...Because it's never too late to jump on the bandwagon

Pics from Kauai

I was planning on doing an actual photo album like we used to do here for Kauai, because I had some additional pics I thought would be cool to post here that I didn't want to put in my FB album.  However, seeing as how I couldn't even get around to finish posting about Kauai, I have to admit I'm not going to get around to posting the photo album.  FB's albums are easier to make, so I still did make one there, and here is the public link to view it!

 

Meme of the Week

So one of the trends of the week on Facebook seems to be this thing where you find out your phone's (or more accurately your phone number's) name.  I don't know how it works, but there is some weird thing where you type this: @*[633:0] where the 633 are the last three digits of your phone number (as those are mine).  Then you remove the asterisk (I don't know why it's there in the first place) and then hit enter (like you are commenting on someone's FB post with the instructions) and it posts a name.  It's weird, but it works.  A lot of people seem to have pretty basic names. I've seen things like Taylor Jones or Michael Murphy.

My phone number's name is Sunil Sheth.  It seems like a pretty Indian name.  And being so non-standard, I decided to google the name and see what real person my phone number is named after. There are a few Sunils.  Seems like the one in America is a gastroenterologist in Boston.  My phone number's name is almost as unique as my own!

So that of course led me to type in Jeff's number to see what his phone number's name is.  The answer?  His phone doesn't have a name.  Literally, FB just says the post doesn't work and to try again.  I think there is nothing more apropos in this world than that.  Jeff's phone number is just as anonymous as he is, and doesn't work on Fasebook. Ha!

Good News and Bad News

The bad news is first.  I have at least 10 bites.  Why oh why did I forget to reapply the mosquito repellant yesterday afternoon?  The mosquito repellant I used said that it lasts for 8 hours.  And I have to give it to them, I think it did last 8, but not one minute more.  I applied early in the morning before we began our hike on the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali coast.  Then, they started attacking me in the afternoon as we were coming back from the Queen's Baths.  Which by my calculation was about 8 hours and 1 minute later, and I assume some mosquitoes were hovering near me just waiting for the "Open for Business" sign on my veins.  I forgot the Afterbite, but given that the active ingredient is ammonia, I have simply bathed my legs in the Windex under the sink in our condo.  It's not quite strong enough, but it's better than nothing!

The good news is, everything else has been fun, relaxing and exciting.  Yesterday was our North Shore day (although we will probably have one more of those), which is where the trail starts and also where the Queen's Bath is.  The trail was a bit crowded for our tastes, but the beach at the end was fun and the surf was pretty intense.  We then met Breean and Sam and crew at Tunnels Beach.  It's a beautiful beach, although I didn't see any tunnels.  Then off to lunch together in the small town of Hanalei.  I got passion fruit juice.  Yay! Queen's Bath was also cool, with extensive rock cliffs (so it's like La Jolla Cove, but with lava rock instead of regular sandstone). and the intense surf threatening to take unsuspecting tourists out.

We got rejected at a recommended shave ice place (it was closed, even though it should have been open according to its cardboard sign.  Hey, it's Hawaii!), so we stopped at our new little shopping center where we knew there was a shave ice place.  I thought it looked commercial and gimmicky and didn't expect much.  However, this was really good, and based on the book's criteria, I feel they will rate it very highly in their next edition.  It has ice cream (macadamia nut!) below the shave ice, which was very finely shaved.  The best part was a "sweet cream cap" they put on top of the flavored ice.  Jeff and I shared one and were loving it.  Jeff declared we would have to get one every day for the rest of our trip.  An hour or so later, when we were coming down off the sugar high, we weren't so sure.  In fact, it was so filling that I didn't even eat dinner.  Maybe next time we can get the child-size one.

Today we were pretty lazy.  First of all, it's like I'm an actual lawyer already, working on vacation!  My client needs lots of attention.  I have been intending to write a post about my experience so far, so more on that later.  But, it's nice to be sort of lazy too.  We've played some board games and read and watched turtles from our deck, then went to pick up take out for lunch from a "locals" snack shop.  I had the Hawaiian plate lunch and Jeff had a teri beef burger (that's teriyaki).  I've not been a fan of plate lunches at like L&L back on the mainland, but a real Hawaiian plate lunch is a lot better!  I'll post a pic in the album we make.

