Number 7
For this thirtydays I will try to drink at least 64oz of water per day. I know. Boring. Lol but this is part of my plan to get healthy. I’m trying to come up with a plan on how to measure it out during the day. I guess that’s four 16oz glasses a day. That doesn’t seem like that much. Hmm. Maybe this will be an easy one. Wish me luck🤞🏽
In Less than Thirtydays
Well, my paper list is done and I think I’m ready. I will do a last minute repack just to make sure I remembered socks and unders lol. Probably two repacks 😂
I also packed a backpack specifically for the park. I’ll be flying in late and I don’t want to have to worry about what I’m taking to the park in the morning. I checked my paper list to the contents of my suitcase one more time. I think I’m good😂 I must add that this is my first ever carry-on only trip. I’m so excited. I’ve always wanted to do carry-on only but have never been able to squeeze it all in. I squished everything I will need into a tiny suitcase and a backpack. Granted I’m only going to be there for three days but you never know what you will need. I was going to have Krystal and Randy drive my suitcase down but I didn’t trust them to not get it stolen lol. So they took my pillow and my blanket instead. I will only be a little mad if they lose them lol.
I dropped the dogs off this morning. And by dogs I had a plus one lol. Sunny is going to Canine Country Club with Axel and Kohl. Axel was not a happy camper. He kept trying to leave with me. Sunny and Kohl were clueless. Totally engrossed in sniffing every inch of the floor. Well I guess I know who really loves me. 🐶 I told Kris, don’t forget Sunny when you pick them up lol.
On my way to the airport. While driving I was thinking it would totally suck if I got a flat tire. Since I dont know how to change one, lol. I would definitely miss my flight. Luckily I made it to the airport. I had to park a mile away. I hope I can remember where my car is. I drove the Cooper so parking would be easy but it’s short and it hides between cars. I took a picture of where it’s at so that might help me.
Check in was fast. I flew through TSA. Well that is until they scanned my bag. Note to self. If you are bringing a bunch of quarters and pennies for the penny squishing machines, make them easier to find. The TSA agent was digging all through my suitcase. Lol. He asked me if I knew where they were. Uh no. He finally found them in my other backpack. By that time my perfectly organized bag was a disaster. Thanks lol.
Oh and I look like a dork. I didnt want to wear shoes I had to tie so I opted for my birkenstocks. I also don’t like walking barefoot through the TSA checkpoint soooo I have socks on. With camo shorts. And a cat shirt.😂😂🤣🤣😂😂 I’m quite the fashionista lol.
Finally boarding. I boarded through the back door. Lol. They took my suitcase at the gate because they said it wouldn’t fit in the overhead compartment lol. The airplane is so small. Total 76 seats. I’m in seat 17b next to the window and the engine. There are only 19 rows total. The windows don’t have shades 🌞😎 It is so awesome. We are flying over the clouds. They look like snow. I’m kinda glad I have to wear a mask. Smells like a cross between a lawnmower and a room full of sweaty people. It really makes me appreciate first class and big airplanes 😂
Our flight has a complementary beer or red wine drink. Umm I’ll pass on that. Maybe a cute little box of water and a Kind bar. Really don’t want to get airsick.
Super short layover in Seattle and then on to Los Angeles. Of course I got lost trying to find the next gate. I blame the signage.
The next airplane was bigger and I was sitting in row 7. Closer to the front.
I was so lucky and got to sit next to two obnoxious people, a mom and college age son and a screaming baby behind me. The mom read a book made out of paper the entire flight so she had her light on the whole time. I fell asleep and I woke to a spotlight glaring down on me. She had turned my light on too🙄. The son kept complaining about the screaming baby and that he would never have kids. Good. The obnoxious gene will stop there😂
Randy picked me up. Got to the hotel at 1 a.m. So tired but need a shower to get rid of airplane germs. Getting up early to beat the crowds😁
Less than Thirtydays to plan and pack😲
Okay, so this is a bit off topic for my thirtydays blog but it has relevance to that and to Foxpartyofone.
Krystal : Let’s go to Disneyland California Adventure. The Avengers Campus is open and Camden would love it.
Me: Okay, when.
Krystal : Two weeks from now.
Me: 😲😲😲😳 are you crazy? That’s not enough time to plan and pack. I need at least 3 months.
Krystal : Be spontaneous.
Me: Impossible. No way. I can’t. I am a calculated travel planner. I need time to think about the logistics of everything.
Compromise. One month. Eek!
1. Dogs. Tracy, my dogsitter is not available….so dogs will need to be boarded at Canine Country Club. That’s not an issue. The fact that they need the kennel cough vaccine is. So, now I’m at the Vet and there is a, “several” hour wait time because Axel needs an exam to get that vaccination. 🙄 It is so long that they say I can leave and come back. So I did. I went to the gym and back to the house lol. Went back and checked in. The called me and made an appointment for later in the month with the assurance that it would be enough time prior to boarding them. I just hate waiting till the last second to get stuff done.
