O'ahu - Part 1

I've been home for over a week and it's been a busy one!  Between work, company, and photography class, and the darned jet lag, I'm just now starting to feel like there is some time to sit down and write about my vacation.

We left Regina at 6:30 a.m. on Friday April 5 and landed in Honolulu at about 7:30 p.m.  After getting our luggage we snagged a shuttle to our hotel.

Our room was on the 5th floor, with a view of the canal, distant hills, and golf course.  While the hotel was a few blocks from the beach it was centrally located, had a kitchen, and the price was definitely right.  The decor was definitely out-dated but everything was clean and generally well-maintained.

That evening we wandered down the street to an ABC for drinks, fruit and yogurt (for the next day's breakfast.  We were told there were about 50 ABC stores in Honolulu...well, there must be 25 of them in Waikiki alone.  For Canadian readers, think 7-11 on steroids, they sold almost everything you could need.

The next day we spent acclimatizing to our location.  We visited the International market (just a block away), grabbed the free trolley to the Hilo-Hattie store (so K could replace a pair of shoes) and back to the Al Moana shopping center for the grocery store.  On the recommendation of the trolley driver we visited Slipper City in the mall.  Both of us picked up new pairs of sandals for under $20!

While we were waiting for the trolley to depart the store, we were chatting with a couple from San Diego.  When I got off the trolley to snap a picture of K....this happened!


After returning the hotel with our purchases, I went to spend some time on the sundeck, while K had a rest.  We wandered back out for a walk before grabbing a quick Bento dinner of salmon, rice and veg for dinner from the Food Pantry.

The following day we did a walking tour of Waikiki.

The beach is quite long, so there parts full of people, and other less so.  One of the busiest spots was at the Duke Kahanamoku Statue.  Just trying to get a photo without people standing in the way was challenging, but I eventually got it!












We walked past the zoo, but didn't venture in.  With this inhabitant, we didn't have too, since he (or she) was quite happy to allow us to take her picture from across the street!



We also visited a small park, the Queen Kapiolani garden, and stopped to enjoy some of the blooms.

There were also some interesting things to see not on the official walking tour.

The sign says "beware of dog".

Apparently, no one told the pigeons!



That evening we went out to dinner at near-by restaurant, which shall remain nameless, unless you're planning to travel to Waikiki.  The service was fine, but the food was less than good.

Tomorrow - Diamond Head Crater and the Mai-tai cruise

Friday Funny

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone. I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there. I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work. I live close so it's a short drive. I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore. I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go and I try not to visit there too often. I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm. Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older. One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenaline flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get! And, sometimes I think I am in Vincible but life shows me I am not. People keep telling me I'm in Denial but I'm positive I've never been there before! I have been in Deepshit many times; the older I get, the easier it is to get there. I actually kind of enjoy it there. So far, I haven't been in Continent, but my travel agent says I'll be going soon.

I'm feeling less tired, and things are slowing down at bit, will try to have my Hawaii adventures posted this weekend.  

AND, best of all spring appears to have finally in my part of the world!  I'm sure that's helped improve my mood as well.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Minor annoyances

Okay, enough already with this jet lag.  I have been back for four days and I still cannot manage to get through the day without hitting a wall about 3 or 4 p.m.  Thank goodness it is the weekend so I can take a nap!

I am also finding with my computer as I cannot get the settings correct so I can use the apostrophe.  I have tried the little keyboard thingy on the right - it does not change the post so there will be no contractions in this post.

Today I managed to mess up my SD card for the camera; I broke off the little piece that slides to protect the card so when I put in the camera I found it was now protected and I could not take pictures.  Of course, it was at the moment I wanted to take a snapshot of Mr. Bunny!  As a result I made a trip to the photography store to get a new one.

I needed to go there anyway, though not necessarily today, to pick up gray cards for my photography class.  We had our first class on Wednesday (7-10, I took a nap after work).  It was advertised as learning to use your camera but I think it is going to be more technical than I expected.