A bit later we decided to do some snorkeling off our shore.  We saw some nice fish, but nothing too crazy, and the water didn't have great visibility (we did read that Kauai is less great than like Maui for snorkeling and diving, which does seem true so far).  As we swam in, I ended up kinda coming in through the side through a sea of grass chunks floating around.  Suddenly, there was a turtle face about 4 inches from my face.  Naturally, I started screaming and pulled up out of the water.  Jeff thought I got stung by something and was really confused when I then put my head in the water again.  But it was a turtle and I had to try to get a better look!  But it was also for some reason terrifying, and I was still screaming through my snorkel at this point.  I finally managed to stop and, breathing hard from all the screaming, I kept trying to catch another glimpse of the turtle.  I did catch one, but it was brief.  The grasses were just really thick and gross.  We finally finished swimming in and what was once a deserted beach now had a small group.  Apparently, my screams were like the mating call of the wild snorkeler.  They all knew that meant I had seen a turtle and were summoned from all around the south shore.  Very exciting.  We've seen lots and lots of turtles snorkeling and diving over the years, and they are nearly a dime a dozen in Maui.  But it is a whole other thing to not see on until it is less than a foot away from your face!

Speaking of other wildlife, we saw a wild pig on our first day down the dirt road to the south shore beaches.  It ran across the road in front of our car.  Cute little black guy.  I didn't know there were wild pigs here and they are so funny-looking and ridiculous that Jeff and I were actually speechless for a few seconds after it made its break across the road.  Ha!

Pictures and more details later.  We are off to the Friday night art walk to meet the crew and hopefully find out about this passion fruit cheesecake that they have been raving about!

Kauai!

It is very pleasant here.  And while I know that sounds like damning it with faint praise, pleasant really is just such a perfect word.  The temperature and humidity, our accommodations, the sights.  It gives a real feeling of comfort and pleasure that is so agreeable.

Last night we had our first dinner with Sam and Breean at a new tapas place near our condo.  Yum!  Breean didn't quite get blitzed, as planned, but it was a fun night!  We retired back to our very pleasant condo, where practically the entire south wall is made of windows for a beautiful view of the water right below us, and the sound of waves accompanying our sleep.

Today we stayed on the south shore, exploring beaches, caves and watching kiteboarders.  One thing that really amazes me again and again is the juxtaposition of the wild and unruly with the maintained and manicured.  There are crazy roosters and dense foliage right next to a sweet little trail lined with volcanic boulders placed so precisely along the way.  At the cave we visited, there was a guy with a lawnmower and weed whacker in the open amphitheater, and 20 feet away, we were practically spelunking alone in the recesses.

It is of course stunningly beautiful here, and we can't wait to see more of the island!

 

The Saga of The Prius and The Beast

The Prius has been demanding attention for weeks now.  It's been wanting an oil change, and if you don't attend to it promptly, it starts flashing this alarming red exclamation point at you.  The driver's manual says that when that light comes on, you are supposed to pull over immediately and call a tow truck.  But, I have learned the strategies of The Prius and we know you don't really need to pull over unless the light stays on.  If it just flashes occassionally, you just need an oil change. 

Well, we finally took it in this morning to Evans Tires, where I get an oil change, tire rotation and alignment for $15 (ok, well the rotation and alignment are free with the tires and lifetime care package I bought).  Jeff and I planned to pick the car up after work today.  Of course they call me within a few hours with the upsell.  Today it was just the air filter and some rubber belt that was getting cracks for $70.  No problem.  Usually it is some multi-hundred dollar system flush something or another.

But then a couple of hours later I get another call.  The guy asks me if I am sitting down.  What just ran through your mind is probably what ran through mine, too.  What could possibly be wrong?  They already checked the car out, how could they find something so bad that I need to sit down?  Did we ruin the car by driving it when the exclamation point kept flashing?

Turns out another customer had hit The Prius when they were leaving.  The guy was asking if I could come by and exchange info.  Well thank goodness I didn't just get upgraded to a multi-thousand dollar problem!  But now I have a new problem on my hands.  A new item for my to-do list, and probably a silly small dent that I won't really care about anyway, since I don't generally measure my self-worth by my vehicle.  But dents must be repaired.  This is a law of life, much like washing your hands after using the restroom and sending thank you notes.  It is not optional.  Sigh.

So I drop everything and head over, driving The Beast.  Now I already know why they hit The Prius.  Because the spots there are sorta tiny and you really have to maneuver to get out unscathed.  And now I have to drive The Beast in there and park it?  Oh great.

