Merry Christmas (Mele Kalikimaka)

Disclaimer: This blog is supposed to be all about pictures. I took pictures of my friends, I took pics of my family, I took pics of food, signs, Christmas lights, In-N-Out, my house, my sister's dog, and then some awesome, really amazing pics of this beautiful rainbow when I got back here. Problem is, after I took the pics of the rainbow, I somehow lost my phone. These are the only pics that got sent to my online album, so if you aren't in here, you should be, and if you are, you're just lucky that I had an afternoon on the couch with some time to kill (and I love you-he he). Trust me, I'm way more bummed out than you are, I had some fantastic pictures on that phone...gone forever. Crap. Don't get me started. So, now, on to the blog...

No, this is not Hana, Maui, in Hawaii.

This is the cold weather of San Francisco, CA, where I went to take a vacation from Maui (i'm sure there is a law somewhere against saying what I just said, but ignorance is bliss, right?)...yes, you read that correctly, I left the lovely warm beaches of Maui and headed to the cold of Northern Cali for two weeks, and guess what?

IT WAS AWESOME!

I. loved. every. single. minute. Even if I was bored, I wasn't bored. I had people everywhere, places to go and things to do, beers to drink, food to eat, people watching, and despite all the hustle and bustle that people hate around the holidays, I had real moments with real people and the connection was there, no matter how busy and crazy SF can be. I had a great time, and it reminded me again that no matter how amazing the place you live is (heh-hmm...um, Hello! Maui!), it is still the people that you love that make that place great and make it feel like home (and having beer on tap is a definite plus).

Jason (Also mistaken for Neo in this pic): You are the best ever. Thank you for letting me stay at your place and eat your food and drink your booze and spend your money and make you laugh. Thanks for putting up with my endless shenanigans. I hope that I can somehow return the favor, hopefully by hosting you at my lovely jungle cabin...oh, and the coffee is on the way!

Ron and Nika: how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...One thing I know with you two--I will never be bored! I had so much fun with you, and I love your spare bedroom, and the Blue Light (Taco Tuesdays baby!) and all the great adventures we have. Thanks for paying my bar tab (and leaving me with one! :), thanks for dragging me to new places, and for being great friends to me. Keep up the good work with the dogs, they looked GREAT in Macy's!

Keith: The best beer rep EVER What else can I say? I owe you buddy. Let's party.

Robert: So much fun hanging out at Local, thanks for keeping in touch.

Damon: Thanks for coming out my last night in town, it made my night. Vegas baby, Vegas.

Aussie Mark: Constantly challenging me to new heights of beer drinking..."one for the ditch."

And to all my friends in the city and all my Chieftan compatriats: I only lived there six months before I moved to Maui, and I was wondering if all the friends I had made were only a dream. Thanks for overwhelmingly proving me wrong, and making me feel so loved...wish your pic was up here, and wish I could show you some good times in Maui...hurry up and come visit already! And thanks for all the Don Julio!

I am desperately sad that I lost some ridiculously cute pics of my family and also of my sister's two Boston Terriers, with whom I spent an awesome afternoon snuggling with on the couch and watching movies. Those puppies are ridiculously cute Rach. --insert pic here--

I had a great time seeing my family, I got to see both my cousins, and I actually even forgot to give my brother his Christmas present that I bought here and brought with me to the Mainland, and it is now somehow back here in my cabin--I'm a genius. Oops. Sorry Brian. I love you all and miss you terribly.

Now I'm back in Hana, and apparently it has been raining since I left for SF, so I came back to grey clouds and lots of baking. Christmas Eve was actually spent in the kitchen from 9:30 in the morning til 8 at night--you guessed it. Baking. Lots and lots of banana bread...luckily that meant no baking today, Christmas day, and I got to sleep in, go paddling, have brunch with friends, go to the beach and watch some sick waves, and then go to a friend's house for dinner and surf movies outside on the big screen. An excellent end to the day. I have to admit, I feel isolated already in this tiny town on a rock in the Pacific, losing my phone really intensified that feeling (no phone numbers either), and it did not feel like Christmas at all today(no family or close friends), so it was a very weird, oddly lonely day, but some great people welcomed me in and cheered me up, so it ended well. Weird, but fun and good.

I hope that whatever your Christmas was, you got to see people you love and who love you. Send me an email if you get a chance, I'd love to hear from you, and I will let you know as soon as I get my phone replaced.

I have passed the way of all tired-ness (like my friend Josh)...goodnight!

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm coming Home!

Hello all...Finally got a chance to sit down in front of the computer with more than five minutes...it has been a busy week with work and the holidays...I have to say, everything feels weird out here when there isn't really a change in weather (except more rain) to signify the change in seasons. When I think of Fall at home, I think of fires and grey skies and changing leaves and a drop in temperature...here, you use a blanket at night instead of just a sheet and it rains more.

Thanksgiving day, I was on the ocean paddling a canoe at 6:30 in the morning and later that day we hiked out over the cliffs to this place called Venus Pool (Waioka) and went swimming...that doesn't sound like a Fall day to me, or anything close to the holiday that precedes the biggest shopping day ever.
(That isn't me in the pic, but we did take some pics when we were there which I will hopefully get back soon...but that is Waioka. That was my Thanksgiving day...amazing, huh?)

A group of us later trooped on over to our friend's house who just built a new lanai (read porch) around their yurt (house, cabin, living space) and they had room for like 60 people, so that was really great too...tons of food, lots of leftovers. The only ufortunate part of my day was that I had to get up at 5:30AM the next morning to bake bread because we were closed for Thanksgiving and I had to bake a LOT of bread the next morning...that was a wicked long day.

But my most exciting news is that I'M COMING HOME!!!!!!!!! for two weeks, from the 3rd-18th of Dec...part of my time will be spent in the city and part will be spent with my family, and I am so EXCITED! People, streetlights, no bugs, sidewalks, cell phone reception, people, restaurants, bars, oh yeah, and apparently, COLD WEATHER. That is the part I'm not ready for...yikes, 40 degrees in SF? I don't think I remember what that feels like...as I trot out the door for the beach...hee he. I guess the joke's on me when i get there...bleh.

So, our washing machine has been broken for like THREE WEEKS, which in jungle time means--FOREVER! Washing clothing, bedding, etc...out here is mandatory, and when you can't, it means some seriously stinky, moldy times, so we were all really stoked when the Sears repair guy showed up this morning.

