Giving someone a hand

Hawaii.

It’s too bad that Mitt Romney keeps putting his foot in his mouth.  He looks presidential, but he truly does not act presidential.  Imagine dismissing 47% of the country as being too lazy to work and wanting a handout.

I prefer President Obama’s words much better:  “There’s nothing wrong with giving someone a hand.”

David and I have been employed for a long time.  But, there was a time when I received Medicaid due to a catastrophic illness that prevented me from working.  This happened before we met and married each other.  Thank goodness the government stepped in and “gave me a hand.”

I am not going to belabor the point.  You probably have your own reasons for voting for one of these candidates.  But, let it be known that David and I fervently hope that the incumbent is re-elected.

Carpenter bees

Hawaii.

We had our garage re-roofed last year and were very upset to notice a leak above my car recently.  David called the roofing company, because we have a 7-year warranty with them.  They sent over a technician, who examined the leak.  He saw holes and stains on the side of the roof.

“You have carpenter bees,” he shouted.  “They burrow into the wood, causing the roof to collapse.”

Sure enough, I saw huge black bees in the holes.  The wood was very soft.  So, what had to be done?  The roofing technician climbed onto our garage roof and, using a blow torch, sealed an 8-inch gap, which had been caused by rotting wood.  He also threw granules into the gap.

An exterminator came by the next day.  He inserted a tube and blew pesticide dust into each hole.  Eight carpenter bees flew out, and he dusted them, too.  They fell to the ground, dead.  Each hole was then plugged with steel wool.

I was told that these bees do not burrow in a straight tunnel.  They meander through the roof.  I am to examine the circumference of the house at least once a week for further intrusions, and if I see any more holes, I am to call the exterminator, again.

Sometimes, I wish I lived somewhere else.  But, this is supposed to be paradise.  Bugs love it here, too.

Able to call India, now

Hawaii.

Although David and I both have cell phones, we still use a land line phone in order to send and receive faxed documents.  We use the cell phones only when we are out of the house.

On Friday, I called Hawaiian Telcom to purchase their international long distance service for my land line.  I will be billed $4.95 per month plus 28 cents per minute to call a land line and 30 cents per minute to call a cell phone.  This is effective immediately.  I now will be able to call a restaurant in New Delhi, India to reserve a table for four people:  David, me, and my two Indian friends from Assam.  I am super excited.

While on the phone with Hawaiian Telcom, I was told that for $20 per month extra, I could have Internet service via the telephone wires in my area.  This monthly fee would be guaranteed for a lifetime.  Well, after considering the pros and cons, I decided to keep my Internet service on Oceanic’s cable system, even though cable is much more expensive.  It’s better to keep the Internet separate from the telephone, because in case one goes down, I’ll have access to the other.

I am happy with my decision, though David prefers the cheaper alternative.  How about you?  Do you have Internet via cable or via the telephone?

Sept. 9 – Starting weight 203 lbs.

Sept. 16 – 201 lbs.

Goal:  140 lbs.

I am making progress!  Hope to lose another 2 lbs next week.  Stay tuned!

Married to a man with arthritis

Hawaii.

It’s hard being married to a man with arthritis.  Poor David!  And stubborn David!  He had his right knee injected with a lubricant in April and his left knee in May.  Of the two, the right knee is worse.  Lately, it has felt sore while walking or climbing the 20 steps at work.  Since six months must elapse between injections, his right knee should be injected again in October.  However, David made the next appointment for December, per the orthopedist’s advice.

I think my husband has gone bananas!  Our trip to India is scheduled for November 1-15.  I advised David to get the doctor to agree to an injection in October, but he doesn’t want to second guess the doctor.  Why are men like that?  What an idiot!

Meanwhile, his right hip is also hindering his walk.  It locks every so often and forces David to stop in his tracks.  Can you imagine what will happen when we tour India?

Cross your fingers and hope all goes well…

P.S.   Arthritis is a terrible, PROGRESSIVE disease.  David inherited his arthritis from his mother, who was so debilitated that she ended up in a nursing home at age 78, bedridden until she died at age 86.  The last time she flew from Hawaii to her hometown of Calgary, Canada, she was in a wheelchair.  I dread that happening to David.  He would never be able to get on and off a tour bus.  That’s why I want him to get his knee injection in October before our trip to India in November.  But he won’t do it, despite the pain.  What a fool!

10 night Baltic cruise on Holland Eurodam

Horses in Hawaii.

An acquaintance wrote about his experiences during a 10 night Baltic cruise on the Holland Eurodam in July.  He visited Copenhagen (Denmark), Tallin (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia), Helsinki (Finland), Stockholm (Sweden), Berlin and Hamburg (Germany).

