Aloha from Hawaii!

My husband’s photo: View from Diamond Head, Honolulu, Hawaii.

In a few minutes, David will be back with chocolate covered long johns from Larry’s Bakery. Yum yum. Please don’t criticize us for indulging in sugar and carbs. After all, this happens just once a week, if that.

I sit here in front of the computer, wondering what I should write about. Nothing earth shattering has happened to me lately.

Recently, I finished reading NFL star Tim Tebow’s excellent memoir, Through My Eyes, followed by Hawaii resident Kaui Hart Hemmings’ successful novel, The Descendants. Both books kept me riveted, and I read them in two days. I recommend them highly. Now, I am trying to finish Harry Bernstein’s second memoir, The Dream, which I started months ago but got sidetracked by other projects. Bernstein was already in his mid-nineties when he wrote this second memoir. Last year, he died at the age of 101 after completing his fourth memoir. I have read his first and third. He is a terrific writer!

They say money isn’t everything, but what would we do without it? This week alone we have had our roof replaced, signed paperwork to have our aging solar water system replaced, and will be replacing our malfunctioning refrigerator in the kitchen. Our property tax is due next month, also. It’s a miracle we manage to pay off our credit card balances every month and avoid a carry-over to the following month. Yes, David and I manage our money wisely, and we do live within our means.

The state and federal governments really want homeowners to install energy-efficient solar water heaters. If you have had such a heater for more than 15 years and are replacing it, or if you are a first-time buyer, you will receive a $750 rebate plus 65% in tax credits to offset your purchase. After all is said and done, our new system will cost only $1,753. Very affordable, and think of our reduced electric bills.

Well, David is here with our long johns, so I’ll close by saying: ALOHA FROM HAWAII AND MAHALO FOR STOPPING BY!

Whoa! How did he know that?

My husband’s photo: View from Diamond Head, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Last week, I mentioned to Maria that when she and Lisa turned 2 years of age, they both knew the alphabet, upper and lower case. I had taught them by showing them magnetic letters attached to the refrigerator door, starting from the time they were a year old.

“So, am I a bad mother?” Maria asked. Her son, Rylan, will have his second birthday next month and has never been formally trained to learn the alphabet.

“No,” I replied. “But, it’s not too late to start teaching Rylan now.”

Yesterday, Maria brought a box of upper and lower case alphabet cards, which she had never used with her son. When Rylan took the cards out of the box, he began showing me various letters.

“C,” he said, holding up a card.

Whoa! How did he know that? I think he learned part of the alphabet by watching kid’s shows on television. It is amazing how much my grandson has gleaned from these shows, gradually, bit by bit. His mind is definitely not a sieve. He retains a lot!

The cards that Maria gave me show a letter and a word starting with the letter on one side and a picture of the object on the other side. For example, one card might show A – Apple on one side and a picture of an apple on the other.

After Rylan learns the alphabet, I shall start teaching him phonics. What fun it will be to observe Rylan developing his language skills! Mastering numbers won’t be too far behind!

Snake!

My husband’s photo: View from Diamond Head, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Don’t you just love it when I bring you “good” news from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser? Today’s headline mentions that a road crew doing maintenance work on Nimitz Highway near the airport saw and killed (with a weed whacker) a 2-foot-long snake! Why is this news? It’s news, because the import and possession of snakes are absolutely forbidden in Hawaii.

We don’t want Hawaii to turn into another Guam, which is rife with snakes. My youngest sister, Lucille, used to live in Guam, when her then-husband was a doctor in the US Navy and stationed there. She told me how afraid she was of getting into the shower, because she never knew if she would see a snake coiled around the faucet or drain. Snakes have killed so many birds and other wildlife on Guam that it has become a sorry place to live.

So how did this snake find its way to Oahu? Since it was found near the airport, my guess is that it hopped a ride on the exterior of a jet coming from Guam or some other place where snakes are prevalent.

If one snake was discovered in Honolulu, might there be others that are reproducing nearby? Ew!

Not as exciting as being a SEAL

My husband’s photo: View from Diamond Head, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Whoa! The same US Navy SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden is again in the news. Earlier today, this team parachuted into Somalia, crept to an outdoor camp, and rescued a 32-year-old American woman and a 60-year-old Danish man, who had been kidnapped by pirates in October. Nine kidnappers were killed. Isn’t that incredible? How much do you want to bet that Hollywood will produce a movie about SEAL Team Six? What a thriller that would be!

