Young Love

Last summer, my oldest nephew and his girlfriend got engaged while on a trip to Hawaii.

I remember the day he was born.  I was there.  I saw him when he was less than an hour old.  Now he's engaged to be married!  Where has the time gone?  Boy, I'm old.

I'm so very excited for both of them.  His girlfriend has been part of our lives for 11 years and we love her!  She's beautiful and kind and off-the-charts smart.  We totally scored when he decided to make her a permanent part of our family.

One thing's for sure...I'm already looking forward to their wedding!

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: That Famous Smile
2018: Southern Italian Bottega
2017: Smile Because It Happened
2016: A Sea Of Blue
2015: We Are On The Biggest Boat In The Marina
2014: The Only Thing I Haven't Done
2013: United Tails
2012: I Grew Up In The O.C. Too
2011: Snowy Arrival
2010: Not A Pretty Sight
2009: Marking This Day In History With A Vibrant Spot Of Color
2008: Lighting To Do Laundry By
2007: The Benefits Of Dating A White Boy
2006: Shhhhhh, You’ll Wake The Driver
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Whale Or Mermaid?

A whale's tail breaching the water in Lahaina, Maui.  Photo by Eddie.  

It seems this has been floating around the internet for years, but I just recently came across it on Facebook:

A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and beautiful woman.  The caption was, "This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"  The story goes, a woman (of unknown clothing size) answered the following way:

"Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, seals, curious humans), they are sexually active and raise children with great tenderness.  They entertain like crazy with dolphins and eat lots of prawns.  They swim all day and travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea, or the coral reefs of Polynesia.  They sing incredibly well and sometimes even are on CDs.  They are impressive and dearly loved animals, which everyone defends and admires.

Mermaids do not exist.

But if they existed, they would line up to see a psychologist because of a split-personality problem.  Woman or fish?  They would have no sex life, and could not bear children.  Yes, they would be lovely, but lonely and sad.  And, who wants a girl by their side who smells like fish?

Without a doubt, I'd rather be a whale.

At a time when the media tells us that only thin is beautiful, I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat and drink and have fun with my friends.

We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom and knowledge that there isn't enough space in our heads, and it spreads all over our bodies.  We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated.  Every time I see my curves in the mirror I tell myself, "How amazing am I?!"

Mermaids are pretty.  And kinda cool.  But if given the choice between these two descriptions - the eating, drinking, entertaining, singing, dearly loved fish versus the lonely, frigid, sad girl - I'd have to go with the whale.

And most important of all, which the fictitious responder to the gym's advertisement left out - is how intelligent whales are.

I'll take brains over beauty any day of the week.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2016: There's A Steak Sandwich Waiting At The Intersection Of 82 And 83
2015: I Have Turned Into My Mother
2014: Ed Drops A Bomb
2013: Guarding The Life Of My Eddie
2012: Crash Test Dummy
2011: No Fudd Found Near This Fountain
2010: The Very Thoughtful Man
2009: SPAM: Not The E-mail Kind
2008: How Casting A Memory Begins With A Fish
2007: A Weekend At The End Of The Rainbow
2006: If I Were In People Magazine
2005: Free Mudflap

Spring Break

Lisa and I on the shores of Waikiki, 1985.

During my senior year, my little friend Lisa (I was 5' 8", she was 5' 2") and I decided we weren't going to do Spring Break in Daytona like almost everyone else in my rural upstate New York high school.  We wanted to do something different.  

I don't remember who said it, but one of us blurted out, "How about Hawaii?"

We instantly agreed it was a great idea.

So we immediately started making plans to go to Hawaii.  It was the longest plane ride of my life. Thirteen hours.  New York to Los Angeles to Honolulu.  There may have been a stop in Dallas or Chicago, I don't remember.  But it was a loooong friggin' trip.

We stayed in Waikiki, at one of the Outrigger properties, not far from that hotel with the big rainbow on the side.  It was the first time I'd ever been that far from home.

I was 18.

It was a great trip, lots of laughs, and lots of good memories.  It'd be over 30 years before I'd go back.

