I truly believe in synchronicity. Well it was close to synchronicity anyway, when I got the idea that we should reward people, especially young people, for small acts of consideration. I opened the Garden Island this morning and saw that they're now posting "ads" of congratulations that readers can send in. Not exactly what I had envisioned, but there's potential there (if you want to spend $16 anyway).
I got the idea after a small incident that occurred on Saturday night at the Kapaa Hongwanji bon dance. The incident in itself was another sort of synchronicity except more of a unsynchronicity, for lack of a real word:
When we arrived at the bon dance with our folding chairs, I suggested we set up the chairs in a row directly behind the people sitting in the church-supplied chairs. "Why so close?" my hub asked. Well you know me, always trying to outwit, I figured if we left a wider space between us and the other seated spectators, someone will inevitably stand in front of us, blocking our view. Leonard rolled his eyes, but cooperatively set up the chairs where I indicated, leaving less than 2 feet between us and the chairs in front of us.
You know what's coming, don't you?
Despite what I thought was a fail-proof plan, this wide teen-aged girl situated herself immediately to my left, standing in the narrow space in front of Jordan's empty chair (of course Jordan wasn't sitting there because she was dancing). Narrowing my view, this wide girl stood there rubbing the shoulders of her boyfriend who sat in the chair in front of her. Now in the first place, why is he sitting and making her stand? If she hadn't been wearing a t-shirt whose message I approved of --I won't go so far as to identify the t-shirt because who wants to be labeled "wide" anyway--I would've been really really annoyed, but instead I was simply annoyed. I sat there with the view that "kids nowadays have no consideration!" (If you read my earliest blog entry last July, you'd know that my biggest pet peeve is inconsiderate people.)
So ok, after an hour or so the standing girl and her ungentlemanly boyfriend left, as well as the person who sat next to him, leaving two empty seats. A few minutes later, a teen-aged boy asked Leonard, "Excuse me, is anyone sitting in those chairs?" Leonard said no. The boy then asked "Is it ok if we sit there?" Leonard said sure. My ears just about fell off when the boy said "Thanks, we didn't want to block your guys' view." Oh my god. [Unless he's a mindreader, he had no idea of what I'd been thinking, nor could he have overheard my earlier muttered complaints to Leonard.]
So you see what I mean by unsynchronicity. Only because of the wide girl's inconsideration did the boy's consideration get magnified to heroic proportions in my mind. And guess what, both he and his friend were skinny. I wish I got a look at them, but I didn't even see their faces. Thinking back on the incident later, I wish I could've somehow complimented him or acknowledged his thoughtfulness. Or taken his photo to post in the newspaper.
Small incidents like this help me enjoy life and its ironies. Now I'm wondering what message was on his t-shirt.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Dedicated to Keeping My Three Readers Healthy!
Usually this blog may appear to be merely self-indulgent yattering, but today it will be clearly contributing to the common good of my three (or so) readers. Not that my posts have been totally self-serving, nooooo. For those who have not realized my purpose, besides enjoying writing about the mundane and occasionally not-so-mundane aspects of my life, I sincerely want to convey and share my perspective in hopes that it helps others in one way or another, whether it's helping to choose a movie, or sparking interest in music, or relieving their stress by reading middle school level writing.
Today, however, you need not read between the lines. I'm writing to extoll the virtues of naturopathy and pass on a couple of suggestions that are relatively easy to get/do. I myself love EASY, so I'm not about to ask anyone to convert to veganism or take up Qi Gong, etc. (I'd do these myself if someone cooked for me, or if I lived in Lihue, respectively, by the way).
Today's advice is to look for GFSE--Grapefruit Seed Extract (not to be confused with Grape Seed Extract). You can find it online, or at the health food stores. It's a powerful anti-microbial that comes in tablet form (great for food poisoning, killing yeast in your stomach, etc.), and liquid drops. The drops are especially versatile and I have it diluted with water in spray bottles in the kitchen and bathrooms. We use it to disinfect counters, for washing produce, as a mouth/throat rinse, etc. I recommend googling it for more information. It's a "wonder drug" IMHO. In light of the worsening Swine Flu epidemic, I think it won't hurt to have this handy germ killer as part of your arsenal.
I'm also attaching Dr. Mercola's video on a simple breathing exercise that I'm trying. He sends out a great newsletter that I enjoy and dread reading at the same time. In fact, his is the only email newsletter that I bother reading. I don't always follow his advice, but it doesn't mean it's not valuable advice. It's just good to be AWARE, even though there are some things I'm not willing to give up...like eating fast food or staying up late at night.
If you have serious health problems, I highly recommend seeing a naturopathic doctor as a supplement to your medical doctor. Following the advice of our ND, Dr. Leia Melead (Kapaa, Kauai), has helped us tremendously and over the past years my confidence in naturopathic methods has grown. For example, when I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, my medical doctor prescribed Fosamax, but Dr. Melead advised against taking the drug, and recommended MCH calcium/magnesium and Vitamin D3. I agreed and did not get the Fosamax. Well, less than a year later, Fosamax was in the news, reportedly causing jaw bone decay. Eek! When I had my second bone scan two years later, my medical doctor told me, "Looks good, just keep doing what you've been doing!" I refrained from saying, "Meaning follow the naturopathic advice as opposed to the medical one, huh!" *wink*
I will occasionally pass on more EASY health tips in future blog posts. After all, if you're reading my blog, I want to keep you healthy because I need every one of you!
Today, however, you need not read between the lines. I'm writing to extoll the virtues of naturopathy and pass on a couple of suggestions that are relatively easy to get/do. I myself love EASY, so I'm not about to ask anyone to convert to veganism or take up Qi Gong, etc. (I'd do these myself if someone cooked for me, or if I lived in Lihue, respectively, by the way).
Today's advice is to look for GFSE--Grapefruit Seed Extract (not to be confused with Grape Seed Extract). You can find it online, or at the health food stores. It's a powerful anti-microbial that comes in tablet form (great for food poisoning, killing yeast in your stomach, etc.), and liquid drops. The drops are especially versatile and I have it diluted with water in spray bottles in the kitchen and bathrooms. We use it to disinfect counters, for washing produce, as a mouth/throat rinse, etc. I recommend googling it for more information. It's a "wonder drug" IMHO. In light of the worsening Swine Flu epidemic, I think it won't hurt to have this handy germ killer as part of your arsenal.
I'm also attaching Dr. Mercola's video on a simple breathing exercise that I'm trying. He sends out a great newsletter that I enjoy and dread reading at the same time. In fact, his is the only email newsletter that I bother reading. I don't always follow his advice, but it doesn't mean it's not valuable advice. It's just good to be AWARE, even though there are some things I'm not willing to give up...like eating fast food or staying up late at night.
If you have serious health problems, I highly recommend seeing a naturopathic doctor as a supplement to your medical doctor. Following the advice of our ND, Dr. Leia Melead (Kapaa, Kauai), has helped us tremendously and over the past years my confidence in naturopathic methods has grown. For example, when I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, my medical doctor prescribed Fosamax, but Dr. Melead advised against taking the drug, and recommended MCH calcium/magnesium and Vitamin D3. I agreed and did not get the Fosamax. Well, less than a year later, Fosamax was in the news, reportedly causing jaw bone decay. Eek! When I had my second bone scan two years later, my medical doctor told me, "Looks good, just keep doing what you've been doing!" I refrained from saying, "Meaning follow the naturopathic advice as opposed to the medical one, huh!" *wink*
I will occasionally pass on more EASY health tips in future blog posts. After all, if you're reading my blog, I want to keep you healthy because I need every one of you!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Eureka! Housecleaning Kauai Sis
Don't let them tell you that the $3000 vacuum cleaner will get your house cleaner. I own one of those--although I paid $1200 20+ years ago--and I just realized today that it's my $20 Eureka Boss that gets my house cleaner. No kidding!
I have to first give credit to my DustBuster that originally led me to this epiphany. I bought the rechargeable DustBuster just for traditional reason--quick clean-ups--but it came with a floor attachment and next thing I knew, I was whizzing around every other day vacuuming the floors for 10 minutes (that's how long the battery charge lasted). The battery eventually gave out and I replaced it once, but when it ran out again, I realized it was not very cost-effective to keep replacing the battery for $30, but I just loved my handy little floor buster!
While shopping at KMart I came across this Eureka corded handheld/floor vac and at first I balked at the idea of the cord hindering my "zipping around" the house. Anyone who knows me, however, would understand that the $22 price tag was the deal maker. That and a 10 foot extension cord that hubby already had. [Helpful hint: Because the filter looks very questionable, I covered it with a piece of cotton cloth fastened with a rubberband. The vac's suction is still strong enough and this way you get double filtering. Works fine! Next I'm going to try using a coffee filter.]
For a lazy housekeeper like me, a $20 vac DOES get the house cleaner than a $3000 one that just sits in the hallway closet. The key is ease of use=more frequent use=cleaner house! Just the thought of dragging out the heavy vacuum cleaner is such a turn-off, while the skinny cheerful yellow model stands almost invitingly in a corner.
If I've learned anything over the years, it's the fact that I have to constantly fool myself into doing anything I don't like to do and a vacuum cleaner that looks like a toy really helps.
Another trick is the old "I'll just clean the kitchen jalousies and that's IT." (Kitchen jalousies=one window). As I said, I hate hate hate cleaning, but something in me is perverted in that once I start cleaning something (which might be once in several months), I have a hard time stopping even though I tell myself "Ok, you did the kitchen, that's enough." Myself says, "Well look, I just washed the rag and it could still wipe a couple more jalousies..." So myself gets fooled into doing the whole house.
Lest you think I must have a clean house this way, think again. I may be fooled, but it'll take another six months or even a year to fool me again. I'm not THAT stupid. *LOL*
I try to do the same with exercising. "Okay, just move around for 5 minutes" will usually result in a 15-20 minute activity....but again, unfortunately, doesn't happen as often as recommended. We bought a Wii Fit and that lasted about a month. Now when I do get on the Wii, it says something sarcastic like "Oh! You haven't been here for 37 days!" or something to that effect.
Give me a break!! I have more important things to do, like sit at the computer all day checking my email, reading celebrity gossip, blogging, reading movie spoilers, putting my cut-out face in different hairdos, googling stuff, and oh yeh, working in between all that. Which reminds me, I have assignments due and sewing for the Koloa Plantation Days fair next week! Now how will I fool myself into getting all that done?
I have to first give credit to my DustBuster that originally led me to this epiphany. I bought the rechargeable DustBuster just for traditional reason--quick clean-ups--but it came with a floor attachment and next thing I knew, I was whizzing around every other day vacuuming the floors for 10 minutes (that's how long the battery charge lasted). The battery eventually gave out and I replaced it once, but when it ran out again, I realized it was not very cost-effective to keep replacing the battery for $30, but I just loved my handy little floor buster!
While shopping at KMart I came across this Eureka corded handheld/floor vac and at first I balked at the idea of the cord hindering my "zipping around" the house. Anyone who knows me, however, would understand that the $22 price tag was the deal maker. That and a 10 foot extension cord that hubby already had. [Helpful hint: Because the filter looks very questionable, I covered it with a piece of cotton cloth fastened with a rubberband. The vac's suction is still strong enough and this way you get double filtering. Works fine! Next I'm going to try using a coffee filter.]
For a lazy housekeeper like me, a $20 vac DOES get the house cleaner than a $3000 one that just sits in the hallway closet. The key is ease of use=more frequent use=cleaner house! Just the thought of dragging out the heavy vacuum cleaner is such a turn-off, while the skinny cheerful yellow model stands almost invitingly in a corner.
If I've learned anything over the years, it's the fact that I have to constantly fool myself into doing anything I don't like to do and a vacuum cleaner that looks like a toy really helps.
Another trick is the old "I'll just clean the kitchen jalousies and that's IT." (Kitchen jalousies=one window). As I said, I hate hate hate cleaning, but something in me is perverted in that once I start cleaning something (which might be once in several months), I have a hard time stopping even though I tell myself "Ok, you did the kitchen, that's enough." Myself says, "Well look, I just washed the rag and it could still wipe a couple more jalousies..." So myself gets fooled into doing the whole house.
Lest you think I must have a clean house this way, think again. I may be fooled, but it'll take another six months or even a year to fool me again. I'm not THAT stupid. *LOL*
I try to do the same with exercising. "Okay, just move around for 5 minutes" will usually result in a 15-20 minute activity....but again, unfortunately, doesn't happen as often as recommended. We bought a Wii Fit and that lasted about a month. Now when I do get on the Wii, it says something sarcastic like "Oh! You haven't been here for 37 days!" or something to that effect.
Give me a break!! I have more important things to do, like sit at the computer all day checking my email, reading celebrity gossip, blogging, reading movie spoilers, putting my cut-out face in different hairdos, googling stuff, and oh yeh, working in between all that. Which reminds me, I have assignments due and sewing for the Koloa Plantation Days fair next week! Now how will I fool myself into getting all that done?
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Missing the Music
There's one business that's not experiencing a slowdown of any kind. It's the "business" of Baby Boomers wanting to boogie oogie oogie. The "70's Nightclub Reunion Dance," which I've mentioned before, went from an annual event to semi-annual this year and the event sells out in MINUTES. I wish I could be there that weekend, but unfortunately we have to be in Honolulu two weeks later and as much as I'd like to see what Asian Blend looks/sounds like 30 years later, it's not enough to warrant two trips in a month. Bobby Caldwell and Smokey Robinson, yes, Asian Blend...ummm, well maybe when our personal economy starts flourishing again.
I'm wondering if a similar dance event could be successful on Kauai. If I had the know-how and the connections, I'd seriously consider organizing one. There could be no better time than right now. Michael Jackson's stunning death has probably awakened everyone's dormant inner Tony or Stephanie as we've all been listening to MJ's songs all week, most of which "have a good beat that you can dance to." Okay, possibly only Baby Boomers get that last sentence.
Personally, I wish I could jump on a time machine and go back to the period between 1968 and 1982 in Honolulu. Going to a dance was probably my favorite thing to do. Junior YBA dances, YWCA club dances, "pay parties", Magic Mushroom, Foxy Lady II, Hawaiian Hut, Hula Hut, Infinity, Point After, Spats, Valentino's... oh my goodness, I haven't thought of those places in a long time!
One aspect of "boogie-ing" I didn't enjoy was the torture of having to wait to be asked to dance. OH...MY...GOD there's no greater torture. Women's Lib may have been born in the 70's, but it certainly did not extend to the Hawaii dancefloors in those days! This is why I'd love to travel back in time; this time I wouldn't hesitate to ask some guy to dance or dance with friends, etc.
I was lucky enough in 1976 to travel to Europe and I talked the other 20somethings in our tour group to go dancing in London, Madrid, and Innsbruck. We made the happy discovery that in Europe it was perfectly acceptable to dance in a group, or with another female, etc.
Another thing I loved about my young adulthood in Honolulu was not just having all those dance venues, but also having countless other quality live entertainment available: Booga Booga, Cecilio and Kapono, Kalapana, Country Comfort, Music Magic, Azure McCall, Carol Kai, Iva Kinimaka, Nephi Hanneman, Jimmy Borges, Sydette, Liz Damon, Peter Moon, Beamer Brothers, Society of Seven, Frank Delima, Mel Cabang, Dick Jensen, Don Ho...Sak and Stu (*LOOOOOOOL*) Whatever happened to Sak and Stu, I wonder?!
We also seemed to have more opportunities to see nationally as well as internationally renown talent and at much lower ticket prices (even accounting for inflation). I only went to a fraction of the concerts, and yet within a span of ten years or so, I saw Herman's Hermits, the Animals (twice!), Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Beach Boys, the Carpenters, Tower of Power, Doobie Brothers, Blind Faith (Eric Clapton), Sonny and Cher, Young Rascals, Wayne Newton, Liza Minnelli, El Chicano, and Jose Feliciano. I'm sure I saw more that I don't recall.
