Island Double Rainbow

Happy Thanksgiving!

This was the last morning of our visit. We had a beautiful double rainbow while we finished the last of the pineapple and ran around trying to pack up all our stuff.

Feels like a good omen for the next year.

I also hiked across the airport to buy 2 fresh pineapples to bring home. I can’t believe there wasn’t a line around the building to pick these up. I guess they were expensive but when are you going to get fresh Hawaiian grown pineapple again? I looked at the pineapple at the grocery store and if I understand the label correctly, those were grown in Central America. Fresh pineapple is fresh pineapple and delicious but Hawaiian pineapple is extra delicious.

We are planning a very quiet Thanksgiving here. Wishing you the best where ever you are and whatever you do. xo

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Island Beer

I saw that the bar had something called cocoweizen. A hefeweizen with roasted coconut.

Definitely worth trying out of curiosity but I don’t think a night out drinking this would end well.

We also had to get the traditional mai tai one night. That was quite a drink. It would definitely put hair on your chest. I brought them upstairs and we enjoyed the sunset with our drinks.

This is the cocoweizen mascot. I like it.

Have you ever heard of the green flash? “The green flash is a meteorological optical phenomena that sometimes occurs around the moment of sunset or sunrise.”

Eons ago I remember reading about it in a magazine. I think it was Reader’s Digest which I subscribed to in high school. That’s how long ago. The author of the article made it sound like a rare spectacle and for whatever reason I remembered it while I was sitting there watching the sunset one night.

I didn’t expect to see anything which is why I was surprised when I did see a quick green flash.

I told Mom about it but the next 2 nights the conditions weren’t right and the last night we were out have a delicious fish dinner at Paia Fish Market so only that one sighting.

But every sunset was beautiful. We were also treated to the evening tiki lighting and conch ritual (scroll down) which was fun.

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Island Waters

This is from the scenic trolley ride we did. At one point we rounded the bend and it was blue water, white froth and chunky brown rock as far at the eyes could see. I practically cried it was so beautiful.

It was an open air trolley which was nice although I didn’t think my hair was ever going to be the same. I didn’t bring any products so my hair was super frizzy as it was and after the wind swept ride, I looked like I slept under a bridge. But happy.

On trolley day we stopped at Kahala Mall to look for a muumuu for Mom. It was almost as grim as any mall you’ve been in lately. I keep saying this but I don’t think I will ever be over the death of retail. Remember when going to the mall was an event? Shopping? Food court? Seeing people from school. When we were kids, my sister and I once saw the actress who played Cindy Brady at the mall (Canoga Park, CA). We were beside ourselves for days.

We were all hungry and Bob found a ramen place that was amazing. We really didn’t eat any bad food the entire time we were there. There were a couple of weak breakfasts but they weren’t bad.

Did you know an acai bowl is basically fruit sorbet but they sprinkle bee pollen and add fresh fruit to make it seem healthy? I don’t know what I thought it was, but not that. It was delicious and I am in favor of any sugar laden treat branded as a healthy breakfast.

We did find Mom more of a summer cover up than a true muumuu but it worked for her.

This was a side order of pineapple that I asked Bob to pick up so Mom and I could get our fill. He was going through the take out bag and checking the contents and when he opened this we all gasped. We ate it for three days enjoying the last little nubbins on the morning we left.

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Island Adventures

Waikiki Beach through the trees. We were on a trolley so most of my scenic photos are worthless.

We didn’t have a lot of big plans. Mostly we wanted to enjoy relaxing in the island breeze.

One day we went to the Honolulu Art Museum which is beautiful.

Mom touched the art. Twice!! At one point I turned around and she was opening the drawer on an ancient bedazzled bureau. I told her not to touch the art or we would get kicked out of there. She said she wanted to see if it was made well.

Little peek of Hanauma Bay State Park

In the afternoon I went swimming at a place called Magic Island Beach in Ala Moana Park. I did not bring my phone because it was hot and sunny and I didn’t want to leave it when I jumped in the water otherwise I would have taken a photo of the megayacht.

Swimming was amazing. I can’t even remember the last time I swam in the ocean. Maybe it was in 2011 when I went to San Diego — I remember sitting on the beach but I don’t remember getting in the water. But if not then, honestly, I might have been the last time I was in Hawaii which was 1986.

(It was an epic trip that couldn’t happen these days. I went with my high school friends, most of them still minors. HAHA! I rented a car at 18. I could buy alcohol at 18. We were perfectly behaved angels.)

I sure hope another 40 years don’t go by before I swim in the ocean again because I will be extremely old.

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Island Dreams

I found an app so I could check on some of the port traffic out in the distance. There were a couple of cruise lines. The fishing boats went out in the wee early hours. Sometimes a sail boat would show up as “pleasure craft.”

There was a megayacht at the yacht club in the marina out of view from our condo. There were juicy rumors about who might own it in an online forum. Also spotted: tugs, barges, tankers, and military ships.

Also spotted but not on the app: surfers, outriggers, sailboards, kayaks, catamarans and probably others I am forgetting. On land: bikes, scooters, people running, people with suitcases and people with dogs.

After the first night we gave up trying to adapt to the time. We just went to bed at 7:30 or 8 and then woke up at 5am.

As soon as I woke up I went to sit on the balcony in my summer pajamas to watch the ocean wake up. It was glorious!

In the early hours, before light, there would be all these cars coming in. Between our condo car instructions and this post, I figured out that people were moving their cars over here for free parking during the day. All the slots would be full by 7am. There was a cheap pay lot across the street from this spot. The car instructions encouraged parking there and every evening I would watch cars circle and circle and circle. We did not get a car and I’m glad because we would have either had to deal with this or pay $$ to park in a lot.