By comparison, I lead such a mundane life. True, when I was in my twenties, I circled the globe by myself, working for 10 months in Thailand and traveling through Europe for 3 months, but what have I done since then?

Well, I have given birth to two perfectly normal and healthy human beings. And now, I babysit my little grandson while his parents are at work. In 20 years, Rylan will reach the age I was when I started my trek around the world. In 20 years, I will be 86 years old, if I live that long. What does the future hold for us?

I can only plot my life in 3 year increments, at most. This year, David and I will travel to China. In 2013, we will see India, and in 2014, Bali. I also will babysit my third grandchild, if Maria and Grant decide to go ahead and have another child. I told Maria that as long as my health permits, I am willing to help her with her children.

Meanwhile, as I write this post, my house is being re-roofed. What a racket!

Mundane, huh?

Heads up on China

My China travel guide book arrived recently, and I had a blast going through it page by page. What a phenomenal country China is! Each region is very different from the others in terms of cuisine, architecture, clothing, and customs. David and I will be traveling to north and central China in September for ten days. We will be seeing Beijing, Xian, Suzhou and Shanghai. I can’t wait!

Reading the guide book, I was struck by the following items:

1. Weight limit for check-in luggage is 44 lbs and for carry-on 11 lbs. This means we will have to use backpacks for our carry-on instead of suitcases.

2. Public toilets are the squatting type and are filthy, which means I will NOT be using them. Ewww. I’ll wait to use the modern restrooms in the hotel and restaurants, instead. We will pack toilet paper in our suitcases and bring wet wipes and hand sanitizers.

3. Use rubber slippers in the shower to prevent warts.

4. Remember to pack Immodium for diarrhea. Do not eat raw food like salads and cut fruits. Do not drink fresh juice or consume yogurt. Drink only bottled mineral water.

5. The newer hotels are the best, because they are modern and clean. We will be staying in 5-star hotels during our trip, but I don’t know how new they are.

6. No need to tip the waiter, taxi driver, maid, etc.

7. Bring an international adapter for electrical plugs.

I am so relieved that we will be traveling with a tour group from Hawaii, especially since I don’t speak or read Chinese. I hope the hotels have outlets for my computer, so that I can blog about my experiences. Way to go, Gigi!!!

Earthquake? What earthquake?

View from Diamond Head, Honolulu, Hawaii. By the way, these photos were taken by my husband, David.

I read in today’s Star-Advertiser that there had been a series of earthquakes (one of them 5.0 magnitude) occurring on the southeastern flank of the Big Island of Hawaii yesterday between 4:35 pm and 4:52 pm.

Whoa! David and I didn’t feel a thing. We were sitting on our reclining sofa in the living room, watching the New York Giants beat the San Francisco Forty-Niners on television. In fact, we were glued to the TV from 10 am when we started our day with the New England vs. Baltimore football game, which New England won handily.

Earthquake? What earthquake? The house didn’t shake, rattle or roll, and the dishes stayed put in the cupboards.

Believe it or not, the only earthquake I have ever experienced in my entire life was the big one on October 15, 2006. No doubt about it, the walls of our house shook, and the floor rocked, too. There also was a terrible roar, like a jet flying overhead. And we lost power for about 9 hours that day. Pretty scary stuff!

But, you know what, those Big Island earthquakes rarely affect Oahu, where I live. If that were a common occurrence here, I probably would move to the mainland. Where? Is any place safe from natural disasters? Think about it. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. If you don’t die in an earthquake, you might die in an icy winter storm or tornado or hurricane or wildfire or…

…or you might walk out of the house and get hit by a truck.

It’s best to live and die near loved ones. So, we’ll remain where we are: in Paradise!

Oh, to be healthy and happy!

View from Diamond Head, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Well, I feel ragged right now, having had just three hours of sleep. The previous night, I was lucky and slept for nearly eight hours, very unusual for me, as I normally sleep 4-5 hours. Don’t bother to tell me to go back to bed, because once I am up, I am up.

Yesterday, David went to Costco and purchased a small 2 inch bottle of Testosterone from the pharmacy. Unbelievably, that small vial cost $60, not covered by insurance. The syringes and needles, however, might be covered, we’ll see. David will be getting 12 injections from that vial. He has an appointment with his urologist in March, when he will have a blood test to see what his testosterone level is. If it is still low, the doctor will increase the dose.