Last year our cruise stopped at several Hawaiian islands, one of them Oahu, and while driving around Waikiki I tried to recall where we stayed, what we did, what we saw.  It was Ed's first time to Hawaii - the only state he'd never been to - and he loved it.

I certainly hope I don't have to wait as long to go back!



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2015: Moving The World
2014: Shoving Off
2013: Bean By Day
2012: The Honey-Do List
2011: Following The Trail Of The Father Of Our Country To The Place Where A Cuckoo Flew Over A Nest
2010: Amid The Corn
2009: I’m Going To Be A Millionaire!!!
2008: How I Do Love A Colorful Lunch Plate
2007: Lucky Sevens
2006: My Head Has Been In The Clouds For Weeks
2005: Chunky Cheese

Ed Goes With The Flow

A little Throwback Thursday action - Ed on the lava flow in Kona, Hawaii.


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2014: Big Coin Was A Big Hit
2013: Painting The Serengeti
2012: Why Fig Newtons Will Always Be On My Shopping List
2011: Losing The Wallet At Your Convenience
2010: Bridge Over Troubled Roadway
2009: If Only The Streets Were Truly Paved With Gold
2008: She Reigns Supreme
2007: A Match Made In Heaven
2006: Proof
2005: Caped Crusaders

Live It

Kona, Hawaii

Yesterday I wrote about us cancelling our upcoming Maui trip, but that doesn't stop me from regularly scouring travel blogs and websites to find the places we'd like to travel next.  

Here are ten blogs and website I really like:

1.  Chris Guillebeau's Travel Hacking Resources

2.  Travel + Leisure

3.  A Luxury Travel Blog for those of you who like to do it up all fancy-like.

4.  Nomadic Matt - Great travel tips, tons of ways to save money, and tons of destination guides.

5.  The 36 Hours column in the New York Times.

6.  If you don't have 36 hours, you can always do 12.

7.  Travelsmith - specifically their destination guides.

8.  Velvet Escape - consider following him on Instagram too, he's got some great pictures!

9.  I know I'm naming three here, but I'm counting it as one since they're similar. Lonely Planet, Frommer's, and Fodors - guidebooks (gone internet, now) I discovered over 25 years ago when I worked for a major bookstore chain.  When the new travel guides would come in, they'd let the employees take as many of the old guides that they wanted.  They're always the ones I check first because they've been around forever and have great reputations.

10.  And  a new site I recently discovered called Fathom.  It's pretty amazing.



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2014: Blizzard To The East, Clear Skies To The West
2013: The Discriminating House Hunter
2012: Oh, Sweet Cream Cheesus
2011: Pit Stop
2010: Sorry, no post for this day.
2009: A Peek Behind The Sacred Pantry Door
2008: Thistle Or Thatle
2007: Big, Rich, And Free
2006: Look, Honey! A Grist Mill.
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Starwood Is Still A Star

Lahaina, Maui coastline taken from our boating excursion

Even though we just had a long vacation, I find myself doing research for the next getaway.  We were supposed to go to Maui, which is what I'd been researching because Ed bought a package at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas almost a year ago,  and picking the dates was the only thing left to do.

That proved to be a bit more difficult than one might imagine.  First of all, the rooms had to be booked 60 days in advance.  That turned out to be much harder for us to do than we thought, because every time we called to get dates, they didn't have what we wanted and we had to go back to the drawing board to choose new ones.  Then we had to look for flights, but of course we couldn't book a flight until we knew we had a room and we couldn't get a room.  Then, I got called for jury duty, which makes planning a vacation a little iffy.  What if I get picked to be on the jury?

So Ed finally just called to cancel the trip, which was a little bit of a nightmare.  They told Ed they wouldn't cancel it - several times he asked - then after talking to a supervisor, they agreed to give us our money back minus $100 for "time invested".  I couldn't pull the phone out of Ed's hands fast enough.  I was gesticulating wildly for him to hand it to me.

