Day 3

This was my favorite day. I had been curious about the road to Hana ever since I first saw t-shirts for sale that read "I survived the road to Hana".
It is very whindy. I think I read it has something like 500+ tight turns and we counted at least 52 bridges. Most of which narrow to only to 1 lane. However, the part I have been most excited about were the waterfalls. There are so many that you just can't get to them all in one day. Normally it takes 1.5 hours to get to Hana. We stopped so many times that it took us 6.5 hours. It was worth it.

Many times we simply couldn't stop because the road is so narrow that only 2 or 3 cars at the most can pull over. The first place we stopped was Twin Falls. There is a short hike (15 minutes) to the lower falls, pictured here. Trust me- it looks way more impressive in person...my camera didn't want to take a good shot with the lack of light it provided. We had to track through some knee deep water just to get to this site. I did take lots of video tape though, so maybe I can get some better pictures from that.

Okay so I can't remember in exact order which came next...the black beach or Ching Ponds. Each one provided it's own unique experiences. At the beach we ate our lunch (sandwiches) and laughed as a group of Texans got their rented suv stuck in the stream. We watched surfers and combed the beach for treasures. Although I had to quickly motion for the girls to come back because I noticed they were getting to close to a truck that had a couple in the bed making out.
The black beach is neat because it was formed by lava flowing into the ocean. The Ching Ponds was probably the best swimming. I video taped a girl jump in from about 40 feet down to a very narrow opening. She had to keep all her limbs tucked close to her body. Here I didn't use my regular camera. Instead I pulled out the disposable underwater camera. There was a short, but fast moving waterfall underneath the bridge that you could swim right up to. Here's a shot of Megan going up the steep little trail from the Ching Ponds. She had her eyes closed on purpose because she said the place made her feel cozy. There were so many places we wanted to get to, but just not enough time in the day. I think I would have skipped it all to visit the 7 sacred pools that exist just past Hana, but the main bridge leading to them was recently closed. Fema came in after the earthquakes last week and deemed a bunch of bridges that are not safe. Funny thing is that the state always knew this and the earthquake didn't change the bridges at all, but once the feds came in and declared it unsafe, they had to close them. Politics.

Once we got to Hana, we stopped at the general store. What a strange store! It's the only one in town for food, but looks more like a chaotic mess. It has everything from picture frames to coconut cake all crammed into a space no larger than a 3 car garage. I thought the old place was very cool.
On the way back from Hana we barely stopped. Just twice. Once for fruit at one of the many fruit stands. I tried 5 times to upload the picture of Katie at the fruit stand, but blogger won't do it. Uh, so infuriating. We bought coconut candy, passion fruit, avocado and a coconut. I would have gotten more (I really wanted mango, pineapple and bananas) but she was sold out. We did see and felt some interesting bugs at the stand...tons of mosquitoes and this lovely spider...
After the fruit stand we only stopped one more time to check out a waterfall that you could see from the road. There is a way down to the pools, but it's much to steep to take the girls. Heck, probably to steep without gear.
So we got back in the car and made a mad dash for the house. At the house we started preparing for our BBQ with our new friends. We had all planned earlier that morning to eat dinner together. We ate fish (Marlin, Mai Mai and Moonfish) steak, salad & pesto shell noodles. It was delicious!
For dessert I cut up some fruit that MB bought from the local store...papaya, pineapple & mango. I absolutely LOVE mango! The one MB bought was amazing! It's a good thing he only bought one (they are big) or else I would have gorged myself on them.
Well folks...tomorrow is Halloween and I've got to go to work. Crew support just called me and I need to report at 5:05 am. Yikes! I haven't worked in the last 13 days! I hope I remember what to do. I am going to borrow Katie's tierra and be Queen of the Cabin.
Good-Night

Day 2

We woke up early because our body clocks told us it was much later. MB and Megan decided to run over to Walmart (yes, they really are everywhere) to pick up some forgot items and little snacks. I fixed myself a bagel and coffee, then walked outside with the blades of wet grass refreshing my tired toes to enjoy the gorgeous view. We were headed down the driveway by 9am for a day of shopping and swimming. We had planned on going snorkeling, but I forgot the underwater camera at the house and as it turned out, the sun went down much sooner than we realized. Sunsets at 5:30.

