Saturday, January 07, 2006

Next generation and then fun on the kayak

Saturday September 7, 2002 Oahu, North Shore

Roberto quietly awakens me from the other side of the door. I groggily reply: "Yeah, I'm ready." We cruise in his big grey Ford pick up, stopping for gas and then snagging Alex. We three head to the west side of the island. From the shore we can see the big overhead waves breaking. The paddle out zig zags around the crashing waves, the way to avoid unnecessary pummeling. It's a pretty long paddle out but I do not get tired. I manage to stand up on a big thick overhead. At some point, a local rides his board into mine and his fin cuts the board like a knive on a loaf of bread. This little snafu will end up costing me around $80 - part of the world of surfing. I have 3 more rides before the time runs out and make the long paddle in.

The next stage of the day begins with the guards at the satcom gate refusing to let us drive in because the safety inspection sticker on the truck has expired. We leave the truck outside the gate and consequently have to carry the surfboards as Pat escorts us in on foot. Ever since the nine-one-one deal, life has gotten a bit more complicated. Turns out, Bro Bri had to leave his white Jeep outside as well - he's 4 days passed safety inspection deadline and someone stole his registration sticker.

The day went smoothly. The next generation kept everyone focussed and busy. No time for the Byrne 5 to revisit any dramatics of the past. The occassion turned into a photo op shop as the 4 young ones were together for the first time. Soon, Jade will be on the scene. These kids are starting to pile up. Pat and Liz both have 2. I know Bri wants more and I imagine Kev's ready to start playing the family game. I can't help but chuckly glibly, savoring my hard-earned freedom from domestication. I know that there are plusses and minusses, but this fire horse needs lots of space to rome unhindered by the responsibilities of fatherhood.

The meal consisted of bacon, muffins, cinnamon bread, potatos (chopped with onions) and croissants. There was fruit, OJ and cake for dessert. I baffled myself by eating all the various kinds of bread. So now, 48 hours later, I have itchy eyes and a sniffly nose. Once again, I learn the difference between alkaline and acidic foods. After this meal, I could feel a drowsy fog enshroud my cortex accompanied by the hint of a slight head ache. I still ate 2 pieces of chocolate cake.

When Pat tried on my birthday gift - a sky blue dragon t-shirt, I was happy to see it fit. Bri captured the moment with his digital camera, he's become masterful at taking quality shots of the fam in 2s and 3s as well as the very difficult family shot. Too bad Kev's in Florida, we need him at these times.

The third stage of this long day occured at Backyards. Roberto and I took the kayak out and had a blast with some smallish, wind-generated waves. After catching numerous waves, we paddled in as the darkness arrived, leaving purple clouds and a grey sky.