I worked for Starwood Resorts and Hotels for several years, both at Westin and Sheraton properties, and this was just unacceptable to me.  They didn't invest any time with us, they now had the rooms to sell to someone else (which clearly were going fast), and I felt like they were fleecing us.  I talked to the supervisor Ed was chatting with and explained to him about my time with Starwood, how I know they're one of the biggest hotel chains in the world with several brands under their umbrella, and how them trying to snake $100 from us for doing essentially nothing - Ed responded to an email to accept the package offer - was going to leave a bad taste in my mouth.  I told him that I'm on the road over 300 days a year and stay in hotels often - the implication, that I have a choice at which hotels those might be.

I'm happy to report - and thrilled at the wise decision this supervisor made - that I got all of our money back.  And because of this satisfactory customer service, I will likely spend that money on another Starwood property in the future.

Tomorrow, I'll share some of travel blogs and websites I like to look at to get ideas.


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2014: Transylvania Has Better Internet
2013: Can I Get An Amen?
2012: Imagine Life Artificially Sweeter
2011: Sweets For The Sweet
2010: Silver Shoes, Cliff Clavin, And A Guiness World Record
2009: A Bevy Of Pavo Cristatus
2008: How Much Happy Can A Dollar Buy?
2007: The Heat Is On
2006: The New York Catch And Release Program
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

It Was A Kona Kind Of Day

What better way to start your day than with coffee?  Our first stop was Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii, .  Here's what I found out at the coffee plantation store:

Kona coffee is the only coffee grown in the United States for commercial use.  It's grown on the western slopes of the great of the great volcano mountains Mauna Loa and Haulalai, between the 800 and 2,000 foot elevations.  Only coffee grown in this Kona district of the Big Island of Hawaii can legally be called Kona coffee.  All other coffee grown in Hawaii but outside of this geographical boundary must be sold under other identification names.  The coffee tree takes two years to produce “first fruit,” but four years to reach full maturity and produce a commercial crop.  In one year, one coffee tree will produce only enough fruit to make one pound of roasted coffee, and it takes more than 5 pounds of cherry coffee to make one pound of roasted coffee.  The coffee tree is a member of the gardenia family and coffee is a tropical fruit - coffee beans are the seeds of the fruit.  Royal Kona Coffee is ranked as one of the top three coffees in the world.  More than a billion pounds of coffee are consumed every year in the U.S.A.

After we had several sample cups of coffee and ate a handful of chocolate covered coffee beans, we were flying high on caffeine and off to Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park on the coast of Honaunau Bay.  

 The entire area is built upon the lava flats of the Kona Coast.  It's a beautiful and sacred place with much history.

After we visited the national park, we headed to the St. Benedict's Church in Captain Cook, Hawaii.

St. Benedict's is a Roman Catholic church better known as "The Painted Church" for its hand-painted interior.  

Father Velghe is responsible for painting the interior of this small church.  The panels tell a story and came in handy during a time when many people couldn't read or write.  He was a self-taught artist and did all of the work himself, but when his health started to fail, he was unable to complete the painting.  Read more about its completion here.  

The walls, the altar, the ceiling - all colorfully painted.  

It looks like a regular little church, sitting high on a hill overlooking beautiful Kealakekua Bay.  

But it's unassuming quaint white exterior doesn't at all prepare you for the complete surprise of what you find when you step inside - a rainbow washed ceiling, stripes swirling around support poles, trompe l'oeil at the altar, and wispy colorful palm fronds that really make you feel as if you're on an island.  

A happy place for prayer, shelter, refuge, or quiet reflection.

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2014: Award-Winning Plan
2013: Watch Closely Now
2012: Mission Of The Sacred Heart
2011: Vintage Photo And Clothing
2010: Just How I Like It…Cold And Colder
2009: Snagged
2008: The Writing Is On The Wall
2007: Eddie Waits For A Ride
2006: Truckers And Travelers Know Good Food
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Hawaiʻiloa's Favorite Son

Our second port stop was Nawiliwili on the island of Kauai.  Our excursion on this day was a Hollywood Movie tour.  We saw the filming locations of The Descendants, Six Days and Seven Nights, Gilligan’s Island, The Amazing Race, Fantasy Island, Blue Hawaii,  Pirates of the Caribbean and more.

