Light Posting? How 'Bout None?

Places to go, things to do ...

Another Day in Paradise

Looking more-or-less south. No land masses between here and Antarctica...

Nothing but vacationers of all types, sizes, shapes, nationalities ... and lots of sun and sand. And all that ocean - let's just say it pulls powerfully on this old sailor's heart. 

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In That Great Gettin' Up Morning

2We took a different route to get to Hawaii this year. We've always taken the direct flight from Anchorage to Honolulu, which is only 5 1/2 hours. But the airline keeps moving it later in the day.

The first time we flew here, years ago, arrival time was 6 pm. Not early in the day, but still had the whole evening ahead of us. But after a few years, they started playing with the time, and now it doesn't land until 8pm.

There's nothing like spending the first day of vacation waiting all day to go to the airport, and not arriving at the hotel until nearly bedtime.

So we flew out at 0230 to Seattle.  After a 3 hour layover, Another 6.5 hrs to Honolulu, arriving at 1330 (that's 1:30 pm for you non-military types).

A MUCH better arrival time, as we reached the hotel at 1440, and had time to grab something cold while waiting for our room.

And now, with a good night's sleep uner our belts, we're enjoying ourselves immensely. No agenda, and no plan except to rest & enjoy.

Hasta la Vista, Baby!

Tonight:

We're outta here!

Tomorrow:

Land already, would ya? The beach is calling...

It's Nearly That Time Again ...

The Week of Vacation That Wasn't

So my wife and I scheduled vacation days for this past week, as we were expecting company. That didn't pan out, but we left the vacation days on the schedule. We figured we'd get some projects done, wouldn't have to work at it too hard, and could do as we pleased, the rest of the time.

So (and you probably already know what's coming, here) last Saturday I woke up feeling as though I'd swallowed a box of razor blades during the night. For most of the last week, symptoms have included sinus drainage, hoarseness, a heavy wracking cough, sneezing, extreme fatigue ... and an inability to sleep due to the immediate onset of that heavy cough I just mentioned. Oh, did I mention that because breathing is difficult, I tend to black out and fall over if I stop breathing for a minute?

In short, it's been horribly, absolutely miserable. But a couple of days ago, it got better.

I should take this occasion to point out that "better" than "horribly, absolutely miserable" means I no longer feel like I'm dying. Now it's just a miserable, pain in the proverbial backside. Still coughing if I try to talk, and still can't come close to sleeping through the night.


Oh, we had big plans: tie up a wrap-around, railing-height wind break for the deck ... install the LED string lights on the front railing and stairs ... rake the leaves ... replace a burned-out halogen bulb in the dusk-to-dawn floodlights above the garage. You know, things like that.

Yeah, right.

We mowed most of the leaves, but did no raking. I discovered that none of the local stores have the halogen bulbs in stock. And that's pretty much it.

I supposed I'll take the optimistic view, and express the relief that since I wouldn't have been able to go to work, then at least I didn't have to call in every morning.

So today we're going to indulge ourselves with chips and our chili-and-cheese dip, and watch some movies.

Way-Back Wednesday

Today: We had a micro-burst, or downdraft, or something which destroyed the neighbor's Bartlett Pear tree last night. It's lying across Mom's garden & grapevines, this morning. Lots and lots of heavy, pelting rain overnight, too, but no tornados in the news.

Vivid lightning, winds, rain, flooded streets, lots of rolling thunder ... but no major damage reported, either. We're now reacquainted with t-storms, and it can stop, for our part. :)

Way, Way Back:
I'm busy scanning photos this a.m., especially Navy pics which I sent to Mom at the time, and never kept for myself.

Here's an example:

Onboard the USS William M. Wood (DD 715) off the coast of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, in the Mediterranean.
November 1974

Moving On

So we checked out of the Branson hotel a day early, and set out for my mom's house, some 90 miles away.

We stopped at the world HQ of Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, because hey, why not? It's over 500,000 sq. ft. of wonderfulness, and we spent a solid hour in the NRA's National Sporting Arms Museum. It's been a long time since I had to fight the temptation to drool ... just sayin'.

As Yogi Berra (I think) once put it, "Don't miss it if you can!"

Then we had lunch, and now we're safely ensconced at my mom's place for the rest of the week.

All My Bags Are Packed, Etc.

I'm ready to go. Well, more or less.

A few items that I'll need for the day are still out, but things are 99% stowed. Our flight leaves at 0145 hrs, so it's going to be a long day.

A nap is definitely in order, this afternoon. We'll see if that actually happens.

Later, y'all.

Closer and Closer

I refer of course to my long-awaited and overdue vacation.

