On Road to Maui # 7 sept 21 2013 :0)

On Road to Maui # 7

Sorry camera is in storage...so pics are from this am taken with my Mac at Maui Coffee Rosters...sorry :0)

Tuesday 17.....Currently its 7:52 am and we are passing 10,000 ft out over the Pacific 20 mins out of Sandeigo Ca.
Its been a long morning,we awoke at 3:30 had coffee and sped off in our rental car to the airport with our 6 bags two laptops and two very tired passengers.......


FridayWell its been about 4 days since I last stroked the keyboard...truth be told we are both plum exhausted.
7 days to get here car,bike ,plane and now we are camping on the beach near Lahina.


We met a local Maui women from Kapaula at the Airport in Sandeigo named Andrea or more to the point as I came back from the bathroom Cynthia was engaged in conversation with afore said future friend . Andrea is a naturapthic Doctor , humble, confident and warm. She offered us the tent we are now sleeping in complete with single air bed. We had planned to go to Costco upon landing to buy one.


When we landed Cynthia went of with Andrea to Kapaula to get the tent we decided to meet later at the camp site I had stayed at on my last excursion here. I called my friend Israel to come pick me up so that I could store our suit cases at his home till our car arrived on the 26 september. Andy my friend had left his motorcycle along with some sleeping gear at Israels for us to use until the auto arrived with my motorcycle :0)


Foot Note : When I got to the campsite to meet up with Cynthia she had already picked out a spot and siad it was because it was so peaceful of all the 100 or so spots she had picked out the one I stayed at last trip, she had no idea !!!! got to love the holy spirit :0)


This blog is a little bit disjointed like its writer, I`m just plain exhausted from the last several weeks as you can imagine.


Woke up this morning with people staring in our tent that kind of thing makes me angry, whatever happened to respecting peoples privacy. At First it was the Dad, then his kids ,now kids I understand but when the Dad walked by again there he was rubber necking again man is he still in middle school mentaly. Moments later a blonde girl is at the same game from a distance and then as she walks by turns looks right in, yesterday this couple kept staring for the longest time as they walked towards and past. Do they all miss reality TV that bad, are they the new watchers for the NSA . Maybe I,m just old fashioned but I respect peoples privacy...Ok,good vent!! plus got some sentences out of that one...such is life on a camp site with small minded peeping Toms.


The rest of the campers are pretty cool . There is Travis from Peru who has been on maui 6 years, Melissa and Marci who just arrived 2 days ago. Melissa like us has decided to move here ,her husband Jeff has been here since May . Yesterday we met a women we had met 3 years ago who we know on facebook called Maryanne. She has been working at the local store about half a mile away. The Funny thing is I used to see her every morning on my last visit ,thought she looked familiar but never put two and two together. Back then she was teaching Zumba class`s in Kahulai 17 miles away.


Today we go to the saturday Market in Kahalui where you can buy some of the best fruits and vegetables on the island at amazingly cheap prices. The key to surving here is to get to know your neighbours and shop where they shop, if you buy in the tourist towns you will go broke. Safeway in Lahina is very expensive as against Safeway in Kahalui much cheaper, then of course you have the local Pack and Save cheaper again same produce.


Now a word to those people back there that claim its very expensive to live here and milk is $6 a gallon and gas $6 what island did you visit or did you ever come here at all ?and what where you smoking. Yes, Property is expensive but rent is pretty much on a par with Portland / willsonville and you dont need a big home it never gets cold and who wants to live indoors you dont come here to look at drywall and Laura Ashley ,if you want to keep up with the Jones stay home and max your credit Card because you will not survive here as who can Comptete with Ophra or Brad Pit and yes even Clint Eastwood lives here, of course all you need to do to keep up with him is have a faster draw!


Ok, Thanks for reading sorry been so long Mahalo


Michael and Cynthia :0)

On The Road to Maui # 6....Corona and Sandeigo :0)

Road to Maui # 6

Today is Sunday sept 15 ..12:25 pm

We are still in Sandeigo or a suburb off. We are staying with Cynthia`s life long friend Susan and her husband Steve and their two amazing Daughters Daniele and Noel. We arrived here two days ago after dropping my motorcycle at Pasha the shipping company. We met a fellow biker Called “Skeeter” who was shipping his Harley to Kauai,we gave him a lift to the airport.