We also saw waterfalls, the house where The Thorn Birds was filmed, the beach where the S.S. Minnow washed up, the field where dinosaurs roamed in Jurassic Park.  The weather was a little funky, kind of overcast and threatening rain.  Sadly, the pictures I got were not so great.

My favorite part of the tour was visiting the historic Coco Palms Resort, which closed in 1992 after being destroyed by Hurricane Iniki.  This resort has a long, royal history and it's the place where Elvis filmed Blue Hawaii.  We even got to meet Larry Rivera, who had a part in that movie and who entertained us during our visit, right on the banks of the hotel's lagoon.

The thing I loved most about the Coco Palms resort grounds?  The fact that there were over 2,000 coconut trees.  The coconut grove was planted from coconut tree nuts brought to Kauai from Samoa in 1896 by William Lindeman.  We took one of those coconuts back to the ship and feasted on it for the next few days.  It's rumored that Hyatt will be taking over and opening a new resort on the grounds but from the information our tour guide gave us, the island people aren't happy about it.

From what I saw, Kauai didn't strike me as "the most beautiful island" some people said it was.  I think it was the weather.  It may have been the fact that we only saw movie locations.  It may have been the very cramped van I had to sit in for six hours, I'm not sure.  I don't want to say it wasn't a beautiful place, because how many times does one see a waterfall, on an island?  I think I just needed to see more.  Another time, perhaps.



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2014: Into The Mouth Of A Lion
2013: A Barn Serving Steak Good Enough To Eat
2012: A Quick Update
2011: It Takes Nothing To Win A Contest
2010: Sorry, no post for this day.
2009: The Hags Hit The Big Time
2008: One Thing At A Time
2007: Snaking Across Broadway
2006: Psssst! Wanna Buy A Hot Dog Truck?
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Hawaii Five-O

If you saw Halona Beach Cove in Honolulu, Hawaii, would you think it seemed familiar?

If I told you it was famous, would you know why?

I'll admit that I had no idea.  But once I was told what took place there, I immediately knew.

It was the place where Burt Lancaster and Debra Kerr did this:

Google Images

It's one of the most recognizable movie scenes of all time.  The movie was From Here To Eternity. The year was 1953.  And from what I've heard, this scene was scandalous.

From filmsite.org: "Shot on location (including a three-week shoot in Hawaii's Schofield Barracks), this film was a monumental award winner - its thirteen nominations won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Donna Reed), Best Supporting Actor (Frank Sinatra), Best Screenplay (Daniel Taradash), Best B/W Cinematography (Burnett Guffey), Best Sound Recording, and Best Film Editing. It won the most Academy Awards for any picture since Gone With The Wind (1939)(Its other five nominations were: Best Actor (Montgomery Clift and Burt Lancaster, who split the votes), Best Actress (Deborah Kerr), Best Scoring, and Best B/W Costume Design."

Google Images

We had two days on Oahu.  The first day we did Pearl Harbor and the Mighty Mo.  The second day we did a circle tour of the island with lunch at the Polynesian Cultural Center. 

Halona Beach Cove, where the From Here To Eternity Beach is and where the Halona Blowhole is also located, was the first stop on the circle tour around Oahu. Continuing on, our island tour took us past the palm tree lined south shore.

And alongside Waimanalo and Kailua Bays.  I think Oahu is my favorite of the four islands we visited.

Then we made a quick stop at the Byodo-In Temple, where Ed charmed the birds (4 in one hand, two in the other) and we marveled at the hundreds of Koi swimming in the ponds on the temple grounds.

Then we headed to the North Shore, where the famous Bonzai Pipeline is.  There were waves and surfers.

After that, we stopped at the Dole Pineapple Plantation for a little shopping and a cup of their famous Dole Whip - a dairy-free pineapple sorbet that comes out of a machine like soft-serve ice cream, topped with pineapple chunks and shaved coconut.  Dole-licious!

And once done with the refreshing pineapple treat (see how happy Ed is?), we headed through the Koolau Mountains, stopping at a scenic lookout along to way to get one last picture of the coastline, before we headed back into Waikiki.

We had a great time on Oahu.  The scenery was gorgeous - and this is without the famous colorful flowers everyone talks about - and I would love to go back and some real time on the beaches, exploring the North Shore, and visiting the famous hotels and strips of sand in Waikiki.  



