Hawaiian Memories....

We finally have some......mist. Hey, it's making the ground wet, which is more than we've had in a long while.

Robyn commented that sitting on the beach with the waves crashing while lounging in pajamas sounded wonderful. You know, it does! The only problem is that I'd choose Shark's Cove or Hale'iwa to lounge and one can't play with the turtles who beg for attention when they're in lounge pants! I guess I'd choose shorts.....but can I still get away with a tank top?

Who cares? The amount of tourists wearing things they really shouldn't means I wouldn't stand out too much....so, yes. I can't get over the thought of relishing the salt-smelling air, watching the sharks on the reefs (which I also miss because they'd check out my toes when I'd venture onto the reefs), the turtles bobbing in the surf, the ships and subs heading to sea (except on the North Shore they aren't exactly seen...but then, those are also still hard memories, so watching them come back into Pearl Harbor would be better), and loving the sound of the waves crashing and kids playing.

Speaking of the sea-going vessels, I do miss having the opportunity to meet all the interesting sailors from all over the world. I moved back to the Mainland shortly after RimPac '98 concluded. Granted, I came back here in '99, but it was only a few months after the conclusion of this event. The variety of ships & subs, the multitude of flags flying from the vessels, the different uniforms, and the interesting people were fantastic! There was also one ship that I came within hours of taking a deployment on. I would've been at sea and cruising the world for 3-months. At the last moment (literally, it was hours before we were to shove off) someone decided that a co-worker of mine was to go. We were both livid. He went before and hated it, I was dying to go. I'll always regret missing that deployment, but it also turned out okay. I ended up with a 3-day TDY to another location that was WONDERFUL. Just short. It just wasn't that one particular ship. The one I can name, but won't.

And, oh the stories of the boat! Actually, as much as I miss my duty in Hawaii, and the sweet smell of the pineapple field after a long night underground, I don't miss the boat. There were parts of being a submarine girl that were awesome, but the fact my Dear was gone for days, weeks, months at a time with zero contact (beyond piles of letters that would appear after they surfaced long enough to drop off mail) were hell. I'd go each night (or morning, depending on shift) to Aloha A'ina Park, sit on the wall, peer out past the harbor and into the ocean to shed a few tears and whisper sweet nothings to the sky. Every single day. I'd be happy for the families that would "join" me when their boat would come in as they'd wave to the crew members on the mast or on the deck, cheer, and run the length of the park with their loved ones, then dash to their cars to meet the boat at the pier. But I'd hate them, too. At least until it was my turn.

Those days are long gone. I still search for aquariums when we move to a new place and long for the smell of salt in the air. I relish the warmth of summer because of the memories of Hawaii. But I still am a mountain girl. When I had the opportunity to fly with a now famous General to Haleakala on Maui, I was more excited over having the grapple snow fall on us than the reason we were there. Bless his heart, he was a real sport about it. I have to wonder what this 4-star General had running through his mind when the 22-year old Senior Airman he was traveling with squealed like a little girl over pellet snow. He did laugh, so I give him credit. In all fairness, the facilities we toured that day were awesome. They stick in my mind. But that snow, and the low aerial views of the volcanoes on the Big Island were my highlight. Seriously, I don't think many people get the opportunity to do that in a Blackhawk helicopter, and I know it was special! Anyway, that should have been a clue. As much as I long for the simmering days of summer, I still have need for a little bit of snow and cold.

So, I am a little happy today. I am still bored out of my mind, but I am happy because it's a sweltering 40-degrees outside with a little mist falling. It finally feels a bit like November. So, I am happy....