First, he flew on a 10 hour direct flight from Honolulu to Washington, D.C. via United.  After a 2 hour layover, he flew for 8 hours directly to Copenhagen, Denmark via Scandinavian Airlines.  He took a bus from the airport to the dock.  On the way, the bus driver showed the passengers the city.  The highlight was the life size statue of the Little Mermaid on a large rock in the ocean.  The weather was in the 60s.

He recommended a cabin with a balcony on the ship.  It seemed the ship sailed at night between destinations, and the land tours occurred during the day.

Next morning, he toured Tallin, Estonia, an old medieval town with cobblestone streets and the staging area for the Crusades.

Next morning, he toured St. Petersburg, Russia.  He saw Peterof Palace and Fountains.  There were hundreds of rooms filled with paintings and gold leaf.  The 64 fountains were run without pumps.

Next morning, still in St. Petersburg, he saw Catherine Palace and Gardens.  Again, there were hundreds of rooms with paintings and gold leaf everywhere.  The so-called Amber Room was covered with amber, made from prehistoric tree sap.  Then, he toured the Hermitage Museum, the largest museum in the world, with over 8 million artifacts.

Next morning, he toured Helsinki, Finland.  He went to the Ice Bar and Winter Wonderland, where he was served drinks in glasses made of ice and sat in chairs made of ice, covered with fur.  He enjoyed the dog sled ride.

Next morning, he arrived in Stockholm, Sweden, and visited the banquet hall where the Nobel Prizes are awarded.  It was in Stockholm that Duke Kahanamoku received his first Olympic medal.  He saw the Vasa Museum, which houses King Gustav’s warship, built 400 years ago and raised intact from the dark depths of the ocean in 1961.

Next morning, he arrived in Warnermunde, Germany and took a 3 hour train ride to Berlin, where he saw the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and the Allied Museum.  East Berlin looked drab, compared to West Berlin.

Next morning, he arrived in Hamburg, Germany, which looked more affluent than Berlin.  This is where the Beatles performed for years after they left Liverpool.

Next morning, his cruise ended in Copenhagen.  He flew to London, spent the night there, and then flew to Washington, D.C., and then directly to Honolulu.  Home sweet home!

What do you think of this cruise?  Should David and I take it?  Tempting!

Planning next year’s trip

Hawaii.

I am so relieved that David and I have our priorities straight.  We both want to travel while David is still drawing income from his job and while we are still mobile and not crippled.

So, where do we want to go next year?  RUSSIA!!!  I have been visiting Irina of Moscow’s pictorial blog on a daily basis.  (See my Blogroll.)  She has been allowing other Moscovites to post photos from their own cameras, and sometimes their captions are both witty and humorous.  I can hardly wait to see Moscow, myself!

David had a chance to visit Moscow when he and his high school band made plans to tour Europe back in the 1960s.  Russia was an additional leg, which would have cost just around $107 more.  His parents, however, balked.  When they changed their mind, it was too late.  David had to return to Hawaii before the Russia leg started.

Next year, we will try to join a group tour of Moscow and St. Petersburg.  We look forward to seeing those onion domes at the Kremlin.

This trip will be paid for by being frugal.  Instead of buying the iPhone5, we have reduced our two T-Mobile cell phone bills to $5 each per month.  For $5 per phone, we will be allowed 20 minutes per month.  Previously, David paid $35 for his phone, while I paid $25.  With this new plan, we will be saving $50 per month or $600 per year!  Wow!  Since we seldom use our cell phones, we are excited about this new deal.

Another way we will save money is by not buying a new 80 inch television until our present 52 incher breaks.  That’s a savings of $4,500.

Save $364 per year by not going to the movie theater every week.  (Watch Netflix instead.)

Save $1,560 per year by not buying lunch every work day.

Save $156 per year by doing my own pedicures.

Total saved = $7,180.

So, as you see, we can afford to take a nice trip to Russia next year.  It’s just a matter of cutting out unnecessary expenses.

True friends

Hawaii.

I love this picture, because blue is my favorite color and it calms me.  I must admit that I have been stressed out lately:  not only by the international conflict with Muslims and the fear that America will start a new war, but on a smaller scale by my need to delete certain people from my Blogroll and put them on my S-List.  Once on my S-List, these people remain there forever.  They aren’t exactly enemies, but they aren’t friends, either.  You won’t see me inviting them to dinner.

Anyway, by the end of the day, I was tempted to not write a new post. What the heck is going on in the world?  Why is there so much misery and unhappiness?  Then, I saw the above photo and I thought, “Each of us is just a speck in the Universe.  We are so unimportant in the grand scheme of things.  Will anyone remember us a billion years from now?  Of course not!”