2. Tickets. Randy got the park passes and made our reservations to enter the park. They are limiting the amount of people in per day, masks are still required but they will be opening it up to guests outside of California on June 15th. So the rush is on. Not just for us but all of America lol.
3. Flights. I booked my flight to depart out of Eugene. I think that will be the easiest to get to. The only one available for a late departure was through Alaska Airlines and there is a layover in Seattle. I won’t fly in until midnight but I won’t have to worry about driving around Los Angeles. Randy will be picking me up. The flight back is a straight shot with United.
4. Packing. I’m doing carry-on plus a backpack. I think I’ll be fine for space. I will only be there three days. This is going to be a very quick trip.
Getting my paper list started. Wish me luck. I’m going to need it😂
Day ten-travel home 😢
All packed up and ready to go. Sitting out on the Lanai listening to the surf roll in. I must have been a dolphin in a past life. The ocean calls to me.
It’s raining so it’s not quite so hard to leave paradise.
I just realized that I haven’t gotten sick the whole time I’ve been here. Normally, I am gluten free. If I eat anything with gluten in it it gives me the worst stomach problems and makes me feel like I swallowed a bowling ball. Since I’m on vacation I have played the gluten lottery and I ate a white bread egg sandwich, breaded fish and chips and other stuff that normally gives me problems. Weird. Is there no gluten on the island, is it the ocean or the sun? Maybe it’s the time of day that I’ve been eating. Up early. Eating early and last meal in the afternoon? I don’t know.
The rental return process was super easy. I just pulled up and they emailed me the receipt. I chose to walk the path from the return station to the airport rather than take the train with a bunch of people. I figured I’d be sitting down for five hours and a ten minute walk wouldn’t kill me. Well maybe. Dragging two bags lol.
On the way thru check-in my shoes fell through the conveyer belt and landed underneath. The attendant was too big to crawl under and get them so they were going to go look for a broom. I crawled under and got them. Gross lol. My bags weighed 37lbs and 43lbs so total would have been way too much for one bag and there’s no way I could have picked up an 80lb bag lolol.
I got to the gate three and a half hours early. Flash flood warnings behind the airport! Glad I made it before then. Went to the first class lounge which is really just a place to sit and get wifi and drink coffee, tea or soda. No snacks because of covid 🙄 but it’s quiet.
I have to show off my invention. My ears get really irritated and I get a headache from the mask straps so I bought two hat pins and wrapped the cord around them instead of my ears. Genius lol. Too bad I can’t wear a hat to work. Maybe I could do the same thing with a headband and buttons 🤔.
Finally in the air at 2:30pm. Oh joy. The flight is full and I have a seatmate. Ms. Gluten free dairy free. She brought her own food but complained they didn’t have food for her or non dairy creamer for her coffee. But she ate the crackers and chocolates they handed out? I’m pretty sure my eyes rolled into the back of my head and were about to get struck🤣 Uh hello? Gluten and dairy for sure. So headphones on, hood up and movie time for me lol.
The flight was four hours 59 minutes. Exactly. Pulled into Portland International Airport. Staying at the Radisson Hotel tonight then home😊
Day nine-solo
Last day in paradise. Better make the most of it. Surf lesson at 10:30am and I hope the weather is going to cooperate 😃 my instructor’s name is Kris. Lol. I think I can remember that.
Didn’t find many waves to ride because of the storm but I got my workout in lol. An hour and a half of paddling out is hard! We saw a huge turtle poke his head up and take a look at us. So awesome. Forgot why you should wear a long sleeve rash guard….
OH yeah, now I remember. The board rubs your skin right off lol.
I’m starving so going to Leilani’s on the Beach. It’s rated number one on Yelp so we shall see.
20 minute wait for a table. Not bad. Seated next to the beach with an awesome view. The whales were really active not far out. I ordered a Ginger Hoku. Fresh fish and chips and Thin Mint Hula Pie for dessert. Delicious x10 😋 service was good too.
It started raining. A downpour lol. Everyone on the beach packed up and ran for cover. It was amazing how fast they cleared out. It’s still 80 degrees. I probably would have just waited it out. Maybe jumped into the ocean lol.
Back to the condo to try and pack. Yes, pack. Always my nightmare. My bag is not big enough for all my stuff🙄so I got another one. I opted for a smaller checked bag instead of a big one. Two small checked bags are much more manageable for me than one huge one. Because of Covid, Krystal said they won’t pick your bag up for you at the airport and it has to go through the scanner. Krystal must have used her big hair charm because some random guy offered to pick hers up for her 🤣🤣 So I’m checking two bags, carrying on a backpack. Hopefully I don’t break any wheels off lol.
