Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Honolulu Luau































Year of the Dragon Begins!

A real live Luau! Bit of trivia - the pig we see being taken out of the pit at the Laua is served to the staff. The guests are served pig cooked in the kitchen to state health standards. This is Deborah Ann's Poi face! And my "I know better than to taste the Poi face".

Monday, January 30, 2012

Nice New Lipstick



My favorite lipstick of all time has been discontinued for years and I am just about to run out of my last tube. I really thought by now Chanel would remake the color (Dynamic #75) at least, but I am going to have to find a replacement in another brand. Nuance by Salma Hayek for CVS has the same consistency, but a very limited range of colors. A fabulous red called Paprika, which I love, but nothing close to the dark peachy rose coral of Dynamic. I've decide to use two shades at the same time and settled on this new Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait (#25) and Candy Apple (#35). Turns out that Candy Apple isn't even close to Apple color and is extremely close to the color I want, no mixing required. And the formula, which feels very peculiar going on, (sort of like a Bert's Bees product without the sting) is fabulous and long lasting. Winner!



Sunday, January 29, 2012

Do You Do The De - cluttering?

Every single time I declutter, I regret it afterward. Even if I haven't worn it for a year, I feel that I need one (for example) sequin tank top. Ever time I get rid of my sequin top because I haven't worn it, I just end up buying another. Cooking is always easier when I have the right tools. A Spartan kitchen is not as easy to cook in. And I do like to change my crafting routine without needing to make a special trip and buy everything all over again. (Except Quilting - it's just too hard and I'm not going to try it again.) Oh, and there's that weight fluctuation thing that means having jeans in three different sizes doesn't just make sense, it's necessary. Plus the books - although with my Nook, I now have all the classics that used to take a whole wall of shelves in one little book sized machine. Add all my magazine to it, and the Nook is my kind of decluttering.
So now, I don't declutter. I throw away trash and worn out clothes. I donate the odd gift and give my children items that they covet. I don't buy things I don't want, and if I do slip up, I just return the mistakes. But most importantly, I make a point of having good storage. Thanks, IKEA.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Turn Off Your Kindle!

Did you know that there was a Tulsa Soaring Society? Neither did I. And I'm telling you that's not good news. John flys so much for business, the last thing he needs (or that I need for him) is a hobby flying gliders. I thought he was going to join his office's shooting group. Or one of the many Bass Clubs - you know, where they go out and fish for one particular species of Bass.

On another note, when flying to Hawaii on Alaska Airlines, they continually made the announcement that it was time to turn off all electronic equipment - then they specified "computer, phone, electronic games, and Kindles". So I asked if my Nook was special and didn't need to be turned off. (Just to be silly - I do know better!) But it turns out that the Kindle thing is part of the script, written by Alaska, which is headquartered in Seattle, just like Amazon is. Pretty tricky. Kind of like subliminal. Remember the original Exorcist? It has these really scary images spliced into the film and wow, was it creepy!

Aloha Hawaii!


















Left Hawaii and have arrived on the mainland. I would happily get right on a plane back! I wonder if I can find some kind of beach substitute in Oklahoma? But then, I can hardly wait to have some Barbecue that doesn't have Pineapple Juice or Soy Sauce in it. And I never saw Grits on the menu anywhere. But I did forget to pickup some of those Spam Flavored Macadamia Nuts to go with the evening cocktails. Did I really?

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Do You Do This?

I think after 33 years of marriage, you can put me firmly in the committed relationship category. But after only 3 years, I found myself nodding off when John would tell a story I had already heard. (So, even if you have only been together a few months, this question is for you too.) I try to keep a look of rapt attention on my face and am pretty sure I pull this off. I try to be zoned out enough that I don't try to move the story along a little faster by telling some of it myself. (John deserves better than this.) Then one day, I realized that I was telling the same story a few times myself. I looked over at John - he still seemed interested. He's a smart man; he must remember the anecdote. But there was no hint on his face. So I devised a test - I started occasionally (every 6 months or so) telling him stories that bored even me. And then I'd watch his face for that hint of a yawn. And there is a difference. He is still sweet and polite, but I can tell he would really like my story to either end or get more interesting. But my interesting stories never seem to get old to him. So, is everyone else as nice as he is? Are you? Is your Sweetie?

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Pelulo = Beryl







Went to Dole Pineapple Plantation, but since you've all seen pineapples courtesy of Hawaii Five-O, either the vintage version or the current one, I'll show you the bracelet I got with my name in Hawaiian carved in it.





Monday, January 23, 2012



Yesterday, John went gliding from Hickham Field. This is Walter, a very experienced pilot, giving him last minute instructions. Good plan, since it's extra windy at this end of the Island.



Sunday, January 22, 2012

Where DId That Come From?







