Bucket List More Maui

We had a restless sleep only to realize upon awakening that we had not showered before bed. Having been in all that great outdoors, hiking through thick and thin foliage , we were no doubt full of pollen and once during the night I’d awakened choking with a croup-like cough. I still haven’t confessed to Lar that I’ve forgotten my inhaler.

Today my hopes are to get to the gym, go to the spa which we’ve not yet checked out, and I’d like to see about the meditation time they offer. Want to walk on the beach – get my feet in the Pacific and just sit and read by the pool.

For breakfast that morning I decided on miso soup with all the extras, also fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, granola and yogurt. After, I took a lot of video in and around the lobby, the nice restaurant in which we had dined, and some of the grounds.


We read a bit and then went to the gym. We had a 25 minute workout, treadmill and weights, and then went up to check out the spa. It was unbelievable! Lovely locker rooms, bathrooms, amazing spa area. Then, when the spa time is done, they have cozy robes and slippers available in which to go to the relaxation room – lounges facing the open sea – the entire front wall is open – fresh fruit, teas and flavored waters. It has been free to us every day and I don’t want to miss another day!


We headed for the beach and as I bent to remove my sneakers, Lar left my side and went over to speak with a young man who turned out to be the parasail guy. He discovered that as rain is predicted for the next few days I may have missed the boat (pun intended). It seems I DON’T WEIGH ENOUGH to go alone with the bad weather. In fact, he says, what I weigh is just at the breaking point of going alone, even on a perfect day. He encourages Lar to go with me, but he is having none of it. We get their number, I request he put in writing “I don’t weigh enough” ( might never hear that again in my lifetime), and we continued our walk along the beach. We gathered some lava rock for Jessica (we generally bring her back bits of rock from our travels and when we were on the black beaches we were warned that the gods would punish anyone taking rock from there…no such warning at the Hyatt!), and found some nice sea glass.


Later, we went down to the pool and found almost no one else there, so the best seats were available. Lar went to the bar and got us each an exotic drink, his had ice cream in it, and we sat peacefully reading. Happy Hour was to be over at 6 and neither of us needed nor wanted a large meal, so we went over to the bar and I had a beer battered fried fish taco, Lar had an angus burger and we watched the spectacular sunset. Of course, I took more pictures – I hate the thought of forgetting the colors!


After dark we swam a while, then we gathered up our things and went back to the room.


This evening we watched The Proposal with Sandra Bullock….a cute movie.


At about 3:40 AM each of our cell phones began buzzing and the room was lit up with them. I jumped up and tried to sort out in my mind what was happening. It was my first thought that a swarm of bees, accompanied by a swarm of lightening bugs were attacking. Then in seconds I understood it was our phones. I found one of them and read the text message from son Patrick at home (at 8:30 AM their time) “It’s a girl!” The baby he and his wife Amy are expecting was discovered to be a girl on their scan. We were filled with happiness for them, and fell back to sleep smiling.


Wednesday Nov 11 – my brother Chick’s birthday. I called him, left a message. Completed the book Stone Cold, David Baldacci.
I took my shower, planning the day ahead of us – but when I came out, Lar reported that he had called and set up a parasailing session for me. The bad weather has not developed so I will be able to go. Lar says we will go to breakfast, to the gym and then head back up to change and my parasailing is set for noon. He says he will not go, but I can go ahead and check off another Bucket List notation! I am excited!

When we got to the beach, I find that there are only two others going out with me – a very young couple from Louisiana, just married. We get into a rubber boat and travel out to a boat from which we will sail. The boat takes us out so far I can no longer see the shore. Lar has the movie camera and the still one, and I am hoping he can see us at all. When the young couple prepares to go up, the captain informs us that he will take a card of photos of us, unless we wish to have him use our own cameras. The newly weds opt to have him use their camera. We chatted while they were up and then, before I knew it, I was being geared up….life jacket, harnesses and I was sitting on the prow of the boat ready to be whisked up and away. The crew asked the young groom if he would accompany me for free and he agreed. Thank goodness, because I might not have been able to go otherwise. I had myself set for a much more physically trying experience, but in truth, the canopy gently filled and I was sitting on the boat and then cradled in air, raising with almost no sensation at all until the boat was a tiny speck below, we were at the end of a 1,200 foot line….the world was quiet, the earth lay below, there was little sense of being attached….and I was enthralled with the new and lovely sense of other-ness…..the only interruption being the fact that the young man with me seemed to feel he should chat – I’m sure he felt a bit uncomfortable….I just wanted to say to him “shush…be still, just enjoy” – but of course, I didn’t. He was sweet, and during the chatting he said, “I just cannot see my MaMaw doing this kind of thing – no ma’am! You are amazing!” We got hit with a few bursts of wind that showed me why they hadn’t allowed me to go alone.


Finally our time was up and we began our descent. They misjudged for a minute and almost dipped us and we prepared ourselves for wet bottoms, but then they corrected, we were back up, and then, we were sitting on the boat once more. I was a bit disappointed that the captain had not taken any photos, but that was nothing compared to the exhilaration I felt at having had this opportunity.

Once all the gear was stowed, we started back in, with the young bride at the helm. She got such a kick out of “driving” the boat and we got a kick out of her. After a bit of time, they slowed and suggested we all have a swim, and we all jumped in! We were very far out still, but the water was so clear that the bottom looked much closer than it was. I dove down to see if I could get to the bottom, but never got near!

Finally we all got back on board and continued in to the rubber boat that would take us to shore. Riding in the rubber boat the young couple were chatting and then the girl said, “you know, we think your grandkids must really love you! You are so FUN!” I loved it!

We rode the rubber boat right up on to the beach, right in front of Lar who had been clicking and filming away. It is a wonderful thing to have accomplished something you’ve wanted a long time to do. And it is a wonderful thing to see your husband smiling and being so pleased for you.
( The first picture is of the rubber boat going out - the second...if you use a magnifying glass and look for a tiny yellow dot in the center of the sky - that is our canopy!  The only fairly decent pictures are on movies.  But who needs proof?  I was there!)