Disneyland Without Kids

For my birthday this year,

We're going to Disneyland!

Heh!

I haven't been to Disneyland for probably 10 years or so, so the girls are heading on down for a long weekend.

I love Disney. I am particularly looking forward to "Tower of Terror". I love roller coasters and things that simulate zero G too :) I haven't been there since that whole new park was added...very exciting! :D


I am wondering why Disneyland is so fun? Is it the rides? The shopping? The happiness that is there ?(manufactured or not, it IS a happy place).

I don't know...maybe it's just the opportunity to forget the real world for a time and pretend that life really can be that simple.

I also think it's funny that people are surprised when you mention that you are going with only adults...

"no kids are going?" they say, incredulous.

I wonder why you'd want to take kids...they just slow you down! LOL.

Don't get me wrong...I love the kids in my life. I want to bring them along most of the time, but there are times when you just want to be a non-kid having adult. Being silly and laughing and not worrying about embarrassing the kids :)

It allows you to have fun that you couldn't with the kids along...when you have to be a grown-up and put their needs first.

So, we'll be four women set loose in the greater LA area with no kids, no husbands, no jobs, no mortgages... just the four of us looking for fun times and being together in that space.

Hahahahahahaha.

And if we think it's fun to look for Hidden Mickeys and photo ops with Goofy (the other Goofy), then it's our deal. Some might call it stalking Goofy, but we won't.

We know you are jealous.

You just are too serious to say so. Being serious can be such a bummer sometimes, huh?

What could really be better than to be an adult in Disneyland with a valid credit card?

We'll ride "It's a Small World" - just because we always did when we were little.

And we'll ride "Pirates of the Caribbean" even tho it's not politically correct. It's a fond memory of times when we were small and snuggled into Moms arms, ready to hide our faces at the scary parts. The smell of the ride so familiar, and the memories of being that small and safe and secure in the love and protection of Mom's arms - the world being what it should be at that brief moment in time...the familiar dark where we can almost imagine her there still.

Scent memory can be powerful...for good or for bad. :)

We'll ride the roller coasters (or some of us will ;), and remember how much Mom loved to ride and scream and laugh.

We'll even check out the new stuff once we are done catching up with our pasts...

And most of all...we'll forget for a few days that we have responsibilities at home, and we won't watch the news, and we'll check the weather by looking out the window....we'll be together...just enjoying the experience of the happiest place on earth - we'll accept the alternate reality constructed for us, if only for a while. Together.

I'm hoping to post vids, so stay tuned. I have about a month to get it figured out.

M&G

Here fishy, fishy, fishy...and turtles, and...woohoo, look at that!

Aloha from Maui!

I thought that I'd post a few pics of the cool fish and other creatures we've seen in our various dives. Remember, you can click on any of the pictures to see a bigger version if you'd like.


Here's a green sea turtle flying by out at Jodo Reef



This is the elusive (and crazy fast swimming) Juvenile Peacock Razorfish.



Goofy got this shot of John and a Green Sea Turtle out at Jodo Reef



Goofy also got a pic of this Lizard fish out at Jodo



This little octopus was totally into checking out an old bottle we found nearby



A Peacock Flounder scurrying along the sand



An Undulated Moray trying to get back in a his hiding spot




Here is a very small hermit crab hanging out in a shell...John is holding the shell, so you can see how small it really is. Click on the image to see it a bit bigger...he's in there.



I like the look on the face of this Bluefin Trevally (aka Bluefin Jack)...you lookin' at me? LOL



And last, but not least...a Frogfish. It mostly looks like a lump of stuff, but it's a fish. These fish are masters of camouflage. Their fins are more like "hands" and the move around more by walking than by swimming. They mostly hang out and lure their prey to them...check it out! Way cool!



So there you go...just a small sampling of some of the stuff we've seen (and managed to get a picture of) under water this trip.

We have a ton more too...maybe we'll get some prints made this time :)

Hope you all are happy and well! Aloha!

M&G

PS: I turned on comments for this post...let us know what you think!

My EYES!

OK...I have resisted relating this story, as it was just too horrific to retell...let alone recall...but I've been having nightmares and I suspect my therapist (if I had one) would say that getting it out of my head will help set me free....I'm not usually one to tell this kind of story. I like all kinds of people, and really applaud those that go out in public in some strange forms of dress. Especially when it's entertaining...but I just have to get this out of my mind, so here goes...

We were at Ulua Beach on Maui. It's a great little beach...nice facilities nearby, and lovely sand...and the reef is shallow enough that even snorkelers can see a lot of cool stuff - even turtles most of the time are visible sitting on the sand or the reef. It's only about 30 feet deep there, and with the visibility...well...it's great.

I'm digressing (or is it stalling?) from my original point :)

So...here we are, our last full day on Maui, out to enjoy the beach and the surf and the sights. It was great. 85 degrees, a bit breezy, but nice...and we managed to "obtain" some lovely beach chairs from the resort down the beach (they shouldn't leave them on their own).

Minding our own business...swimming, snorkeling, chillin'...when all of the sudden...

MY EYES!

There is this woman, of about sixty eight, I'd say (I'm trying to be nice here)...and she's standing on the edge of the sea. In her two piece suit, with leopard print. This isn't bad (in and of itself), it's the WAY she was wearing it (and wore it later on - that's the real bleeding/put out my eyes part, but more on that later).

The lovely top of this ensemble was more or less a t-back style. But she wasn't wearing it that way. Nope, not at all. She had actually pulled the straps down along her middle, kind of in a bandeau style - except it was like, two stripes. Not a good look, nope...not good at all.

This is especially true when you take into consideration that she was tanned - like really, really tanned - you know, like the way they tan leather? Like that. And very wrinkly. Very.

very

Oh, and bleached blond...