We spent most of the day in Lahina. Megan danced with some real Hawaiian hula dancers (the senior citizens club). They loved her so much that one lady took off her lay and put on Megan, telling her that she is a beautiful dancer.
I agreed.

We ate lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise. This was the same place MB and I ate where we got those pineapple drinks. It's a neat little place right on the water. Out the window you could see a very large cruise ship nearby. Sort of an odd place to dock it... I thought.
I met a lady in the restroom that asked me if I was from the ship. Of course I answered "no". She told me that she was a passenger and filled me in about the trouble they've been having. The day before one of their engines died. Then that day, they had just made it to Maui, when they lost all power. Now they couldn't get the boat anchored correctly and it keeps swaying back and forth. I had noticed during lunch that it was moving around quite a bit. Nothing like lots of pissed off old people walking around Hawaii.

After all our walking and shopping, MB urged me to get a hemp tattoo. So I did. I picked out a sun with some squigglys and had it put on my lower back. I had never done this before. I didn't really understand how it works. Now I do. They have this dark green paste that goes on by hand from a tube. The paste dyes the skin. Within 2-3 hours the paste will dry, crack and flake off. It turns orange at first and you can hardly see it. Then it turns brown. Mine is not very dark, but I kinda like it that way. I let Katie get a heart on her shoulder that says "Kaytee" in the middle. They wear off in about 3 weeks.

Due to my body art, I was unable to go swimming for a while. Plus I had to walk around town with just my bikini top and mini skirt on. Normally I would be insecure about this, but heck...I'm in Maui! It was VERY warm and nobody seemed to care that I didn't have much on.

We took the girls to the Kaanapali beach. They loved it! I enjoyed soaking up a few rays, knowing it would be winter soon. After that we leisurely walked back to the car and drove toward the Spyglass House where we were staying. Along the way we stopped at a seanic overlook where lots of people had decided to wait for sundown, hoping to catch a shot of a picturesque Hawaiian sunset.

Once we were back we talked some more with Mike, another person staying at the house. We all share the kitchen and living room. He's a computer programmer and was in Maui working! Yep, he lives in Denver, but has clients in Maui. Nice.
Also that night a family came to the house. We met the mom, Lori...girls Hannah and Ren. Both girls were around my girls age. They live in Alaska and run a B&B. The dad works on a tugboat and is gone for months at a time. He wasn't able to come on this trip with them. We had a great time getting to know them. Now I want to visit Alaska and stay at their B&B. We have been invited...

We all ate pineapple and talked for hours. Man, I tell you- this was sooo much better than staying in a hotel. Sure you have to learn to live with a few bugs and no a/c, but meeting new people is always one of the most memorable parts of the trip. Besides, I know we made it more fun for Mike too. He laughed so hard when the girls freaked out from seeing a mouse. I don't why they got so upset...at least it was outside! I particular liked the geckos. I jumped when I found one in the coffee pot. The next day I was sure to make sure he was gone. Emm...yum, gecko coffee.

Day 1

Well folks...we've made it to Maui.