It’s raining. A lot. There is a flash flood advisory. I hope I can get to the other side of the island tomorrow morning or I’ll be stuck on the island and that would be just awful lol.
Day eight-solo
Omg. Got a text from Tracy the dog sitter. Axel got sprayed by a skunk 😫. Probably the skunk that’s been eating my tulips lol. All this time living in the country and this is the first time it’s happened. I texted Kris. He has a plan lol. Good thing Axel loves water. I feel a little terrible that I’m missing out on all this. A little. Lol.
I’m taking a surf lesson today and tomorrow at Island Style Adventures Surf School. The lessons are held at that awesome boarding beach down the beach walk. It was perfect. After being rolled, pounded by waves and almost losing my shorts, I surfed all the way in to the beach! It’s kinda like wakesurfing with a much bigger board but dependent on mother nature instead of the boat driver for waves lol. My arms and hands are super tired from paddling out but I can’t wait to go out tomorrow.
On a side note, when I was back in my room changing my clothes I bent forward and a ton of water drained out my nose like a faucet. Lolol. Probably from when I got rolled in the surf.
Had a little snack. Spam Musubi. Spam, rice and seaweed all in a convenient brick. It was a bit dry but I was starving.
Back to the room to watch the sunset.
Day seven-solo
Up early to take the ferry to Lanai. I’m going out to visit the Lanai Cat Sanctuary.😻The ferry ships out of the Lahaina harbor.
Hour long ferry ride in the sun with a mask on 🙄 my tan line should be epic 😂 I guess I could ride inside but it’s probably a germ fest in there so I’ll opt for the mask tan instead lol.
Took a shuttle to cat sanctuary. It’s a cat paradise. It was founded in 2008 to help control the feral cat population and protect the nesting birds on the island.
The cats are sectioned off by age in large fenced in yards. The fences are probably seven feet tall with an overhang so they can’t climb out. Plenty of houses and trees for the cats to hide in and climb on. A cat tree is an actual tree full of cats lol.
They give you a bag of cat treats so you get mobbed when you first walk in. They are all super sweet. I spent two hours there and was sad when the shuttle came back to pick me up. I bought a shirt and a hat and donated the “aloha spirit” money that the good Samaritan who got our car out of the sand wouldn’t accept, to their cause. I’m all covered in cat hair but I loved it.
On the advice of the captain I decided to ride the ferry back underneath. I got a little sea sick on the ride over up above. Every other seat was taped off so people were pretty much six feet apart. One guy was asleep when we were disembarking lol.
Continuing on with todays’ cat theme I stopped at the Cool Cat Cafe. It’s an upstairs open air restaurant with a view of the old town Lahaina walkway and the ocean. Great for people watching. Kris and I ate there last year. Avocado fries and a root beer freeze. Yum!
It was super sunny and hot today. I got fried. Well my arms did. Not my mask face. Lolol.
Day six-solo
foxpartyofone is officially solo.
Took a stroll down the beach walk looking for food. There is a huge outdoor mall right next to my hotel. Well, its more of a condo. I am staying in an apartment that is owned by “Mark and Susan” lol. Past residents have left notes of gratitude for allowing them to stay. Ummm, they are paying for it so maybe a note from the owners would be more appropriate. Like, thanks for the $$🤣😂
Stopped at Waicoco restaurant which is between the Aston and the Westin. Table for one? Lol. Yes. They can’t push single eaters to the bar now with Covid so yes, I’m going to take up a whole table.
It’s not raining right now but I chose to sit inside the open air building. The cushions were soaked outside.
I’ve been here ten minutes and no service. No water, coffee or contact. They did give me a menu when I was arrived. The table across from me sat down after I got here and they are taking their orders. so annoying. I must be invisible.
Finally. Fifteen minutes in they took my drink order. The manager stopped by and said that he noticed how long I had been waiting and offered to comp my meal. That I could eat anything I wanted. I wish I was hungrier. I guess invisibility has its perks lol.
$60 worth of free food. The pineapple dip was awesome. Sugar, lime salt and something spicy.
I left a tip. They all shouldn’t pay for the inaction of one employee plus the food was delicious.
Stopped by the Concierge desk to see what Kris got me for my birthday. I get to choose to do whatever I want! I was thinking of doing the sunrise tour to Haleakala, ziplining or downhill bike riding but the weather isnt predicted to be the best so I chose to go the island of Lanai and visit the cat sanctuary, whale watch and surf. I can’t wait 😁 thank you Kris ❤️
Went to Black Rock and snorkeled. It’s amazing how buoyant you are in the ocean. I just floated around. I saw some beautiful fish. The water was really clear.