And...standing with one hand on her hip and one hand to her brow, looking out to sea...I just hoped the top stayed up, and turned and headed back out to sea myself.

I'd been able to forget this first encounter by the time I returned to shore. I'd been distracted quite nicely by the shiny fish on the reef..and watching Sandy try to free dive to get better pics of same (it's hard to laugh under water without sucking in salt water).

Back to shore we went, laughing and talking about the fish, and how Sandy really wanted to free dive for pictures, and how funny it was (and harder than she thought it would be). She actually did get a few really good pics, even with the trouble breathing and staying under long enough to get a shot. Got as far as my lounge chair, when...

MY EYES!

Same woman - except, and you really have to picture this...I'm trying not to, but it's burned into my retinas I think - she's lying face down on a towel in the sand. Sounds innocent enough, doesn't it? But, wait! It gets better...

She's now got on no top at all...this isn't the scary part...wait for it....wait for it...wait....

(Did I mention the leopard print bikini bottoms? It's important to remember this part...so...)

Not only is she topless (face down, thankfully), but she's decided she wants a nearly "all over" tan, so shes...here it comes are you ready?...she's...made a thong out of her bikini bottoms. Pulled those puppies right on up as far as she could. I know it had to hurt, or maybe, the leather like skin didn't have any nerve endings left...hmmmm...

It was hideous...kinda like a wreck on the side of the freeway...I couldn't believe that an ass could be that wrinkled AND, I couldn't look away. It was, it was...horrible.

"MY EYES!" I literally shouted before I knew what I was doing (although her hearing aid musta been turned off, 'cause she didn't so much as flinch). Goofy and sis nearly both fell off their chairs, and I think they peed their pants too...they looked and then they both closed their eyes...

We all had to look away...it was really that traumatic. We had to leave the beach...really...leave.

I should have taken a picture, dammit!

Magic in the Second Cathedral

So...here's a pic Goofy took of me in the water off of Lana'i.

Apparently, it was one of the few times I turned around to see where Goofy was, so there were limited photo ops on that dive. LOL

You can see (kinda) that I'm in a cave, with the opening behind and above me - the color change from dark to the amazing blue reflected on the reef to the lighter tone of the open water is the cue there.

Also, I gotta say my hair looks fantastic (haha). I wonder how I got it to mimic the shape of the reef?

Goofy insisted on breathing while taking this pic (first rule of diving - don't hold your breath...EVER), so there are some exhaust bubbles that obscure things a bit. I like the pic A LOT though...I'm underwater...woohoo!

Loved this dive, and hope to be going out there again the next time we have a trip over to Maui.

By the way...love the wetsuit. It's only a 3mm (from Harvey's) but the darn thing is sooooo comfortable :)

Lahaina Divers

Here are a few pics from Lahaina Harbor, the Dive group we went with, etc.

Lahaina Divers (http://www.lahainadivers.com/index.html) are an excellent group - professional, knowledgeable and FUN! We spent all our dive trips aboard the "Dauntless" with Captain Dan, Diver Dan (also a captain), Mike, John, Tim (also an EMT), and a couple of other folks in the crew. We liked them so much, we drove to Lahaina to take a diving trip to Molokini (which is actually much closer to Kihei - by about 45 mins).

We would highly recommend them to any of y'all for diving (or learning to dive).

The pics are Captain Dan (also an Anthropolgy Prof in the UC system), Dan our favorite Dive Master, the guys at the dock, and a few pics of the Harbor.

Lana'i

Friday (7/6/07)

Today, we went diving at Lana'i. A totally different experience than either of the four dives we'd had before. First off...the swell is pretty big off the boat (which makes getting back on the boat a lot more difficult, and also provides quite a bit of help in turning many a diver from a healthy pink to somewhat green. It's amazing how many fish come around to the boat after a few seasick divers are back on board ;)

Our first stop was the Second Cathedral. It's called that because, well, it's second down the coast.

Basically, these caves and tubes were formed when lava went into the sea. In some cases, huge amounts of air were trapped, and over time, the cathedrals were formed. There is even an albino black coral that hangs like a chandelier from the roof - white as snow 'cause it's never been exposed to the sunlight.

Anyway...lots to see there...as well as some fun diving through caves. I was surprised at how easily I was able to get through these dives...not any problems at all following the DM into the black caves. They open up pretty quickly, though, so I'm sure that helped a lot. And the views when you could look up through the lava and see the surface were spectacular (we were about 60' down, but the deep turquoise blue of the ocean was clear as could be that day).

Goofy got a small diving injury in one of the caves when coral scraped ungloved hand. You should ask Goofy what she was doing to get said injury :)

The pic is from inside the cathedral looking up and out.

The second dive was to an site known as Shark Fin - presumably because the lava formation there looked like a shark fin :D

Lots of stuff to see there as well, but not as dramatic as the cathedral. Beautiful reef, coral, eels (a big one looked like it was going to chase Goofy - so the pic taken was a bit blurred from fast motion in the opposite direction), star fish (boo, these eat the coral), and lots of fish again. The pic is of a Banded Urchin - it's about 8" in diameter.

The viz was amazing...at least 125' here too...and the sea was a bit more calm in the little bay we moored in, no 10' swells, so no seasick divers this time :)

On the ride back to Lahaina, we saw a huge pod of Spinner Dolphins - the Captain figured there were at least 1000 of them around and beneath us. They gave a really jubilant show of jumping, spinning and flipping before they tired of us and moved on.

All in all, a GREAT day of Diving!

Lava Flow

For Carol R...just because you said so! LOL!

CHEERS AND ALOHA from Wailea!