COFFEE & JAM : BECK "GUESS I'M DOING FINE"
During this Coffee & Jam, I cover Becks "Guess I'm doing Fine" off his album "Sea Change"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2CLqZ8hzWY&t=10s
A week with a sister
Following the Month of October quickly cam November. There was talk from Annika of her sister taking a vacation from Wisconsin to Hawaii. A few false alarms of her possibly coming out - she arrived on the 11th to stay through the 18th.
Here's a video and some photos :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHv_d41cQfY
Gertrude's JazzBar
Tonight at Gurtrudes Jazz Bar was an experience. I've realized once again how important music is to me. The jazz bar is a place where I'm able to freely jam and be followed by other musicians of all sorts of walks. There's not really another spot like it in town and I'm incredibly grateful for it. Tonight Carl and I jammed a few songs, he sang and I played lead/backups. Afterward an older drummer came up to me and asked if I could play some faster paced rock or blues stuff with him. We convinced Carl to play bass with us. Jamming out around four progressions, a few friends yelled out for me to sing some originals as well. It was refreshing to get on stage again, it's been a while...
25th Birthday Month
Out of the water and back on the sand we gathered around the fire to get warm. Nearly fading and down to the smoldering coals, I had to stoke the fire, giving some heaving breathes beneath the palm branches. The fire roared back to life and it was definitely time for some dinner. We didn't bring along a metal grate or anything so we busted out the steak and cooked them simply on sticks. Seasoned with a citrus beer they sizzled and cooked while we continued messing about telling stories and laughing. Cans of chili and potatoes wrapped in foil were tossed in the fire to join our cooking meal. I jammed the guitar and listened to the meat crackle and it's juices drip into the fire. The girls laughed and sang - Carl managed one of the steaks, ours rested between two larger sticks to hold in place over the fire. This reminded me of some trips back in Arizona. My dad and I used to drive out to Scottsdale with our dogs and some kind of meat (usually chicken) for the evening. We'd watch the satellites over head and often play guitar. We had our own spot picked out that would over look the city, it was our getaway. With the steaks browned on the outside and well done on the inside it was chow time. We prayed and dug in, the first bite was the best, a little bit of crunch from the caramelized beer seasoning and juicy inside. We passed around the chips and made a dip with guacamole and chili. Filled to the gullet it was time for desert. Annika covertly blew up balloons and made a make shift cake from Mounds chocolate candy. The balloons were really cool because they had small LEDs on the inside that would make them glow bright. After eating I decided to take some long exposure shots of our shenanigans about the fire. Having left the tripod at home, I had to utilize what was around me in the moment. Apologies for some of the blurry ones.
Even though you can't see exactly what is happening in all these images because of the blurry content. There still kind of interesting ghostly creatures that float among the images. Imagine time slowing down in your head in order for it to actually happen. For you to realize that you have control of how you perceive your own joy and the joy of the situation around you is a great opportunity to be completely immersed in life. Or maybe this is just my own way of looking at things.
Sunday the 29th. My mom wanted to take us out to breakfast so I was up bright and early at 7 Am. She picked Annika and I up and took us out to a local joint by the town Pier called "Oceans". We have eaten there a bunch for lunch, but never had been for breakfast. Mom shared some stories of me growing up and how I came to be. The view from Oceans is incredible, overlooking the pier and the bay where the world Iron Man starts off. The water is a unique hue here, sandy reflections with boats flowing in and out. We had plans to go check out a couple of motorcycles/scooters as well this morning before church. The one that I wanted to check out was a 1990 Honda NX250 Enduro, Annikas was a 2010 Kymco Like50 scooter. We stopped at the Honda first and I looked it over. The battery was dead so I couldn't be 100 percent that it would run, but the lady was fairly confident that it would as she used to ride it often. Her original ad was at $1000, then I decided to wait a day, so she dropped it to $500 or best offer. I offered her $200, but she met me at $300. So $300 for a decent enduro to get me around town and to gigs until I can get a solid running car. I told her to hold if for me while I got a truck and checked out Annikas scoot. The scooter is a nice little runner, 50cc and clean. Good for her to ride around to work anyway. She snatched it up for a couple more hundred than I paid for mine. After the wreck we went from four wheels on a car, to four wheels on two bikes.
