UK

It's that time again, to journey off the beautiful rock and back to the old country.

But first a pit stop in San Francisco where (except for a few fantastic meals out), I spent the entire weekend like this, chatting with my friend Jules and catching up on life.

Laurie, Imants and Jules are some of my dearest and longest friendships on the planet. The kind you can flop down and rest in, which is probably why I didn't stray far from the couch.

Here's a bit of a rude awakening-no latin classes required. As jobs go, I have a magnificent one which was made all the more obvious when we hopped into a cab and saw this. Dear God, the fact that you have to address puke in your work place would be clue enough for me to choose another career (and no I didn't incur the vomit charge)!

One way to clarify that it no longer is what it was.

Fast forward a few days and I awoke alone and hugely contented in my brother's little village house. I padded down the stairs and was momentarily puzzled at the vision of no kettle on the stove. It took me a moment to switch my US circuitry to UK and remember that all kettle's in Britain are on the counter. They sit there in a perpetual state of readiness waiting to serve their masters at the flip of a switch, by rapidly bringing water to scalding point for the greatest ritualistic healing of all time.....tea.

We'd met my brother's neighbour in the pub the night I arrived (as you do) and post pint, while he played sherpa, Jackie kindly handed over a welcome gift of freshly jarred Plum Jam. "It's not set properly" she advised, but as my tea steeped, I poured the scrummy runny gift on top of my freshly buttered toast and crawled back into bed grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Hmmmmm, I wonder what her next gastronomic delight will be, pickled onions perhaps? I see a Ploughman's Lunch in my future.

Lanai.

A change is as good as a rest and with the Lanai Ukulele Festival coinciding with my friend Ian's birthday camping weekend, it was a no brainer to hop on the ferry and go.

Manele Bay is as picturesque as it gets. As the troops schlepped their coolers, tents, sleeping bags and made base camp, I travelled light with my American Express card. From the ferry I hopped onto the Four Seasons shuttle (I know it's becoming a habit), appreciatively accepted a chilled lemonade and checked in.

Even the roof was lovely.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I've only ever been to Lanai once before on my 40th birthday. Ten years later I had returned with Ukulele in hand and ready for a 1pm workshop at The Lodge at Koele. The lodge is just a 15 minute ride to upcountry Lanai, yet it's a world away from the energy and warmth of the beach.

I stood alone and awkwardly in the music room like the new kid on the first day of school. "Good you brought your Uke" said Benny "play something", so I took him literally and played that very song by the Beatles. "Nice" he said stopping me before I'd even got going, then he took a few measures and went off da hook with it! Thankfully as we'd been playing others trickled in and soon we were a cozy group and treated to a jam session with Brittini Paiva and Benny Uyetake.

Meanwhile back at base camp it was like a scene from Pretty Woman as Meesh produced evening wear t-shirt attire for pre dinner drinkies at the Four Seasons. Ian's birthday had brought out the breast in her creativity (see below).

Sure we'd get kicked out for misbehaving, a sharpie bra was added for modesty to Ian's shirt which did little to erase the birthday boy's concerns that he really is a ......

Pretty evening light washed over the bay.

I believe the same can be said of Mr. Hayward.

Lanai hasn't seen this much effort in a while, it's definitely a relaxing and mellow place.

Of course with all this tranquility and calm, you know the Brits from Maui were getting restless.
It was time to put the couch in the water.

Danny and Ian are roomies and have known each other a long time, they know each other a little more intimately now!

The shore break was insane jacking up at the last minute and thwacking onto the beach, here are the girls holding hands about take the drop!

Dan getting the best air of the day.

While Danny (seemingly unaware) teeters on the edge of oblivion.

Later that night as I lay on my dry land couch uploading photo's to facebook. I could hear the laughter from the day ringing out in the comments that were posting as quick as the photo's. Good times people, good times.

Sunny afternoon.

It's summer time which means flat water and that's great for my sailing.

My commitment free days off are driven by the question "should I sail, sup or bike ride"? Lately, if the conditions allow, windsurfing has been my first choice. For so many years this sport has frustrated me to the point of tears, but lately I've been having a lot of fun and realized part of it is being at a level where that exasperation doesn't show up. Which, I don't mind telling you is nothing short of a fucking miracle.

At the risk of stating the obvious, Maui provides weather that allows you to frolic outside year round, but the long summer days provide more play hours and less intense water conditions, and for me that equals more smiles.

Say "Pee" (which I'm not)!

Post sesh like a total nit-wit, I'd packed up leaving the Gopro on my paddle and still in the 'photo every two seconds' mode. One Mississippi, two Mississippi....

.....three Mississippi, four Mississippi....

.......five Mississippi, six Mississippi.

Testing one, two, check-check, testing one, two, three.....

Good evening Wembley!

I've been plucking away now for a little over a year now and am of the belief that I don't have much ego around it. The sheer joy of learning a new chord pass or mastering a strum is enough, it really is one of those simple pleasures which makes it easy to find gratification in the journey. In his infinite wisdom, my teacher, sound engineer and producer, Cyrus, had decided it was time to set up a recording session. Blimey, it's a good job I'm easy about the whole thing because hearing myself in headphones really exposed the areas that need more work. Plus there's definitely an added sense of pressure in wanting to get it right (enter stage left, the ego). At one point (having just botched my solo) my inexperienced recording fingers started trembling! That being said, I could have done it all day because the thrill of getting it right was ridiculously satisfying.

As it's sunny afternoon, I thought of this song and hope you're enjoying your summer.... peace, out.

Chilling out.

Everyone needs a place where they can contemplate undisturbed, this is my friend Jana's reading, meditation, napping and general chill out shack.

In case this dude chills out too much and forgets where he's from.

Now that's a labor of love, I don't think I've once rinsed my sail off with fresh water, let alone scrubbed it properly.

Cleaning the head....

....down the luff...

...opppps missed a bit behind the ears.

Bet'cha this sail doesn't get the same love, but they certainly looked chilled out.

As opposed to these guys, chicken ruuuuun.

Phew-after all that I'm hungry and having always wanted to make homemade pasta, the opportunity arose last week. With Ian as head chef and Cheyenne with all the tools in his kitchen (God bless the kitchen aid) the spinach and ricotta ravioli effortlessly manifested.

As this was Ian dipping his toe back into his non existent Italian roots, he did a bloody good job. I can't wait for the next refinement of the same recipe.

And finally, a few months ago a friend made me a palette of colors to match my tones, they're as dull as dirt, but luckily I'm not!

Green peace.

I love living in a green world.

Glorious stuff.

Yet, as I like my particular patch of green to be neat and tidy I mess with the eco system. The chainsaw, clippers and manual labor produce substantial piles of green waste, which I should compost, but guiltily don't. Instead I make a monthly dusty, dirty trip to the land fill and am left with truck-bed full of displaced bugs for my trouble.

A clever friend with a much more evolved recycling sprit than mine (and a green thumb) surprised me with these the other day. I like 'um and may have to give her my old Doc Martins so they can have a new lease of life.

The smart choice is clearly to be an Octopus tree and live on the side of a cliff, over looking the coral reef and out of reach from people like me.

Someone not out of my reach was poor Cleo. I rudely awoke her from what must have been a deep nap because rather than scampering away as I grabbed my sails, she remained in place as I pulled both them and her out into the sunlight.

Ohhhh did somebody mention a deep nap? 'Tis one of my favorite things on the plant to do and there's no time like the present. See you in...a....few....minzzzzzzzz.