I suppose I'm feeling extra nostalgic for those days because on Kauai, there's so little night life. Oh yes, and also because today's our 30th wedding anniversary and I'm remembering the days of our youth. It seems like just a few years ago, honestly. I thank Leonard for letting me stay young in my mind by putting up with my silly, youthful antics...not to mention takes me dancing in Honolulu if I bug him enough. As he says, I'll always be a "young chick" to him since I'm five years younger than he is. Lucky me!
As a postscript, I'd like to note that Michael Jackson died on the day of Michael Edayan's funeral and as if the latter weren't hard enough to accept, the second Michael loss is almost as difficult. Imagine, two gifted Michaels I wish I could have known longer and heard from longer, gone too soon. I was no raging Michael Jackson fan-addict (I immediately went to buy a couple of his DVD's online, because all we have are MJ cassette tapes!), but I did recognize his greatness and being a music and dance lover, how could I not understand how he was one in a billion? He may have grown into a strange adult, but I always gave him the benefit of the doubt and accepted his eccentricities. Geniuses are often plagued by less desirable "by-products" of their genius, and I'd sooner enjoy their brilliant contributions and only judge them if I'm asked to be on a jury.
I'm wondering if a similar dance event could be successful on Kauai. If I had the know-how and the connections, I'd seriously consider organizing one. There could be no better time than right now. Michael Jackson's stunning death has probably awakened everyone's dormant inner Tony or Stephanie as we've all been listening to MJ's songs all week, most of which "have a good beat that you can dance to." Okay, possibly only Baby Boomers get that last sentence.
Personally, I wish I could jump on a time machine and go back to the period between 1968 and 1982 in Honolulu. Going to a dance was probably my favorite thing to do. Junior YBA dances, YWCA club dances, "pay parties", Magic Mushroom, Foxy Lady II, Hawaiian Hut, Hula Hut, Infinity, Point After, Spats, Valentino's... oh my goodness, I haven't thought of those places in a long time!
One aspect of "boogie-ing" I didn't enjoy was the torture of having to wait to be asked to dance. OH...MY...GOD there's no greater torture. Women's Lib may have been born in the 70's, but it certainly did not extend to the Hawaii dancefloors in those days! This is why I'd love to travel back in time; this time I wouldn't hesitate to ask some guy to dance or dance with friends, etc.
I was lucky enough in 1976 to travel to Europe and I talked the other 20somethings in our tour group to go dancing in London, Madrid, and Innsbruck. We made the happy discovery that in Europe it was perfectly acceptable to dance in a group, or with another female, etc.
Another thing I loved about my young adulthood in Honolulu was not just having all those dance venues, but also having countless other quality live entertainment available: Booga Booga, Cecilio and Kapono, Kalapana, Country Comfort, Music Magic, Azure McCall, Carol Kai, Iva Kinimaka, Nephi Hanneman, Jimmy Borges, Sydette, Liz Damon, Peter Moon, Beamer Brothers, Society of Seven, Frank Delima, Mel Cabang, Dick Jensen, Don Ho...Sak and Stu (*LOOOOOOOL*) Whatever happened to Sak and Stu, I wonder?!
We also seemed to have more opportunities to see nationally as well as internationally renown talent and at much lower ticket prices (even accounting for inflation). I only went to a fraction of the concerts, and yet within a span of ten years or so, I saw Herman's Hermits, the Animals (twice!), Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Beach Boys, the Carpenters, Tower of Power, Doobie Brothers, Blind Faith (Eric Clapton), Sonny and Cher, Young Rascals, Wayne Newton, Liza Minnelli, El Chicano, and Jose Feliciano. I'm sure I saw more that I don't recall.
I suppose I'm feeling extra nostalgic for those days because on Kauai, there's so little night life. Oh yes, and also because today's our 30th wedding anniversary and I'm remembering the days of our youth. It seems like just a few years ago, honestly. I thank Leonard for letting me stay young in my mind by putting up with my silly, youthful antics...not to mention takes me dancing in Honolulu if I bug him enough. As he says, I'll always be a "young chick" to him since I'm five years younger than he is. Lucky me!
As a postscript, I'd like to note that Michael Jackson died on the day of Michael Edayan's funeral and as if the latter weren't hard enough to accept, the second Michael loss is almost as difficult. Imagine, two gifted Michaels I wish I could have known longer and heard from longer, gone too soon. I was no raging Michael Jackson fan-addict (I immediately went to buy a couple of his DVD's online, because all we have are MJ cassette tapes!), but I did recognize his greatness and being a music and dance lover, how could I not understand how he was one in a billion? He may have grown into a strange adult, but I always gave him the benefit of the doubt and accepted his eccentricities. Geniuses are often plagued by less desirable "by-products" of their genius, and I'd sooner enjoy their brilliant contributions and only judge them if I'm asked to be on a jury.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Too Late
I've been avoiding my blog because I knew I would feel compelled to write about a tragedy that occurred in our family. My young brother-in-law was fatally shot following a robbery in a park in San Bernardino last week.
It's a worn cliche you hear after a death: "I wish I had gotten to know him better." Well it's true. We had met Michael, my husband's half-brother, just three times, literally as he grew up: first as a small boy, then as a pre-teen, then two years ago at age 20. Each time he looked very different from the previous time, but yet each time it was obvious, during our brief meetings, that he was a likeable young man.
I had been looking forward to having him visit Kauai in August, just 8 weeks away. This was his birthplace, but he grew up in California. He was an aspiring musician and I imagined he'd come over to our house and he'd sit politely with Jordan at her computer as she showed her young Uncle her favorite music on youTube, and he would've probably shown her his favorites too. We'd finally get to talk to him for longer than a few minutes and as an adult.
It won't happen now.
If there's anything most young people don't realize, it's the fact that the good things in life take time to attain, while the bad takes just a minute. Your life can change in seconds by making the wrong choice, by saying the wrong thing, being careless or even reckless "just once." Most young people (including myself until my 30's) are too fresh from Fantasyland to understand that unhappy endings can and do happen frequently and in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, even adults are often ignorant of another fact of life: You can't go back. I wish now that we had made more effort to know Michael better. I never thought of looking for his mySpace page until it was too late. Now it's too late to comment on his passionate and sensitive writing. It's too late to learn now about what he was thinking, too late to offer comfort. Too late to listen to his music or appreciate his artwork. Oh, he was so much more than "a likeable young man."
If there's anyone you "intend" to get to know better "one of these days," I strongly suggest you start now.
Meanwhile on the news last night, they reported on a "shooting sports fair" held on Father's Day at Koko Head, noting that gun sales have skyrocketed in Hawaii (and all over the U.S.). What got me is that the news piece was a "light" one delivered as though they were reporting on a father-son fishing tournament, praising "shooting sports" as a great "father-son" activity.
I quote Dana Carvey as the Church Lady: "Isn't that special!"
It's a worn cliche you hear after a death: "I wish I had gotten to know him better." Well it's true. We had met Michael, my husband's half-brother, just three times, literally as he grew up: first as a small boy, then as a pre-teen, then two years ago at age 20. Each time he looked very different from the previous time, but yet each time it was obvious, during our brief meetings, that he was a likeable young man.
I had been looking forward to having him visit Kauai in August, just 8 weeks away. This was his birthplace, but he grew up in California. He was an aspiring musician and I imagined he'd come over to our house and he'd sit politely with Jordan at her computer as she showed her young Uncle her favorite music on youTube, and he would've probably shown her his favorites too. We'd finally get to talk to him for longer than a few minutes and as an adult.
It won't happen now.
If there's anything most young people don't realize, it's the fact that the good things in life take time to attain, while the bad takes just a minute. Your life can change in seconds by making the wrong choice, by saying the wrong thing, being careless or even reckless "just once." Most young people (including myself until my 30's) are too fresh from Fantasyland to understand that unhappy endings can and do happen frequently and in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, even adults are often ignorant of another fact of life: You can't go back. I wish now that we had made more effort to know Michael better. I never thought of looking for his mySpace page until it was too late. Now it's too late to comment on his passionate and sensitive writing. It's too late to learn now about what he was thinking, too late to offer comfort. Too late to listen to his music or appreciate his artwork. Oh, he was so much more than "a likeable young man."
If there's anyone you "intend" to get to know better "one of these days," I strongly suggest you start now.
Meanwhile on the news last night, they reported on a "shooting sports fair" held on Father's Day at Koko Head, noting that gun sales have skyrocketed in Hawaii (and all over the U.S.). What got me is that the news piece was a "light" one delivered as though they were reporting on a father-son fishing tournament, praising "shooting sports" as a great "father-son" activity.
I quote Dana Carvey as the Church Lady: "Isn't that special!"
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Guilty Pleasures
It's movie season for us. This means going to more than one movie in the month and yet going to Blockbuster in addition! These are some of them that I either went to or rented within the past month:
The Geisha--this was made in the 80's. Probably the inspiration for "Memoirs of..." I enjoyed it yet was disappointed the same way I was with "Memoirs" because I had really wanted to see more about the everyday life and training of geishas. Instead it was, like "Memoirs," a sad story. At any rate, it put me in the mood for the Obon season and bon dancing! And if you recall my grumbling about "westernization" of bon dance, well I was surprised to see that in the 1930's, when this movie was set, there were some pretty unusual geisha dancing going on that could be said to look "westernized". Funnnnny!
Ramen Girl--I found it puzzling that this movie, which I've never heard of or seen promoted ANYWHERE, was given a big space at Blockbuster. I enjoy watching movies with this theme "American person out of place in Asian country" such as "Lost in Translation," "Bride and Prejudice," "Marigold," etc. This movie was ok, but if you watch the deleted scenes, OMG! It's a "whole nuther movie"!! After watching this, you'll definitely want to eat a bowl of saimin.
Up---this movie was less about "Up," and more about "Landing" than I expected. It was good, tho.
Star Trek---poor William Shatner! I feel bad for him that he wasn't given a part in this great movie. Oh well, James Spader wasn't in the new Stargate movie was he? (I liked that original Stargate movie and that's where I first "met" him). This Star Trek movie was good, but darn if I left the theater with a lot of questions on my mind. And what's with JJ Abrams and time, anyway?!?! That guy should build his time machine and be done with his obsession already!
Sex and the City (The Movie)--I didn't watch much of this series on TV, but I did enjoy the few episodes that I did see, so I rented the movie. The plot was pretty tired. Wasn't it stupid that Carrie would get that angry at Big for having doubts on the day of his 3rd wedding? I mean he DID show up, then leave, then come back. Dopey! AND that wedding dress, IMHO wasn't "all that" if you ask me. YUCK!!! And poor Steve not getting any sex from whats-her-name (I never cared much for Cynthia Nixon ever since I saw her toothless on "Ellen") for SIX MONTHS and yet she blamed him totally for his "slipping." Not that I would excuse him, but she should've at least owned up to being partly to blame. What I did like about the movie was Jennifer Hudson, Sarah Jessica, Gilles Marini (WOWEEEEEE naked!!), Chris Noth (doesn't have to be naked!!), and the Fashion, although I still think expensive handbags are stupid.
Night at the Museum--Fun because I love Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson and museums. Amy Adams' character was annoying, though.
Tropic Thunder-- Speaking of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, I rented Tropic Thunder just to see the added features since I'd seen the movie in the theater last year. My interest in this movie is due to its being filmed on Kauai. I even went to apply for a part as an extra (first time I've ever done that), but did not get called. Hundreds of people on Kauai applied and just going through that "cattle-call" process was fun and interesting. They probably looked at my photo and said, "She's too pale to be a Vietnamese villager...and too old and flabby to be a poolside party girl." *LOOOOL* From what I heard later, being an extra was no picnic, for the most part, especially for the scenes filmed in the canefields, which was the majority of the scenes.
Religulous--Like Bill Maher, I'm somewhat anti-religion because IMHO religions are man-made and faulty. I'm NOT against spirituality and faith, however. It's amusing to me that people are so convinced that their religion is the Right One. I'm all for having faith, however, so I wouldn't discourage anyone from believing what they want to. Check out this movie, though... it's very thought-provoking.
It's Bad For Ya (George Carlin)-- I was surprised to find George Carlin saying a lot of the same things that Bill Maher was saying in "Religulous." But why should I be surprised? They're both very intelligent, conscientious guys! I've considered George Carlin one of my favorite comedians since the first time I saw him on TV decades ago before he became notorious. I admire people who are intelligent, funny, and not afraid to go against the grain to point out that "the emperor has no clothes."
Forgetting Sarah Marshall--I always try to watch any major movie or television show filmed in Hawaii. We need to support the film industry in Hawaii! This was a fun movie. I'm trying to figure out why I like Russell Brand so much. Anytime he's on a talk show, I'll watch it. It's probably a combination of his British accent, effeminate quirky style, and outrageous spoutings, accompanied by an undeniable sweetness. He plays a rock star who stole Sarah from Jason Segal's character, and yet he's likeable, even by the guy he "robbed"! Cool!
And now for a Bobby Caldwell interlude. I filmed this at the concert in March. This is currently my favorite BC song, "Cry." Interesting note....he's very popular in Japan and they used this song in a commercial there. Go to Amazon and buy his music...I consider his voice the absolute best!
The Geisha--this was made in the 80's. Probably the inspiration for "Memoirs of..." I enjoyed it yet was disappointed the same way I was with "Memoirs" because I had really wanted to see more about the everyday life and training of geishas. Instead it was, like "Memoirs," a sad story. At any rate, it put me in the mood for the Obon season and bon dancing! And if you recall my grumbling about "westernization" of bon dance, well I was surprised to see that in the 1930's, when this movie was set, there were some pretty unusual geisha dancing going on that could be said to look "westernized". Funnnnny!
Ramen Girl--I found it puzzling that this movie, which I've never heard of or seen promoted ANYWHERE, was given a big space at Blockbuster. I enjoy watching movies with this theme "American person out of place in Asian country" such as "Lost in Translation," "Bride and Prejudice," "Marigold," etc. This movie was ok, but if you watch the deleted scenes, OMG! It's a "whole nuther movie"!! After watching this, you'll definitely want to eat a bowl of saimin.
Up---this movie was less about "Up," and more about "Landing" than I expected. It was good, tho.
Star Trek---poor William Shatner! I feel bad for him that he wasn't given a part in this great movie. Oh well, James Spader wasn't in the new Stargate movie was he? (I liked that original Stargate movie and that's where I first "met" him). This Star Trek movie was good, but darn if I left the theater with a lot of questions on my mind. And what's with JJ Abrams and time, anyway?!?! That guy should build his time machine and be done with his obsession already!
Sex and the City (The Movie)--I didn't watch much of this series on TV, but I did enjoy the few episodes that I did see, so I rented the movie. The plot was pretty tired. Wasn't it stupid that Carrie would get that angry at Big for having doubts on the day of his 3rd wedding? I mean he DID show up, then leave, then come back. Dopey! AND that wedding dress, IMHO wasn't "all that" if you ask me. YUCK!!! And poor Steve not getting any sex from whats-her-name (I never cared much for Cynthia Nixon ever since I saw her toothless on "Ellen") for SIX MONTHS and yet she blamed him totally for his "slipping." Not that I would excuse him, but she should've at least owned up to being partly to blame. What I did like about the movie was Jennifer Hudson, Sarah Jessica, Gilles Marini (WOWEEEEEE naked!!), Chris Noth (doesn't have to be naked!!), and the Fashion, although I still think expensive handbags are stupid.
Night at the Museum--Fun because I love Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson and museums. Amy Adams' character was annoying, though.
Tropic Thunder-- Speaking of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, I rented Tropic Thunder just to see the added features since I'd seen the movie in the theater last year. My interest in this movie is due to its being filmed on Kauai. I even went to apply for a part as an extra (first time I've ever done that), but did not get called. Hundreds of people on Kauai applied and just going through that "cattle-call" process was fun and interesting. They probably looked at my photo and said, "She's too pale to be a Vietnamese villager...and too old and flabby to be a poolside party girl." *LOOOOL* From what I heard later, being an extra was no picnic, for the most part, especially for the scenes filmed in the canefields, which was the majority of the scenes.
