Travel Tip Thursday: Koko Head Crater Trail

Remember the bitchy little preview the other day?

Well, here it is. Koko Head Crater Trail. A giant StairMaster into the sky (or the top of a dormant volcano, however you would prefer to call it).

Come along... let us begin at the beginning.

A couple of women passed me with Starbucks cups. I wondered if they'd have to pee off the trail later on.

There's a trellis bridge kind of thingy about half way up. Luckily, a group of very nice young hikers appeared at the trail that went around this and therefore made it possible for me to not worry about my dog falling through the slats.

The hikers also told me how they had hiked up in the dark in order to be at the top for the sunrise. At 7:00 AM I still had some nice after effects.

BC waited a lot.

No camera effects. This is exactly what it looked like.

Yea. The top. That is Diamond Head in the background. You are looking down at Hawaii Kai and Koko Head Marina.

Post sunrise looking East.

That's my shadow. I also took a photo for the girls with their own camera.

It's true. Whatever goes up must come down.

You can imagine the wonderful nap that can be had after a morning of stair hiking.

Got a travel tip? Been some place you'd like to share? Link on up with Mr Linky.

A thin line...

I love my job. Well, most of the time.

But conversations like this, they make me smile.

Petunia: Miss. You like my nails?

Me: They are black.

Petunia: Yes they are. Do you like their shape?

Me: They are long and pointy. Very interesting Petunia.

Petunia: I always had them done square shaped and wanted something different. I really like these. They're fun.

Me: They almost look like little weapons. Did you get them done at _________?

Petunia: No. Some other place. But I'm not going back. I don't like the people that work there.

Me: Why? I thought you asked for your nails to be black and long and pointed like daggers.

Petunia: It's not that. The guy who did my nails is racist.

Me: ??? How do you know he's a racist?

Petunia: He said he hates gays.

Me: That's a little different than racist. Why do you think he hates gays?

Petunia: The TV was on and they had the story of Ricky Martin coming out that he was gay. And the guy says to me, "Gay men aren't real men." You know what I said to him Miss?

Me: What did you say Petunia?

Petunia: I said to him, "yeah, says the man doing my nails."

You can still enter the contest until Thursday afternoon...

Contest

I have not done a contest in awhile. In the past I have given away a package of goodies from Hawaii.

This cute little aloha mini picnic basket was given to us recently and I thought I could pass it on.
It will come with some snacks from over here.

What do you need to do to win the basket you might ask...

Easy. In the comment thread leave a comment which post you have read here that was your favorite. Those of you who have been readers for awhile can hopefully pick something. Perhaps you don't have a favorite or even a post you remember. In the side bar over there you can see what posts are my favorite, you can pick one of those.

If you are newer and want to do me a favor, read a couple of the posts in the sidebar and let me know which you like the best.

This week the Spin Cycle is "your favorite post." My mind is cluster fucked from stuff going on with my mom. So, instead of me picking my favorite post, I'd appreciate you all doing it.

Random number generator will pick a winner Thursday afternoon. You have till then.

Good luck and aloha.

You know you're a bitch when...

You are huffing and puffing and thinking of quitting the 1,000 stair hike. And along comes a guy, jogging past you. Up the stairs.

And for a split second you think about sticking your foot out and tripping him.

Come back on Thursday for the full story of this trail...

Travel Tip Thursday: Gone Fishing

Link on up if you'd like to take us away...

Fear and Courage are Sometimes Hard to Differentiate.

March 2006 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Over the next six months I underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. I lost my hair and my appetite.

At the end of the six months I fought back with butterfly flutters to regain the woman I had lost.

The first time I went back into the ocean to go body boarding, I felt like an old woman. I was afraid of medium size waves. I wheezed and my quads burned just from paddling out. I stayed on the inside, afraid.

I missed my fearlessness.