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014: I Like Big Boteros And I Cannot Lie
2013: The Young Never Have Trouble Screwing
2012: Making Tracks Across The Country
2011: Eddie Is The King Of The Dome
2010: Do It For Half An Hour A Day
2009: Sipping In Nyack
2008: The Tink Tink Tinkle Of Recycling
2007: Ralph’s Service Station
2006: The Isle Of Capri
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Not Your Average Hula Girls

Our first port of call was Lahaina, Maui where we spent the morning snorkeling.  It wasn't the best location - just a broken up concrete pier near the shore where the water was cloudy and there weren't many fish - but we did see two white-tipped reef sharks that were each about 4-5 feet in length.  They were lying side-by-side, on the bottom of the ocean, about 25 feet below us.  Lots of snorkelers were swimming around above them, pointing and gesturing wildly with their hands.  The sharks didn't move.  That was about the most exciting part of the snorkeling portion of our trip.

After we all got back on the catamaran, the crew took us for a ride around the bay where we were lucky enough to see humpback whales breaching the water right before our very eyes.  I didn't get any great pictures but Ed got a few that I'll share in another post.

After the snorkeling/whale watching thing, we went back to the ship to get cleaned up for the Drums of the Pacific Lu'au that was held at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa.

The place was packed.  It was an open event so cruise ship passengers mingled with hotel guests and tourists from other locations.   

The show started as the evening sun was setting.  We were directed by table to enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffet which included Kalua Pork, Huli Huli Chicken, Grilled Fish, Polynesian Rice, Vegetables Makamaka, Tropical Fruits Anuenue, Soba Noodles, Lomi Lomi Salmon, Pacific Ahi Poke, Tossed Green Salad, and Poi (taro).  There was an open bar service beer, wine, mixed drinks, mai tais, and fruit punch.

After dinner, the dessert spread was just as delicious - Macadamia Nut Lu'au Cream Pie, Haupia with Toasted Coconut, Pineapple Cake and Bread Pudding. 

I had been to a lu'au once before - 29 years ago on my first visit to Hawaii - but didn't remember a thing about it except the pig in the ground.  This show was spectacular.  

The performers are exceptionally talented and put on a beautiful performance for us.  It was well worth the money.  Check out a short preview here.

Here are a few photos taken by Ed:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014: Some Links Are Sexier Than Others
2013: Who Says I'm Spoiled?
2012: So That’s How It’s Done
2011: Sunny Bright Yellow Moments Ahead
2010: Loaded
2009: C’mon, Just Do It Already!
2008: Counterproductive
2007: If You Need A Reason To Cook More Often, I Think I Have One
2006: Warning: May Contain Traces Of Nuts
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Heading To Shore

A shot of our ship from the tender boat as we were being brought to shore in Maui.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014: Chocolate And Gnocchi - The Best Of Any World
2013: Looking And Smelling Good Behind The Wheel Of A Big Rig
2012: Necessary Evil
2011: Getting Drunk On Summer Fun
2010: How Is It The Fish Don’t Freeze???
2009: A Meal Even 300 Year Old Monks Would Love
2008: Not A Knock Knock Joke
2007: Eddie Shades Friday
2006: The Idiot And The Box
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Tenderly

Tender boat staff.

Two ports we went to on our Hawaii trip - Maui and Kauai - used the ship's tender.  When they kept saying it was a "tender port", I had no idea what they meant.  For those of you in the dark like I was, a tender is a smaller boat that transports people (or supplies) to and from the larger vessel.

The tender from the cruise ship holds about 60 people and was used because they do not have deep water ports for the ship to dock in. Smaller boats have tenders too, but they're usually called dinghies.  If they had used that word I might have known what they were talking about.  Although dinghies in my mind screams "rubber raft" and not "capable boat" to take you ashore.

Whadya know, I learned something new.  



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014: What Else Is There To Do When It's One Degree Outside?
2013: Packing Up
2012: A Man Can Do All Things If He Will
2011: Spinning Our Wheels
2010: It Takes Two
2009: Buona Sera King Louis
2008: The Newest B & B Trend Might Not Take Off As Expected
2007: Pirelli
2006: Classic Sal
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005! 

