The strike is over

This hotel was NOT on strike.  I took this photo in November 2018 at the Halekulani.

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The strike, affecting six Marriott hotels in Hawaii, ended recently.  It lasted 50 days, and finally the owner of the hotels agreed to give the striking employees better pay, benefits and working conditions.

Meanwhile, a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of hotel guests, who were not warned beforehand about the strike.  They got married on the mainland and traveled to Hawaii to enjoy their expensive honeymoon.  But, they were shocked to see a filthy bed, dirty towels, and no toilet paper.  No wonder the guests were disgusted and angry.  They received no discounts and no refunds.  Hence, the lawsuit.  Who can blame them?

It seems that unions have power.  You don’t appreciate a nicely made bed, clean towels, and toilet paper until the hotel maids go on strike.

Freezing in Hawaii

This is David, watering our ferns and crotons in the side patio (December 2018):

This is David, walking to our car at Moanalua Shopping Center (December 2018):

The temperature in Hawaii ranges from 70F to 80F in December.  It tends to be windy and rainy.  It’s so cold that I have to wear a sweater (December 2018):

I hate air conditioning when it is already so cold.  If it’s not over 80F, then don’t turn it on.  Fortunately, we don’t have central a/c.  We have split or window a/c.  There’s always a room that suits us.

David watches TV in the guest room, where he can set the air conditioner at a very low temperature (December 2018):

“The Nutcracker” – 2018

Tomorrow, David and I will attend Ballet Hawaii’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” at the Blaisdell.  Dancers from the New York City Ballet, Carolina Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet will be guest artists.  The Hawaii Symphony Orchestra will provide live music.

The ballet will be set in the 1858 Kingdom of Hawaii, so it will be interesting to see how Hawaiian costumes and props mesh with the classical ballet choreography.

Here are photos I took of a TV commercial, promoting this production:

We expect to have a good time at the ballet tomorrow.  Our seats are located in the balcony, so we should have a good view of the choreography.

And, above all, we will listen to Tchaikovsky’s glorious music, performed by the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra.

Palazzo Ristorante Italiano

Last Monday, David and I drove to Aiea to have lunch at Palazzo Ristorante Italiano.  It is owned by a Vietnamese immigrant, who also is the chef.  His brother is the waiter.  They got their training at Verbano and Assaggio Italian restaurants here in Hawaii, and I must say they have a very successful restaurant of their own:

It is very nicely decorated with white tablecloths, red napkins, and red roses:

The bread was made fresh and brought to our table hot from the oven.  It was so good that we asked for another loaf (both loaves free of charge):

David ordered the osso bucco ($23.90):

I ordered the veal provenciale ($18.90):

We both enjoyed our lunch and plan to come here again.  We love Italian cuisine.

Lisa’s new dog

Our daughter, Lisa, adopted a dog recently and emailed some photos.  The dog’s name is Sebastian.  According to the vet, he is a little more than 1 year old and weighs 14 lbs.  He was found on the street in Las Vegas with no microchip.  His teeth were clean and his nails were clipped, so apparently he had an owner.  Lisa has been doing some research online, and she thinks that he is part golden retriever, part dachshund, and perhaps a little pomeranian.  He doesn’t seem to shed any hair.  Lisa said she had him neutered and takes him for daily walks.  She likes to run with him, so they both get a lot of exercise outdoors.  When she is at work, she leaves him at doggie day care.

Lisa and Sebastian on the day she adopted him from the pound about a week ago:

Sebastian at doggie day care:

Such a cute, sweet, loving dog!  He is extremely well behaved and doesn’t bark that much.  Congratulations, Lisa.

Pineapple Cherry Cobbler

This is a recipe I created for pineapple cherry cobbler.  It’s as good as it looks.

First, spray a 9×13 inch pan with oil.  Line it with 1 can of pineapple chunks (drained) and 1 jar of maraschino cherries (drained and stemless):

Next, melt 1/4 cup of butter in the microwave.  Add 2 cups of Bisquick (a pancake mix), 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 2 eggs, and 1 cup of fat-free milk.  Mix with a spoon.  Pour over the fruit:

Bake for 30 minutes at 400F:

Cut a piece of cobbler and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream:

Yummy!  Enjoy!