The first time after treatment that I walked the bike path near my home, my husband came with me. The path is beautiful, yet isolated. The four miles that I used to walk in 45 minutes took me an hour and a half. I had to stop and catch my breath along the way. Beads of cold perspiration lined my upper lip. My hands trembled.

I missed my strength.

As I was recovering, I had a huge reaction to the Tamoxophin. I did not realize this, as I thought that the fact that I felt like crap had everything to do with the cancer treatments. I suffered from constipation, depression, insomnia, and lethargy. One morning I woke up with a vertigo that listed me to the side and had one side of my face numb.

I missed being regular and felt like a relic for being preoccupied with my bowel movements.

March 2009 I went to have my three year diagnostic mammogram. I had long since recovered my strength and my regularity. I was probably never going to be completely fearless again, but I was OK.

The mamo became an ultrasound. The ultrasound became an ultrasound guided needle biopsy.....


The biopsy came back fine.

But, for a minute there, I remembered every bit of what it felt like to be diagnosed with cancer. The crossroads had been exposed.

And I was given a reprieve.

My Spring Break last week found me back for my yearly diagnostic mammogram.

I was holding my breath while I sat there in that robe, pretending to read that magazine. I trembled and started inside every time a staff member came around the corner and there was a part of me that dreaded the words, "the radiologist sees something suspicious and would like to do an ultrasound."

But I was told I could go.

And the phone call Monday said everything looked fine and I was good for another year.

I make four years of being a survivor this week.

It's been a bit of a year. I am earning my stripes.

One day at a time.

Yea. Me.

For more spins on "me," head on over to Sprite's Keeper.

Travel Tip Thursday: Standing Ovations

Remember yesterday where I confessed to the difficulty of committing to regularly scheduled themes on the blog? Well, despite that, I am still committed to Traveling Thursdays. Last week there were zero takers on Mr. Linky, which was not surprising after my hiatus and missing the travel post myself two weeks in a row.

I hope to build up Travel Thursdays. Perhaps it is being isolated on a rock in the middle of the ocean with a wanderer's heart that keeps me interested in all things related to travel, even if the travel is virtual.

This week's tip? When booking a vacation to Oahu, check out a show at a local community theatre. Diamond Head Theatre and Manoa Valley Theatre are very close to Waikiki and put on wonderful shows. Currently Hair is showing in Manoa. I have not seen it myself, but my theatre involved daughter did on opening night and still cannot stop raving about the show.

Last night, Daughter and I went to the preview of Shout at Diamond Head Theatre. As a child in the 60's and a teenager of the 70's, I could especially connect with this production. The talent in Hawaii is huge and this show was no exception. Great performances by all. Bravo!

Here's a clip of the Mainland version of the show from YouTube -

Staycation tip? Favorite haunt near your home? Vacation ideas or past or present? Link on up with Mr. Linky.

Scenes From Behind the Blog: A Spin Cycle Production

Intention: Have regularly scheduled posts. Themed days. Let the readers know what to expect. Relax into a routine.

The Reality: Try on and throw off themes like outfits to a party after one has gained ten pounds and nothing looks right. When inspired and on a roll, write posts 4-6 times a week. When challenged, say, “Blog, what blog???”

Intention: Carry a notebook and pen and jot down ideas, happenstances, funny sayings of students and occasional strangers.

Reality: When notebook is within reach at the right time, seeds for some of the best posts are planted and sown. More often than not, notebook is in another room. Buy more notebooks. Eventually 17 notebooks are placed in all most likely needed places. Still, none within reach when needed. Scrunch head and try to plant seed in brain. When seed of idea disappears, remind self to make doctor’s appointment for early dementia detection.

Intention: Write an inspiring post for the Spin Cycle on the intimate details of why blog and blog community has become such an important and yet ethereal entity in Pseudo's life.

Reality: Daughter calls 15 minutes after leaving for college class. She has severely wounded my car. Spend day getting car towed to auto body shop where it will spend the next 4-6 weeks. Write silly post and take bus to much needed hair appointment to touch up grey roots.

