Back by Popular Demand

Many apologies, folks. I'm not sure what caused that long, unscheduled hiatus. Alien abduction? Amnesia? Ennui? In any case, we promise to be better (thanks for your encouraging words mom, Michelle and Mory!)

After a long drawn out winter, spring seems to have come and gone and the last couple of weekends have been spent laboring in our gardens - both ornamental and vegetable. (I say we, but really I mean me - Dave's just not that into putting his hands in dirt). The seedlings have already started sprouting and we're looking forward to a bumper crop of radishes, edamame, mustard greens, carrots, mesclun, broccoli rabe, green beens and sugar snap peas. Apparently, none of the cruciferous varieties want to grow here, which is why my brussel sprouts, cabbage and broccoli went no where last fall.

We seem to be on some kind of fresh vegetable bacchanalia because we also joined a local CSA, Clagett Farm, and will start receiving our weekly produce share in the next couple weeks (the extended cold slowed growth down a bit). If you've got a CSA in your area why aren't you a member!? There's nothing like eating organic fruits and vegetables picked fresh that day. And the concept is something we all should be supporting: farms that are a part of and supported by the community so that we might all eat local and preserve open space (boo sprawly development!). It's the right thing to do, people!!!

Here's some other stuff on my mind lately: Home exchange, the alternative to high priced hotels :: Video of an artist flipping through his beautiful sketch travel journal :: Peak Oil, it's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine).

Hawaiian highlights

Tuesday and Wednesday Hawaiian highlights

1. Overall new levels of relaxation have been achieved.
2. Another hike up the mountain
3. Ten mile mountain bike ride left family members in severe ass pain
4. While watching the sunrise over the ocean, we saw whales swimming.
5. We shared our new favorite swimming spot with Hawaiian monk seals

Hawaiian Haiku

Hawaiian sunrise
Morning gym and midday hike
Evening barbecue

Ok, This Doesn't Suck

A fun filled, action packed first day. I finally got to meet Lou! (Katy’s fiancé) They have been together for a few years, but somehow our paths have never crossed. Of course (like all members of our family ☺) Lou is smart , funny and cool, and I felt like I already knew him because of how much I heard from Jen and Katy.

After a leisurely morning, Jen, Katy, and I headed off to Costco to buy a week’s worth of supplies for the nine of us. We made the fatal error of not eating before we went in, and before long we were filling our cart with cheesecake and chocolate chip cookie dough.

After picking up the rest of the family at the airport, we headed to our vacation home Mokuleia Beach House: http://www.vrbo.com/46020

This place rocks!!! Today’s catchphrase: “Ok, this Doesn’t suck”

Good Morning Hawaii

Today is the first day of our Hawaii family vacation! So far , besides the 15 hour grueling travel day, the big events have been Jen stealing all the covers in the bed last night and "accidentally” pouring a cup of water in my suitcase this morning. Needless to say we started the day off with a good hearty laugh.

WOOOOHOOOO VACATION !!!!!!!!

The Catchphrase of the trip so far has been “don’t make me cut you,“ which was used countless times during the ten long hours of airplane travel.

We arrived at Katy’s beautiful Home on the south eastern tip of Oahu last night. Katy had prepared us a fantastic dinner of brown rice, fresh steamed vegetables and savory sauce (just like in our favorite Hermosa beach restaurant, “The Spot“.)

WOOOOOOHOOOO KATY !!!

Today we will pick up the rest of the family and the fun will continue.

More to come……….

The "C" Word

Dave and I just learned a close friend has cancer. The news affected me very deeply. Our friend is in his mid 30's and follows a healthy lifestyle. Definitely not someone you'd think would be faced with a life-threatening illness. Beyond bringing up the dreaded reality of my own mortality, I feel incredibly sad that he's going through this alone, as he has no family living near him and is in between girlfriends.

Of course I checked Dave's testis immediately just to make sure he didn't have cancer, too.

