Be sure to check out the pictures of all the kitties in the Feline Foundation Gallery!  There are updated pictures of kitties who are ready for adoption and need to find a loving family to care for them.  Please contact us if you’d like to adopt any of these babies.

Main House/Studio  Here are the ideas:

1. Split the house to make the studio out of the enclosed garage, which has a small room/large walk-in closet that will be used for the kitchen, and a bathroom with a separate door for the toilet.  To split it we need to put in a double-sided locking door, and cover the windowless window with possibly plywood (or whatever).
2. Studio needs curtains, 9-10 panels, which I will make like the Ohana’s; replace the cement sink with a regular sink; remove washing machine; put in a shower stall using the existing plumbing/drain with the addition of plumbing for the shower head-we have ideas on how to build it already; and purchase a small fridge and stove/oven.
3. Both the main house and the studio need painting on all walls and possibly on the wood paneling; all ceilings need to be redone with paint and “crown modeling”; tear out all carpet and clean the linoleum; fix/repair broken window mechanisms; replace water heater; and other misc.
4. Main house will need the bathroom repainted (for now), will need to replace some counter tops/mirror, etc. later down the road; kitchen cabinets need repairs and eventually all will need to be replaced as well as the counter tops-Skeeter thinks we need to open it up a little more and put an island in, but that won’t be until much later; existing curtains need cleaning @ $40.00/panel minimum, plus I will need to make one for the dinette area; all fans will need to be replaced eventually; and other minor repairs.
5. Power wash and exterior painting.  (Roof is new and in good condition). 

Dairy Garage:

1. Roof needs to be replaced as soon as possible as it is condemned; pour cement for flooring; replace all windows and window frames; replace all doors; put in a front garage door; go through the historical restoration process to get it grandfathered in for the permits; plumb and electrical all need replacing; plus whatever else needs to be done once we decide what we want to do with it.
2. Power wash and exterior painting.

Main Backyard:

1. Remove all cement, tar, brick, blocks, etc. from yard.
2. Do something with the bath-house…no decision on that one yet.
3. Take down all the old drying lines and poles.
4. Trim all trees, bushes, etc. plus cut down a few of the orange trees (5 have grown from the original one in a big heap!)
5. Put up fencing.
6. Talk to the Maui Land and Trust people to take care of the plants on the back fence line-it is their responsibility to keep them trimmed and off our property.
7. Eventually landscape, etc.

Side Yard:

1. Cement walkway needs to be removed along with 2 banana trees as their roots are growing through the cement.
2. Cement slabs, etc. removed.
3. General clean-up and landscaping eventually.

2-Car Garage:     1.  Power wash and exterior painting.  (Roof is new and in good condition).     2.  Possibly put a garage door on it down the line.     3.  Electrical needs replacing.General:

1. Outside electrical box needs to be replaced.
2. Cesspool replaced with Septic Tank (approx. $10,000.00-$15,000.00).
3. Connecting the Ohana to the Main House and possibly the Dairy Garage for permitting reasons.
4. Do something with the “quad” area between the Ohana, the Main House, and the 2-car garage.
5. General landscaping throughout and in the front.
6. Possibly adding on a little lanai in the front; off the Ohana; off the Main House; or in-between the structures.
7. Repaving the driveway.
8. Whatever other things come up, ideas, concepts, etc.

 

The order in which we are doing things:

1. Complete the Ohana for rental.  ($1000.00/month includes utilities, etc.)
2. Prepare the Main House for rental.  ($1875.00+/month includes utilities ,etc.)
3. Divide the Main House and the Studio.
4. Complete the work on the Studio so it can be rented.  ($800.00-$1200.00/month includes utilities, etc.)
5. Remove all cement etc. from entire property.
6. Replace the cesspool.
7. Reassess where we are, make further decisions, etc.
8. Complete yards.
9. Do something with the Dairy Garage…who knows what at this point in time…to me that is the last thing we are going to do.
10. Work on historical landmark stuff and all permits throughout.
11. Once we get closer to the 2-year mark, we will go back into the rentals and “dress them up” to prepare for resale. 

The Ohana is almost done.  I’m finishing the curtains tonight and we’ll hang them tomorrow.  Tomorrow we will just do little touch-ups and the floor and it will be ready for the tenant to move in.  It actually looks pretty good especially if you compare it to what it looked like before!  We’re taking pictures, so we’ll send them when we are done.  The front door won’t get put on until later this week when Otto comes (Skeeter’s youngest son).  Oh yeah, we need to replace the counter top and the splash guards.  The splash guards we will do pretty soon, the counter top will wait.  Water heater needs to be replaced eventually but can wait.  Power wash and exterior painting.  (Roof is new and in good condition). 

House…OMG…way more work than expected in the Ohana. Took 4 coats of paint on the blocks and we are not that happy with it, but too bad, that’s how it is going to be for now. It took three of us 6 hours just to clean it well enough to paint!

The yellow walls are done (ish), the white walls need one more coat. Trim today-oh yeah-plus kitchen cabinets! Bathroom needs a little touch-up, and trim. Once that is done, Skeeter is going to finish the bathroom. Painted shelves and closet doors too.

We took the shower door off, it was really gross, shower curtains work well! Skeeter has to clean the tile, very grotty. I bought him a special machine so that he doesn’t have to use so much elbow grease. Then he’ll replace the fixtures.

I’ll be sewing, yes you heard that correctly, sewing the Ohana’s curtains. What? What was that you asked? Have I ever sewn something like that before? No, never. I don’t sew, but I bought a book, hopefully it turns out OK!

Windows will need some repair. We ripped the wall from the back of the sink off…very disgusting. We’ll put some of this really cool golden-toned, mixed colored tile on that, around the stovetop, and possibly the counter too. Need to check if we can put that stone/tile on top of the countertop (Formica?) or if we have to totally replace it…do you know?