Religulous--Like Bill Maher, I'm somewhat anti-religion because IMHO religions are man-made and faulty. I'm NOT against spirituality and faith, however. It's amusing to me that people are so convinced that their religion is the Right One. I'm all for having faith, however, so I wouldn't discourage anyone from believing what they want to. Check out this movie, though... it's very thought-provoking.
It's Bad For Ya (George Carlin)-- I was surprised to find George Carlin saying a lot of the same things that Bill Maher was saying in "Religulous." But why should I be surprised? They're both very intelligent, conscientious guys! I've considered George Carlin one of my favorite comedians since the first time I saw him on TV decades ago before he became notorious. I admire people who are intelligent, funny, and not afraid to go against the grain to point out that "the emperor has no clothes."
Forgetting Sarah Marshall--I always try to watch any major movie or television show filmed in Hawaii. We need to support the film industry in Hawaii! This was a fun movie. I'm trying to figure out why I like Russell Brand so much. Anytime he's on a talk show, I'll watch it. It's probably a combination of his British accent, effeminate quirky style, and outrageous spoutings, accompanied by an undeniable sweetness. He plays a rock star who stole Sarah from Jason Segal's character, and yet he's likeable, even by the guy he "robbed"! Cool!
And now for a Bobby Caldwell interlude. I filmed this at the concert in March. This is currently my favorite BC song, "Cry." Interesting note....he's very popular in Japan and they used this song in a commercial there. Go to Amazon and buy his music...I consider his voice the absolute best!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Driving Kauai Sis
Thanks for reading! I've been getting a few more hits lately and I hope there are some repeat visitors other than my 3 readers (assuming THEY'RE still reading *LOL*). Feel free to leave a comment sometime, too. Personally I love to comment on websites--that's probably why I started this blog. Just one looong comment after another whenever I feel like it.
We all like to get feedback, don't we? Especially if it's positive...ok, ok....ONLY if it's positive! Speaking of feedback, a very strange thing happened last Friday while I was driving to Lihue at about noon.
Whenever I'm near the Kauai Hilton on Kuhio Highway, I remember that there'd been a terrible accident there last summer when a speeding car going north towards Kapaa hit a car going south towards Lihue, killing the driver, Colin Sunada, and injuring his wife and daughter. As usual as I drove through that area, I felt a bit on edge and alert. I passed that section of the highway and the Hilton and suddenly noticed that the cars in front had stopped. I had to jam on my brakes, veering right to the shoulder, narrowly missing rear-ending the car in front of me. I was aware that there was a large commercial truck behind me and sure enough, he came to a stop almost beside me on the left!
As I sat there stunned, wondering why the cars were stopped, I could see no apparent cause. Most of the cars were pulled to the shoulder also so I expected to see or hear an emergency vehicle. Nothing.
I then noticed activity in the car in front of me. Its driver was a woman who was waving her hands around, gesturing like crazy. I wasn't sure whom she was signaling, but I saw an "ok" sign several times and then she stuck her hands out her window, gestured some more and applauded. In my befuddled state, I wondered what the heck was going on!
I have to conclude that she was giving me positive feedback for not ramming into her. Possibly she was also applauding the truck driver behind me (now on the side of me) too. Ok, shoots, I'll take a bow!
I would sure like to know what the heck happened. Leonard suggested it was caused by yet another tourist doing a U-turn or left turn into the Pineapple store lot. Possible!
Whatever the cause, I couldn't help thinking that possibly the Sunadas' horrific accident helped make others like myself more alert. Sad, but true.
I'd just like to know what that was all about and to thank that lady for giving me the positive feedback...and something to write about.
We all like to get feedback, don't we? Especially if it's positive...ok, ok....ONLY if it's positive! Speaking of feedback, a very strange thing happened last Friday while I was driving to Lihue at about noon.
Whenever I'm near the Kauai Hilton on Kuhio Highway, I remember that there'd been a terrible accident there last summer when a speeding car going north towards Kapaa hit a car going south towards Lihue, killing the driver, Colin Sunada, and injuring his wife and daughter. As usual as I drove through that area, I felt a bit on edge and alert. I passed that section of the highway and the Hilton and suddenly noticed that the cars in front had stopped. I had to jam on my brakes, veering right to the shoulder, narrowly missing rear-ending the car in front of me. I was aware that there was a large commercial truck behind me and sure enough, he came to a stop almost beside me on the left!
As I sat there stunned, wondering why the cars were stopped, I could see no apparent cause. Most of the cars were pulled to the shoulder also so I expected to see or hear an emergency vehicle. Nothing.
I then noticed activity in the car in front of me. Its driver was a woman who was waving her hands around, gesturing like crazy. I wasn't sure whom she was signaling, but I saw an "ok" sign several times and then she stuck her hands out her window, gestured some more and applauded. In my befuddled state, I wondered what the heck was going on!
I have to conclude that she was giving me positive feedback for not ramming into her. Possibly she was also applauding the truck driver behind me (now on the side of me) too. Ok, shoots, I'll take a bow!
I would sure like to know what the heck happened. Leonard suggested it was caused by yet another tourist doing a U-turn or left turn into the Pineapple store lot. Possible!
Whatever the cause, I couldn't help thinking that possibly the Sunadas' horrific accident helped make others like myself more alert. Sad, but true.
I'd just like to know what that was all about and to thank that lady for giving me the positive feedback...and something to write about.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Role Model Kauai Sis
Who are John and Katie?! I kept hearing their names on ET the other night while not watching. I do a lot of TV listening. I finally gathered that they're a couple on a reality show that I never watch or heard of. Oh well. I'm only one person, I can't be expected to know every "celebrity" out there. It's bad enough that there are thousands of celebrities, now we must contend with real-ebrities, those reality TV people. Give us a break!
On the other hand--if nothing else, I'm a queen of perspective--why shouldn't "ordinary" people be considered celebrities. Why should only actors or musicians or models or athletes or political figures or TV newspeople or authors or doctors or lawyers or or or....get to be rich and famous anyway? Honestly! There are a lot of wonderful people out there who are more deserving.
On this Memorial Day (ok, I'm a day late...see blog below for "Procrastinah, crastinah...")--of course I remember my Dad, but I remember him EVERY day--for some reason I remembered Mr. Tanga. He was one of my bosses at my first job when I was 17. Obviously being a lowly office clerk I had several bosses, but Richard Tanga was the "bossiest." I must acknowledge my granduncle (or is it great uncle?), Tadashi Kato, who got me the job (the first and last time I ever benefited from nepotism) and looking back, it was a terrific job to have as a first (invoice clerk at Davenroy Drycleaners). Uncle Kato was the accountant/office manager and a benevolent, competent boss who supervised me from two doors down and taught me my various tasks, but it was Mr. Tanga, a real "character", who supervised the department for which I made invoices and taught me more memorable lessons.
At first I was a bit taken aback by his gruff manner, but I quickly became used to his forthright style and sometimes unconventional antics. He would grab a metal wastebasket and straddle it as his chair, light a cigarette and start crooning a tune. He'd give me advice while making observations about the many laundry deliverymen such as "You have to watch out for the quiet ones, Colleen." Sure enough, one day out of the blue, the quietest one shocked me by asking me for a date. There were other bits of advice that stayed with me for the past 40 years such as "you don't need an alarm clock, just tell yourself to wake up at a certain time," or "Every morning when I wake up, I drink a glass of warm water, that's why I don't get sick." "Finish the job, finish the job!" he'd scold me if I did something "half-assed". I have mimicked Mr. T. to my hub on occasion, I admit.
Looking back, I see now that he was my first mentor and the first adult to speak frankly to me on an adult level and I wish I could've thanked him for that. I can't remember everything he told me over those 2-3 years, but yet his whole attitude influenced me in a positive way, most of all his sense of humor and his no-BS frankness. Although we never crossed paths after I quit Davenroy almost 40 years ago, I have always regarded him as a memorable character and an important influence in my life.
We should all hope that we, who are not even real-ebrities, can somehow make a positive and lasting impression on a young person and are remembered fondly for the rest of his or her life. Who knows, they might even blog about you 40 years from now.
On the other hand--if nothing else, I'm a queen of perspective--why shouldn't "ordinary" people be considered celebrities. Why should only actors or musicians or models or athletes or political figures or TV newspeople or authors or doctors or lawyers or or or....get to be rich and famous anyway? Honestly! There are a lot of wonderful people out there who are more deserving.
On this Memorial Day (ok, I'm a day late...see blog below for "Procrastinah, crastinah...")--of course I remember my Dad, but I remember him EVERY day--for some reason I remembered Mr. Tanga. He was one of my bosses at my first job when I was 17. Obviously being a lowly office clerk I had several bosses, but Richard Tanga was the "bossiest." I must acknowledge my granduncle (or is it great uncle?), Tadashi Kato, who got me the job (the first and last time I ever benefited from nepotism) and looking back, it was a terrific job to have as a first (invoice clerk at Davenroy Drycleaners). Uncle Kato was the accountant/office manager and a benevolent, competent boss who supervised me from two doors down and taught me my various tasks, but it was Mr. Tanga, a real "character", who supervised the department for which I made invoices and taught me more memorable lessons.
At first I was a bit taken aback by his gruff manner, but I quickly became used to his forthright style and sometimes unconventional antics. He would grab a metal wastebasket and straddle it as his chair, light a cigarette and start crooning a tune. He'd give me advice while making observations about the many laundry deliverymen such as "You have to watch out for the quiet ones, Colleen." Sure enough, one day out of the blue, the quietest one shocked me by asking me for a date. There were other bits of advice that stayed with me for the past 40 years such as "you don't need an alarm clock, just tell yourself to wake up at a certain time," or "Every morning when I wake up, I drink a glass of warm water, that's why I don't get sick." "Finish the job, finish the job!" he'd scold me if I did something "half-assed". I have mimicked Mr. T. to my hub on occasion, I admit.
Looking back, I see now that he was my first mentor and the first adult to speak frankly to me on an adult level and I wish I could've thanked him for that. I can't remember everything he told me over those 2-3 years, but yet his whole attitude influenced me in a positive way, most of all his sense of humor and his no-BS frankness. Although we never crossed paths after I quit Davenroy almost 40 years ago, I have always regarded him as a memorable character and an important influence in my life.
We should all hope that we, who are not even real-ebrities, can somehow make a positive and lasting impression on a young person and are remembered fondly for the rest of his or her life. Who knows, they might even blog about you 40 years from now.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Music Break
I should be looking through cookbooks for something to serve tomorrow at our "ladies' luncheon". Being a procrastinator, I'm instead writing on my blog. I'm in a happy mood because last week it finally occurred to me (about time!) that I can connect my PDA--which is filled with my favorite music--to the stereo amplifier. No more messing with changing CD's! Ah the small pleasures in my life.
For 5-6 hours I'm able to annoy the neighbors with my eclectic selection of favorites in crazy random order. Leona Lewis singing "Better With Time," followed by a Bollywood song or Cheb Mami, then Smokey Robinson's "Moody's Mood for Love," followed by the crazy wild UK bhangra hit "Baddest Ruffest", then some obscure old British 1960's pop like "Tell Him" by Billie Davis, "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto, then Bobby Caldwell, of course, and Keane, Coldplay, and John Ondrasik.
I'm not trying to annoy the neighbors, of course, but if they're like me, they'd probably not care to listen to other people's music. Music is best when you're sitting in the middle of it and you've chosen every song. The farther you get from the source, the less its appeal. It almost ceases to be "music" when it's across the street...and if it's in a foreign language that probably doubles the annoyance (with the exception of, perhaps, Hawaiian, which technically is NOT a foreign language). In the year following 9-11, I wondered if the neighbors would turn me in to the FBI when I played Middle Eastern music. Would they even know Arabic if they heard it? I had an explanation ready: the Taliban would never sanction such music and in fact has been known to execute musicians. So there.
I especially enjoy playing lesser-known (in Hawaii) and under-appreciated songs/artists. I have this vision of someone knocking on my door. I warily crack open the jalousies to peek out and it's a vaguely familiar looking man/woman saying, "I was just passing by and wanted to thank you for playing my song! Would you like my autograph?" *LOOOOOOL*
Well I did get some indirect appreciation a while ago. I put one of my crazy mixes on a CD for Jordan and she took it to PACE (now Fun Fitness), her exercise club. Bonnie, her aide, reported later that there's a lady they often see exercising there and she always looks very solemn. It was a rare occasion that Jordan was allowed to play her CD and suddenly the lady broke into a big smile and on her way out, told Bonnie that she was from Egypt and was so happy and surprised to hear Hisham Abbas singing "Nari Nareen." She should be my neighbor.
Uh oh, I was humming "Womanizer" and somehow I could hear Britney singing "Procrastinatah, 'crastinatah, you're a procrastinatah...Who you tryin to fool, I know exactly what you are, are are are..." Time to get back to work/cleaning/looking for recipes.
For 5-6 hours I'm able to annoy the neighbors with my eclectic selection of favorites in crazy random order. Leona Lewis singing "Better With Time," followed by a Bollywood song or Cheb Mami, then Smokey Robinson's "Moody's Mood for Love," followed by the crazy wild UK bhangra hit "Baddest Ruffest", then some obscure old British 1960's pop like "Tell Him" by Billie Davis, "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto, then Bobby Caldwell, of course, and Keane, Coldplay, and John Ondrasik.
I'm not trying to annoy the neighbors, of course, but if they're like me, they'd probably not care to listen to other people's music. Music is best when you're sitting in the middle of it and you've chosen every song. The farther you get from the source, the less its appeal. It almost ceases to be "music" when it's across the street...and if it's in a foreign language that probably doubles the annoyance (with the exception of, perhaps, Hawaiian, which technically is NOT a foreign language). In the year following 9-11, I wondered if the neighbors would turn me in to the FBI when I played Middle Eastern music. Would they even know Arabic if they heard it? I had an explanation ready: the Taliban would never sanction such music and in fact has been known to execute musicians. So there.
I especially enjoy playing lesser-known (in Hawaii) and under-appreciated songs/artists. I have this vision of someone knocking on my door. I warily crack open the jalousies to peek out and it's a vaguely familiar looking man/woman saying, "I was just passing by and wanted to thank you for playing my song! Would you like my autograph?" *LOOOOOOL*
Well I did get some indirect appreciation a while ago. I put one of my crazy mixes on a CD for Jordan and she took it to PACE (now Fun Fitness), her exercise club. Bonnie, her aide, reported later that there's a lady they often see exercising there and she always looks very solemn. It was a rare occasion that Jordan was allowed to play her CD and suddenly the lady broke into a big smile and on her way out, told Bonnie that she was from Egypt and was so happy and surprised to hear Hisham Abbas singing "Nari Nareen." She should be my neighbor.
Uh oh, I was humming "Womanizer" and somehow I could hear Britney singing "Procrastinatah, 'crastinatah, you're a procrastinatah...Who you tryin to fool, I know exactly what you are, are are are..." Time to get back to work/cleaning/looking for recipes.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Printer Kauai Sis
Although my life is basically boring, there are times I think it would make a great sitcom. Things happen that are often extremely amusing and/or ironic that I wonder if I'm a puppet of some wiseass screenwriter "up there".
Today I spent an hour composing a letter to a friend. She's one of a couple of friends I have who stubbornly refuse to email. She's also one of my closest friends-- although not physically since she lives on another island--so I'm determined to keep connected. As usual, at the end of the letter I begged her to start emailing since I KNOW she has email at work and has no restrictions against it. I wrote, and I quote: "....when are you going to let me email you? You have no idea how much effort this is to write this way...now I gotta go plug into the printer, get a piece of paper, print...find an envelope and stamp..go out to the mailbox. OMIGOD so much work!"
So I then unplug my laptop and resignedly trudge over to the printer in another room. Plug in the printer into the power strip, plug the printer into the laptop, and get out some paper. Brilliant me, I thought TO SAVE PAPER, I'll select "print on both sides." What a joke.
