MTPonderings

Search for A New Normal

2010-10-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

There once was an intrepid writer
Who tried to keep the tone much lighter
But his life changed in a blink
As he struggles to think
How he can rediscover a world that is brighter

I'll be writing more in my regular mtponderings mode but I just wanted to mention a parallel process I've started to chronicle my new journey that started July 12th. I intend to keep this blog up but feel the separation will be helpful. Stay tuned. My other blog is

www.Search4NewNormal.blogspot.com

The Dawning of a New Age

2010-05-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

Two milestones bookended the fourth weekend of May
As we heralded a graduation and a major birthday
Sean boldly entered his fourth decade
While Evan went forth on a stage without shade
And both have showed how to create your own way.

As a tribute, we'll review some advice
Well meaning folks provide to be nice
We'll try not to find fault
As we take all with a grain of salt
And hope as guidance it will suffice

JB Grinnell adopted Greeley's plan
As he headed for destiny and became an Iowa fan
After leaving the ivy halls of Yale
He embarked hardy and hale
And realized the adage, "Go West, Young Man"

In the 60's another college grad
Looked for advice from his mom & dad
Hoffman's "Ben' was pulled aside
As "The Sounds of Silence made him deride
The whisper of "Plastics" which became a big fad.

Though Harold's outlook seemed somber and bleak
He needed a perspective that was very unique
The wisdom of the ages came from a youthful Maude
Despite as a couple they appeared rather odd
But she gave him the answer to life that he seemed to seek

Always look forward and not back where you're from
Thoreau says to follow the beat of a different drum
Many important things aren't learned in school
Hard knocks and experience are much more the rule
As richness of purpose will surely come

Do what you love and the money will come
It's more where you're going then where you are from
The early bird usually gets the worm
Live with your values and always stand firm
Whistle while you work, or at least try to hum

My advice fit when I "wore a younger man's clothes"
But now it just causes most people to doze.
Sometimes the best lessons come from mistakes
As we marvel at the twists our life path takes
The truth is that no one really knows

The result of all of this week's reflection
Is to vow to refrain from offering direction.
Sean & Evan have become great young men
They don't need my What, Why or When
But they will always have my love and affection.

The day dawned bright and clear, much like the futures of Sean & Evan, on the morning of May 21st, Sean's 30th birthday. Dianna, Merry, & I flew east on a red-eye through Detroit and back to Des Moines for Evan's graduation in Grinnell. We motored the 50 miles along I-80 in a light drizzle and caught up with Evan as he was handing in his last paper after staying up all night to finish it. I picked up a new Grinnell ball cap as my previous purchase from 45 months ago is, much like me, showing signs of wear. We ate at a nice local restaurant and got the tour of Grinnell which didn't take long since we only had to negotiate 4 square blocks. We left Evan & Merry who had a block party to attend and checked into our spartan but acceptable Super 8 motel 3 miles from campus and caught up on our rest from the red-eye. We tried to reach Sean for birthday greetings but missed him and will have to wait until he comes to Portland over Memorial Day for a show with the band.

Saturday was relaxing and slow paced as we wandered around town on a warm and muggy day but was highlighted by some great music performances. A number of vocal ensembles performed in the Chapel, ending with a poignant ending by the G-Tones who paid tribute to a member who had passed away due to a pole vaulting accident the previous week. They created an award in his and another classmate honor and presented it to a current member. We then went to the Senioe talent show and were enetertained by 11 acts including juggling, dancing, and singing of which Evan popped up three times. He played keyboard on a Dylan song, guitar on a folk spiritual, "The Water is Wide", and keyboards on a Billie Holiday song, "God Bless the Child", all songs that are 45 years old or more.. I was able to record most of it on my camera for later viewing.

Sunday we met Evan at his apartment and Dianna & Merry cleaned up the kitchen and dishes while Evan & I returned $20 in cans and bottles, the classic college savings account. Evan had backed some muffins and his girlfriend Mona had prepared a variety of foods for an evening potluck so he held an impronmtu picnic at the park next door. Evan had a reception for the Spanish department so I got to meet some of his classmates and his professors before he headed out to the potluck.

Monday, Graduation day was clear and hot so we made it to campus early and staked out some good seats in the shade as the temperature reached 93. The speakers were all earnest and enjoyable as Jeffrey Sachs of the Earth Institute lauded the values of Grinnell graduates, social purpose, diversity, community, mamagement skill, and scientific knowledge as keys to dealing with the issues of today. He highlighted 3 Grinnell graduates who changed the world for the better. Grinnell graduates who changed the world for the better - Harry Hopkins '12, the Architect of FDR's New Deal, Joseph Welch '14 who confronted McCarthy during the "Red Scare" of the 50's and helped turn public opinion around, and Robert Noyce '49, a Grinnell native who co-invented the semiconductor and founded Intel. Lanabelle Caplan Spencer '47 a longtime advocate and activist for gender equality spoke next and had some humorous and spot on college graduation one liners. Finally Sam Tanehaus '77, the NY Times Book Review editor emphasized slowing down and focus on the little things that connect us with each other. Check out the links at the bottom of the page if you want to hear more...
.
Evan paraded across the stage about 11:30 AM, one of many graduates wearing a green ribbon denoting a commitment to “pledging to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and trying to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work.” As the temperature rose, the black robed graduates faded but survived to toss their caps in the air around 12:30 CST. We celebrated at the picnic and joined the family of Mona and her brother Dean who also graduated. In one of those small world items, Evan and Dean had lived across the hall from each other freshman year.

.
We went out for Mexican that evening and prepared to pack up and head home the next day. Tuesday morning provided us with a classic Midwestern thunderstorm and deluge, making us grateful for the dry weather of yesterday. We had a farewell breakfast at the A&M cafe, a classic greasy spoon housed in an old garage that my dad would have loved - I had biscuits and gravy in his honor. Mona & Evan's roommate Cecelia joined us and then we said farewell and thanks to Grinnell as we headed west to the airport, dropping Mona off at her house just north of Des Moines. Although the storms didn't reach the airport, our flight was slightly delayed and we didn't touch down in Portland until 8:00 PM where Rose was waiting with transportation.
.
Seventy two years ago my dad hopped a freight train the day after Missouri graduation and headed west, eventually working in the CCCs just outside of Grants Pass, which set the stage for our permanent move to Oregon 20 years later. Thirty five years ago, the day after my Stanford graduation, I hopped in Ernie the truck, and headed north to Medford and got a phone call the next morning luring me to Portland where I have remained and can view all my work locations over the better part of 4 decades from my 17th floor office window. Evan hopped a plane and arrives back in Oregon with limitless possibilities and a resume of extensive world travel so stay tuned.... For now, he'll have time to decompress back home while he sorts through his options.
.
It's a time honored tradition to offer graduation advice like that of Art Link letter who passed away yesterday at 97 - "Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out." or Emerson, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. “Or Robert Louis Stevenson, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.", but on the plane ride a had an epiphany.
.

I read an article about generational differences and as a Baby Boomer (1946-1964); I realize I have a much different world view than Sean, a Gen-Xer (1965-1981) or Evan, as a Millennial (1982-2000). Boomers, in general, having had the benefits of a post war expansion were provided with ample opportunities and the potential for "me" centered entitlement has led to some of our social and economic excesses. - We tend to want our life to have meaning. Gen -X crew up during the economically challenging 80's and tending to develop more of an isolated lifestyle with value placed on individual expression. Millennial came of age in the midst of rapidly changing technology and want to be part of a cause in making a difference in the world - much more focused on the value to others than the benefit of self.
.
As a result, I realize that much of the advice and storytelling I've bombarded people with over the years is actually intended for someone I used to be, and is as useful to succeeding generations as tips on proper use of a slide rule or arguing the relative benefits of correction tape vs. Whiteout. Even many of my favorite phrases are dated - broken record, dial a phone, carbon copy. For another take on generational differences, check out the annual Mindset list from Beloit College....

http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/
.
So, I'll simply close with congratulations and the acknowledgment that I'm proud that Sean Ponder & Evan Ponder are here at this place and time, and the world is better for it - Love, Dad

For a recap of Grinnell graduation highlights, go here...

http://www.grinnell.edu/car/confops/commencement/2010/highlights2010

or listen to all the speeches and look for Evan around the 1:33 mark...

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/7180295

Dorothy Manin - Ace of Hearts

2010-05-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

The phone rang today with tough news to face

Dorothy, a stellar example of the human race,

Had passed, as a heart she would gladly share

Finally had gotten too much wear.