Paddling has been my new obsession lately...Tues. and Thurs. mornings at 6AM, my alarm clock goes off and I struggle into a swimsuit and a sweatshirt and head for the beach...the sky starts to lighten on my way there, and by the time we get the huge six-person canoe into the water, the sun has started to crack the horizon, the sky is on fire, and I get to start my day in the ocean with five other awesome girls...it has been one of the most amazing things that I have done since I have been in Maui, and it is so amazing, it might actually keep me here. I think that's the way people feel about surfing...worth being anyplace that gives you that feeling.

It has been a perfectly beautiful cloudless day, and unfortunately I spent it in the kitchen baking...boo. However, I did manage to make the most perfect banana bread ever today...I left Paul (my boss) speechless (which was the best compliment ever) and it even caused my manager Ananda to buy an entire loaf (which she hardly ever does)--woot!. Seriously, it was amazing...wish you could've eaten some...

Well, off to do laundry for my trip, and then hopefully jump in the water...can't wait to see you!

Internetless...

So, we have been without internet for the last couple of days...you think this would happen more often out here, but luckily it is a rare occurence...nice to feel connected with the world again though. Things have been going well here, and while we have had some rain, the early afternoons have still been great for beach days, which I have been trying to take full advantange of. I just changed my schedule so I will be working only five days instead of six, and i will have my weekends off! Yippeeeee! This has been a major sticking point for me lately, so I am so glad we were able to hire a new girl to cover my weekend shifts...very happy about that.

So, the latest thing in my cabin has been mice and rats. WARNING: if you are easily grossed out, STOP reading. So, we have like seven cats on the property, and lately, almost every other morning, I wake up to find entrails on my kitchen floor from rats or mice that the cats have killed...not a nice way to wake up, let me tell ya. The other day, I was carrying my hamper into my room and I couldn't figure out why the cat wouldn't stop meowing...and then I stepped on the dead mouse that it was trying to show me (which I didn't see because i was carrying the hamper in front of me)--yeah, talk about a freakout session....i. just. stepped. on. a. dead. mouse. GROSS. And then, the very next morning, I had to make an early phone call to the East coast and as I'm sitting there at 6:30 in the morning, talking to this woman on the phone, the cat comes and drops and dead mouse at my feet. Oh, if she could have only seen me on the other end of the line...then it proceeded to start playing with it, and I high-tailed it out of there. I guess the cats provide an excellent service by keeping my cabin mouse and rat-free, but I have to tell ya, it can be a bit disturbing sometimes. Thankfully, I have never had any gross things in my actual bedroom, just a friendly spider and some geckos (which eat bugs, hallelujah), so at least i can feel pretty comfortable sleeping...

I got sick yesterday, and my head feels like it is stuffed with cottonballs and I can't breathe...I hate sinus infections. I have been sleeping most of the afternoon, and I just had ate some soup and am planning on going back to bed--always the best option when you're sick, right? Hopefully I will get over this quickly, I hate being sick, especially when you have to take care of yourself...

Thanksgiving is coming up, and I think I am spending it with Ananda, probably going to a family's home that she knows and having a big spread...I will terribly miss Thanksgiving with my family, it is always one of my favorite holidays, everyone lounging around the house, the kitchen smelling fantastic, and just hanging out with family and friends.

After that, it is one week more and I am back in the city baby, yeah! I am so looking forward to some time with friends and family...can't wait. Thanks for the comments on the blog, and the emails, it gets pretty quiet and isolated out here, so it is always nice to hear from you, even if it's quick. Love and miss you!

In a Funk...

so, i can't decide if i'm in a funk because i'm obsessing about something, or if i just miss home...

I think i just miss home.

i wish i had a car. or a moped. or public transportation...

I wish there were restaurants and concert venues and pool halls and art galleries and stoplights and taxis and bars and lights....

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to leave. I should hopefully be getting a moped soon (like this week), and I might even get to have a different place to live (some possibilities are in the works), and I love, love, love the beaches and the mountains and the oceans and the waterfalls and the hikes and the people and it is amazing...maybe i'm just restless for a taste of home, then i can feel more at ease.

oh wait, that's happening in less than a month...sweet. thank God.

I need some civilization.

and beaches.

both. just a little of each.

oh well, just missing you, i guess, that's all...

Maui

Click on photo for the link to my Maui pics, hosted on Photobucket...

Photobucket Album

Come to Maui...

So, here's the thing about living in Maui, especially in Hana...

When the sun

hits the water,

there's nothing I can compare it to

to explain how clear it is,

so clear you can see your toes

fish

coral

rocks

turtles

sand.

Running is so much better here

when the sun

is going down and the clouds look like

mountains.

Huge

giant

ethereal

mountains of white and gold and pink,

and the prehistoric

teradactyl-looking

birds

are silhouetted

against the white.

Swimming at sunset,

the water rippling and glassy and warm,

the clouds awash with color,

friends on the beach

talking

laughing

living.

Rain, pounding on the roof of a tiny cabin,

so hard that

no

other

sound

exists.

Jungle oustide

shaking, trembling, bearing

the onslaught of wind and water

while

I,

safe and dry inside,

revel in the eye of the storm.

Ha, that's me waxing poetic about the joys of living in such a beautiful place...there really is no way to describe with words or pictures or video how amazing it feels...the smell after the rain, the sound of the birds, the water and sun on your skin, the taste of the fresh fruit picked right off the tree, the look of the sunset over the water (that I can see right now from my computer). It might be rainy season, but it is still so awesome to live here, and I hope that you get to come see it with your own eyes.

I can't wait to see SF and my friends and family with my own eyes in Dec when I come back to visit....

October Madness

Have you ever heard people say that weird things happen around the time of the full moon? Or that everyone seems a little off, and circumstances seem to spin wildly out of control? Bad drivers, weird work days, and general unease?

Well, it seems like in a place like this, it really shouldn't happen like that, but it seems to be just the same here as anywhere else. I saw someone slid/crashed off the road and into the jungle, police everywhere (which is two for Hana), on the same corner that I went over on. Some guy endangered me and Ananda on the Hana Hwy on Sunday because he wouldn't pull over, blocked both lanes of traffic, and then stopped in the middle of the road on a blind corner and got out of his car and started screaming at us. Nice.