October the 30th - My actual Birthday : I slept in, deep sleep. Took it slow, played guitar, drank copious amounts of coffee and then proceeded to the Coffee Lounge for even more coffee and to hang out. There were plans to go get another game of frisbee in around 5:30 or so and then some top secret agenda that Annika had put on. I didn't really have any idea, but just wanted to be surprised. So between 2 and 5 we went for a ride to the End of the World. Taking the long way round, time spaced out and dramatized each turn. Just as fast as the road twisted into the straights, the clock spun quickly and was time for the frisbee throwing to begin. Now I was particularly excited for this game, not necessarily for the disc throwing, but because of some words that my buddy Chris from the Coffee Lounge had said. He owns a Ducati Monster, one of my dream motorcycles. His words being "I'll let you take my Ducati out for a spin sometime" kept echoing in my head since being at the lounge. We showed up when only a few people were there, I stood next to my enduro waiting and watching the sun slowly set. Someone threw the frisbee over the fence into the parking lot, so I ran and grabbed it. Just as I reach down for the disc I hear the low mean sound of his Ducati roaring around the corner. Now, this sound alone is enough to get the heart pumping and even a calm person such as I giddy. Chris pulls up next to my enduro and parks, I wait patiently for the words. Another rider and good friend Vlad hopped over the fence saying "Todays the day!" He gets on and takes it for a quick rip around the parking lot. But then the words were said. Chris looks at me and asks with the key dangling in his lifted hand. "You wanna take it for a spin?" I just nod my head yes with a smile and take a seat on the work of art. It has been a while since I've been on a bike with such power. The last one I road was a CBR600, which is a different animal. Getting used to the controls and stance, my thumb switches up the kill switch to engage the ignition button. The Monster roars to life and immediately I can feel the warm exhaust pipes beneath my thigh. Getting going is a joy, so smooth and the bike just wants to scream down the road. I took it on the highway for a few minutes and really opened up the throttle, there are few words that can describe the feeling that this gave me. But it was a rush to say the least.
Next on the list was the surprise moment but Someone let it slip out, so I figured it out. The crew was going to the Kona Brewery, one of my favorite spots for Pizza and beer. They have one in particular that I enjoy called the Kua Bay it goes really well with the pizza that we ordered called the Captain Cooke. We all really enjoyed the night, more people came out than I was expecting. I'd say this was one of the best birthdays of my life.
Scuba Night
Here in Kona there's an event that takes place every first Monday of the month at a place called Jacks Dive Locker where you can have a free scuba dive class. All the years that I have lived here I never took the opportunity to do so, but a buddy from church randomly asked if we had wanted to do it. At first I was kinda above the idea, thinking that it would probably be a bunch of instruction and little actual fun. But last minute the events rolled out before us led to our attendance and participation. Which was awesome- the experience of being submerged and able to breath was incredible, unlike anything that I had experienced before. I think the best part was sitting at the bottom of the pool and looking up at the waters ceiling watching the bubbles curl into mixed colors. Truly an awesome night.
It's Not Me, The Car is Dead
Latest update from the life on the Island - As of a week and half ago, my car has been pronounced dead.
Due to weather and tire conditions I lost control of the vehicle going uphill around a bend. The tires were relatively bad and it was pouring, the perfect mixture for disaster.
Around 10PM I slammed into the side of a hill after crossing in front of oncoming traffic, luckily not involving anyone else in the accident. Curving up the road led to a blindspot where I couldn't tell how much water was on the ground. My vehicle hydroplaned and proceeded to frolic violently. It was a very quick jerk of the steering wheel, ripping out of my grip and then a complete loss of control. The airbag blew out in front following with a misty gas that filled the cabin. My shoulder and left side of my chest was tingling and hurt immediately. forcing the door open I ran around the car to check on Annika as she was already out of the car standing in the middle of the road. We were both okay - there was no reason to stick around for the cops. The car started up right away and I drove to my house. Checking out the damage in the dark didn't reveal the disaster for what it truly was. I was hopeful that it would run again, but morning proved different.
Someone told me that my car represented a ministry - kind of interesting that Arrow Ahead went down for a little bit about the same time.
Guess we'll see if another vehicle comes into play soon. There's a lot up in the air now.