In the deck of Life she was an "Ace"

It makes one realize no matter how long

We're here, another verse of our song

Would be welcome to those still here

Who hold these connections most dear

As rights emerge from what might seem to be wrong

Memories are the footprints on our heart

Of all those who have played some part

In teaching us lessons, both "good" and "bad"

that are necessary to shape the life that we've had

So we're grateful to all from finish to start

Thanks again to Dorothy, who was one of the best

at living life with armfuls of zest

She showed you're never too old, if you don't think you are

And to keep reaching for the moon, as you might catch a star

Thus we bid adieu, and wish her sweet rest.

This morning we got one of those calls that you always dread, as our dear friend Dorothy Manin passed away peacefully late on May 7th at the age of 91, due to a heart attack earlier in the week. She was surrounded by her family and was lucid till the end, so it brought a gentle close to the life of an amazing and inspirational person. She had just attended a Women's Retreat in LA and a few weeks earlier had been down to Cabo San Lucas with family. The frequent flyer miles she racked up after the age of 80 would put most travelers to shame...

Dianna & I didn't even meet Dorothy until she was 81 but the last 10 years have been a fun ride. We've been to conferences, workshops, travel outings and celebrations over the years but rarely got to sit with her since she was always looking for new experiences and new people to get to know. One of her most familiar phrases was "Hi, I'm Dorothy, and I'm so glad to meet you", after which she would actively and intently listen and add another recruit to the ever growing club of Dorothy's Friends. She was great at remembering life's milestones and would often call or write with a congratulations, or condolence or thank you. Just 4 weeks ago she sent me a birthday card and the last phone conversation I had with her 10 days ago was a request to join an advisory board for her microlending non-profit she started a couple years ago after being inspired by the work of Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank. This was a woman who parasailed and skydived in her 70's and rode a Harley on her 85th birthday to get her to her 90's, both in age and mph. She was involved in the writing of two books in the last 10 years, "Project Everlasting", a book about the secrets of long lasting relationships that she researched by traveling cross-country in an RV interviewing couples with her grandson Mat Boggs and his friend Jason Miller. She also published a book last year called" 90 Ways to Put a Zip in your Life", and I think she could have turned it into a 26 volume set.

The one place we could sit down with Dorothy was at a pinochle table for a spirited game of cards. A few years ago we were playing 3 handed and after a back and forth bidding frenzy, I passed and smugly said I thought I had most of her suits blocked. She said, "Now that you've told me what I can't do, let me show you what I can do..", as she turned over the Ace of Hearts in the 3 card kitty and laid down 1000 Aces, which is quite rare in 3 handed Pinochle. That summed up her philosophy life and she definitely walked her talk.

Rick & I went out and played golf today and I told him I was treating it as a memorial round to Dorothy and on the 9th hole I chipped in from 40 yards with what I was sure was outside help. Appropriately enough, I shot a 91... Merry was visiting Dianna and planning their Mother's Day outing tomorrow when I got home so we sat down and played a few games of pinochle with Dianna being the rightful winner. With Betty White at 88 in the background hosting Saturday Night Live, I dusted off my blog for Dorothy and also sent a birthday note as a counterpoint to a dear friend who had a profound influence on my life, the impact which continues to resonate even now. Today was a good reminder to thank all those you can while they're here to hear....

Thanks again Dorothy - I'm so glad we met you...

HONO-EULA SUNSET

2010-03-08T23:11:00.000-08:00

+

Stories, much like life, wind and wend
Through stages of beginning, middle and end
This chapter ends with much success,
Filled with excitement and just a wee bit of stress'
With rest & relaxation as the overarching trend

Friday started with an Island hop
As we made Waikiki our final stop
Oahu has a much different pace
As people seem to be all over the place
From our 33rd floor room, we went out on top

Our visit to Pearl Harbor had an effect
As it caused us to take time to pause and reflect
On how war and its incessant ensuing strife
Can have a huge impact on a individual's life
And leave a world that's partially wrecked

We toured the city for sights to see
As we marveled at mountains and ogled the sea
As our energy diminished, we brightened our mood
By stopping in Wailua for good Mexican food
Then returned to the hotel named for the Banyan Tree

Our final day dawned sunny and bright
As we summoned the courage, strength and might
To pack our bags and head for home
As the time has ended for us to roam
And our odyssey ended with a much smoother plane flight

In general, I think things went quite well
As we enjoyed the company of Aunt Eula Belle
We'll miss the sunsets, and the soft ocean breeze
The sight of whales jumping and Merlin's knees
But the memories and photos will provide a great story to tell

Our trip comes to an end with a 48 hour visit to Honolulu. We packed up and bade farewell to Makahuena and headed off to the Lihue airport. With only 6 gates check-in is pretty quick so we had time to eat some sandwiches and play cards while we waited for our flight. When we landed, I rushed off to get our car and returned with a Jeep from Enterprise which had less legroom but more suitcase capacity. We piled in and took the scenic route in to Waikiki where we checked in to the Aston Banyon, on the east end of Waikiki a block from the beach. We had a 1 BR with 3 beds and kitchen on the 33rd floor with a great view of Diamond Head. Mary, Dianna, And I ruched down to catch a sunset and arrived just as it plopped into the ocean and before a rain shower greeted us. Merlin & Mary had stayed in the Hilton Prince Kuhio next door a few years ago, so we picked their restaurant for a meal and were served 1 foot diameter plates of Chinese Chicken Salad, Beef Stew, and Chicken Fried Steak. Fortunately it was a short walk back to our hotel and the elevator was sized for extra capacity. No internet connection was available, so I needed to save up my memories for a recap when I got back to Portland.

We had to be up early for our Grayline tour so we bounced out of bed and were picked up by our bus and its driver Ty for a full day of sightseeing. Tickets often sell out for the Arizona Memorial as tourists are shuttled by boat 150 at a time, so we hurried to ge our tickets. The Visitor Center is undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation and is partially open. so we milled arounfd until our 9:20 boat arrived. It was sunny but windy and our visit to the Arizona was sombre and emotioanlly powerful. Eula had lost a chilhood friend, CV Lee Jr. and she found his name in the center of the plaque. We then headed over by bus to the USS Missouri, the site of the signing of the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on Sept 2nd 1945. I had hoped to pick up more of a peace vibe but both the Arizona nad the Missouri resonated with the sense of sadness and loss that war brings. There never seems to be a winner when war is the mindset... We ate at the Missouri and then had a bus tour of Honolulu on the way home including a drive through the National Cemetery at Punchbowl. I had hoped we would stop since my dad had always told an eerie story of their 1984 visit when he sat down after walking the grounds and found we was seated next to a marker for T.J. Ponder. No stopping is allowed these days, so we drove on through and arrived back at the hotel by 3:00.

Since we had a car and some wanderlust, we drove out East toward Hanauma Bay but found the $7.50 charge/person a little steep. We worked our way around past scenic visitas to Kailua where we found a Mexican restaurant as a change of pace. We had a good meal and still made it back in time to catch a sunset by coming back on the Pali Hwy. We came home and started pre-packing before some card-playing. When everyone went to bed, I decided to stroll around Waikiki since it was only 9:00 and it gave me a little more sense of the Waikiki nightlife. I'm definitely more of a Kauai lifestyle kind of guy.

Leisurely morning as we packed and then headed into the heart of Waikiki so Mary could see the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. My dad had talked about playing volleyball on the grounds of the hotel when he was stationed here in 1944-45 so it was fun to imagine what life was like 65 years ago. Parking was a challenge, but I was able to find a small lot after dropping people off and letting everyone people-watch. Eula finally got to visit one of the ubiquitous ABC Stores, so with our checklist complete, we returned to the hotel, packed up and headed to the airport. Our flight left a little late, but the pilots shifted into high gear and we had a smooth and uneventful flight home. Merry picked us up about midnight and we gratefully got to bed about 1:00 AM. All in all, I think we can mark this trip down in the plus column as, from waht I saw, we all had aventuresd we enjoyed. I'll let the internet cool off for a few days and then I'll comment on how reentry to non-vacation life progressed. Aloha & Mahalo...

ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, HUMUHUMUNUKUNUKUAPUA'A FISH

2010-03-04T23:11:00.000-08:00

In honor of the birthday week

Of Dr.Seuss, we shall seek

To imagine how he would see

His books if located in Hawaii

In a way that's unique

Horton Hears a Hulu is one

Green Flash & SPAM could also be done

You could find Yertle on the Hawaiian Beaches

As well as the Starfruit Bellied Sneetches

This exercise in fun has barely begun

The simple to read Hop on Poipu

Would be something that all would find quite new

Mele Kalikimaka, so sayeth the Grinch

Is a phrase we might find that would work in a pinch

And it's easy to find a Beach Thong One & Thong Two

Morals abound as in the "Better Butter Battle"

Seuss loved to grab convention and give it a rattle

Another could be Ten Pineapples Up on Top

I could go on and on but I really must stop

As our time is short and must cease this prattle

"You're Only Old Once", the author once said

His advice hasn't ended although he's now dead

"Oh, The Places You'll Go!" is a fitting refrain

As we pack up tomorrow and hop on the plane

Well tanned, content and obviously well-fed

It's now apparent the downside of giving me a little too much free time and a self-imposed goal of recapping our activities here on vacation. However, I've rarely met a theme I couldn't twist for my own enjoyment, so don't expect things to return to normal even though the vacation is ending... Since this week marked the 106th birthday of Theodore Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) and a number of school activities were planned to celebrate reading, I thought I would offer my own tribute. Geisel was challanged to take a list of 250 words to create a book kids would be eager to read, and the resulting "Cat In The Hat" energized generations of readers, myself included. His rhyming pattern was anapestic tetrameter while I lean more to the simpler anapestics of the limerick style.

Actually got to come face to face with rain today a few times as we headed up to Elsie's with a treasure trove of unused food. I was able to get in the car before a squall soaked the Gang of Four but by the time wereached Lihue, the sun was emerging. Elsie had a church activity today that ran longer than she expected, so we missed her and dropped our food off in exchange for a last batch of fresh oranges. We did our final shopping at Hilo Hatties and dined at Costco before heading home. Dianna & Mary wanted to check out the shops in Koloa, so as designated driver I went with them and then stopped at the Hyatt where I was able to get a few blog-ready photos including a rainbow that preceded another intense rain shower which I got to soak in.

We had a whitefish (not red or blue) and two corn dish meal with dinner rolls as we cleaned out the refrigerator and then caught a nice windy sunset. Played cards and then prepared to pack up tomorrow for a 2:00 PM flight to Oahu.

ROLLING AROUND HEAVEN

2010-03-03T23:11:00.000-08:00

As the time approached Eleven O'Clock

We boarded Kilohana's rolling stock

We passed by the pigs and the cows

Saw trees with fruit laden boughs

And heard an occasional crow of the Cock

Our wheels were rolling as we did not lag

Filling with coffee and chocolate our reusable bag

The occasional shower didn't dampen our mood

As our cinnamon rolls highlighted our food

And we even got a cover photo for Hawaii Surfer mag.

We move closer to our Friday departure from Kauai and checked a couple more things off our to-do list. We had scrambled eggs with diced bacon & sausage as an accompaniment to another batch of cinnamon rolls, which came out much closer to the gold standard of my mom's Norwegian Cinnamon rolls. Rule of thumb - more butter is better...

The Kilohana Plantation had an hour long train ride around their grounds, so we hustled up to ride the rails. We passed through a variety of exotic tropical orchards and plantings and stopped to feed the wild pigs. The scene was reminiscient of the rush through some of the food lines at the Smith Luau we attended last week. At the conclusion of the ride we headed down to Port Allen to visit Kauai Chocolate under the guise of doing reseach for Ted and then picked up some coffee at the Kauai Coffee Company store. We stopped for a quick photo-op of Eula surfing in the mist and then headed home to resume the task of trying to empty the contents of our refrigerator before we pack up Friday morning. More shrimp, pork, fish, corn casserole and salad was consumed, but we're not making enough of a dent.

"Some watched while others must sleep", as we played some cards and watch the Duke-Maryland game before arriving at dinnertime with no appetites. Their was no sunset to view to speak of, so we passed the early evening with a series of Back Alley games and a Five Crowns match.

Tomorrow we pack up our perishable food to take up to Elsie's and do any last minute shopping. We don't fly over to Oahu until 2:00 PM on Friday so we'll save our packing until then. A famous birthday acknowledgement is in store for tomorrow. Stay tuned....

WIND ON THE WATER

2010-03-02T23:11:00.000-08:00

"Blowin' in the Wind" is something we know

As we're under the influence of a persistent low

But we won't bemoan our fate

Since food and scenery remain great

And it doesn't affect where we go

We hoped for a low pressure vacation

So this hasn't dimmed our elation

As the wind is blowing

The water is flowing

And beauty is evident at each location

Week One gave us our sun so to be fair Week Two is about air... We started the day with some excellent crab omlets and hash browns prepared by Merlin and then plotted our course for today. All we knew was that we'd be tacking into the wind as once again the day dawned cloudy and windy. My chore of the day was fixing the condo complex's guest computer which would entail a visit to the East side of the island, and we wanted to visit some of the great waterfalls on the island. We found the Computer Hospital in Kapaa and I had an enjoyable conversation with the owner. He wants to sell his business due to health problems but one computer business on my resume is enough for me although based on the level of support I've found so far, a guy could stay busy..

The Wailua River, home of the Fern Grotto and adjacent to Elvis's famous Coco Palms ( which sadly has fallen into complete disrepair since Hurricane Iniki in 1992) has a beautiful waterfall named Opeaka which has a view easily accessible off the roadside. We enjoyed the scenery and snapped a few photos including one of a parasailor on the beach at the mouth of the river. We then headed off to Wailua Falls, an impressive 80 foot falls made famous in "Fantasy Island" The flow was only moderate due to lack of rain but beautiful just the same. We returned home for lunch and I headed to the office and installed the new network card, loaded IE 8.0 and was relieved when a connection was established. I was given mahalo and fresh avacados, a variation of the country doctor taking chickens for service... although finding a chicken on this island wouldn't have been a problem either.

Played some cards and then Dianna & Mary went for a nice round-trip walk to Brenneke's and then we prepared dinner. Pork chops, corn casserole, and salad greeted us after a quick sunset viewing followed by an evening of spirited Back-Alley card playing. I prepared another batch of cinnamon rolls and deferred the blog entry until morning.

RAINY DAYS & MOON DAYS

2010-03-01T23:11:00.000-08:00

Tsunami Postscript....

In the last week, you've heard a familar refrain

That rarely have we encountered much rain

But the clouds rolled in

And the wind caused a din

Allowing just a glimplse of the moon's wax and wane.

Saturday's trauma had taken it's toll

So rest and recovery was our goal

While we sat around and waited

Our appetities were sated

By helpings of my Cinn-nami Rolls.

The day after the "Tsunami that Wasn't" dawned cloudy and windy, so we weren't in any hurry to get out and about. Merlin & Mary headed off to church after I whipped up some pancakes and scrambled eggs and the remaining Hawaii celebrants relaxed around the condo. Eula had yet to see the movie "UP" and since we were constantly joking about it in regard to our whale distractions, we all sat down to watch it. M & M returned from waht's probably our last major shopping trip and the they rested while I caught up on my reading and we watched a little TV. We watched virtually none of the Olympics while we were here as I was content to get my news from the Internet or work on my blog while we read our engaging in that somewhat forgotten art of conversation. I've enjoyed having time to get to know Eula and hear some of her stories and I think we've all valued a chance to just have "being" time instead of overloading on "doing" time.

Merlin prepared some of the salmon he brought back from his Alaska trip which resulted in an excellent meal finished off with brownies that Dianna had made. Since we didn't have any oil for the recipe, Dianna "Julia Child'ed" the recipe and substituted butter which worked great. We were looking forward for the Full Moon rise as the sun set, but the "clouds got in our eyes" and in the way, but I was still able to get a few photos. As the evening went on, the view improved but we had to fight the wind as we stood on the lanai. A few card games and then I stayed up to prepare some cinnamon rolls before bidding Aloha and Mahalo to February 2010.

Monday arrived even windier and cloudier, but did provide a spectacular veiled sunrise that I caught on camera. We had scrambled eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls, and a variety of island fruits for breakfast and then sent a small scouting party out to the Koloa Sunshine market for some Avacados for our afternoon taco-fest. We ran into the new friends from Florida that we had met at Koloa the previous Monday and hung out with Saturday at Kalaheo during our Tsunami-Watch and Dianna gave them some info on the McMasters slack-key guitar concerts. It's fun how easy it is to make connections when you've got a relaxed environment and willing participants... We returned to Makahuena and I went to the office to print our tickets for our Pearl Harbor tour in Oahu on Saturday. Their computer was on the blink and when the uttered the magic words, "Do you know anything about computers?", I switched into full Nerd mode (after idling at 80% for most of the vacation). The Network Interface Card needed to be replaced and as a 10+ year old techology,l I was skeptical I could find a substitute. I worked on it for 1/2 hour and then offered to look around when we went in to Lihue. I tried a few places but most people had no idea what I needed. With wireless capabilities built in to most computers and the declining cost of hardware, it's difficult to justify repair, so I may be out of luck - we'll see tomorrow..

