Departure

8 January, 2007

On this day, we set out at an early time, mainly because we had to leave the hotel at 1100 for the checkout time, but in secret, I knew it was because they had found out what sort of dark secret lies within the hearts of man, for the Shadow was now working for them. true, he disguised himself as a mild mannered bell hop, but I knew all too well what brand of WD-40 he was trying to spray into the door hinges. After giving this crazed bell hop a wide berth, we met up for the last time at the Great White Whale, and departed to go and kill time before our night flight. Why were we flying out at night you ask? Good question, I for one think it has something to do with the Earth's gravitational pull, plus the darkness hides the fact that the plane actually is taking off from Wyoming.

We all stopped and ate lunch at the Spaghetti Western Warehouse Company, where I was surprised by the best meal/cheapest one I had had the entire stay on this horrible rock in the center of Wyoming. We watched a strange movie that dealt with working in a museum, which was relevant since someone might have been entertaining an idea of working in a museum at sometime later in their lives. I for one would rather work at a Sears, whistling my nights away as I shine my flashlight at the mannequins, because I've seen that movie where they come to life. As interesting as a living mannequin would be, there's always that fear that the foul beasts could try and kill you and eat your soul with a spork, and we all know that that is not a way to go out. No blazing glory to be found with a spork, unless some sort of chili is involved.

Regardless, we again entered the Great White Whale and departed for the airport. Though it took some time to find the rental place, and strangely is was no where near the airport, we dropped off the Great White Whale. I for one was sad to part with her, for even though she was a mighty honry cuss who would spit rye in your eye and call you a sissy for merely looking at her the wrong way, she did go along with our strange voyage of discovery, even though she proved to not be sea worthy.

The airport was hot and humid, and though food inside was expensive, I had not the insight or the strength to purchase anything. I lucked out this time with a window seat, and as I watched the nightly glow of the islands disappear, the thought process of my mind began to flow.

Obviously we were all running on survival mode now, no longer fueled by the fire of going to a far and distant land and leaving it in a totally different way than that of which we found it. No, on that note we had grossly over-estimated the force that was the Hawaii experience. We were not able to conquer these land masses as if we were some sort of 21st Century Conquistadors, but instead, we left as if we were some sort of weary old man longing for his younger days and a fine bottle of Kentucky Bourbon.

What effect we had on the islands, only time can tell. Some may say that we had little to none, while others would say that the girl at the Polynesian Cultural Center would never be the same after struggling to teach a 24 year old guy how to fold a fish out of coconut leaves. She might loose her way and try to swim to Alaska for some fresh Salmon, only to be devoured by a humpback whale three miles from Juno.

But what can be said is that the Islands had a lasting effect on us. We learned that Dragons eat people's souls on New Years. We learned that fish can be folded from coconut leaves, though the procedure is rather elusive. We learned that a Ford Windstar is not sea worthy, no matter what the commercials show you. Also, we learned that the local waitresses at the Tiki Lounge don't like to be reminded that they live on a third world country in the center of Wyoming.