Saturday, January 5th, 2008 -- more beach and sun!

Hiya Bloggy!

Yep... another day in paradise!! Although, I will be the first to admit that I was much slower today. Instead of going down to the beach around 9am (which is always my goal), I don't think I got there until close to noon. I think (what do I know??) that the Kona winds may be on their way out, which meant it was hotter and muggier today... and we didn't have any "cloudy" periods... it was sun, sun, and more sun :)

Oh joy!! When I got down there, they had a beach umbrella already set up for me AND my black chair was all set up too!! I think I mentioned this yesterday... a few years back now I had left my black chair with the Bradleys and told them that they could do whatever they wanted with it... give it to friends coming for a visit or even throw it out. It was easier for me to just bring a chair over and leave it rather than cart it back to Vancouver. Hahaha... well, it did make it's way over to the Donnellys, so it was still on the island, this many years later. When I got to the beach, there it was, all set up under my umbrella. Ed had walked it down to the beach early this morning...probably earlier than when I got up! :) And now, at the end of the day, the chair will stay with the umbrella with the beach boys and they will set it up when they set up the rest of our gang.

So, what did we do today? Hmmm... this is going to sound so boring... it's a tough life don't you know?? We chatted, we read, we did puzzles (some were doing crosswords, some Suduko), some had their ipods... and then when it got too hot, went into the water for a dip. I didn't go into the actual water for a swim... I went in up to my ankles, just to cool off. Waikiki Beach is a famous beach for swimming but it does have this one big sandy step down just under the water at the shore. Getting down the sandy step would not be a problem for me... it's getting up the step. It's just that high enough that I can't quite to it... at least, not on my own. Of course, all the gang have said that when I want to go into to the water, I can either go in with anyone who is going in, or any one of them will walk in with me (so I don't fall) and will be there to give me a hand when I'm ready to come out. This is going to happen... I will be going in! I just have to get over my "fear" of falling or having my muscles/joints give out on me. I've already noticed what a challenge it is just to walk down to the beach! That has really thrown me... I was not expecting that, and I'm waiting for the heat/humidity to start working it's magic on my joints and muscles that are so sore.

Patience is a virtue!! I've only been here two days... I can't go expecting miracles :)

Anywho... where was I? Oh yes... the beach! So we were all just lazing around, doing not much of anything. I was reading my book and then out of the blue, there was Sheila with her hands over my eyes!! Scared the dickens out of me, it did!! Sheila is the owner of the Kepoikai (the catamaran) and tomorrow (Sunday) is her birthday. Since it is her birthday, she wants us all to go for a sail tomorrow. Hmmmm... I'm going to play that one by ear and see how strong I'm feeling tomorrow. I am REALLY leary about getting on the catamaran. Going up the stairs/ladder onto the boat... and then getting into the cabin of the boat. I used to do this in my bare feet and just took it for granted. Now, the simplest thing like telling my legs to go down a step... well, it's a challenge. So getting off the boat will be a challenge as well. We'll see. I guess part of it will depend on what time Sheila gets down and then whether my pain pills have kicked in or not.

Anywho... now that Sheila was down at the beach, that's all us gals needed as an excuse to go to the Moana Surfrider hotel to have a little drinkie outside under the Banyan Tree ;) Fancy drinks... one has to have a couple of those days!

Then it was back to our umbrellas on the beach. I realized about this time (3pm'ish) that I was looking a tad reddish. How does that happen when I'm mostly in the shade of the umbrella?? But, there was that time where I was standing at the water's edge, just getting my feet wet up to my ankles to cool off. Peggy and I stood there talking for a bit... and I think it was that time, with the reflection from the water, that got a little cooked :)

So, it was time to hobble back to the hotel at 4pm. I was hot and felt sandy. It seemed to take forever to get back to the hotel, but oh did it feel good to have a nice warm shower :D I got changed into some comfy clothes and chose to stay home this evening. It is now 10:30pm so I am going to go to bed with my book. I will probably be asleep before I finish the first paragraph and will have a good night's sleep :)

Aloha for now!!

Cheryl

PS: Marilyn, who says she is barely computer literate, came up with a brainstorm regarding my problem of not being able to post any pictures I've taken because I forgot the cable at home!! I will take the camera's memory card into a photo finishing place and have them download the pictures from the card onto a CD! Hello? What a simple solution and why didn't I think of that?? Heck, there's a photo finishing place right in the hotel behind where we sit on the beach! :)