3 walls, each room, are this really cool bright yellow, kind of like a cross between sunflower yellow, and buttercup. 4th wall is white…finally talked Skeeter into painting over that awful, fake wood crap. There is a 1′ edge on the top of the 3 yellow walls, which we will trim white. The window frames, door frames, and cupboard doors will be a soft mango. The front door, kitchen pantry door, closet door, and bathroom linen closet doors are white.

I have the vision of how it will turn out. I think it is going to look good once it is all done. Skeeter is doubtful. He now says everything in the main house, studio and any other thing to be painted is going to be white. No other color, white everything. We’ll see about that one! I have some visions and I WILL get what I want! SSSHHH, don’t tell him that!

Enough for now…pictures when it is further along…don’t want to scare you now!

Cowabunga dude, it’s time for yet another saga from the surfer girl’s life…

As I woke to the sound of pouring rain, I found myself to be in a magenta mood.  Piddling around the house, debating, yes, debating, whether to go or to stay, and given my mood I was more apt to stay, but then I heard it, my name.  The waves were calling to me, begging me to come, take a ride, promising the adventure of a lifetime, yet still softly whispering to me.

So, I gathered my belongings up and plopped down into he truck.  Driving down the road, I could feel my magenta mood disappearing, as I rounded the corned, just on the other side of the tunnel, I saw them…the waves.  They looked so gentle and peaceful, as if they could never do any harm.  It was a beautiful sight, and the longing to be in the water rose in me.  Finally, finally, I arrived, found a spot to park, and went to get my board, my forgiving 11 foot soft-top.  The one that is the Cadillac ride of them all.

The one that when people see it, they think I must really be a beginner as they have never seen such a long board, in all their life!  With board in hand, O.K. maybe not in hand, but doesn’t that sound good?  Anyway, with board in arm, I dredge down the beach to “thee spot,” the place in which you can watch the surfers, the waves, the water, and plan your mission.  I prop the board on the wall, yank out my towel and grab a squat.  I sit, watching, watching to see, to see who is where, what the waves look like, plan my attack.  It’s a freeway system out there, so many newbies, trying to stand, getting in the way, just beginners, just like I was a month ago, so I decide to wait.  Wait until they are done.  So I lie back and soak in the sun.

It is time, the newbies are getting out of the water and it is settling down.  I start to put on all my garb, the rash guard, the booties, the sunscreen, the lip balm, ankle strap…then I drag, literally drag the board to the water, must drag, since it is so heavy I can barely lift it up.  I jump on the board and paddle out.  I paddle out a little further than I was planning, but the waves looked so inviting.  Once out, I begin cursing my ego as the huge waves crash over me, knocking me around and spinning me out of control.  On one particular bad crash, another surfer girl gets a little bit of an attitude and asks me if I have taken a lesson.  Which I answer yes, and go on my way.  This comment, of course, clings to me, like no other negative comment I have heard in my lifetime.  I try shaking it off, but it hangs over me like a dark cloud.  I eventually get to a place where the waves are smooth enough for me to actually catch and ride.  The rides are magnificent, smooth, and easy, the surrounding water like glass.  These, these waves, these rides, are why we continue to go back, over and over again.  Just to catch the one ride that we can speak of for a lifetime.  On one good ride, one of the instructors noticed me and when I got back out to the waiting area, he commented that he sees me out there every day, trying, and stroking my ego, then tells me to come back later, when the classes are done, it’s much better surfing.  This brings a smile to my face, as I am now one of them, one of the regulars, no longer considered a newbie, I’ve made it, I’ve made it into to the big time.  Well, maybe not the big time, but…in my mind I’ve made it.

But, alas, the newbies are coming and it’s time to get out, so I ride one last one in, all the way to the shore and climb out.  I pull the board back to its resting place on the wall, and pull off all my garb and plop down on my towel, watching the newbies again and enjoying, yes enjoying each of their failures and triumphs.  At least I can relate to what they are going through.

It is starting to clear out, but I need to be patient just a little bit longer.  Finally, it’s time.  I go through the regular routine of putting everything back on, and dragging the board out to the edge of the water, jump on and start to paddle out.  The waves have mellowed a little.  I go out a little further than I should, but what else is new, right?!  I’m getting ready to catch a ride, I’m paddling, paddling, and just as I am getting ready to make my move this advanced surfer guy, cuts in on me and rides right in front of me, he’s riding the face and not caring that he cut me off.  I curse under my breath and scold the advanced surfers for coming to a beginner’s spot.  So, I turn the board around and paddle back out, get in position to catch the next wave.  There are a few young boys who are pretty decent surfers, out there, not “playing by the rules,” taking each wave with no concern or care for others.  I wait patiently for my turn, but seeing they are not going to let that happen I decide to take the wave of my choice, becoming the selfish surfer I so hate in others.  Each ride is smooth and easy, no battling, no crashing, no mistakes, ok, maybe a little wobbly on a few, but really, great rides, the Cadillac of all rides.  It is comfortable, easy, flowing.  Of course it is not good for my over-indulging ego, which leads me into temptation regularly.  Can you guess what I am doing now, yes, that is right, paddling out to the outer set of waves.

You’d think by now I would learn that they are a little too big for me, but no, with all those rides so smooth I think I’m ready, which, of course, I am not, but ego prevails.  Off I go, out to the big waves.  Try as I may, I paddle, get in position, crash, paddle, get in position, crash.  If only I could catch just one of these monstrosities of a wave, I would be so grateful.  Here is my chance, a wave, a really big wave is coming, if I don’t take it, it will surely crush me.  In a panic I get ready, then I paddle, I look over my shoulder, and I’m sure if there were a video on my face, you would see the sheer terror in my eyes, but better to catch it then to crash, so here I go, oh no, there is no way, and the wave tosses me, turns me, and throws me, I hold my breath, I’m under water, remember, wait three seconds before coming up, put your hands above your head so the board doesn’t smack you on the head.  And finally when I pop my head out of the water, the board, my loving, forgiving board, is just floating on the surface, as if it could not hurt anything, even a fly.  I sit there for a moment and ponder, but no real surfer goes in without that one last ride.  So, yes, off I go, paddling out too far, as usual.  This time the waves are coming at a pretty fast interval and I am so not ready.

