Halloween preview

Before sitting down to work on Robbie's costume earlier this week, I snapped this picture. Here are the "raw" materials needed for his look, sans Scotch tape and glue which I forgot I needed until I was knee-deep in the project. Cub doesn't have a costume, I'm just not that into it for his age. We'll be trick or treating tomorrow with some friends who are throwing a party for the kids.

DIY pumpkin patch

The only pumpkin patch on Oahu is close to us, on a local road between Ewa and Kapolei. It’s a farm that plants lots of pumpkins and opens its fields to the masses every year before Halloween. They let kids of all ages run up and down the rows and pick fresh pumpkins out of the mineral-rich red dirt that covers the ground.

I started my last job about this time two years ago, and my new boss, with kids of her own in elementary school, asked me if I was going to take Robbie to the pumpkin patch.

Each year before Cub came along I’ve actually loaded Robbie in the car, headed down the hill, and driven by the farm. There are no trees or shade, only miles of red dirt and I just couldn’t stop. It looked dirty and hot and dusty and messy. I know, I know, poor excuses for not letting your son have some fun but still I didn’t stop. When my boss heard this, she smiled sympathetically, and proceeded to tell me how she does it. It went something like this: “First you dress in old, dirty clothes and tennis shoes. Pretty much nothing you might want to wear again. Or plastic shoes you can wash. Then you tarp the seats and the floorboards of the car with plastic so your seats and carpets don’t get dirty. But still dust as much dirt off as you can before entering the car. Once home, take off everything before you get in the house.”

So it should be no surprise when I say we still have not gone to the pumpkin patch! And I don’t plan to. But I wanted some sort of pumpkin experience, so I picked up a large pumpkin and three smaller pumpkins at the commissary (.48 cents a pound!). We love them anyway.

The curious case of the roadside Krispy Kreme

The road that leads out of Kapolei toward the beach is a two lane road that passes the high school and ends at the former gates of the decommissioned Barber’s Point Naval Station. And it desperately needs widening as it is guaranteed to be backed up in the afternoon and evening almost every day of the week. Along the way, a unique bunch of entrepreneurs set up shop. Some days you’ll see flower buckets, some days local fish catches and homemade pastales. Around graduation, you see a ton of lei and balloon stands. One weekend afternoon it even doubled as a garage sale as one family tried to unload some bikes that their kids had outgrown. But one item dumbfounds me – lately there have been a lot of folks selling Krispy Kreme donuts, stacked neatly on the table in the boxes they would get in the store. Except that the closest Krispy Kreme location, and the only in the state, is on Maui. Noel and I have both observed folks bringing extra boxes home to share with family while sitting in the Maui airport waiting to head back to Oahu. But I just have to wonder the path that the ones sitting on the roadside in Kapolei take. They must be like Twinkies and have a long shelf life. Maybe I don’t want to go there…

Red ginger backyard experiment

Our immediate neighbor is a family from Milpitas, CA (right near where I used to work). They own their Hawaiian home as a second, vacation home and they come out every month or so to visit friends and family on Oahu. A few months back, my neighbor, a great gardener, (I swear sometimes they come over for a few days just to weed their side yard and vegetable gardens. Couldn’t we all be so lucky!) knocks on my door and asks if she can cut a few of the red ginger blooms we have in our side yard (planted by a landscaper last year – I cannot take credit for them). She was heading back home and was going to try to grow them at her yard in the Bay Area. Knowing all Mainland-bound flights go through strict agriculture inspections, I asked her how she was going to get them there. Apparently, if all the dirt is completely washed off and you declare them, you’re good to go. Wait, I’m sidetracking myself…what I really learned that day was that you can cut them and then replant them and they grow into larger bushes with a single cut. So I’m trying that with my own red ginger slips - that's what they're called, right? - cut freshly from one side of our yard and inserted into a planter box a few feet away. If you know my Mom and her beautiful gardens, you’d think I’d be a great gardener. You’d be wrong! But I’m learning as I go and having fun even if my kill rate is alarmingly high. You will know if I am succeeding if you see spectacular photographs of lush, blooming red ginger in the future!

Disney reveals detailed Ko Olina resort plans

Late last week, Disney Parks and Resorts unveiled sketches and pictures for the planned hotel and spa at Ko Olina. For those who have been to the man-made Ko Olina coves or the Marriot Ihilani resort, the Disney resort will sit on the first cove, and across the street from the Ihilani driveway. They say it will include 350 hotel rooms and 480 timeshare vacation villas on 21 acres of oceanfront property, and has 3,000+ square feet for the spa alone. You’ve got to wonder how they will squeeze all of that in, but it’s already mapped out, as seen in one of the drawings above. The grand opening isn't scheduled until late 2011, so I hope the economy will pick up by then so that more friends can come out here for vacation and we can see you!

When good affiliates go bad

The fate of aviator Steve Fossett is no longer news. But it was on the night I tivo’d a program on the local ABC channel. When I watched it days later, I was both appalled and annoyed by the information ticker that appeared with a story they would run with the late news. It reads: “Wreckage spotted? Steve Fossetts stuff found”.

Allow me to gripe!

First, let’s start with the smiling anchor team bringing the confirmation of someone’s death. Shouldn’t they have an alternate image on hand when the words they are posting onscreen aren’t so good? And is this really news worthy of a program interruption? It’s not like his remains were found in the Koolau Mountains here on Oahu. He was found where they’d been looking for him for a year. Next, the use of “stuff.” A little respect here, please! That “stuff” turned out to be his remains.

