Running out of time

May 19

A whole fee day with hours ahead of me! I got moving early and spent a couple of hours catching up at the office and checking my email and having my coffee and smoothie, my morning indulgence. When I arrived at the beach, early I thought, all the umbrellas were taken and I found a beach chair far at the end without shade. I decided to be happy with what I had, and spent hours in the water, reading my book, spraying myself with sunscreen and trying to decide whether to go surfing or not. The day simply unfolded and before I knew it, the beach boys were removing umbrellas and chairs and the sun was disappearing behind the huge concrete towers. I think that is a problem with the beach; the huge hotels built near the sand hide the sun too early. Of course I had more then enough sun and decided to take a walk along the shore. I watched boogie boarders and surfers and children playing in the water and drank in the the view and the sun and the water and the sand.

I gave in and booked a massage for 8 PM and grabbed a bite before spending time in the steam room and the jacuzzi. I had a massage outside and was distracted by the drone of the air conditioners for the hotel. I was not very focussed on the massage and before I knew it, it was over. I have been spoiled by my friend Deborah, who used to massage me regularly and was so good any other massage is never quite as wonderful as hers. Ah well. It was horrifically expensive and I had to work to simply appreciate the lavender smell and the fact that I do feel very relaxed.

I miss home and my family, but am off to Newport Beach to see my friend Susan, whom I have not seen since the last APA I went to in San Diego three years ago. I took the train up from the conference to spend a day with her and Noel. I look forward to spending time with her, but am just as eager to get home and see Maya perform in her concert and her ballet. I really messed up the timing, but when I tried to change my tickets, the price was too high. I am again simply appreciating the place I am in, which is gorgeous.

I cannot fit everything in my bag to go home. I am afraid it will pop open tomorrow when I travel, it is so very full of stuff, I am not sure what, or perhaps I have not packed it well, it is overflowing. I have more to squeeze in tomorrow, I am not sure how.

May 18

Today was the last day of the conference and I could not decide whether to return for a few hours to the convention center, or to just enjoy the sunshine and relax for the day. Unfortunately my sense of responsibility prevailed and after checking the office number and calling patients (I prefer to get everything done each day rather than leave everything to pile up for me when I return), I pulled myself together for my walk to 'work'. I focused on ADHD and genomics, and after a few hours took a very long walk back, and found my way onto the beach early in the afternoon.

Within minutes of finally finding a place to bask with a gorgeous view of Diamond Head on Waikiki beach, the sky turned dark and it began to rain furiously. I had missed so much sun this week! I found shelter while I called Eric and Maya and caught up on their lives so very far away from this incredible place. I sat under cloudy skies for the rest of the afternoon trying to read my iphone after discovering that my kindle was broken. My third kindle to be broken! I called Amazon for a replacement and then squinted my way through a book I want very much to be over. Somehow reading a few lines on the iphone at a time is just not satisfying. I truly prefer a book and the kindle sort of looks like a book, but the iphone is not quite right. Eric is excited to have bought an iPad for me, which is waiting at home; apparently it works just fine as a kindle too.

I enjoyed Hawaiian dancing and music in the evening, a group of dancers and musicians much more professional than the ones I had seen on the beach. Hula dancing originally was a male pursuit (I did not know that) and only later did women participate. Two men and a women wore lovely costumes and danced with bamboo sticks, rattles, gourds, tea leaf skirts and leis. It was colorful and entertaining and I was engrossed until it was dark. It did rain for part of the show, but no one left, we just sat under the raindrops and appreciated.

I went shopping for a bit, looking for something for Maya. There are amazing shops here, and people spend a lot of time and money at Ralph Lauren and Lanvin and Hermes and Ferragamo and every other designer representative you can think of. I wanted something uniquely Hawaiian and not horribly expensive and found some thing perfect. Eric made me promise not to buy anything for him. He said he would wear a hawaiian shirt, but did not really like them. If I had found something right for him, I would have bought it.

I have one more day to enjoy this gorgeous place. I am not sure I know how to make my last day make up for a week inside.