Collecting Treasures
July 5th, the daylight pierces though the window of my studio. I am tired and slowly waking up from the celebrations of the 4th. Standing up from the bed it seems as if I'm walking through deep water - slow motion. This day is unique, I will be traveling from the Big Island of Hawaii to Oahu with the mission of working with a well known friend by the name of Greg Byron.
Now I've known Greg for a good four years, we met while I was volunteering in the mailroom at YWAM under the "Mission Builders" program. My first introduction to his focused and Godly character was when I had a task to print a few documents which were the floor plans to a tiny house. At the time I was obsessed with tiny homes and shipping containers so I was stoked to check these out and meet the owner. He is a contract builder by trade - an incredibly skilled and efficient one at that.
Four years later Greg provides a round trip ticket to Oahu. My main goal is to shoot a video and gather material for his soon to be website. I knew that there was a definite green light to go for myself, but Greg and I had been questioning the desire for Annika to tag along. Through prayer Greg had felt that there was a negative for her to join in on the trip. But I was actually receiving the opposite : "take her with you". Just a few hours before I'm supposed to be at the airport some very loud nudges to take her with me begin to take place. One of wich was my computer turning on and playing a video clip that literally said "take her with". Immediately afterwards Annika calls me from work asking if she would be welcome to come along on the trip. My immediate response is to tell her I would love that, following with the information that I was receiving. But no matter what she wasn't going to join unless it was approved by Greg. A quick call to Greg I tell him the things that are taking place on my end. He is open to the idea but wants to verify this word for confirmation. He goes around the construction ground that he and his crew are at, seeking a "yes or no" from each man of God. A few ask what this question is regarding but, Greg responds with "God knows what it's about". Everyone on the crew receives a "yes". Therefore the next call I recieve from Greg is the apporoval for Annika to join in on this mission. With this comes an explosion of happiness from her, a quick escape from work and a darting sprint up to her house to pack. Meanwhile I am still packing my gear. A clean and simple pack, four pairs of socks/boxers and two shirts tucked into my guitar case.
Camera back and guitar case on my person I drove to Annika's place where she was ready to see what kind of shenanigans we could get ourselves into. Her roommate would drive with us and take my car back to the complex until our return... We cut our time too close, I miss my flight but luckily Hawaiian Airlines is generous enough to roll me over to the next flight 30 minutes later. Annika on the other hand is in a seperate terminal due to the fact that she is a university student and is able to cash in on a hefty discount for island hopping. Time flashes by and I'm walking up the ramp to the cabin door. The usual aircraft smell greets me - placed in 5f I find my seat and begin to listen to a recording that I had been working on. The trip from Kona to Honolulu is only 40 minutes or so.
Feet on the ground there is a brief gap between my arrival and Annika's - so I jam some music in the baggage claim. Creativity and inspiration come flooding from all corners despite the monotonous rows of baggage carriers and runners. Soon enough she arrives and not too much longer after that Greg pulls up in his Toyota Sienna. In the van are two longboards and some tools. It seems as if our friendship is still as it used to be - brothers even throughout the hardship and long distances apart. He briefly stated that our first stop for the night will be at his home church near downtown Honolulu, followed by some dinner. We pull up to a nice two story home, upstairs a small group begins to build. I take a lot away from our discussions and the people around. I really appreciate how focused Greg is, he knows what he wants and how to get it. When he looked at me and asked if I was ready to go eat we both got up from the seats and said a quick goodbye. Dinner was an endless sushi bar where our orders were shot out on yellow race cars. We were all relatively quiet at the table, chewing down on some excellent sushi and chicken. Afterwards a straight shot to the Northshore in the town of Haleiwa where we would stay at gregs compound. His own house is a tiny home which he built, across the street a three story building that somewhat resembles an old western hotel by design. By the time I closed my eyes it was morning.
The first day was a relax, enjoy the scenery and seek God type of day. I was really excited to scope out the DJI drone that Greg bought a while back. Unfortunately the application asked for an update and immediately began giving me issues. Perhaps this isn't the time to mess around with it. A lot of this day was spent sitting in prayer and in my mind. With all of the business stuff happening back on the big island it was highly refreshing to not worry about building a client list. In my head I visualize the shots that are necessary for this project. If there's one thing that I've learned working in film is that visualization and planning is a major key.