Everyone's dogs have been sick lately, and our friends Athena and Glen just found out that their dog will have to be put to sleep, just as they thought she was recovering after two days at the vet. She is only one year old and their baby. Our other friend is house/dog(s) sitting for his buddy who is in Nor Cal, and this morning found one of the younger puppies dead, probably of pneumonia (all the wet weather and the cold nights in that area make it a big danger). The other two puppies are also sick.

And our friend Rebekah has been over on the other side for some kidney problems, has been in the hospital for two days with stones in her kidney, and the doctors also told her that she seems to have some kind of toxicity in her blood that is causing other problems. She is staying in the hospital again tonight and is on antibiotics and heavy meds.

wow.

It's been a rough day. I know all these people, and they are loving and friendly and beautiful and kind and going through some rough times, so if you think of us in Hana, send up some prayers and love for them please. Thanks for reading this, and I should have some good happy stories from Halloween...just a rough week, I guess. Hope you are well, and shoot me an email or comment if you have time, I'd love to hear from you.

Bread, Bread, Bread

I have been baking A LOT of banana bread...A LOT. So that's the story here really...lots and lots of bread.

I have been learning a lot about plants, and there are so many freakin' cool plants on the property. My friend Jason is getting ready to start his own nursery, so yesterday he took me on an abbreviated tour of some of the plants on the 7 acres here, and there is some amazing stuff. I would definitely be interested in learning more about the plant life around here, and who knows?, maybe it would lead to being part of my work here. I will try to put up some pics soon so you can get an idea of how much amazing plant life resides in my back yard.

We had a great week of sun last week, and I spent yesterday in denial, hoping the sun would remain for this week, but instead I sat at Red Sand beach and got rained on until we got tired of hiding under the trees and ended up leaving. So much for laying on the beach and reading. And today was gorgeous, but the stand was busy and I ended up baking until 2 o'clock, so I missed most of the sun...boo. It's so hard to work when it's nice out, especially since you never know when you will be blessed with sun. The rainy season is fickle, and rain usually governs the day, so when it's sunny in Oct and Nov, you tend to put everything aside for a few hours of sun on your skin.

I should be going to the Other Side on Sunday with Ananda, and we will indulge ourselves as much as possible in food, shopping, and entertainment. I haven't been to the theatre since Aug., so we are going to try and see a movie, which should be nice...

I am planning a trip home in Dec for about two weeks, so I should be in the city for about a week, and I can't wait. Paradise takes on a little bit different perspective when it never stops raining (sounds like SF), and it's even worse with the mud and the bugs. Thankfully, the southwest part of the island (Makena, Wailea) only get about 10 inches of rain a year (compared to our 200 inches!), so sometimes you just have to go to the Other side and get some sun. I can't wait to come back and visit though. It will be nice to have sidewalks, restaurants, bars, and stores within walking distance, and I won't have to use four-wheel drive just to get up my driveway.

If anyone know of any good flight deals, please post a comment or shoot me an email....flights are crazy expensive and I'd like to be able to buy myself a pint when I get to the mainland :)
Cheers!

Want to Live in Maui?

REASONS TO LIVE IN MAUI (The Rainy Season Version):

*You get to have cool creatures like this Jackson Chameleon as a pet (I only kept him for two days, but it was good times).

*You don't have to sit in a cubicle/office or be endlessly surrounded by ringing phones and beeping computers and other office equipment.

*You can see the ocean and the jungle from the porch of your cabin.

*You wake up to the sound of jungle birds, rain, and barking dogs instead of traffic.

*You get to see a rainbow almost everyday.

*You live according to "Hana time," which means the strict guidelines of being "on time" or "being somewhere" are kind of overlooked.

*You can hear (or see) the rain coming a couple minutes before it gets there, allowing you to run like mad for your cabin or a nearby tree.

*You can go to beaches and pools that look like they belong in a movie or fairy tale--EVERY DAY!

*You can fly to any of the other beautiful Hawaiian islands in about 25 minutes (flight time, not including the drive on the Hana Highway).

*Your view includes lush jungle and amazing plants and flowers instead of a bum begging for change and high rises that block the sunshine.

*The only restaurant in town is a 5-star hotel that serves amazing food and supports local fishermen and farmers.

*The spirit of Aloha begins to effect your perspective and life seems to take on a more laid-back approach.

*You drink more beer (Hana consumes more beer per capita than almost any state in the nation).

*You can see the stars at night.

*You can be in one of the most remote spots in Hawaii and still have Netflix and internet access.

*You can work as much or little as you like depending on how simply you can live.

*You see papayas the size of a watermelon growing in your backyard.

*Prawhnee's Thai Food--'nuff said. Thank God for Sundays and Mondays.

*You get to be a part of a community that is welcoming and friendly and makes you want to give back to the people and the land.

*There are no snakes and no poison oak/ivy.

*You can hitchhike almost anywhere.

*The hardest part of my day is deciding how many batches of banana bread I have to bake.

*You live in a literal paradise of natural beauty.

REASONS TO NOT LIVE IN MAUI:

*Mosquitos, mosquitos, mosquitos.

*Bugs, ant, spiders, rats, centipedes, and huge cockroaches live in your clothes, your cabin, your vehicle (roaches scatter everytime I open the door of the truck, especially at night), and pretty much everywhere.

*You get around 200 inches of rain a year and this means CONSTANT mud during the rainy season (think not being able to walk around anywhere without galoshes--I just bought a pair).

*The more rain, the more MOSQUITOS (this year has been abnormally high rainfall--boo).

*There is only one way in and out of Hana and it is the Hana Highway, which is famous for its 700+ turns, 1,000-ft cliffs and 54 single lane bridges and includes a drive time of almost 2-hours, one-way.

*You get to drink more beer (Hana has one of the poorest health profiles in Hawai'i and is federally designated as a medically under-served community. It also has one of the highest per capita consumption rates of beer in the nation, which is an indicator of the extent of the social problems that exist within the community. In the age group of 13-25, it is estimated that 14.8% use some form of illicit drug and 33.8% participate in binge consumption).

*Hana is one of only a handful of places in the country that does not have overnight mail service. You can't do it, you just have to wait.

*The bank is open from 3-4:30 in the afternoon, M-F.