I wasn't sure that we were going to. I should have bought ZED tickets online a couple weeks ago. That way we could have flown on Aloha Airlines straight from SMF to OGG. That would have been ideal. ZED stands for zonal employee discount. We would have to pay a percentage of the fare based on mileage.
However, I didn't do that. I gambled with the idea that this is Hawaii's low season and that being a Wednesday...I thought not to many people would be flying. Boy was I wrong!
Our first flight from SMF to SFO was full. The second one was full. Since you can't buy a zed fare ticket last minute, we drove to SFO, which meant no free parking :( Then we waited for the 12:45 to Maui. FULL!!!
I had to starting getting creative. There was a flight leaving for Honolulu at gate 80 in less than an hour. We waited amongst a very large crowd thinking it looked full when we heard our names called over the PA. ALOHA! This made me happy. It meant seat assignments!
Once we were in Honolulu- I bought us all tickets on Aloha Airlines to Maui. We really needed to get here because our room reservation was not refundable. It was interesting day of travel. I had to laugh when we got selected for screening in Honolulu with only 10 minutes to make our flight. I had to laugh again when they made me check my bag because of weight and it got stuck in the shoot coming down onto the carousel. I've got a picture of that! Our rental car cost more than I wanted...but trust me- it wasn't from Dollar.
So that's when I knew our vacation was going to be great. The first day always sucks!
Well I guess that's enough for one post. We go home tomorrow (Day 4) This is day 3. Day 2 will have to be the next post.

So I can relax and linger on the past

We are going to Maui in a couple days. I am very excited about taking the girls there. We plan on snorkeling, whale watching and hiking to a few of the many waterfalls on the road to Hana. We reserved a sweet place on the north shore beach in Kuau.

I want to relax so I've been spending my reserve days tying up some loose ends here at the house. I thought I would get called out to work since I had 5 days of reserve in a row. But not. This is the 4th day and no call.

O'well.

Back to the laundry, dishes, vacuum, packing, bill paying, letter writing, uniform ordering, apt. making, dog training....

Where's the beach?

Don't Worry- Be Happy

A Halloween Poem

Dull Daggers

The blade was quite fine
as my blood poured out like wine

It certainly was sharp
as it sliced through my heart

But the day it went dull
was when it passed through my skull

Now the daggers are done
and I'm a lunatic...ask anyone!



ahahahhaaaahhaaaaa. Like my poem? Katie helped me with that last line. However, now she thinks I need serious help.

waiting for the call

And here's the thing that sucks about reserve...

Don't Quit

Don't quit when the tide is lowest,
for it's just about to turn;
Don't quit over doubts and questions,
for there's something you may learn.

Don't quit when the night is darkest,
for it's just a while 'til dawn;
Don't quit when you've run the farthest,
for the race is almost won.

Don't quit when the hill is steepest,
for your goal is almost nigh;
Don't quit, for your not a failure
until you fail to try.

-Jill Wolf

Car Searching

A few years ago we gave my dad a car. He helped us remodel our kitchen and we were going to get a truck anyway. He really needed one, so we gave him our 4 year old saturn (which was is great condition).

Now my mom needs a car. Hers needs new brakes. In my opinion, her car is a lemon and needs to be crushed before it kills someone!

She operates a fudge business and needs a vehicle that has a/c and plenty of room to haul a 6ft table. So of course, she wants mine.

I'm having separation anxiety because I LOVE my trooper. However, I love my mother more. Still, if I'm going to say good-bye my trooper, than I want to say hello to something kinda sporty. I've always wanted a Ford Mustang, so I've been looking at those.

I test drove a '99 silver automatic mustang with leather seats yesterday. It was nice...only $10,000. But still more than I want to spend. Trust me- I don't make as much as you might think being a flight attendant. I really don't want a car payment. I said I would think about it and walked off the lot.

Today I saw a similar car on craig's list. It was half the price, but with a few more miles. I sent him an email...I guess we'll see what happens.

Separate Awareness

This morning I decided to run 5 miles. I put the puppy in the kennel and headed down our steep hill with the goal of "Hidden Gold" in mind.

Something strange happened as I turned onto Secret Lake Trail and started rounding the corner into the shade. I looked up and let my gaze fall upon the tree tops that stretched for miles.

A feeling...no, more like a keen awareness that I was a totally separate person from my parents engulfed me. I thought about this and wondered how strange it was. I mean, I always knew it, but this was an entirely different thought. I had a few questions for myself.