And finally, a grammar goof. More proof that the public schools here might be as bad as they say. I’m guessing that the affiliate has one person entering the ticker text and a second person does not proofread. But they should. It was all I could do to not take a Sharpie to our TV set and add that missing apostrophe. But as noted in a previous post, it’s our only set. Marking it up would not have gone over well with my better half.

Editor’s note: Sorry for that weird, orange glow donned by actor Peter Krauss. It's not a spray tan gone bad. When I’m too lazy to import photos into Lightroom, another editing tool does this when I crop images.

The audacity to ask for $5,000

Up until this year, Noel was not a registered voter. So there’s no other way to explain why he has been receiving contribution solicitations from the McCain campaign other to figure that his name and address were handed over from the military. Oh, and one other tip - John thanks him for his military service. I read the letters as I go through the mail and just laugh at the “scary” thoughts. “If you are at all concerned about the prospect of the Democrats gaining total control of the federal government, then your help is needed right now.” Concerned? Hardly.

But this weekend brought about a new low. Literally as McCain and Palin are making headlines at campaign rallies by attacking Obama’s so-called character issues and associations, a new solicitation arrives, boldly proclaiming, “We must make this campaign about the issues.” And this gem: “As we have already witnessed, the Obama Democrats and their special interest allies are willing to say and do anything to defeat me and all our Republican candidates.” Sorry John, but isn’t that what you’ve asked Sarah to do? Then he had the nerve to ask us, who he is assuming is a military family, for $5,000. “It’s the only way we can defeat the Democrats bid for the White House!” Also included in the mailing was a full letter-size FedEx overnight envelope with the air bill filled out.

I showed it to Noel and asked him what he would like to send to McCain instead of a $5,000 check. I would like to send a scathing letter how he lost my respect when he picked Palin as his VP. Noel suggested the Obama campaign sign that our housing association requested we remove from our front window (all campaign signs are against the bylaws – we got away with it for over three months). He also mentioned an unmentionable, and on second thought said, “Well, maybe not. I think that’s a federal offense.”

Riverside wedding scrapblog

About the Riverside wedding scrapblog

The pictures in the post above are from the wedding we attended in Riverside last month made through Scrapblog. It might take a while to load, if you’re having trouble, click the View Full Size link for another window. The pictures aren’t that great, but I think they convey the spirit of the couple and of the evening. Yes, the ceremony was in their backyard and they held the reception in their cul-de-sac!

A few days ago I clicked a link on the right (a huge no-no in the ad world, but hey, they’re going to make some money off me!) and found one of those online scrapbooking sites. I normally don’t do that sort of thing. Actually, I dislike the real, paper version because it’s wasteful and you end up with stuff that just collects dust on your closet shelf (and in my case, you have to pay movers to move), but this virtual thing I can do! Easy, fun interface with lots of templates. Also something called the "Ken Burns Effect" but I didn't play around with it. Click on the right when the Scraplog ad pops up again and see for yourself! ;)

Flyin' Hawaiians

Good friends Jenn and Mike are in Maui this week for an island vacation. For Jenn, a time to snorkel and relax on the beach with a good book. For Mike, a lifelong Phillies fan, it's a pilgrimage to the homeland of Phillies outfielder, Shane Victorino, aka the Flyin’ Hawaiian. Victorino is somewhat of a common name around the islands, recently I’ve even seen it on a custom license plate. When Mike stumbled on this election sign for a local council race, he stopped for a pic. Kudos to Mike for displaying a respectful shaka, outstretched fingers low and close to the chest, not flung over his head in a wild panic. Mahalo!

We're not normal

Ever find yourself sitting in a lecture and re-organizing the outline in your head? Rephrasing some of the main points of the presentation because you understand what the presenter is trying to get across but he isn’t doing that great of a job? I found myself doing that last week during a parent workshop. (I know, pretty annoying. That’s not the worst of my editing traits. I pointed out to Noel during a routine drive home recently that the font had changed on some of the new freeway signs and they were now inconsistent with the old signs. I believe I left him completely baffled.)

PBSHawaii reaches out to the public schools here via a “Ready to Learn” Parent Workshop. I signed up happily when the flyer came home in Robbie’s backpack one day and didn’t need the teaser “Free Books!” to get me there. Over the course of the hour and a half, the presenter meandered along, making good points here and there, but what I kind of took out of the session was the idea that, “Hey, the TV will be on in your house. We understand that. That’s why you should watch PBS Kids programming, and here’s why.” He ran through a few programs, gave their history, explained some of the ways that the programs help children in reading, writing, etc., and pointed out which program has the endorsement of the National Education Association. (Extremely rare. I think it was this group, could have been the Teachers Association. I don’t see it in my notes now.)

The presenter’s rambling discussion on technology and early adoption lead to an interesting, yet not that shocking discussion on the digital learner. One talking point: cell phones with TV capability is around the corner and TV stations are already addressing this platform in their future programming plans. Then, somewhat out of order, he polled the group of 25 or so parents, ”How many televisions do you have in your house?” I was the only one in the room who said one. The rest said 3 and 4, one might have said 5. The presenter didn’t seem to think this was shocking, he said, “No that’s not too bad. I’ve had one family in [the Waianae area] who had 13. Awful. But to be fair, it was a multigenerational family in one house.” One other almost-laugh-out-loud comment: “Don’t watch the Cartoon Network.”

Along with our free books (Sesame Street board books for Cub, Curious George and other goodies for Robbie), I concluded that I think we’re doing OK with our daily reading and TV watching. And that may not be normal.

If you’re interested in online resources, in addition to www.pbskids.org, check out these recommended sites: Reading is Fundamental (www.rif.org) and the International Reading Association (www.reading.org).