*The jungle is constantly encroaching. Not only do things easily grow, but they easily grow. This means constant maintenance of lawn, vines, branches, weeds, and anything else you are trying to keep from taking over. You are literally beating back the jungle daily.

*You can never leave your dishes in the sink or any food out. Ever. (at least not in my cabin!). --some would argue this is a good thing--I say it's kind of a pain in the ass. I mean, you're practically fighting with the ants for the last of your sandwich.

*Did I mention the mud? I mean, as much as I hate the mosquitos, they have currently been demoted from immediate crisis to chronic annoyance and MUD has taken the top spot.

*There are two general stores in town, a single gas station, and the Hotel Hana-Maui. Not a whole lot of action going on.

*Gas is $4.14 a gallon, and if you forget to get gas before the station closes (@6:30PM!), you are stuck for the night.

*The intellectual, artistic, and political climate here leaves something to be desired, and some people have never been out of Hana.

*Did I mention mosquitos?

*Everything gets muddy and moldy. It so constantly wet here that I had to buy plastic bins for all my clothes to keep them from molding and dehumidifiers for my cabinets to keep my books, papers, and camera from getting ruined.

*The tap water here has unbelievably high levels of mercury and heavy metals, thus the need for bottled water.

*It. Is. Constantly. Raining. --like right now.

As you can see, Hana is not for everyone. If shopping at the mall at least once a week, catching the lastest movie, or always having cell phone reception are really important to you, this is probably not your kind of place. But if you can see past the rough jungle living and appreciate the amazing (and almost completely commercially untouched) beauty of Hana, you can live with almost anything.

Yesterday was a rare day of sunshine (bright, warm sun all day with few clouds and no rain until about 3:30) for this time of year, and I was practically beating my head against the wall because I had to work. I had Friday and Sat day off work and it just rained the whole time, and then the day I have to work, it's a rare gorgeous day in the rainy season--boo. Yup, that's what I'm complaining about; pretty sick right?

Well, despite missing a couple of blissful hours soaking up the rays, I still managed to have an amazing day and went cliff jumping at this awesome secluded pool called Waioka pond (Venus Pool), one of my favorite spots.

Much baking today (made 14 batches=12 loaves/batch=A LOT of bread), and then played around on the computer and went for a run...it is raining right now (suprising, huh?), and will probably do so for the rest of the night, so it sounds like movie night...

I'm loving Hana (despite the MUD), and missing my friends and family...thanks for reading, and know that I'm thinkin' of you....

so, I finally figured out how to put up some pics

New Pics!

So, my new news is that I finally put up pics (see bottom of the page/end of blog)...oh, and I got a Jackson Chameleon for a pet...those pics to come soon.

Yeah.

My pet is a chameleon.

Awesome.

K. Love you all.

Finally, an Update...

Wow, I have felt very loved for those of you who have let me know you've been reading my blog...and that you're annoyed because I haven't updated lately! Hee he, I guess that's a good problem to have...

So, Sept. 16 was my 27th birthday, and my sister came to tiny Hana to visit--my best present. Finally, someone to actually see with their own eyes that I live in a tiny cabin in the jungle and fight rodents and bugs all day and bake banana bread for a tiny little roadside stand...I made Rachel stay with me at least one night and brave the cabin, but i was a nice sister and let her sleep under the mosquito net while i roughed it on the floor. We hiked up to Waimoku falls the next day, which is a 3.6 mile hike up the mountainside through an old-growth bamboo forest to a 300+ foot waterfall...amazing. That night we went back to Kihei where my sister has a time-share, stopping on the way for an fancy-shmancy dinner at the very famous Mama's Fish House for dinner.

Arriving late at the time-share, we checked in and were going to call it a night, but we ran to the grocery store and I ended up coercing my tired sister to have a shot with me at the Tiki Lounge across the street. The bar was packed and we only had money for one round, but while we waited for our drinks (Don Julio for me, of course), we ended up making friends with the whole bar and everyone outside on the patio and stayed until close. Good times.

We spent the next day at Big Beach (Makena) in Wailea, which is this huge, gorgeous white sand beach which was relatively uncrowded. We swam and laid around on the beach all day, then went for drinks and food at the outdoor lounge at the Grand Wailea, just as the sun was going down...nice day. We later cruised out to LaHaina (thanks for driving Rach!) for some dessert and then live music at the Hard Rock.

Rachel drove me back to Hana the next day after we ran some errands, and then she was off to the airport...leaving both of us much poorer but happier by the end of the weekend. I also had a party at my cabin that Friday after and about 20 people came and we had food and talked story and it was awesome to have so many people come out.

I have been working every day since then, trying to make up for some lost time from taking four days off, and finally making a little headway. We are entering the rainy season here, and the mud is almost as bad as the mosquitoes (which still are relentless...i think i'm becoming immune to deet). I have been hitch-hiking around as i am without a car during the day, and i am stealing whatever precious sun i can get, now that it rains so much. As is my usual m.o., I have been meeting people everywhere i go, having adventures, and jumping off cliffs into the ocean (my new favorite activity besides sunbathing).

I am hoping to come visit SF in early December for at least a week, and I can't wait, although i will need a better (read = "warmer") wardrobe for my return...all I wear here is shorts and swimsuits and skirts. I definitely miss everyone, and please know that you are welcome to come visit, so save those pennies and make a plan for some down-time in Maui.

Oh, and if you're looking to get rid of an Apple laptop, let me know :)

Random Thoughts

I woke up to rain pounding the roof of my cabin and a strong desire to pee. Unfortunately for my soaked self, the bathroom was 50 yards away. Outside. Boo.

I just checked the weather forecast...we get a lot of rain here in Hana (usually every night, and morning and late afternoon/early evening is common), but the forecast says it is supposed to rain every day. Day. Not night or morning. It only showed until next Wednesday...I'm hoping for some sun, but the future does not look bright. Oh, duh. It's rainy season.

We took some cuban red bananas last night and tried to make yummy plantains with butter and brown sugar--miserable failure. I can bake, and grill a freakin' awesome steak, but I suck at cooking. Their gooey mushiness would probably taste awesome on ice cream, but that's not really any sort of success.

My loaves of banana bread are being weird, not baking like their usual selves--i think it's the humidity. Bleh.

I'm going to try and go to the bank today and open an account...they only have Bank of Hawai'i here, and sending wads of cash through the mail to my sister doesn't sound appealing.

