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When in Maui...don't count the umbrellas

Dont know if the mini umbrellas I have been collecting from my tropical drinks have anything to do with my inconsistent blogging or the romance novel I'm reading has finally captured me or maybe because I have finally relaxed enough to not care about turning on my computer.  I'm finally on vacation! 
Another day starting  with Kona coffee and my favorite macadamia shortbread cookies which  I intend on making  once I'm home, only giving it the Lori's legendary twist!

 I'm now off to my massage on the beach, then dinner with my husband and another Mai Tai (another umbrella) and my favorite Macadamia nut crusted  Ono tonight.
It's tough duty in God's paradise, but somebody has to do! :)

It's my husband's birthday and I'm Nervous!

I started my day with very little to eat, and just one cup of Kona coffee I used to wash down my chill pill.   I decide to skip my delicious macadamia shortbread cookie because my stomach felt a little nervous.  Why you wonder?

 Because it was my husband’s birthday.

 His wish was for me was to experience one of his favorite things….being up in a helicopter 2500 feet off the ground and over the ocean. (It was either that or scuba diving, so I happily decided to be a bird instead of a fish!)

I said a prayer as we sat in waiting for a our 9 am flight. I was thankful my chill pill had kicked, especially when I was forced to watch a mandatory  emergency video and then strap on my personal emergency life vest…just in case!

As we flew for 45 minutes in our cramped, loud helicopter wearing headsets that gave me a slight headache we did see some amazing sights; however   to pay $200 dollars to hover over waterfalls, 3000 foot cliffs and grazing cattle, when you can watch this for free on the adventure channel from the comfort of your sofa is something I don’t get!

I have to admit it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be, but I was very happy to be back on the ground.

I MISS MY COOKIES!

Hi to anyone who is reading my blog post.

Today we went to my favorite breakfast place called The Shack.  It is a gazebo that is right on the coast  of Napili shores and has been there for years.  We had the most scrumptious macadamia nut pancakes smothered in their famous "fluff" that is dream whip, butterscotch syrup and maple syrup.  It's sounds a little weird, but it is fabulous!  So fabulous that there is always a line to get in.  So fabulous  that I go there everytime we come over to Maui. We stood in line for about 20 minutes and it was well worth it! (which says a lot because I rarely will happily stand in line for anything!) After breakfast you walk out of there in a carb coma and partial daze, and once you hit your lawn chair your out for the count....dreaming of "fluff."

I am having withdrawals from my cookies, so today I purchased chocolate chip macadamia  cookies and macadamia shortbread cookies from a shop at our Marriot resort.  They are homemade and are almost as good with my Kona coffee in the morning as my outrageous oatmeal cookies.  They don't have the buttery brown sugar taste of mine, but are a good substitute!

Yes, I'm a cookie monster, I admit it and there's nothing I want to do about it.!  Don't forget, it is my job to   constantly check out the competition. so far there are few contenders.

Hopefully the snorkeling tomorrow will burn off some of the mac nuts and cookie calories  I'm eatting!

WE MISSED OUR FLIGHT!

The definition of a vacation: You hire house sitters, dog sitters and stop the paper. You cram twice the amount of your work into your week by working  mock speed at double time, so you can leave for a vacation, then relax and chill only to ramp up again as you head home to work double time  making  up for your week off!

Getting up extra early, you fight traffic, you park and lock, then shuttle to the terminal to stand in line at the San Francisco with hundreds of other passengers.   You’re then examined from top to bottom,  practically stripped searched as you take off your shoes, your belt, your jewelry  and your lap top and purse ex rayed.

Your license is scrutinized as it’s held up to special lights to insure authenticity! And heaven forbid if you’re carrying a bottled water or sample size mouthwash….criminal.

 It’s so much effort to travel by air anymore, but we all go through this rig amoral just so we can RELAX! 

Every time I travel, I think, how do people do this for work?  If I had to commute everyday and travel by air for my job, I think I would take up working the flea markets with a travel trailer behind me!

 I must say Americans are very tolerant people.   We come in all sizes, and shapes, colors and speak many languages and we all go through this routine and examination whether we travel for business or for pleasure.  It has become the norm, unless you’re a jet setter or “public servant” in Washington with access to the private jets.     I say, let’s just succumb to a full body scan just to stop all this craziness! 

After my husband and I went through all of the above while the clock was ticking, it looked more and more like we would not make our make the early flight I booked almost a year ago using mileage (which was another blog for another day). We were told we would have to catch the next flight, as it was too late to check our bags plus our seats had been given away. So for another $75.00 each (so glad I stressed over saving money on our mileage tickets) plus $25.00 for each bag we were now heading to Maui, only 5 hours later than planned. Are we having fun yet? 

My husband was a good sport and didn’t give me grief over the 15 minutes I was late as I walked out the door this morning.  I knew we were cutting it close but never realized that 15 minutes would become 5 hours and $150.00.

After getting my favorite Peet’s coffee, we had a leisure breakfast at Yankee Pier.  Then we strolled through the airport checking out the airport stores.  I found time to buy the birthday cards and tried on sunglasses and hats wondering who really buys this stuff?  It’s so expensive and screams “airport apparel.”

I’m off to have an outrageously expensive mediocre sandwich for lunch before we board the plane. 

That  Maui Mai Tai really calling my name now… can’t wait!