Monday funnies

This goes out to anyone who might need a good laugh right about now. I’ve seen this ad run regularly in the Honolulu Advertiser for a while, maybe even a year, and I finally had to say something about it.

I love the claim of all the ailments he can fix (see surprisingly long list and the “We treat more than shown” comment?!), and the Oscar-winning emotion on the face of the patient on the left, not to mention the pose she strikes. This doctor is not helping the cause of chiropractors, who already have a pretty bad rap. Somewhere in his medical training he also snuck in beauty school, too, as the patient on the right has new, tight braids and her gray is gone! What really stretches the plausibility for me though is the implied notion that this guy can restore your former self. Or transform older patients into their grandchildren. Because there is no way he can make the senior citizen pictured on the left lose 50+ years and take up mountain biking!

Happy Birthday to Cub!

Our little angel baby Cub turns one today. He's currently motoring through the house on two feet, making his way a little longer each time. We're not going to do much today to celebrate. Over the weekend we'll probably have Grandma and Grandpa Tipon over for dinner and birthday cake, then we might hit the beach. We will not be having the Hawaiian traditional "baby luau" where they throw a huge party for the 1st birthday. I'm just not that into those things.

I thought that I might try to trim his hair a little bit, as his baby mullet was beginning to bug me. But watching the VP debate last night, I realize he doesn't have a baby mullet - it's a Joe Biden mullet! That being the case, I think I'll let him rock the 'do through the election.

Open casting call: Amazing Race partner needed

A new season of Amazing Race started last night and I’m excited! There was a tiny Tivo snafu, so I didn’t get it taped, but that has been resolved and I’m ready for next week.

I’ve loved the show since it premiered years ago. I’ve watched all the seasons and have wanted to do it about as long as it has been on air. I threw out the idea to Noel shortly after we got married: Why don’t we try out? We’re an interracial couple; he’s military (and now Iraq veteran to boot). Me? I’m not even photogenic. I think all I bring to the table is that I’m white and well-endowed, but the producers might bite and give us a try anyway.

To my surprise, he said no to the idea and explained that we might kill each other. Darn it if he isn’t right. I’ve got to admit my husband is on point this time. We would need a Dr. Phil intervention immediately after the first Road Block. But that has not snuffed the flame of desire to be a racer! So I ask you, my good friends and faithful readers, do you want to go on the show with me? I might whine a bit during a few hair-raising, high-flying stunts and will throw in the towel completely if I had to do a meat eating challenge, but other than that, I’d be a good partner and we’d have a lot of fun. So, who’s with me?

Lightroom makes a comeback

OK, maybe not a comeback, but it's restored. For a few months now, my Lightroom installation was down. Wouldn't launch, couldn't access it at all. So I was going to throw in the towel and just install the new 2.0. But tonight I was running through some pictures (I finally joined Facebook and need a head shot...) and was able to launch it. Here's a shot from last June that looked kind of pretty. Have a good weekend, all! Oh, and if you're on Facebook, throw me an "Add as friend"!

Wedding preview – what a snooze!

I tease. The wedding was not a bore, as the picture above would suggest. The gathering in Riverside, CA, this past Sunday was a beautiful tribute to love, family, friends, community, and free spirits. Stories and pictures to follow in the coming week!

California eats

Cub and I returned mid-day Tuesday from another quick trip to California. This time we flew to San Diego to visit friends for a few days, and then drove up to Riverside for the wedding of a long-time family friend on Sunday afternoon. (It’s been a long wedding season for the Tipon Family but it’s finally over. Hallelujah. Five weddings since late March: one in Maryland, the other four in California.)

But back to our trip. Ahhh, California - what other superlatives can I throw on you, my birthplace! Friends, family, fun, and good food – you have them all. I grew up in CA and have traveled a fair bit, and I just don’t get the food in Hawaii sometimes. It doesn’t hold a candle to some of what the Golden State has to offer. And I’m not even speaking of restaurants. All of these dishes pictured here were whipped up in an impressive evening of culinary mastery by my beloved friend Di in her home kitchen. Yum! She wasn’t done Friday, either. I crashed at her home upon my return from Riverside on Monday night (displacing her sister-in-law from her own bedroom), and she continued to whip up the treats. She made cookies, but I was in such awe I forgot to snap a picture.

I love this picture! It looks like she's daring me to tackle this one at home. You bet I will! I want the recipe.

I have photogenic friends and family!

The highlight of my Sunday morning perusal of the paper (or late afternoon or evening, whatever time I can grab that day) usually consists of finding a $2.00 off coupon for diapers. Sadly, this is true. Imagine my delight when I find not one, but two people that I know pictured within the various sections!

First we have Johnny, my nephew, who sat atop a large pumpkin this time last year, had his picture taken, and created a media storm. OK, well at least a media storm in our family as the picture was distributed around the world to various news outlets! I was out in Riverside, CA, this weekend with my sister, her daughter Sarah, my Mom, and Cub to attend a wedding. Late Sunday night after getting Cub to sleep, Mom and I were reading in our hotel room and winding down from the day’s events. I’m flipping through the Travel section of the Riverside paper and there’s Johnny, once again atop that pumpkin! The photo ran with an AP article advertising the upcoming pumpkin festival in Half Moon Bay. I gasp, show my Mom, we crack up, and I head over to my sister’s room (via adjoining doors) and literally wake her up to show her. (It sounds pretty cold of me as she has a 5-week old and her sleep is frequently disrupted, but I don’t think she minded.) If you spotted it in your local paper, please let me know.

