Episode 7

It's time for another slide show! I know they all look the same but every picture means something to me! So this time...Our buddy Oren hooked us up and got us on one of the Trilogy boat cruises to the island of Lanai. It was great, we even got to help rig the sails. This is the job I really wanted when I came here, didn't work out obviously but oh well. Then the singles branch I'm in had a luau, then there is a picture from us at Pu'ukalani where the first LDS chapel in Hawaii is. Then we went to Oahu. We went to North shore, the PCC, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki etc. Pearl Harbor was amazing. I love history and especially WW2 history, I think it's amazing how our country came together during such a horrible time. Then the rest is just playing with friends. Life is beautiful. Love you all!

For the Beauty of the Earth.

So i got my waterproof camera back from the repair shop and I decided to try to share with you what I was talking about in a previous blog about last Friday night. I knew any pictures wouldn't do it justice but I tried anyway, and I was right. But tonight and last night I took my camera out with me and took these photos. It was unbelievable on Friday night, these two nights were ok. But I hope this gives you an idea of what I was trying to portray in words. And also, think about what Derrek commented on that entry. At the end watch the video closely, I got a bonus treat tonight. I was surfing with giant manarays. You can see their wingtips breaching a bit. It was amazing. The song is by Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (Iz). He is a Hawaiian legend, this is this song I heard from the boat last Friday night. Hope you enjoy this, and all the beauty in every day!

Still not learning my own lessons...

Another stupid back flop...I can still move my neck this time though. Ugh...stupid. I promise I can do that without hurting myself, there were girls watching me this time, plus a few dozen annoying tourists...nuff said.

Friday Night Epic.

To the west is the Island of Lanai'i. A cloud sits atop the island peaks like a kings crown. The sun starts high and slowly sinks in the sky until it touches the horizon at the exact spot where Lanai'i's shores touch the sea. The color of the sky is changing from a bright blue to a golden yellow and bright oranges and pinks. The sun bands in union the land and the sea like a golden ring. For several minutes sun, earth and sea are one. To the south the whispy clouds are still lit by the suns rays and the colors are so bright and vivid only heaven can be more beautiful. Just before the sun is completely gone a sliver of light appears just above the sun and is nearly perched perfectlly on top of Lanai'i's peaks, the moon is old and waning but shows pearfectyl in the dusk. To the east the shores of Lahaina are lined with palm trees and lovers walking the sandy beaches. Above them rise the jagged West Maui Mountains recently blanketed with green life from the tropical rains. Also covering Maui's peaks are perfectly white clouds that never seem to move. The sky behind the peaks and clouds is like a painter's palette with deep purples, blues, and pinks. One star in the west sky shines brightly in the sky to balance the moon sliver in the east. Between them is the Auau Channel. The Spirit of Lahaina is moored there and from her decks is heard Iz's version of Somewhere over the Rainbow. Over the sound of the waves crashing can be heard the drums from the Feast at Lele, the ancient home of King Kamehameha. And in the middle of it all, I sit on my surfboard. Surfing some of the best waves I have ever caught. I am almost completely overwhelmed with the experience, it touches a side of spiritual. I catch wave after wave until I realize that it is almost pitch dark, and I am completely alone. Only the lights of the harbor help me find my way back to the beach. I am home now, a few hundred yards away, but that wasn't a dream. That was real. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had. Epic does not describe it. These words don't do it justice. I've still got chicken skin and it isn't cold at all. That was my Friday night, and I have never had a better.

To my Father and Creator, Mahalo for the beauty of the Earth!

Contributing to society. Ugh...

So, don't think I'm getting responsible or anything, but I started a new job this week. I just need the means to stay in Maui that's all. So at my new job, a bunch of my co-workers are from the mainland and are here just for the job. But first to backtrack a bit, before I moved to Maui I watched a movie called North Shore ( a must see) and thought to myself, no one actually talks like that in Hawaii! Then, I came here and realized I didn't have a dang clue what people were talking about most of the time. It all soundy like freaky deaky dutch to me! Now back to the present...So yesterday at work I looked at my boss (one of the off islanders) and said "We pau ya?" The man stared at me with blank eyes that muttered HUH? It then occurred to me what was happening. I am no longer the haole kook that doesn't have a clue! It is a good feeling to have. I'm slowly becoming a little less mainlander and a little more islander. To celbrate after I pau hana I put on slippers, talked story, go da store and got me mochi! It was awesome...Brah.