We had just driven, ridden in from Corona where we had stayed with Nick and Lisa Barrentios and their new son Eli along with Nick`s brother Leo and his Girl friend Madey ,actually they are all my extended family on Cynthia`s side.

Leo and my son JAQ are good friends they both hit it of at our wedding  like long lost comrades in Arms.
They went all out for us opening up their home to this weary couple including great cooking and Its-Its!!!!!!. :0)

Nick and Leo have a Band Called “Castle Pines”...they are incredibly talented Musicians / song writers with a unique sound of their own. It will not be long before the world knows the sound of Castles Pines coming over Sirrus sat radio and beyond.

https://www.facebook.com/CastlePinesMusic and also on the cloud

Castle Pines's sounds on SoundCloud - Hear the world's sounds

soundcloud.com/castle-pines

‎‎

I,m Proud to know these guys... Behind ,walking alongside this Band are Lisa, Eli and Madey . They are the true backbone of these multiform talented Men!!!!!

Long live Castle Pines!!!! :0)

We left Corona around 11:30 am and had a speedy uninterrupted race down the I-15 . It was day 5 for me riding in CA so I was used to the speed freaks although honestly don’t think I would like to have to do this everyday as many here do. Riddlen sales must be high down here !

After dropping the Bike we headed for the Beach at Coronado and accidentally drove onto the Naval Base. Hey we were just following the traffic. Some time later after surrendering our ID`s and pulling of to a waiting area we were given instructions on how to leave.

Moments later we found the “Hotel Coronado “ on the beach a remarkable structer built in 1888 and the site of many movies eg “Peter O toole`s Pygmalion” and “Jack Lemons “ Some Like it Hot” with Marilyn Monroe.

We went in to use the toilet hahaha and got some great pictures and then we ate some great Fish Taco`s at a local and hit the Beach to watch the sun go down and some great Naval pilots practice.

Oh, My sons JAQ and Casey`s Grandfather was a LT Commander during WW2 on this Naval Base we are all proud of the late "Stan Droski" who served his country with honors as so many did back then!!!! Also earlier got to view some Huge Aircraft carriers and a tall sailing ship “The Star of India”

Then we drove over to Steve and Susans to spend the next 3 nights before our flight Home to Maui!!!

Funny I have tears in my eyes as I wrote that...said it to Cynthia for the first time yesterday am.

 Its been a long road since I left the shores of Ireland many years ago and if I know our God its far from over..

Aloha to you all and thank you for all your Prayers and Mental support

Later Michael and Cynthia ;0)

On the road to Maui # 5




Well when I last wrote 2 days ago or is it 3...things have been happening so fast it all seems a blur.


We had spent the night at the Holiday Inn Express 120 miles south of Sacramento had a great nights sleep and well needed rest,so we decided not to get up until 8:30am late for me . Today was the day I was looking forward too......Ride through the Mohave dessert day...I love desserts they have a huge attraction for me.
They can be Hot, silent,still, mysterious, beautiful ever changing in color and then in a flash can produce thunder storms,flash floods and drop below freezing. I never tire of riding through them and most times I do it alone,great place to let yourself loose or just be !!!!


We left the Hotel around 10am and the blacktop parking lot was already melting as the temperature rose like a rocket. Any sane traveler would have departed at 4 am but we wanted to see the dessert in all its mid-day glory.
By the time we reached Bakersfield our Gateway to the Mohave the temp was already in the low hundreds 102 to 105. We fueled up and I soaked my leathers and inside of helmet too with the aid of friendly store/ restaurant owner called PJ from India who happened to be hosing down the deck outside his restaurant as I rode up. We took some time out to chat and PJ showed us a short cut through the Almond farm district his family owned.