Over the past week, my husband has been complaining about his knees, which hurt when he stands and walks. He has been taking Glucosamine every day for the pain, but it doesn’t seem to be working. My sister-in-law, who is a pharmacist, told David to be careful, because too much Glucosamine can lead to a build-up of uric acid, which will result in gout.

So, what is the alternative? David really should see an orthopedist as soon as possible. Hopefully, he won’t need surgery and the problem can be fixed with physical therapy or a new drug regimen.

I just want my husband to be healthy and happy. Is that too much to ask?

Ew! What a scumbag!

View from Diamond Head, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Most of the blogs I visit are on blogspot.com. Over the past few days, I have been unable to post a comment on some of these blogs, because blogspot won’t accept it. Too bad! Sorry, but not my fault!

Last Thursday, I watched the beginning segment of the Republican Presidential Debate on CNN, but turned it off in disgust 15 minutes later. Why? Because Newt Gingrich made me want to vomit! Ew! What a scumbag!

By now, you all know that Newt’s second wife accused her ex-husband of being unfit for the presidency, because he lacks good character and integrity. She claimed that he told her he was having an affair with an aide and wanted her to agree to an open marriage. Of course, she declined. Who on earth would want such a marriage?

Newt really isn’t the kind of man you’d want as president. He divorced his first wife when she was undergoing cancer treatments, and divorced his second wife after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He married his third wife, because he believed she could help him in his campaign for the presidency.

As I said, what a scumbag! And to think that he has risen in the polls in South Carolina! Unbelievable! I hope people come to their senses and vote for someone else.

It’s not too late to support Barack Obama, a Democrat and a loving husband and father!

Lorca is here! (2012)

This is my nephew, Lorca Lueras. He has been living in Bali since age 5 or 6 and is fluent in English and Indonesian. Several years ago, Lorca received his BA in communications from UC San Diego. Presently, he makes his home near a beach in Seminyak, west Bali. If you google his name, you will note that Lorca is the author of surfing books as well as the editor and publisher of a surfing magazine. He recently started a clothing line, also. His father, Leonard Lueras, lives in Sonor, Bali. Leonard is the editor and publisher of a number of travel and surfing books.

This is Lorca’s girlfriend, Mary, who is half-Indonesian, half-Taiwanese. Although her parents still reside in Holland, she has chosen to live in Bali, where she and Lorca met. She produces a clothing line.

Lorca and Mary are traveling for 3 weeks through the Hawaiian Islands, where he was born, and then through California.

We all gathered together at Little Village Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown this evening to celebrate Lorca’s arrival and my birthday. The food was excellent. Sorry I did not take pictures of it.

My younger sister, Nedra (who hosted the dinner), and her son, Lorca (who is half-Korean, half-Basque).

My mother, age 95.

My nephew Charles’ girlfriend, Toni, with my grandkids, Julia and Rylan.

My grandkids love each other so much!

My daughter Maria, her kids Julia and Rylan, and my nephew Lorca and his girlfriend Mary.

The cousins. Asia (bottom row, 2nd from right) is Lorca’s younger sister, and she resides in Honolulu.

All in all, it was a wonderful family get-together!

No need to call the police!

Photo by Ted Trimmer: Ala Wai Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii.

My Vietnamese neighbors own a nail salon at a nearby mall, and they have 8 or 9 employees. I went there for a pedicure yesterday, and as usual, the Vietnamese husband did my nails. He was good and thorough, making sure he removed every cuticle he could find.

However, when I went to the cash register to pay for the pedicure, I was in for a rude awakening. He added $6 to the bill, because he said he had done a callous sanding of both feet. Well, I had not authorized it. I guess next time I’ll make it clear I want just a basic pedicure and no extras.

This man is an immigrant, now an American citizen. He told me he never votes during an election year, because he is too busy. His shop hours are 9 – 7:30 every day, and after he cleans up and does the salon’s laundry, he gets only 3 hours of sleep per night. Wow! I thought my husband was a hard worker, but this salon owner takes the cake! His last vacation was five years ago, when he spent a month in Vietnam. Since then, it’s been work work work!

He must be doing well, though, because he purchased the two story house next to mine for $650,000 more than ten years ago. And he’s rich enough to light strings of firecrackers on New Year’s Eve.

I might add that their marital spats have stopped. No more screaming and yelling. No need to call the police!

P.S. I think I’ll try to do my own pedicure next month and see how it goes. Save money! Also, I don’t like it when he makes my toes bleed during cuticle removal. Easy way to get an infection.