Blog Address thebipolardiva.blogspot.com: Hawaii

I told you I was going to attempt. I did more than attempt, I DID IT! I surfed!!

I was pretty freaked out at first. I mean, hell I'm 48, what on God's green Earth made me think I could even get up?

I had a great instructor named Lopaka. He was a handsome young man, and just as nice as he could be. He's a native Hawaiian. He's in the Navy as a rescue swimmer. On his off days he teaches surfing to old grandmothers like myself.

After the land instruction it was time for the real thing. We went out to the baby waves first to practice. I made it up on my first wave! Then on the second, third and fourth I bit it bad. I caught a few more and rode them in. Then we went to the larger waves. What? LARGER waves? Ok, we only had time to try to catch a couple and I did!

My arms, shoulders, pecs and triceps are as sore as hell today. I have badly scraped knees and a huge goose egg and a nasty bruise on my forehead from being hit by the surf board one of the times I went down. But I did it, I accomplished it and I conquered my fear. I win!

Angela said now my grand kids have more than a hot blond, tattooed, Harley riding Nana. Nana surfs too!

Waiting for a wave

Still waiting

Getting up

Here we go

First wave!

Getting ready to bite it

Bit it

What in the hell happened?

Going back out

Once upon a time in a land far away a Prince and a Princess vacationed on a magical isle. *insert sound effects* SQUEALING tires, sudden stop, Prince and Princess thrown through windshield. Diva doesn't do fairy tales.

It was a few years ago and we were in Hawaii, but we're certainly no Prince and Princess. We were tired, bedraggled parents trying to escape raising 8 kids, running a business and paying a mortgage.

We had been there several times before and each time a certain someone wanted to get a tattoo. I did get one, but not every time I was there.

So the story continues, stay with me here as there will be a quiz.

You know about Isaiah dying, what you don't know is that his "theme" was frogs. Yeah, yeah, yeah I'll get on with it.

We went to the guy that has done lots of work for us. Jeff looked through the books of Chinese characters and found the one shown for frog. Dominick, who is awesome by the way (and now owns a shop in Portland!), put the stencil on Jeff's leg and proceeded to tattoo the character on Jeff's right calf.

When we got home everyone asked what the symbol was and Jeff proudly told the story of Isaiah and the frog memorial.

It just so happens that we were building a home for a Chinese family that owns a string of restaurants here in Oregon. I say home, it was more like a castle! But this is no fairytale, so no castle, just a 15,000 sq foot home for 5 people. Must be nice.

The elderly father came by to check the progress one day and noticed Jeff's tattoo. In broken English he asked what it was and why he had that particular character.

Jeff told him the story of Isaiah and the frogs we all collected now. He said it was a memorial tattoo for our grandson.

Mr. Chang: "Oh that no frog."

Jeff: "What?!"

"Oh, that NO frog."

"May I ask what it is?"

The old man took a piece of paper and quickly drew the character for frog.