I thought I had left the 100 + MPH crazy Ca drivers back on the I-5 but no they all had a lets get the Irish,Argentinian meeting and came in low on the Deck of the dessert to try and take us out ,wish I had access to a drone!!!
They come up on you so fast, pass either side and I mean on the hard shoulder where you least expect them. Earlier that morning two who passed me on the inside together and nearly sent me to heaven early. The scary part was the guy behind me who decided to pass on the inside at around 95 (I was cruising at 75) was passed on the hard shoulder by a guy who had to be going at least 120 plus. Oh, Yes! forgot to mention I was about 30 yards from passing a Semi. By some crazy miracle they both made it through that small space missing Cynthia by a hair. It shook me up thinking I could have been taken out by Dummer and Dummer America`s answer to the WW2 German V1 rockets.

Desert Idiots aside the ride through the Mohave was so worth it ,yes it was hot ,but then thats part of the challenge of motorcycle riding. My hat goes of to cyclists who make that trip. We stopped near Edwards Air-force base and saw a couple of jet fighters going though maneuvers.


The road through the dessert is fairly straight but has lots of rolling hills that seem to go on forever into the far horizon the perfect road for any motorcyclist, if it was up to me I would love to live out there someday,don’t think I would get to many visitors which is a plus for this Irish hermit as Cynthia says I would be very alone Hahaha.


Then all of a sudden we were at the I-15 and it was over and we headed south to Corona for the night. The I -15 is another rat Race and was passed by a guy in a Mercedes coup on the inside as he went to Join Meatloaf on the Highway to Hell...


Ok I,m off to bed ….God be with you all and thanks for reading





Michael and Cynthia :0)

On The Road to Maui # 4




Ok, Today is wednesday sept 11 2013 10:53 AM we made it as far as Corona last evening by 6:30.
When I last wrote we were in a Motel 6 in weed Ca. We left weed at 6:30 am in search of a good cup of coffee in Mount Shasta 6 miles down the road. Last trip out here we had discovered a really good Mac Donald’s that served amazing coffee. Yes! I know Mac Donald’s aren’t you guys health nuts. Cynthia will search the four corners of the Globe to find good coffee!!


Hey who came up with the four corner thingy ? I mean first some religious Gargoyles told us it was flat, then old Columbus went nananananana its round and now its square...hey just saying thats all


Well 1 hour later no coffee we searched high and low, of course it had nothing to do with the fact that we were totally exhausted after recent events and of course the most important factor the brown bean was not coursing through our veins sinking our coffee radar. Think I just solved the Area 51 myth all those long haired freaks from Venice beach forgot their coffee and had illusions of Juan Valdez coming on a UFO bringing the answer to life.


Honestly cannot remember where, but I believe it was an Jack-in the Box 50 miles down the road in Redding??? that the brown liquid flowed through Cynthia Panama canal bring Argentina back into focus. It was a weak picture as the coffee was way below her standard, but alas it was coffee. So we played the positive thinking game telling ourselves this is really good coffee after 2 cups. It was then we noticed the Mall next door with Starbucks.....HELLLLLOOOOOOO!!!!!!!


All this to say early morning 95 Degree heat and no coffee makes you see 51 imaginary thoughts!!


The rest of that day saw us driving the I-5 past Sacramento playing with California Traffic. The I-5 past Stockton was all torn up and I felt as though I was in a motocross race. The road was full of potholes, bumps and long curves, the speed limit was posted 55 but the locals were hitting 75 to 85 if I obeyed the legal limit I would be writing this from the great beyond. My years of motorcycle Dispatch riding in London England paid of!!!! and then just as I thought can this get any faster,hotter102degress, longer it was 2:30 in the afternoon and Cynthia who was leading in the Nissan Altima pulled of in some unknown town booking us into a Holiday Inn Express a fitting end to race day on the NASCAR I-5.


Day 3 was the Mohave to Corona....write about that shortly...heading for lunch...later


Michael and Cynthia :0)

The Road to Maui # 3

Road to Maui # 3


What day is today...honestly I don’t know...I,m sitting in a motel 6 bathroom in Weed California and I forgot to bring my medical card (hahaha just kidding).
Cynthia is fast asleep..Oh I just looked at the time on my laptop its 4:21am Monday now whats the date...click its the 9 sept. Man I,m tired its been a long last ten days ?


