Sunday, August 26, 2007

Iron Saturday

We raced the Kailua Bay Men's Iron Challenge yesterday. I was put in the Master's crew, which meant we only had to do the "short course" of 9.5 miles. Thank god for that, 'cause I was barely moving at the end of our race, and the extra four miles that the Open crews did might have killed me. Eli, stroking for the open crew was in bad shape when he finished.

Our line up: Rudy, Kapena, Aweaua, MC, Scott, Ramos. We came in 14 out of maybe 20 - the results aren't up yet. I think we must have started near the rear of the pack, and were battling to not be last at the first turn. We passed New Hope at Mōkōlea / Birdshit Island, and one or two other canoes on the way to the Mokuluas. Ramos took us on a great wave in between the islands. Afterwards was when I lost steam. I thought it was a straight line home after that, but we had to circle around the other island. Fine. I thought, maybe we'd catch another wave through ... but nope ... then we had to paddle back to sea and come around another buoy. Then home.

And by then I was beat. We were inching up on ʻĀnuenue, but they caught enough little waves to stay a few canoes ahead.

Went home, had a drink, and went comatose.

Met up with Michael R & his boyfriend, Bernard, from Sydney that evening. It was good to see Michael again - it's been years. They were on cocktail # ? at the Royal Hawaiian. I joined them for one, then had a second at the Surfrider, then we went to dinner at Holokai Grill on Beachwalk.

The grill was below-average Hawaiian fusion, but at double the price of other places in town. The ribs were nice and fatty, while the "huliyaki" chicken was dry and bland. They were served atop some kind of mushy "sweet potato fries." The plate-lunch trucks downtown put out better food. The pupu platter was nice, but very small. Overall:skip it. Only the drinks were good.

We'd had a couple drinks in coconuts, so were feeling pretty good. I took them to Fusion's for the drag show. It was tired, as usual. If anything, it was more tired than normal. We tried to hang around for the strip show, but got bored & so moved on. Angles wasn't happening yet, the drinks were hitting hard, and so we called it a night.

I dropped by Hula's on the way to the car, and it had a good crowd. I should have arm-twisted the Aussies into going there. Ah well. I saw X, who needs money. Everyone needs money these days. I told him I'd help him out, but then he took off to try to pick up somebody & I wasn't about to wait around.

Money money money. I helped Emily out with funds this month too. She started calling the next day asking if she and her boyfriend could stay at my place, not a lot, just a few nights, because they're tired of staying where they're at.

I choked and made up a story about having lots of friends already staying here and there's no room Because: no no no no no. I couldn't handle having them here. I'd snap. I'd have a complete breakdown. It wouldn't be for a few days. It would be from now until the day I murdered them. And now I'm wondering if she's not homeless, if the place she stays in in Kaka`ako isn't the homeless shelter.

She calls five or six times a day. I don't pick up the phone. Sure I feel like a shit. But I just can't do it.

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