Our friends, Matt and Virginia

My photo of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, in 2013.

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Virginia and I were friends at the University of Hawaii, and when she graduated, she flew to California to marry Matt.  Matt had been in the Peace Corps for two years.  He graduated from Stanford University with a Ph.D. in anthropology, after doing research for his dissertation in Indonesia.

When I was living in New York during the early 1970s, Matt was an assistant professor of anthropology at a nearby college.  I was often invited to their home for dinner.  Matt’s friends from the Peace Corps were also invited.  We enjoyed the fine dinners and the camaraderie.  Matt sometimes played a Mozart recording for us to listen to.  He loved Mozart.  Years later, Matt joined the U.S. Foreign Service.  He and Virginia lived in Chad, Africa, where he established an educational system.

Over the years, David and I dined with them whenever they visited Virginia’s family in Hawaii.  We last saw them in Washington, DC in 2013.  The following year, Virginia informed us that Matt had died due to a massive stroke.  His ashes were scattered in Haleiwa Harbor, and we dined with Virginia and her family at a restaurant in Waimea Falls Park after the scattering.  Virginia returned to the mainland to live near her children and grandchildren.

***

P.S.  Matt and Virginia went out of their way to help me when I got sick in 1975.  They bought me a one way ticket back to Hawaii and informed my father that I was returning home.  They drove me to JFK Airport, stayed with me until my flight was called, and told the flight attendant about my illness.  Then, they returned to my apartment, disposed of my belongings, and found a home for my dog.  Later, my father reimbursed them with a check.

I am forever grateful to Matt and Virginia.  What incredible friends!

David is color blind

We previously had a poinsettia on the coffee table, but it began shedding leaves on the table.  Finally, I threw it away.  We drove to Home Depot on Monday and purchased this anthurium.  Note the new bud that is about to open.  The red and green colors make me smile.  And I love the cobalt blue ceramic planter.  You all know how much I love a colorful home.

I also like the colorful muumuus in my closet:

I feel sorry for David, who is color blind.  He cannot see red and green the way people with normal vision can.  When he sees two football teams, dressed in red and green uniforms on the field, he cannot tell the difference between the two teams.  What a pity.

We are different people

We have tickets to Irving Berlin’s “Holiday Inn” at Diamond Head Theatre on December 15.  This is a photo of Zachary Linnert, playing Jim Hardy, and Rachele Rees, playing Lila Dixon:

It’s supposed to showcase a lot of Irving Berlin’s songs, which he composed throughout his career.  It opened on Broadway in 2016, but reviews have been tepid.  One local reviewer said it was sort of like listening to a jukebox, because the plot was not very complex or interesting.

Ah, well, it will be a nice break from watching football games on TV every day.  David has been riveted to the TV, and I don’t know how he can stand it.  To me, if you have seen one touchdown, you’ve seen them all.  But, he said that he is interested in football strategy, because there is more than one way to make a touchdown.

Then, David said, “You won’t see me blogging, because it would be so stressful finding a new topic.  I am amazed that you are able to write about so many different things.”

Well, we are different people.  He likes to watch football, but I don’t.  I like to blog, but he doesn’t.  However, he doesn’t mind commenting on my blog.  In fact, he likes to visit other blogs on my blogroll.

New sandals and a Macy’s shopping bag

These are slip on sandals that I purchased at Macy’s Pearlridge the other day.  They fit perfectly, size 8 M.  And, guess what, there was a 30% off sale.

However, I was a fool to ask for a shopping bag to put the shoes in, because the bag cost 15 cents.  I didn’t know about it until I got home and saw the receipt.  Well, what should I do?  Drive back to Macy’s, return the bag, and ask for my 15 cents back?  Nah.  Not going to happen.  David will use the bag as a receptacle for the weeds he pulls from the garden.