The six months that Jay was deployed this year were a definite challenge. I know so many people go through longer deployments, but for us this was a long time. We missed him immensely. Day to day life is so changed when one of the central characters is temporarily removed. I feel so proud of myself in how I rose to the challenge and shouldered through it all. And so proud of the girls for the way they adapted and came through it all like real troopers.
When the ship's return started getting closer, the anticipation was nearly unbearable. They were stopping in Hawaii for a few days about three weeks before they returned home, and the opportunity to see him sooner was too good to pass up. Plus, this would be the first time I had the chance to visit that glorious 50th state. So my very kind and brave father came to spoil stay with the girls while I flew off to paradise for a few days. It was indeed glorious! I got to spend some time alone with the love of my life, and escape the dreary, cold, wet, never-ending-grayness that constitutes winter in the Pacific Northwest. It was WONDERFUL!!!
I arrived the night before the ship was set to pull in and was, of course, so excited and anxious I could hardly sleep. Then the next morning I was up and ready to go before dawn. I didn't want to miss a single minute of watching them dock at Pearl Harbor. I asked for a cab at the front desk and they sent up a white limo. Oh, no, I told them. I don't want a limo, just a regular cab, but they assured me the limo was the same price. Sooo. . .I rode to Pearl Harbor in a limo and even got a salute from one of the gate guards. I guess a limo is good for making you appear more important than you actually are. I was there much earlier than I needed to be, but I got to meet some really neat people while waiting on the pier. It was mostly parents and other relatives who were going to ride the ship for the Tiger Cruise to San Diego in a few days. Somehow, in all the excitement and flurry of activity, I missed Jay disembarking and he went right past me. But soon enough we were running to each other for a welcome back hug!
The day after Jay's ship got there was the day of the Japan earthquake and tsunami. I don't remember exactly how long after it happened that we heard about it. But it was awhile, because who watches tv news or listens to the local radio when you're busy being on vacation? We were having a drink in the hotel bar when we saw the news footage on tv. Even then, I didn't think much about it. But then the talk of tsunami warnings began and it started to sink in a little bit. When you're on a little island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things like that tend to matter. Thankfully, the frequent announcements over the hotel's intercom, and some concerned calls from friends and family were the only thing out of the ordinary that night. And the next morning at breakfast we got to see all the boats from the local harbor that had been put out to sea as a precaution. The rest of our trip unfolded much less eventfully.
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Kicking back on the hotel balcony
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Beautiful afternoon rainbow
Apparently I couldn't get over how clear and blue the skies were
Jay and Diamond Head
At the Paradise Cove Luau
Making a flower headband
Wearing my creation
A perfect Hawaiian sunset
One of the highlights of our trip was the dinner we had at La Mer at the the Halekulani. To celebrate our 10th Anniversary we enjoyed the tasting menu with wine pairings. The food was exquisite, the atmosphere beautiful and of course, the company sublime. We dined by candlelight at an ocean view table with the shutters thrown open and the light evening breeze wafting in from the ocean. We were surrounded by the beautiful Hawaiian twilight while we ate. The entire evening was pure bliss. I love how the buildings there can be completely opened up to the outside like that. Such things would never work in any of the states I've lived in. Wyoming? Way too many bugs, and the wind! Yikes! New York? Fourteen inches of snow, anyone? Washington? One little problem, that four-letter word: rain. (all the time) Apparently none of these things are much of a problem in Hawaii, I guess that's way they call it paradise.
Menu Degustation - Did I mention this evening was pure bliss?
Ahhh. . .Hawai'i. What can I say? I don't think words can really describe just what a paradise it is. Everything I'd ever heard about how beautiful it is there is completely true. While we were there we had a wonderful time relaxing, relaxing strolling on the beach, relaxing exploring Waikiki, relaxing eating some great food, relaxing seeing some friends and family. Did I mention relaxing? Actually, I think it is impossible to do anything in Hawaii that isn't relaxing. We enjoyed every minute of it.