We had a late lunch early dinner of tacos prepared under Eula's guidance, and then we headed off to our E Kanakapili Kakou concert which featued a Hawaiian pianist and Hula teacher/dancer. They were both very talented, but we all agreed that this season's offerings didn't have the spark of previous years. We got home by 9:00 and Eula was ready to call it a night while the four of us were able to get in four hands of pinochle before winding down. We hoping to take a train ride and visit a waterfall if the wind dies down a little.

SPLISH SPLASH, I WAS TAKING A BATH

2010-02-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

We were awakened by an unusual sound
As we were alerted to head for higher ground
We awaited the potential Tsunami's force
While perched on a hilltop golf course
A better refuge could not be found

The wave has come without fuss
Leaving only a memory that time will not muss
We give thanks for our fate
As we'll mark down this date
As the day the ocean almost visited us

So much for a restful Saturday... We were awakened by Tsunami Sirens at 6:00 AM and Mainland phone calls from friends and family alerting us to the potential for a Tsunami to hit the Islands around 11:30 AM local time. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake had hit 200 miles south of Santiago, Chile and generated a potential tsunami. Sixty years ago a 9.5 quake hit the same area and generated a wave that killed 1100 on Hilo, so everyone is being cautious. We decided to head to Kaleheo and parked at the community golf course with a view overlooking the ocean 947 feet above sea level. It turned into a community picnic as everyone brought out blankets and chairs and watched the horizon. We had bathroom and restaurant facilities and a great vantage point, so it was an ideal spot to "ride out the storm"

For our book club, I've been reading a “spiritual” memoir by a Eugene author, called “Rolling Around Heaven” and it seemed appropriate to sit in my sand chair facing the ocean to watch. I went up to the clubhouse for a slightly better vantage point out of the sun and worked on my blog since I figured this might generate more interest. I was tempted to pass time on the golf course but when they started landing helicopters on the first fairway, I retreated to my book. The event passed with only minor surges of a few feet on the other islands, so we headed back home around 2:00 PM so everyone could rest up from our "Waiting for the Flow" event. I had intended laundry to be my most exciting activity for Saturday and finally sudsed up around 5:00 PM. Dinner is slated to be shrimp and pork and corn with card playing in the evening. We're hopeing for uneventful slumber tonight. Stay tuned....

HANA-LAZY

2010-02-26T23:11:00.000-08:00

As we greet another active and sun-filled day
We head north to engage in frolic and play
We visit Elsie in Kapaa
Aquire Ono Burgers to gnaw
and end our visit in a land called Hanalei

We celebrated our first week on the Island by heading north again, this time to visit Elsie in Kapaa. We had a leisurley breakfast and then drove up by 11:00 to Elsie's and visited for about an hour. About 6 weeks ago she got knocked down by a car that was backing up and broke an arm and was seriously bruised and just now had recovered. She filled our truck with fresh oranges from her tree and we vowed a return visit to off-load our extra food before we leave next week. An item on our to-do list was to eat at Ono Burger at Anahola so we stopped in for lunch. The burgers were as good as advertised so we went down to Anini Beach to digest and enjoy the view. Dianna got to stick her toes in the water before we headed to the Kiluaeu Lighthouse. Eula got a ride up to the viewing area and we enjoyed some beautiful views and whale action.

We headed in to Hanalei for Doug & Sandy McMaster's Slack-Key guitar concert at 4:00 PM and enjoyed a wonderful relaxing concert. Eula won a lei in the raffle but was allergic to the flowers so she passed it on to Dianna. Doug and Sandy are trying to put togeter a Mainland tour so we offered them a place in Portland if they make the trip come to fruition. Shopping stops at Walmart, Costco, and Big Save for milk, a roasted chicken, gas and other staples preceded a late dinner. Cards and then bed – no big plans for Saturday so we can rest....

BUTTER MY BUNS & CALL ME A BISCUIT

2010-02-25T23:11:00.000-08:00

We motored West with a skip, jump and hop
As it's time to head to the Waimea Canyon top
We dine at Shrimp Station
Arrive at our primary destination
Then aquire Hanapepe fruit at our last stop

We decide to “Entertain the Costco Way”
As we've shopped for large quantities for our stay
Our knife and fork
Were used to cut pork
And fresh biscuits were eaten without delay

Thursday dawned partly cloudy and breezy but we figured it was our best chance to get a look at Waimea Canyon as the forecast sounded indifferent later in our stay. We hadn't eaten at the Shrimp Station during the Town Celebration so we stopped in before we attempted our ascent. We're finding out Eula's not much of a fish person, so she dined on a kosher hot dog while the rest of us had shrimp. There's a reason they're not known as the Hot Dog Station.. We climbed toward the top of the Canyon and got our best accessible views at the first lookout. Eula gamely hiked up to a viewpoint but we realized the upper view would be too tough for her to negotiate. We had a brief stop at Kokee State Park and then headed back in time to shop at the Hanapepe Sunshine Market.

We returned home for a chance to fully benefit from our Costco shopping trip. Merlin pan-fried some pork chops that were so thick they needed to be sliced in half, Mary made gravy, Dianna prepared a portion of our 5 lb bag of frozen corn and I whipped up a batch of biscuits. In honor of the Olympics, I shaped these in a variety of forms ranging from hockey pucks to curling stones. Despite the looks, the taste was still medal-worthy. Played a couple of card games and then retired for the evening.

....A Tale of a Fat-Full Trip...

2010-02-24T23:11:00.000-08:00

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fat-filled trip...
That started at a tropic port
In search of a chocolate chip

The Professor & Mary Ann were the only ones on board
As they went in search of treasure inside a cacao gourd
The tastings were long and hard, at the end they were quite spent
The result of ten flights of cacao averaging 70+ percent

Endorphins started to kick in as they began to feel quite mellow
Hugs were eagerly exchanged between more than one gal and fellow
The quest was rewarded at the end of a three-hour tour
As the chocolate overload provided anti-oxidents for a 2 week cure

Once they finished the adventure of the cacao
It was time to press on for a full-body luau
Thrilled by Hawaiian,Tahatian and Maori dance
They ate plenty and left nothing to chance
As they sampled the offerings of pig,fish,and cow

Got a chance to start our day with a chocolate tour in the highlands of Kapaa. With the decline of pineapple and sugar agriculture on the island, business leaders are exploring the potential of niche crops with value added potential and cacao is one such crop. The growing climate of Kauai is well suited to cacao and vanilla, so we got to see efforts at an experimental farm in the hills of the east side about Kapaa. We joined about 2 dozen our intrid souls as we sampled various tropical fruits and honey and then learned of the process of converting raw cacao into familar chocolate servings. Thanks to Ted's expertise and chocolate tastings we've done back in Hillsdale, much of this was familar, but we some some interesting new techniques and equipment, icluding a chocolate grist mill that will grinf cocoa nibs down to a smooth paste after 24 hours of processing. We tasted 10 differnt types of dark chocolate ( containing no milk solids) with cacao concentrations of 60% -78% and rated them. Our tour guide was knowledgable and entertaining so it was definitely time well spent.

We made a Lihue Costco run and availed ourselves of the $3 Costco gourment lunch for 2 and picked up some staples for the week ahead. We got back to the condo by 2:40 and had about 90 minutes before we needed to head out for our Smith Luau. Played some cards and then all five of us headed back east to the Wailua River, the site of Smith's Fern Grotto boat trips and the Tropical Paradise, where the luau and stage show occur 3 times a week. We toured the grounds, saw the unveiling of the Kalua pig and sat done to a boutiful luau. Teriyaki Beeef, Kalua pork, sweet & sour Mahi-Mahi, chicken, and great coconut custard and coconut cake more than satisifed me. We had center seating for the hour long stage show highlighted a variety of ethic dance styles in the Islands, including an enthusiastic fire juggler. Had a perfect evening to enjoy the experience and we all returned home pleased by 10:00 PM. Tomorrow may be a trek to Waimea Canyon..

I'm having difficulty consistently and conveniently posting pictures on the blog, so we'll be mostly text until I figure this out. I have a good backlog of interesting photos to support my documentation...