I lie in wait, until there is one, the one for me.  I think I see one, I start getting ready, but there is no way, it’s coming too fast, I’m not ready, it is going to crush me, but shear stubbornness will not let me be crushed once again by Mother Nature.  I remember that rolling thing, where you hold the sides of the board, roll over, hanging on, and let the board take the hit of the wave, then as it passes, roll back over, and you are on top of the board again, as if nothing happened.  And sure enough, I did it, I actually did.  I laugh in the face of Mother Nature, who proceeds to throw bigger and faster waves at me to show me that She is the all-powerful one, and I am nothing, but a drop in her water, who can be crushed at any moment, with a flick of her wind.  Not wanting to be the loser in this battle I decided to go in to some of the more gentle waves, the real beginner’s waves.  I catch a few great rides, riding them all the way to the shoreline, and returning for another.  I’m practicing turning and stopping and not falling off the board, but returning to the starting position.  I look like a stud, especially compared to the newbies!  So, I venture out, just a little further, not much though, as Mother Nature is still waiting her revenge.

The rides are coming and going with the ease of every day walking.  I’m practicing all the things I’ve learned when this great ride comes along, I’m up, I’m riding and I don’t want it to end, I see the tail, to my right, not yet, curling over, so me, little ol’ me, decides to “ride the face”, I turn the board, yes, I really did turn the board, to the right and I’m on the face, oh what a feeling.  I’m riding the top of the wave, just like the pros do, so ok maybe it’s only a few feet high, but the feeling is the same…I’m in control, I am mastering the wave, I am dominating the wave.  What a great feeling.  It is indescribable.  This is what it all about.  As I scramble down to the lying position, I am already planning my next ride, well, that’s not exactly true since you can never really plan a ride, but you know what I mean.  I paddle out, yes a little too far, as usual, and get ready.  By this time Mother Nature is not very happy, as She likes to be in charge.  Her revenge is near, I can feel it, but no worries, as I am having an awesome day, I am unstoppable.  Here comes a wave, I decide it is the one for me…it’s fast, really fast, too fast really, but it’s a little too late to think about that…the wave catches me and I’m flying through the water, oh no, the nose of the board is digging down, no not a nose dive, I can’t do a nose dive, they really, really suck!  Again, my in-grained stubbornness will not allow it, I pull my head back, I yank my feet back, and I continue the pattern, knees, then feet, but I can’t see, the salt water, and the sand blinding me, the board sailing through the water like it has never done before, but I will not crash, I will not crash.  I’m standing, hey, I’m up and I’m riding the wave, no way, I can’t believe I pulled myself out of it, this is so cool.  As I wipe my sand and salt out of my eyes and pull my bottoms up, yes, they were a bit low, if you know what I mean, I begin to enjoy the ride, I am basking in my success.  Yet, again, beating Mother Nature at her own game.  Aaahhh, the joy of success.  I take another few rides before dragging the dang heavy board to its resting spot on the wall.

As I fall on my towel, in pure exhaustion, I decide I’ll go at it one last time before calling it a day.  Oh, by the way, remember that girl who asked me if I’d taken a lesson?  She was out there, I was watching her, and you know what, she sucked, she didn’t look any better than I did, she was a beginner, just like me, I laugh aloud as she stumbled to find her footing on the board, wobbling out-of-control ,then crashing and tumbling in the waves.

She was just a beginner, just a beginner.

I wait patiently for the right time to go out.  There is almost no one in the water.  The newbies have gone home, the advanced dudes are not here yet, so there are only the few of us, the die-hard wannebees.  By now, you know the routine, so I won’t bore you with those facts.  I, of course, what, yes, paddle out too far as usual.  But there are no waves to speak of, so I sit on my board, looking over the horizon, watching the beauty our world has to offer.  I observe the boats docked, tied-down, floating in the sea just out of reach.  I notice the outline of the island next to us, how it looks as if no human has ever corrupted it.  As I turn, the glare of the sun in my eyes, I take pride in the fact that I can sit out there, on the board, becoming one with Mother Nature.  She is in a peaceful state now, calm, inviting, safe.  I ponder the realities of life, my self-being, I ponder, well, everything.  Then a wave comes, but I tell myself to be patient as I now know, the third wave of a set is usually the best one.  I ride, I crash, I paddle, I ride, I crash, I paddle.  And this repeats itself over and over again.  I’m tired, but I’m not ready to pack it in just yet.  So, I paddle out and sit on my board, this time facing the shoreline, by the way, you should never do that, put your back to the ocean.  But I do it anyway.  I look over the water to the shore break, to the shoreline and beyond.  What an incredible view, the buildings barely noticeable, dotted with trees and rocks.  I never realized how beautiful it was.  The mountains are covered in clouds as the storm has finally made its way over here.  There is a rainbow beginning in the water, through the clouds, up over the mountain, and back down again.  What an awesome sight that is, there has never been anything as beautiful as what I am seeing.  It’s like I am seeing it for the first time.

This inner peace washes over me as I sit there, not caring about catching the next ride or if that will ever happen again.  The feeling in intense, indescribable, but one that I know I can never experience on land, it is one only experienced when on a board.  It’s just you, the board, and the water, nothing more, nothing less.  You become one with Mother Nature, and She is happy.

