Today I met Carol, she is a kapuna which is Hawaiian for elder or grandparent. Kapuna also means ancestor as well as being a word for the source, or starting point of growth. I first heard Carol asking something of a young man outside the pool who walked away saying, “maybe later if you are still here.” Shortly after, as I exited the pool area, Carol asked me if I could carry her walker and grocery bag up the one flight of stairs. Of course! Was this what that young man declined to do? WTF.
Carol bought her condo when she was my age, in 1981. She said, “back then I was full of energy and could bounce up these stairs.” She is still doing the stairs okay but dragging the walker and the groceries is too much. I gave her my number and hope she calls me to either help again or tell me stories.
I did do some bouncing up and down the stairs today myself. Where to start, oh yeah, surfing!!! The swell is down, way down, in Kihei today, so I drove northwest. I stopped at this enormous beach, Ukumehame. There is a southern swell right now which means this beach was in the just the right position for some great wave action. I started at the west end of the beach and rode many small waves. Then I looked east and noticed people way far out surfing some very nice sized waves.
It took me about 10 minutes of paddling to get over there, but wow was it worth it! First of all, everyone was in a good mood, happily chatting. Plenty of waves to go around. I have noticed that when the waves get scarce people get quiet, territorial, and aggressive. None of that today. We had abundance. And so today I rode some not-so-beginner big girl waves and it was such a rush. The feeling of that power lifting and pushing the board forward. Goosebumps. Did I wipe out? Yes. Did I successfully ride some? Yes, yes I did.
Then, on my way home, I learned that Jon won the Rock Cobbler Gravel Race down in Bakersfield. I told him the night before that he was a shoe-in. Get it? Cobbler, shoes. Okay okay, I’ll stop. Seriously though, Jonathan Baker, at 47 years of age, is taking these young’uns to bike school. Cranking away at 400 watts and showing some of the best form of his life. I am so proud of him and his hard work. Also, he won an axe. Sweet. He told me how he rode away on his bike with the axe in one hand and his second beer in the other. No fingers were lost.
The champion. #willraceforhatchets
After I got home I relaxed by the pool and read The Four Winds (Mimi I bought this one on Kindle so you can read it too). Highly recommend- coming of age in the dust bowl story. After the pool I got some gelato and rented snorkel gear. Turns out this was a non-starter. Got out snorkeling but the water was murky and unsettled. Decided to quit before a shark took a chomp out of me. Couldn’t see much anyway. Maybe early tomorrow before the disc golf doubles round.
Iced tea by the pool. I have been brewing giant pitchers of green tea with a scoop of brown sugar, serving over ice with a splash of cream.
Staying mellow is a Hawaiian art form.
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