Capital R, Art

Finally got around to doing a little art this weekend. I'm crap at it, but the process seems to be soothing regardless of how lame the outcome is. I still have hopes that I'll learn how to draw one day. Maybe I'll be one of those retired folks who take life drawing classes!

Weekend Wrap Up

We had another fun filled, action packed, crime fighting, jet setting weekend! (Mild embellishment for the Internets). Friday started off with a bang as we tried a new Asian fusion restaurant in our neighborhood. Tofu and vegetables...that's what I'm talkin about!! OK...now it gets really sad...we were in bed by 8:30 pm!

LOSERS !!!!

Saturday we met our friends Kate, Patrick, and their son Luc for breakfast. They informed us they would be moving back to Costa Rica within the year. This conversation was very emotionally charged for us, as we will miss them, and we have also talked at length about packing it all in and moving to some tropical paradise (like Hermosa beach!!!)

Later that afternoon we met our great friend Mory (of Mory and Ildy Fame) at the national archives to watch the free showing of Academy Award nominated animated short films. They were all wonderfull. We thought it was sad that more people do not get to see them.

Saturday night I had a gig at Sala thai and Jen stayed on the family couch with the family cat.

Sunday I had my regular brunch gig. This week my friend Lyle played with me. He is a great saxophone player and a great guy (see the video above). He is also quite the ladies man. He did this gig with me a couple of months ago, and the waitresses have not stopped talking about him so I threw them a bone this week and brought them the beefcake.

The weekend ended with a bang as we watched the academy awards at our friends Mory and Ildy's house. We played the "oscar game" where each person guesses the winners in each category. Jen won!!!! It was great fun. We got to meet Ildy's mom, who was wonderful, and we love spending time with Mory and Ildy who have become really cherished friends...But we were all up way past our bedtimes!!

Cat and Belly Fat

It's true - our cat Sasha Vinny is fat. She was 18 pounds when we adopted her and we had all kinds of good intentions to get her weight down to something healthier. But she had other plans, and a relentless will. At first we slavishly adhered to a 3/4 can of cat food total a day rule, with no dry food left out for in between meals snacking. This cat eats every morsel put down in front of her as fast as she can. But her constant harassing (including knocking things off surfaces and pulling down drapes) led Dave to devise a strategy of throwing crunches all around the house for her to chase. Alas, the extra exercise keeps her mind occupied - apparently boredom is an impetus for cats to overeat - but it has not resulted in any weight loss. Well, at least our drapes and knick knacks are safe.

The stuff: Sweet bilingual (French and English) crafty arty blog :: Today on the way back machine, a vintage news segment on something called the "Internet." Think it'll catch on? :: Hilarious blog from a disgruntled/raunchy English teacher in Japan :: List of 52 habits that reduce stress, only 10% of which I'll ever develop :: Gift ideas for those metrosexuals and politically incorrects on your list.

Espresso

We've started an espresso-at-3pm tradition at the office. Now I'm totally dependent on that shot of caffeine (however small, since I take mine decaf), and cookie. I used to never drink coffee, and suddenly in my 40's I'm having two coffee drinks a day. Oh, I've tried to switch to tea, it being the hip drink right now. But it's just not as satisfying. Not even close.

At least I'm not as bad as Dave, who's on no doze caffeine maintenance treatment. No joke. He takes two no doze pills each morning instead of a cup of coffee. He'll have to explain how this works, though. I'm not sure I get it.

Here're the goods: Blogger obsessed with Japanese street artists (I think that's what they're calling graffiti artists these days) :: Coming to a street near you, three wheel, tilting, plug-in hybrid vehicle :: Chimps learn to wield spears (ugh. even more reason to hate monkeys) :: How many trees do I have to plant to offset commercial airflight? :: Looking for a little DIY crafting to wile away the time this weekend? Check out this, and this and this :: And then sell what you made here.