I miss bartending. I miss doing shots with my regulars (and my fellow employees/managers). I miss talking about Irish whiskey, and how expensive a shot of MacCallan 30 is (47$!). I almost bought a bottle of Jameson last night and was going to sit around and watch a movie and get wasted. I went running instead--how good am i?!

I am looking at flights to SF and New York right now...i miss both of those cities terribly and wouldn't mind shelling out some hard earned cash to visit either one...I was also wondering if I went back to SF if they would let me guest bartend at the Chieftan for a day (I would totally work for tips! hee he).

I just bought myself a birthday present today, this awesome sterling silver necklace with mother of pearl...it's sweet. Happy birthday to me!

My sister comes out on Saturday for four days--I CAN'T F***ING WAIT! Woooo hoooo! She is the best ever and i think we are actually going to be able to go to the other side and party...who knows, maybe have a night out?! God, I can't wait...

Tomorrow is my day off....should be nice...i try to spend every Friday at Red Sand beach...perhaps my favorite spot in Hana. Love it.

Well, I have lots of other random thoughts, but I'll keep them to myself for now...hope you all are well, and whoever comes to visit me first (besides family) gets a prize! hee he...no, really, i'm not kidding, hurry up and get out here! :)

Busy Weekend

Have you ever gone swimming when it's pouring rain? I don't think i ever have until Friday...I went to Red Sand beach at like 9:30 in the morning (it's my day off, and I can't think of a better way to spend it)...it was gorgeous and sunny, but it looked like rain in the distance, and the weather in Maui can change very quickly, so i dumped my stuff under a little overhang on the beach where it would stay dry...minutes later, the heavens opened and it was pouring...i was one of the only people on the beach, and i decided to go swimming in the monsoon, and it was awesome! Ten minutes later, everything was sunny and nice again, and that's where i spent the rest of my day.

Went to a weird birthday party that night, and got really sick to my stomach from eating a bag of coconut candy earlier in the day--bad idea, bad time, must sleep. Sat morning was spent reading and napping, working in the afternoon, and then that evening we went to a Hawaiian birthday party for this amazing couple, Uncle Bernie and Auntie LeAnn (everyone older than you (by a decent amount)is Auntie and Uncle). It was Auntie LeAnn's 50th birthday (she looks like she's 35, maybe--beautiful Hawaiian woman), and it was an amazing party. So much food (pu pu's, which means appetizers, or small portions), beautiful lights and a tent and music and everyone was having an awesome time. The Aloha was strong and it was an amazing, welcoming, beautiful event--we even had fireworks!

Not much else going on, starting to plan for my birthday party next week, and my older sister Rachel is coming out to visit and will be here on my birthday and i am so stoked!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It will be nice to be able to relate my life here to someone in person instead of trying to describe it in words, which definitely fail in describing how amazing this place is. It will be interesting to have a birthday in Hawaii--all the Hawaiians already told me they would bring the food if i got the kegs! Ha, that sounds like a good combo to me!

Anyway, if you feel like emailing, my email that i check the most is andriamiller50@yahoo.com if you feel like sending a note, and i will try and get some pics up soon so you can see some of the sights!

Trip to the Outside/Crashing the truck into a ditch

"The Outside," or commonly referred to as "the Other Side" means pretty much anywhere outside of Hana...which is pretty accurate considering how remote our location is. Making a trip to the "other side" normally requires an entire day and lots of lists. The only thing that exists in Hana is a gas station and two general stores, so if you want anything like a coffee pot, variety in food, clothing, shoes, books, music, electronics, bulk stuff, cheap booze, or anything besides banana bread or a plate lunch, then you have to go to the other side. And you can't even really go over there and go out partying because you have to drive the treacherous Hana Hwy back home and you can't be wasted or you will die. So trips to the other side usually consist of Wal-Mart, Costco, this place called Savers that everyone loves that I still haven't been to, and at least two meals out considering you never get to eat anything besides Hana food.

A trip to the outside was our Friday, and it was three of us girls from the banana bread stand...good times had by all, and i didn't have to drive home so i got to enjoy some awesome tequila in Paia where we had dinner. Good stuff.

Sat was Red Sand beach in the morning and work that afternoon, then dinner at Ananda's house with a bunch of people. Sun morning i worked at the stand, and then the last couple of days have been a blur of baking...my bread kicks ass now, so hopefully i can keep up with all the shite i have been talking about how good my bread is. hee eh

Last night was our friend's last night in town so four of us went over to the hotel restaurant/bar (the only place in Hana open past 7:30) to not only celebrate their last night in town, but also to rejoice in the fact that I didn't wreck the truck when I spun out on a wet spot in the rain and sent the myself over a really steep embankment.

So here's the story:
I went to the dump to do a trash run, and it was raining (normal Hana weather, not hard rain). I was on my way back to the farm and has just passed Hana school where the police are really strict about the 20mph speed limit, so I was going slow already. I was accelerating slowly out of a corner and the back end of the truck started to fishtail. I drifted into the other lane just as an SUV appeared in the oncoming lane. I overcorrected hard because I was scared out of my mind of having an accident, which of course sent me to the other side of the road too hard. My tires caught the edge of an almost vertical jungle embankment and the truck crashed over the edge and came to a stop almost on it's side. I couldn't believe i didn't roll it. I was freaking out sitting sideways in the driver's seat, clutching the driver's side door/window, when the truck finally shuddered and set down in something more like a 45 degree angle instead of on its side.

Im sitting in there in the truck, adrenaline pumping through my brain and finally reality starts to register. The radio is still on, and the ignition is beeping because i have the door open with the keys in. I can't even climb out of the truck because it's too steep of an angle, but i seem to be fine otherwise...Like two minutes later as I'm freaking out about the fact that i seem to have crashed the truck, a police car drives by and stops. The local Hana cop was actually just on her way back to the station after stopping to buy banana bread from the stand--crazy right? So she drops me off at the farm after getting my license info, and I have to go up and tell Paul that i just crashed the truck into the jungle.

Horrified--the only way to describe the way i feel at this point.

