i worked out

No, but really.  Kylie said we couldn't go surfing this morning (it's our Tuesday/Thursday tradition) so I slept in until 8am, and then I put in laundry and went for a run.  On my run I ran into an Asian lady who had written "I love you Mom" in the sand and needed someone to take a picture of it.

This isn't me, or my beach- but I'm pretty sure this is what I look like.

Oh- I run on the beach. I never run anywhere else because running is boring and

 I'd rather be swimming; running next to the ocean is the most tolerable.

I made breakfast, but just for myself because Sara had already gone to class.  I'm really bad at making breakfast for one person, I always make too much.

I drove to school.  Today was the day to pick up my oboe in Honolulu.  Yay!

I went to the weekly office meeting, where I mapped out my route for my trek to Honolulu later that day. 

Laie-> Global Music Supply -> Ben Franklin Crafts (for ribbon) 

-> Walmart (they actually don't have reg. yeast, or large quantities of whole wheat flour) -> Laie

As I was getting my book for my Conducting class, my friend Matt (not Matthew my good friend, Matt the Vocal Major) happened to ask my book partner if he could go to town with her today.  Well, he couldn't; so I spoke up and it was settled.  Matt would go with me right after class.

Well, after I got my laundry out of the dryer...
On my way home I saw Tawny (former roommate) and offered her a ride.  For some reason- the car kept dying as I was going into first at a standstill.  It does that sometimes, but it was being really touchy.  I felt like I could not drive, and this is something I've gotten much better at.  By 3pm we were happily on the road.
Sidenote- Chris served his mission in France.  I've always liked Chris, but my love for him certainly increased when I looked at his 'in transit' cd collection.  He. has. Notre Dame de Paris. Reminiscing about high school french. Score!- end note

 We were listening to this song when I noticed that the temperature gauge was really high.  Really high.  The thought crossed my mind- 'I should call Matthew and see if he noticed anything about the temperature gauge when he drove it on Saturday.'  But then traffic came to a stop...schoolbus in front of me....and the car died.  That's fine.  I'll just turn the key and it'll start up again.

But it didn't. 

I tried again.

It wouldn't turn over.

On go the Hazards. I motion the cars behind me to go around and Matt and I push the car onto the shoulder of Kam Hwy.  By 'shoulder', I mean someone's front yard.  Up goes the hood.  

Nothing is wet. 

The battery is rather corroded.

The oil is at a good level.

The color of the oil is...oil colored.

"Matt, try to start the car for me."

Matt does not drive stick. You need to hold the clutch while you start the car and this is rather confusing. 

So I tried to start it.  

It did!

Then I put it in Neutral and it died.
The Check Engine light was on again and the temperature gauge was still in the red zone.

The next attempt was back at the 'I'm not going to turn over' stage. 

*I realize that this may mean very little to you, but it means something to my dad and to some guy who will be asking me to describe, in detail, what happened to the car.  I need to get this down as accurately as possible before my Psychology annotation pushes this out of my head.  Bear with me.*

Well, it started once.  If I can get it to start again I want to GO go go GO.

Matt and I maneuver the car on this stretch of land so that the car, once it starts we'll have a strait shot.  

I call Matthew.  

"Matthew I'm stuck.  The car died.  I'm not in Laie right now but if I get there can I borrow your car?"

talking talking...where are you? why are going to town?  

I'm moving a car while we're talking, so I'm not communicating very well.

Sidenote- Every boy should learn how to push a car. BAR NONE.   If you learn nothing else about cars, just lean how to be smart about pushing one. -end note

Matthew is taking Seth to the airport at 6ish = no, I can't borrow the car.

I can't go later, with them, because the Music Store *closes at 5:30.

"Alright, is Richard there?  Can I talk to Richard?" (Another Bio Tutor friend- such good people)

talking, talking....

The guy who owned the property we were on came over while I was on the phone.

"You need a jump?"

YES!  I love Hawaii.  These people are so fantastic!

Man brings over his truck, I start the car, wait for the battery to charge for a bit. 

Hawaiian Superman over here tells me he is going to disconnect the battery to make sure it isn't a problem with the alternator.  

He does

and the car keeps running.

Meaning, I suppose, that the alternator is fine.

That was Hawaiian Superman's conclusion.  

Richard: "Where are you?"

ummm....

Hawaiian Superman says Poonalu'u. 

"Alright, call me when you get to school and I'll run the keys out for you."

Hawaiian Superman, since he just sees the engine and not the temperature gauge, offers to trade car batteries with me so we can get to town.  He was standing there trying to think if he had an extra car battery laying around that we could borrow.  

This would never happen in Vegas.  I don't care who you are, or what you say, or what religious background you are from, this type of service would not happen between complete strangers. 

Thank you so much, but I'm going to run this back and trade cars with the guy I was on the phone with.  

I want to take him cookies...or cake...or Ted's Pie.

And we're off!

I avoided any semblance of a stop like the plague.  We made it all the way to Hale La'a, where I had to turn to get to the school.  It died in the turn. 

We were running on momentum and it took us right into a little car gate that goes into Laie Elementary field.  

On go the Hazards, once again.  

Sidenote- Know where your Hazard lights are and know how to turn them on.  ALWAYS.  It's a safety thing, you need to know.- end note

Matt and I get out of the car. I adjust the wheel and we back up until another car comes and we're blocking the way.

There was an SUV waiting to pick up their children- they watched us struggle for a bit and then called for one of the kids to come help us push the car.  Before I knew it, there were about 5 pre-teen/teenage kids pushing the car.  

Again- would not happen in Vegas.  I know. I've had to do it alone.  Pushing a car alone is a lot harder than pushing it with someone else helping. 

We pushed it all the way up the road to this.

We were booking it.  We were all running. It was hot, we were sweaty, running out of breath...it was probably the cutest thing you've ever seen.  The tourist tram that passed us certainly thought so. Some of the kids got tired and decided to go back to the Elementary, but one of the kids stayed and pushed with us all the way down the Street to the school.  "I guess I won't make it to football practice." 

There was an open parking space- we pushed it in, I got Richard's keys and had a timeline to be back in Laie by 8. 

yeah- that didn't happen.

We left an hour after I had planned and hit 5pm traffic, getting to the music store 5min before the posted closing time.
Apparently there were still a few things to do on my Oboe.  I talked story with Alice, the front desk lady.  A cute old couple with dogs came in.  The old man needed his Oboe fixed too...and then his wife pulled out her clarinet and they played a little.  It's kindof adorable.  <but the store was already supposed to be closed>
It cost a lot more to fix Obert than Adam (repairman extraordinaire) had assumed, but he made up some of the difference so it was only...still more than I'd been told, but closer to what I'd originally expected the cost to be.  (I knew $50 was too good to be true.)
We left the store after 6pm, with banana bread on a plate for the journey home.
And again, this does not happen anywhere else...."Here, we fixed your instrument and you have a long drive home and you had a hard time getting here, have some home-made banana bread."

Between finding Ben Franklin, Walmart, and rain....
I'm bringing Richard cake or something.  -why is food always the answer?-