Then just yesterday, after arriving back in Honolulu, I was looking for Johnny in what remained of Sunday’s paper back home. I’m casually looking at some food items in the USA Weekend supplement when my friend Elsa’s picture pops up at me from page 4. She has modeled for stock photography, and here she is above with a pseudo family ordering a meal. The picture above is a bit grainy because I scanned the paper as I couldn’t find it online.

Return of the fish hat

…and the return of shirtless children!*

I received a knit fish hat as a shower gift from great friends when I was pregnant with Robbie. I have tried to get a few good shots of Cub wearing it, but I haven’t had much luck yet. It was next to the camera a few weeks ago and Robbie decided to put it on and run around the house. Except that it’s a bit small for him now, so he sported it yarmulke-style and tilted a bit (fish tail on the side). Here he is above, mouth full of graham crackers and a big smile for the fish hat.

Here’s another of the two below. It’s not a great shot – the boys are tugging at a toy and about to knock each other over, but I love the dogs in the background, patiently waiting for graham crackers to fall to the ground in the scuffle. When Robbie first started crawling, we were really worried about Brady. She would growl and look scared whenever he neared her. But then the “miracle of the Cheerios” happened and we haven’t been worried since. One day Robbie got restless and bored in his highchair and started flinging Cheerios at the dogs resting on the floor. Once a baby becomes a Cheerios dispenser, all is right in the Beagle-Basset Hound world.

* Ahh, yes, the kids are shirtless again. I really do dress them, you know. I think this particular morning Cub had just pooped through a onesie and Robbie had spilled juice down the front of his shirt within minutes of each other, so I stripped them both. I guess I took these pictures between that and getting them dressed again. But don’t worry, they’re not cold. It’s still hot here and very humid in the house at times.

Sweet treats

I came home after a trek to the grocery store a few months back with an unwanted item – someone had inadvertently placed a box of Trix cereal in my bags. Maybe they were inadvertently placed on my side of the grocery divider and I paid for them, I can’t remember. Anyway, I tried a small bowl with milk they way you’re supposed to eat them and they’re awful. Noel’s not much of a cereal eater and there’s no way I’d ever give them to Robbie, so I tried something I’ve wanted to do for a while: make Rice Krispie treats. I cook and bake from scratch a lot, yet somehow never made them before. I made them with Trix, so I guess they’d be Trix treats.
Following the surprisingly easy directions on the back of the marshmallow bag (I always thought they were ultra messy being sticky and all. Not so with the microwave instructions!) I came up with what you see above. I must admit, the first day they were bad. I thought, wow, I just ruined a perfectly good bag of marshmallows I could have made s’mores with! But after a day in the fridge (not sure if this is what you do with them…the marshmallow bag failed me on storage tips) they taste better. Like a fine wine, this junk food gets better with age. Straight out of the fridge it’s a bit tricky to pry them out of the pan, but once in your hands you feel like a kid again eating carnival food. I might make them again because they look fun and festive, but only for big kids. I do enough laundry and furniture stain spotting already!

A late afternoon at the beach

It’s a sad time here on Oahu for the Coast Guard and their families. Late Thursday evening one of their helicopters went down in waters 6 miles from the Honolulu Airport during a routine training exercise with four crew members onboard. Three bodies were recovered immediately, while the pilot remains missing. They called off the official search at sunset last night. All were stationed at Barber’s Point Air Station - minutes from our home and a stone’s throw from one of our favorite local beaches. Flags in the area were lowered in the area throughout the weekend.

Robbie, Cub, and I went down to the beach late yesterday afternoon for a little activity before the end of the weekend. We saw one orange Coast Guard helicopter tracing the coastline from the Leeward side to Diamond Head and back. It was reported today that crash wreckage had washed ashore near Ewa early Sunday, and they were undoubtedly looking for more. Together we watched the helicopter, but I didn’t tell Robbie why it was in the sky. Not sure if there is an appropriate gesture from the ground to say, “Our hearts are with you,” without looking like you’re in distress and need assistance yourself, so I remained motionless.

Pre-school breakthrough

Robbie’s class has a pretty good curriculum for a three year old. Each day his teacher prepares a “Today at school” pictorial review of his activities. Robbie then can practice writing his name, use the date stamp (we’re old now…but stuff like this does entertain the wee ones - he even got to do it twice yesterday as the first stamp was upside-down), circle the pictures of what they did, and record his favorite activity of the day. Every day since he started school in March his favorite activity has been recess. The boy loves his playgrounds. Being here in Hawai’i, there are few days where they are banned from the outside because of poor weather, and even on those days, three doors down from their room is the “PE room” which looks to be a lot of fun, too. So imagine my surprise when I receive this report yesterday, and his favorite activity was math AND recess. I don’t know if he noticed, but he was given extra fish crackers to mark the occasion. I know, he'll catch on to this soon. I've got to be pretty careful with the treats.

New stamp with Hawai’i flag is released

On Tuesday, the Postal Service issued a Hawai’i flag stamp within the three-year, multistamp series Flags of our Nation. The stamps include the flag and “a snapshot view” of the area represented by the flag. The Hawai’i stamp shows an outline of what I think is Maui and of Oahu’s Diamond Head, as well as local flora.
Here in Honolulu, officials dedicated the stamp midday Tuesday at the Honolulu airport post office, where you could get your new stamps hand-canceled with a special commemorative first-day-of-sale postmark. When I first read about the ceremony, I thought I would go. Good thing I didn’t – I had the wrong post office. I would have headed downtown and would have been really mad at myself for misreading the news article and wasting time and gas.

Weekend wrap-up

I spent a good part of the holiday weekend in the doghouse, one which I probably won’t dig myself out of until I produce another son for Noel. After spending a few days with my Mom, I came home and thought I had washed everything thoroughly for stray cat hair. Well, I missed a few things. The boys got into an infected bag and a blanket late last week and they threw the blanket around the living room and Noel’s allergies blew up on him. I also didn’t wash Jacob’s car seat cover - things got worse when the four of us got in the car together.