I know you were all shocked by yesterday's revelation. In the light of morning, it has begun to make a little more sense to me. We were at dinner at Chai's Bistro in Honolulu at the Aloha Tower. (Wonderful food.) There was entertainment - Danny Couch, who may have been a drummer for the famous Don Ho, but was certainly following in his singing footsteps. He had perfect black hair and a was wearing a black dinner jacket. And he was bubbly. (Like Tiny Bubbles?) (But not in the slightest bit sleazy. We were with Michele Takemoto, (beautiful, interesting, funny), Walter and Deborah Ann, (they practically glow with love and happiness), and Deborah Ann's mother, Katherine. A great group, but most of the talk was business, so I had Katherine all to myself at our non business end of the table. The only way to describe her is that she is a Magical Person. She's the big sister you tried to be, making everyone feel so special and powerful. She called John "her own personal tour guide" for driving on a little siteseeing tour of the Island. It made him happy each time she said it. I think her influence got him dreaming and reinventing himself. As a singer in a little lounge, with Zach on the drums and Amanda on the guitar, or harp - it is a dream, after all. And the "sleazy" thing was not so much in the spirit of the word, but more to distinguish the dream from a Barry Manilow style to the quiet thing he had in mind. What a nice man I married!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

He Can Still Surprise Me

Tonight at dinner, my husband announces that his dream job would be to be a "sleazy lounge singer". Who knew?

Friday, January 20, 2012

Hawaiian Flowers



One of my favorite plants when I was growing up was the Bird of Paradise. They had them at Disneyland when they first opened. Beautiful and exotic.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Guilty Little Secret - I Love Korean Soap Operas







When I'm in Hawaii, I can continue an indulgence I developed in Seattle - watching Korean Dramas with English subtitles. (Don't seem to be any in Tulsa - I, myself was shocked.) In Hawaii, the station KBFD (that's really their call letters) runs a couple a day. I am out in the sun during the day, but watch one in the evening. I like how clearly defined every one's role in the Drama society is. I don't know if this is true of actually Korean life. For example, on several occassions, it has been said that a man can get another wife, but only has one mother. If the wife can't win over the mother, she is in real trouble - often she just has to leave. Newlyweds don't need to look for a new home after the wedding - they will just move in with the groom's family, where the new wife needs to take over many of the chores previously performed by the groom's mother. You're not losing a son, you're gaining a maid.

Honolulu Views













Two views from the plane and two from the balconies of our corner room.







Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Why I Am Where I Am - Because I Know Better Now






I really thought that living in the most expensive neighborhood you could afford made good sense when my kids were growing up. I have decided that I was wrong. Keeping your stuff in the cheapest place you don't absolutely hate gives you the freedom to do what I am doing now. A combination of traveling and not worrying about money. I think my kids would agree that living in an unnecessarily expensive neighborhood wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Just saying.

These pictures are for my son, who spent his time in Paris remarking on how small the cars were. We finally saw a decent sized car. And some more really small ones!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

King's Cake



Charlotte, Catherine, and me, taken by my daughter. We met at chez Catherine for King's Cake, an evening that stands out as one of the best of the Paris trip. These women are truely awesome!

Friday, January 13, 2012

I Know This Is Crabby - You Probably Have Better Things To Do Than Read It - But "Norm Violators" Drive Me Nuts

I'm in Tulsa for today, and flying to Hawaii tomorrow to meet my husband. I spent just enough time in France to release my inner French girl - at a 50% rate, that is. Here's what I mean. My level of disdain for those who weren't obeying even the simplest of social rules on my trip back was at an all time high. Michael Cunningham from some University (I think in Kentucky or Tennessee) dubbed these people "Norm Violators" or some such term. (OK, maybe I'm too jet-lagged to write this, but I find writing in this blog removes a lot of excess thought from my brain, allowing it to function better - which when I was younger, wasn't that big a change, but is now.) So, here are just two, but I think you'll agree, they are awful.
The first happened when we got on the plan. We were in the row with two seats, one window and one aisle. There was a lone 5 year old boy in my daughter's window seat. She actually had to tell him that he was in her seat and please move. His mother was in the seat in back of him. His mother had to tell him to move out of Amanda's seat and he finally did. But, get this, his mother (an attractive Argentian married to a lawyer in Pasadena) (this comes up later, maybe not today, though), had allowed him to pick his seat, including in his choice, seats that were not even on their tickets. He chose to sit in Amanda's seat and his mother let him. Do you wonder why children seem so much more annoying these days? When he moved, he sat in back of Amanda and proceeded to kick the back of her seat. I will give the mother credit, she told him to stop - well, actually she gave him a series of reasons why stopping was the right thing to do. I decided the right thing to do was to switch seats with them, so we were in back of them. An 11 hour flight is already too long without an unhappy child behind you. For some bizar reason, this family had the two seats in front of ours and the two seats behind ours. I'm sure when they chose this odd sitting arrangement, it was made clear that someone (us) was going to be sitting in the seats between, or they would have been assigned them. If they had just waited until we were on the plane and asked us, we would have happily switched, and their child would have had a good lesson in social practice. But they chose rude behavior.
Then there was the guy who came up to the side of me and pretended he was already in the customs line with me - and it was a long line - longer than any line I have ever been in, and that includes Space Mountain and Raiders at Disneyland. We weren't even that close to the front, but almost at the point where all the ropes are set up and line jumpers can't blend in so easily. So I turned to him and asked, "Are you looking for the end of the line?" He whispered "No." So I announced "Well, you're not with me" just loudly enough that he drops back a few families, but stays in the line. He just wasn't going to wait. Don't know how many other people were doing this, but Amanda actually had to run through the airport to get on her next plane.
Happy Friday The 13th!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Dinner With Agnès And Friends