To make a long story short, the jungle saved me. I ran off the road at the one point where there was just thick undergrowth, no big rocks, no trees (i was literally inches between these metal stakes and a tree, and about a foot from a tree in front of me), and the thickness of the foliage caught the truck, kept it from flipping over, kept me from hitting the trees in front of me, and saved me from f&*%ing up the underside of the truck. I could have totally hit those people, i could have rolled the truck and totalled it, i could have hurt myself, and I could have damaged the truck much worse. Instead, in two hours time, a local tow guy came, looked at it, pulled it out with no problems (while i helped direct traffic and worried myself sick), and we drove it back safe and sound to the farm.

wow.

wow, wow, wow.

God is so good to me. I have been here less than a month, and this could have been so much worse, but I must have had angels holding onto the back bumper, keeping me safe, because it is amazing how safe and sound everything ended. So that is my amazing story for the day...I was practically crying i was so happy when i watched the truck drive away seemingly fine. It was amazing, and I am very, VERY thankful to God that He kept me safe and the truck was fine (even if they never let me live it down).

Well, that's about all the drama I can handle, I think I'll go do something boring, like laundry.

Miss you guys...does anyone read this thing? Hope you enjoy it if you are reading, cuz I'm thinking about all those people I miss...

Pouring Rain and Lonely

So, I think today was my first lonely day in Hana...not in a bad way, but in a way that makes you feel tired. I got some really awesome news that my sister is coming out for my birthday on the 16th, and it was a great morning of being excited about that and baking a couple batches of bread...maybe it was missing my sister that made me feel lonely, I'm not sure, but today was just one of those days that made me really wish for someone who already knows me and I have history with...

Anyway, it was just a long, rainy, overcast day, and everyone is going through their own shit and we all just have to deal...one of my friends is going through a brutal breakup, one is having a huge feud with their former boss about backpay, one person i know even just went back to the Mainland because they broke both of their wrists when they fell down a shallow ravine. Yikes! So i'm pretty sure one lonely day in my book is not bad...and what better way to deal with it than go to the beach and enjoy the amazing beauty that is Maui? So that's what i did this afternoon...not a cure-all, but better than buying a bottle of tequila instead--ha!

Oh, and for any of you who actually use the postal service (i know, weird, right?), I have a PO Box now if you want to send anything...
Andria Miller
PO Box 721
Hana, HI 96713

woo hoo, I'm official!

wow, crazy times...

So, a brief synopsis of the last couple days...

Thursday:
-Worked at the stand
-cleaned my cabin
-went to the hotel bar with my friend Rebekah because i refused to stay another evening in my cabin reading, writing, cleaning, or listening to music (at least, those are the only activities that I will let on about). We had a great time, some drinks, an awesome burger, and I actually went to bed around midnight instead of 9:30

Friday:
-Red Sand Beach. All day. Me, some Miller High Life (it is the champagne of beers, you know), and a LOT of sun. I spent the entire day there until the sun went behind the cinder cone that creates the magic that is Red Sand (if you don't know what I'm talking about, look it up).
-Ananda (the manager of the stand who has been gone for six weeks in Maine) comes home. She goes straight to our good friend's house (Glen and Athena) and we end up partying with about ten people until all hours of the night.

Saturday:
-wake up on Glen and Athena's couch, hungry and thirsty and hot from the morning sun. Another person who slept on the floor was already awake from the sun and regales me with the story of how they woke up at 5am (I was totally dead to the world, apparently) and found a coconut candle burned down to the base and in flames on the kitchen table about four feet high. Yeah, let's just all be thankful that everyone is alive and all's well that ends well--wow.
-get kahula pig tacos and breadfruit, then hike through the jungle to this place called Stoner's pool (the family whose property it is has the last name of Stoner--hilarious, right?), and swim around under a waterfall for a couple of hours with no one else around....amazing.
-work at the stand, then go to Ananda's house for dinner, yum!

Sunday:
-wake up early, go to the stand and work, then Ananada and I go grab Athena and go to Venus Pool, a great jumping spot (I was the only one who jumped from anything higher than 8ft., they're not big fans of heights). Watched some guy jump from about 50ft. The water was perfect.
-pick up some food and beer and head to the Landing, which is a spot overlooking the ocean with a 250 degree view of the ocean and horizon...really, really amazing, great for sunsets and bonfires, always people there.
-go to a friends house who live in a treehouse, have a BBQ and sit around and hang out enjoying the full moon til late...

Monday:
-bake. Clean. Getting ready to go running...I made this running CD and i think it is the only reason I can rouse myself to go...screaming along to the songs (at least in my head) is good therapy...anyone else experience this phenomena?


...Anyway, busy, fun, amazing times...still can't believe i live here...can't wait to see who my first visitor is! Miss you!

Hamoa Beach

So, after going to the kitchen at 8am this morning, I started baking around 8:30 and am still working out a few kinks in my process...but, I'm getting better...I got done about 12:30, dropped off some stuff in town for a local vendor, put some gas in the truck, and then went and did the most important thing on my list today--mail out some banana bread to friends and family...which is freakin' expensive! But it was okay when I thought how happy they would be when they got it.

Did you know that Hana is one of only like three places in the whole country who does not have overnight delivery? There is no way that your package will get there the next day, not with FedEx, not with anyone. It's that remote. You just have to wait.

Then I went to the beach at Hamoa. Apparently, Hamoa is one of the top 10 beaches in the whole country and it is one of my favorite spots in Hana. The only thing that sucks (can i really say that? is that i am on the eastern side of the island and if i don't make it out to the beach before around 3'oclock, there is not much laying out to be had...needless to say, with baking and working and getting used to my role here on the farm, my beach time has been limited, and my sun time even more so...I am craving one morning at Red Sand Beach (you know, lose the tan lines...) from about 10:30 to 3:30...not sure when that's gonna happen, but until then I will enjoy any spare moment spent laying on the black sand at Hamoa, getting sand all over me and watching the crazy sand crabs all over the place, hopping around and dancing sideways and trying to fight each other. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon...

Thanks for all the comments you leave, and you can also sign in anonymously (without a blogger account) to leave comments, just so you know you don't have to sign up to say hello...

Beach Day

so, it was a gorgeous Sunday morning...I got up early, went running in the rain, and the sun came out on my way back and there was this gorgeous rainbow all the way across the sky...it was awesome...definitely an excellent way to start the day. Then I worked at the stand until 2, and the weather seemed like it couldn't make up its mind...first it was rainy, then clear, then rain, and then the sun finally came out and it was unbelievably gorgeous...there were so many cool people who came by today too... I had a local woman come by and chat with me for like an hour (she is 5'11, so that was cool too), then I had two truckloads of local guys stop by and buy like a dozen loaves of bread, and then I had these people from Santa Cruz who shared some awesome "Nor Cal love" (if you know what i mean), so I was definitely a happy camper when I got done at 2.