But you know, I have to take just one more ride, just one more.  So, after a whole bunch of way too big of waves and me being crushed under their great velocity, I finally see one that maybe I can catch, but if I don’t try I will surely die trying.  I look all around me, see no one except this one girl who is just paddling out, so I’m safe to try to catch it.  I’m paddling, really paddling hard, looking over my right shoulder first, then as I look over my left shoulder not only do I see this wave that looks to be a good 10-15 feet tall, but that girl, remember the one who was paddling OUT, is on the top to the curve, right above my head, literally, she looks like her board is directly above my head with her atop.  The wave’s face looks like big jaws with knarghly teeth ready to sink into my body and swallow me up whole.  I curse the girl, I curse the wave, and I curse my ego, all making me forget my job.  This is a brutal crash, I tumble around, losing sight of the sky, and generally feeling out-of-control with no hope of survival.  I muster all my training up and quickly recover to find the surface, and as I am grasping for air, I see the girl, the girl who freaked me out so much I forgot what I was doing and where I was, I saw her, she crashed big time!  Serves her right for cutting in on me!  But I cannot go in on that one, no true surfer girl ends on a bad one…must catch one more, just one more.  So, yes, I jump back on the board and paddle back out, find my waiting spot, and sit resting, catching my breath, making sense of the experience I just had.  Communing with Mother Nature.  I let many good waves pass by me, not caring that they may be “the one.”  There will be more, there will be others.  As I wait for the perfect one, more advanced surfers start coming out, they are everywhere, and they have no decorum, they play by their own rules, they have no care or consideration for others, as they think they are the supreme surf gods.  (But Mother Nature assures me she will get them too, as She is the Supreme Goddess).  This is when I know it is my time, my time to catch a good one, then call it a day.  The ride is so smooth, the best of the day, I ride the face, I catch the after swells, I turn, I do it all, and even catch it all the way to shore.  It was well worth the wait.  It was the ride of the day.  Grudgingly, I pull the board from the water, ready to put it back in its home, until we meet again.  My last day of freedom coming to a fast close, I’m saddened that I will not have this experience again for a long time.  It seems like eternity until I can ride again.  But, I will ride again, rest assure, I will ride again.  As I sit here, allowing the world to see my vulnerabilities, I can hear them calling, calling my name…

