Turning 31!

After keeping a blog for sometime, events will repeat, it's at that time you realize how quickly time passes!! Taei turned 31 years old on Tuesday! My babes is gettin' old!! LoL!! We met when he was just 19 years old and now look!! This year his day off from work landed on his birthday, so I decided to take the day off too and have a whole day for just the two of us!!

I had his birthday chalk full of things to do...so even though we took the day off, we were still up at 4:30 am!! Hours earlier than I usually get up for work! But I wanted to get to Diamond Head as soon as the gates opened so we can get our hike on BEFORE the sun rose!!

It was SO dark when we got there I only snapped a few shots...most of my photos were on the way back down!

I did manage to get one pix of him...if it were lit in the background you'd be able to see Kaimuki and Palolo Valley, but right now no...

This is the first time both me and Taei have hiked Diamond Head. Keep in mind we just completed the Great Aloha Run and just a few days before this I walked over two miles due to crazy traffic...BUT I was not prepared for this hike. Here's what the brochure says:

"The 0.8 mile hike from trailhead to the summit is steep and strenuous, gaining 560 feet as it ascends from the crater floor. The walk is a glimpse into the geological and military history of Diamond Head. A concrete walkway built to reduce erosion shifts to a natural tuff surface about 0.2 mile up the trail with many switchbacks traversing the steep slope of the crater interior. The ascent continues up steep stairs and through a lighted 225-foot tunnel to enter the Fire Control Station completed in 1911."

I've seen the shirts boasting "I made it 99 steps to the top of Diamond Head" and what not, but it isn't JUST 99 STEPS! It's 74 freakin' steps, then 99 of the steepest steps I've EVER climbed!! It was not fun for a few minutes...especially when you got a bus load of japanese tourist and some hardcore hiking people who must do this every day on your tail! But I made it, to an AMAZING view that I'm glad I didn't miss!

Obviously all of us early birds are there to either A. avoid the sun and/or B. to try and catch the sunrise! Luckily we made it with a frew minutes to spare!

It took us a little over half an hour to get to the top...some of the tourist and hardcore guys must've did it in like 20-25 minutes!! And once that sun was out...so were they!! Here they are headin' back down already...lol!

Here's some shots from the top...looking both East and West...

I packed some spam musubi and juice for us to snack on at the top and then we started the descent, one last pix...

So by this time, the suns up, there's more light, and I don't have 100 japanese people breathing down my neck! So here's a backwards view of the hike...

 

Just before you reach the lookout (or Fire Control Area) you have these narrow, winding steps...keep in mind that before you get to this point you've hiked the side of a mountain, climbed 74 steps, went down a 225 ft tunnel, hiked 99 more steep steps, and another tunnel! It was kinda funny catching my breath at the bottom to see everyone's reaction to these stairs...I don't speak Japanese, but I'm pretty sure they were saying something along the lines of, "OH HELL NO!! I just climbed close to 200 steps and now this..." or something like that! LoL!

 

 

 

These are the 99 steps from hell that are super steep and designed to kill you...

 

 

 

 

Notice that by this time Taei was carrying everything?? That's why I love this man so much!! Thanks babe! LoL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even through all that...I really enjoyed myself! It was nice to do something with Taei, but our days not over yet!! It's only just begun! But here's a few more random Diamond Head shots...

After our hike I thought it'd be nice to hang out on Waikiki Beach. Taei loves to go to the beach, but our weekends are normally really busy and we don't get to go that often...so off we went!

 

 

Good thing about going to the beach so early...prime street parking with no meter to pay...not so good thing, it's really freakin' cold! LoL!!

 

 

We did see this group doing some weird balancing yoga! Click on the picture to see it up close.

 

 

 

You might think he looks grouchy, but this is a look of contentment. When I asked him if he'd rather be doing something else, he said no...we don't have enough "just chill" time...he's absolutely right!! Taei did jump in the water for a little while and I opted for a nap. Afterwards we stopped over at one of our favorite spots...

 

 

Just kidding!!

 

 

Teddy's Bigger Burgers! They're supposed to be opening a spot out in Kapolei, but when?? C'mon Teddy's lets get craccalaccin!! LoL!!

 

 

We both ordered Combo #2 with pepper jack cheese. This is the 7 oz patty...Taei was thinkin' just the 5 oz, but I made him man up and at least get the 7 oz. It was SO yummy and cooked medium, which I LOVE!! The sauce is amazing and you can't help but get the stuff all over your face...After lunch we headed home to wash up before our next appointment.

We both had a Shiatsu massage. Taei's been before, my mom and sister try to go often. If you don't know Shiatsu is a Japanese massage technique which according to the Japanese Medical Department of Ministry and Welfare "Shiatsu technique refers to the use of fingers and palm of one's hand to apply pressure to particular sections on the surface of the body for the purpose of correcting the imbalances of the body, and for maintaining and promoting health. It is also a method contributing to the healing of specific illnesses."

I've never done Shiatsu because I heard it's quite painful because of the intense pressure, but whenever I ask Taei to massage my back he insists I should just go to Shiatsu, that we should go together. Taei's work is much more physical and between that and basketball his body gets really sore, so for his birthday we got massages. Let me tell you, an hour of that was AWESOME! I was nervous that it'd be too painful and there were some sore moments, but once the massage was over I felt so much more relaxed and my back felt so loose! I definitely want to make that a regular thing, but probably like 2 or 3 times a year, cuz I don't know if I could afford much more!

Another thing that Taei have been trying to do since the movie came out is watch Paul Blart: Mall Cop...well I checked the movie times the day before and everything was all good to see the movie and still make it to dinner with the rest of the family, but for one reason or another Paul Blart was an hour later than I thought and that would've made us an hour late for dinner. So we decided on Madea Goes to Jail instead!

We still want to see Paul Blart, but Madea was an excellent sub! This movie is HILARIOUS!! Tyler Perry is so freakin' crazy playing all those different roles!! I think this might be my favorite Tyler Perry movie. If you haven't seen it yet, go watch it!!

Finally...the end of our day! Dinner with the family! Taei wanted to keep things simple and cheap so we met up with some of the family at Pearlridge Sizzlers. It turned out to be alot of fun and I don't think anyone can beat sizzlers cheese toast and chicken wings!!

And of course the best part of the night...PRESENTS!!

THOSE WERE AWESOME GIFTS EVERYONE!! Thank you so much for everything, but most importantly thanks for being apart of our day!! Taei especially loves Call of Duty 5: World at War...he opened it up as soon as we got home and played for hours (hehehe...okay, that was me!!) One more thing...I am so proud of the shirts I gave Taei for his birthday. I know it's nothing fancy or expensive, but something small that I knew he'd like. After our Great Aloha Run t-shirts came out so awesome I made a few with these graphics that Taei likes. Check it out...

I thought they came out good!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAEI!!!