Don't people my age start looking in the mirror and see their parents?
Doesn't this happen at a much earlier age...like 2?
What made me think of that? Where did it come from? I wasn't even thinking about them?
Is a person ever a truly separate person from their parents?
We all share similar feelings and life experiences...what really makes a person unique?

Happy Birthday to You

Today is Michael's birthday. I am lucky enough to have this day off and my dad is here too. I will spend this day making a cake and visiting with papa. Hey, does this mean you will be turning 40 next year?

Brain Test

You Are 45% Left Brained, 55% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

DON'T USE DOLLAR RENTAL CAR!!!

Here's my story of how Dollar Rental Car screwed me!

Last month when I went to Atlanta I rented a car from Dollar. I was tired and hungry...I just wanted to get out of the airport. I usually go for Budget Rental Cars, but they were out of cars, so I went to the next counter (Dollar).

I was told there was a high tax fee (30%) in Georgia which explained the high charge for a car. I reluctantly agreed to pay $188.00 for 3 days, unlimited mileage and the ability to drop it off in whatever town I needed to.

Fast forward to my shocked face when I got my statement in the mail...

9/21...DOLLAR RAC ATL COLLEGE PARK GA........$321.59

WHAT????!!!!!!!!

I was fuming!

I just got off the phone with Dollar. They said there was a "drop off fee" of $120.00. I tried to explain nicely that I wasn't told of this fee and that I simply won't pay it.

They gave me the run around and kept putting me on hold.

I threatened to call my credit card company and stop payment of the charge so they wouldn't get anything.
She tried to tell me that if I did that, then they wouldn't be able to credit me the $120.00.

Excuse me? What do I care if they don't credit me? At that point the charge is reversed on my statement and I don't pay anything. I tried to explain this to her, but she didn't understand. She tried to tell me that it doesn't work that way.

So what does a girl do? I called my credit card. Visa.

It's a Disney Visa card and so far I have been very happy with them. Now I am even MORE happy with them. They explained to me that the rental car companies try to do this all the time and it's not legal. He quickly submitted a dispute case and told me to deduct the charge from my balance. While it is in dispute I won't be charged any finance fees. I don't mind paying what I agreed to. Afterall- I DID rent the car and I DID agree to pay....but I'm not going to let them screw me like that!

That's good news for me, as my payment is almost due and I always pay the full balance so I don't incur any charges.

Thanks Visa!

Dollar....go screw yourself!

A Strange New World

Hidden behind the wires mask
caught within their web
tangled and confused...
never fear or dread

a world I never knew
unfolds it's many layers
one more secret told
for all of the betrayers

cleaver is the Kat
who watches and observes
the older and the wiser
in the world of the reserve.

Me & Valena

LAND: Before & After

What was once a wild mess...
Is now a clean, clear beautiful sightWe are so happy to have this done. What a difference 2 days, $2800.00 dollars and 10 working guys can make!

Working with Crew Support and landing in Arcata

So I saw a stand up in open time this morning and decided, what the hey...I'll call 'em up and give it a shot.

(A stand up is when you report late, report very early the next day and get off early. Usually it's only 2-4 legs of work and you get more pay than what it's actually worth. Your only away from base for about 12 hours. Open time are trips that crew support doesn't have coverage for).

I wasn't sure if they would give it to me, cause today is my day off and not tomorrow. I'm in luck! They moved my day off to Saturday and let me take the stand up. Yippee. This means I will report tonight at 8:20, work one leg to Arcata. Then get up early and 2 legs back and be off by 8:25 tomorrow morning. 6 hours of pay. Not to shabby! Plus having Saturday off means I'll get to see the girls soccer games! Oh yeah! I can do my job and be a soccer mom. I rock! hehe

Hmm...I wonder if we'll even get into Arcata tonight. Did I tell you about how we aborted landing in Arcata a couple weeks ago? Fog.
Yeah, the captain came on over the PA and said "well folks, as you can tell we weren't able to land. We are going to try it again. We actually did see the runway lights but then they went out and we had to take off again. Sorry. Hopefully we'll have ya on the ground soon."