There's a local coffee shop called "The Coffee Gallery" which was practically my second home my first journey here. They have a very nice layout of the shop. Classic store front with rustic and cool faded paint wood panels arrayed all around. We decide to walk down around 2:00 to get out of the house. There was not really a strategic play for going, but it turned out to be a great few hours. Annika was posting some photos to Instagram and I took time with the good ole guitar. The breeze that flows through the North Shore is a different breed, it carries featherlite pineapple juice to your skin and brings a refreshing buzz to your life. In these moments I recall much of my time in 2014, everything I learned during those times. Now in a hurricane of matters I sit back and am now in a position to share my understanding with Annika. She's tallented at about anything she can get into and a very fast learner. As partner in Creative Endeavors we both think it is important for her to know how to load and unload footage/photos to the computer and the basics of photo editing. I show her a few times and then give her the wheel. Right off the bat she gets the flow going. A day well spent. With a tight budget for this trip we made one trip to the local grocery for food and supplies. In and out we made our way back to the compound.
There were a few rough times on the trip - things that we had been struggling with. Going down to far into though in my own head, which leads to quiet contemplation and an on edge demeanor. Not always the best for a relationship but it is was it is - a struggle that always seems to lead to growth. One thing that happened was a major breakthrough during a worship and prayer service. The main topic was "forgiveness" and how when you have not forgiven someone the pain and resentment that builds up can eat you alive. Leading to other motives and destructive antics towards those people, especially your self. During this time I realized how much pain I had acquired from people in the last year and a half, one of which was Annika. We have been through a lot together and both knew that there were healing wounds, but in order for them to be fully healed we would have to truly release that forgiveness to Jesus. There have been anxiety attacks, pressures built up in my chest, a heavy heart and racing thoughts keeping me in a viscous cycle in lacking joy and peace. The speaker asked us all to pray with him as he led. During this time I knew what I had to do there were people's faces flashing in my minds eye that I had to forgive in order to move forward. Once I released all of these things that I had been holding onto there was a weightlessness that arose inside me. All of my hate and anger began to fade away. It makes sense... the pressures, actions, words. Everything comes to an end without the forgiveness, the perception of those people was skewed based on the lies surrounded by hurt. It's a lie. The hurt turns to black and then forgiveness comes and explodes to clarity. It makes me wonder - does taking the forgiveness to the person bring the healing or does taking it to Jesus actually bring the breakthrough. It's all in the matter of the heart.
Over the next few days there were various trips to different properties that Greg had built over the years. Greg was the captain of our grand ship "The Sienna", Annika was our resourceful logistical right hand and I was the run and gun documentor. It was a great experience to witness all of these amazing buildings that Greg is able to glorify God with. His work is a means of worship - God gave him the tools, gifts and understanding for construction/business. His mindset for the kingdom is highly inspirational and contagious. To be able to share and build the kingdom with the blessings of work is awesome.
The last day was jammed with wild amounts of driving and good conversation. Around 1pm the crew made it all the way to Waikiki for an afternoon of surf and relaxing. It felt amazing to get out in the water and catch some waves. Nothing too big, the perfect waves to ride around and for Annika to get some practice in as she's only been out a few times. Mountain Dew and Reese's peanut butter cups were a minor celebration. Hours were spent on the boards watching waves and locals move in and out. But as everything in our trip came to an end around 7pm. We piled back into the van and rushed to the airport. We all said our farewells until the next journey. I don't think I'll ever forget this trip as simple as it was. I don't think I'll ever forget the excitement that I saw on her face when she made it to the baggage claim where I sat playing guitar. I'll never forget the look on my friends face when he sees his daughter through FaceTime thousands of miles away, and the sadness but strength through Christ that comes through those moments...It's these moments that we are redefined through His glory.
We are ever changing closer to a plan that is not our own.
Until the next journey
- Arrow Ahead -
Life in Pursuit : Queens
Today our band named "Life in Pursuit" performed a two hour set at the Queens Shops in Waikaloa. It was awesome - I am grateful to have such talented, humble and awesome people to jam with.
Band members are as follows :
- Chase Kauhane
- Carl Kauhane
- Ryan Higgins
- Andrew Kaleohano
-MySelf
Here are some images from the evening - soon there will be video as well. 