I was a little intimidated when I went into the store as there are masses of cameras, and all sorts of gadgets, etc., and the clerk did little to dispel my fears.  I explained I was taking a beginner class and once we had found the gray cards, I asked about a new SD card, and provided the make and model of my camera.  The clerk began asking me a number of questions about the technical capacity and how I planned to use the camera - much of which I did not understand.  I guess the blank look on my face got through and eventually he found the card I needed and I was able to escape to my car.

When I got home I went to see if Mr. Bunny was where I had left him but he had moved.  I checked out the back of the house and found him waiting for me, good boy!

He seems to be changing color just slightly, especially on his face.  Perhaps spring is coming, after all!

Despite the minor annoyances I experienced today, I am reminded by the events in Boston and West, Texas, that our lives can change in a moment.  I can live with the little things that happen....even if I get cranky and say a few bad words!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Random Friday

I got back from O'ahu on Tuesday, back to work on Wednesday and jet lag has kicked my butt.  More to come but for now here's a picture from the beach. (It could be a beach anywhere, but I assure you it was a quiet stretch of Waikiki!)

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On Monday, we were having dinner at the Honolulu airport when we heard the news of the bombing of the Boston Marathon.  I immediately started panicking as my sister-in-law and Deniece and Denephew were there along with her sister and her son.  P's sister L was running the marathon for the second year in a row and the family was there to cheer her on.  I headed for the payphones and was able to reach my brother.  He assured me they were fine, thank goodness!  L had crossed the finish line 11 minutes prior to the first blast and was a block away receiving her medal when it happened.  P and the children had been delayed in the subway from mile 17 to the finish line so arrived after both bombs had gone off.  

I am certain the families of those killed or injured wish their family members had been so fortunate as mine.  Today, the news is that one suspect has been killed, unfortunately not before another victim lost his life, and the police are out in force searching for the second.  Perhaps this is overly judgmental of me but I hope they do capture the suspect alive so he may answer to his crimes though  I suspect he'll take the cowardly route and take his own life.  I know he is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law BUT the actions of the pair earlier today would suggest they were involved.

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I had hoped when we arrived home that most of the snow would have melted.  HA!  Mother Nature is a b*tch!  Instead we'd gotten more snow and temperatures had fallen to -18C (0F) three days while we were gone.   

To add insult to injury, we got another skiff of snow last night (as seen above) AND the forecast is for another 10 cm (4 inches) this weekend.  Sigh...this is truly the winter of my discontent.

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Finally, I've learned macadamia nuts are addicting.  I'm sure glad I don't live next door to an ABC store!

Friday Funny

By the time this posts, I should be (fingers crossed) on my flight out of Vancouver to Honolulu.  At home the winter storm that is forecast to dump another 10 cms. of snow should be well underway.  Again, I ask myself...why do I live here?

I'll be back in 12 days with pictures and stories to share.  In the meantime here's a joke...or is it?  I might have to try it someday!  (Safeway is a Canadian grocery store...if you don't a Safeway, insert name of local grocer in its place)


Yesterday I was at my local Safeway buying a large bag of Purina Dog Chow for my loyal pet, "Jake", the Wonder Dog and was in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.   (What did she think I had an elephant?)

So because I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is, to load your pants pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stopped to pee on a fire hydrant and a car hit me.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

Safeway won't let me shop there anymore. 

Deja vu all over again

I think spring has finally arrived.

No, I'm sure spring has finally arrived.  So far, my daughter has gotten stuck pulling in and out of the driveway twice.

The neighbour next door got stuck this evening.

Yep, it's definitely spring!

And even though more snow is forecast for this weekend I don't care!







Because I'm "leavin' on a jet plane" tomorrow morning and by the time I get back I expect hope the street will be clear.

Fingers crossed!

I'm taking a break from blogging, unplugging from technology, and simply get away from it all.  Honolulu, here I come!

See you all in 12 days!

This ain't no April fool joke

I beginning to think the only fool around here is me....for living in this part of the world.


You decide.  This is what I see when I walk out my front door in the morning.

It's been melting a little...but just a little.  It's hard to imagine the snow being gone though I hope most of it will have disappeared by the time I get back from my vacation!

With any luck it won't be long until it looks like this again!

And I'll quit complaining about the winter that never ends!

Have a great day everyone!