Ashley, Dewey, and I are okay

We were rear-ended yesterday. I am sore today - Ashely seems fine. We both took a ride in an ambulance to the hospital as a precaution. I was on a back board and stretcher. Ashley got to sit. She had to get out of the ambulance to chase Dewey down. One of the firefighter peeps tried to get him out. If anyone knows Dewey, he doesn't handle strangers well. Kinda funny actually :)

Anyway, the van that caused it all, eviently side-swiped another car, then hammered the little BMW that got slammed in to us. It never hit the brakes. Not sure if the older gentleman in the van had a heart attack, stroke or what, but he and his wife were taken in an ambulance first. The poor guy with the little Z3 BMW, only had the car for three weeks. I feel bad for him. I believe everyone involved in the accident is okay physically. Although, if the poor dude in the beamer is like everyone else, he was upside down in his car. Going to be short paying it off.

That brings me to the question, and maybe even a solution. When you get in a wreck and owe more on a car that what the insurace company will pay, why are you stuck with paying the difference AND finding a new car? I don't know if my truck is totalled or not, so I don't know what is going to happen with it. The dude in the beamer and the van are both totalled (without a doubt). Since the van is truely at fault, their insurance should cover the payoff of the loans on the cars involved. Unless someone can exolain why that wouldn't be fair?

Surfing. I totally get it.

I took a surfing lesson this morning. Totally worth the money, even though I could have figured out how to surf on my own. The teachers are firemen/fireladies/paramedics and such - so I had that going for me. If I totally wiped out, I had a chance of being rescued :) Was with a group of 15 (I think) 4 from Japan - only spoke Japanese - they had a different tent than us Engrish speakers. I was the only solo - all the rest were couples in this class.

We started out with the basics - safety (did you know that a person paddling in the water has the right of way over the person surfing? I didn't either). After that, we went to the boards on the sand. We had nice forgiving beginner boards. We practiced paddling and then "popping" up on to the board. I got used as an example. Evidently I could do this pretty well ON SAND. Making that point known. :)

So off to the water we went. We paddled out. Paddling out is the HARDEST part about surfing. My shoulders were smoked before I even got to the buoys. The instructors were out there to help us figure out what wave to use and to push us to get speed. It really helped having that push. So a wave comes along, the instructor says start paddling, and then the wave picks you up and the instructor pushes, you go scooting down the wave. Remember how I said I was good at "popping" up on the sand? Yeah - not so much on the water. First time I popped too hard and pushed myself right of the back of the board. Second, I went right and somersaulted off the side. THIRD time was the charm. I nailed it. It was a small wave and it just was "right". It was me, the board and the wave. Totally awesome and poetic all at once. Then I started wondering why the water was getting closer, then I hit it :) I think I rode or tried to ride at least 50 waves. I was totally spent. Great workout.

So back to the reason for posting "I totally get it". I was kinda resting and bs'ing with one of the instructors, when all of a sudden, a wave took me. No paddling or nothing. Just woosh. I popped up perfectly and had a total in the moment ride. Nothing else in the world was on my mind, just me and the ocean playing like long lost friends. When I was done with the ride, meaning I DIDN'T wipe out, the instructor was so Zen. I was totally stoked talking about what just happened and how I wasn't ready and things just worked and all he said was "Sometimes the wave picks you". So, I totally get it.

Hawaii is B E A UTIFUL!

So traveling has it's privleges. Going to Hawaii in November is definitely one of them. Just wish I could have taken the family, had I had more time to plan I would have, but tickets are wicked expensive from the East Coast. I am actually on Oahu - staying at the JW Marriot - where all the pictures are from. The first picture is from my balcony. Last is the hotel from 1.3 miles away. I have to admit - the hammerheads in the "tide" pool in the hotel are kinda freaky to me. Evolution or God, can't really figure out how the Hammerhead fits in? I digress - it is still a beautiful fish - one that can eat you, but still pretty to watch swim. As long as I am not in the water with it....

Took a drive around the island today. Saw the Dole plantation, North Shore - whilst there I saw numerous sea turtles eating - truely cool! Also some surfers doing their thing - one broke his board on a wave. Pretty wicked. Supposedly 20' waves later this week. I am going to take a lesson, but not daring North Shore. I'd kinda like to make it home in one piece - after seeing the surfer break his board.... The scenery is absolutely gorgeous. If I could figure out a job that would afford us to live in Hawaii, we'd move in a heartbeat! Even the highways are pretty. There is a tunnel through a bautiful mountain range.

It is nice enough at night that I sleep with the screen doors. It is extremely relaxing to listen to the ocean.....

I got up and actually ran this morning - which I haven't done since the triathlon. If you can't get motivated to run/walk/be outside in Hawaii - nothing will ever get you motivated. Quite a few people up and exerciseing at 7am on a Sunday. Planning on swimming in one or all of the 4 lagoons that are on the Marriott property.

Football starts at 8am on Sundays. Quite nice! Monday night football - 4pm I may actually stay awake to see a complete game!

I suppose I ought to concentrate on work, but it is hard to do that here :)