Happy Birthday to Rick Seifert and Leah Rutz, two bright stars for their respective generations that, among other things, have nutured the success of the Hillsdale Farmers Market! Thanks for being- right here - right now... MTP

It's Always Sunny in Poipu-delphia

2010-02-23T23:11:00.000-08:00

Time on the Island moves at a different pace.
The rats here are turtles and there is no race
Everything is magical, filled with surprises
Your only guarantee is that the sun always rises
And provides a fresh day to fully embrace

Schedules fade as an Island rhythm emerges
A laid-back attitude replaces those old needs and urges
Whether by food, music, or soft ocean breezes
fading sunlight or a floral aroma that pleases
Allow ebb & flow like a wave as it surges

I suppose I don't need to give a long list,
as you probably already get the gist
We're having a good time
Even if it doesn't always rhyme
Though certain details are missed.

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were filled with those things that we enjoy so much about Hawaii, but probably seem less inspiring from a distance. We've had great sunrises and sunsets, the whale actions has been frequent, and we continue to marvel at the front row seat we have from our lanai. The weather has been about the best I can remember although we are transitioning from perfect to delightful to merely pleasant by weeks end.

Merlin and Mary were able to make it to Lihue to church on Sunday and stock up at the "general store" (Wal-Mart) before returning to lunch, some card playing, and the requisite nap option. Since we had raced around Waimea on Saturday, we figured we'd stay close to home on Sunday.

I was in charge of breakfast on Monday, so we had pancakes and sausage and then made sure we were in position for the Koloa Sunshine Market at noon. This is a cross between a typical Summer Hillsdale Farmers Market and a 5:30 AM post-Thanksgiving "Black Friday" sale with eager buyers awaiting the signal to shop. We rode the surf of shoppers and emerged 15 minutes later with our prizes of papayas, apple bananas, radishes, green beans, avocados, and other tropical bounty. Our Monday night enertainement was E Kanikapila Kakou, the free Feb-Apr music show which means "Let's Strike up the Music", and showcases Hawaiian musical talent. It's these shows in the past that we've seen everyone fro 17 year old to 100 year old ukulele whizzes and learned much about Hawaiian cultural traditions in song and dance. Hula and music from Maui was presented Monday night and was located at a new venue which took away a lot of the intimacy from the old location but made the performace accesible to more people. We didn't get home until after 10:30, so we decided to defer our plans to head up to Waimea Canyon until Thursday and let everyone sleep in.

Tuesday was quiet as we only went out at lunch to get takeout and eat down at Brennakes Beach before3 coming back to enjoy cards and reading. Merlin prepared some of the halibut he caught in Alaska this summer, so the whales weren't the only things that migrated from Alaska to Hawaii for our enjoyment. Played a variety of card games before everyone retired. Dianna & I get to go on a 3 hour tour of a Cacao Farm tomorrow and then we're all attending a Smith Luau in the late afternoon, so we'll have a full enjoyable day. Aloha until tomorrow...

"AS SEEN ON TV"

2010-02-20T23:11:00.000-08:00

A mind like mine is a terrible thing to waste
Under the guise of keeping decorum and good taste
But by arousing my muse
I’ll fabricate some news
And endeavor to do so with much haste

This time of year there is little vacillation
As for a fortnight we abandon our vocation
The call of Hawaii does beckon
Its impact is something we reckon
Will lead to a restful vacation

Day One of S.P.A.M. 2010
Always provides things on which we depend
Sunrise, breezes, palms and a whale slap
Laughter, good food, and sunset are fodder for my rap
But will it show up in the words I have penned?...

As I was saying when I last wrote 248 days ago… thank goodness for a metaphysical GPS - the inner nudging that gets you where you need to go despite your best conscious efforts to go in a different direction. Through fits and starts and ups and downs, we have managed to make our way back to Kauai, about 50 yards east of where we started last year for another round of the S.P.A.M. Chronicles. For those who may have slept in the last year, this will be a sporadic recap of our Hawaiian adventures in the areas of Sights, Play, Activities, and Music in a mnemonic tip of the hat to Hawaii’s favorite meat by-product. Pictures and descriptions to follow…

Today’s theme is “As Seen on TV” and In a scene out of National Lampoon’s Vacation , we held our breath and crammed our luggage in the Caddy as we headed out with a new participant to our tropical party, Eula Belle Burks, Dianna’s great-aunt on her dad’s side of the family. We had the good fortune of having her and her son Barry come up from Visalia, CA join us for Thanksgiving in Portland, so we invited her to join us in February. We boarded our plane without incident but then found ourselves somewhere between “Airport 77” and “Airplane” when Eula & Mary had the misfortune of being trapped in the lavatory during a particularly violent and unexpected period of turbulence. Eula wedged herself in and hung on vowing not to get bucked off the toilet as she once was off a horse… The hopper to Lihue was much calmer and we were able to get a car with even bigger trunk and be on our way..

First priority was food, so Hamura’s Saimen Shop filled the bill and our stomachs and we arrived at our new digs just after sunset. We were staying in a different unit which we also got from VRBO.com and in a small world coincidence it was owned by an Aptos acquaintance of my college friends Carolyn & Rich. She ended up selling thee unit in December, but we still felt there was a nice connection. Once we walked in and saw the view from our lanai we knew we were in the right place as we overlook the point where we would hike out each morning of our stay over the last few years to view sunrise. Now we can sit on our deck and watch whales cavorting. Our attention span is now similar to the dogs’ “Squirrel” moments in the Pixar movie “UP”

Our big event for Saturday was the Waimea Town celebration which had ideal weather this year. Merlin has retired from the ukulele competition but we still in our element in the ice cream eating contest. The organizers of the event all recognized and welcomed Merlin back which reminded us again of the benefit of the warmth of communities like Hillsdale & Waimea. We returned home after sampling some of the local wares at the fund raising booths and found an electrician working on a sticky problem regarding lack of power in one of the upstairs bedrooms. When we mentioned we had just come from Waimea, he said he recognized Merlin from the TV as the local channel had been replaying last years Ukulele Contest. When we talked about the Monday night performers we had enjoyed over the years, he said his grandmother had played with Bill Tapia (who is now 102) at the Royal Hawaiian. We had a good chat and a successful outcome as electricity was flowing by dinnertime.

We raced down t o a glorious sunset and then had fish & chicken burritos with the leftovers from lunch. We watched “UP” and everyone retired after a busy day while I swept the cobwebs from my blog and posted one man’s view of Paradise circa Feb 2010…

Degrees of Freedom

2009-06-17T00:13:00.000-07:00

On this I think we can all agree
The secret isn’t found in a degree
Embracing challenges each day brings
Provides us with many interesting things
It’s Living while Learning that sets us free

We had an enjoyable weekend motoring south to Corvallis to celebrate Cody’s graduation from OSU on Saturday. We met everyone at The Original Breakfast in Albany at 7:00 AM and beat the graduation rush before consuming a weekend’s worth of calories. We all parked at Cody & Amy’s place and strolled over to Reser Stadium for the ceremony. It had rained on us on the way down and lightly misted for a half hour as we were settling in to our seats, but the weather improved as the morning went on and we were unlayering by the end. The graduation speakers covered the usual turf successfully and succinctly: the student body president open with the Helen Keller quote ”When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us”; the Alumni Association president reminded everyone of the network available as alums, which set the tone for the keynote speaker, Jen-Hsun Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. He offered 3 wishes for the class of 2009 – Love your work, Embrace failure (don’t play safe), and Think like a Child, which echoes Einstein’s quote that “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

I ‘m proud of Cody’s accomplishments and was glad to be in attendance with family for the celebration. I know he and Amy are entering an amazing phase of life with plenty of possibilities, and I look forward to watching things unfold.

It’s the 34th anniversary of my Stanford graduation and I was reflecting on the differences and similarities of graduations 3 ½ decades apart. Like now, the country was dealing with an ill-advised military entanglement and had just seen an out-of–favor President leave office. The Dow Jones was languishing in a bear market at 858 and inflation was 9.2% Oil had just recently rocketed to $13/ barrel resulting in gas of more than 50 cents/gallon. A stamps was 10 cents, but leaped to 12 cents on New Years Eve 1975. Minimum wage was $2.10/hr and I was soon to start a job @ $1200/month and my rent was $165 for an apartment overlooking Washington Square. Tiger Woods and Angelina Jolie were born during the year and the big inventions were the digital camera, laser printer, and the dueling formats of Betamax & VHS for video recording. This was a time of typewriters, turntables and 8 track tapes. Jobs and Wozniak were stil two years away from introducing the Apple II – the hot technology was calculators from HP and Texas Instruments. My senior project with Vince was working with the first programmable calculator the HP-65 which cost $795 (the average new car cost $4500) so when HP introduced a $150 unit, much of my early paycheck went toward that.