Part 2

This video is part two of our week as tourists with Cindy and Stacie. This one starts with our two day Hana adventure. We camped on a beach again except this time it RAINED all night long. Tent was really good at letting water in, but not letting it out. We did most of the normal Hana things, so most of that part should look familiar. I just didn't have my waterproof camera anymore so the pictures are much more dry than normal. After our Hana trip we went to a Luau, and several beaches. The girls parasailed and we drove up to the top of the volcano Haleakala to watch the sunrise. It was FREEZING up there! Yeah, I said that right. We done froze our nippers off! But alas, the ladies went home...

Pushing the reset button.

Things Hawaii is teaching me that I hope I'm learning:

• There is beauty in everything, even the ordinary. I wish I was a better photographer so I could capture the simple beauty in this world. It's in everything and everyone. We just have to slow our lives down a little to notice. Yesterday I spent an hour following a giant sea turtle around the ocean, he was almost twice my size. It was pretty amazing. Sea turtles have been around since ancient times, they haven't changed and they still aren't in a hurry. We should be more like sea turtles. Every tree, rock, wave, sunset, and person has something uniquely beautiful about it, I am glad I'm finally starting to notice.
  
• You will never get today twice. You can never have yesterday back. Make the best of it. I have mandatory 'in the ocean' time every day. What if I don't live by the ocean someday, I don't want to regret not exploring every wave and reef while I had the chance. Make the best of your situations or make a better situation. Don't restrain yourself by what others think you should be doing. If you are not happy it is not good. If you find yourself wishing something...stop wishing and make it happen. If you are wishing you could fly, probably don't listen to me, or at least wear a parachute.
  
• The ocean is pretty darn cool. We know more about the moon than we do about the ocean. I want to live on a sailboat someday. Just go wherever in the world I want. A tropical storm just hit Hawaii. I watched the ocean in the channel between Maui and Lanai'i for hours. It looked like a giant river the way the wind was blowing the water. It was beautiful. I don't know why I'm so fascinated with water but I am and I should have been a fish.
• I'm proud of myself. I'm proud of myself because I haven't grown out of the things I think are fun. I love to do all the same things I loved when I was little, plus a bunch of new stuff. I'm not saying I haven't grown up, I just haven't grown boring. I hope I backflip off ridiculously high cliffs when I'm 80!(just hope I land them better then) Simple things in life still give me pleasure. I still get giddy at waterparks. Brightly colored fish are still fascinating. I still put my hand out the window in a car and pretend it's an airplane. And I really wish I had my legos with me. Stupid silly things still crack me up. And farting will always be funny! Kudos to me for still doing the things I love to do.
  
• I'm still kind of a hopeless romantic. A little more hopless than before I think, but still. Most of you that know me at all problem won't believe any of this, but I still hope I have a sappy 'chick flick' story to tell my kids someday. Kinda thought I'd lost faith in that mushy stuff but I guess it's back. No reason in particular why that I can think of that it's back, time heals all wounds I guess. But I'll even be so bold as to use the L word here. I'm super stoked about falling in love with someone someday. Hasn't really happened yet but that's why it's so exciting, it's never happened so it will all be completely new. Like eating chocolate for the first time after a lifetime of chocolate fasting. (Hmmm, I'm talking about lovey stuff here, not kinky stuff;  chocolate analogy might not have been the best.) I look forward to all that mushy lovey stuff. And even though there's still other stuff I want to do in life first, I like knowing I will always have that great eternal adventure to look forward to. And all the small everyday adventures we'll have together!
• Laughing is awesome, I've always know that, but just brain farted a bit.
• Music is awesome. I totally regret only going to piano lessons for three weeks. I love music. Kinda thought I was loosing that too but it's also back. There is so much good music out there it's a little overwhelming because I just want to listen to it all. I have a musical surprise for everyone too, to be disclosed at a later time! Sure wish I had a lick of musical talent though.
• Lahaina is FRICKING hot! That's where I live, Lahaina, thank goodness for mandatory ocean time.
• Being kind to people is a trait I value in people more than anything else. I wish I was better at it. The secret to happiness, (besides all that gospel stuff) listen up people this is important, is kindness. Being kind to others and being around those who are kind to you. Also, a lifetime supply of chips! I L O V E chips. seriously, it's like joyfull bliss in a bag! But really though, kindness=awesome. Having a bad day? Go to a nursing home, or a parking lot, or your neighbors house, and do something nice for someone. To those of you in my life who are kind to me (you know who you are because you are still in my life) Thank you so much! I love you all!
• But mostly... life is Awesome. I like it, a lot. Thanks for that all those involved.
  