And ... Back to the Real World

We got in at 05:00, after nearly six hours of fidgety seat mates, screaming kids, and rude and inconsiderate people. But that's air travel, these days ... too many passengers for a given plane, seats too close together, and a generalized cattle car mentality that pervades everything about the experience.

Sigh ...

So we make the long walk from baggage claim to the long-term parking. In 43 degrees, with a light rain falling ... after 9 days in 82-degree weather ... in a t-shirt and sandals. Ah, well, that part's my own fault. At least I was wearing long pants. :)

We loaded the suitcases in the back of the truck. I grabbed for my wallet in preparation to pay for the parking space ... and no dice: the wallet's gone. A sense of unreality descends, as a look of horror grows on my wife's face. ("We have to call DMV, and the bank, and and and ..!")

I hopped in the truck anyway, and turned the key. It was a bit chilly, after all, so let's get some heat going, right?

It turned over once, and begins a soft clicking. Then the lights went out completely.


A guy who just pulled in offered a jump start, but then remembered his cables are in his other truck. Do I have any? Why yes, indeed. They are secure in the trunk of my wife's car. At home. Seven miles away.

Okay, then. My wife runs back inside to the baggage claim counter, and asks about the wallet. They call the plane, she tells them where we were sitting, and voila!, the wallet is under my seat. We're saved!

Well, almost.

She returns with the wallet while I call the taxi company for a jump start (yeah, they do that up here. Your mileage may vary).

The taxi jumps my truck, everything works, and the day is saved. I was so tired I hadn't either panicked at the wallet's loss, nor really gotten excited about its quick return.

But note that every obstacle was quickly overcome, without serious incident.

The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time. (Psalm 34:19)

We drove home, brought the bags inside, drank a pot of coffee with a quick breakfast, and went to bed for a couple of hours.

When I woke up, I went out and bought a new set of jumper cables for ye olde truck, along with summer wipers and gas. Now we're unpacking, doing laundry, and all the usual post-vacation things. Tomorrow we head back to work. (Insert sad face, here.)


Random note: after 9 days of posting and answering e-mails on an iPhone 5, the laptop appeared to be screaming at me. I had to reduce the font size.

First world problems, eh wot?

Just Another Day in Paradise

Today hasn't been quite as nice as others, due to very high humidity. Having said that, it's still better than working. :)

We got up at our usual time, drank coffee to our hearts' content, and breakfasted on the lanai. 

After a short swim, we headed out to the Ala Moana mall, where my wife picked up all the clothes she'd set aside for the day.  You see, the 25% off sale began today. 

After lunch at the Pineapple Room, we came back to the room for a long session of tag removal & folding, to prepare for packing later. 

A bit later, we walked out to the Barefoot Bar for awhile, enjoying the afternoon sun and ocean breezes. 

Now we're on the lanai, watching rain sweep down the mountains toward town. 

It's a tough vacation, but I'm glad we're here to take the hit for the team. 

We Don't Have These In Alaska

... but we hear good things. 

How do we order these, exactly?

Fog and Humidity

It was foggy and very humid with low clouds at 06:00. The fog has thinned to a light haze now, and the low clouds blew away, revealing a higher layer. 

The morning temperature was 70 but AccuHunch guesses it will be the standard 82 and sunny today. The weather guessers have a somewhat easier job here, for the most part: if you predict 82 in the day, and 72 overnight, you'll be correct at least 98% of the time. 

The March of Dimes is conducting a "March for Babies" this morning, so the main drags along Waikiki will be blocked for several hours. Not a good day to try to drive around this part of the city, so I suspect we'll stay put today. 

Your Humble Correspondent

Here's a picture my wife took this afternoon; I hope your screens survive. :)

Doing the Obligatory

shopping trip of the day. While my bride looks for shoes to match the dress she just bought, I'm firmly ensconced on a cushy couch nearby. 

It's 81 and mostly sunny outside, with a nice breeze to keep the humidity at bay. 

We had a good lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen; I mention that only because there are none in Alaska. The whole point of vacation is to do things one can't do at home, isn't it?  :)

Friday Morning

All of the scheduled activities are done, and nothing remains but to continue relaxing, soaking up the sun and having fun. 

Since I posted a photo of the hula dancers last night, this one's for women  of the feminine persuasion. 

We're headed to the pool now. Aloha!

Thursday Night

Reason #21 Why We Vacation in Hawaii

What's not to like?

Not Always What You Think

So you know that we're in Hawaii. 

"How exotic," you might think. "How beautiful and exciting!" And it can be all that. 

But right now, I'm in a chair outside the fitting rooms at a HUGE Macy's, while my lovely wife tries on in excess of a dozen outfits. 

"Exotic" doesn't quite cover it. 

Sometimes it's not where you are; it's what you're doing.