Sat out on the lanai and listened to the surf. It crashes pretty hard right in front of the condo. It’s the perfect place to sit and blog.
My whale watch tour got canceled due to the weather. There are flash flood warnings and evacuations on the other side of the island. The locals say it’s the worst storm in 25 years😲 and it’s not just on Maui. All the islands are on high alert.
The rain eventually turned to a sprinkle so I walked all the way to the end of the beach walk. I found some killer waves for boarding in front of the Kaanapali Alii.
Day five
Krystal got up early and walked a mile down the street for takeout breakfast for my birthday. Eggs, bacon, potatoes and muffin😋 this time I got to eat all my bacon lol.
She finally finished up packing🙄and dragged her bag down the stairs.
I guess down was much easier than up🤣.
We headed for the airport side of the island to ease my fears of Krystal missing her flight lol. Drove over to Kanaha Beach. It was raining so there was hardly anyone there. We walked down the beach. Krystal had a hunch we would see something and she was right. There were turtles up on the beach. We kept our distance and didn’t bother them but it was funny. They would slowly open an eye and take a look at us. I could have sat and watched them forever.
Stopped at Goodwill and then Ululani’s for Krystal’s last shave ice. Lol. I think we ate it every day we were here.
Rain started coming down hard. Dropped Krystal off at the airport. Sad to see her go. It was a good trip.
Killed some time with shopping. I know, torture, right?
Checked into my hotel. Staying on Kaanapali Beach. I’m on the sixth floor and I have a beautiful view of the ocean. You can hear the surf crash onto the beach. It’s super loud.
Kris called ahead and had a big bouquet of flowers, Lei and a bottle of champagne waiting for me in my room for my birthday! I was so surprised. There was also a note to see the concierge desk for another surprise. I’ll have to go by there in the morning.
Walked down to Black Rock beach. There are a bunch of huge volcanic rocks that you can climb up and jump off of. Ummm, not going to attempt that. If I don’t tumble off from the climb I’m not sure if I would jump off. My only fear, unrestrained heights lol.
Day four
Woke up early today. 6am. Hiking at Iao Valley State Monument. Krystal read about a secret hike so we are going to check it out. Got there early, 8:15am. And it is cold lol. I should have brought a jacket. The attendant asked if we were locals. Does it count if we look like locals? I think you get a discount if you are. It was $10 to park.
We walked the cement path up to the top. It was a pretty easy hike and I’m not cold anymore lol. Then came Krystal’s “secret” hike. A very well worn trail if you jumped the fence. So we did. We hiked along the side of the mountain until Krystal decided we should turn around. I think she was afraid I would fall off and it would be her fault. That’s fine. The bugs were starting to feast on me lol.
We took all the other trails down by the creek. Krystal wanted to jump into one of the pools but a guy already beat us there. He was layi g at the bottom, flat like he was dead. Oh well. That water was freezing. We were there about an hour and a half.
I read this thing that said that it was bad, even disrespectful to stack rocks anywhere on the islands. I suppose it means different things for different people but I took care of a couple of them. Krystal was horrified lol.
Drove towards Lahaina. Stopped at an outdoor craft market. They took your temperature on the way in. I was surprised mine was normal. I felt like it should have read at least 100 degrees lol.
Went down to the Banyan Tree. Shopped along the waterfront. Found Ululani’s Shave Ice. Delicious 😋 best yet.
Went looking for a good body boarding beach. When I pulled up, Krystal said to stop, don’t go too far into the sand….but I pulled up a little farther. We looked up and down the beach. No one was in the water. Hmmm. That’s suspect. We decided to leave. Ummm, I put into reverse and dug a hole with the back wheels. I looked at the control panel. Omg. It’s not four wheel drive! I tried to go forward and then backwards but nothing. Dug my hole a little deeper.
Just when I thought I would be stranded there forever a guy pulled over and asked if we needed help. Pretty sure he saw Krystal standing in back of the car, her big hair blowing in the wind😂🤣😂.
He was super nice. At first we tried to dig it out and put flat rocks behind the tires but it wouldn’t budge. So, he hooked a strap from his van to the Jeep, gave us a tug and we were free!
We tried to give him money but he wouldn’t take it. Said it was the aloha spirit😊 he was probably thinking, ” stupid tourists” lol. That is the last time I don’t check to see if I have a 4×4.
Traveled a bit down the road and found another beach. This time I backed in. Plus it was gravel not sand🤙🏾
We were getting ready to bodyboard and saw this rainbow raising up from the hills. I’m sure there was a pot of gold over there.
Rode some awesome waves. Even Krystal rode them. We thought we were taking video but were pushing the wrong button…so no proof she did it lol. Sorry Krystal.
Krystal found this warning on a map after we got back. 🤣🤣🤣
Walked down to the beach for Krystal’s last sunset.
foxpartyofone 