Cindy’s Neighborhood

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I can now search and watch YouTube videos on Tivo. The quality is not so bad, surprisingly.
And yes, that is someone familiar on the laptop screen.

YouTube on both screens - ThanksTivo!

A couple of nights ago we were on the internet searching for 1) SCUBA conditions for Monterey and 2.) airfares for Christmas trips to see family and coordinate our crazy travel schedules.

We didn't find the dive conditions for Monterey and we didn't figure out or book our holiday flights yet, but we did find a screamin' good deal on a quickie trip to Hawaii. So...being rather impulsive, we just pulled out the credit card and booked it: a direct flight from SFO to Kona and two nights at the Waikoloha Resort and Spa! It was just too cheap to pass up. This is the second time I've used Expedia's "Last Minute Deals" and booked a great vacation for a lot less than you'd imagine.

Plus, as things often work for us, we found a quirky little dive company that would take us out on short notice and seemed particular suited to our personalities and skills. The owner even has a blog.  So we booked one of our three days here as a diving day and packed our bags for the Big Island of Hawaii.

After a three hour delay for some mechanical problems, a few too many glasses of red wine on the plane (we upgraded to First Class for a few thousand miles), and a too short nap, we finally arrived in Hawaii yesterday afternoon. 

I used to live here on the Big Island ages ago when I was too young to appreciate it. Things have changed, but not as dramatically as I feared. It's funny to think that it was almost 25 years ago that I drove on this island road. Tomorrow we're driving up to closer to where I used to live in Waimea. It should be fun.

Friday we hung out at the hotel, swam in the warm ocean and had dinner outside with tiki torches glowing and our feet in the sand at the Fairmont Orchid. Our room is very nice and the bed is heavenly. I slept like a rock last night.

Today was the dive day and we went SCUBA diving for the first time as each other's dive buddies. The first dive of the day was sort of a bust for me because of the strong current and my guzzling of air like I was a Hummer drinking gasoline. But the second dive was great! I'll post more on that later, when I can download more pictures (I forgot the media card reader at home). In the meantime, I was able to pull a couple of shots off the Blackberry camera for a teaser illustration to this post.  

Aloha!

Sadly, we fly back home tomorrow night at 10 PM local time, arriving at SFO at 6:15 AM Monday morning. Just in time to get back to work.  

Somebody made creme brulee tonight!

Yeah, we're a happy household when somebody is home from Germany.

My dear friend, since freshman year in college, came up to see me too.

"Don't be afraid of misfortune and do not yearn after happiness. It is, after all, all the same. The bitter doesn't last forever, and the sweet never fills the cup to overflowing. It is enough if you don't freeze in the cold and if hunger and thirst don't claw at your sides. If your back isn't broken, if your feet can walk, if both arms work, if both eyes can see, and if both ears can hear, then whom should you envy? And why? Our envy of others devours us most of all.

Rub your eyes and purify your heart--and prize above all else in the world those who love you and wish you well. Do not hurt them or scold them, and never part with them in anger. After all, you do not know, it may be your last act."

      --Alexander Solzhenitsyn, died August 3, 2008

If you're curious about what it looks like underwater at San Carlos Beach in Monterey, take a peek at this video.

The visibility wasn't this good, and of course there wasn't any music except the sound of my breathing and the bubbles, but I did see many of the creatures shown here.

I am now officially certified to SCUBA dive!

Watch out fishies!

Passed the written exam. Passed the pool tests. Passed the open water ocean skill tests this weekend and can't wait to get back in the ocean. Now my real dive buddy has a partner to go to new depths with!

It's been quite the SCUBA filled two weekends. Last Friday evening from 6 to 9:30 pm. Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm. And this weekend in Monterey from 8 am to 3 pm and today from 7 am to 1 pm. That doesn't count shopping for gear, watching the dvd or studying for the test by reading and quizzing myself with the book. I'm sun burnt and sore, but am quite quite proud of myself, especially for having done this all by myself.

Dave's already a diver, complete with his own air tank and everything. I like most anything in the water; swimming, hot springs, bathtubs, spas, snorkeling, kayaking, water slides (water skiing not so much). But I've never taken the time or had the encouragement of a partner to learn to actually dive deep down. With him in Germany again and the teenager still in Michigan, Dave found us a great dive shop nearby and I signed up for Open Water Certificate Course. Now when he gets back, we'll have another fun water thing we could do together.

I'm so glad he nudged me to do this. 

One of the instructor's assistants took a picture of the class this afternoon, that I'll post when they email it to me, but in the meantime here's a few shots from this weekend.

I'd post more about my adventures learning to dive, but I think my arms might fall off.