Nice lunch with a nice guy

It was such a bright, sunny day yesterday that David and I drove to Monterey Bay Canners in Pearlridge for lunch:

We love the watercress farm outside the restaurant.  Some of that watercress can be found in our salads, and I guess the rest goes to hotels, stores, restaurants, etc:

The restaurant offered us complimentary rolls and butter:

David ordered the Prime Rib Salad with the meat cooked medium rare ($19.95):

I ordered the Shrimp Cobb Salad ($12.95):

It was a delicious, satisfying meal.  We then went home to watch Monday Night Football on TV and work on my post for today’s blog.  What a great marriage!  I couldn’t ask for a better life than ours.

Organ concert and visiting London

Today is Sunday and we are going to attend a concert at the Blaisdell.  It features an organ concerto by Poulenc and an organ symphony by Saint-Saens.  Both composers were born in France and died during the 1900s.  Cameron Carpenter will be the soloist, who is a flashy performer on stage.  It should be an interesting concert, because David and I have never heard these pieces before.

This is a photo of Cameron Carpenter, organ soloist:

***

David’s brother and sister-in-law are now touring London, England.  They told us that they were going to attend a musical and a play in London.  Well, good for them.

David spent ten days in London in 1967, performing with the Roosevelt High School Band from Hawaii.  He had a blast, seeing the changing of the guard, the home where Julie Andrews lived, etc.  Actually, the entire trip took three weeks with stops in Montreal, New York City, and London.  And if desired, members of the band could also visit Moscow, but David could not afford the side trip to Russia.  He returned to Hawaii via Denmark.

I was in London two years later, 1969, and remember being absolutely thrilled.  I ate a meat pot pie at an English pub, and tried draft beer, too.  I also remember admiring the Gothic architecture of Westminster Abbey, riding on top of a double decker bus, seeing Buckingham Palace, visiting the Tower of London, and, best of all, attending a performance of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” which was sung in English, not Italian.

This is a 1969 postcard of the Tower Bridge, London:

We would love to visit London again, but it’s not feasible at this time.

New damask tablecloth

The lace tablecloth I bought in 1991 was very old and tattered and needed to be replaced.  So, I googled “oval tablecloths,” and had many to choose from.  The first one I ordered was too short, and I didn’t like the polyester cotton twill fabric.  I returned it and got a partial refund.

Then, I ordered an oval damask tablecloth from a different company.  It cost $86, which included shipping.  It is 100% polyester, stain resistant and wrinkle resistant.  “Damask” is a term that means the fabric is reversible, since it has two different types of yarn that are interwoven.  Both sides are beautiful.

But, I prefer this side, because it looks like satin:

I think the dimensions are appropriate:  120 x 72 inches.  It drapes beautifully around my oval table, and it won’t shrink, since it is made of polyester.

Just in time for Christmas dinner with my family.  Lisa is coming home for the holidays, so there will be seven of us, sitting around the table and talking about our plans for the new year.

P.S.  No need to iron this tablecloth, because it is made of wrinkle-free polyester.

Neat freak

I was born a neat freak.  When I was around 7 years old, I remember my dad smoking cigarettes a lot.  He would sit in his chair, read the newspaper, and flick his ashes towards the ash tray, which sat on a pedestal.  He was really sloppy and let the ashes fall to the wooden floor.  The following morning, I would moisten some toilet paper with water and wipe the floor surrounding the pedestal.  Then, I would remove the ash tray from the pedestal and dump the cigarette butts and ashes into the trash can in the kitchen.  I did this whole routine once a day without being told to do so.  Imagine, I was 7 years old!  I continued to do this until Dad quit smoking years later.

Now, I am 72 years old, living with my husband.  Our two daughters have left the house to live their own lives.  My house is as neat and clean as can be.  There is absolutely no clutter.  Everything has its place.

For example, the newspapers are stored on a shelf beneath the end table.  They are neatly folded and stacked on this shelf.  I have trained David to put them there after he finishes reading.  Every two weeks, he grabs the stack of newspapers and discards them in the recyclable bin, which is then taken to the curb for pick up by the city:

Oh, our house is quite remarkable.  People sometimes visit us unexpectedly.  We are not embarrassed at all.  There are no newspapers strewn haphazardly on the coffee table and floor.

“Come in,” we say with a smile.  “Have a seat.  How have you been?”

High protein and veggie diet

For the longest time, I refused to eat a fresh salad on a daily basis because of parasites and bacteria in the lettuce, which have resulted in deaths in Hawaii and across the nation.  No, thank you.  I just didn’t think eating fresh lettuce was worth the risk.  Well, recently I bent my self-imposed rule and asked David to fix me a small bowl of salad when he makes his salad.  According to the label on the box, the lettuce is organic and triple washed.  I must say the mixed baby greens, tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers are very tasty with Thousand Island dressing.  And I have also noticed that fresh salad improves my digestive tract.  So far so good.  We have not gotten sick.

