So far this week we've talked of napkin notes, birthday notes, clues-to-treasures notes, heavy-heart notes, and forerunner notes. Today, I'm sharing dialogue-from-the-rental-car notes.
I have a habit of making notes on the NOTES app on my phone. I have hundreds of them. Pieces of new stories. Story ideas. Dreams. Thoughts. You get the idea. While we were in Hawaii last month, I jotted down the funny things that were said in the rental car between my husband, my son, my daughter-in-law, and myself as we drove around the island of Kauai, and just this morning I ran into the NOTE in my phone. Today seems like the appropriate time to share.
Our first morning on the island, we were invited to a traditional Sunrise Blessing on the beach. The concierge said it would happen, rain or shine. It was raining super hard. Still, we got ourselves to the beach at 5:45 a.m. and when we arrived, a Hawaiian woman was waiting under a cabana, handed Becky a piece of paper, and said "Here. This is the sunrise chant. You can read it yourself. I'm not going out in that storm." It may have been the jet lag, but we found this unbelievably hilarious.
At an Italian restaurant, insinuations were made that Americans order way too much food. Yes, I know we were still in America. And we didn't order that much food. So it was ironic and super funny when our waitress brought us a "dessert" pizza on the house and said "The Dad is hungry," as she walked away. David took total offense to this, but we quoted her. All. Week. Long.
David, at a flea market stall, looking at a terribly gaudy necklace: "This looks like it belongs on that shiny crab in Moana."
A vendor at the same flea market: "Why did the chicken cross the ocean?"
Me: "Why?"
Vendor: "You mean, Kauai?" He laughed. "It's Aloha Friday. Everybody wanna be on Kauai."
Taylor, when the diner was closed: "I think it's Aloha Monday."
Taylor, when a different diner was closed: "I think it's Aloha Tuesday."
Taylor, when nobody answered the phone at the Front Desk: "I think it's Aloha Wednesday."
Me, at the airport on our way home: "I wonder what happens when you fly on Aloha Friday?"
Taylor, after leaving a gorgeous beach where the waves slammed us into the sand and David and Taylor were stung by jellyfish: "I'm thinking this is what all those Danger signs were talking about."
Becky, reading a beach review aloud to us from Yelp: "It's the best beach on Kauai, but be careful because you can bust your ass on the trail down."
Taylor: "I'm done sacrificing my body for the water." This caused laughter, because we'd all been sacrificed sufficiently to the wave gods for one day.
David, after a chicken chased me: "I think that's your spirit animal."
Me: "Why? Because I'm aggressive?"
David: Silent smirk. Waiting for it to sink in.
Me: "Because I'm a chicken? That's so rude. But kinda true."
Me, after we ALL had been chased to the car by a huge number of chickens: "Is this where the term 'cocky' comes from? These chickens have such an attitude. They're a cocky flock of chickens, is what they are."
David: "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
Me: "I don't know. Why did the chicken cross the road?"
David: "To stop the car for a photo op."
Me, putting down my phone: "You're the one who stopped. It's not my fault the chickens pose for photos."
And to wrap this up, two from our tour guides:
As our guide showed us petrified soda crackers in a World War II bunker: "Let's make sure we leave these here. If you've seen the Brady Bunch, you know what happens if you take stuff from Hawaii. Ain't nobody want that to happen."
And, finally, as we floated down a canal through a long dark tunnel of lava rock, our guide stopped everyone and said, "Now that I have your undivided attention, I thought we could take this moment to talk about a great investment opportunity . . ."
These things may not be especially funny to you, but they bring back memories of a great week for me. Taking notes is a wonderful way to remind us of the good times. Jot 'em down, people. Jot them down. Kauai.
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