I graduated on a Sunday June 15th, drove to Medford on a Monday, woke up to a phone call inviting me to interview with FMC in Portland on Thursday ( where I was headed to a Gordon Lightfoot concert), and found myself starting my job on Monday June 23rd. I then get a call enticing me to come to Reno to work for Bill Harrah & Bill Lear (of Lear-Jet fame) as a workforce planner for the Casino for 50% more pay. I thought it would be bad form to quit after 3 days and I never could imagine myself as a “casino” guy. This just points out that I had no clue as to the opportunities that would show up once I headed out into the real world, and still don’t have firm control of the steering wheel of life – thank goodness for metaphysical GPS….

C'mon Get Happy!

2009-06-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

It’s not caused by McCain or Obama
Nor passed down from Papa & Mama
Connection and fun after a fashion
And a purpose that stirs passion
Yields true happiness, says the Dalai Lama

Our current book reading is based on David Wann’s “Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in A Sustainable Lifestyle” (http://www.davewann.com/ ) Taking a page (leaf?) from the Slow Food movement, we’re using the Slow Read method, reading a few chapters per month of this book and bringing in related articles to discuss. Our first session, with required potluck, introduced to the book and posed the questions, What is true wealth, and What is Happiness, and why do people crave it? We had the opportunity to see the Dalai Lama when he came to Portland a few years ago, and his message was that the one thing all people want is to be “happy”. They just disagree in how to accomplish that.

Psychologist Martin Seligman, author of “Authentic Happiness” postulates that happiness contains elements of pleasure, engagement or connection with others, and meaning, such as altruistic or service related activities. Modern consumptive societal patterns tend to wade in the shallow end of this pool, trying to find happiness in “stuff” while deeper and more resonant results come from connecting with others and using your unique gifts and talents to benefit more than just you.

This topic came up in another context when I heard about the 72 year longitudinal study of Harvard students which was seeking to find the secret to what makes a “good life” 268 Harvard underclassmen, including many powerful people such as Ben Bradlee of the Washington Post, and JFK were interviewed, measured, and recorded throughout their lives and a review of the archives is fascinating. George Vaillant was the long time director, and his personal story shows the challenges of trying to find a simple answer to the question of what can we do to be happy. In the end though, it shows a mechanistic view of happiness or life in general can't explain the mystery (http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200906/happiness )

I reflected on these things after a number of relevant events in the last week. Dianna & I spent a thoroughly enjoyable Memorial Day weekend at Oceanside with Ted & Meg & Rick. We had great food; great weather, and great company. Rick & I even assisted Ted in some productive work. (You can see our "Pathway to Happiness" in the photo above)

I also got to see Sean and his band before they headed off on their 5 week 20 performance tour of the country and was reminded once again how pursuing your passion is priceless. Also, last night, I co-taught the last class of The Center for Earth Leadership's “How to Be an Agent of Change In Your Circle of Influence”, and was inspired by the creativity and enthusiasm of the participants. We went to see "Star Trek" tonight and the same message of fun, connection with others, and a higher purpose played out with great special effects and a clever nod to the memories of those of us who grew up inspired with Star Trek ideals....

I think among all the events, I had plenty of evidence to validate Seligman’s hypothesis.

In coming weeks, I’ll share more on any insights that come from our readings or any other randow nudges I get.

STP #29

2009-05-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

As May 20th ended, I was quite STumPed
Until to a logical conclusion I jumped
A poetic tribute would not be hard to STooP
As long as I highlighted Reeble Jar, his musical group
I knew it would be hard to know when to SToP
But I had to mention his Glass-blowing shop

It’s rare for him to encounter a hill that’s too STeeP
Though one once caused the demise of his first early Jeep
He’s always been one to take the next STeP
Since he’s a happenin’ guy who’s always quite hep
Who continues to leave his unique STamP
On the Eugene city that’s quite damp

So, in closing, it is with much glee
As the last year approaches of his decade three
That with the coming dawn
We celebrate all that is Sean
On the occasion of the 29th birthday of STP

Writing a blog entry as a tribute to Sean is like describing a symphony in 4 notes... it can be done but it leaves out a lot of highlights and nuance... (Try G-G-G-Eflat....)

At 6:30 PM on Wednesday, May 21st 1980, Sean Thomas Ponder arrived in Portland Oregon during the aftermath of the Mt. St. Helen's eruption and just missed by 6 hours being born on the least likely birthday among the current population. (Oct 5th is the most common...) This would be a harbinger of Sean's style of being unique. Music has been a part of Sean's life since early on and most people are aware of his current performance with his band http://www.myspace.com/reeblejar but few people know Sean is one of only a handful of people to play the Theremin under the tutealge of Leon Theremin in 1991 at Stanford (who also gave Einstien lessons, but said he wasn't very musical) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_Theremin and to call up and talk to Bob Moog directly when 11 year old Sean decided to build a Theremin for his science project.

Sean's integration of music and glass-blowing also has followed an unusual path. He moved to Eugene and attended Lane CC and apprenticed as a glass blower and then when his bosses decided to close up shop, they handed him their customer list and Sean became a small business owner in his early 20's servicing accounts nationwide. It's an amazing balancing act, keeping the band going while working to pay the bills, so this summer's road trip with the band should be a great adventure after a lot of hard work. Reeble Jar will play in Portland at Goodfoot on May 30th and then leave June 2 for a month long tour of at least 11 states...

As the first person to meet Sean, I've always been honored by the privilege and am proud of who he is and the impact he's had so far. His grandfather was one of his biggest fans and vicariously shared in many of Seans adventures. I look forward to continuing to cheer for him - as long as I can stay up late enough...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEAN!

It's Later Than You Think (2:30)

2009-05-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

This aging thing has never seemed nice
As no injuries for me would more than suffice
But I’m facing the truth
That I sprained my tooth
So I must elevate my mouth and fill with ice.

LEONATO…

Brother, men can counsel and speak comfort to that grief

Which they themselves not feel; but, tasting it,

Their counsel turns to passion, which before

Would give preceptial medicine to rage,

Fetter strong madness in a silken thread,

Charm ache with air and agony with words:

No, no; 'tis all men's office to speak patience

To those that wring under the load of sorrow,

But no man's virtue nor sufficiency

To be so moral when he shall endure

The like himself. Therefore give me no counsel:

My griefs cry louder than advertisement.

ANTONIO...

Therein do men from children nothing differ.

LEONATO...

I pray thee, peace. I will be flesh and blood;

For there was never yet philosopher

That could endure the toothache patiently,

However they have writ the style of gods

And made a push at chance and sufferance.

Much Ado About Nothing, 5.1, 21-39 Thanks to VagabondScholar

I understand the sequence of decline from muscle to muscle memory to memory but the aches and pains of aging still irritate. After lucking out with years of injury free athletic activity back in the 20th century except for a few rolled ankles and an unfortunate intersection of softball and eyeball, I thought the likelihood of injuries would diminish as I aged. I was embarrassed by pulling a hamstring for the first time when I was bowling with Rick 10 years ago, but I think I topped that recently. Last week I was enjoying some popcorn, bit down funny and hurt my tooth. It bothered me for a day and a half so Monday I made an appointment with our long time dentist.

Dianna and I both grew up with unfluoridated well water so we both carry amalgam accumulations that are reaching end of life, so I assumed I broke a filling. After poking, prodding & extra X-rays, Dr. Jarvis deduced I had injured a ligament holding a molar in place – effectively “spraining” it. He said it should recover in a couple of weeks and approved noshing, but no gnashing…

Thought the Shakespeare quote would add some class to the site…

On a more interesting note, I ran across a intriguing site at our monthly “Engineers for a Sustainable Future” meeting. We had representatives from newly named Neighborhood Natural Energy (nee Northwest Neighborhood Energy) http://www.n2e.org/ , scaled district energy provider. Their ideas have interesting potential but they are affiliated with a social entrepreneur networking site for seed funding sustainable projects called The Change Exchange ( http://www.thechangexchange.org/ ) This site opens the door to a number of interesting projects and I look forward to following progress and reporting on ideas in future blog entries…

Oh, Canada!

2009-05-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

.

.

Adventures to the North are the latest thing new

As Victoria provided many enjoyable things to do

We walked and we ate

As the sightseeing was great

Plus we all avoided the "Moose" flu

We were able to get away for a nice 4 day vacation to Seattle and Victoria at the beginning of May to celebrate John & Sally's 25th wedding anniversay on May 1st and John's 67th birthday on May 4th. We drove up Friday afternoon with tempertures in the high 70's - quite a contrast to last year's commute in the snow. We had a wonderful seafood celebration at Anthony's on the waterfront in Edmunds Friday night and then took the Victoria Clipper hydrofoil to Victoria Saturday morning. A comfortable 2 1/2 hours later we made the 10 minute walk to our condo at Fisherman's Wharf, dropped off our luggage and headed out to explore Victoria.

