From Kona to Kulaimano. Monday the 11th

I woke up this morning in King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. I had a great view from my balcony and decided to go for a swim right away.

I learned this trick from Jill. She took her kids to Hawaii a few years ago and found that because of the time difference, they would wake up and early and go swim while the beach was not yet crowded. This is an excellent idea and I'm vowing to do this every day I'm here if I can.

After I swam and showered, I went walking around a bit, jumped in my purple car, drove through Starbucks and headed out. I took this picture through my passenger seat window while driving through Kailua-Kona. It's a pretty good picture!

So I drove over to Hilo, stopping at Tex Drive-In in Honokaa for some malasadas to take back (and one for me to eat while it was hot). Yummy.

When I got to Leslie's house, no one was home, so I went through their underwear drawers. Not really. I spun around, looking at pictures and teacups and thinking about Tutu and how I couldn't believe I was really, truly, finally back in Hawai'i. It was cool to just have a moment all by myself to be still and think about the last time I was there and what fun I was going to have this time.

Then Macario and Emma Rose got home and made me feel so welcome. I've never met Macario before (I can't believe that) and Emma Rose is only four, so it wouldn't have been surprising for her to be shy. But we all got along swimmingly and Emma Rose and I played kitchen, kitties and the magic swimming pool. Then we ate some malasadas.

Leslie got home and man, was I glad to see her. We visited and played, then we went to Onomea mauka to see the house where I was going to stay. It's just a 10-minute drive from their house and it's very new. Then we went back to the house and had wonderful Vietnamese chicken from Leslie's crockpot. She's really into crockpot cooking right now.

We sat in the breakfast nook and visited for a long time, just catching up. Or that's what it felt like. Maybe they just listened to me talk all night. I have a bad habit of letting that happen.

Then I went back to my house and got in my big comfy bed and slept like a baby. I can't believe I'm here.