Would You Like Fries With That Part II (Molikini)

It was our 20th anniversary and we were still on Utah time but in Maui. We easily roused ourselves to get up early and to the harbor for our snorkeling tour. Does it bode well when the boat is named The Minnow and the second mate is referred to as Gilligan? Okay, I made that up. We boarded Frogman, the boat rated for 88 passengers but booked only for 67. I squeezed myself between a very nice and well padded woman from Alaska and some guy from Canada. Scott found an 8" spot to slide one butt cheek and the boat was completely full. But fear not! Three more passengers embarked. It was all I expected and more.

The captain gave his safety tips and took us to Turtle Town first. As you may remember, Slick from the snorkel shop guaranteed we'd see dozens of sea turtles. Before reaching our first destination, the crewmen offered us short wetsuits - for a price. The water is not terribly cold, at least not off a sandy beach. I opted against the suit. It's not like we're at Bear Lake where the water temperature reaches a high 66 degrees on a hot July day. No, this was Hawaii! We were going to see sea turtles and tropical fish!

Admittedly, the water was not frigid by any means but a few degrees colder than the previous day's snorkeling. The fish were beautiful and the water calm. We caught sight of one sea turtle swimming away. Disappointing in that regard, it was still a beautiful swim. Then I got cold and we returned to the boat. Those with wetsuits were able to stay out another 5 minutes before getting called in. We returned to our luxurious accommodations between strangers and I took a half of a Dramamine, just to be safe. I stared longingly at the wetsuits but mostly determined to not be lulled into a false sense of warmth. Instead I was lulled into a semi-conscious state where I might have even started snoring. Love Dramamine.

Once at Molikini we pulled on our masks and flippers and went for another swim. The water was incredibly clear and blue. The fish were beautiful but the most intriguing part of the swim was the sound. Remember that Star Trek movie from the 80's where Captain Kirk and crew go back in time to San Francisco where, in order to save humanity or something on that scale, they had to capture a humpback whale or two and take back to the future? Naturally, Spock could communicate with the whales because it was the logical story line to include. Anyway, the sounds I heard were a lot like the songs of the humpback from the movie. Yes, the humpbacks were spending the winter around the islands, having babies, growing the babies bigger, and copulating for next year's births but could I really be hearing them? We'd seen a number of whales the past few days and even a few on the boat ride. One show off had even jumped straight out of the water the night before off the coast by our condo and arched back for a big splash. It was awesome.

Returning to the boat, we ate our deli lunch. Deli because we had opted for the less expensive tour. Slick had offered an upgrade for only an additional $60 each and we'd have a full barbecue of pork and whatnot. Even on this trip we were offered free *cough* soft drink beverages AND $3 Mai Tais. Fortunately, we had brought our own bottles of water. On the ride back to the harbor, Skipper fascinated us with whale facts (every foot of whale weighs a ton, mama whales produce ten gallons of milk a day, they prefer the shallow and warmer waters between the islands, etc.) and, of course, offered us a whale watching tour for only $50. BUT for a small upgrade fee, we could also be outfitted with a boat that stuck a microphone dealio into the water so we could hear their songs which, incidentally, change every year.

So, yeah. I'd heard the whales communicating with each other.

To top off our anniversary, we returned to the condo, cleaned up, I actually put on make up and real clothes and Scott took me out to a fine dining restaurant called Duke's. It was beyond amazing food. But even fine dining restaurants boasting five stars have no walls. Sitting on the beach and covered by a roof with retractable screens (if a storm blows, I guess), we ate our dinner. Sadly, we had little to talk about. We finally remembered that we have children and called them. Jacob had just returned from scouts and was home alone until his sisters returned from a church activity. He was freaked out by a sound he kept hearing from the backyard. The dog was by his side and not alarmed in the least so we were pretty confident it was an overactive imagination. Then the girls came home and all was well. We hung up and gushed to each other what great kids we have.

I love my husband. He provides me with definition. I still didn't miss the kids so much that I wanted to go home but we had to admit they give us purpose and meaning. And lots of conversation fodder. But a romantic dinner with my husband gave me an excuse to curl my hair, put on make up, and change from a swimming suit into underwear and clothes.

I can hear your thoughts. They are stuck on words like romantic, anniversary, underwear, and clothes. I will validate your thoughts with clear and concise details. All of these factors added up to a beautiful photo op at sunset.

That's what you were thinking, weren't you?