So I get there and luckily find a spot next to a large red no parking zone, and promptly park there, all cock-eyed, not even attempting to line up in the parking spot.  I go up to a woman standing next to my car, who is on the phone with her insurance adjustor.  The Prius actually has a large, unsightly dent.  I definitely am gonna have to get that fixed.

The woman and I write down the claim number, other info, etc. and she waves toward her car saying, "There is my daughter, she feels so bad.  She doesn't want to drive anymore!"  ooohhh, it was her daughter that hit me.  Well, I wasn't mad anyway, to be honest, but that made me more empathetic.  It was just half a lifetime ago (oh god! half a lifetime ago!) that I myself was 17 years old and hit some guy's truck while driving after school with a friend.  I definitely don't miss those days.  I told the lady that I had had an accident when I was her age too, and I'm sure her daughter will feel better when she tells her.

But the saga is not over, and I guess this is where it becomes more about The Beast than The Prius because I then had to maneuver The Beast out of the parking lot.  You know, I hesitate to even call it a lot, and again, that poor girl had the odds stacked against her here.  Hopefully she felt some redemption when she saw me pulling The Beast out.  And before you worry, no I did not hit another car (although the domino effect this all could have is pretty funny to think about).  But as I began pulling out, I did realize I was going to have to perform at least a 23-point turn to get out of there, stuck as I was between a vehicle parked on the other side of the vacant no parking zone and the garage bay, with other cars being worked on.  After the 2nd point of my turn, I rolled down the windows and shouted to a guy hanging out to see if he could help me.  Like an airport runway guy, he guided me to back up as far as I could, and said I was good to go.  But as I started to pull forward, the car in front of me still looked too close.  At this point, the whole place is getting in on the affair, and a mechanic trots over to help me on the forward turn.  Success!  I pull out, exchange knowing smiles and a wave with mom and daughter, and am off. 

Ah, The Beast.  We have many fond memories of maneuvering that monster.  From backing into a water fountain in a campground outside Yosemite with Sam and Breean, to hitting Jon's truck in the Smith's driveway, to Jeff encouraging me to "Push!" it when we got stuck(-ish) on a deserted 4x4 road in Anza. Surprisingly, its beastliness has not served to protect it when other people are trying to maneuver, as I believe it was just earlier this year that Jeff was sitting in the Vons parking lot, waiting to pull into a spot when another car backed out of its spot right into The Beast.  The driver must not have looked in the rearview mirror or over her shoulder.  Perhaps she was using the ever-effective no-looking technique.  Because The Beast is not something that you could possibly miss if you actually looked.  So with that, and someone who hit me in The Prius in the Target parking lot in 2008, we have been hit 3 times in parking lots!  Be careful out there, people!

What Are We Eating?

New breakfast foods!  Jeff got turned on to making green smoothies by Shelley, one of his climbing partners, and it seems less crazy since Jamba Juice now has veggie smoothies as well.  Generally, the ingredients include two tightly packed cups of greens.  This morning we had collard greens, but we've also tried spinach and kale.  That's a fantastic amount of veggies to have in the morning, and leafy greens are some of the best for you, so hopefully we reap the health benefits. 

The smoothie always includes a banana, which gives it good flavor and consistency; another fruit, typically an orange or grapes (never, never use a grapefruit.  Even if you love grapefruit.  Seriously.); a healthy fat for taste (PB) and/or consistency (avocado) as well as to add some calories; and a little bit of water. 

It really tastes like any other smoothie, depending on the fruits you put in.  But it definitely doesn't taste like a salad or a dinner side dish, which is good.  The taste of the greens gets completely overcome.  Even assertive greens which you normally have to blanch before cooking.  Good way to get the veggies in and much cheaper than going to Jamba!

Very Late News

Because we've been neglectful, this is rather old, but still news to many!

Two Awesome Halloween Costumes

Jeff and I did not dress up this year.  Halloween came and went with nary a peep, except on FB where everyone posts pictures of every costume.  I saw that some people dressed as the 1% or the 99%, the timely costume of the year.  One mortgage company that has been processing a lot of foreclosures decided to dress as their customers, which everyone, apparently, thought was a fantastic idea.  An example of synergy run amok.