Are you ready for surfing sage number 3?  Well, here goes…Off I go with board in hand, paddling the far distance to catch a wave…once out in the waves I get a panicky feeling.  Why would that happen after being so successful, ok maybe not that successful but in the baby waves I’m a stud, at any rate it’s because I lost my confidence.  Shattered to threads.  How could this be…let me tell you.  The day before I had one to pick up “the board,” not any board, but my 11′ board.  You remember, the soft top, the beginner board, the one that floats even when you’re not trying.  It was gone, nowhere to be found.  How could this be, who would rent such a board?!  But, of course, the manager comes to the rescue and shows me this awesome, great, not better than great, 11′ foot fiberglass board, that they don’t let just anyone take out, only the very best can take it out.  I’m skeptical, but he convinces I can surf on it no problem.  We strap it to the top of the truck and off we go, to my favorite spot, “the wall” as we “surfers” call it.  I’m excited, looking forward to the rush, I need the rush, it’s become an addiction, well not really, but it sounds good doesn’t it?!  I put my rash guard on.  I put my booties on.  I put sunscreen on.  I look out over the horizon.  The waves look so great.  I jump on the board and start paddling out to the “sweet spot,” the paddling is so smooth and easy.  I think, OK maybe this board is going to be great after all.  I’m getting ready to catch a good wave, wham!  Crash and burn.  But that’s ok since it’s the first wave.  This goes on for what seems likes hours.  I do stand up, twice, for like, I don’t know, 3 seconds.  The crash and burn. So, I decide it would be better to go back in and forget the whole thing. It is amazing how your self-confidence self-worth can get wrapped up in something so trivial as a board, as a wave.  I head home in defeat, frustrated, and almost in tears.  After all, I thought I mastered the beginner board, I thought I was an advanced-beginner, but now, after today, I feel like such a failure.  But my sheer stubbornness, which I inherited from my parents takes over.  And that brings us to today.  Why I was panicking on “my board.”After the day I had before I was freaking out, doing the whole self-talk thing, you know, “you can do it, it’s only a wave, it’s something you’ve done a million times, you’re on “thee board,” no worries.”  The waves are not the usual rolling, gentle, ok maybe not so gentle, but today, they are, rough and a lot higher.  I get ready to catch the wave coming, I’m paddling, paddling, paddling like crazy, I catch the wave, and am about to stand up when some punk kind drops in on me, oh that’ when someone else jumps on your ride and ruins your ride for you.  This happens a few more times, and I’m getting a little “pissed,” so I go out a little further.  Of course, these waves are probably a little too much for me to handle, but at the same time those bratty kids can’t drop in on me way out here.  I’m watching, trying to be patient, not taking the first wave that comes my way.  then I see it, the perfect wave, I look all around me, there is no one in sight.  Yes, I have a chance, so I paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, and I’m getting up, I’m almost standing, and out of nowhere this man, obviously a better surfer than myself, but he has no decorum, is there, and his tip is riding over my tip, oh crud, we’re going to crash, but then he reaches down and pushes my board out of his way and I crash while he continues on.  This makes me a tad angry, but what can you do.  So off I go again, in search of the prefect wave, the one good ride.  I’m not doing so great…I bite it, like, oh, I don’t know a hundred times in a row.  When I say to myself, catch one ride and you can go in, just one.  Of course, after catching “just one,” I am starting to feel better about myself and I gain a little bit of confidence, and decide, just one more.  You know the story of “just one more,” right.  I’m doing pretty well, catching some waves, crashing sometimes, but over all not too bad.  I look to the shoreline, and what do I see, about 15hundred newbies coming.  By the time they take there land lesson, and paddle out it will be a good 30-45 minutes, so I have time.  I figure I’ll ride until they come out.  I caught this great wave, and am riding it when all of a sudden this girl is next to me, but not going straight.  You got she is about to ride over my tip and crashing that close to the rocks is not anything I want to do, so I reach down, grab her board, hold on to it, the gently glide it to shore.  After the ride is over, I stop and think, oh my gosh, I was standing and just instinctively did that, OH MY GOSH!  I’ve now gone to a whole nother level in my surfing career.  I feel like such a not beginner at this moment.  How can it possibly get any better?  With my chest puffed out and my ego way out of control I paddle back out to catch, just one more wave.  After crashing and burning some more, I get in position to catch a great one.  I’m up and going fairly quickly, I go around one newbie, then I notice this instructor holding two newbies on their boards, but he got off his board and is letting it float, perpendicular to the shore.  (You do know they are not suppose to that, right?)  I’m heading straight for them, I’m trying to figure out what to do, like there is really time to debate this fact.  I see there is a gap between the floating board and the people so I try to head for the gap, hoping I’ll sail right through, but since I’m new to the whole steering thing, it’s not going so well.  I’m close to the opening, but something changes last minute, I’m not sure what changes but I am not going to make it through that gap.  The instructor just stands there, doesn’t even try to move his board out the way or anything.  So here I am, forgetting how to stop, barreling through when my board comes to an abrupt halt and as I’m falling, I land, sitting on his board, which I thought was kind of funny. Then I tip off his board.  I probably would have laughed if the instructor would have been at least smiling, but he wasn’t so I just collect my board and head back out.  You know, to catch another wave, just one more.  After about an hour and a half, I decide to take a break, besides there are so many “newbies” out it is like a freeway system out there.  