After it printed on one side, it stopped and I couldn't figure out how to get the second page to print. I'll save you the boredom of reading the play-by-play and just say that I ended up restarting the laptop 2 times, changing the ink cartridge, and using 4 sheets of paper instead of one. It took me over 30 minutes.
And I hadn't even looked for an envelope and stamp yet!!!
Today I spent an hour composing a letter to a friend. She's one of a couple of friends I have who stubbornly refuse to email. She's also one of my closest friends-- although not physically since she lives on another island--so I'm determined to keep connected. As usual, at the end of the letter I begged her to start emailing since I KNOW she has email at work and has no restrictions against it. I wrote, and I quote: "....when are you going to let me email you? You have no idea how much effort this is to write this way...now I gotta go plug into the printer, get a piece of paper, print...find an envelope and stamp..go out to the mailbox. OMIGOD so much work!"
So I then unplug my laptop and resignedly trudge over to the printer in another room. Plug in the printer into the power strip, plug the printer into the laptop, and get out some paper. Brilliant me, I thought TO SAVE PAPER, I'll select "print on both sides." What a joke.
After it printed on one side, it stopped and I couldn't figure out how to get the second page to print. I'll save you the boredom of reading the play-by-play and just say that I ended up restarting the laptop 2 times, changing the ink cartridge, and using 4 sheets of paper instead of one. It took me over 30 minutes.
And I hadn't even looked for an envelope and stamp yet!!!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day and Economy Kauai Sis
Uh oh, this blog is experiencing a KauaiSis of its own, being so badly neglected. Cousin Al warned me!!
Well while Leonardo sits watching the rather inane "Hulk" movie, I'm ordering photos online for my mom on this, my 21st Mother's Day. A mother's work is never done!!!! How come the father gets to sit in front of the TV and the mother has to work? Ok, I admit this morning I lay in bed reading and dozing until 11 a.m. while he was at work.
My Mother's Day celebration included a visit to Border's and a "tall" cup of Java Chip Frappucino from Starbucks. You see, here is yet another reason America is in a sorry state these days: they call that cup a "Tall"...like we the consumers are idiots and don't realize it's really small. Just like the way they put less tissue on the toilet paper rolls then make "Double Rolls" like we're such idiots we'll be impressed. OR putting less Vienna Sausages in the cans, or less tuna, shrunken ice cream cartons, etc. ad nauseum. So the question is, are the majority of American shoppers really idiots or are we becoming idiots because the marketers who come up with these sneaky "let's fool the consumers" ideas treat us this way?
Where was I? Oh yes, Borders. We hadn't been to Borders in a few months and perhaps because our shopping habits reflect the public's in general, Borders Music has definitely gone downhill. The selection of CD's is dangerously beginning to resemble WalMart's crappy selection. Not one Bobby Caldwell CD! Whoa! They totally lost some sales today. In the past, Leonard would always end up with some new Jazz CD in his clutches (which I would try to talk him out of saying "I can order that online for cheaper!). Today, to my surprise, he had NOTHING clutched. They've removed those listening stations and now you can listen at the "search" stations. This may be more efficient, but does not encourage impulse buying, IMHO. Ironically today we were armed with gift cards and I was prepared to make purchases rather than come home to order on Amazon Marketplace. Toooo bad for Borders, they lost out except for Jordan's one purchase of "Brazilian Groove".
After "helping" Borders with Jordan's $11 purchase ($14.99 less 30% off coupon), we proceeded to Long's, Costco, and WalMart to "help" their bottomlines too. And lest you think we're only helping the "big guys", we went to Hong Kong Cafe for my Mother's Day dinner. Ron and Laura Wiley were there, by the way. Which reminds me, I got a big thrill a couple of weeks ago while flipping through the Kauai People tabloid. There was Ron wearing my Koi Shirt, posing with Senator Dan Inouye and his wife. Way cool!!! This is the second time Ron's been in the newspaper with this same shirt. He owns several of my shirts, but I'm guessing this is his fave. (FYI Ron Wiley is Kauai's #1 radio personality.) (See below)
After dinner we visited Blockbuster to give them a hand (I hear they're near bankruptcy!). I rented "Religulous" (so sue me, I'm a Bill Maher fan), George Carlin (*sob* I can't believe he's gone), and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (I have this very strange attraction to Russell Brand!). Hubby rented "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "Hulk". I'd say you can tell a lot about us from those two last sentences right there. *LOOOOOOOOL* (I think I hear Karen laughing!)
Well while Leonardo sits watching the rather inane "Hulk" movie, I'm ordering photos online for my mom on this, my 21st Mother's Day. A mother's work is never done!!!! How come the father gets to sit in front of the TV and the mother has to work? Ok, I admit this morning I lay in bed reading and dozing until 11 a.m. while he was at work.
My Mother's Day celebration included a visit to Border's and a "tall" cup of Java Chip Frappucino from Starbucks. You see, here is yet another reason America is in a sorry state these days: they call that cup a "Tall"...like we the consumers are idiots and don't realize it's really small. Just like the way they put less tissue on the toilet paper rolls then make "Double Rolls" like we're such idiots we'll be impressed. OR putting less Vienna Sausages in the cans, or less tuna, shrunken ice cream cartons, etc. ad nauseum. So the question is, are the majority of American shoppers really idiots or are we becoming idiots because the marketers who come up with these sneaky "let's fool the consumers" ideas treat us this way?
Where was I? Oh yes, Borders. We hadn't been to Borders in a few months and perhaps because our shopping habits reflect the public's in general, Borders Music has definitely gone downhill. The selection of CD's is dangerously beginning to resemble WalMart's crappy selection. Not one Bobby Caldwell CD! Whoa! They totally lost some sales today. In the past, Leonard would always end up with some new Jazz CD in his clutches (which I would try to talk him out of saying "I can order that online for cheaper!). Today, to my surprise, he had NOTHING clutched. They've removed those listening stations and now you can listen at the "search" stations. This may be more efficient, but does not encourage impulse buying, IMHO. Ironically today we were armed with gift cards and I was prepared to make purchases rather than come home to order on Amazon Marketplace. Toooo bad for Borders, they lost out except for Jordan's one purchase of "Brazilian Groove".
After "helping" Borders with Jordan's $11 purchase ($14.99 less 30% off coupon), we proceeded to Long's, Costco, and WalMart to "help" their bottomlines too. And lest you think we're only helping the "big guys", we went to Hong Kong Cafe for my Mother's Day dinner. Ron and Laura Wiley were there, by the way. Which reminds me, I got a big thrill a couple of weeks ago while flipping through the Kauai People tabloid. There was Ron wearing my Koi Shirt, posing with Senator Dan Inouye and his wife. Way cool!!! This is the second time Ron's been in the newspaper with this same shirt. He owns several of my shirts, but I'm guessing this is his fave. (FYI Ron Wiley is Kauai's #1 radio personality.) (See below)
After dinner we visited Blockbuster to give them a hand (I hear they're near bankruptcy!). I rented "Religulous" (so sue me, I'm a Bill Maher fan), George Carlin (*sob* I can't believe he's gone), and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (I have this very strange attraction to Russell Brand!). Hubby rented "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "Hulk". I'd say you can tell a lot about us from those two last sentences right there. *LOOOOOOOOL* (I think I hear Karen laughing!)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
State Budget Kauai Sis
I wanted to keep Bobby Caldwell at the top of the page so I haven't posted for the past few weeks. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!
Today, however, is a good day to post because I actually have some time. I'm in a particularly happy mood today because the issue that was weighing me down since the beginning of the year--Jordan's service hours budget cut-- was finally resolved in our favor.
I hadn't mentioned it in my blog because it was too serious to discuss here and I felt any efforts made should have direct impact on the outcome. Now that it's over, I can finally "exhale"!
In brief, the State of Hawaii is experiencing a huge deficit this year and asked all Medicaid waiver recipients to take a cut of 15% in services. When I first heard of this cut I was resigned to the idea, but of course was not happy.
In the 17 years that Jordan's been receiving government assistance (DOE, DOH, etc.), we've never contested any decision regarding the aid she receives. We've just gratefully accepted any service we've been offered without the attitude of entitlement. We've heard of parents who aggressively demand more from the State than is initially offered to them. I understand their motivation and not knowing the details of each case, I should not be judging, but personally we've always had the attitude of "for the greater good". It's a debatable issue whether a parent should fight for maximum assistance from the State for their child without feeling guilt that their success may mean less funds available for others.
Long story short, the State planned to cut Jordan 66% off her authorized hours rather than 15% because her case was atypical. I would be a bad parent if I didn't ask for reconsideration because her authorized 30 hours is already 25% lower than average. Imagine having to fight just to come up to a below average level!
I won't go into the details of the hours I spent on preparation for the formal hearing held on Monday, the stress it caused me (I swear my white hair increased 15% to 66% of my hair), plus having to go to Honolulu at my own expense. In the end, it turned out that it was all for naught--the settlement proposal submitted by our attorney was accepted even before the hearing officially began. I was too happy to be mad.
I would just like to thank Lou Erteschik from Hawaii Disability Rights Center and Ellen Ching from ARC of Kauai for their invaluable help. Also I'm grateful for the support I got from individuals who signed statements and/or testified on paper on Jordan's behalf. I'm also very relieved to know that the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health are doing their best to accommodate their clients. It's a bad situation for all and just sad that the State's most vulnerable population is being subjected to these cuts.
So come on folks, the economy depends on everyone loosening their purse strings, especially those heavy purses!
Side Note: Because I finished much earlier than expected on Monday, I was four hours early for my flight back to Kauai. I assumed I could easily get on an earlier flight since I was alone because we've often done so in the past. Well guess what? Hawaiian Air is being very strict now and sending planes off with empty seats rather than give us early birds a break. This seems counter-productive to me since if they let people go earlier, it would free up later seats which still have a chance to be sold. No? Instead, they were adamant that I pay $50 to go earlier (unless I belonged to one of the elite levels of their mileage program). I suppose this is the way they get people to sign up (pay) for those levels, but I refuse and choose to just view this as a very "no Aloha" tactic! Booooo Hawaiian Airlines!!
Today, however, is a good day to post because I actually have some time. I'm in a particularly happy mood today because the issue that was weighing me down since the beginning of the year--Jordan's service hours budget cut-- was finally resolved in our favor.
I hadn't mentioned it in my blog because it was too serious to discuss here and I felt any efforts made should have direct impact on the outcome. Now that it's over, I can finally "exhale"!
In brief, the State of Hawaii is experiencing a huge deficit this year and asked all Medicaid waiver recipients to take a cut of 15% in services. When I first heard of this cut I was resigned to the idea, but of course was not happy.
In the 17 years that Jordan's been receiving government assistance (DOE, DOH, etc.), we've never contested any decision regarding the aid she receives. We've just gratefully accepted any service we've been offered without the attitude of entitlement. We've heard of parents who aggressively demand more from the State than is initially offered to them. I understand their motivation and not knowing the details of each case, I should not be judging, but personally we've always had the attitude of "for the greater good". It's a debatable issue whether a parent should fight for maximum assistance from the State for their child without feeling guilt that their success may mean less funds available for others.
Long story short, the State planned to cut Jordan 66% off her authorized hours rather than 15% because her case was atypical. I would be a bad parent if I didn't ask for reconsideration because her authorized 30 hours is already 25% lower than average. Imagine having to fight just to come up to a below average level!
I won't go into the details of the hours I spent on preparation for the formal hearing held on Monday, the stress it caused me (I swear my white hair increased 15% to 66% of my hair), plus having to go to Honolulu at my own expense. In the end, it turned out that it was all for naught--the settlement proposal submitted by our attorney was accepted even before the hearing officially began. I was too happy to be mad.
I would just like to thank Lou Erteschik from Hawaii Disability Rights Center and Ellen Ching from ARC of Kauai for their invaluable help. Also I'm grateful for the support I got from individuals who signed statements and/or testified on paper on Jordan's behalf. I'm also very relieved to know that the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health are doing their best to accommodate their clients. It's a bad situation for all and just sad that the State's most vulnerable population is being subjected to these cuts.
So come on folks, the economy depends on everyone loosening their purse strings, especially those heavy purses!
Side Note: Because I finished much earlier than expected on Monday, I was four hours early for my flight back to Kauai. I assumed I could easily get on an earlier flight since I was alone because we've often done so in the past. Well guess what? Hawaiian Air is being very strict now and sending planes off with empty seats rather than give us early birds a break. This seems counter-productive to me since if they let people go earlier, it would free up later seats which still have a chance to be sold. No? Instead, they were adamant that I pay $50 to go earlier (unless I belonged to one of the elite levels of their mileage program). I suppose this is the way they get people to sign up (pay) for those levels, but I refuse and choose to just view this as a very "no Aloha" tactic! Booooo Hawaiian Airlines!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Bobby Caldwell is the Real Thing
OH...MY....GOD what a weekend we had! As I mentioned earlier, we have been wanting to see Bobby Caldwell perform in person for years...like 20+ years. We were even considering a trip to the Mainland just to see him...that is, until this stupid "economic crisis" interfered. This being "our Big Year" (Jordan 21, Len 60, me 55, plus 30 year anniversary)it was amazingly auspicious that Bobby Caldwell chose this very year to bless us with a rare Hawaii appearance. Thank you to Michael Paulo and "Smooth Jazz Nights"!!
Although, relatively speaking, Bobby isn't as widely known as he deserves to be aside from his pop hit classic "What You Won't Do For Love", he's had much success as a recording artist and songwriter and is highly respected in the music industry. I highly recommend looking up his music because as I said before, his voice is "like buttuh" and he does R & B, soul, jazz, and standards. He played Frank Sinatra in the original production of "The Rat Pack is Back" and got rave reviews.
The Smooth Jazz Nights Concert on Saturday night (March 28) was fantastic with Michael Paulo hosting and playing. Wow, he really is an exceptional saxophone player. Little wonder that he's played with so many big names (Al Jarreau being our favorite). Also appearing were Greg Adams of "Tower of Power" fame, and Pauline Wilson (from Seawind). I loved "Follow Your Road" when it was a big hit in the 70's and her performance of it on Saturday night was just as wonderful. Bobby finally came out and was every bit as fantabulous as we had expected...probably MORE so because we didn't expect to see him playing keyboards and guitar. What an amazing talent and such a seasoned entertainer. I was over the moon because unexpectedly he sang "Cry" (click here for video) which is one of my favorites. My only complaint was that his part of the show was much much too short...way way way too short (about 9 songs). HOWEVER...
After the show we went out to where I was told earlier the artists would have a meet-and-greet and patiently waited for Bobby to appear. Well Jordan Eagle Eye spotted him first and ran up to him to blurt out who-knows-what (you can never tell what she'll say!). When I joined them to greet Bobby, he told me he'd received my email that I had asked Lisa, his website manager, to forward to him. WOW!
He was so kind, and took us to the signing table where he signed Jordan's ticket (his CD's were sold out and we hadn't brought any of our own). Jordan told him her favorite song is "Real Thing" and he apologized for not singing it that night. So guess what happens next? He sang the first few lines to Jordan! Whew, a personal performance from Bobby Caldwell. Beyond our wildest dreams! I've attached a video, but it's not of the greatest quality. I suck at photography, especially when I'm in the presence of Greatness. (You can also view a video of him singing "Beyond the Sea" on my blogpost two entries down that I found on YouTube.)
Although, relatively speaking, Bobby isn't as widely known as he deserves to be aside from his pop hit classic "What You Won't Do For Love", he's had much success as a recording artist and songwriter and is highly respected in the music industry. I highly recommend looking up his music because as I said before, his voice is "like buttuh" and he does R & B, soul, jazz, and standards. He played Frank Sinatra in the original production of "The Rat Pack is Back" and got rave reviews.