David’s salad and my salad:

David and I have a blood test done every six months at Straub Clinic.  For some reason, he is pre-diabetic, but I am not.  His A1C score is 6.1, but mine is 5.0.  Keep in mind that 6.5 is considered diabetic.  So, his score has to come down.

We have decided to focus on a high protein and veggie diet, trying to keep carbs at a minimum.  We’ll see if it has a salutary effect on David’s A1C score, which should be 5.6 or less, not 6.1.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. – 2018

David and I drove to Ala Moana Center yesterday to have lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.  We perused the menu and were impressed with the various ways to prepare shrimp:  Shrimp scampi over linguini, coconut shrimp with fries, shrimp with mac cheese, etc.  I was tempted to order the shrimp scampi, but the coconut shrimp won me over.  David chose the fried shrimp.  There also were burgers, chicken, salads, and soup besides shrimp, lobster, and cod.

Bubba Gump opened at Ala Moana Center twenty years ago.  The movie, “Forrest Gump,” was produced in 1994.  It starred Tom Hanks, and the name of the restaurant comes from that movie:

This is the view from our table of Ala Moana Park, the boats in the harbor, and the Pacific Ocean:

David and I:

Coconut shrimp with fries, coleslaw, and orange marmalade dip:

Fried shrimp with fries, two dips, and coleslaw:

We had a wonderful time!  Thank goodness, we are NOT allergic to shellfish.

Olivia and a brand new dryer

Tropical storm Olivia did not make much of a dent in our plans for Wednesday.  Despite the wind and rain, it wasn’t that bad:

We were able to have a brand new dryer installed in our patio.  It’s a GE (on the left):

The old dryer, which was purchased in 2001, was hauled away first.  So, Olivia did not prevent the delivery and installation of our new dryer, at all.  We are all good.

P.S.  Around 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, there was a deluge of rain because of tropical storm Olivia.  The ground is saturated.  Fortunately, our house is not flooded so far.  We will assess the situation on Thursday.

I love a good drawing

Artists who can draw get the utmost respect from me.  Why?  Because I cannot draw at all.  I have absolutely no artistic talent.  Drawing is difficult.  All of the art in my home are drawings — representational art, not abstract art.

Look at this gorgeous painting by Christian Lassen, which hangs above my stereo:

Note the fine drawing of the fish, dolphins, and coral in this painting.  It’s incredible.  So meticulous, so detailed, so beautiful.  Oh, how I love this painting!

And guess what?  This framed, matted painting cost only $130.  The reason it was so inexpensive is that it is a print, and the store was going out of business, so everything was on sale.  David told me that if it were an original painting, and not a print, it would sell for much more.

Wonderful art by Christian Lassen.

Aspects of a happy life

I am comfortable, serene and satisfied with what I already have.  Lots to be happy about.

Sitting in my patio, enjoying the trees, sky and birds, restores my spirit and brings peace and calmness to my life.

Being around compatible people helps.  My high school classmates and I met for lunch at CPK Ala Moana yesterday.  There were seven of us.  We had a good time:

It also helps to have a pleasant relationship with my husband, children and grandchildren.  This is my family photo, showing me and David, our daughter and her family, and David’s brother and sister-in-law.  We met for dinner at 100 Sails Restaurant in May 2017:

This is a beautiful view of Ala Wai Boat Harbor from the restaurant:

To have a happy life, you need to be in touch with nature and be with people, who are compatible.

Tablecloth, friends, tickets, and Serena

Yesterday, I decided to replace the lace tablecloth that I purchased in 1991.  It’s old and frayed, and it was time for something new and fresh.  I ordered a plain white 70×104 inch oval tablecloth from Amazon that cost around $55 including shipping.  I’ll use it only when we extend the table from round to oval for a dinner party.

Tomorrow, I am going to have lunch with my friends from high school.  We are all college graduates, and one friend has a law degree and is a retired circuit court judge.  I’ll try to get a group photo and perhaps post it on my blog later in the week.

We received our subscription tickets in the mail from the Hawaii Symphony and Diamond Head Theatre.  We are still waiting for our Hawaii Opera tickets to show up in the mail.

Meanwhile, we have been watching the U.S. Open on TV.

Serena Williams:

Serena’s husband:

Serena beat her Latvian opponent during the semi-finals:

I am not athletic at all, but I do appreciate other people’s talent.  David is very patient and does not mind educating me.  I have a good memory and know enough about sports to discuss the players, coaches, and teams with him.