Paradise Report Day 6: Open Water

"This must be just like livin' in paradise (just like paradise)

And I don't wanna go home (and I never wanna go)

This must be just like livin' in paradise

And I don't wanna go home"

- Just like Paradise, David Lee Roth

 I have had that song running through my head since I left the mainland.  I was always a DLR fan, never loved the Van Halen with Sammy H, I think it was b/c I could never grow a wicked fro like he had.

Day 6 in Paradise was just that living in paradise.  The day started off with a meeting for work, but it was a good meeting, a productive one.  It is the annual tax right off meeting ;-)  I don't know if that is true or not, but we did have a productive meeting.  It made you remember why you were here and what you want to do.  You see you have a ton of value to still add and a lot to do and you want to do it sort of good meeting.  I am all for meetings when you leave and want to kick a little ass. 

I came back to the room for the 2nd time that morning.  The first time, was on the five minute bio break and I had to sprint from one end of the hotel to the other to get the blood pressure meds that I forgot in my room.  I got a great work out and I did sprint. I ran up two flights of stairs, and I speed walked back.  It took me a bit to catch my breath.  I did a little work.  Turned some documents and then went pool side to meet up with my work peeps. 

My buddy Jamie said he was going to go swimming with me in the big pond out back of the hotel (the pacific) and I was pretty excited.  As I approached the pool, I bumped into my arch nemesis Cory Rhoads. Now, honestly, Cory isn't my arch nemesis at all, but another buddy.  However, him and Jamie got all liquored up one night after a customer meeting on the east coast and texted me. Rhoads told me he was going to braid my hair, and then rip my arms off and beat me with them.  This was back before I went high and tight and had my sexy angel soft mullet.  I of course commented back to him something inappropriate that I won't share her about his mother, and ever since, we have had a friendly banter.  Well last year he told me he was going to toss me in the kiddy pool and tie me the ladder with my hair.   this year, he actually tried to toss me in the pool.  However, I evaded his first attempt.

I thought our little wrestling match was over, and I was walking to get a chair when he literally came up behind me and Lawrence Taylor'd me.  You know the big tomahawk move he used to knock the ball out of so many quarterbacks hands and knocks my man bag with my phone and book to the ground.  He wraps me in a might bear hug and picks me up and gets me almost to the pool.  So, I did what came naturally to me, I sat down.  Right on his fucking foot and smashed it.  OMG I feel bad b/c I totally bruised it.  I guess that is what he gets for fucking with me.  I also stayed dry and evaded his 2nd attempt.  After hurting his foot, he wasn't going to try a third time.  I really do hope his foot is ok.

However, its at this point Jamie tells me he is to tired to go swimming with me.  However, Cory said he and his wife where going paddle boarding so I could go out with them.  So, that is just what I did.  I was out for 57 minutes.  Now, I can't say I really swam the whole time, but I feel like I did, b/c I am exhausted.  I did do some frolicking.  I played in the waves like when I was a kid. I  saw some fish.  Mostly, I just got comfortable in the water.  All in all it was pretty GREAT!  The water was perfect, and of course I felt like I was in home.  It was pretty good for my 2nd open water swim of the week.  I had also swam the day before but only for 25 minutes.  So I nearly doubled it. I did a lot of breast stroke, some side stroke, and even some back. I just kept moving.  Even if it wasn't a perfect swim, it was good one. 

The swim the day before was good too.  Another buddy of mine Kyle was down there for that one with his wife.  I got back to the beach and was sitting with him and another dude Koti and kyle was like you should have seen the whales early Koti. I was fuck you dude, did you just call me a whale and he was like no really there were whales out there, I swear it. However Koti and I didn't let him off the hook that easily.  I knew Kyle wasn't talking about me b/c I saw what he was talking about early.  However, you know me I love a good fat joke.

I am going for another swim tomorrow.  There were a couple of other people who wanted to go and you know me I love the water and I had forgotten how much fun it was to play in the big waves.  Like I said it beat the hell out of me and I am tired but a good tired, like I worked hard tired.  I also faced one of my biggest fears head on and that is always a good feeling. 

The day ended with me in the room, typing up this report and a bunless burger coming from room service.  I had a meeting to end the day and therefore I missed my window to go out with the crew to lava lava.  Oh well, I will get to go next time and tomorrow night and Saturday are awards dinners so that should be fun.  I am not getting an award, being here is award enough.  A free trip to paradise and some good open water swimming.  Good stuff, really good stuff!

Anyway the meeting tonight was actually pretty cool.  I mean how could it not be when you did it from a balcony and had to look at this:

 

ALOHA!!!!