The Smooth Jazz Nights Concert on Saturday night (March 28) was fantastic with Michael Paulo hosting and playing. Wow, he really is an exceptional saxophone player. Little wonder that he's played with so many big names (Al Jarreau being our favorite). Also appearing were Greg Adams of "Tower of Power" fame, and Pauline Wilson (from Seawind). I loved "Follow Your Road" when it was a big hit in the 70's and her performance of it on Saturday night was just as wonderful. Bobby finally came out and was every bit as fantabulous as we had expected...probably MORE so because we didn't expect to see him playing keyboards and guitar. What an amazing talent and such a seasoned entertainer. I was over the moon because unexpectedly he sang "Cry" (click here for video) which is one of my favorites. My only complaint was that his part of the show was much much too short...way way way too short (about 9 songs). HOWEVER...
After the show we went out to where I was told earlier the artists would have a meet-and-greet and patiently waited for Bobby to appear. Well Jordan Eagle Eye spotted him first and ran up to him to blurt out who-knows-what (you can never tell what she'll say!). When I joined them to greet Bobby, he told me he'd received my email that I had asked Lisa, his website manager, to forward to him. WOW!
He was so kind, and took us to the signing table where he signed Jordan's ticket (his CD's were sold out and we hadn't brought any of our own). Jordan told him her favorite song is "Real Thing" and he apologized for not singing it that night. So guess what happens next? He sang the first few lines to Jordan! Whew, a personal performance from Bobby Caldwell. Beyond our wildest dreams! I've attached a video, but it's not of the greatest quality. I suck at photography, especially when I'm in the presence of Greatness. (You can also view a video of him singing "Beyond the Sea" on my blogpost two entries down that I found on YouTube.)
Friday, March 20, 2009
"On" Kauai SIs
The other night I was watching KGMB News and Malika Dudley, during her weather report, said the dreaded "....in Kauai".
"In Maui" has been one of my pet peeves for the past few years. Because Maui is the most popular island among Mainlanders--especially celebrities--it's often mentioned in the Media. Now I guess it's because many of these people don't realize Maui is a separate ISLAND, they say "...in Maui" rather than "...on Maui". So when I heard Malika utter the dreaded "...in Kauai," I think my ears grew a few millimeters and despite becoming hard-of-hearing, I caught it.
"Oh nooooo it's HAPPENED!!! Now a HAWAII newsperson is starting the 'in' thing!!"
Later when I went back to work on the computer, I of course--nitpicker that I am-- emailed KGMB News to bitch and threaten.
Today I was surprised to receive a very nice reply from Malika, apologizing for her grammatical error. She said it just slipped out as she adlibbed. Perfectly understandable, but maybe an indication that "in Maui" is indeed permeating our subconscious. Yikes!!!
So, attention EVERYONE... beware of the "in"!! Don't let THEM overtake our "on"!! Respect our aina!!! (Ok, I'm laughing now)
And while you're at it, here's another grammar tip (my mom was an elementary school teacher, can you tell?): If you're not sure whether to say "and me" or "and I"... simply take out the other person to check. You would't say "Me went to the store." SO why say "John and me went to the store"? You wouldn't say "Mom gave I a cookie," so why say "Mom gave John and I a cookie"? See? Simple!
Consider this my good deed for the day.
BTW... my favorites for this season's AI: Adam cuz he is so awesomely entertaining and unique, Lil cuz she's a great singer, Megan cuz I love her jazzy cool voice and quirkiness (OMG I was mesmerized by her brown/turquoise dress this week!!), and Anoop cuz it's cool to see a cute Indian guy singing. I also like Matt and Kris and liked Alexis (boohoo, she's gone). Danny and Scott are ok, I wouldn't mind either of them winning. Allison reminds me too much of Kelly Clarkson. I don't like country music much so Michael doesn't interest me.
Back to work!!
"In Maui" has been one of my pet peeves for the past few years. Because Maui is the most popular island among Mainlanders--especially celebrities--it's often mentioned in the Media. Now I guess it's because many of these people don't realize Maui is a separate ISLAND, they say "...in Maui" rather than "...on Maui". So when I heard Malika utter the dreaded "...in Kauai," I think my ears grew a few millimeters and despite becoming hard-of-hearing, I caught it.
"Oh nooooo it's HAPPENED!!! Now a HAWAII newsperson is starting the 'in' thing!!"
Later when I went back to work on the computer, I of course--nitpicker that I am-- emailed KGMB News to bitch and threaten.
Today I was surprised to receive a very nice reply from Malika, apologizing for her grammatical error. She said it just slipped out as she adlibbed. Perfectly understandable, but maybe an indication that "in Maui" is indeed permeating our subconscious. Yikes!!!
So, attention EVERYONE... beware of the "in"!! Don't let THEM overtake our "on"!! Respect our aina!!! (Ok, I'm laughing now)
And while you're at it, here's another grammar tip (my mom was an elementary school teacher, can you tell?): If you're not sure whether to say "and me" or "and I"... simply take out the other person to check. You would't say "Me went to the store." SO why say "John and me went to the store"? You wouldn't say "Mom gave I a cookie," so why say "Mom gave John and I a cookie"? See? Simple!
Consider this my good deed for the day.
BTW... my favorites for this season's AI: Adam cuz he is so awesomely entertaining and unique, Lil cuz she's a great singer, Megan cuz I love her jazzy cool voice and quirkiness (OMG I was mesmerized by her brown/turquoise dress this week!!), and Anoop cuz it's cool to see a cute Indian guy singing. I also like Matt and Kris and liked Alexis (boohoo, she's gone). Danny and Scott are ok, I wouldn't mind either of them winning. Allison reminds me too much of Kelly Clarkson. I don't like country music much so Michael doesn't interest me.
Back to work!!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
What I Won't Do For Love of Bobby Caldwell
We were painting Mom's bathroom white the other day...pure drudgery because white is sooooo boring. Anyway, hubby had the jazz station on. Most jazz music bores me so I wasn't paying much attention. Suddenly he says, "Hey did they just say Bobby Caldwell is coming to Hawaii?" I said "Nah, I've been getting emails from his site. I didn't see anything like that." Well later that night I checked my email and there it was...an update from Bobby's website saying he'll be part of Michael Paulo's "Smooth Jazz Nights" at the Royal Hawaiian Theater at the end of the month. If I were you, I'd go to Tickets.com and buy some tickets.
IMHO, Bobby Caldwell's voice is "like buttah." Check him out on YouTube:
I find it amazing that Bobby C. isn't more widely known. Many people know the song "What You Won't Do For Love," which was his biggest hit, but he's written many other great songs for himself and others in the pop, jazz, and R&B genres.
I'll be at his Saturday performance with 3 other fans of his: my hub, my daughter, and my mom. This is BIG for us because we were seriously considering going to the Mainland to catch BC performing live. Thanks Bobby, for saving us some airfare!!! I wasn't looking forward to traveling to a Mainland city (unless it was Las Vegas), but hey, "Some people go around the world for love...What you won't do, do for love..."
IMHO, Bobby Caldwell's voice is "like buttah." Check him out on YouTube:
I find it amazing that Bobby C. isn't more widely known. Many people know the song "What You Won't Do For Love," which was his biggest hit, but he's written many other great songs for himself and others in the pop, jazz, and R&B genres.
I'll be at his Saturday performance with 3 other fans of his: my hub, my daughter, and my mom. This is BIG for us because we were seriously considering going to the Mainland to catch BC performing live. Thanks Bobby, for saving us some airfare!!! I wasn't looking forward to traveling to a Mainland city (unless it was Las Vegas), but hey, "Some people go around the world for love...What you won't do, do for love..."
Monday, March 2, 2009
Cheap Eats
Life is all about decisions. Deciding what to sacrifice: good cheap food or less traffic. 20 varieties of dim sum or ...does Kauai even HAVE dim sum??? The only dim sum I recall seeing is at the 7Eleven and I'm pretty sure it starts out frozen like what they sell in the grocery store. Recently I experienced yet another bittersweet discovery in Honolulu: Blazing Steaks. $6 for a steak plate: two scoops of rice, a generous tossed salad, and a mound of sliced steak done perfectly (medium rare). Six dollars?!!? I contemplated moving to Oahu. I had also had some Peach/Pear pie from Lee's Bakery in Chinatown--OMG so delicious!!
Another recommendation is Eagle Cafe on Nimitz near Costco. On a recent trip, we headed for Eagle's as soon as we left the airport. We walked into the restaurant for breakfast and met two families we knew from Kauai (who did not know each other). As we were leaving we bumped into my Oahu cousin and his wife. Wow, in a city of close to a million, what are the chances of that? I felt like we were back on Kauai. It was also a testimony for Eagle Cafe's popularity.
I guess Oahuans (is that a word?) deserve all those epicurean delights for the hours they spend sitting in their cars. Kauai people want peace and quiet and consequently have to pay for it by putting up with overpriced food. A smaller population can't support the large number of restaurants required to raise the standard of eating.
Since a move to Oahu is probably out of the question, I guess I'll simply have to continue gorging myself whenever I'm in Honolulu.
Another recommendation is Eagle Cafe on Nimitz near Costco. On a recent trip, we headed for Eagle's as soon as we left the airport. We walked into the restaurant for breakfast and met two families we knew from Kauai (who did not know each other). As we were leaving we bumped into my Oahu cousin and his wife. Wow, in a city of close to a million, what are the chances of that? I felt like we were back on Kauai. It was also a testimony for Eagle Cafe's popularity.
I guess Oahuans (is that a word?) deserve all those epicurean delights for the hours they spend sitting in their cars. Kauai people want peace and quiet and consequently have to pay for it by putting up with overpriced food. A smaller population can't support the large number of restaurants required to raise the standard of eating.
Since a move to Oahu is probably out of the question, I guess I'll simply have to continue gorging myself whenever I'm in Honolulu.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Nostalgic Kauai Sis
This is "last minute", I know, but if you're on Oahu and "midlife" and you're nostalgic for those good times doing the Bump to "Brick House", the annual "70's Nighclub Reunion" dance will be happening on Saturday night at the Ala Moana Hotel. Check out their website: http://www.70snightclubreunion.com/ I went last year and it was fun!! The reserved seats are sold out, but no problem, we didn't have reserved seats last year and were able to enjoy ourselves. I wouldn't say it was like going back in time because...uhhh...the bands were no longer a bunch of "cute guys". Nevertheless, it was a kick to see "Glass Candle" again and maybe if you close your eyes, you WILL go back in time *LOL*
I actually met my husband for the first time at Duke's in the International Marketplace where Glass Candle played. I didn't get to talk to him, but he knew my friend and sat at our table talking to her. I thought to myself, "she always knows the cute guys!" Months later we met again and ever since then, it was ME with the cute guy. *LOL*
It's hard to believe that was 33 years ago. Don't you wish you could travel back in time and do it again...the good parts anyway. As they say, "youth is wasted on the young." Imagine having the physical benefits of youth and the mental/emotional benefits of midlife. Zoweeeee! We'd be superpeople!! Less drama, more enjoyment and appreciation for sure. I wasn't into drama like some of my peers, but even so, we are all more cognizant in midlife of what matters and doesn't.
I'm still mad at the writers of "Benjamin Button" for making young-looking old Benjamin SENILE. Grrrrrr!! But HA! to them because they didn't win the Oscars for either writing or Best Picture. They might have won had they not been so lazy as to abandon aged Benjamin! Nevertheless, I'm very glad that "Slumdog Millionaire" won instead. Hurray for Bollywood (even if technically it wasn't a Bollywood movie).
I actually met my husband for the first time at Duke's in the International Marketplace where Glass Candle played. I didn't get to talk to him, but he knew my friend and sat at our table talking to her. I thought to myself, "she always knows the cute guys!" Months later we met again and ever since then, it was ME with the cute guy. *LOL*
It's hard to believe that was 33 years ago. Don't you wish you could travel back in time and do it again...the good parts anyway. As they say, "youth is wasted on the young." Imagine having the physical benefits of youth and the mental/emotional benefits of midlife. Zoweeeee! We'd be superpeople!! Less drama, more enjoyment and appreciation for sure. I wasn't into drama like some of my peers, but even so, we are all more cognizant in midlife of what matters and doesn't.
I'm still mad at the writers of "Benjamin Button" for making young-looking old Benjamin SENILE. Grrrrrr!! But HA! to them because they didn't win the Oscars for either writing or Best Picture. They might have won had they not been so lazy as to abandon aged Benjamin! Nevertheless, I'm very glad that "Slumdog Millionaire" won instead. Hurray for Bollywood (even if technically it wasn't a Bollywood movie).
Thursday, February 19, 2009
I'm still around!!
It's pretty bad when someone has to call me to check if I'm "ok" because I didn't post on my blog for over a month. *LOL* Ooops!! I swore I would write at least once a week, but somehow I ran out of steam ...or ideas...and TIME!!
I don't even have time NOW because I'm rushing to make a slideshow for Jordan's 21st birthday party. It's just a small "ladies' luncheon". Ok, it's a cop out party, I admit. I'm just not good at party-giving so I have to keep it small--mostly Jordan's closest friends and supporters.
I promise to write more within a few days!!
I don't even have time NOW because I'm rushing to make a slideshow for Jordan's 21st birthday party. It's just a small "ladies' luncheon". Ok, it's a cop out party, I admit. I'm just not good at party-giving so I have to keep it small--mostly Jordan's closest friends and supporters.
I promise to write more within a few days!!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Movie Kauai Sis
Wow, I've really been neglecting my blog and its three readers! So sorry! I don't know WHERE the time goes, honestly! And what's worse, I don't seem to have a lot to show for it. After I returned to Kauai from Honolulu 10 days ago I took forever to unpack and start straightening up. Notice I said "start" straightening up. I didn't finish yet. And it's not like I had a big Christmas to clean up from. Our Christmas is low-keyed with a very short gift list, and no decorations. Don't think badly of me or bad FOR me...it's quite wonderful to have a simple, low-stress Christmas. I guess I was so mellowed out I let neatness slip away too! Ok, ok, how can I say "slip away" when I never had that trait to begin with!?
Changing the subject, have you seen "Benjamin Button"? I want my money back! I feel cheated. Just for once I wanted to see a young child with the brain of a wise old man. SPOILER ALERT!!! Skip the rest of this paragraph if you don't want to know what happened.........*waiting while you look away* So ok, they made Benjamin senile from the time he was around 12 or so. Great, just great...just when things were about to get INTERESTING, IMHO. Lazy writers! I wonder if this was simply another case of "give the people what they want"? In other words, it's again all about sex and certainly it'd be creepy to show a little kid coming on (or more) to a 70 year old lady. It never occurred to the writer that uh, it doesn't always have to be about sex because hey, sex sells!
You know, what's good? Dried longan. I'm eating it right now and it occurred to me that dried longan is a lot like Benjamin Button. All wrinkly and old looking, but you soon find out that hey, it's actually amazingly "young" and sweet....I can't bring myself to finish this sentence.
Two websites I love: TheMovieSpoiler.com and RottenTomatoes.com Essential for movie lovers. There are many movies I hear about that sound intriguing, but for one reason or another, I don't care to see, or I want to know the details before I go to the movie. When this is the case, I go to TheMovieSpoiler.com to read exactly goes on in the movie and how it ends. It's incredible to me that there are people out there who are willing to come home after watching a movie and write down what they saw. The site depends on viewers contributing the "spoilers" and they seem pretty accurate. [I have seen many of the movies I've read about on the site.]
I read the spoiler for "Slumdog Millionaire" and my first reaction was to tell my husband I didn't want to see it. It begins with the main character being tortured and there is nothing worse to a person as empathetic as I am!! Then I went to my other favorite website, RottenTomatoes.com. "Slumdog Millionaire" is one of those rare movies that got a 94% rating. After reading all the rave reviews and loving Bollywood movies so much, heck I had to bite the bullet and drag Leonard to see it. He actually enjoyed it...few people wouldn't!! 6% I guess?
I'm so glad I saw it because I was surprised to see Anil Kapoor starring as the Indian counterpart to Regis Philbin (of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"). Mr. Kapoor stars in one of the Bollywood movies I bought for Jordan and he is forever a part of our lives because we thought it was so funny that (in the movie "No Entry"), he'd be rattling away in Hindi (or perhaps another Indian language) and suddenly he'd say "be positive!" or "no problem!"
