Downpour in the Rainforest

It's pouring on the North Shore and I'm watching the sideways drops batter the rainforest just behind the condo. The rain and sunshine have traded places all day so that just as soon as I've adjusted my bathing suit straps, picked out the perfect beach song and properly applied my sunscreen, the clouds roll down off Mt. Wai'ale'ale and I have to seek shelter once more in the Mustang. Hodgie just called to report that his insane mountain biking trip with Uncle and friends went well. They covered 23 miles and are coated head-to-toe in Kauai red mud. I would have liked to participate, except for that whole not being able to ride a bike thing. 

Yesterday, on the way to the movies, Hodgie and I stopped by Uncle's bike shop to say hello. That turned into a forced bike trip.
As I mentioned, I can't really ride a bike very well, but Hodgie really wanted to cruise the coast so I obliged while protesting loudly the whole time. I didn't get hurt, surprisingly, but I did get mocked soundly by Hodgie.

After the bike ride, Uncle treated us to an outstanding contemporary jazz concert in Kapaa - Lao Tizer and his band. Though I'm not a musician unless you count karaoke, I thoroughly enjoyed the show and hearing Hodgie and Uncle talk about the intricacies of each beat. 

Lessons Learned So Far in Kauai: 

1. I eat more than my brother

2. There are more guys here than gals, so for once, single ladies like myself are in demand

3. Junk food gives me an everlasting headache

4. Pandora is the coolest iPhone application ever, besides the Oakley Surf Report

5. I still hate riding bikes, but I can manage it without falling off if I'm on a flat surface with no human or animal obstacles

6. I read Twilight on the flight from NYC to LAX. I confess, it was entertaining and I will read the rest of the books and watch the movie as soon as possible. The editing was a little dodgy though. If only I'd had a red pen...

The rain has stopped so I'm headed back outside to soak up more sun and continue reading Do Travel Writers Go To Hell? Some of the language and situations in this book are, um, rough around the edges, but I relate to the author's insatiable wanderlust. A favorite quote I just read:

"We travel writers live in perpetual motion. Relationships are transitory and fleeting. Friendships, even more so. Home is where you are on a given night. It is at once glamourous and pathetic, exciting and perversely routine. The longer you do it, the harder it is to return to normal life, and one day you wake up and realize the road is your permanent address. There is no going back."