Paul and I were super hungry, so I ran into town for some awesome Thai food from a local woman who only makes it on Sunday and Monday. She totally remembered me from when I came to visit in June, and even hooked me up with some free food! After dropping off the food, I had the van for the afternoon and spent the first sunny day in a week just soaking up the sun at the beach...I saw a family with their two sons that I had met last week, and hung out with them for a bit while they surfed, caught a fish, and played in the sand. Their boys were making "sand angels" instead of snow angels and burying themselves in the sand...it was pretty hilarious.

I ran to the store and bought some pickles on the way home, and I think I am addicted...i ate like the entire jar in ten minutes. Pickles, my new favorite food...ha!

Still need to wash the saltwater off, so it is time for me to go chill out in my cabin...leave me a comment or send me a text if you think about it...

This is the Life...

wow.

Um, yeah, today was a good day...maybe even great...maybe so far as excellent...yup. That sounds good. An Excellent day.

I am laying on my bed in my cabin, listening to Pearl Jam, in my swimsuit and jeans, with a good internet connection and a plumeria tucked behind my ear, my hair still damp from the saltwater.

Nice, right?

So, a blustery couple of days with Hurricane Flossie rolling by, I have been staying in, doing laundry, reading, cleaning my cabin, playing on the computer, watching movies, and burning CD's (somehow, I arrived in Maui without ANY music...if you feel like making me a cool mix, please, PLEASE, do so, and send it ASAP...that would make my day) because it has been nothing but cloudy skies and rain the last couple of days. Yesterday we saw some sun and it looked like it would be a nice Friday today, but I woke up to screaming birds and a cloudy sky--boo! So I ended up going to the kitchen with Paul and learning how to actually make the banana bread. Oh yeah, I can do it all now...hee he :)

After seeing some sun break through around 1 o'clock, I jumped into a swimsuit, hopped into the truck, and headed over to Hamoa beach. The sun completely disappeared on my way through town, and I was totally disappointed as rain droplets started hitting the windshield. Figuring it might pass over, I stopped at Hasegawa store for some beer and mosquito repellent and made a phone call (one of the few places in Hana that I get reception). After a ten minute phone call and no change in the weather, I just decided to go to the beach anyway...it's not like I have a free afternoon and the truck every day, and it is Maui, which means the water is still warm even if it's raining, so I went for it. The beach looked pretty dreary when I got there, and the surf was really rough (a holdover from the hurricane), and after getting tumbled a couple of times, I almost gave up and just wrote it off as a bad day for the beach...However, I gave it another try, and after swimming out past the break, a beautiful sun broke through the clouds, and it turned into a gorgeous afternoon. The sun comes out and everything just becomes amazing....the water turns so green and clear and you can see the bottom and the light makes everything sparkle and it was so nice to feel the heat on my skin after nothing but rain and wind for three days.

After swimming for about an hour and meeting some people who had stopped by the stand earlier in the day, I walked up the path and was just hanging out enjoying the view before I left. I ended up meeting an older local guy who i recognized because he drives his little motorbike past the stand regularly, and he had a couple cold Bud Lights and gave me one and I chatted with him for a while, which was cool. It is always nice meeting the locals and getting to know what is what in a new place. Now I am chillin in my cabin, still salty and in my swimsuit, feeling very content...

...EXCEPT for missing everyone terribly. Wish there was someone here right now who I could make some dinner for and then we could open a couple of cold beers and watch a movie...if this sounds like a good time, then hurry up and get your a** over to Maui and let's make it happen! Can't wait for my first visitors! I will be a banana bread PRO by then!

Rain + Tourists = Good Combo

---oh, can i just say how much i love "The Daily Show?!" God, John Stewart is so freakin' hilarious....I'm dying laughing right now---

Ok, so now that I got that out of the way...

Um, today was nasty weather. The hurricane (I have to stop typing every couple seconds because i have to bend over laughing at the Daily Show) is not hitting hard today, but maybe tomorrow...

Overcast and rainy all day, we thought the Hana Highway would be slow and intermittent...apparently we were wrong. I worked from 9 this morning until 7:30 tonight with about an hour break in-between, and the stand was busy almost all day...good stuff for us, with lots of people loving the banana bread...Needless to say, I didn't make it to the post office today to send out some bread, but I'm working on it...

Ha, thank God for cold Sierra Nevada, internet, bug repellent, and South Park...

Hope to hear from you soon, send me a text message if you can...esp in this hurricane weather...

Hurricanes, Famous People, and Pigs

So, it has been an eventful couple days...I still am getting eaten alive by mosquitos, but that is old news....the new news is better and more interesting!

So, they say there is a hurricane brewing a couple hundred miles from Hawai'i, but we should only get a tropical storm, which should hit some time tomorrow...needless to say, not a whole lot of tanning going on for me. Not to mention the fact that I have been working a lot, so I haven't really had time to go to the beach because I have been tending the stand. Oh, the lovely banana bread stand...for all of you at the Chieftan, I will try to send you some delectable bread tomorrow, and I want feedback! :)

Besides being busy with work and rainy weather, there has been some fun things too...One of our local guys, Glen, and his girlfriend Athena, had a wild boar roast at their house the other night which I was able to go to. Also called Kahlua Pig, wild boar are not native and are a huge environmental nuisance, so people are encouraged to hunt and kill them. Charlie, a local native, goes pig hunting all the time with his dogs, and he and Glen ended up getting three pigs, which they haul out of the jungle on their backs like backpacks. It is a totally dirty, bloody, messy endeavor, and we got the fruit of their labors, which was some awesome wild pig (esp. the ribs, which Charlie slow-cooked forever).

There was a big bonfire, tons of food, and plenty of cold beer. Also, some serious Boston accents! Glen is from Boston, and his friend from there was also visiting, and after about 8 beers, his friend decided to go "bobbing for beers" in the trashcan/ice/beer cooler. After dunking his head in the freezing cold water about ten times, trying to get a beer with his mouth, Charlie walks over, takes off his beanie, sticks his head in the trash can full of ice and beer and comes up with one on the first try! It was hilarious...lots of drunken guitar playing, more pig, and more beers...good times.