Great. Left me wondering...if we don't land this time are we going to have enough fuel to make it back to SFO?? I just smiled and crossed my fingers.

Everyone clapped and cheered as our wheels slammed down HARD on the runway. Dang, that was THE HARDEST LANDING EVER!!! yet everyone was thrilled and thanked the captain for landing.

Ben Stiller Quote

On working to much...

"I'm trying to not work as much, but I have mixed feelings about the whole 'workaholic' thing. I do think it's a legitimate syndrome, a way of channeling whatever you're not dealing with. But being a creative person, somebody who uses his feelings about his life and his experiences, it becomes a way of both getting away from it and dealing with it. I'm trying to figure out the balance of my life, but I'm also becoming more aware of how you just have to know that this is what this time is about."

I actually understood that. Did you? Highlight the last line. Freeze frame a moment of your life out of context and you can say..."that was my life at the time, I make no apologizes for it".

RSV vs RDY

I'm not an acronym sort of person. It takes me a while to sort and remember.

Last night I was talking with my captain just after finishing the trip in Portland. I had my schedule up on the computer and asked if he knew the difference between RSV and RDY. Yep. RSV just means "reserve" and RDY means "ready reserve". That's what I thought, but needed confirmation.
These letters made a HUGE difference in how my next day would go. Regular reserve meant I can stay at the hotel and ready reserve meant that I would have to sit at the airport.
I was thrilled!

I am currently in my hotel room in Portland wondering if Crew Support will call and send me out. If they don't, all I have to do is show up at the airport for my 3:30 deadhead flight to SFO. Then I sit RDY for an hour until my next deadhead flight back to Sacramento (SMF).

I've been avoiding checking my schedule online because I don't want them to know I have my computer with me. I'd rather make them call me so I can have the 1.5 hour to get ready. It's a tricky game, but if I acknowlegde a change in my schedule online then I'm stuck with it. Ron, you know what I'm sayin.

Actually- I'm bored to tears here and thinking about going to the airport early just to look around. It's a nice airport with some interesting things to see. Yesterday as we were leaving I saw a piano. Captain said there is usually a man playing it for tips.

Oh Kathy- you're wasting precious time when you could be writing your book!
I know, I know...and yes, I have been thinking about it.

Thinking isn't writing Kathy!
Yep, thanks for that.

FYI- Annie is at a critical stage of the story and I'm not sure which way to take her. I need my notes. My notes are at home.

On a completely different note- I lost a five dollar bill yesterday. Damn it.

My Wish for my readers

Rascal Flatts My Wish Lyrics
I hope that days come easy and moments pass slow,
and each road leads you where you wanna go,
and if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
if it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
all the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
and you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
and you always give more than you take.

But More than anything, Yeah, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

On the first day of RESERVE...

SkyWest gave to me....

2 hours of notice to report (no phone call)
2 deadheads
5 hours of waiting

and one no beverage flight to Eugene.

I am currently in the last hour of waiting in Portland to finally work a leg this day. I'm not complaining...it's an easy 5 hours of pay for only working 38 minutes.

I just wish they would have called me to let me know they had stuck a 3 day trip on my schedule.

Tomorrow I'm working 5 flights. All of them in Oregon. Tonight I'm in Eugene and tomorrow I'm overnighting in Portland. Eugene is nice. I have stayed there before. The hotel is next to a nice river. There is a very nice bike path that runs along side it. Perfect for running. Luckily, I have an afternoon report tomorrow so it will be easy to get up and run/relax before work. Hmm...looks like the word of the day is NICE!

This is a pretty easy trip.
The only thing that kinda sucks is the 8 hours of "ready reserve" I will have to do this Tuesday.
They've got me sitting at the Portland airport doing NOTHING for 8 hours, then deadheading 2 flights back to Sac. O'well...at least I'm home!