Ritual

The prompt was about ritual and nature.

In mid-February the poorly pruned plum trees on the Parkway "pook", which is my word for bursting forth. The plum tree is giving me its little high five that it's early spring. He tells me that it's time to look around or I'll miss it.

I have a fair amount of time to think about it. I'm waiting for my burrito at my favorite taco truck. The smiling workers in their Gatorade green safety vests chat up the owner of Melting Pot, which is truly a place where the owner can make you anything. He also knows your order before you ask. He grumps when you say "yes" to the pickled carrots he offers -- EVERY TIME -- explaining what a pain they are to make. I refrain from saying "I love you but stop making them" EVERY TIME.

The wait gives me time to enjoy what a perfect little flower the plum flower is. And to take photos that hopefully capture the tree, the roadway, the school bus repair yard on the other side of the street and maybe some passing traffic on its way to the port, a few blocks away. 

The port closes at noon for lunch (unions, you know) and if I'm lucky, after I spend time taking in the faint almond smell of the poor plum, and some exhaust, the burrito steam and friendly banter, I'll take my yummy food tube and drive away. If I'm double lucky I'll see some 18-wheeler drivers, parked in orderly formation, asleep at the wheel, waiting for the port to reopen.

This only has meaning for me, but I think (and hope) that everyone has their own version of these thoughts.

Hawaii 2025: Epilogue

Every time we come to the Honolulu airport I see the circa 1960s roof of what I know is a church. I've taken pictures, I've used Google Maps, and I could never figure out what it is so that I can visit it. I've always known it would be cool. Just now, while writing that last post, I saw my latest photo of the building, which was surprisingly close up. I plopped it in Google Image Search and now I know:

This thing is:

First Southern Baptist Church of Pearl Harbor.

The architect is Ralph M. Buffington.

So happy to finally know. 

Hawaii 2025, Day 7

On our last day we drove to Kailua and had lunch at a very random but sweet Viet Thai restaurant that may already not exist. The food was pretty good, and it was just nice to eat somewhere where only locals would eat. 

It had one good sign -- the requisite storage-in-plain-sight situation that endeared me to the donut place in December (didn't take a photo, but they had all of their striped donut boxes piled as high as the ceiling in one corner).

On the way back from Kailua we stopped to take pictures of a sculpture I'd wanted to see. It resembles the Automium, but it is a sugar molecule. It sits on land that had once been a sugar plantation in Aiea.

For dinner we met with Miss T, whose parents lost their house in the Lahaina fires. As wildfires were happening back home at the time, and our insurer dropped us last year, we had much to learn from her experiences. Dinner was great, conversation was great. 

Ahhh.

Hawaii 2025, Day 6

On Day 6 we had breakfast in Manoa, at Waioli Kitchen & Bake Shop, which mrguy found. Breakfast was tasty, and we learned that everybody who works there pretty much is part of a rehab program. Good on them. The baked goods are gorgeous and even our parking space was pretty.

It felt great to identify a new breakfast joint to look forward to since Koko Head Cafe is just...over. Next time? Kaneohe Pancake House or Koa Pancake House and Waioli.

Moving on. Mrguy's oncologist had suggested the cat cafe on Kapahulu. It was great. The people were nice and they made an *amazing* Americano. And the kittens were so fun. These two enjoyed a little morning calisthenics. And mrguy found a kitten to match his favorite Cook Island aloha shirt and played with her for much time. It would have been possible (with a lot of effort) to bring her home, but someone would not go for it. She was adorable.

Mrguy made reservations for a sunset cruise. We'd done this years before and it was kinda gross, but also pleasurable? But this one was a complete pleasure. The music selections were great -- something for everyone -- and our fellow passengers were a nice group. I met some folks from Austin by way of Germany, and I have video of mrguy singing along to the song Brandy by Looking Glass. I have a love/hate relationship to the song because it's so singable but the point of view of the lyrics is of all the man who's not around, a sailor who gave her some shiny stuff and booked because he loves the sea more than her. F you, sailor. Ahem.

On the way home we stopped at the beach cafe and got some dinner. The entertainment was a guitar player and his wife who could barely walk but sometimes got up and danced. I impressed myself and exactly nobody else by knowing the melodies and often a few of the words to his hulas. Best quote of the day was him saying that he liked to play at this restaurant because you can play as loud as you like.

You go!

Hawaii 2025, Day 5

The wind calmed down and we were able to truly swim at Sea Bear Beach. I walked out of the water so deeply relaxed.

We ate lunch at the museum. The Satoru Abe exhibition was completely satisfying.

And I got to visit my favorite Lee Bontecou, which was not being exhibited last time:

After happy hour at the hotel restaurant, we ate the rest of yesterday's burrito and watched Storage Wars. Funny.

Hawaii 2025, Day 4

In the morning got to see mrguy swimming in the surf, rocking his Powerport! It was too windy for me so I just watched from the shore. 

We went over to Manoa, where I was going to have a haircut later. Mrguy found us the most beautiful mall. The parking lot was beautiful. My blood pressure immediately reduced.

