Our burgundy Mercedes has been ill and needed to go to the car doctor. We sent her to a mechanic the week before the SuperBowl and that is in January, folks! She stayed in the shop until April because a part needed to be ordered from Germany. According to our mechanic, this was the first time this particular part was ordered from the State of Hawaii.
I had the car for two weeks and yesterday when I was driving home, I see a cop's car behind me. I look in the rear view mirror and he follows. Then I see the dreaded blue light.....FLASHING!!
Damn...millions of cars pass as he collects my documents and writes out the ticket for an expired safety check which needed to be done in January!! So $70 later, I get the understanding of irony in my own life!!
What's up with that?
Friday, April 22, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Lax Action
Last night there was a huge earthquake in Japan (8.9) which caused a tsunami or tidal wave to be generated. The news showed devastating damage as the huge waves washed across the roads and farmlands, carrying homes, ships, and cars as though they were plastic toys.
The Hawaii TV stations showed the action and the information was given about the approximate arrival time of the tidal wave in Hawaii. Boat owners were encouraged to pilot their boats into the open ocean to avoid damage.
When we got up, we heard about boats on Oahu which were left in the harbor. In fact, we saw clips of people shouting to boat owners to get off of the boats as big waves were coming. Okay...there's a tidal wave coming. What were these boat owners thinking?
We forget about the power of Nature. We can never take the awesome force of Nature too lightly. Though we may think we are so smart, it is amazing how stupid we are at times!!
The Hawaii TV stations showed the action and the information was given about the approximate arrival time of the tidal wave in Hawaii. Boat owners were encouraged to pilot their boats into the open ocean to avoid damage.
When we got up, we heard about boats on Oahu which were left in the harbor. In fact, we saw clips of people shouting to boat owners to get off of the boats as big waves were coming. Okay...there's a tidal wave coming. What were these boat owners thinking?
We forget about the power of Nature. We can never take the awesome force of Nature too lightly. Though we may think we are so smart, it is amazing how stupid we are at times!!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A Moonrise to Enjoy
Sometimes, the beauty of the sun is overrated. A beautiful sunny day, sunrise, sunset, blah, blah, blah.
Last night, we saw the most beautiful moonrise on Second Street in Hawaiian Paradise Park. The moon was the color of a lemon rising above the dark foreground of the scrub forest. The moon was so huge!!
Moonrises in Puna are the most beautiful things to enjoy. We are so lucky to have clear skies and such a beautiful environment to enjoy.
Laki kakou. E mililani kakou no ka mea a pau.
Last night, we saw the most beautiful moonrise on Second Street in Hawaiian Paradise Park. The moon was the color of a lemon rising above the dark foreground of the scrub forest. The moon was so huge!!
Moonrises in Puna are the most beautiful things to enjoy. We are so lucky to have clear skies and such a beautiful environment to enjoy.
Laki kakou. E mililani kakou no ka mea a pau.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
She Walked the Gobi
It is amazing how our attitude can dictate our view of life.
I was depressed because I've been having trouble with my knees, bone spurs, arthritis, stiff joints, modified gait...sad, sad, sad. Then I went to see an orthopedic surgeon who said that the solution to my problem was double knee replacement with three month recovery time...etc., etc., etc. When I asked the doctor if I could heal myself...he looked at me incredulously and said, "What do you mean?" as though this was an impossibility. Threw myself a full-on pity party complete with whatever one serves at a pity party. (will have to do reseach on a menu for a pity party)
The change in my perspective changed when I read a book by Helen Thayer entitled Walking the Gobi. I am not really into travel books but I just happened to see it in the library and borrowed it. The writer was 63 years old and she and her 70+ year old husband walked 1600 miles across the Gobi Desert with scorpions, 115+ degree weather, sandstorms, and sandy socks!! She had a hip injury before she embarked on the trip yet they averaged 26 miles every day for 80 days!!
My problems with my knees turned into whining about a mosquito bite!!
Of course, I understand that Helen Thayer and her husband are not the usual senior citizens. But what I admired was the her discipline in following through with a commitment. Missing an appointment at a predesignated checkpoint would mean...no water. I read the book in one night and drank a big glass of water in the morning.
This is what I needed and it was a noncoincidental coincidence that I found the book. If one has the can do attitude laced with hope, one can live a fuller life.
Amen, amen, amen!!
I was depressed because I've been having trouble with my knees, bone spurs, arthritis, stiff joints, modified gait...sad, sad, sad. Then I went to see an orthopedic surgeon who said that the solution to my problem was double knee replacement with three month recovery time...etc., etc., etc. When I asked the doctor if I could heal myself...he looked at me incredulously and said, "What do you mean?" as though this was an impossibility. Threw myself a full-on pity party complete with whatever one serves at a pity party. (will have to do reseach on a menu for a pity party)
The change in my perspective changed when I read a book by Helen Thayer entitled Walking the Gobi. I am not really into travel books but I just happened to see it in the library and borrowed it. The writer was 63 years old and she and her 70+ year old husband walked 1600 miles across the Gobi Desert with scorpions, 115+ degree weather, sandstorms, and sandy socks!! She had a hip injury before she embarked on the trip yet they averaged 26 miles every day for 80 days!!