Noel was forced into the garage on Monday, the only place he could breathe, and ended up spending most of the day cleaning it. I worked on loads and loads of laundry, and still have a lot of cleaning to do today. I did manage to make it to a public appearance by Bryan Clay, gold-medal winning Decathlete, who spoke on the Marine Corps Base at Kaneohe. He inspired the crowd with his story of growing up a troubled kid in Kaneohe and provided inside stories to his Olympic career. I think he did anyway. I showed up just as the crowd was beginning to leave the building and missed everything. He was still signing autographs, so I took a free trading card and had him sign it. In other sports news, a team from Hawaii won the Little League World Series just over a week ago, and the island celebrated by having a parade run through Waikiki last night. We usually opt out of those things as traffic is a nightmare when they close Kalakaua, but it was fun to see it on the news.

Other highlights were having an early breakfast with friends who were honeymooning here, and then switching gears and spending a relaxing Sunday evening at the beach in Waianae with folks who were renting cabins. Back to normal today as Robbie headed off to school and Noel headed downtown to work.

Not quite the memory I had in mind

Yesterday we ventured out to fill up the car, go to the grocery store, and then run around the playground. (In that order, but not in the same location. It's difficult to enforce at times, but the grocery store does not equal the playground.) We're lined up behind a few cars for errand #1 ($4.229 a gallon), when Robbie starts to say: "Eat fresh! Eat fresh! Eat fresh!" I have no idea what he is talking about until I realize to our left is the sign for the Subway shop inside the mini-mart.

Subway's "Eat Fresh!" commercials ran frequently during our Olympic coverage here, and Robbie picked up on it. Jarrod, move over!

This reminds me that it is time to make our annual donation to the local PBS affiliate. We watch a lot of PBS programming here - both kids and adults. During the children's programming kid-friendly messages run. Tune in for a short time and you'll see ads for raisins, the local Pigtails & Crewcuts salon, and Chuck E. Cheese. But instead of showing you the pizza, soft drinks, and games, Chuck E. is doing jumping jacks with other kids to show the importance of staying active!

Back home in the sun

We made it! It was a crazy, fun-and-love filled four day trip to the Bay Area but we’re all home now. The picture above is about the only tranquil event to occur during our trip. I snapped the grazing deer on the wedding grounds between the ceremony and the reception Saturday night.

Cub and I were able to see a ton of friends and family from all parts. It was an amazing assortment for such a short trip. Seattle, Oregon, Sacramento, Los Angeles, not to mention friends and family in the Bay Area alone and another friend who had been in Kansas City for most of the weekend. Whew! We are enjoying life in the slow lane again. I haven’t even made it to the grocery store.

Noel and Robbie jumped on the opportunity to head to Maui on the Superferry for a few days. It wasn’t the best way to travel for Robbie and he got really sick on the way out. On the way home Noel tucked Dramamine into his peanut butter and cracker sandwiches and he slept most of the time. Little trooper that he is, he talks about going on the “big boat” again.

The week (and a half) in review

Yes, I’m watching a lot of the Olympics. They’ve been fun and inspiring, and I’m having a good time here. I did reach overload rather quickly, though, or maybe I’m just not as big of a fan of all sports as I thought. Luckily, NBC has a handy ticker of sorts they display every once in a while. I turned on the coverage early one evening last week and saw more beach volleyball coverage. Again. Men, women, I don’t care. Even if the men wore Speedos, I’d probably get bored. But then the ticker appeared: Michael Phelps in 44 minutes! Oh thank god, I can turn off the TV for the next 44 minutes! And of course, when I turned it back on, as expected, Phelps was there and setting a world record to boot. I love the Sports Illustrated cover this week. Homage to Spitz!

I actually wrote down some funny bits (and some poignant, too) heard on NBC last week.

The obvious: “It’s important in synchronized diving to train together.”

This insight from a commentator. You think?!

The sad: “It’s my job. I don’t have any other thoughts.”

A Chinese gymnast when asked if she would rather be heading to anywhere but the training complex day in, day out. In all fairness to the gymnast, I think what she said was probably lost in translation or some of the context was cut short.

The funny: “I think my mom could anchor this relay!”

Rowdy Gaines, swimming commentator, during the last leg of the gold medal winning 4 x 200 Free relay. The U.S. team had a substantial lead.

The funny but maybe I shouldn’t be laughing: “He had an open door…and he didn’t walk through it.”

Tim Daggert, men’s gymnastics commentator, when a gymnast fell on an event.

More Olympic memories are on the way for me. Tomorrow Cub and I head to the Bay Area to attend a wedding and see my new niece! Maybe I can watch the Closing Ceremonies with Sarah in my arms.

Sarah is here!

Please give a warm welcome to the world to my niece, Sarah Elizabeth. She was born yesterday, August 16, at 1:48 PM. Her timing is perfect; I am heading to the Bay Area this weekend with Cub and we will get to meet her.

She joins the family with an older brother and two male cousins, yet is already making a statement about that. She arrived sans men - both her Dad and male doctor were out of the room. Four female nurses delivered her.

Shave ice secured, Obama heads back to the Mainland

Obama made a campaign promise, err, told the local folks that he was going to get some shave ice while here. He made it, just in time. Tons of folks caught him and his family getting some of the cold, sweet treat in Lanikai yesterday. Since his fundraiser on Tuesday night, he’s also gone local by picnicking at Ala Moana Beach Park, golfing on the Windward side, and visiting his grandfather’s gravesite at Punchbowl Cemetery. Vacation itinerary: check, check, check. He leaves tomorrow and turns his attention to picking a VP (assuming he hasn’t already) and the Democratic National Convention later in the month.