The next night, I ended up getting invited to a get-together at Honokalani Ranch, where my friend Rebekah works as a landscaper. She works for David LaChapelle, whom I had met earlier that day at the stand (and I didn't even realize it). For the unfamiliar, David is a internationally renowned photographer, and he has a huge piece of property down near the beach, where he invited all of his employees for dinner before he leaves to go back to the mainland (apparently he has to do J-Lo's new video). It was a really cool night, met a bunch of new people, and ate some awesome vegetarian food.

So, a good couple of days, with plenty of crazy bugs and toads and rats and spiders thrown in for good measure...I hope you are enjoying the blog, and if you want to write an email, you are welcome to at andriamiller50@yahoo.com, or leave a comment, which I love to read.
Missing you in Hana!

The Whole Story

Ok, so I realize that you might not realize why I am in Maui (in the freakin' mosquito-infested jungle in Hana), so here's some backstory for those of you with whom I have been less-than stellar in my communications...

So, after a wonderful stay (and hellacious roommate which caused me to leave) in the lovely Ventura, CA out by the beach, I set my sights on San Francisco...because of the whole scary roommate situation (which some of you know about), I left in a bit of a hurry. This caused my move to SF to happen in Dec. instead of January, leaving me high and dry for an apt and a job.

In a most providential happening, my friend in the East Bay (near Berkeley) had a room available and the patience to deal with me and my joblessness. After a particularly rough (finanacial) month, God blessed me with an awesome job at this little Irish Pub in downtown SF called the Chieftan (I was the day bartender--that is a really cool story for another time). I made lots of friends and had awesome regulars, and one of them happened to have some property in Maui on which they ran a roadside stand that sold banana bread, fresh fruit, and the like.

After talking at length about the success of their stand, the beauty of Maui (and seeing pictures), and their need for help, I ended up visiting Maui for a week at the beginning of June. After meeting the people on the property (Paul and Ananda) and the other girls at the stand, I came back to SF with a desire to go back, but unsure of when. My friend then came back into the Pub and said they had been sent on a mission to keep pestering me until I returned to Hana.

You know, flattery will get you far in life.

HAA HA! Ok, ok, so I was flattered, but also glad that Maui seemed like such a natural fit for me (esp. since I didn't have a lease, a super-permanent job, a boyfriend, kids, a mortgage, or anything else to really hold me back!).

So, after much deliberation (and wishy-washy-ness on my part...I loved my friends, my job, and the city), I finally got the guts to buy a one-way ticket to Maui and throw caution to the wind. I am now living in the literal jungle on 7 acres of property along the Hana Highway mountainside, I can see a stunning view of the ocean from my driveway, I live in a cabin that only has ply-wood and screened-in windows, and I am learning not to completely freak out every time I see a spider the size of my fist, a cockroach the size of my thumb, or a million ants on my porch railing. I DO, however, still freak out everytime my skin literally forms WELTS from all the *&^$%#%% mosquitos bites that I get every day.

I went to the beach for the first time today since being in Maui, and it was awesome...so gorgeous, and warm water, and amazing views of cliffs and jungle in the distance...sweet. I was so happy, I even momentarily forgot about my mosquito bites (hee he).

Plus, for the first time in six months, I actually have a real bed. I had been sleeping on an Aero bed at my friend's house because my California King bed wouldn't fit in my room (*tear*). So that's awesome...now Im just hoping that the enornmous, evil, scary-looking, size-of-my-fist-spider (not kidding people!) doesn't like my bed too. Ewwhh. I can't even think about that.

Thanks for your comments, I love hearing from You!

Mosquitos

Things I learned today...

1. My mosquito net over my bed is not big enough.

2. Hot showers make mosquito bites feel better (for about 10 seconds).

3. There is no greater force in the human brain than the desire to scratch an itch--comparable to the desire to pee when you've been holding it for hours and you think you're going to die--that's what it feels like to have mosquito bites all over your body.

4. I am really, REALLY, really allergic to mosquito bites...ie. welts all over my body--sick.

5. Mosquito bites on your face (especially if you're really allergic and they cause welts to rise on your skin) make you look like a psycho. Sweet. I'm ready to make some awesome first impressions.

6. "They" say that you eventually get used to the mosquitos, but there is no guarantee and the way they look at all my bites (with an extremely doubtful face) makes me totally disbelieve "them."

7. If deet (the main ingredient in bug repellent) is really as bad as people say, I'm going to die of deet poisoning. Awesome.

So, that is all I feel like writing today...I'm going to go take a hot shower...and then reapply bug spray all over my body...bleh. Oh, and if anyone feels like sending me some Deep Woods Off, let me know...I will love you forever.

First Day In Maui

After staying up half the night with friends and rushing home for last minute details, I left all my stress at the car door as my friend gave me a ride to the airport and my check-in was effortless. Needless to say, due to lack of sleep, I slept almost the entire time of the 5-hour direct flight to Kahalui, Maui.

-----A HUGE toad just hopped across the floor of the cabin and Paul just caught him and put him outside (toads freak Paul out)--ha!

So, Paul is one of the owners of the property, and he picked me up at the airport and we hopped on the Hana Highway with his dog Aki after running a few errands.

If you've never driven the Hana Highway, it's one of those crazy, hair-pin, twisty, windy roads that just keeps turning into better and better views around every corner...and makes you sick to your stomach if you're susceptible to that sort of thing.

Everything was feeling pretty idyllic and we finally drove up to the banana bread stand and up the hill to the house. Rebekah (another girl who does landscaping and works at the stand) was just moving the last of her stuff out of the cabin, and as we're chatting, I suddenly realize (about ten minutes too late) my FATAL, terrible mistake...

...and then it was too late, my odds against the SWARMS of mosquitoes were completely destroyed. In 3 minutes I had about 20 bites and couldn't even concentrate because the itching was making my brain melt.

HOW ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH DID I FORGET MY BUG SPRAY!? Oh wait, I forgot to even freakin' buy any before I left...stupid, stupid, stupid. So now I'm sitting here; tired, itching, hungry, and sweaty, but ultimately happy with beer in hand (cold, even!) and a new adventure in front of me.

Missing the city and the pub and, most of all, the people...write, call, or email when you get a chance!