Place Of Refuge

Ed standing on the lava shore of Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park on the coast of Honaunau Bay in the south Kona region on the Big Island of Hawaii.


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2014: A Story Told In Stone
2013: Eddie Sandwich
2012: Finally – Freight To Buzz About!
2011: For The Crybabies
2010: Chillin’ In Utah
2009: Taking The Peas For A Ride In A Cozy Little Shell
2008: Wyth Jane’s Kin In Wytheville
2007: Color In Architecture
2006: Living On
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

The Gods Are Angry. Or Laughing.

At the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, on the island of Oahu, Ed does his best impression of whatever the hell that thing is behind him.



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2014: These Four Guys Always Have The Same Expression On Their Faces
2013: Save Money On Sandwiches, Buy Nice Car
2012: Big Money Needed For A Relaxing, Feel-Good Experience
2011: The Original Metrosexual And The Petting Zoo
2010: Cribs For Corn, Not Celebrities
2009: LL Cool E
2008: Hunt On Hold
2007: The Blondes Come Marching In
2006: Thank You Is Not Enough
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Hawaiian Memorial

The USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii.


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2014: We Do Not Remember Days, We Remember Moments
2013: Sharing The Long Haul Lifestyle
2012: Love, Peace, And Soooouuulll
2011: Taste The Fire
2010: Finally, A Shot At Playmate Of The Month! (Sorta)
2009: Remembering
2008: Eddie Gets His Eyes Checked Friday
2007: Shifting The Sun
2006: My Daddy Is Gone
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Clooney Was Not At The End Of The Pier

Pier from "The Descendants"

In Kauia we went on a movie location tour.  We saw locations from  The Descendants, Six Days and Seven Nights, Gilligan’s Island,  The Amazing Race, Fantasy Island, Blue Hawaii and Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park and more.  Some of the locations are easily recognized, others it takes a clip of the movie to refresh your memory.  When we got back to the ship, they were playing Six Day and Seven Nights in the room and we watched it to see if there was anything we recognized.  We did, which made it that much more interesting.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014: Where They Build Palaces Out Of Corn
2013: Modern Market Girl
2012: A Berry Good Time
2011: Traveling Through Mountain Ranch
2010: Backroads
2009: If Only I Could Fit All Of This Information On A Bumper Sticker…
2008: Gambling Haze
2007: Published
2006: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

The Valley Of The Temples

Yesterday we visited the Byodo-In Temple located in Kahaluu, on the island of O'ahu in Hawaii.  It was built in 1968 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii.  It's a smaller-scale replica of the over 950-year-old Byodo-in Temple in Uji, Japan.

The temple is a non-practicing Buddhis temple but welcomes people of all faiths to worship.  The grounds are beautiful and serene, and among the lush greenery we found a black swan, hundreds of Koi - which were the biggest I've ever seen - and flocks of birds that will land on your hands if you extend your arm toward them.

I will have a picture of Eddie, The Bird Whisperer, at some point in the very near future.



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2014: The Day The South Fell Apart...Again
2013: Island Graffiti
2012: Four Seasons Of Food To Conquer
2011: Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
2010: As Seen On TV
2009: Eddie Polishing His Chrome Friday
2008: Traveling With Your Cat
2007: Getting Wet In The Next County
2006: Down With O.P.P.
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

North Shore Surfin'

We caught a few surfers on the North Shore today waiting for the perfect wave.  We were on a very regimented bus tour so could not stay to see if they actually caught one.

Aloha, wave riders!



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2014: Calling It A Day
2013: Eight Ways To Take It Easy
2012: Dinner With Friends
2011: This Is What Sheer Joy Looks Like
2010: I’ll Have The Tootsie Rolls And The Butterfinger And The Lollipop And The Gummi Bears And The Hershey Kisses And The Snickers Bar And The M&M’s And…
2009: Meals On Wheels
2008: Mercury Dropping
2007: James Cameron For $79.99 A Night
2006: The Town That Big Tobacco Built
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!