Here is my NaNo progress meter. I need less than 10k to make my goal which is in the realm of possibility but we’ll see how the holiday weekend goes.

15684 / 25000 words. 63% done!

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Island Trip

Mom wanted to see Hawaii again so we took a trip

I found this wonderful 2 bedroom condo at the Ilikai with a view of the marina, ocean, surfers, and Ala Moana Park.

It was perfect.

The weather was sunny but not too hot. Most nights we had take out and sat on the balcony and watched all the activity on the water and enjoyed the breeze.

We took a scenic trolley ride and here’s Mom enjoying the Halona blow hole scenic viewpoint.

More to come.

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Yoda Cheddar Fish

I love cheddar fish but also don’t buy cheddar fish except on road trips because they are too easy to mindlessly eat.

Not long ago I had a gift card and decided to buy a dress. I don’t have to dress up very often and I tend to wear the same dress for every thing. My mom refers to this type of dress as a “function dress.”

I haven’t bought a function dress in a long time and since retail has been ruined, (I don’t think I will ever be over it) I was looking online.

What’s the worst part about any clothing shopping? Figuring out your size. I have even bought the same brand and the same style of clothing and when I got it, the thing didn’t fit.

So for this particular shop, I clicked on the size chart and it told me to list sizes and the labels on the dresses I already own.

How many dresses do people have?

I guess this sizing chart isn’t for people who wear the same function dress to everything for years on end.

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Random Round-Up

This is from a slide that I scanned from the family archives. I have no idea who or what this is. The note says 1972 and it’s in the batch with photos from the Grand Canyon. I like to think this is Carl, a tour guide, who has spent years around the Arizona desert and loves to tell people about the Grand Canyon.

I don’t get pepper. I have never tasted anything and thought, “This needs more pepper.” I don’t dislike pepper and when the person at the restaurant with the 4-foot long pepper mill comes by and asks if I want a little pepper on my salad or my pasta, I always give an enthusiastic, “Yes, I do.”

And if I bite down on a big nugget of barely cracked peppercorn, I know that it’s pepper. But otherwise, I don’t notice pepper.

There was a New Yorker article a couple weeks ago that described a woman as “having a frazzled aspect.” That is a great description that could apply to me. But also the article was arguably biased against this individual so it wasn’t very generous.

The New Yorker also had an article about Michael A. Cummings who is an amazing quilting artist. I love seeing cool quilting art. Last time I was at the Clark County Fair I talked to one of the artists — I wish I could remember her name. Sewing is a skill I still would like to learn and I would love to try some quilting. Not sure how that’s going to work since I also still want to write books and work on drawing. Better to want to do too much than to wither away on the couch.

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Special Guest AI Writing About Alarm Clocks

I am still sorting through my feelings about AI. I have posted a couple of AI generated photos this month. Now I am posting an AI generated post — which includes 2 cites provided by the AI. This is purely for amusement. I am not going to use AI for writing.

The photo is my actual radio alarm clock that I have probably had for over 20 years and use to wake me up, with the radio, for work. It replaced a clock almost exactly like it except silver. I can’t remember if the old one stopped functioning or got broken in a move or some clumsy side-swipe. Very rarely I will use my phone alarm as a back-up if I’m worried about missing a plane or some similar event.

Okay, AI, take it away:

Waking up to the sound of an analog alarm clock is a nostalgic experience that many people miss in today’s world of smartphones. The gentle ticking of the clock, the sound of the alarm, and the feeling of turning off the alarm by pressing a button or turning a knob are all part of the experience.

In contrast, smartphones have become the go-to device for waking up in the morning. While they offer a wide range of alarm sounds and customization options, they lack the tactile feedback and sensory experience of an analog alarm clock.

According to a study conducted by the University of California, San Diego, waking up to melodic sounds such as pop songs can increase energy levels and reduce daytime grogginess compared to waking up to unmelodic alarms 1. However, the study did not compare the experience of waking up to an analog alarm clock versus a smartphone.

Moreover, using a smartphone as an alarm clock can have negative effects on sleep quality. The blue light emitted by smartphones can disrupt the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, and interfere with the body’s circadian rhythm 2. Additionally, the temptation to check notifications and scroll through social media can keep you awake longer than you intended.

In conclusion, waking up to an analog alarm clock can be a nostalgic and sensory experience that is worth revisiting. It can help you start your day on a positive note and reduce the temptation to check your phone first thing in the morning. So, why not give it a try?

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The Timbers Show: End of 2023 Season

I already wrote about how we gave up our season tickets. (Part 1) and (Part 2).

Ticket partner and I went to our last match of the season in October. Because of various scheduling snafus, we hadn’t even been to a match together in over a month.

I think going in: if we won and a few other teams did us some favors we could make the playoffs. But in typical Timbers fashion, we went down a goal in the first 11 minutes and never got it together. We lost 3-1.

Also, as I read the forecast, we might get a wee drizzle. So many matches I have geared up in my plastic pants and plastic jacket and brought my little towel to wipe off my seat. And so many matches there was barely a mist. I wasn’t going to haul out that stuff for this match.

That was a mistake. It didn’t rain hard but there was a persistent driving drizzle almost the entire night.

Then for the trip home we walked down to the transit mall to check if the bus was anywhere near … and walked past at least 3 people actively doing drugs. I asked ticket partner if he felt like doing some drugs and he declined and called a ride share.

One the one hand it was a bummer that the last match was so crappy. But then, we didn’t feel like we were giving up much. I’m sure we’ll pick up tickets to a match or two. Or more likely, the Thorns, next season.

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