We ate many Japanese baked goods and I am now a fan of coffee milk jelly.

Before the trip I decided to get a haircut in Honolulu. I finally settled on getting a curly bob, not knowing if my hair would do the thing it needed to, but knowing that my hair had gotten lots more wavy over the past few years. I found a stylist on Instagram who did great curly cuts and made an appointment. Turns out the salon is right across from the Mexican restaurant where on our last trip we heard a bunch of old ladies laughing about their vibrators. Burned into my memory...

You can just make out the restaurant across the street. We went there on our way home and had a delicious and comforting dinner.

Bye hair! On the day of my haircut my hair reached down to my back pockets. Now it's above my shoulders, but not a pixie. Who knew it could be so curly?

We wound up the day eating Mexican food on the lanai and reflecting on the crazy year we've been through since mrguy's diagnosis. 

Also, the haircut is slammin'.

Hawaii 2025, Day 3

Day 3 was Kaimuki Day.

Kaimuki is awesome. In my mind it has been the Brooklyn to Honolulu's Manhattan. A little funky, with some remnants of 60s businesses and street profiles. I will try to see if I can find out the name of the artist who made this tile mural that appears on the Kaimuki Professional Building. It appears over two different entrances. Edward Sullam was the architect. He also designed the Diamond Head Apartments, close to our hotel, where our friends used to live.

We ate at the Koko Head Cafe, which has moved from its original location to what seems to have been a bank. I'm sure it's a more pleasant place to work now, but the makeover left its spirit behind. Verner Panton-style pinecone pendants, tall booths that isolate you from the other diners, less Hawaiiana...it lacks. Also my favorite dish, Eggs Hāloa, is no longer on the menu.

Mrguy wanted to eat at Koa Pancake House, and we shoulda.

The Goodwill is still there in Kaimuki. Many a treasured item has been procured there. I got a big old scarf, in dark purples and bright pinks, and tied it in a bow on my head. Made me very happy.

The Okumura Building is hanging in there. I've been photographing it for years. It is now building full of local craft stores and a fabric store. The car that matches it is a super bonus.

Back to the car. Couldn't resist taking a picture of mrguy in his Reyn Spooner shirt as he passed by this vibrant bus shelter.

Then we went to Kaka'ako, to Hungry Ear. It did not disappoint. I bought some Japanese records and a record by Leon and Malia. I can't resist a 70s-era record with lots of inserts. Plus they said it was their most important record, and who am I to dispute this fact? Haven't listened to it yet.

We visited Arden Restaurant for happy hour and dinner. It was the easy thing to do, and it was delicious. The leftovers kept us going at a few points later on. I engaged mrguy in an exercise of "Where would you have a time machine take you if you could?" and when I said I'd like to go to Grossingers in the 50s, he said "You wouldn't want to be Hitler's girlfriend so you could off him?"

Why do I have to do the hard stuff?

Gladrackets

 Curiosity has become my favorite trait. To put it another way, the realization that curiosity is so fundamental to my being gives me joy.

A man flips a postcard onto the table at a restaurant where I had only moments before leaned over to pet a dog, only to have him nip my face. I grab the postcard, rush to the curb and hand the postcard to the taxi driver, my dinner mates barely jumping in behind me. In half an hour I am cage dancing in a club on the Reeperbahn. A girl steals my purse. My friend finds her in the parking lot and steals it back. I apologize over dinner the next night, and my friend replies “That was GREAT”! 

I step into Beauty 4 You, even though it appears to be for someone else. But how can you know if there’s something you never knew you needed in there, if you’ve never seen it? And surely they have a wide-toothed comb for my  new hairdo and some stuff for curls, right? I am now the happy owner of some African Pride curl mousse. 

My notebook and phone retain curiosities of the now, in trust for the future pleasure. Edward Sullam, who designed the Kaimuki Professional Building also designed the small Diamond Head Apartments, where my friends used to live. Hon Chew Hee designed the cement facade of Holiday Apartments, and now his etching, Wash Day, hangs in our laundry room, which thrills us (and possibly not him).

Curiosity is hope. Recognition of how much I enjoy the pursuit helps me know that I will be ok, no matter what life serves me.

I look up the hill from Beauty 4 You and Annapurna Mart, toward home, where I will enjoy my new purchases.

Note: no photos of the club -- pre-iPhone, and I lost my camera in the taxi.

Sunbeam Toaster

In response to our friend Paul Lukas' post about his Sunbeam toaster, I offer the following:

My oldest friend in the world, who grew up in an Eichler, regaled me with stories of his family's magic Sunbeam toaster. I had to have one. 

