24 April 2004
A Surfing Contest
At home, I have a packet of California poppy seeds that came in the mail for free, maybe from the Sierra Club or somesuch. On the plane to Hawaii, they make you fill out an agricultural customs form swearing that you are carrying no foreign plants. Last night I dreamed that I opened my luggage, discovered that I'd accidentally brought these seeds, and—oh no!—instantly they were scattered to the wind, unleashing California poppies on the Hawaiian islands.
Sonic sleeps very late, and I'm still on Pacific Time, so I was up and ready about six hours before she was. I tagged along with Frank to see a surfing contest at Hanalei Bay. Everyone here surfs! Some of his pals were competing and did very well. Bethany Hamilton was there, still surfing and apparently none the worse for losing an arm to a shark.
The contest lasted all day, so I took a break by walking to Hanalei, where I had lunch, checked out the touristy shops full of flipflops and crappy lava carvings, wrote postcards, and enjoyed a couple of margaritas at a tiki bar.
When I returned to the beach, the grassy parking area had turned into a big tailgate party full of barbecues and beer. Sonic joined us, and we walked a block to the bungalow that Magnus and Arda are renting. Several hours and many cocktails later, we were all very silly. I don't recall much after that, except pleading with Frank to take us home so I could pass out, still in my clothes.