So, I actually catch a wave that brings me all the way in, trudge out and sit down to rest, watching the newbies.It’s starting to clear out, good chance to get out there again.  I go through the whole routine of putting everything back on and dragging the board out.  As I jump on the board to paddle out, there is a huge school of fish right there.  It’s kind of cool to be standing amongst the fish then paddling over them.  A little weird too since they didn’t even move, but whatever…Off I go, paddling out to find the perfect ride.  I’m up on most waves, standing, although a bit shaky as I still have that confidence issue. But I’m enjoying myself.  I catch a pretty good ride and see how far I can ride.  I end up almost to shore, when I get a tad more wobbly then usual. Next thing you know, I am losing my balance, trying like crazy to regain control, but not winning this battle.  Oooohhh, I’m falling, I’m falling, OUCH!  I hit my shin and then my gluteus on the coral below.  You realize that the water here is like knee deep.  I lift my leg up to rub the sore spot, when I notice blood rushing down my leg.  It does kind of sting.  Then I notice the spot where the blood is coming from…a huge white spot.  I think, I hope, I did not cut it down to the bone.  It does look kind of gross.  Maybe I better go in.  As I debate, I drag the board to shore.  At least I should check it out, just to be sure, right?  So as I depart the water with blood flowing down my leg, and the tourist staring at me, I wonder if this will be the end of my surfing, at least for today.  I beckon Skeeter over to take a look at it, I want a second opinion.  He looks at it as tells me it is just a flesh wound, why am I getting out of the water.  If you’re a true surfer then get your “butt” back it there and catch some waves.  I kind of batter with him, and reluctantly drag the board back out there and jump on it to start paddling.  Yes, there is blood still streaming down my leg, but I am a “true surfer,” or at least I like to pretend I am.Skeeter decides he wants to get a few action shots of me, for the record, so you can see for yourself these sagas are real, for the record. This means I have to surf closer to the rock wall, otherwise he won’t be able to get the pictures.  I’m working really hard, paddling, positioning, standing, posing, ok maybe not posing, and he’s shooting.  I’m catching some great rides.  I’m feeling more confident, more like myself.  Happy and enjoying Mother Nature.  I usually paddle out, then rest, then catch a wave, but he is impatient, so there is no rest.  Paddle, position, ride, paddle, position, ride.  I am completely out of breath after a good 45 minutes of doing this.  So one the last ride, I’m way out, where the third set of waves start.  There is a huge one coming, but I’m feeling pretty good, so I try to catch it, and sure enough, here I go, oh my gosh, this is so fast, but I’m up, I’m up, YES!  I’m riding it.  This is so cool.  This is awesome.  All the way in, to the shore.  Aahh, what a ride!  Finally, the reason why we all go out there every time, to catch that one good ride.I’m sitting on the shore now, watching the freeway, seeing who’s doing what, watching the crash and burns and giggling to myself.  Enjoying the fact that I’m not the only one who looks like a complete idiot.  Then, all the classes are going in, and the water is smooth as glass.  The waves are peaceful.  There is no one out there.  But I am so tired, but how can I pass this opportunity up, but I’m so tired.  I’m sure you know what happens next…yes, I don all the gear and drudge back out there.  I am paddling but going nowhere.  By the time I get out to the “waiting spot” I am dead tired, out of breath.  But it is so beautiful.  I sit on my board and look over the horizon.  This is what they mean, this is why they sit out here, this is it, the true sense of feeling like you are one with the ocean.  I feel like the guys in the movies, they so often show sitting in the water, staring out over the horizon, contemplating life.  This whole inner peace washes over me.  This most incredible feeling consumes my whole being. Everything makes sense now.  Life, makes sense now.  I cannot begin to express the feelings that rush through my every cell, it is something that when you’re ready, as a surfer, you have to experience for yourself.  It makes it all worth it, for sure.After quite some time, I realize that I will actually have to catch something if I want to get back into shore.  So, I start doing the debate thing…I’m still so tired though.  I won’t bore you with all the details of every crash and burn, just suffice it to say, there are many of them!  As I paddle back through the waves, each time I think, I am way too tired, I can’t do this, I am way too tired.  But you can’t end on that, no good surfer would.  So I push myself, I catch a good ride and feel great about my day, but then I get “the urge”, the one that you always hear about, the one all the surfers always say…”just one more, just one more”.  It takes over, this “just one more.”  It is in complete control, I have no control; over the situation, none, it does, have control that is, over me, over my good sense of judgment, over my rational thinking, over everything…that’s right, it wins.  Off I go, to find “just one more.”  It seems like eternity while I’m waiting…I’m so tired I can’t even get up on the board to sit, so I just lie there, preying to the wave gods, to bring in “just one more”, I make all the usual promises to the wave gods…then here it comes the biggest set of the day, or at least in my mind it’s the biggest set of the day.  I must ride this one, I must.  I gather up every ounce of strength I have left, I muster each muscle and yes, I’m up and I’m riding it, I even catch the three swells that follow it in, and I get all he way to shore. And now, I must thank the wave gods for allowing me to find the “just one more.”  Even though “the urge” is fighting me, I reluctantly drag, literally, drag the board, out of the water, I can’t even pick it up, every fiber in my body is screaming at me, I don’t think I can even lift a water bottle at this point.  But, I had a pretty good day and my confidence has been restored and the “gods” were good to me.  It’s time to close yet another chapter in the surfing saga, at least until the next time, which will be tomorrow, for sure!  Until then, have a good one!K 

