Beach Umbrellas, Cocktails and a Whole Bottle of Sunscreen

Well, after spending a week in a bathing suit, I am back home. And you probably already know this, but I'll say it anyway: I wish I was still in Hawaii. Ah, well. Anyway. To the left is photo of Waikiki at twilight. So pretty and frankly, very warm as well. Terry and I stayed (for free, I'll remind you) in Waikiki, so we spent a lot of time on that beach. Yes, it's crowded and really touristy, but it's one beautiful urban beach. And I'll put up with the crowds to hang out in Waikiki any day. My days began with a morning run, continued on the beach and generally ended with a cocktail in my hand.

Not bad, huh? I'm thinking hanging out on a warm beach is the perfect vacation for me. In fact, I believe it would be the perfect life for me. I just have to figure out a way to do it full time.

I didn't stay in Waikiki the entire week, however. For instance, on Sunday we rented a car and headed for Kailua, which boasts one of the most beautiful beaches on Oahu (pictured on the right). Okay, they're all beautiful, but the beach at Kailua has some of the finest, softest sand my feet have ever felt. The town of Kailua is awfully cute, as well. It's cozy without being stifling and just looks like happiness in a zip code.

Honestly, I think I'd like to live there. If you know of a job in Kailua requiring my skill set, please let me know. And keep in mind that laying on the beach is one of my strongest skills.

All in all, it was a very good week. I definitely needed to get out of town, relax and enjoy a tropical adult beverage or two. Or as the case may have been, a bunch of beverages. Actually since I drink so much less now, I found myself not wanting alcohol so much. But I did indulge in a few lava flows, like the one above. Lava flows taste like coconut, strawberry milkshakes. Um, with rum.

As an added bonus, I managed not to get sunburned. I sunburn under a florescent lamp, so it's huge that I escaped the burn on this trip. I can thank the entire bottle of Coppertone sunblock I used, as well as the beach umbrellas we rented in Waikiki everyday. Also, as I mentioned before, Diva Mommy had knee surgery on Tuesday, and that went very well. My sister, Fabulous Patti, is still in Honolulu looking after her, but it looks like she'll be just fine.

Or maybe I'll have to go back to keep an eye on Diva Mommy. Just to be sure she's okay.... for the next ten years or so.