I love it when I am able to extend my Aloha to true friends, and I always appreciate it when they reciprocate.  I have decided to focus my good will on these true friends.  Why waste time on those who insult me and who deliberately try to hurt my feelings?  Life is short, after all. So, make every minute count.

Having fun

Hawaii.

Today, I want to write about my little grandson, Rylan.  As you know, I have been watching him grow from an infant to a 2-1/2 year old.  He talks a lot now, though he doesn’t always enunciate his words clearly and I have to guess what he means.  If he slowed down, maybe I’d understand him better.

Anyway, I wish I were the ideal grandma.  I really should play with him more instead of letting him watch so much television.  Make no mistake:  there are some terrific interactive kid’s shows that are very educational.  However, it isn’t good for him to stare at the tube for long periods of time.

Thankfully, Rylan always tells me when a show is boring.  “I don’t like Sesame Street,” he said yesterday.  So I asked, “Do you want to watch Nick, Jr., instead?”  When he said, “Yes,” I switched the channel.  Ten minutes later, I noticed him asleep on the floor.  Thinking he wanted to nap, I brought down the quilt.  He immediately woke up and began to cry, saying he wasn’t ready to sleep yet.

I then realized that he wanted to interact with me.  He was tired of staring at the television while I worked at the computer.

“Let’s play catch,” Rylan said, getting a small ball from the toy bin.  “Here we go, here we go, catch!” he said, tossing the ball to me.  I did the same to him.  This went on for a few minutes.  Then I held onto the ball with my right hand, and he tried to pry it from me.  He tugged at the ball with all his might, grunting and laughing at the same time.  Suddenly, he stole the ball from my hand, falling backwards from the exertion.

“You won!” I said.

“I won!” he replied. “Let’s do it again!”

This went on back and forth for twenty minutes.  It was such an exhilarating, impromptu game!

When Rylan comes here today, I intend to play with him more.  Having fun is so important for both of us!

Dinner and football with hubby

Hawaii.

Isn’t that a pretty picture?  I am in a good mood as I write this.  David came home relatively early to watch two football games on television.  He had recorded them, so was able to zip through the commercials and dead spots.  I enjoyed bits and pieces whenever he called out a fantastic play leading to a touchdown.  Actually, this is exactly how I became a football and basketball enthusiast – David’s exciting, but patient, explanations of what goes on in a game.  Cheers!

We had a great dinner, too.  I used the crock pot to slow cook some baby back ribs.  Yum!  I don’t care how much weight we want to lose; we still enjoy the aroma and flavor of food.  This was not always the case, however.  When I lived in New York back in the 1970s, I would buy one roast chicken and 1 lb of ground beef, and alternate meat loaf and chicken every other day.  Booorrrring!!!  Now, I prefer variety.

Some of you have commented that I should not focus so much on the pleasures of dining.  I think my youngest sister, Lucille, who majored in culinary arts at KCC, was instrumental in making me appreciate everything about fine dining – not only preparing interesting cuisine, but also presenting the food on beautiful fine china and setting the table with cloth napkins, lace tablecloth, crystal goblets, and real silverplated utensils.

Anyway, I realize we have to cut back on calories by limiting portion sizes.  Last night, I ate five small, lean ribs, lots of steamed vegetables (unbuttered, unseasoned broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and yellow squash), but no starch and no dessert.  This simple meal was colorful and nutritious.  Who says weight loss diets have to be dull and boring?

For me, happiness is watching an exciting football game on television and eating a delicious dinner with my husband!

Ditching Slim-Fast

Hawaii.

To nobody’s surprise, I have decided to ditch the Slim-Fast diet that we started a week ago.  It was simply making me sick.  Sure, it was easy to follow, but I found myself feeling so hungry and weak that I cheated on unhealthy snacks.

So now, I am back to square one.  I have to lose weight.  But, how?  I considered following Weight Watchers, which blogger Dianne S. swears by.  I even looked it up online.  Well, I don’t feel like counting points, and I certainly don’t want to pay WW to follow their plan.

Ultimately, isn’t it all a matter of reducing caloric intake?  I have tried so many diets already:  I was a vegetarian for a year.  I was on the Atkins Diet.  I was on NutriSystem.  Most recently, I was on Slim-Fast.  All of these diets resulted in weight loss, but I gained back the weight and then some after going off the diet.

I think I’ll do it my way.  I’ll eat what I feel like eating, but limit the amount I eat to 1/3 of what is on the plate.  Let’s see if that works.  Every Monday morning, I’ll report here the number of pounds I have lost since the previous week.  Doing so will make me accountable, with you as my witnesses!

As of Sunday, Sept. 9, at 5:00 am, I weighed 203 lbs.  That’s my baseline at age 66.  As a point of reference, I weighed 109 lbs at age 29.  My goal:  140-150 lbs (or until my neck starts to look stringy).