Having seen "Slumdog" made watching the Golden Globe Awards even more enjoyable. Wow, it was an unexpected treat to also see Shah Rukh Khan on an American stage. (He's one of the most popular Bollywood actors and he presented "Slumdog Millionaire" as a Best Picture nominee.) I never thought I'd see Anil Kapoor or Shah Rukh Khan, much less both of them on stage at an American awards show. An appearance by Salman Khan would've made it truly perfect, but that's pushing it.
Bollywood movies are fun to watch. They'd seem a bit like old-fashioned Hollywood movies when compared to American movies today, but at my age, it's perfectly acceptable to be nostalgic.
Changing the subject, have you seen "Benjamin Button"? I want my money back! I feel cheated. Just for once I wanted to see a young child with the brain of a wise old man. SPOILER ALERT!!! Skip the rest of this paragraph if you don't want to know what happened.........*waiting while you look away* So ok, they made Benjamin senile from the time he was around 12 or so. Great, just great...just when things were about to get INTERESTING, IMHO. Lazy writers! I wonder if this was simply another case of "give the people what they want"? In other words, it's again all about sex and certainly it'd be creepy to show a little kid coming on (or more) to a 70 year old lady. It never occurred to the writer that uh, it doesn't always have to be about sex because hey, sex sells!
You know, what's good? Dried longan. I'm eating it right now and it occurred to me that dried longan is a lot like Benjamin Button. All wrinkly and old looking, but you soon find out that hey, it's actually amazingly "young" and sweet....I can't bring myself to finish this sentence.
Two websites I love: TheMovieSpoiler.com and RottenTomatoes.com Essential for movie lovers. There are many movies I hear about that sound intriguing, but for one reason or another, I don't care to see, or I want to know the details before I go to the movie. When this is the case, I go to TheMovieSpoiler.com to read exactly goes on in the movie and how it ends. It's incredible to me that there are people out there who are willing to come home after watching a movie and write down what they saw. The site depends on viewers contributing the "spoilers" and they seem pretty accurate. [I have seen many of the movies I've read about on the site.]
I read the spoiler for "Slumdog Millionaire" and my first reaction was to tell my husband I didn't want to see it. It begins with the main character being tortured and there is nothing worse to a person as empathetic as I am!! Then I went to my other favorite website, RottenTomatoes.com. "Slumdog Millionaire" is one of those rare movies that got a 94% rating. After reading all the rave reviews and loving Bollywood movies so much, heck I had to bite the bullet and drag Leonard to see it. He actually enjoyed it...few people wouldn't!! 6% I guess?
I'm so glad I saw it because I was surprised to see Anil Kapoor starring as the Indian counterpart to Regis Philbin (of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"). Mr. Kapoor stars in one of the Bollywood movies I bought for Jordan and he is forever a part of our lives because we thought it was so funny that (in the movie "No Entry"), he'd be rattling away in Hindi (or perhaps another Indian language) and suddenly he'd say "be positive!" or "no problem!"
Having seen "Slumdog" made watching the Golden Globe Awards even more enjoyable. Wow, it was an unexpected treat to also see Shah Rukh Khan on an American stage. (He's one of the most popular Bollywood actors and he presented "Slumdog Millionaire" as a Best Picture nominee.) I never thought I'd see Anil Kapoor or Shah Rukh Khan, much less both of them on stage at an American awards show. An appearance by Salman Khan would've made it truly perfect, but that's pushing it.
Bollywood movies are fun to watch. They'd seem a bit like old-fashioned Hollywood movies when compared to American movies today, but at my age, it's perfectly acceptable to be nostalgic.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Kauai Sis in Honolulu
I'm blogging from Palolo Valley tonight. It's been a hectic 5 days here so far as usual. We try to cram several months worth of Honolulu appreciation into a few days and hey, it's hard work!
It reminds me of that commercial on TV. I can't recall who was advertising (some clothing company) but a girl recounts her day while her clothes are changing on her. This is my version:
Picked up Hamura noodles, got on the plane, missing one box, rented a car, picked up a rib roast, got some tshirt blanks, drove up to Palolo, back down to WalMart and Sam's Club, back up to Palolo, ate a lot, watched illegal fireworks all over Palolo Valley.
Drove to Kailua, found Obama's vacation street, saw his neighbors camping in their driveways, picked up Mom-in-law, went to care home, had lunch from KJ's, visited Sis-in-law folks, back to Palolo, back down to town for Benjamin Button movie.
Donated at Blood Bank, bought TV at Costco, Jordan almost fainted...ate dim sum at Happy Days, drove to Kailua, back to Palolo, back down again to eat dinner at Spaghetti Factory...yum Mizithra Cheese! Drove to Kahala Mall, browsed in Whole Foods, coffee at Starbucks.
Shopped for fridge at Sears, exchanged stuff at Costco, drove to Pearlridge--no nice fabric, no Patti's wedding cake...back to Palolo, then down again to Kahala, saw "Slumdog Millionaire", ate at Chili's.
Helped mom empty old fridge/fill new fridge, drove to Kaneohe Fabric Mart (success!), care home again, shopped at Long's, dropped off Mom-in-law, zoomed to airport, dropped off Hubby, back to Palolo, watched three TV shows in one hour (Superstars of Dance, Desperate Housewives, and Cold Case).
So THAT was my five days so far in Honolulu! Stay tuned for more details!
It reminds me of that commercial on TV. I can't recall who was advertising (some clothing company) but a girl recounts her day while her clothes are changing on her. This is my version:
Picked up Hamura noodles, got on the plane, missing one box, rented a car, picked up a rib roast, got some tshirt blanks, drove up to Palolo, back down to WalMart and Sam's Club, back up to Palolo, ate a lot, watched illegal fireworks all over Palolo Valley.
Drove to Kailua, found Obama's vacation street, saw his neighbors camping in their driveways, picked up Mom-in-law, went to care home, had lunch from KJ's, visited Sis-in-law folks, back to Palolo, back down to town for Benjamin Button movie.
Donated at Blood Bank, bought TV at Costco, Jordan almost fainted...ate dim sum at Happy Days, drove to Kailua, back to Palolo, back down again to eat dinner at Spaghetti Factory...yum Mizithra Cheese! Drove to Kahala Mall, browsed in Whole Foods, coffee at Starbucks.
Shopped for fridge at Sears, exchanged stuff at Costco, drove to Pearlridge--no nice fabric, no Patti's wedding cake...back to Palolo, then down again to Kahala, saw "Slumdog Millionaire", ate at Chili's.
Helped mom empty old fridge/fill new fridge, drove to Kaneohe Fabric Mart (success!), care home again, shopped at Long's, dropped off Mom-in-law, zoomed to airport, dropped off Hubby, back to Palolo, watched three TV shows in one hour (Superstars of Dance, Desperate Housewives, and Cold Case).
So THAT was my five days so far in Honolulu! Stay tuned for more details!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Four Days of Christmas
I really enjoyed my Christmas week this year! It's no mystery why. It's because my Christmas gift list shrank to under 10 people! Furthermore, half of the people on that short list are on Oahu and I didn't have to prepare their gifts til New Year's since I won't be seeing them til then. I probably sound like a Scrooge, but let's face it, sometimes people overdo it with long lists, stressing themselves out buying gifts that aren't quite right or cost too much. I will save the analysis of the pros and cons of consumerism for another time, however.
On Tuesday I had an enjoyable shopping day in Lihue with my cousin-in-law Rose. Sure we annoyed a couple of Macy's clerks with our mismanagement of coupons and misreadings of signs, but isn't that all "part of the process"? And a good-natured "money fight" at Pho Kauai resulted in a rather comical overtipping, but heck, it's Christmas.
On Wednesday I spent around 6-7 hours on my feet only stopping for a 20 minute "power nap", just to prepare 2 dishes to take to the annual Kaui Christmas Eve Party. Of course that did include breakfast and lunch prep for Jordan. What can I say, I'm very slow at everything I do, but I have a very healthy blood pressure level.
Wes and Trinette Kaui have been hosting their annual party for 20 years just down the road from us and this was the first time we attended, since we're usually in Honolulu for Christmas. This was truly what a party should be: 1)a loooong buffet table offering what seemed to be every dish you could think of (ok, granted, no babaganoush or samosas); 2)entertaining entertainment (so often "entertainment" isn't all that entertainimg) that wasn't overly loud that you couldn't enjoy conversation with 3)interesting guests. Thank you, thank you, Wes and Trinette!
On Christmas Day, Thursday, we indulged ourselves spending time on what we enjoy. Hubby first prepared a big breakfast while I stayed in bed alternately reading Dean Koontz and dozing. While I uploaded Jordan's and my new CD's to our computer then downloaded music onto our iPod and PDA, Leonard set up the Wii and then spent HOURS playing. He'd let Jordan have one turn for every 2 of his. *LOL* I got to play maybe an hour or so.
Friday, the day after Christmas, Leonard had Wii-itis: aches and pains where he never felt them before. (A good punishment since he didn't listen to my "Enough alreadies"!) I, on the other hand, had no such aches and unhindered went After Christmas shopping for 4 hours. Did you see the giftwrapping that WalMart was trying to sell? There was one roll for every person on Kauai, I think. Don't they know that there are other stores here? And the same for Macy's and their ladies' tops. I'm pretty sure they had enough ladies' tops for every man, woman, and child on Kauai to wear. Funny thought! And yet I couldn't find the perfect top for Jordan.
After shopping I went to my friend Mitzi's house to help her set up her very first computer. I gave her a lesson too. Very enjoyable, not to mention I left with two jars of cookies, a big bag of party mix, prune mui, and miso tako. Good grief! I think after all these years I FINALLY got paid what I'm worth!
On Tuesday I had an enjoyable shopping day in Lihue with my cousin-in-law Rose. Sure we annoyed a couple of Macy's clerks with our mismanagement of coupons and misreadings of signs, but isn't that all "part of the process"? And a good-natured "money fight" at Pho Kauai resulted in a rather comical overtipping, but heck, it's Christmas.
On Wednesday I spent around 6-7 hours on my feet only stopping for a 20 minute "power nap", just to prepare 2 dishes to take to the annual Kaui Christmas Eve Party. Of course that did include breakfast and lunch prep for Jordan. What can I say, I'm very slow at everything I do, but I have a very healthy blood pressure level.
Wes and Trinette Kaui have been hosting their annual party for 20 years just down the road from us and this was the first time we attended, since we're usually in Honolulu for Christmas. This was truly what a party should be: 1)a loooong buffet table offering what seemed to be every dish you could think of (ok, granted, no babaganoush or samosas); 2)entertaining entertainment (so often "entertainment" isn't all that entertainimg) that wasn't overly loud that you couldn't enjoy conversation with 3)interesting guests. Thank you, thank you, Wes and Trinette!
On Christmas Day, Thursday, we indulged ourselves spending time on what we enjoy. Hubby first prepared a big breakfast while I stayed in bed alternately reading Dean Koontz and dozing. While I uploaded Jordan's and my new CD's to our computer then downloaded music onto our iPod and PDA, Leonard set up the Wii and then spent HOURS playing. He'd let Jordan have one turn for every 2 of his. *LOL* I got to play maybe an hour or so.
Friday, the day after Christmas, Leonard had Wii-itis: aches and pains where he never felt them before. (A good punishment since he didn't listen to my "Enough alreadies"!) I, on the other hand, had no such aches and unhindered went After Christmas shopping for 4 hours. Did you see the giftwrapping that WalMart was trying to sell? There was one roll for every person on Kauai, I think. Don't they know that there are other stores here? And the same for Macy's and their ladies' tops. I'm pretty sure they had enough ladies' tops for every man, woman, and child on Kauai to wear. Funny thought! And yet I couldn't find the perfect top for Jordan.
After shopping I went to my friend Mitzi's house to help her set up her very first computer. I gave her a lesson too. Very enjoyable, not to mention I left with two jars of cookies, a big bag of party mix, prune mui, and miso tako. Good grief! I think after all these years I FINALLY got paid what I'm worth!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Craft Fair Kauai Sis
One of my three readers reminded me that I'm due for a posting...that was two weeks ago.
I was busy sewing for craft fairs despite the fact that last year I told everyone I was quitting. I was serious about quitting for three reasons: my health, my business, and my brain. I'd had a horrific Back Attack in 2007 that I learned was primarily caused by being constantly hunched over a sewing machine. Anyone in the craft business will tell you that it's getting more challenging to turn a good profit with cost increases everywhere you turn (fair fees--Kauai Museum now charges $200 for one day--materials, airfare, freight) plus craft fair attendance has been decreasing. I was true to my intentions because I didn't purchase any raw materials for my crafts this year, just used what I'd accumulated.
Oh and about the brain issue. At this midlife age we're supposed to learn new skills to keep our brains functioning well and happily, I'm now taking care of that. True, we did buy a Wii system, but since February 2008 I've been working at a new job online that forces me to learn different software and internet programs and to write. After being on the internet for over 12 years, I'm finally getting paid to sit in front of the computer!
Interestingly, now that I have another job and have sold off a third of my clothing inventory, I realize that I don't have to give up my craft business. I now have another source of income, so I don't have to do every fair, and have less inventory to lug around. I'm enjoying the business again!
The moral of the story is that when you get tired of your work/business, it helps to step back, downsize, find another job, or just leave it for a while if you're able to. It's amazing how a shift in gears can ultimately lead you out of a rut. Last year when I decided to quit, I found myself discovering new ways of doing what I'd been doing for 16 years. Not just one or two discoveries, but at least a half dozen. I felt stupid for not thinking of these improvements much earlier, but now I'm convinced that I probably discovered these new "paths" only because I had changed my "map." In other words, rather than go about business as usual, I had changed my mindset, thinking I was going to close my business. Possibly it enabled me to see things from a different perspective, consequently seeing where improvements could be made.
Either that or some guardian angel put the ideas in my head just to show me how inefficient I'd been all those years before!! *LOL*
I was busy sewing for craft fairs despite the fact that last year I told everyone I was quitting. I was serious about quitting for three reasons: my health, my business, and my brain. I'd had a horrific Back Attack in 2007 that I learned was primarily caused by being constantly hunched over a sewing machine. Anyone in the craft business will tell you that it's getting more challenging to turn a good profit with cost increases everywhere you turn (fair fees--Kauai Museum now charges $200 for one day--materials, airfare, freight) plus craft fair attendance has been decreasing. I was true to my intentions because I didn't purchase any raw materials for my crafts this year, just used what I'd accumulated.
Oh and about the brain issue. At this midlife age we're supposed to learn new skills to keep our brains functioning well and happily, I'm now taking care of that. True, we did buy a Wii system, but since February 2008 I've been working at a new job online that forces me to learn different software and internet programs and to write. After being on the internet for over 12 years, I'm finally getting paid to sit in front of the computer!
Interestingly, now that I have another job and have sold off a third of my clothing inventory, I realize that I don't have to give up my craft business. I now have another source of income, so I don't have to do every fair, and have less inventory to lug around. I'm enjoying the business again!
The moral of the story is that when you get tired of your work/business, it helps to step back, downsize, find another job, or just leave it for a while if you're able to. It's amazing how a shift in gears can ultimately lead you out of a rut. Last year when I decided to quit, I found myself discovering new ways of doing what I'd been doing for 16 years. Not just one or two discoveries, but at least a half dozen. I felt stupid for not thinking of these improvements much earlier, but now I'm convinced that I probably discovered these new "paths" only because I had changed my "map." In other words, rather than go about business as usual, I had changed my mindset, thinking I was going to close my business. Possibly it enabled me to see things from a different perspective, consequently seeing where improvements could be made.
Either that or some guardian angel put the ideas in my head just to show me how inefficient I'd been all those years before!! *LOL*
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Cooking Kauai Sis
Happy Thanksgiving from Kauai! See my previous blog below for some reasons to be thankful in case you can't think of enough. This is just a short blog because I have to start preparing for tomorrow. In case anyone cares, I'll be cooking/baking the following for our lunch get together tomorrow:
Shrimp/fishcake age (tempura)--I love making this. Chopped up shrimp, kamaboko, and green onions in a batter and dropped into oil. Yumm-o!