Noel won’t be there. It was a thought early on that it would be fun to go, but the idea soured on him quickly. Turns out going into the Hawaii Democratic Convention in late May that there were only three spots available. And if you wanted to go, you campaigned. For real. He started receiving postcards and flyers in the mail from serious candidates in the weeks leading to the convention. Then the phone calls came! Yes, folks called Noel to ask for his vote. I was floored. And to top it off, wannabe attendees hosted Convention goers in separate hotel rooms at the Hilton Hawaiian Village where the Convention was held, stocking the room with catered food and drink. Eager convention attendees crowded the elevators and one got stuck for an hour. No kidding. Noel saw that it was too crowded and backed away, only to hear a short time later the bells go off signaling it was stuck in the elevator shaft somewhere.

Overall the politicking and ridiculousness of some attendees got under Noel’s skin too much. This may be his first and last brush with politics. I’m not saying that’s all bad.

The chocolate fountain will be working overtime

Forget Damon Watch*, Obama Watch is on!

Maybe you’ve heard. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic Presidential candidate as everyone is quick to say, has been vacationing and visiting friends and family here on Oahu since Friday afternoon. I asked Noel, still receiving emails from the Hawaiian Democratic Party, if there were any planned events for the volunteers and he said no. But Barack did go to a park near the airport on Friday after he landed where 4,000 or so were waiting for him and spoke for 16 minutes. Parking was a nightmare, but at least you could hear/see him for free. Tonight he will be the main draw for a fundraiser at the Kahala Hotel (where we had that yummy brunch). Ticket price? $2,300. Yes. Over two thousand dollars. For a single seat, not even a table! And the event is sold out.

Over the weekend he was also spotted jogging on the beach, golfing, attending a BBQ, and dining out. There are people hanging out around the house where he is staying in Kailua, but I don’t feel like joining the masses just yet. I’m not in the mood to stalk this week.

* Ah, yes. Damon Watch. It was falsely reported by the local entertainment reporter (the guy gets a lot wrong) that Matt Damon would be spending a good chunk of the summer filming a movie here. It ended up that he filmed for an afternoon (which is about one scene, isn’t it?). He was here one day when my Mom was here in late June, and although he was filming on this side of the island, I didn’t feel like dragging my Mom over just so I could relieve my usual boredom (usual boredom being when visitors are not here) and have something to blog about. Sorry fans, maybe one day I’ll stumble upon a Lost scene.

I love the Olympics!

I’m not sure the exact moment, but as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Olympic Games. Maybe because my parents enjoyed them and we’d watch the television coverage as kids, or maybe because I grew up swimming and swimmers shine (and dominate!) during the summer games. For years I played with a small plastic bear picked up at the annual Buddhist Fair in my hometown (and I think I even had a plush teddy bear like the one seen here). It was the mascot from the ’80 Moscow games which the U.S. boycotted. Those trinkets must have been really, really cheap. ;)

Together with family friends we spent an early, sunny evening on an industrial street in Hayward watching the torch relay before the ’84 games in L.A. Halfway through college in the summer of ‘92, one of my co-workers mentioned that his girlfriend was going to the events in Barcelona. Someone going to the games? Before this, I hadn’t thought regular folks did this. I’ve harbored the dream of going ever since.

I found it inconceivable to see Sarajevo at the center of a civil war in the 1990s. It hosted the very successful ’84 Winter games. How could this happen?

As a fresh Peace Corps volunteer in St. Lucia in the summer of ’96, all the volunteers gathered for dinner at the home of our director to watch the Opening Ceremonies in Atlanta. There was a buzz in the room as someone knew someone who would be walking with the St. Lucia contingent. We waited a long, long time…and just as Sri Lanka came in, they cut to a commercial! When they came back, the U.S. team was storming in. Doh! During the games, my three homestay brothers would be allowed to stay up late with me in the living room and watch the coverage. Each night, starting with the youngest, and then the middle brother, and finally the oldest, they each fell asleep around me.

One evening late in the month of September, 2000, I went to my parents’ home for dinner and to watch the daily coverage from Sydney. It would be the last evening I would spend with my Dad.

Flash forward a few years and I’m married to a guy who loves gadgets, technology, and TV. Put them together, and I’m staying up late at night watching the ’06 Torino games and high on the myriad of cable channels. Sleep deprived and a little loopy, I exclaim, “Noel, you’ve GOT to check out the ski jumpers in high def!”

So will my boys love them like I do? Time will tell. I’m guessing for the immediate future they won’t. But maybe one day when they look back they’ll be able to recount some Olympic memories, too.

Mid-week hello

My Lightroom installation has been down for a few weeks now and I can’t access and edit some of the images I want to share. For now, a friendly shot from the Kahala Hotel’s dolphin lagoon. Noel has also promised he would guest blog soon with a few stories and pictures from Alaska, so some good stuff is in the pipeline.

The story that will be told is that I didn’t panic

Noel has said that I don’t tell enough embarrassing stories of my own, so here goes.

Yesterday we enjoyed dinner at the home of Noel’s extended family in Kaneohe. The kids were busy and were easy to get to sleep once we were home. I’m wrapping up things, getting Robbie’s backpack ready for the morning and locking up, etc. before heading to bed. For my last stop, I’m using the bathroom downstairs when I notice this creature less than a foot away to my right! I’m in a bit of a bind because I am still sitting down (and barefoot, no shoes around in the bathroom) and those things move FAST! I don’t shriek loudly, but I manage enough sound a few times to summon Noel upstairs. He comes down to find me running through the kitchen with my pants above my knees.