Daughter is fine (no- I did not kill her).

For more spins on scenes behind the blog, head on over to Jen at Sprite's Keeper

Settling in on Sunday

I've been so neglectful of all things blog this last month and then I saw over at Sprite's Keeper that the spin topic this week is "behind the scenes of a blog." Among other prompts, Jen says "How do you keep your blog going when, you know, life gets in the way?"

I thought maybe if I started to write about it, I might figure out how to rev the blog back up.

The ideas chattering away made me think perhaps it was a post that might need to be done in parts.

But I've been grading.

And walking.

Today Daughter and I drove down to the beach I walked to yesterday. It is 3.2 miles.

So instead of Part One, you all get to see how BC makes friends at the beach.

Is that cute or what?

Town Living: Traveling Thursday's Back

My head emerged from the boxes on Saturday and I took advantage of our new location in town to finally peruse the largest open market on Oahu. Located in the parking lot of Kapiolani Community College (KCC), it's a thriving hum of fresh produce, local goods, and food booths.

Large enough to be overwhelming, it's obvious I'll have to go back. A lot. But I didn't do bad for my first trip. I went with my daughter and my BFF "P," the infamous hostess of our annual Oscar's Partay. P was looking for ingredients for pizza, she planned to make a version of a yummy pizza sold at the market. I was hunting down fresh veggies for a salad.

What are you waiting for? Come along...
Don't forget to click on any image to see it larger.

Walking down from the upper parking lot, this is the view. I took classes here my first year in Hawaii (1983 ack!), before I transferred to UH. From the window in the class, sitting on the Koko Head side, I could look straight out at the ocean.

Walking through the campus towards the market...

me and P..closest I've come to a peek of me here...

Next time I'm getting there to hear the flippin horn and see what happens. I've been told crazy people rush the place to get the best of... well, I'm not sure what exactly. But I want to watch.

Awesome orchids

They had fresh, organic butter that I wanted to stick my face in. It was that good. My favorite was the coconut butter.

More goodies...

My bag after shopping.

Flower booth.

I love the mixed greens from Nalo Farms.

This was my favorite find that day. The proprietor makes spreads and dips out of taro that are delicious. I sampled them all and bought a chipolte, mustard dip.

Chili's and mustard, two of my favorite things.

Dips close up. There is a taro mayonaise that was also lip smacking delicious.

The infamous pizza. We all had a slice for lunch.

KCC is nearly walking distance to Waikiki. Don't forget to take a Saturday morning stroll if you are ever in Honolulu visiting.

Link on up and join the virtual travel fun!

Oscars and WTF

I'm heading out in a few minutes to my friend's annual Oscar party. Last year's theme was inspired by the location of Slumdog Millionaire and we all dressed in India inspired outfits. Tonight the theme is supposed to be "Avitar."

Well, one - I have not seen the movie (or any other movie).

Two, I wore my blue shirt to the New Year's Eve party and cannot have two facebook albums with the same outfit.

Three. James Cameron was a fucking duffus at the Golden Globes and I don't care if everyone thinks Avitar is wonderful, I'm not painting myself blue for the likes of him. And if he wins and gets up there and tells me he has to take a piss, I hope someone spits in his drink.

Two years in a row (a couple years back) I won a prize for guessing the most winners. Tonight I have not even heard of most of the movies.

Ah. Well.

Life goes on. Unbloggable and life changes might mess the fuck out of my routines, but new ones are taking shape.

Aloha

Travel Tip Thursday: Commuting

The new digs works out better for our family in many ways.

But one.

I am now a commuter. Depending on traffic, it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half each way.

Any advice for those of you commuting out there?

How do you carve out your blogging time?

How to best pass the time in the car?

I know I have negelected everything blog for awhile, but please link on up with any posts that can take us away, even if it is only by a state of mind...