I have just two things to share with Bandwagon readers and with posterity.  The first is perhaps the best baby costume.  And you know if I am picking it, that it must have an element of snark or satire (click to enlarge and get the full effect):

Maggie is a good friend from Chi O who I have been lucky to get to know in the past few years.  She had her baby, Edward, in June.  One extra reason I love this picture is that Maggie and Danny are foodies just like us, and somehow we have been unable to schedule a trip to their hometown of Chicago where we have been promised an excellent gastronomic tour.  Hopefully next year, which will give them time for Teddy to become a little more independent!

Our next pic goes to our favorite dog, Foxy Brown!  She was dressed as un platano for Halloween this year, and she is so cute I just want to gobble her up!

Michelle and Foxy are now stationed in Chicago, so yet another reason to go!

Note that both best costumes are food items!

Used My "Angry" TItle Too Soon!

Turns out that wasn't anger.  Anger is more like this, where I cannot continue on with the work in front of me because I am so distracted and I feel a little sick to my stomach.  Here is a post I just saw on Facebook:

I know, right?  I mean, how can someone even dare say this in a time where our unemployment rate is at heights not seen in generations?  The haughtiness, the condescension, the indifference to others' plights!  It is just galling!  I seriously should probably defriend this person, but I do value being exposed to the opinions and resources of people with different points of view.  Here's the comment I posted on the picture:

"If only everyone knew this! The unemployment rate surely would plummet if the unemployed were informed that they could get money if they just got a job. Stupid unemployed people! 

These people are really getting on my last nerve with their free speech and their peaceful assemblies."

Because of course, this is all in reference to the Occupy movement.  Wherein the exact same methods (if not ideologies) are used by these people that have been used by the Tea Party.  Which was ok then, but is totally not now.  I mean, we can all see the distinction there, right?

I will say that some of the motivations we may attribute to some of these people are not ones I could agree with (just like I can't agree with all of those by the Tea Partiers).  Like, the feeling or idea that rich people don't deserve what they have.  In some cases, this is very, very, disgustingly, overwhelmingly true.  But in some cases it is not, and our society's principles are that you get rich through your own talent and effort, and that is to be lauded not derided.  So, there is some haughtiness and insult on each side.  

Yet, the latter doesn't make me sick to my stomach.  And I also understand the origins of their feelings, whereas I just don't understand how anyone could even think what they were thinking to create that poster!  Anyway, when you also have this:

you can start to get the sense that there is something...unfair.  Something even...nefarious, perhaps?  Surely those CEOs in other countries are talented and have worked hard as well.  And consistent with our American philosophy, they deserve to prosper for it.  But, does this philosophy have a limit?  Might we say that if someone is particularly talented and hard-working at economically subjugating masses of other people, that perhaps the rewards are less merited?  Or, to frame it in a way that more conservatives might understand, did our founders envision people being rewarded not only based on their talents and hard work, but by leveraging the power that they "earned" against those with less power in order to extend further and further and further those rewards they get? That at some point, they are no longer being rewarded for their talents and hard work, but for other less admirable things?  Like who their money has bought them access to?  Or for being a person that can more easily dismiss social implications of their actions (because those that are bothered by those concerns will not be rewarded as much)?  Just some thoughts...

I'm not trying to say that we should have a law that says CEO pay shall not exceed lineworker pay by more than a ratio of 10 or 100 or something.  None of those other countries have those laws.  They just, I think, have a culture that places a slightly more equitable value on people's talents and work.  They still reward the CEO more, but it really reveals their values as a culture.  And I'm sad and angry that Americans don't have those values, too.

Angry!

There's a mumps outbreak going on.  Last year, it was Whooping Cough.  People actually died of that.  But still, there are "flat-earth" parents that are not getting their kids immunized because they don't want them to become autistic.  Ugh.

So now we are losing our herd immunity and diseases that were, for all intents and purposes, eradicated are actually killing people!  I'm very libertarian in letting people live their own lives and choose how to do so without interference from anyone else.  But, I'm more skeptical about seatbelt and helmet laws than this.  At least in those cases there usually aren't injuries or deaths to parties other than the ones not wearing the aforementioned safety gear.  There are just costs to us taxpayers and in the private market.  But here, these people are doing more harm to the rest of us.

I'm resisting the instinct for punitive damages, but at the least, they should be quarantined for the protection of society!  I am always really distressed about how little people are held accountable for their actions.  And in this example, if they want to have the freedom to not get their kids vaccinated, they should be the only ones to suffer any consequences.