Here is the second chapter in “The Saga of the Surfer Girl”…Well, yesterday I took Ariel and one of her friends, Melissa, surfing.  It was a bit of a wretched beginning.  Ariel didn’t want to surf, Melissa could not rent a board, then they gave me a 9′6 rather than a 10′, so it all started out pretty poorly.  I took the 9′6 out and it really sucked.  After I came in, I told the girls I was going to change the board in for an 11′. But we decided to give Melissa her “lesson” first, then trade it in.  Ariel and I, remembering the DVD and the lesson we took from Beth, proceeded to “teach” Melissa all our new found knowledge.  It went ok for beginnings or shall I say, the blind leading the blind.  I was actually surprised by the way we could remember all the right things to do but couldn’t necessarily do them ourselves.  At any rate, after deliberating over finding another board, I went and rented the 11′ board and told the girls they would have to share the 9′6 board.  Ariel went out first and caught the first wave, of course no picture!  Afterwards Melissa went out, and wouldn’t you know it, within the first several waves, she was up and standing.  I couldn’t believe it.  It was incredible.  I figured they were ok and off I went to catch a few myself. Little did I know this was going to be the beginning of the nightmare.After riding a few and crashing a bunch, I went to get the girls to come to the middle set of waves.  I was trying to get out of the really busy area and a little further out to catch some of the rolling waves.  I got the girls out there and wouldn’t you know it, a huge, incredibly huge, wave comes…I lose control of the board and it cracks Ariel in the head, no not just like the back of the head, but the nose to be precise.  There is blood everywhere, gushing out all over the place.  She starts screaming.  I try to get her to use direct pressure and she just starts freaking out.  The people in the water around us are panicking.  I feel like a complete dork!  I’m trying to get her in to shore, but she is being ridiculous, won’t listen, and is still screaming.  One of the instructors even tells her what to do but she won’t listen.  On she goes ranting and raving how she hates surfing and is never going to do it ever again…this is where I know if I don’t get her up on a board right away she will always have this fear.  So I tell her she cannot go into shore until she rides one wave.  So she grabs the board and flies to shore, standing, “see, told you I could do it!”  Then promptly gets out of the water.  She decides to wonder away, which is unacceptable since you never know what could happen.  I get out of the water to search for her. Finally finding her, I blast her with my words.  Then for the next hour or so, there is no joy in surfing, no catching a really good wave, it just really sucks.  She sucked the joy right out of surfing.  Eventually Melissa takes the board out and I decide I’m just going to work with her.So, I’m out there, sitting on my board, yelling, “paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle harder, up!” and Melissa pops right up and rides the waves all the way in.  We do this over and over again.  It’s kind of cool seeing someone you taught to surf, actually get up.  Then these ladies ask me, while I’m still sitting on the board, if I’m a surf instructor, me, a surf instructor. How funny is that?  So I begrudging tell them I’m a teacher at one of the local schools.  They reply saying I have the aurora of a teacher.  That’s a good thing, right?  By this time these waves are too easy for Melissa so I persuade her out to the middle set, yes, the ones we just had “the incident in.”  I sit on my board yelling instructions to her and after a few times, I leave her to catch a few more myself.I’m out there a little further out then usual.  I’m feeling a bit overconfident, you’ll see what I mean in a second.  There are a few rolling waves, and I catch them, sort of.  My mind is still on Ariel and I think I’m kind of freaked out a little.  I try to shake the feelings away, so sense in wasting the money or the time if I’m not going to catch anything, right?! So I struggle to get a sense of where I am and what I’m doing when this huge set of waves comes barreling in…  I think, I can surf these, yeah right!  I big time wiped out.  Then again, and again, and yes two more times.  The last time the wave tumbled me around so much that I actually turned upside down in the water.  Using my life guarding skills, I think, which way are the bubbles going, wait, wait, wait, now, then I pop my head up and sure enough there is air, thank God, AIR!  But I didn’t tell you about one of the middle waves that crushed me.  I flipped off the board, and the board was crashing around me, bouncing up and down, and I actually panicked, thinking this board is getting revenge and is going to hit me in the head.  My “training” takes over and I duck under the water, wait three seconds, put my hands above my head/face and come back up…stupid board, is just floating upside down on the water, like it wasn’t intending to do anything at all. Oh yeah, that’s right, the board is not living, but sometimes in the water it feels like it has a mind of its own!  I decide to take one wave in, eat, check on Ariel and Melissa, then maybe go out again.  So, I’m looking for the best wave, then here it comes, up and off I go.  It is the best ride of the entire!  I’m really enjoying it.  Of course, the other “real” beginners are not getting out of the way and the rides is too good to stop, and something comes over me, I can steer, I can steer.  I’m moving from side to side, avoiding the “real” beginners, this is so cool!  I actually rode it all the way to shore.After grabbing half a sandwich and a bottle of water, then checking on the girls, who seem to be doing better, I grab the board and head out.  Ariel wants to go this time, so I get her to catch a few baby waves, as I’m starting to call them.  Then I bring her out with me to the middle set, which by now are almost as small as the first set.  She’s doing ok, but then the most beautiful, perfect wave comes, and I can’t let it go past with an attempt, so as I’m getting going, Ariel starts screaming, “memories, memories” she’s crying because she thinks I’m going to run her over with the board or crash on top of her, but the wave feels so good and I know I have control, this time anyway, that I go for it.  I ride right past her, I’m turning, and gliding and oh my gosh, this is the most awesome ride yet. Ok, I know I’ve said that before, but it really was the greatest!  Once, I’m done, I turn and look for Ariel, who has gone quickly back tot he beginner waves.  Oh well, whatever.  When I get back out there, one of the instructors tells me how scared she was and was screaming the whole time. I’m not too embarrassed or anything, but she’ll get over it!Now things are really looking up.  The rest of the afternoon I’m catching all sorts of excellent rides.  Melissa is on her way to becoming the next teen surf star and Ariel is contently sitting on the sandy beach.  It’s time to go, but just one more ride, just one more, please.  Melissa goes in, then let’s Ariel get her last ride, which, by the way, surprised me!  I take one wave, which was good, but not “the one.”  So I paddle back out, and wait, and wait, and wait, I think, come one, please, just one more, then I’ll go in, just one more.  Then her it comes, a really good set.  I’m telling myself, wait, don’t take the first one, or the second one, the third one is usually the biggest, fastest and best.  So I’m lying on the board, waiting, then paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle harder, look over my shoulder, oh shot, this may be a tad too big for me, but it’s too late know…go for it…and I’m up, I’m really up and going pretty fast, forgetting that I should actually try to turn.  Then I get my bearings and see I’m headed for the real beginner waves where they are all standing by or sitting on their boards, not moving out of the way, just looking like deer in the headlights. I don’t want the ride to end, so I start turning, but not soon enough, there is a really old man, no I mean really old, like 70, lying on his board looking at me, in a panic, I yell to watch out, but he doesn’t hear me, oh crud, I can’t crash on this old man.  I’m trying like crazy to turn, come on board turn, then you know what, it turns, it actually turns and I miss the ol’ guy by, oh, an inch or so.  Whew!  But I still want to keep surfing, so I ride the wave as far as it will take me, which is almost all the way to shore.  This time I really do get out since I must go off to my “real life,” the code writing class!  But before we go, we give Melissa’s Dad a surfing lesson.  These details will have to follow another time due to the fact that we left and did not watch the results.  It was a great afternoon!

