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?