Yesterday began not at 4 am as planned but around 6 am I think. I was a wakened not by the cell alarm but the knots in my stomach. I decided to untie them by changing my thought pattern. So I began to thank God for this present moment and decided to live it as though it was my last. I began to look forward to seeing Cynthia`s form rise out of the bed above ( I was on the floor, no not the Dog house or sofa, just could not sleep and did not want to keep Cynthia awake all night)


I began to start laughing inside , laughter is such healing medicine. I propped myself up on my elbows waiting for sight of Cynthia`s head over the edge of the bed. Moments Later she stirred when you are connected to someone so deeply you know when the other person is awake, because they can hear you moving around!!!


She looked down at me and said


“ are you crying”
“no I,m Laughing are you ready for our amazing adventure”


We both began to laugh hard..what a way to start a day...the only thing planned so far are airline tickets and passage for the Car / Bike on Pasha shipping. We do not have any accommodation etc booked on Maui.


30 mins later coffee in hand we finish loading the car, then Cynthia receives a call from Kelly Drake wondering if we are up yet. Bob and Kelly had arranged to meet us at The Pac Pride by Enchanted forrest to say good Bye.


10 mins later we are off Cynthia leading in the Car and Moi on the Beast . We have bags, a cooler full of snacks. At Aurora we Meet Dawn the fueler at Shell who loves her job because of Early morning sun rises.


At Woodburn stop text Bob and Kelly and 15 minutes later pull into Pac-Pride. Bob and Kelly were wearing their Maui Tea shirts. I have know them close to 15 years now. Last Time I saw kelly was on Maui last March. It was their first time meeting the Mythical Cynthia. They are Great friends . It was a great send of!!! Thanks Bob and Kelly.

The rest of the day was filled with great tired riding, met AL the Fueler who owns a Harley, Gerardo the ladies man who runs a spiffy gas station outside medford and then Gilbert fellow biker and Brian at Motel 6 weed cali.

We were exhausted mentally and Physically the heat was in the Nineties and will climb further as we head south today... The Mohave will be interesting.....


Ok thats it from this tired boy...now where are my bike leathers...mmmmm...Later Love you all

Michael and Cynthia ;0)

The Road to Maui :0)  # 2


I was checking out at the Cashiers desk at fred Meyers Beaverton yesterday, Cynthia was busy chatting to her nephew Leandro on the cell and I got chatting with David the cashier.


David asked


“ Any plans for the weekend”


I replied


“ Riding my motorcycle to Sandeigo with my wife driving the car , then loading both vehicles on to a ship for Maui and not coming back”


He looked at me in stunned silence and I said


“ can you beat that one”


He was genuinely surprised!


We then continued to have a short fun warm conversion after which we shook hands as if we had been old friends. David gave me a short bow as I left wishing us both a happy life, we had made his day and he mine.


I love moments like that when we really connect with our fellow primates hahahaha after all thats why we were put here on Gods amazing earth :0)


We drove back to Cynthia family home ,it had been a day of last minute errands and was not over yet.


Cynthia went upstairs to freshen up while I replaced my handle bar grips on the motorcycle with comfy new ones for the 1100 mile road trip.


Thirty mins later we headed out for the night to spend an evening with JAQ our son!!!
Jaq is going to collage in Portland ,he recently spent 3 years in the Army and is also a stand up comedian cant imagine where he gets that from. Actually both he and Casey have great senses of humor. Casey is attending Collage back in Michigan ,boy time fly’s.


We were all exhausted when we met up , Jaq took us to his local hang out. For the occasion he wore his 'Jesse Pinkman' Breaking Bad tee shirt. He turned us on to that show recently. Its one of the most intense and realistic shows about the illegal meth trade ,not for the faint of heart. Remember the Timid weak willed Dad in Malcolm in the middle?
He plays the top dog 5 star Meth Cook if you have not seen it,take a trip in that direction on Netflix and bring a friend along for the wild ride!