As with our Hawaii vacation, things felt quickly familar and we were able to locate some favorite spots although we did add a new ice cream shop to our itinerary. A lunch choice from last year was closed so we had Chinese instead and then after browsing and checking in, we had dinner at the Marriott. We all gave positive reviews to our meal including the clam chowder and prime rib I had and our leisurely meal provided refuge from the storm that blew north from Portland and Seattle. By the time we walked home, the rain had stopped and we only had to fight the wind on the way home. The Church of Truth across the street from our condo was hosting Argentina Tango - and here I was without my shoes... We poked our heads in, but they could tell we weren't part of the in-crowd - Evan would have enjoyed it though..

Sunday dawned with possibilities as the weather system had moved through, so we booked a tour of Butchart Gardens and as the pictures above indicate, had a wonderful day of strolling through the flowers. Our dinner out was just across the street from our condo at the Superior, a hip jazz club with great food and unusual decorating style.

We originally had planned on staying until Tuesday, but John had an important conference in NYC that started Tuesday, so we arranged to take the 6:00 ferry Monday night. Since we didn't need to check out we lounged around our room and watched the DVD "Mame" and packed in fish and chips from Barb's on the Wharf. Packe dup and headed home and once again the weather hit during our commute but had stopped by the time we disembarked. Heavy rain hit Seattle overnight, but John made it to the airport by shuttling off at 6:30 and Dianna & I headed home by 10:00 AM. Smooth sailing by land through light rain got us home by 2:00 PM and we were able to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Merry with dinner and cards Tuesday night.

I highly recommend a Canada visit - exchange rate is good ( 82 cents US to Canadian $), sights are plentiful and Canadians are friendly. We're already planning next years visit in early May before we head off to Iowa by May 23rd to celebrate Evan's graduation.

Still waiting for May weather to kick in before it turns rainy for Rose Festival - stay tuned...

"Go Crazy Folks, Go Crazy" *

2009-04-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

-

-

It's never bad form
-

To question the norm
-

It doesn't matter if you're six
-

Or wait until 47 to get your kicks
-

Even if you go through life named Storm
-

Thursday night we had a chance to see the one woman play"Crazy Enough" which was the autobiographical musings of Susan Storm Large, a self-described 6 foot blond "Glamazon" rock & roll singer and actress. She had performed to critical aclaim as Sally Bowles in "Cabaret" last year but this current play was really an amazing production. Although I would need to use ampersands and apostrophes in unusual ways if I quoted some of the lyrics or dialogue, it was one of those most poignant performances I have seen. As a nine year old, Storm was told by a doctor that she'd be as crazy as her mother by 21, and having no reason to disbelieve an authority figure, she decided to make the most of the next two decades. Sex drugs, and rock & roll were her currency and she spent with abandon, but now as she approaches 40, she's comfortable with being "crazy enough" to deal with life. She astutely observes that getting outside the box is what's need to creatively and succesfully negotiate the ups and downs of our existance. http://news.opb.org/article/4768-storm-large-crazy-enough/

A couple of YouTube videos that have been circulating also seem to reinforce the theme of what is normal and acceptable and how important it is to stay true to your talent and dreams.. A few months ago,, a British 6 year old named Connie Talbot wowed the judges of "Britain's Got Talent" ( the inspiration for American Idol) and just recently, a 47 year old Scottish woman, Susan Boyle won over skeptics with her performance. If you watch both of these singers, the most interesting thing is their complete focus and belief in what they are meant to do and how to do it. I would assume a degree of discomfort or nervousness when being in front of an audience but both singers seem amazing calm and in control.

Connie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mpVtxXJlmk

Susan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOSVASPz3u4

I guess that's one of major questions we get to answer while we're here - what unique talent or gift do I have, and how do I express it in its highest form? We need to ask ourselves these questions every day - it would be crazy not to...

*The title quote refers to Jack Buck's call of a walk off home run by Ozzie Smith in the 1985 NCLS aginst the LA Dodgers.

It's My Birthday Quote, Unquote...

2009-04-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

April 11 brings my 56th birthday

Which could be a cause for dismay

Although the candles increase

The wonders never cease

As long as I remember to play

When you're young, birthdays are a good excuse to invite friends over to play... has pin the tail on the donkey ever been played outside a birthday party? My favorite parties when I was young usually involved rounding everyone up for a baseball game - I asked my dad if I could burn off one of our two acres to build a baseball field in March 0f 1963 and celebrated with a true sandlot game and, as a result, that field was the site of hundreds of games over the next 2 decades. In college, I was kidnapped with a pillow over my head, put in a car and delivered to homeplate outside of our freshman dorm for an impromptu game with friends. I tried to organize a game for my 30th birthday, but Portland weather isn't as amenable to mid-April basking as Stanford's is.

(A nice postscipt to the day came with Albert Puljos hitting a grand slam and a 3 run HR as the Cards beat Houston 11-2 and at least for a day are in first place!)

These days, my celebrations aren't as active though nice weather will lure me out for a round of golf, but today's forecast is mixed. As a result, I'm inside posting. I've decided for this entry to collect some of the more approriate quotes regarding birthdays and also include a nice poem that Deborah wrote for me - my transcedentalist high school English teacher, Edna Stewart would have approved...

PONDERING THE PONDERER

Methinks time spent in soft repose
Is oft mistook for idle doze.
But here we’d have some hard debate
Does one daydream or cogitate?

Reflection on the past to date
May be to some, to ruminate
While others find their thoughts best spent
Toward future plans of high assent.

But neither here nor there, not up nor down
Is where ideals and dreams must crown.
For thoughts, like roads, are seldom drawn
Intending they not be traveled on.

In any trek detours are found
Amid deep thoughts our dreams abound.
So now and then, one supposes
we must stop and think of roses.
-- Deborah Huxley
April 2009

I’m 56 years old. That’s 13.33 Celsius

Of late I appear

To have reached that stage

When people who look old

Who are only my age.

- Richard Armour

My birthday!--what a different sound

That word had in my youthful ears;

And how each time the day comes round,

Less and less white its mark appears.

- Thomas Moore

Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age.

The years between fifty and seventy are the hardest. You are always being asked to do things, and yet you are not decrepit enough to turn them down.- T.S. Eliot

The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.- Muhammad Ali

Life is a whim of several billion cells to be you for a while.
-Groucho Marx

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”
-Abraham Lincoln

“All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.”
George Harrison

When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that never happened. It is sad to go to pieces like this but we all have to do it.
-Mark Twain

Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle.
-Bob Hope

Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.

Happy birthday, you’re not getting old,

Stay in the game, it’s not time to fold.

Wrinkles and grey hair, are just a new look,

Countless experiences, you should write in a book.

A birthday is seldom, a serious occasion,

Try not to take it, like the D-day invasion.

Laughter and jokes are within sight,

Stock up on both, all through the night.

The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left but as you get older, it turns back to the right….

I still have a full deck; I just shuffle slower now.

If we could be twice young and twice old we could correct all our mistakes.

Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair

Everyday is Earth Day!

2009-04-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

It's time to discover some change to effect

While showing the planet some long overdue respect

As we all recognize the true worth

Of this blue-green jewel known as Earth

We move toward becoming sustainably correct

I just finished co-teaching the first of a 6 part class on"Becoming a Change Agent in Your Circle of Influence", a course created by Dick & Jeanne Roy of the Center for Earth Leadership (a link is listed under Sustainability) This class helps provide suggestions for encourging change within the groups we live, work & play. This class fit's nicely with all the April Earth awareness activities such as the currert Arbor week, the PSu Symposium on Water Use and the Earth Day festivities that occur in 2 weeks. I thought I would include a photo from my high school days at Earth Day #2 where we planted some tree, and the famous Apollo * photo that reminded everyone of the need for a unifying vision for addressing the Earth's ecological challeges.

Over the next few months, I'll highlight some of the many resources available to those who want to make incremental changes in their environmental footprint. At the bottom of this entry you'll find a few suggestions thanks to the Energy Trust of Oregon (http://www.energytrust.org/).

On a completely unrelated note, I am reminded that TS Elliot said "April is the cruelest month" and he clearly was referring to today's opener for St, Louis. I listened as StL took a 4-3 lead to the ninth inning with 2 outs and an 0-2 counts before losing 6-4 on a bases-clearing double. I'll hope the sun comes up tomorrow with a different result...