Barbequed Pork Ribs--I may not be crazy about Star Jones from the View, but I do thank her for telling us that the best way to prepare ribs is to simply season, cover tightly in foil, and bake for an hour...then marinade w/ sauce and grill or bake. I like to use guava jam and honey with a bottled hickory sauce.
Skewered Veggies--We're having a cook-out and skewered marinated vegetables are fun to prepare. Macadamia nut oil, Bragg's and garlic powder should be good.
Pumpkin Crunch--Our favorite holiday dessert! I'm going to use both the usual Yellow Cake Mix topping, but will try one section using wheat-free baking mix.
There are just six of us, but we'd better eat for 20 cuz we'll have enough food for that many. The dishes I'm preparing is just one-third of what we're having!
I want to write a longer post later, but in the meantime, I want to say:
While you're spending time thinking of what you have to be thankful for, please also look at how you got them. If you find yourself being thankful for a LOT, it doesn't necessarily mean you're a virtuous person for being thankful. It could also mean you have to step back and see if, in having all this "good stuff", you didn't step on others to get them. Do you consider how others feel or are you mostly just "on the take"? If you find yourself having to thank someone for a multitude of things, you may be taking advantage of them! Simply saying "thank you" may not be enough. After turkey, leave some room to digest these thoughts!
Shrimp/fishcake age (tempura)--I love making this. Chopped up shrimp, kamaboko, and green onions in a batter and dropped into oil. Yumm-o!
Barbequed Pork Ribs--I may not be crazy about Star Jones from the View, but I do thank her for telling us that the best way to prepare ribs is to simply season, cover tightly in foil, and bake for an hour...then marinade w/ sauce and grill or bake. I like to use guava jam and honey with a bottled hickory sauce.
Skewered Veggies--We're having a cook-out and skewered marinated vegetables are fun to prepare. Macadamia nut oil, Bragg's and garlic powder should be good.
Pumpkin Crunch--Our favorite holiday dessert! I'm going to use both the usual Yellow Cake Mix topping, but will try one section using wheat-free baking mix.
There are just six of us, but we'd better eat for 20 cuz we'll have enough food for that many. The dishes I'm preparing is just one-third of what we're having!
I want to write a longer post later, but in the meantime, I want to say:
While you're spending time thinking of what you have to be thankful for, please also look at how you got them. If you find yourself being thankful for a LOT, it doesn't necessarily mean you're a virtuous person for being thankful. It could also mean you have to step back and see if, in having all this "good stuff", you didn't step on others to get them. Do you consider how others feel or are you mostly just "on the take"? If you find yourself having to thank someone for a multitude of things, you may be taking advantage of them! Simply saying "thank you" may not be enough. After turkey, leave some room to digest these thoughts!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Don't Worry, Be Happy Now
You know what's fun? When someone leaves you voicemail and while they're doing so, someone in their house picks up an extension. The names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent:
Julie: "Colleen, this is Julie, I'm on Kauai and we should get together so can you call me, I'm staying at Gregg's house---"
Gregg: "Julie? Oh, you're using the phone?"
Julie: "Gregg, yeh, I'm calling Colleen."
Gregg: "HI COLLEEN!!"
Julie: "Nooo, she's not home, I'm leaving her a message."
Gregg: "Ohhhh..."
Julie: "Hey, you came home late huh? You'd better take it easy, you're working too hard!"
Gregg: "Well I had to finish the job. Oh, by the way I saw Grace and she said her mom had surgery."
Julie: "Nah? I hope she's ok."
Gregg: "It was her knee...or was it hip, I forget."
Julie: "Lip?"
Gregg: "HIP!"
Julie: "Oh hip, haha!"
Gregg: "Did you eat dinner already? Geri said she made stew."
Julie: "Yes...I ate. So should we go visit Grace's mom? How long will she be in the hospital?"
Gregg: "Ah, I dunno. Nowadays they don't stay long."
Julie: "Yeh, hmmm...oh, did you pick up the part from Home Depot to fix the sink?"
Gregg: "They didn't have the 2 inch elbow, I have to go Ace tomorrow."
Julie: "Oh ok.....uh oh..."
Gregg: "What?"
Julie: "I was leaving a message for Colleen...."
*LMAO* ohhhh my god, it's really funny to listen to, even if the conversation itself isn't funny. Just the idea that they got carried away and forgot why they were on the phone in the first place. I'm not the only one going through Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder, I guess! And I'm not making fun at all, but these days you've got to find fun where you can!
I don't want to get all preachy, but I've always been acutely aware of the inequities of life. Since going through a lot of different "stuff" in my life, especially between 1982 to 1992 (two hurricanes, car accidents, the birth of Jordan, etc.), I've learned how fortunate we are and to appreciate everything I have, even when I see others who seem to have more. In this time of economic uncertainty, I'm glad I was never caught up in the "fast track" of wasting money on brand name everything, nice cars, designer bags, etc. There are a lot of people who are having to get off that train right now. (Ok, I'm no saint with my love of Las Vegas and gold jewelry *LOL*).
Which brings me to this: The other day a friend forwarded me an email titled, "Voted the Best Email of the Year." Now I have no idea who voted and where this vote took place (I guess it was overshadowed a bit by Barack Obama's election), but I have to agree that this was an appropriate title for this email. For one thing, it intrigued me enough to OPEN the email. The message I'm forwarding to YOU right here is very valuable and I wish every single person in the U.S. could see it (If you'd like me to forward the actual email to you so you can send it to your spoiled brat niece, leave me a comment):
So you think your life sucks?
Julie: "Colleen, this is Julie, I'm on Kauai and we should get together so can you call me, I'm staying at Gregg's house---"
Gregg: "Julie? Oh, you're using the phone?"
Julie: "Gregg, yeh, I'm calling Colleen."
Gregg: "HI COLLEEN!!"
Julie: "Nooo, she's not home, I'm leaving her a message."
Gregg: "Ohhhh..."
Julie: "Hey, you came home late huh? You'd better take it easy, you're working too hard!"
Gregg: "Well I had to finish the job. Oh, by the way I saw Grace and she said her mom had surgery."
Julie: "Nah? I hope she's ok."
Gregg: "It was her knee...or was it hip, I forget."
Julie: "Lip?"
Gregg: "HIP!"
Julie: "Oh hip, haha!"
Gregg: "Did you eat dinner already? Geri said she made stew."
Julie: "Yes...I ate. So should we go visit Grace's mom? How long will she be in the hospital?"
Gregg: "Ah, I dunno. Nowadays they don't stay long."
Julie: "Yeh, hmmm...oh, did you pick up the part from Home Depot to fix the sink?"
Gregg: "They didn't have the 2 inch elbow, I have to go Ace tomorrow."
Julie: "Oh ok.....uh oh..."
Gregg: "What?"
Julie: "I was leaving a message for Colleen...."
*LMAO* ohhhh my god, it's really funny to listen to, even if the conversation itself isn't funny. Just the idea that they got carried away and forgot why they were on the phone in the first place. I'm not the only one going through Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder, I guess! And I'm not making fun at all, but these days you've got to find fun where you can!
I don't want to get all preachy, but I've always been acutely aware of the inequities of life. Since going through a lot of different "stuff" in my life, especially between 1982 to 1992 (two hurricanes, car accidents, the birth of Jordan, etc.), I've learned how fortunate we are and to appreciate everything I have, even when I see others who seem to have more. In this time of economic uncertainty, I'm glad I was never caught up in the "fast track" of wasting money on brand name everything, nice cars, designer bags, etc. There are a lot of people who are having to get off that train right now. (Ok, I'm no saint with my love of Las Vegas and gold jewelry *LOL*).
Which brings me to this: The other day a friend forwarded me an email titled, "Voted the Best Email of the Year." Now I have no idea who voted and where this vote took place (I guess it was overshadowed a bit by Barack Obama's election), but I have to agree that this was an appropriate title for this email. For one thing, it intrigued me enough to OPEN the email. The message I'm forwarding to YOU right here is very valuable and I wish every single person in the U.S. could see it (If you'd like me to forward the actual email to you so you can send it to your spoiled brat niece, leave me a comment):
So you think your life sucks?
Funny how some things can lift you up and bring you down (to earth) at the same time.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Krazy Karaok'ing with a Kold
I'm still on Oahu, but remaining true to my usual hermit self, I've been stuck on the computer 90% of the time. For one thing, I've got a cold. I'm not sure if Zicam and my GFSE spray failed me. Or maybe I would've had a much worse time without them, who really knows? I can usually count on them to either stop the onset of a virus or at least shorten the suffering. All I know is this cold is cramping my style in Honolulu!
Well, at least I've discovered yet another advantage to working online from home (or in this case Mom's house). You can work while you're sick. It's ok that you feel too sick to change your clothes or comb your hair. You can take a break anytime for a quick nap. You don't spread germs to your coworkers. Ironically, I was given much more work this week than I've been getting at home on Kauai. Hmmm...if I weren't sick, I'd be a bit ungrateful, but since I'm in no mood to go out anyway, it's been a productive week. And think of the weight I'm not putting on, pigging out on Honolulu Eats. I did, however, get to the lunch buffet at Maple Garden (pretty darned good for $10) and thanks to Krazy Karaoke's Customer Appreciation Night, got to enjoy catering by Ige's....yum-oh!
Yep, I went karaoking two days in a row with a cold. No shame! My singing is wobbly without a cold, what's a little more wobble? Jordan and I usually have a karaoke day with my friend Sharon every time we visit Honolulu and that's what we did on Tuesday. While checking in, we were recognized as "regulars" and invited to attend their Customer Appreciation Night the following night, with a free room and food! We only managed to find three friends to join us, but had a great time. Thank you Krazy Karaoke!!
On the subject of music, Josiah Leming has released an EP. Please check him out, he's exceptional, IMHO. I just read that good ol' 19 Productions is trying to pull the plug on his upcoming full CD. It seems anyone auditioning for American Idol has to sign a contract which pretty much enslaves them even if they don't go on to the finals. Pretty greedy of 19, I say, considering the money they're already making on the "winners." Go to Josiah's mySpace site and order his EP... it's totally worth the money, and you'll be helping a really talented young man. You can hear samples on his site. Puhleez, he's way deeper than David Archuleta!
Here he is, a bit "raw", but fresh, when he auditioned on Idol. He's much more polished on his Warner Bros. EP and backed by a band.
Well, at least I've discovered yet another advantage to working online from home (or in this case Mom's house). You can work while you're sick. It's ok that you feel too sick to change your clothes or comb your hair. You can take a break anytime for a quick nap. You don't spread germs to your coworkers. Ironically, I was given much more work this week than I've been getting at home on Kauai. Hmmm...if I weren't sick, I'd be a bit ungrateful, but since I'm in no mood to go out anyway, it's been a productive week. And think of the weight I'm not putting on, pigging out on Honolulu Eats. I did, however, get to the lunch buffet at Maple Garden (pretty darned good for $10) and thanks to Krazy Karaoke's Customer Appreciation Night, got to enjoy catering by Ige's....yum-oh!
Yep, I went karaoking two days in a row with a cold. No shame! My singing is wobbly without a cold, what's a little more wobble? Jordan and I usually have a karaoke day with my friend Sharon every time we visit Honolulu and that's what we did on Tuesday. While checking in, we were recognized as "regulars" and invited to attend their Customer Appreciation Night the following night, with a free room and food! We only managed to find three friends to join us, but had a great time. Thank you Krazy Karaoke!!
On the subject of music, Josiah Leming has released an EP. Please check him out, he's exceptional, IMHO. I just read that good ol' 19 Productions is trying to pull the plug on his upcoming full CD. It seems anyone auditioning for American Idol has to sign a contract which pretty much enslaves them even if they don't go on to the finals. Pretty greedy of 19, I say, considering the money they're already making on the "winners." Go to Josiah's mySpace site and order his EP... it's totally worth the money, and you'll be helping a really talented young man. You can hear samples on his site. Puhleez, he's way deeper than David Archuleta!
Here he is, a bit "raw", but fresh, when he auditioned on Idol. He's much more polished on his Warner Bros. EP and backed by a band.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Now We're Cooking!
As I write this, Barack Obama is being called the winner of the Presidential election. America voted for HOPE in these tumultous times. It's been the most exciting election in my voting history, probably yours too, and I feel such a sense of relief and yes, hope, that maybe, just maybe the paradigm has finally shifted for the better. It has become more and more apparent that things are falling apart around us and we need a new recipe...and chef.
I flew to Honolulu on Sunday on a leaky Hawaiian Airlines plane. Yes, literally leaking on us. Oddly it wasn't raining outside. We weren't even in the clouds at the time. I just hope it was WATER that was dripping down the the passengers. The flight attendant passed out paper towels. One passenger had the inflight magazine on her head like a rainbonnet. That was a first for me after 50 years of flying. Crazy!
The irony is that the book I brought onboard to read was a "Monk" book. If you've seen the TV series or read the books, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I sat there and smiled, thinking of how Monk would be reacting to droplets of an unidentified liquid falling on him from the airplane ceiling.
I think I'm Monk-ish in many ways and I noticed that while opening the tiny complimentary juice cup (to be discontinued soon, I'll bet). If you open it too quickly, juice splashes on you. You have to tilt the cup away from you a bit, then slowly pull off the foil. After drinking the juice, I neatly nested Jordan's cup into my own napkin-stuffed cup. Have you ever seen the late Phil Hartman's "Anal Retentive Chef" routine? He did this one bit on how the AR Chef throws away vegetable trimmings (wrapped neatly up, placed in a paper bag, folded over neatly then scotchtaped, etc.). Can you imagine the AR Chef meeting Rap Reiplinger's "Aunty Marialani"? Hey maybe like the Rock 'n Roll band in heaven, Rap and Phil are doing some hilarious cooking up there.
But I digress... I was talking about leaky planes. What this world is coming to IS leaky planes, $100 to fill our gas tanks, tainted food, schools with no supplies. Or how about 50 people in a standard 4-bedroom house like the one that collapsed in Kalihi last week? I was horrified to read that these people were paying $500 per month to live in a tarped-wall room built with pipes and scaffolding!
About a year ago a local news station urged viewers to write in a question to suggest topics and my question was chosen. I asked if Hawaii couldn't have rent control. When will the madness end? Someone ought to tell the legislature that Hawaii is an ISLAND state. There's no packing up and driving until you find a place you can afford to live. No driving to another state that has cheaper rent, everyone's pretty much stuck here so something has to be done. On top of our own local people being stuck homeless, there's evidence that Mainlanders are coming here to be homeless because of our warm weather. Hopefully now that Obama is President and Government is more likely to be viewed as "the solution," we can work on this problem as well as others.
I try hard not to be upset at how Kauai and our Hawaii is changing. We've lost so much of our paradise to development. My mantra is "It's part of the process," and I wish I could remember the writer who told the story of meeting a Tibetan monk who had witnessed atrocities committed by the Chinese soldiers invading Tibet. The writer asked him why he seemed to harbor no hate for the Chinese and the monk simply said what happened in Tibet was "part of the process of Life." [Adrien Monk would hardly have the same attitude so his name was ill-chosen.]
Buddhists might be viewed as "wimps" who complacently accept and don't fight back, but it's not as simple as that. Understanding what is "part of the process" and then accepting it if you can't change it, is, I believe, a major ingredient to a happy, healthy life. Take that and cook it, Rap and Phil!
I flew to Honolulu on Sunday on a leaky Hawaiian Airlines plane. Yes, literally leaking on us. Oddly it wasn't raining outside. We weren't even in the clouds at the time. I just hope it was WATER that was dripping down the the passengers. The flight attendant passed out paper towels. One passenger had the inflight magazine on her head like a rainbonnet. That was a first for me after 50 years of flying. Crazy!