Years later I finally found one at Thrift Town, and it was our first family toaster. You had to jiggle the toastiness setting sometimes to get it going, and finally we had to put it out of its misery. Then we got a *reconditioned* one at the Sunbeam store which was a thing that existed at that time. It had similar issues, but lasted us until 2005. An important advisory that *should* exist is that this is not the kind of toaster you use on bread that warps (i.e. thin pumpernickel). I turned my back on the toaster on New Year's Day 2005 and returned to find flames shooting out of it. I unplugged it, carried it into the back yard and emptied the hose into the one slice slot. I walked into the garage, where we had backups to every small kitchen appliance after my father-in-law died, found a toaster, and resumed toasting. I'm not sure where our current Sunbeam came from, but I love the ritual of jiggling the toastiness setting, and occasionally shaking the whole thing to get it to acknowledge my bread. 

Like Paul, I will also replace my Sunbeam when it cacks.

Hawaii 2025, Day 2

Day 2 was an epic day of achievement. Except for the beach. Our beloved beach has wild surf right now. I think it's too windy for me to get in the water. I want to be safe. I'm kinda disappointed but trying to keep it positive. Here's our beach that we love so much, nestled behind Michel's at the Colony Surf:

We went to Ala Moana, cause what would a trip to Hawaii be if we didn't go to Macy's? Mrguy got a new pair of shorts that fit his slimmer hips. I found a great shade hat that was misfiled in the men's sock section. It is perfect except for a dumb patch on it which I will replace, pronto. 

Mrguy also bought two pair of sunglasses at Sunglass Hut in Macy's. Rick, of Sunglass Hut, was soooo nice. From Fresno, Giants fan. He and mrguy talked about the upcoming season's prospects, as you do. And now mrguy has his first sunglasses ever that have no prescription in them because he doesn't need it. Wild. 

My excitement was the Hoka store, where I could try things on in person. I just sent back a pair of Hokas last week that didn't fit. When they do, it's superduper. At the mall I tried on some Bondi 8s, and they didn't fit even though that's what I'm wearing right now. Ended up buying a pair of Men's Bondi 8s. I learned from the salesguy that some styles in different colors end up fitting differently. That seems darned inconvenient.

All missions accomplished, we trudged toward the parking lot. Went to California Pizza Kitchen (a family first), had lunch, talked about the reasons mrguy hates aspects of the Beach Boys and brought home a pizza for dinner.

We sat on the lanai and watched the stories that happen in the park across the street. The green parakeets who screech and flit between the trees around here. I swear that there used to be green, blue and the occasional pink, but I've only seen green. And there was good dog watching. and two boys trying to take advantage of the still-abundant wind to fly kites. But they were running in the wrong direction. One kid ran the other way and got good purchase, but the other kid wasn't as successful and, frankly, didn't seem to try as hard. I hope he comes back. In the meantime, mrguy and I were talking about him making kites, and our shared memory of the local power company's comic book about kite safety. It was part of a presentation given to children every year in certain grades. Deciding to find one on ebay, I instead came across Hi-Flier kites, and their slogan "Playmates of the Clouds". Eventually I found a bunch of the comic books. The aspects I remember in mine were Smokey the Bear, the story of Ben Franklin, and how you could die if your plane touches a power line. Also Reddy Kilowatt and a cartoon character. It was horizontal in orientation. We think that mrguy's era had a different character than my era. Here's one that I might be remembering. Sorry that the link to it will not last into the future...

Another day in Paradise.

Hawaii 2025, Day 1

Sorry but this is gonna be kinda boring. Our Lyft was mercifully uneventful. On so many other occasions there was drama. Like the taxi driver who accelerated down our steep hill and the taxi ride where I looked down to see I was stepping on the remains of a soft pretzel (with mustard). Or the Airporter driver who was a hoarder and wouldn't pull over to the curb at our house. When we looked in the back of his van it was filled with piles of paperwork and he ranted about Richard Nixon.

Our Lyft was not like that.

We went first class, on miles. Every time I take the cats to the vet and pay with my Hawaiian card I remind myself I'm just that much closer to Hawaii. I did some sewing on the rid and watched German Love is Blind.

We were stumped a bit at first. Our usual lunch stop, La Mariana Sailing Club, is closed on Mondays. Hau Tree was closed for shift change. I really didn't want to walk anywhere, but we did and Barefoot Beach Cafe provided the eats. I like their weird curry rice burger thing. I didn't like the Hawaiian Christmas music. A guy named Sam did not pick up his order. Eventually they started taunting him on the overhead "Sam, your plate is getting warm."

On the way back to the hotel we went shopping for breakfast and took a nap.

For dinner we went to Diamond Head Grill instead. It did not disappoint. Love the 'ahi wasabi shoyu plate. Never disappoints. We usually walk across Kapi'olani Park and then up the hill, but it is really nice to just drive there, which we did.

When we got back to the hotel Mrguy just said "I'm going to rest up and then brush my teeth."

New Year's Journaling Prompt

Day 1

I do not believe in magic—how could I?

I can’t but I did

Saw me in half in a box that’s gaily painted

I will show you how. The lingering warmth of a stranger’s hand, on the last grocery cart available at Christmas, transports

So nutmeg. 

Algorithms are not magic. If by magic you mean Add vaseline to coca cola and just watch

Thumbprints in Roma plastilina. I can smell you through the television during Rudolph

The best story is visible in the background