An evening with an old French friend, Agnès and her lovely roommate Susan. Actually the word Agnès uses is "flatmate". Agnès' English is flawless, but she still enjoys letting out a room in her apartment to an English speaker to keep current. Although Susan is from India, English is the language spoken in her home, so this is a perfect match. Not to mention that Susan gets along perfectly with Agnès' wonderful daughter Maryanne. Agnès made a fabulous chicken dish with barley and we drank Kirs and Burgundy. Good Times!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

More Paris



Can you see the words? Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood - roughly translated. The Hall of Justice was beautiful. Since he's an attorney, I thought a picture of my son with this in the background would be just perfect.

Monday, January 9, 2012

La Tour Eiffel













La Tour Eiffel and some views from it. I was the only vote for walking up the stairs, so we took the elevator instead. It was very, very cold and windy. There is a nice warm bathroom (toilet, in France) (used to be WC, abreviation for Water Closet) at the top. Never pass up a free bathroom in Paris, especially if you are freezing.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Just Paris Sites - Don't Expect Anything Clever



First picture is of my son Nick and his girlfriend, Kelsey, looking at the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Then we all walked and took more pictures - this one includes my daughter Amanda. Good Times!



Saturday, January 7, 2012

Macarons De Paris







I like how different people's taste can be. Take the simple subject of the Paris Macaron and which shop has the superior product. I am a big fan of Pierre Hermé, with their complex flavors and wonderful texture. But a woman I totally respect for her unerring taste, disagrees and prefers Ladurée saying that they are less sweet and more satisfying. (Or some such silly talk - I don't actually listen that closely when someone is dissagreeing with me - no matter how wonderful I think they are.) Plus, she is a huge fan of the Hermès brand of accessories, so maybe I misheard her. But in the interest of science, my daughter Amanda and I began standing in the very long line at Ladurée for Macarons and other pastries. While there we were handed a sample of a new flavor - Almond and Marshmallow. It was very, very sweet. I could barely finish it. When we gave up on that line, we moved to the line where we could only get the macrons by the box. We were given another of the Almond and Marshmallow. This one I wrapped in the napkin and put in my pocket and left. So the pictures I have are of Pierre Hermé Macarons. The Chocolate Foie Gras was amazing, as was the Mandarine and Olive Oil, Cassis, and Salted Caramel ones. Good Times!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Grace Jones





I thought Grace Jones was scary in the James Bond Movie. So when I walked into this exhibit and saw her head with eyes closed, I was a little wary. Then when the eyes opened and laser lights shot out, they didn't need to embellish with a loud roar - but they did. Let me tell you, I jumped! And when I was trying to capture both aspects in picture, I jumped every time it happened, even though I was prepared for the next time.

More From Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs




















That table is full of ceramic fruit - one of my favorite things. I love fruit jewelry and this is just so much bigger.
The bed and chest were wonderful in real life, and there was so much more.
Maybe tomorrow, I'll post some of the Grace Jones stuff. Remember her? She was quite scary.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs









I'm in Paris - Here are some pictures I took today at the Museum of Decorative Arts. I am too sleepy to say more right now, but you have to go there! If I have enough time, I'll go back.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Oou La La!

My life is so exciting that I suspect everyone is quite jealous, but since I'm a nice person, I have tried not to brag too much. That being said, tomorrow morning I'm flying off to Paris for the week. Paris, France, not Texas. I know, I'd hate me too. What happens the week after Paris? I'm joining John in Hawaii, where is has a one week business trip planned. I'm lucky I have any friends at all.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Do You Recognize These Cookies?













Every year one of the companies that John does business with sends him a box of these Caramel Cookie Waffles. They are amazing! If you set one of them over the top of a cup of tea, the heat ever so slightly liquefies the caramel that is an integral part of the cookie - not quite a sandwich - and the result is Heaven. One year, due to a computer glitch, the cookies didn't get sent. When John called on this customer in the Summer, they apoligized to him. He replied that it was actually a relief, since what he thought had happened was that the cookies had come while he was out of town and that his wife (me) had eaten all 48 of them before he got back. Not true, but it would have served him right for traveling so much!