The irony is that the book I brought onboard to read was a "Monk" book. If you've seen the TV series or read the books, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I sat there and smiled, thinking of how Monk would be reacting to droplets of an unidentified liquid falling on him from the airplane ceiling.
I think I'm Monk-ish in many ways and I noticed that while opening the tiny complimentary juice cup (to be discontinued soon, I'll bet). If you open it too quickly, juice splashes on you. You have to tilt the cup away from you a bit, then slowly pull off the foil. After drinking the juice, I neatly nested Jordan's cup into my own napkin-stuffed cup. Have you ever seen the late Phil Hartman's "Anal Retentive Chef" routine? He did this one bit on how the AR Chef throws away vegetable trimmings (wrapped neatly up, placed in a paper bag, folded over neatly then scotchtaped, etc.). Can you imagine the AR Chef meeting Rap Reiplinger's "Aunty Marialani"? Hey maybe like the Rock 'n Roll band in heaven, Rap and Phil are doing some hilarious cooking up there.
But I digress... I was talking about leaky planes. What this world is coming to IS leaky planes, $100 to fill our gas tanks, tainted food, schools with no supplies. Or how about 50 people in a standard 4-bedroom house like the one that collapsed in Kalihi last week? I was horrified to read that these people were paying $500 per month to live in a tarped-wall room built with pipes and scaffolding!
About a year ago a local news station urged viewers to write in a question to suggest topics and my question was chosen. I asked if Hawaii couldn't have rent control. When will the madness end? Someone ought to tell the legislature that Hawaii is an ISLAND state. There's no packing up and driving until you find a place you can afford to live. No driving to another state that has cheaper rent, everyone's pretty much stuck here so something has to be done. On top of our own local people being stuck homeless, there's evidence that Mainlanders are coming here to be homeless because of our warm weather. Hopefully now that Obama is President and Government is more likely to be viewed as "the solution," we can work on this problem as well as others.
I try hard not to be upset at how Kauai and our Hawaii is changing. We've lost so much of our paradise to development. My mantra is "It's part of the process," and I wish I could remember the writer who told the story of meeting a Tibetan monk who had witnessed atrocities committed by the Chinese soldiers invading Tibet. The writer asked him why he seemed to harbor no hate for the Chinese and the monk simply said what happened in Tibet was "part of the process of Life." [Adrien Monk would hardly have the same attitude so his name was ill-chosen.]
Buddhists might be viewed as "wimps" who complacently accept and don't fight back, but it's not as simple as that. Understanding what is "part of the process" and then accepting it if you can't change it, is, I believe, a major ingredient to a happy, healthy life. Take that and cook it, Rap and Phil!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Health Kauai Sis
Hello to my three readers! It's blogger time! Wow, as I'm writing this, I'm watching ER and Angela Bassett just whupped a guy trying to mug her. Wooohooooo, awesome! I'm sad that ER is in its last season, it's such an amazing program. I'm not a fan of Grey's Anatomy because I'm not into sex operas much. I did try watching it during the first season, but lasted only a few episodes. McDreamy was not MyDreamy and all I could think while watching Dr. Grey is "Does she think letting her mouth hang open is sexy?"
Speaking of doctors, this week I'm seriously wondering if going to the doctor and having him "scope" you is like taking your car to a mechanic and noticing more problems after he "fixes" your car. I was diagnosed with acid reflux and oddly, although I never had obvious symptoms before, suddenly I've got heartburn and bloating. Hmph! Did the doctor remove a screw somewhere in my stomach?! Or switch on my acid valve maybe? Veerrrry suspicious and frustrating. It could be I'm unconsciously stressed after learning my diagnosis, thus giving myself heartburn. I did take 3 doses of the prescribed Prilosec and maybe THAT evil drug did this to me. I decided I don't want to be sentenced to a lifetime of any medication, so I plan to look for something naturopathic. I should go and see Dr. Melead, my naturopathic doctor, but I'm feeling poor right now (Financial Kauai Sis) and HMSA doesn't cover naturopathics. Silly of them, they would probably save a ton of money if they did.
When I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, I was prescribed Fosamax by my medical doctor. Dr. Melead, however, said nooooooo, don't take that. She told me what kind of calcium to take among other advice, and two years later, my second scan showed no change. Meanwhile bad things are surfacing concerning Fosamax. Dr. Kheng, my current medical physician, said "Good, just keep doing what you're doing!" (Which means I should get back to exercising...uh oh!) Hmm, think of all that money I saved HMSA by not buying Fosamax!
I voted yesterday! Yaaaay, first time I've voted early. I had to take Jordan to Special Olympics bowling practice in Lihue. I have a need to justify any trip out of my cave, so voting was part of my multitasking, as well as getting Costco gas.
I also went to the library to pick up some material I ordered. One of these was a DVD of "Circle of Friends", the movie based on Maeve Binchy's novel. I wonder how a writer feels when their masterpiece is reduced to a 2 hour (probably less) piece of drivel? Binchy is known for cleverly weaving multiple compelling stories of related characters into her novels. The movie over-stripped down the plots and thinned out the characters to the bare minimum. As if that weren't bad enough, the producers decided that despite the fact that Ms. Binchy is a bestselling novelist who's written dozens of popular books read by millions, her book needed the help of their brilliant insight into what sells movies: sex. Never mind that her book conveyed the contrasts between rural and urban life, the tensions between Protestants and Catholics, and the heartwarming and amusing character studies of a small Irish town. The average moviegoer would never appreciate those subtleties, oh no. Just give 'em sex, they'll understand that.
What can I say, ER is leaving, Grey's is staying....maybe those producers aren't wrong.
Speaking of doctors, this week I'm seriously wondering if going to the doctor and having him "scope" you is like taking your car to a mechanic and noticing more problems after he "fixes" your car. I was diagnosed with acid reflux and oddly, although I never had obvious symptoms before, suddenly I've got heartburn and bloating. Hmph! Did the doctor remove a screw somewhere in my stomach?! Or switch on my acid valve maybe? Veerrrry suspicious and frustrating. It could be I'm unconsciously stressed after learning my diagnosis, thus giving myself heartburn. I did take 3 doses of the prescribed Prilosec and maybe THAT evil drug did this to me. I decided I don't want to be sentenced to a lifetime of any medication, so I plan to look for something naturopathic. I should go and see Dr. Melead, my naturopathic doctor, but I'm feeling poor right now (Financial Kauai Sis) and HMSA doesn't cover naturopathics. Silly of them, they would probably save a ton of money if they did.
When I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, I was prescribed Fosamax by my medical doctor. Dr. Melead, however, said nooooooo, don't take that. She told me what kind of calcium to take among other advice, and two years later, my second scan showed no change. Meanwhile bad things are surfacing concerning Fosamax. Dr. Kheng, my current medical physician, said "Good, just keep doing what you're doing!" (Which means I should get back to exercising...uh oh!) Hmm, think of all that money I saved HMSA by not buying Fosamax!
I voted yesterday! Yaaaay, first time I've voted early. I had to take Jordan to Special Olympics bowling practice in Lihue. I have a need to justify any trip out of my cave, so voting was part of my multitasking, as well as getting Costco gas.
I also went to the library to pick up some material I ordered. One of these was a DVD of "Circle of Friends", the movie based on Maeve Binchy's novel. I wonder how a writer feels when their masterpiece is reduced to a 2 hour (probably less) piece of drivel? Binchy is known for cleverly weaving multiple compelling stories of related characters into her novels. The movie over-stripped down the plots and thinned out the characters to the bare minimum. As if that weren't bad enough, the producers decided that despite the fact that Ms. Binchy is a bestselling novelist who's written dozens of popular books read by millions, her book needed the help of their brilliant insight into what sells movies: sex. Never mind that her book conveyed the contrasts between rural and urban life, the tensions between Protestants and Catholics, and the heartwarming and amusing character studies of a small Irish town. The average moviegoer would never appreciate those subtleties, oh no. Just give 'em sex, they'll understand that.
What can I say, ER is leaving, Grey's is staying....maybe those producers aren't wrong.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
In Preparation for a Bad Day
I have had my last meal. Arrrrrgh!!! Tomorrow will be a very unpleasant day for me: no solid foods, clear liquids only. What's worse than that? I have two words for you: Fleet Phophosoda. Yep, tomorrow at this time I'll be cleaned out for my colonoscopy Thursday. Yuck yuck YUCK. And one more YUCK!
I've been through this once before...about 8 years ago or so, not sure (see "Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder" blog post below). What I DO remember is that the Preparation Day is ten times worse than the actual colonoscopy. I try to be positive so I'm telling myself in 36 hours I'll be done with this thing for another few years. AND I'll have a good excuse to stuff my face afterwards too. Yaaaay!
I have to cut this short, but I just wanted to point you to Arkiva.com, a client of IMMG. It offers free 2 gigs of media storage space. What's more, you can Media Share your music, photos, and videos and view other users' shared files, comment on them, etc. I like the simplicity of the website and how you can have your own homepage with all your files at your fingertips. This website was created with the intention of helping people store important and irreplaceable media files in case the unthinkable happens (fire, hurricane, etc.). For instance, they recommend photographing or making a video of your valuables for insurance purposes and uploading it store online. Another great service is media CONVERSION. If you have old videotapes and want to put it on DVD, for example, you can send it to them to convert. Reasonable pricing! Anyway, check it out and sign up for a free account. I love how simple it was to sign up. They don't ask for personal details at all, just username and password, basically. Oh and they have a referral program. Cha-ching!
Ok, back to work. Or should I play Tetris?
Orrrrr should I eat another last meal before bedtime?
I've been through this once before...about 8 years ago or so, not sure (see "Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder" blog post below). What I DO remember is that the Preparation Day is ten times worse than the actual colonoscopy. I try to be positive so I'm telling myself in 36 hours I'll be done with this thing for another few years. AND I'll have a good excuse to stuff my face afterwards too. Yaaaay!
I have to cut this short, but I just wanted to point you to Arkiva.com, a client of IMMG. It offers free 2 gigs of media storage space. What's more, you can Media Share your music, photos, and videos and view other users' shared files, comment on them, etc. I like the simplicity of the website and how you can have your own homepage with all your files at your fingertips. This website was created with the intention of helping people store important and irreplaceable media files in case the unthinkable happens (fire, hurricane, etc.). For instance, they recommend photographing or making a video of your valuables for insurance purposes and uploading it store online. Another great service is media CONVERSION. If you have old videotapes and want to put it on DVD, for example, you can send it to them to convert. Reasonable pricing! Anyway, check it out and sign up for a free account. I love how simple it was to sign up. They don't ask for personal details at all, just username and password, basically. Oh and they have a referral program. Cha-ching!
Ok, back to work. Or should I play Tetris?
Orrrrr should I eat another last meal before bedtime?
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Financial Kauai Sis
Oops I did it again, I let over a week pass without blogging. Omigod, how will I keep my loyal readers this way? Those three will desert me!!
I shouldn't be blogging this week because I'm supposed to be WORKING. I have a craft fair on Saturday: Matsuri Festival at the Kauai Convention Hall. I've also been given some work online after a dry spell. As they say, "When it rains it pours!"
I'm perverted, I really am. Whenever I have a ton of work to do I tend to get right down to business playing Tetris...and now writing on my blog.
I've been debating whether or not to mention last night's debate. You know what they say about not discussing religion and politics. [Have you noticed how much I cite what THEY say? I'LL just say it shows that I'm a good listener!]. Anyway, I did watch the debate even though I didn't care to. At one point I turned to Leonard and said, "Aw, I'm starting to feel sorry for John McCain!" But no, I won't give him the pity vote like some people give Cloris Leachman. I won't go into anymore details, but I do suggest you visit factcheck.org to cut through any bull that was dished out. This is important enough to mention, however, because many people might actually believe Mr. McCain when he took credit for the idea of bailing out homeowners. This idea is already part of the bailout plan and Obama had mentioned a similar plan two weeks ago. Gomer Pyle would say, "Shame, shame, SHAME, John McCain!"
So how are you all faring in this financial crisis? It's supposed to get worse. If nothing else, it may finally force people to realize what's truly important in life, rather than buying 700-count bedsheets (that puka in 3 months! see blog below) or $300 handbags that are COPIES of $3000 handbags. Of course the more we consume, the better for the economy...right? But it just seems fundamentally wrong to spend beyond your means and even if you HAVE the means, it seems fundamentally wrong to be feeding your dog caviar while homeless children are eating out of dumpsters. Did you hear about the AIG employees having a WEEK of partying at the five-star St. Regis Hotel (total cost to AIG almost a half million dollars) just after Congress voted to bail them out of bankruptcy? Nice, really nice. I say let's send the paparazzi over there and let them do something productive for a change. I'd also like someone to track down those finance CEO's who got away with billions. Let's stop harrassing Britney, we know what she looks like already and she isn't costing America 700 billion.
Ok, back to work while I watch "Dog the Bounty Hunter". I'm waiting to see the episode they filmed on Kauai. He's not as funny as Stephanie Plum, but that's because he's more competent. Of course Beth looks like she is on the same diet Stephanie is on. I'm talking about the Trenton New Jersey diet (Tasty Kakes, pizza, cheeseburgers, doughnuts). I say that in an affectionate way. I like that the Chapmans have such big hearts.
P.S. Tonight I watched the Travel Channel and saw a $1000 ice cream concoction served at a New York restaurant. Gucci bags? Waste of money! Gold-coated ice cream sundae (rare chocolate, Madagascar vanilla, etc.)? I'll have to sample first.
I shouldn't be blogging this week because I'm supposed to be WORKING. I have a craft fair on Saturday: Matsuri Festival at the Kauai Convention Hall. I've also been given some work online after a dry spell. As they say, "When it rains it pours!"
I'm perverted, I really am. Whenever I have a ton of work to do I tend to get right down to business playing Tetris...and now writing on my blog.
I've been debating whether or not to mention last night's debate. You know what they say about not discussing religion and politics. [Have you noticed how much I cite what THEY say? I'LL just say it shows that I'm a good listener!]. Anyway, I did watch the debate even though I didn't care to. At one point I turned to Leonard and said, "Aw, I'm starting to feel sorry for John McCain!" But no, I won't give him the pity vote like some people give Cloris Leachman. I won't go into anymore details, but I do suggest you visit factcheck.org to cut through any bull that was dished out. This is important enough to mention, however, because many people might actually believe Mr. McCain when he took credit for the idea of bailing out homeowners. This idea is already part of the bailout plan and Obama had mentioned a similar plan two weeks ago. Gomer Pyle would say, "Shame, shame, SHAME, John McCain!"
So how are you all faring in this financial crisis? It's supposed to get worse. If nothing else, it may finally force people to realize what's truly important in life, rather than buying 700-count bedsheets (that puka in 3 months! see blog below) or $300 handbags that are COPIES of $3000 handbags. Of course the more we consume, the better for the economy...right? But it just seems fundamentally wrong to spend beyond your means and even if you HAVE the means, it seems fundamentally wrong to be feeding your dog caviar while homeless children are eating out of dumpsters. Did you hear about the AIG employees having a WEEK of partying at the five-star St. Regis Hotel (total cost to AIG almost a half million dollars) just after Congress voted to bail them out of bankruptcy? Nice, really nice. I say let's send the paparazzi over there and let them do something productive for a change. I'd also like someone to track down those finance CEO's who got away with billions. Let's stop harrassing Britney, we know what she looks like already and she isn't costing America 700 billion.
Ok, back to work while I watch "Dog the Bounty Hunter". I'm waiting to see the episode they filmed on Kauai. He's not as funny as Stephanie Plum, but that's because he's more competent. Of course Beth looks like she is on the same diet Stephanie is on. I'm talking about the Trenton New Jersey diet (Tasty Kakes, pizza, cheeseburgers, doughnuts). I say that in an affectionate way. I like that the Chapmans have such big hearts.
P.S. Tonight I watched the Travel Channel and saw a $1000 ice cream concoction served at a New York restaurant. Gucci bags? Waste of money! Gold-coated ice cream sundae (rare chocolate, Madagascar vanilla, etc.)? I'll have to sample first.
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