Aloha All,Hope this message finds you well and enjoying life, as we are here on

Maui, in paradise!OK here is the latest surfing saga:After not getting too far on our own, we decided we needed to try another spot or something.  We went into Borders to look for a book for Skeeter to read…I was bored waiting for him so I wondered over to the surfing section, which I glanced through numerous books and videos.  Then, I ran across this DVD from a local surfer chick who specializes in teaching girls and women.  I got excited and showed to Skeeter.  He thought I was being funny and didn’t need it, but I purchased it anyway.  Upon arriving home, we popped it in and watched intently at her techniques.  I must have made him replay it a dozen times.  Then I tried it on the floor…not a great idea as we have those really super hard wooden floors.  So after the viewing we felt armed with all this new information and ready to attempt to surf again.We’ve seen a lot of lesson in Kanapali so off we went in hopes of catching a wave or two.  We had our new technique, a new board, and the expectation of doing it.  Well, by the time we carried all the stuff out to the beach, which was a walk in-and-of-itself, we were exhausted.  After a brief rest, I got ready to go out.  With all the rashes, bruises, cuts, etc. I decided to try board shorts with a rash guard.  Off I went, excited, ready, and so sure I was going to get up.  I started paddling, then paddling, then paddling, then paddling, and started thinking, “how far is it?  I’m already getting tired!”  When I finally got out to the break, I was huffing and puffing and sat there wondering, if I ride the wave then I’m going to have to paddle back out…is it really worth it???  That competitive edge I have and absolute stubbornness forced me into taking the chance.  After several attempts with no luck but on my knees and pure exhaustion from the massive paddling, I slinked back to the beach where I promptly dumped the board in the sand and sat down in defeat.After this very frustrating experience, I was ready to accept the fact that surfing is just not for me…too old, not flexible, too many injuries, blah, blah, blah.  I was so tired and did not catch one wave!  I was a tad testy after that attempt.  After Skeeter listened to me go on and on about how much I really wanted to be a surfer girl but was bummed that I just couldn’t do it, he sat quietly pondering all.  Then he simply stated he would not allow me to quit, especially since I was so close.  He said I should take another lesson.  This, of course, opened a whole new can of worms, as one would say, which brought on multiple discussions over the next24 hours.  By-the-way, I was crabby all day!Tuesday, after dropping Ariel at Jr. Life guarding, the two of us set out to find this instructor from the video, Skeeter in the phone book, me, well of course on-line!  I finally found her number on a website and rang her.  I explained the surfing sage from the last two weeks and my desire to stand. We chatted for a while and felt really good about her, so we booked a lesson, but not any lesson, a PRIVATE LESSON!!!  (for the next day).  This spurred much excitement and hesitation.  Skeeter said this would make it or break it.  He felt if I got up I would fall in love with the sport and would want to do it all the time.  I was a bit skeptical due to my most recent failures.The big day has arrived, finally.  I decide to bring Ariel along too since she was dying to surf.  We stopped for crummy fast food since all three of us were starving…big, no make that huge mistake.  I felt so sick I thought I was going to “puke”!  I took a short nap, on the beach praying it would go away.  Then off to the lesson we went.Beth, the instructor, talked to us for awhile, then we carried the boards to the sand.  Mine was an 11-foot board.  OK, let me tell you, it is not one of those lightweight, just throw it over your shoulder boards, no that would be too easy.  It was so frickin’ heavy I thought I was going to give myself a disc compression!  Beth then made us do all these exercises on the board, which is good and bad…my body does not bend or spread in those ways.  I felt like a contortionist, but I pressed on.  Next was the dry run…pretty simple, she just wiggled the board around…no problem there. Next it was standing on the board while in flat water, and practice paddling.  Again, not that hard.  We were no ready to try some real waves, so off we went paddling to the “sweet spot.”Upon arriving, there were 15 billiozion other beginners, O.K., maybe not that many, but definitely a freeway system.  I was glad the instructors had a set pattern that everyone had to follow, made life much easier!  Ariel was a tad scared and wanted me to go first.  Beth and I paddled out to the middle of the middle, if that makes sense.  After the race was on, I rode it on my knees, just to get the feel of the waves.  Paddle, paddle, paddle…wait, wait, wait…now it’s my turn again.  This time I am WILL stand, PERIOD!!  Off we go, seeking the sweet spot…I’m up, I’m really up, then, look out, a little boy doesn’t know he’s turning his board…oh no, his board is going completely on top of the nose of my board…we’re going to crash…if I fall I will land on him, and that will not be fun, keep standing, keep standing, wait, wait…ok now.  I fall in with my hand grabbing the little boy too gently, or I think it was gently, push him so the two boards and I don’t fall on him.  (He was very apologetic after all was said and done).Paddle, paddle, paddle, wait, wait, wait.  Is it my turn yet?  I am so determined I think I was racing to get back to the waiting spot!  This time, I decide this is the one, this is the one.  Beth gives me some last minute advice and a big push and I’m riding it, I’m really riding it.  I’m up, I’m up, oh no, crash!So alas, I know the rush, I can feel the ocean under my feet and the power, and it is awesome.  I paddle as fast as I can to get out to the sweet spot again, but Beth is still with Ariel and I want to ride, I don’t want to wait!  So, off I go, in search of the next ride, alone.  Willy, another instructor, promptly asks me where my instructor is and why am out there alone…stammering I point to Beth and tell him she’s my instructor.  He gives her the thumbs-up and introduces himself to me.  I’m getting ready to catch it myself and Beth is telling me to wait, but I don’t want to, so Willy jumps in with some more advice, contrary to what Beth said, but whatever, and gives me a great big push, and yes, I’m riding it, for real, I’m riding it!  The lesson continues in this fashion, paddling, waiting, finding the sweet spot, and riding it in, then crashing at some point along the way.At this point Beth has decide I need to go to the “more advanced waves,” which when I’m looking at them, are HUGE!  You know, maybe five whole feet, but really they were huge, really!  Those rides were incredible, and long. The rest of the lesson is spent riding these waves.  I do have to share a couple more really cool rides though…I got up on this one really big wave and was riding it when I saw two other instructors’ very close together and I was going to go right in the middle of them.  Of course, I don’t know how to steer or anything of importance like that.  They must have seen the pure panic on my face because next thing I know these two guys are yelling at me, encouraging me, and telling me to keep riding.  And I did, right through them, no dings, hits, or crashes, all the way back to the beach.  It was the coolest feeling…my own little cheering section!  I even got some high-5’s as I went by…pretty cool.I had a whole bunch of really good rides after that, and I’m sure they are awesome in my own little head, but a tad boring in yours, so I’ll spare you the details.  Well except for the last wave in…  we went so far out, I thought for sure I was going to eat it, those waves were way too nig for me!  Beth was confident and I had to put my trust in her.  (Although she did make me eat one time before actually catching the ride of my life-good thing another instructor was there to save my life. O.K. maybe I wasn’t really in danger, but still…) I got up right away, as now I am the expert-hahaha.  I rode that puppy from way out there all the way in to the sand, AND I even remembered how to squat, sit, lie back down on the board, the get off…no falling off to stop.  I was so impressed with myself I had to yell it over to Beth, who was right behind me.  That was the ride of a lifetime.  It was so perfect, everything went right.  And the really cool thing is, everyone was telling me how awesome I did and I had great balance, and blah, blah, blah, as if I am this big time surfer now, but it still felt great.After this experience, how could I possibly give it up?  Must go again, must go again.  Oh yeah, did I tell you that Beth told me I was a great paddler?  That’s right, all those years of swim have finally paid off!  I think I drove Skeeter mad on the way home, recounting each and every wave, and how I could look cool sitting on my board while I was waiting.  I think he was hoping someone, anyone would call so he could stop stabbing himself in the ear listening.  I got so excited, I traded the 9′8′ board for an 11 footer.  I’m going to give that a whorl tomorrow…got to surf before the flight!  I even talked a friend of mine on

Oahu to take me surfing after the meetings…that should be interesting!  So, I’ll share my next saga with you after I actually experience it.  Can’t wait!See you on the waves!Kelly

Aloha,

This is my Blog that I just migrated to my own site!  It has lots of different sections included in it.  There are sections for surfing, home improvements, Feline Foundation, links, resources, and education.

I hope you all like it!  Please submit a post!

Mahalo=)