Week 30: Battle on the Water and Arrgh Matey (October 24-30)

Sunday was all pirate, all day! The day started with a sailboat water balloon battle in the lagoon. The Boy had come down for the weekend and had his first sailing experiences ever and today's sail just might be my favorite sail yet. It involved 5 boats with an arsenal of water balloons trying to take out the other pirates and boats. It was a blast to throw water balloons and the boat I was on was well prepared with a balloon launching sling shot. We were able to take out the other boats pretty quickly and while other boats may deny our win, we are confident that we were the winners of the battle. I did take a direct hit to the face (OUCH!!) but recovered quickly and wasn't left with any lasting marks. (The guy who threw it did go out of his way to apologize the next day when he saw me.)

The evening involved the Swashbuckler's Pirate Ball at the Yacht Club. It was a great party with lots of homebrews and rum punch. The night involved some pirate games, lots of costumes and hanging with some of my favorite people on the globe. I had a great pirate costume from a co-worker that resulted in some wonderful compliments from a variety of friends. It was a great night shared with friends and The Boy.

Week 29: I'm on a Boat, Phosphorescences, and Whale Bone Jenga (October 17-23)

I sailed with 3 friends (LC, TF, and TR) for a weekend to an island about 15 miles away called Mann. It started out great, the sail up was full of great conversation and a beautiful sunset. Just as we reached the pass to go ocean side, I started upchucking. My poor stomach got the best of me and I ended up curled up in a ball with a wet washcloth on my neck for a good chunk of the night. As I my head was hanging over the side of the boat, I was privied the the amazing sight of green phosphorescence. It is a little strange to think that my stomach contents hitting the water were causing this amazing sight, but I was just entranced by the green glow that occurred on the surface of the water. I think I could watch the glow for hours and not get bored of it. This was followed up with a night of sleeping on a rocking boat (I got smart by bed time and pumped myself full of dramamine). The night started on deck with me sleeping in 15-20 minute spurts and watching the movement of the boat in relation to the island and realizing that the winds were starting to shift. Sometime in the night it started raining and we all ended up in the cabin, where I continued to sleep in short spurts as the sound of the anchor pulling was amplified. About 4:30 am we all awoke abruptly to the anchor line be let out at a rapid pace. The line shortening the anchor chain had snapped, resulting in the 300 feet of chain attaching us to the anchor being let out in a short amount of time. No longer in the shadow of the island the boat was bobbing around and the winds were moving us quite a bit. We were able to get the chain pulled in with me holding lights, TF motoring the boat in, TR pulling the chain in little by little and LC sleeping her butt off down below. This was all compounded by the heavy rain going on and the air going from warm to cold. Shortly after day break we awoke to the boat on coral because the winds had shifted even more. We reanchored the boat and rewarded ourselves yummy breakfast burritos. It was decided at breakfast to move to the other side of the island to be in the shadow of the wind. All the while it is still raining and raining and raining (all said there were 5 inches of rain this day).

Once on the other side, we ventured onto the island to play a little game of Whale Bone Jenga. About a year ago a sperm whale was beached and all that is left is a pile of bones and mushy mass of blubber (it felt DISGUSTING!). Whale Bone Jenga consists of stacking the vertebrae one at a time a making a tower until it falls. The last person to touch a bone before it tumbles over loses.

LC, myself and TF with our Whale Bone Jenga Tower.

We ended up calling the trip a day early because of the crummy weather and crazy winds. The sail back was beautiful and the sunset had an amazing orange glow that I couldn't take my eyes off of. Not the ideal situation for my first over night sail, but most definitely one that I will never forget!

Week 28: Timmy the Baby Sea Turtle and Flying to see to a Boy (October 10-16)

When I arrived at school one morning this week, my 3rd grade partner-in-crime shared that there had been a new nest of baby sea turtles that were hatching and headed the wrong way. We decided to head up and see if there were any little turtles that still needed saving. As we got up to the beach, a couple of students were carrying a little guy towards the beach. I asked if I could hold the little guy and was given the go ahead. WOW!! I was as giddy as a little kid holding while holding this little guy (A friend named him Timmy). He kept squirming and was definitely a fighter. The students took him to the edge of the surf and let him go; I was just amazed at the determination and fight that this little guy had as he used all his might to make his way towards the big deep blue. I know that he has statistics and a slew of ocean obstacles in front of him, but I can't help but think that he might be the 1 in 4,000 that will make it to adulthood.

Timmy and I right before he was released into the ocean.

I also had another new experience this week. I flew to see a boy. It was a little surreal to hop on a plane with the sole purpose of going to see a guy that I am interested in. I am still taking it one day at a time, but so far I think things are going pretty good. I get a smile on my face when I think about him and feel very comfortable and content to just be in his presence. After an 6.5 year dating hiatus, I am still adjusting the idea of dating someone and know that I need to work constantly on communicating effectively.

Week 27: Airplanes in the deep sea (Oct 3 - 9)

What an exciting weekend!! I was able to dive down into the deep blue sea and there at the bottom was a large collection airplanes. I lost count at 6, but would guess that we saw about 10+. It was such a surreal feeling seeing all the planes nestled in the sand and covered with life. One of the wings must have had a large anemone living inside because every little hole had pink anemone peaking out and a couple of Nemo's friend darting in and out. The same wing had a large crown of thorns starfish camped out on it and looking content as could be. I am always in awe of how quietly beautiful it is underwater and how grounded I become when I am focused on what is around me and my steady breathing. Sometimes I think diving is so much work when I have to pull all the gear out of the closet, make sure that it is work, haul it and tanks down at the dock, but the moment I hit the water I know that it was worth it.

This same weekend also involved a Roi Oktoberfest Party and some good fun with friends. I am so thankful that the life I am blessed with allows for such wonderful and exciting experiences. I am excited to see what each new day brings and the challenges and triumph that I will encounter in the years to come!