We have these visitors in the house every couple of months and we both have our own way of getting them to leave. I go to grab the broom – my method is to open the door wide and sweep it out with one big hockey slap shot motion. Noel likes to take a pair of long pliers, grab the thing in the middle, and calmly (more or less) walk it outside to stomp on it. Noel went searching for the pliers, which was my signal that he was going to take care of it this time, so I took the picture above. Note he was stuck here for a bit – I think my hair thwarted him for a brief moment! And for those wondering just how big is he?? The doorframe is 2.5 inches wide, so he’s a good 5 inches long. You'd never guess, but his legs are a freaky red color, too. Needless to say, it took me a few minutes to calm down.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

I experienced the highs and lows of dining on Oahu within the past seven days. This post will focus on the highs!

We celebrated Grandma and Grandpa Tipon’s anniversary on Sunday at the Kahala Resort. Tricia was married there two years ago, and the food at her reception was the best wedding buffet I’d ever had. I figured if they did catering that well, the Sunday brunch would be worth a try. It was fantastic! I didn’t eat the seafood, but the other adults at the table raved about it and went back for more and more. I sampled the sushi and the lobster bisque, and they were all very good. They had a good sampling of other stuff, with many items a tweak or twist of a local favorite. Like the malasada bites. Yum!

Only two negatives for me and they were minor. First, the bread selection was tired. Same ol’, same ol’ “it’s fresh but they seem stale” mini-loaves. I don’t know why more restaurants haven’t stolen a page out of the Cheesecake Factory book and figured out how to serve mouth-watering bread for the masses. Is it that hard? Second, they had a Kung Pao chicken dish which Noel said was good. I went back for some, and was mildly surprised to see it was bone-in, small drummette chicken. I’m not that local and don’t dig chicken like that. So I passed, but my loss.

The service was first-rate. Quite possibly the most serene group of servers I’ve encountered. We were quickly offered a bunch of beverages and juices. I wasn’t expecting much when they said they had an “orange pineapple coconut” juice among the selections, but I tried it and it was divine! Not heavy like you’d expect when you hear it.

And the dessert bar was fun. Never has a chocolate fountain had a better view! They don’t just throw a chocolate fountain at you and call it the last course…they had tons of other stuff, including a unique fruit tapioca and other seemingly exotic items I’d never seen. If you’re here and want to splurge ($55 per person) you’ll want to try this brunch. My father-in-law, a huge brunch fan, immediately put it near the top, if not the top, of his list of “Best on the Island.”
Now for the low…I’ve been wanting to try this Mexican place in the middle of Waikiki, a block and a half from the condo and made it there late last week. So, so disappointing. Will write about it another time. Don’t want that experience to cloud the food high I’m still on from the Sunday brunch.

Back to school!

I'm celebrating back to school week! Public schools across Hawai'i are starting school in what I call a "staggered start," and Robbie's school started today. This picture was NOT taken this morning...as of last night he was not happy about school starting, but this morning I didn't have any trouble getting him in the car nor the classroom. If I could only get Cub to nap most of the morning, I could regain some of the sanity that has slipped away from me in the last couple of years. ;)

The picture above was taken on Sunday, when we celebrated Grandma and Grandpa's wedding anniversary with a brunch at the Kahala Resort. We had just let Robbie have fun and enjoy the chocolate fountain. Like his Mom, he is picky, but luckily like his Dad, he has a sense of restraint. He went easy on the chocolate goodies, and instead of wolfing down many a marshmellow, he chose to carry one around for most of the afternoon. Pictures and brunch review to follow (quick note: it was a winner!).

Future photographer?

When Grandma came to town in late June, Robbie went to town with her digital camera. He loved taking pictures and when he couldn't find the camera, tore through her purse looking for it. We were happy and proud to discover he's pretty good! Here are a few of his shots straight from the camera. His favorite subjects? Mom, brother, toys, and dogs (A "bright" Brady is below - lighting tips are not yet understood by a 3 year old).

Budding artist finds another canvas

Finding this artwork on our kitchen floor was made all the easier to stomach for two reasons: First, crayons seem to have been reformulated so they don’t stick to as much as they used to. A little 409 and some elbow grease, and this came right off. And second, Robbie uncharacteristically posed for the pic when Noel was putting this scene together. It reminded me of another canvas Robbie found around this time last summer – the cover of Noel’s silver Mac Powerbook. It was on my watch, and so freaked out was I that the purple crayon wouldn’t come off that I jumped up to clean it right away and didn’t get a picture. After seeing the floor above, I blurted out, “Oh, no problem. If crayon comes off your Mac, it will come off most anything.” I got a blank stare from Noel. Oops. I guess I opted not to tell him last year and he still didn’t know!

USS Oklahoma BB-37 Memorial

Last December, on the Pearl Harbor anniversary, a new memorial site at Pearl Harbor was introduced. It’s a memorial for the USS Oklahoma, which was second to the USS Arizona in casualties. It sits near the parking lot for the Battleship Missouri tours, on Ford Island (on the other side of the harbor from the Arizona ticket office and gift shops). The upright posts represent the lives lost, standing at attention at the bow of the ship. It’s moving, but sadly overlooked on Ford Island in the shadow of the Missouri. But if you read here, you’ll find the story of its inception and creation, and if you’re ever here, you’ll appreciate it.
I went to take a look back in December and even snapped pictures, but I lost them. So recently I circled back to Ford Island and took some more. More for the “What’s new out here” files for all soon-to-be visitors, frequent visitors, or want-to-be frequent visitors.

