Pause.... Rewind... Play

I really can't believe that it is already September.   I know I know I know... pathetic.  I'm finally feeling like I'm coming through and getting a little better balance in my life.  Not that I'm complaining that I spend more time out on the water, or under the water than I do on top!  I'm still trying to figure out a way I can eat under the water.  That needs to happen, and quick!  It's bad when I see crabs, lobster, eels and fish and get hungry to the point that I can actually taste them!  Not good!  lol...

Some highlights from these past couple months:

My Dad and Mom came out to visit me in August and I was able to certify my own Dad!  It was a pretty cool experience.  In 2007 I remember exactly where I was in Albania when I found out that my Dad had cancer.  I was scared that I would never see him again.  I can remember pleading with God to keep my Dad safe so that I can see him again.  Our first dive was to Kahe Point Beach Park, or Electric Beach, and we were the only ones out in the water.  We were out near the reef and after swimming around a bit, we spotted a turtle.  We dropped on the sand and just waited for it to see what he would do.  Well, that little turtle swam right up to my Dad!  Right in front of him.  I could hear my Dad chuckling under the water and it brought tears to my eyes!  What a special moment.  I closed my eyes and thanked God that we could share that moment together.  Here is my Dad and another one of my divers, Ken Baber from Mt. Vernon, WA on the surface interval before their final check out dive.

My wonderful Mom and I.  They got to come out on the boat with me for the day!  It was so much fun having them there and getting to share my world with them.

Starting the Pool work with my Dad.  It was just the two of us.  Perfect!

Heading in to Electric Beach.  What a wonderful moment this was.  Great viz, lots of fish, just us and the turtle :).

 On our way out.  A great 30 min dive and we survived!

 My wonderful parents enjoying the sunset after checking out the Black Pearl at Ko Olina.

 This was Dive # 2 for my Dad's cert up at Shark's Cove.  This dive was... interesting.  I'll let my Dad explain this one!  We came out alive.... hahhahah.

 Dole Whip at the Dole Plantation. This stuff is ridiculously delicious.

Me... in the office... in my uniform :o).

My girls that I work with.  From L-R: Jo, Chanelle, Me and Krystal.

Looks like I'm lucky to get in about 1 post per month at the rate I'm going! So much is happening and so fast! Here are some snapshots of some of my 'days off' and how I get to spend them. This first one was a great day. My friend Seana let me stay at her hotel while she was visiting another island. Since the hotel was already paid for, parking and all, she insisted I stay there. It was the Hilton Hawaiian Village of all places and was so nice to unplug and hide out. The first day, as soon as I got off work, I went directly to the beach and parked it. I don't remember much other than rolling over and pulling my spare towel over me. I laid there for almost 5 hours! The sun was setting and I got chilly, but didn't move I was so tired. When I woke up, this is the view I saw. I woke up smiling.

Driving around the island.
One of my days off, I was overwhelmed with all the wonderful opportunities at my finger tips and how I should spend my day. I went kayaking, running, swimming and hiking. This is the view from my hike.




Succulents. My favorite. And they are all over this island. They make me so happy.
This picture was taken by a random couple I stopped and asked if they could snap a photo of me. We ended up talking for almost an hour! Their names were Katie and Derek. They had just gotten engaged in Carmel and came out here to celebrate. What a small world. They were such a sweet couple and were asking for recommendations on what to do, where to go and what restaurants to try / avoid. I did what I could to point them in the right direction. I love meeting new people.

This is Spitting Caves near my house. My good friends from back in Cali came out to visit and we came here after eating at Kona Brewery, a great place on the water next to my house with live music and excellent food. It was great to catch up with them and to have some familiar faces!
Marcie, me and Evelyn.
Me and Angela... my roomie.


Stay tuned for sailboat races, a day on the Admiral's Barge and other random stories! All in all, things here are going well. I did hurt my ear drum and have been out of the water for 2 weeks, which is frustrating. I can't dive for another 2 weeks, but at least I got cleared to get in the water. Which means surfing of stand up paddling this week :o)

My Underwater Playground

Welcome to the Underwater Playground located on the West Coast of Oahu! I have been kept very busy after passing the IDC & IE, then following the MSDT (Master Scuba Diver Trainer) certs, but wanted to share with y'all a little bit of what I get to do at work! Theses photos were taken by my dear friend Seana Jardin who is a Major in the Army. She is leaving the island soon which makes me soooooo sad. She is a great dive buddy, a hilarious story teller and will be greatly missed. Really!

This is an incredible shot of Makaha Caverns. It is a maze of swim throughs and tunnels that sits between 20 - 50 ft feet. I love swimming through them, especially the larger one that has a resident shark that we usually get to see. Yes Sarah, I willingly swim into places where there are known sharks :o).

The famous resident Spotted Eagle Rays of the Mahi Shipwreck. We saw some the other day that were enormous!

More arches and tunnels at Makaha Caverns.

The biggest Barracuda I have ever seen. It hangs out effortlessly near the mast of the the Mahi with his mouth open getting his teeth cleaned. It must be at least 5 feet long!

Sun shining through some arches.

Juvenille Frogfish holding up the rock.

Mahi Shipwreck. A WWII Minesweeper that was sunk as an artificial reef project in 1982. Sits 90 feet deep.

A Whitemouth Moray Eel poking his head out of a part of the shipwreck where he has made his new home.

Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle. We see these guys almost daily! So beautiful!!!!

I love this photo! A great close up of a Hawkfish. They just sit there all stubborn like, doesn't he look like he's pouting!

An Octopus going out for a stroll. I love to get close to these guys and watch them change colors. It is so fascinating!

Come back soon and I will be posting some more photos. Time to go to bed. I get to work the 3-tank boat dive tomorrow night!