Sunny Poipu

We have returned to Poipu Beach for a much needed and appreciated R&R vacation! Getting here was no easy task. The night before we left I think I got about 90 minutes of sleep, with all the packing and preparing to be gone for only a week. No one else slept well either. Our son came up to our room at about 3:30a and then I noticed my grandmother's bathroom light on. She can't be awake yet! We don't need to get up until 5. So I trundled downstairs and found her in bed, but when I asked her if everything was okay she turned over and a giant cut on her forehead leered at me. She had fallen out of bed and hit the nightstand. And then she wasn't able to get up off the floor, so she scooted across the room to her recliner and managed to pick herself up off the carpet and get back into bed. She had called to us, but we had been so wiped out we didn't hear her! (Time to put the baby monitor in her room.) I felt SO bad. Fortunately the cut was not too deep, so I was able to patch it together with some extra steri-strips I kept from past ER visits and put a bandaid on it. The skin on older people tends to become so thin that even if it had needed to be stitched, the doctors would have left it alone. The stitches simply won't hold. Two days later it's not infected. And thankfully it's on her head where the circulation is better, and not her foot or leg. It should heal.



I fitfully slept the rest of my half hour on the sofa. My mind was going one-hundred miles/hour with worry. Praying, even meditating helped me to sleep, but not slow down. "Is my grandmother going to be okay? Are we going to get to the airport on time? Will they be able to get us seat assignments together with the kids? We forgot to reserve kid carseats. .... !!!!!" When I heard Kevin turn on the coffeemaker I decided to just get up. The circles under my eyes weren't too bad either. I hadn't been horizontal long enough for them to get puffy!

We roused the kids, rallied everyone into clothes, packed all into the car, made sure the cat was still in the house and headed off to the airport. We decided that Kevin would drop the four of us off at the terminal, so that Grandma (and us) wouldn't have to hassle with getting her on and off the long-term parking shuttle. Kevin left me on the island in the middle of two sections of traffic with Grandma in wheelchair, the two kids, their bags, and 5 other large pieces of luggage. How do I get across the traffic to the ticketing area!?! Fortunately he stayed with the kids whiled I parked GG on the other side... but then he said 'Ta ta! See you at the gate." and drove off. I don't know how I did it, to be honest, but with 5 pieces of luggage and two little ones dragging their rolling suitcases we made it across 3 lanes of traffic in one trip. One blessing is curbside checkin! I didn't have to leave the kids alone moving all the luggage and GG indoors. We shuffled along in line with our stuff, then were relieved of it all and handed our tickets. Did you know United is now charging $2/bag for curbside checkin? I was surprised, but I willing paid it, because I couldn't have done it any other way. Now to get us all through security. The wheelchair is a blessing and a curse. It gets you wheeled right to the front of the line, but then since GG won't get out and walk through the Xray machine (she would set if off anyway with her titanium hips) she has to get the full-on pat-down. I think she secretly likes the handling. Free massage. 20 minutes later, we are done and GG is happy, so we march down to the gate for our seat assignments. is it faster to get on the moving walkway? Answer: only if there is no one else on it. You can't pass with a wheelchair. Kevin strolled by us very relaxed and happy. Meanwhile other travelers were swearing at us under their breathe because we were parked behind a lazy woman, and there was no room for anyone else to get by either.

With all the rushing to the gate, we arrived before the airline personnel, but at least we were first in line. And we received our seat assignments, 3 and 2. Kevin graciously sat with the kids and I relaxed next to GG. I wish I had remembered my book for the plane, or at least a pencil. Working the sudoku puzzles in the airline magazine is nearly impossible with a pen. And now United is also making you pay for food, on a five-hour flight, no less! They serve snack boxes or one meal item. I was bitching out loud now. I can't believe that I paid $900/ticket and then had to pay for a crappy snack box! (This happens when you make your reservations less than a month in advance.) I hate UNITED. But the other airlines are probably following suit too. Nickel and dimed, we are.

Is traveling to Russia going to be this stressful? I certainly hope not. My stomach is still recovering.

But now we are here at the Marriott Waiohai in sunny Poipu. It's so relaxing! Here's C on the grounds. The first two days the wind was really blowing, so we haven't been down to the beach yet.

The pools have been really nice, despite the wind.

We sat and enjoyed a drink at the beachside bar and noticed this fine gentleman relaxing with his dog out in the ocean.

The break right in front of the resort is a moderate-to-expert surfing location. Last year I rented a board and got worked the whole week. I'm always a little tentative when surfing new places, and don't want to get into any local's way. Plus, there's no wetsuit between me and the coral-covered rocks. The wind has calmed today (and it's not the weekend) so maybe I'll scope it out. The left break is nice, when it's breaking.

K really wants to learn to hula dance. Maybe we will take the class at the resort tomorrow.