We retired early last night as we have to finish packing for the trip.
I feel we have been packing and preparing for the trip since my return from Maui last May.
You know Robinson Crusoe had it easy he was ship wrecked,washed ashore with just the shirt on his back ,no TSA , Shipping company or savings to worry about,just a cold sharp shock with a man friday meeting in the works,what an adventure.

This is my early morning attempt at a blog, my second, getting back into the swing of things.
This last week saw the selling of our RV to Tracy Bean a very close friend! and my business effects to the craigslist community. I spent most of the week at Ron and Mary Rosgen`s my Oregon family for life. We go back a long way and hopefully in the near future will find then a spot on the beach in our new tropical home.


Right then I,m of back to bed and hopefully when I next tap out a message on these keys it will be from somewhere south of the Oregon boarder sharing a cold one with Cynthia by a 5 star pool at Motel 6...cheers God Bless you all


Michael and Cynthia :0)

ON THE ROAD TO MAUI ?

Boy I have not written a blog in about emmmm let me see,ok a long time. Its 6:51 Sunday morning which back in the day in Green old Ireland would be called the morning after whatever mischief we got up to in the pub the night before. Thankfully this particular morning my head is not wearing an internal Balaclava ( Full covered ski mask over here) boy don’t miss waking up like that anymore .


I,m sitting in a comfortable leather reading chair in the beautiful new home of my  brother and sister in-law Abe and Sandy Barrientios
 (Thanks Abe and Sandy for your wonderful hospitilty!)
Cynthia is upstairs in dreamland. It is the morning after vacating our old apartment took many weeks to sell of and give away many years worth of effects and everything pretty much is gone save a few boxes in the garage here that we will sort out this week.


Truth be told I don’t miss any of our stuff,for sure I thought I would miss our King size comfortable bed and Big screen Netflix 47'' Lcd Movie viewer,don’t know what to call TV`s any more they have changed so much but no I don’t miss it,its like we never lived there, when its time to move on its time to move on.
After all its just stuff , when we pass on someday its not taking the ride with us. Bet there are a lot of Flat broke naked Egyptian Pharaohs walking around in circles with the wrong plane ticket in iceland watching a another bunch of guys looking for 72 virgins, maybe Richard Branson can help them ?


Thanks for reading this far I have no idea whats coming next,just getting back into practice before we hit the island and become lost again. I,m so looking forward to what God has planned for Cynthia this move. She so deserves a new life on Maui. Cynthia has worked so hard most of her life for others and now its her turn to eat a big chunk of pie , use her God given talents to infinity and beyond to borrow Buzz`s last words as he was catapulted out of “ The Hole In The Wall Pub” in Dublin last week.


She is a great business woman who has greatly organized this Irishman’s life.
Hey if it was not for her efforts we would never have gone to Maui in the first place. Seems like such a long time ago since we embarked from Hawaiian Air 236 into the first warm Pacific breeze and heard the rustling of the tall Palm Trees. I never wanted to go to Hawaii ,just figured it was full of noisy tourists, my Idea of a vacation is either riding into the sunset or sitting on a beach some where lost in the moment of dreamland. Boy was I wrong hahaha and shortly we will board a plane and head Home to the Island.


We have no Idea where we are going to live yet, its all part of the adventure of this great and wonderful life God has blessed us with, when you decide to let go and trust God anything can happen. Hey look at JOB ! You know guy in the old testament who`s fortune and family got whacked and spent his days lansing boils and God loved him deeply?.. yes! that was a blessing or an Irish Curse Hahahaha...like I said anything can happen our lives are not our own when we surrender them into his hands.


So In Few Days We will leave Oregon for Sandeigo to ship the vehicles, Cynthia Driving the Car and I riding the bike with some luggage and a Ukelele My friend and Maui lover Tim Malenosky gifted me last week, Mahalo TIM :0)
Cant you just see sitting me on the beach playing , singing a love song to Cynthia as the sun goes down.....Aloha everyone will write again soon!!!


MICHAEL AND CYNTHIA :0)