Hurricane Felicia is going to hit tomorrow so I figured I better get some more stuff on the blog before it's too late. With waves up to 15 feet through wed. I'm not going to on the computer much anyway! So a few weeks ago Cindy and Stacie came to visit us. Out of all the people that have said they are going to come visit these two are the only ones that have. So we decided to treat them by letting them stay in our 12 million dollar estate with us! We finished all our projects on the house the same time they got here so we got to stay at the house as our bonus for a week, as you can see, it wasn't that bad. This slideshow is part one of our week with the girls. We went snorkeling at Honolua Bay and Molokini Island, which is on the list of top ten best places to snorkel in the world. It was awesome, except that as soon as I jumped in the water with my waterproof camera it stopped being waterproof. Major bummer ya. So sadly, no pictures of Molokini, not underwater anyway. Which is too bad because there was this SI swimsuit model there who was being chased by a shark! But I caught the shark before it could eat her and threw it up onto the beach! The model thanked me by signing here bikini top and then giving it to me. True story! Too bad my camera broke and I can't prove it to you, oh well. The girls took some surf lessons and we went to hula show. The little girls wearing the coconuts we're adorably awesome. The first half of the week was definitely highlighted by a little fashion show Reed and I performed. Enjoy!

Well I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is no luck on finding a new job. The good news is that because I don't have a job I am getting really good at surfing! I mean really, I think surfing might just be my new job I'm so awesome. Who wouldn't want to pay me to surf?! I'd totally pay myself to surf if I could afford it, that's how good I'm getting! There is more bad news though, I lost my wingman. This must be how Maverick felt when Goose died. Yes, it is true...Reed was lulled back to that faraway land called Utah. The man has won another soul. RIU (rest it Utah) Reed. May your days be filled with green jello, clocking in and out, and ridiculously cheap milk. And your nights be filled with air conditioners and wet dreams (Surfing dreams, sicko). I'll make sure your board doesn't ever get lonely... So it's a little different surfing alone but at least there is no one around to scare all the surfer hotties away! Woowoo! Really though, surfing is great. Last weekend we were in Oahu and there was a freakishly big south summer swell so we got some boards and paddled out. It's a good thing I was already in the water because I totally wet my dungaroos. It was because of fear and excitement all in one! Seriously, have you ever surfed on a wave that was ten feet tall? Well I have! And it was awesome! The feeling of catching that wave then speeding down that huge face and making a perfect turn as all that force and power starts to crash down behind you and speeding off just in time to...get nailed by some kook on a paddle board! It's a pretty amazing feeling, and yes, despite the awesome swell, waikiki is way too ridiculously crowded. Totally worth fighting the crowds to catch those waves though. That weekend we also went to the Polynesian Cultural Center and Pearl Harbor. Plus a lot of North Shore. It was all awesome. I could make a movie about my life and just call it Awesome. I'll get pictures from Oahu up here soon. Back here on Maui the waves have been quite small, but that all is going to change when hurricane Felicia gets here! That's right, I'm going to surf in a HURRICANE next week! Dad, don't worry, it's not as dumb as it sounds, the storm is only supposed to be a tropical storm by the time it gets to me. But still, I'm sticking with my word...AWESOME! So a few weeks back some friends came out to visit us, I've got some slideshows from all those adventures but I'll get those up later. Hope you are all well! Aloha Au Ia`oe

Dallon's Surf Report

It's good!