Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Aloha: Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

I’m exhausted and the first day isn’t even over! It’s 4:55pm Hawaii time, making it nearly 8pm in Oregon. I have been up since 4am Oregon time and going nonstop even though I spent over 5 hours on a plane. So let’s back up!

Katura was so intrigued by every aspect of our suite last night that she didn’t finally settle into bed with me until probably 11pm, but even then she didn’t sleep well which means I didn’t either. At 4am I was up and in the shower with the strongest water pressure ever. Seriously intense! By 5am we were all dressed and walking to the car for our 5 minute drive to the airport. Checking in was a breeze, as was security. After a light breakfast we went to the children’s play area by the Hawaiian Airlines terminal. This play area is so much better than the one at Alaska when it comes to small children like my Turtle. She had a blast running around in there and even made a little friend.

On our way to our gate Katura noticed the moving walkways. And that is when it got complicated. She loved that too much. After the first walk we had to go down the one heading back to where we started. Fine. BUT! Half way down she decided she needed to turn around and walk the opposite way like one long treadmill! Okay fine. But we had to get to our gate and she didn’t want to stop on the walkways. From this point on I was the parent everyone hated, holding a toddler having a temper tantrum. I knew that she was very tired and this was her pre-sleep crankiness. Knowing this didn’t make it any less embarrassing. I had to get the Muppets’ Manah Manah on my phone and soon she was back to calm and we were boarding. Before our plane was even airborne she was asleep!

Half of the flight she was asleep. We managed to have brunch without her assistance! When she did wake up she had the fresh fruit we saved her and hogged our entire row. Moana was on the iPad, Lilo and Stitch on the inflight screens, snacks in her lap, coloring, a Moana doll and lots of cuddling. We were surviving and had a happy girl!


We didn’t know we were about to have a really happy Mommy! As we neared Hawaii the announcement was made that as a sign of hospitality they were coming through with bags of Maui chips for everyone and drink service, including complimentary cocktails. WHAT??? Free booze?? For ME?? Heck yeah!! Shawn and I each had one, except it didn’t speak to his palette. This was a win for me...and I was able to have his. Hot diggity dog that was delicious! And this mama was flat out tipsy and feeling good!! I found the rum drink in the PX at our hotel and am still debating it. Perhaps if they sell it at the airport I’ll get some to bring home.

Anyway coming in to the Oahu area I was able to see Maui, The Big Island, and Molokai before seeing Aulani (Disney's resort) and Pearl Harbor just before landing. Getting our bags and rental car was pretty painless and soon we were navigating the narrow lanes and Honolulu freeway traffic. Having been here less than a year ago we were pretty comfortable with getting to Hale Koa, which is right on the beach in Waikiki.

The view behind Diamond Head
Shawn got us checked in extra early, but instead of going to our room we went driving down the beach, by the zoo and aquarium, scoped out the Waikiki Shell and then ended up circling all of Diamond Head! It was pretty cool to look UP to see the top of Diamond Head since last time we were at the top looking down.

Finally we were tired and hungry, so back to Hale Koa we went. For those that don’t know, Hale Koa is a place only for military families and I absolutely love it here. It really has a great vibe about it. Everyone (staff/guest) is so polite, which I always appreciate. There is almost a feeling of it being one big family reunion when you're at Hale Koa. We hit up Happy's, the yummy snack shack by the pool, for lunch - which turned into a session of feeding the birds. It’s a no-no, I know, but Katura was loving seeing them so close to her.

Next was a stop at the PX (Post Exchange) for some sundries and a new purse. I couldn’t help it. I needed it. Then to the room to unpack and watch Addams Family Values. Oh yeah, I DO use the word sundries in my normal vocabulary. This happens when you are raised in a drug store helping your grandparents keep the shelves stocked and orderly.



That brings us to now. We are hoping to make it to the fireworks tonight on the beach, and maybe actually feel the sand and ocean on my feet! Hopefully I can last that long. Tomorrow is an early day, so I do want to get my old lady self in bed. I’ll be wearing my little human for quite a long time in the sunshine and I want to be rested before I tackle that little challenge!


Alright so here’s how it ended!

We went down just before sunset to take in the Waikiki views. There were so many sailboats, which made for some nice photos I think. After hitting the end to the right we turned and went back toward the ritzy shopping area to kill time.


Kill time until what? Fireworks! We made it back to Hale Koa with about 15 minutes to spare. This allowed me to run down to the ocean and get my feet wet. It was perfection! For the rest of the time we all played in the sand making mountains that turned into exploding volcanoes. Oh yeah, it was all sorts of science!

Without any warning like I am used to at Disney, the sky lit up with a boom! Katura jumped and immediately ran up to me. She nuzzled against me and was soon in awe and pointing to the sky to show me what was happening. It was pretty sweet! There was no music, no fanfare. Just a wham, bam, thank you ma’am set of fireworks!



Once they ended we went straight to the room where we girls immediately jumped into the shower. We got quite dirty at the beach, and it was totally worth it!

So that was a lot for one day. Off to bed we go! It’s now 11:40pm in Oregon. A super long day for this little family!


~ ALOHA ~




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