Sidebar: I know this isn’t very funny, but scroll down to the end of the page to see the somewhat sour look on the face of the teenager in the last picture. Someday, son, although you don’t look it now, you’ll be very, very proud of your Dad!

King Kamehameha Day

This falls under the “late, but I still wanted to share with you" category…King Kamehameha Day is celebrated annually in early June. It’s a state holiday, and there is a midweek, early morning ceremony to drape his downtown statue downtown in 13 foot lei. I’ve wanted to shoot the event each year since we arrived (it’s a popular postcard shot), but never made it. This year I managed to get there on Sunday afternoon to shoot the statue, which I thought was progress! Good thing we made it when we did, as chance would have it, Noel’s bar swearing in ceremony was in the building behind the statue the following Tuesday, and they had removed all the lei. I thought they might let it be a little longer. One day I will make it to the day-of ceremony, for now I will enjoy these pictures.

Here’s some bonus trivia: There are only three statues of King Kamehameha in the world – Honolulu, the Big Island, and in DC in the Capital building. There would only be two, but when the original Honolulu-bound statue was commissioned and completed, it was lost in a shipwreck. A replacement statue later went up in Honolulu. The original statue was eventually salvaged from the ocean floor and brought to the Big Island. I think all three statues are annually adorned with lei on King Kamehameha Day.

Noel pleads: "VOTE ROBERTS"!

It's Final Vote week and we need your help! (If you don't know what that is, stay with me. I didn't either until yesterday.) Brian Roberts, the Baltimore Orioles second baseman and Tipon Family favorite, is on the ballot to make the 2008 MLB All Star game. He's currently trailing some rookie sensation from Tampa Bay, but faithful readers, we still have hope. Head to this site and click "Brian Roberts, BAL" under the American League line up and vote up to 25 times. I think you have until tomorrow night (Thursday) to cast your vote. If you'd like to work the system and vote with multiple email addresses, even better. Mahalo for your time!

Rare day in the sun

I don’t get out much here. I don’t like being in the hot sun during the day, I’m usually lugging two kids around, and then there is the issue of the rising cost of gas. There’s just not much fun in it for me. I thought when Grandma was here we’d do Sea Life Park, out on the Eastern side of the island, around Hawaii Kai into Waimanalu, but she didn’t show much interest. So I decided to give the kids a break and get out of the house, so off we went yesterday.

We made it in time for the Dolphin Show. I’d read online that they only do one dolphin show a day (don’t know why…) so I made a point to get there for it. The Dolphin Cove is really small, but, oh what a view! From certain vantage points it seems like the park is right on the island’s edge, but a freeway actually runs between. You can even see the Makapu’u Lighthouse.

The star of the show is the whalphin (or wolphin). They call it the “world famous whalphin” but I have a few issues with that! I’d never heard of it and I can’t find a single mention of it – let alone picture - on the website. Turns out it’s not a monster after all; my untrained eye saw a cute creature that just looks bigger and darker than a normal dolphin but had a whale’s tail. It was an “accidental breeding” between a dolphin and a “false whale.” I wish I could tell you more but I don’t get it myself. All I took from it was that somebody didn’t think they’d mate and left ‘em in a tank together. Oops. Mammals will be mammals after all. I sure hope they’re not hiding some freak purtle (penguin and turtle mix, not shown below) in fear that they will have their zoo accreditation taken away!

Noel is currently in Alaska and spent a good chunk of time earlier this week on a boat spotting whales and trying to get the “fluke” shot. Well, when you have a trained whalphin, they do this for about 5-10 seconds, allowing one enough time to: drop the hand of your three year old who was playing with the cove’s rope they asked you not to play with, stop rocking the stroller of your crying 9 month old, pick up your camera, point, and shoot. Ahh, captivity.

Robbie didn’t seem all that into it while we were there. In fact, I thought he watched the prop boat in the middle of the dolphin cove more than the actual spinning dolphins. But when we got home, he asked to see the dolphins again, and later in the backyard was jumping around. I asked if he was jumping like the dolphins and he said, “Yes!” So shame on me for thinking he didn’t get much out of the day. Sadly, we won’t be going back very often as even with the kama ‘aina rates, it cost the three of us $35 plus $4 parking for our 4 hour excursion.

From the Spring Archives

Like the lost roll of film found in the bottom drawer of old, even in the digital camera age, you can find pictures you thought long gone (or didn’t know you had to begin with!). Noel and Robbie headed East in late March to attend a wedding, see Aunty Tricia, and catch a few Orioles games at Camden Yards. While Noel is in Alaska this week on another photo trek (this time to Anchorage and Denali…photos to come!), I’m shooting with the camera he took to DC and Maryland, and I found these fun shots on the card within the camera.
The week-plus they spent there was a bit hard on all parties. Robbie came down with an ear infection that the folks at the Bethesda Medical Center missed and he was pretty sick the whole time. And Noel had tickets to two Orioles games, one which was really, really cold and the other rained out. But here at the National Mall during the cherry blossom blooms, they look like they’re having a good time. I miss DC!

Colbert at the National Portrait Gallery

We’re fans of The Colbert Report here. In a typically funny segment earlier this year, he walked The Mall in Washington DC and humbly shopped his portrait around to various institutions. The Smithsonian took it and hung it on the 2nd or 3rd floor of the National Portrai Gallery…in the hallway between restrooms.

I can’t remember if I told Noel to check it out in early April when he was back East, or if his sister had heard about it and she suggested they go, but here they are! This is one of the shots I was pleasantly surprised to find on the card in the camera last week. I hadn’t seen them yet!