back to her place. Not a place she gets to go on her own, but since I have my military ID still I could get us in. It was there that I saw Poke (Poke-ee) for the first time, and she said I had to try it. Turns out the stuff is good. Raw tuna mixed with onions, seaseme seeds, and seaweed (a variety I've never seen before). Being a sushi fan I had no problems with the raw factor, but I can honestly say that is the first time I have eaten THAT much raw fish in one sitting. And it was a good mixture to fry up the next day, after we figured it was too old to eat raw.
On Monday we went up a walk (steep enough to be a hike maybe, but it was paved) where we could see other islands off in the distance. On the way back we stopped at a shack for plate lunches. I tried Mahi, some kind of white fish, and it was just as good. Cheap too, considering that it was fish and how much food I got. I even ordered the mini plate, the "child's size." It was more than enough.
No swimming yet, but I did get up to the North Shore where the waves were pretty big yesterday. I'm told they get bigger, but it was a calm day. We wanted to take the dog for a walk or a short hike, but all the signs we saw said no animals, so we made it just a ride. Next time we'll look and see where we can take the dog before loading her in the car.
Off for another day of living a life in Hawaii. Having a good time so far and I imagine that will stay the same for the next few days.
Friday, February 8, 2008
She Called It "Elbow-tag"
I was tagged for this and it looked like fun so I participated and tagged 10 more people to continue it on. Hope you have fun with it, and pass it along if you like.
RULES:
Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird, random things, facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end, choose 10 people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them. Don't forget to leave them a comment ("You're It") and to read your blog. You can't tag the person who tagged you. Since you can't tag me back, let me know when you've posted your blog so I can see you answers!
1) Within the last year and a half, I have developed a strange fear of landing while on commercial jets (though this has not stopped me from taking a total of 15 flights in the last year, nor will stop me from flying on Sunday).
2) I miss being in school. I thrive in the academic world.
3) I sold my television. I don't want a new one. Ever.
4) I hate shoes. I think I have too many. If it weren't for winter, I wouldn't own any. On the other hand, I do love my Chaco's.
5) Excluding my underwear, I can't think of an article of clothing I paid full price for. I strive to buy clothing on clearance or second-hand (or I "receive" it).
6) If I lost my cell phone, the only numbers I would know to call would be my Grandma, my Mom, and my Dad. Oh, and 911.
7) I've always paid my credit card balance in full at the end of every month.
8) If I am really enjoying a book, I have been known to read the entire book in one day.
9) I really have no set plan for my immediate future. I think that bothers a lot of people in my life.
10) 3 years ago I donated my hair. It was still medium length after the donation. It is almost that long again.
MY TEN PICKS:
Consider Yourselves Tagged - I have no good reason, other than I hope you will respond.
Wiledeyed
Lil Red
Irene
Maggie
Staci
K and E (you might need help with the typing, but I think you can do it)
pregnant anarchist
Ashley
Chloe
Mira
RULES:
Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird, random things, facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end, choose 10 people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them. Don't forget to leave them a comment ("You're It") and to read your blog. You can't tag the person who tagged you. Since you can't tag me back, let me know when you've posted your blog so I can see you answers!
1) Within the last year and a half, I have developed a strange fear of landing while on commercial jets (though this has not stopped me from taking a total of 15 flights in the last year, nor will stop me from flying on Sunday).
2) I miss being in school. I thrive in the academic world.
3) I sold my television. I don't want a new one. Ever.
4) I hate shoes. I think I have too many. If it weren't for winter, I wouldn't own any. On the other hand, I do love my Chaco's.
5) Excluding my underwear, I can't think of an article of clothing I paid full price for. I strive to buy clothing on clearance or second-hand (or I "receive" it).
6) If I lost my cell phone, the only numbers I would know to call would be my Grandma, my Mom, and my Dad. Oh, and 911.
7) I've always paid my credit card balance in full at the end of every month.
8) If I am really enjoying a book, I have been known to read the entire book in one day.
9) I really have no set plan for my immediate future. I think that bothers a lot of people in my life.
10) 3 years ago I donated my hair. It was still medium length after the donation. It is almost that long again.
MY TEN PICKS:
Consider Yourselves Tagged - I have no good reason, other than I hope you will respond.
Wiledeyed
Lil Red
Irene
Maggie
Staci
K and E (you might need help with the typing, but I think you can do it)
pregnant anarchist
Ashley
Chloe
Mira
Saturday, February 2, 2008
The Travels Will Continue
I was thinking I would try to get a military flight to Hawaii, but then I found a screaming deal on airfare and decided that it would be worth the small price to be guaranteed a flight and arrival time at my destination. Well, as guaranteed as you can get with airlines. It is only a one-way ticket though, so the military thing might still happen on the way back. Or I'll just hang out in Hawaii until I find another good deal. Sure, there is a plan to return, just no plan as to when.
Can't wait to go! Bought the ticket today, and I fly out on February 10th. 8 days in advance, and that is really planning ahead for me - at least in the sense of travel.
Can't wait to go! Bought the ticket today, and I fly out on February 10th. 8 days in advance, and that is really planning ahead for me - at least in the sense of travel.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Eeek! Where Has the Time Gone?
So I have been back at my Dad's for a little over a month now, but what have I done? First, I recovered from traveling for 3 months. Turns out there was quite a bit of missed sleep to make up for. Then I started researching graduate programs and chose a couple to apply to, which are in the works now. I've also served 2 days of Jury Duty for King County in Washington and looked for employment. Somewhere in there I made some new friends, got sick as a dog (from which I am still recovering), knitted a few things, and re-found my desire to travel. Now I have become restless again. I imagine that the rain in Seattle has helped push along my need to be on the move.
Lucky for me I have friends around the world, and one has invited me to come see Hawaii. I knew this was coming before my trip in Europe ended, and have been planning on trying to get there since she moved. I am still working out the details of getting there - I'd really like to use a benefit of my military service and get a military flight there. That would save me a ton on airfare, something that needs to happen if I even want to get there. Besides getting some much needed R&A time, I am really excited about this: I have no idea how long I will be staying there, nor where I will be going when I leave. There is an entire world of possibilities out there, and the next thing I've got coming up is hopefully starting a graduate program sometime next August/September.
Lucky for me I have friends around the world, and one has invited me to come see Hawaii. I knew this was coming before my trip in Europe ended, and have been planning on trying to get there since she moved. I am still working out the details of getting there - I'd really like to use a benefit of my military service and get a military flight there. That would save me a ton on airfare, something that needs to happen if I even want to get there. Besides getting some much needed R&A time, I am really excited about this: I have no idea how long I will be staying there, nor where I will be going when I leave. There is an entire world of possibilities out there, and the next thing I've got coming up is hopefully starting a graduate program sometime next August/September.
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