My problems with my knees turned into whining about a mosquito bite!!
Of course, I understand that Helen Thayer and her husband are not the usual senior citizens. But what I admired was the her discipline in following through with a commitment. Missing an appointment at a predesignated checkpoint would mean...no water. I read the book in one night and drank a big glass of water in the morning.
This is what I needed and it was a noncoincidental coincidence that I found the book. If one has the can do attitude laced with hope, one can live a fuller life.
Amen, amen, amen!!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Be it resolved...
The first day of the new year is always filled with such hope and promise, especially when the weather is as beautiful as it is today. It is so easy to make grandiose promises to do a million things on such a day.
Yet, we have to restrain ourselves and keep to something that is do-able, achievable, conceivable, and realistic...right? Why can't our resolution be for a day? Perhaps it is because we entangle ourselves with too many far-reaching expectations to lose a gazillion pounds in 10 hours, or turn our lives around, or rehabilitate a sorry human being.
To be successful, we need to keep it simple. So let it be resolved that in 2011, I will UP wellness and DOWN stress. Let's see how this works out.
Best wishes to me to achieve this resolution. What would be the benchmarks for my achievement? Perhaps journal results will be the chronicle for the journey.
Yet, we have to restrain ourselves and keep to something that is do-able, achievable, conceivable, and realistic...right? Why can't our resolution be for a day? Perhaps it is because we entangle ourselves with too many far-reaching expectations to lose a gazillion pounds in 10 hours, or turn our lives around, or rehabilitate a sorry human being.
To be successful, we need to keep it simple. So let it be resolved that in 2011, I will UP wellness and DOWN stress. Let's see how this works out.
Best wishes to me to achieve this resolution. What would be the benchmarks for my achievement? Perhaps journal results will be the chronicle for the journey.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Christmas Fever and then Kaput!
It is crazy how the days before Christmas are so filled with things to do that our proverbial fangs emerge and there is a subliminal growl in our voices. Gotta do this!! Gotta do that!!! Where did I put this? Where did I put that? Did I forget something? Darn, where's my list!!
Christmas Eve service is the benchmark about how everything is in a downward spiral.
Christmas morning is always the mini-feast of hot, delicious coffee and some kind of baked treat like pumpkin bread. Then the unwrapping of gifts and the quiet chatter of its description and the thanks uttered to the sky.
Then AHHHHHHHHHH!! peace and quiet. We are back to the recently forgotten nights of kicking back and watching the TV with nothing in hand to finish doing. What a marvelous thing. Going Kaput is a nice reminder. The antithesis of Christmas Frenzy.
Christmas Eve service is the benchmark about how everything is in a downward spiral.
Christmas morning is always the mini-feast of hot, delicious coffee and some kind of baked treat like pumpkin bread. Then the unwrapping of gifts and the quiet chatter of its description and the thanks uttered to the sky.
Then AHHHHHHHHHH!! peace and quiet. We are back to the recently forgotten nights of kicking back and watching the TV with nothing in hand to finish doing. What a marvelous thing. Going Kaput is a nice reminder. The antithesis of Christmas Frenzy.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Holiday Ornament Hunt
Why can't we have a Holiday Ornament Hunt much like an Easter Egg Hunt but substitute Christmas ornaments for the children and adult treasure hunters. Unlike the aftermath of an Easter Egg hunt where the family will be eating deviled egg sandwiches for days, the Holiday Ornament Hunt would be a great way to get some exercise and have fun!! It would be a fun way to travel hill and dale looking for Christmas ornaments...some made by people and others made by nature.
Each hunter would bring their treasurers back home and decorate the Christmas tree for the event. The manmade ornament cards could have numbers indicating the grab bag gift to be claimed. The ornament cards could then be tied to the party's Christmas tree. Natural ornaments could be attached to the tree with some ingenuity, some colorful yard or ribbon. The tree could be lit and all could gather to sing "O Tannenbaum" (or Punahou's alma mater...depending on the crowd)!! Hot coffee and cocoa could be served with delicious fragrance of yummy goodness in a hot beverage. Favorite cookies could also be served as people sing their favorite Christmas carols. I vote for Mexican wedding cookies or Pua O'Mahoney's raspberry shortcake cookies!! Shigeko Ikeda's buttery macadamia nut cookies are also an all-time favorite!!
Now doesn't that sound like a swell way to spend a Christmas day?
Each hunter would bring their treasurers back home and decorate the Christmas tree for the event. The manmade ornament cards could have numbers indicating the grab bag gift to be claimed. The ornament cards could then be tied to the party's Christmas tree. Natural ornaments could be attached to the tree with some ingenuity, some colorful yard or ribbon. The tree could be lit and all could gather to sing "O Tannenbaum" (or Punahou's alma mater...depending on the crowd)!! Hot coffee and cocoa could be served with delicious fragrance of yummy goodness in a hot beverage. Favorite cookies could also be served as people sing their favorite Christmas carols. I vote for Mexican wedding cookies or Pua O'Mahoney's raspberry shortcake cookies!! Shigeko Ikeda's buttery macadamia nut cookies are also an all-time favorite!!
Now doesn't that sound like a swell way to spend a Christmas day?
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