No-cost Projects
Ten tips to save energy that don’t cost a dime

A lot of savings can be generated from personal choice and actions.

1. Practice thermostat control. During the heating season, it’s estimated that you can save about 2 percent on the heating bill for every degree you lower the thermostat.

2. Night setbacks pay off. A 10-degree night setback while you’re in bed can work wonders on the bill.

3. Use hot water as required. If you have a choice on your clothes washer or dishwasher, use the Energy Saver mode. A cold water wash or rinse can be just the ticket at times.

4. Turn down a too-high water heater thermostat. For most households, 120°F water is just right… about halfway between the low and medium setting.

5. Don’t heat or cool rooms that are not in use.

6. Take shorter showers. You’ve heard that one before as well — but it works.

7. To keep your home cool, adjust shades, blinds and draperies to block the sun's hot summer rays. Let hot air out with attic vents and make sure soffit vents are not blocked. This keeps you and your attic cooler and it also extends the life of your shingles.

8. Clean heating system filters regularly.

9. After your fireplace fire has been “cold” a couple of hours, close the vent. Warm air rises… so will your bill. Why heat the great out-of-doors?

10. Turn off lights, computers and home electronics when not in use.

A relatively small investment can reap big dividends.

11. Programmable thermostat — You may need to upgrade your existing thermostat to maximize energy efficiency. Newer models have “smart” features built in that can automatically provide night setbacks and other important features. Before purchase, make sure you review your heating system operations manual as there are many types of thermostats and each is tailored to specific systems. If necessary, ask a qualified heating-cooling contractor to install your thermostat to ensure optimum performance.

12. Compact fluorescent bulbs — High quality compact fluorescent bulbs come in a variety of models for just about any use. They cost more than incandescent, but they last a whole lot longer… and can save energy but please recycle properly. A typical 100-watt incandescent might be rated for 750 hours, while a comparable 25-watt fluorescent is 10,000 hours. The outdoor models are perfect for those porch lights that are on long periods and often awkward to replace.

13. Caulking and weatherstripping — A small investment in caulk and weatherstripping around exterior doors or windows can make a difference. Take half a Saturday, your trusty caulk gun, and stop energy waste. Pay attention to pipes, telephone wires, anything at all that enters the house. Make sure they are sealed tight. Pay particular attention to exterior doors. There are a variety of ways to stop air leakage around doors. Your local retailer will have a good choice of threshold weatherstripping, door sweeps and jamb weatherstripping materials. Carefully measure and follow installation instructions carefully.

14. Summer cool down — A window exhaust fan is a good idea, but a larger attic whole-house exhaust fan, thermostatically controlled, is a real plus in summer. It can help cool things down without central air conditioning.

15. High-efficiency showerheads and water control devices — New showerheads are required to meet a 2.5 gallon-per-minute standard, but there are many older models still in place. If you can squeeze the gallons per minute lower than 2.5, it means you’re saving even more money. Also, faucet aerators, including the types that have a shut-off valve built in, can stop waste of water while you’re rinsing dishes. And, don’t forget leaky faucets: It doesn’t cost much to fix’em, and they can be big energy wasters.

16. Water heater wrap — Despite all the advances in better insulated water heaters, it still pays to wrap a water heater, especially if it is located in an unheated space. Special water heater kits are available at retail hardware stores where heaters are sold. Just follow the instructions. (Tip: While you're wrapping up for energy savings, strap up for earthquake safety. Securing your water heater against earthquake tipping is a smart move.)

17. Fireplace pillow — An open fireplace can be a giant energy waster. Today you can purchase a plastic, inflatable “pillow” that inserts into the chimney to stop heat from escaping. You blow it up (usually just by mouth) and it is easily removable when you want to build a fire. Find out more by contacting your local fireplace dealer or search online for the nearest vendor.
While there are all kinds of no- to low-cost ways to save energy, sometimes a larger investment is required to gain the most ground.

18. Get a free energy audit to guide major investment decisions.What you need before anything else happens is an energy audit. We recommend scheduling a FREE home energy review with the Energy Trust of Oregon. It will give you guidance on how you can save energy and money and create a comfortable living environment. An Energy Advisor will come to your home, recommend energy-saving measures specific to your home and install FREE compact fluorescent light bulbs, faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads. We strongly recommend an audit be accomplished prior to any major investment in insulation, heating, ventilation or other improvements.
To schedule an energy audit with the Energy Trust of Oregon, call 866-ENTRUST or 866-368-7878.

19. When replacing appliances, buy premium-efficiency models.There is no question that an energy-smart major appliance purchase (refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers, heating systems) can generate significant dollar savings over the lifetime of the appliance. Why pay $20-$30 more per year than is necessary?
There’s a ton of good information on energy-efficient appliances from the Oregon Department of Energy Web site. But here are some basics on shopping for an energy-efficient model:
· All major energy-using appliances are required by the Federal Trade Commission to include a yellow and black label on each appliance that gives consumers a good idea how that respective model performs. Look for these labels on refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers, water heaters, furnaces, boilers, central air conditioners, room air conditioners, heat pumps and pool heaters. The estimated annual operating cost posted on the label is a composite price based on national averages. Always calculate your savings using your local utility’s prices.
· On many appliances look for an “Energy Star” logo. The Energy Star program is operated by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. Energy Star labels are on those appliances that these government agencies feel meet high levels of energy efficiency than the average comparable model.

20. When replacing your furnace, consider a heat pump— the most efficient way to heat and cool your home.

April (in Parens)

2009-04-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

There are moments in time when a decision
Creates change with geometric precision
So the reference to April in Parens...
Is a month specific tribute to what happens

When Life's Path bends like light through a prism

As I sit here on 04-04-09 in a month that started as a perfect square (2003x2003 = 4012009),

I was thinking about other interesting confluences and influences that have appeared in April over the years. Since the Eiffel Tower celebrated it's 120th birthday as of April 1st, it gets top billing.

This is an active birthday month as we celebrated Brenda & Bryan's birthdays Friday night and we just returned from Diane M's 60th gala with a 30th & 50th party on tap for tomorrow. I was supposed to be born mid June, but the opening day of baseball season found me arriving early(April 11, 1953) weighing 8 baseballs - 2 pounds 9 ounces so I'm part of this April birthday onslaught. The complications of this early arrival seem to be minimal but I still have trouble recognizing faces since the first 6 weeks everyone I saw was masked and I occassionaly enjoying revisiting the incubator, as I bask in the warmth of an incandescent bulb (CFL's don't work as well.)

Continuing on the baseball theme, my first major league game I saw was the Cardinals and the newly arrived LA Dodgers (April 26, 1958), two weeks before we packed up and moved to Medford and as a result, still hold a fond spot for Dodger fans though I'm a diehard Cardinal fan. I've always marvelled at my folks decision to leave a comfortable existence in LA for the unknown territory of Oregon, but I know how glad they were that they relocated.

I appreciated growing up in Medford but life shifted with my acceptance to Stanford (April 15, 1971) and fundamentally changed who my friends were, who I would marry, where I would live, and what work I would do. My freshman dorm of 50 gave me connections to the guys I would live with for 4 years, my golfing buddy for 36 years who also has been the best man at both my weddings, and significant friendships and life experiences that still shape the way I deal with the world.

Diane and I got married in 1978 after an April 1977 visit and theworst Wisconsin winter in 100 years convinced her to relocate her graduate studies to PortlandMy purchase of an Apple II (April 10, 1979) led to my 30 year involvement with computers and my opening of Oregon's first software store, Software Station (1983-1987). Armed with my computer, I joined a Pacific Power subsidiary, NERCO (April 6, 1981) and now will have had an association with Pacific Power for 28 of my soon to be 56 years.

I had attended First Presbyterian with Diane, Sean & Evan and appreciated the church's passion for social justice but never could fully embrace the theology. Dianna & I got married in mid 1997 and were introduced to New Thought teachings ( of which Religious Science and Unity are the largest denominations) after attending Living Enrichment Center (April 18, 1999) and have been drawn to the New Thought message of inclusiveness and"divinity within". The last ten years have given us plenty of opportunities to explore this new paradigm.

We now arrive at this April fraught with possibilities... Rick and I enjoyed our first day of spring golf with temperatures in the 60s and scores in the 40's per 9 so we're off to a good start. Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 2009 Major League Baseball Season and the Cards are tied with the Cubs for first!. The weather should be perfect for the penultimate Hillsdale Winter Farmer's market and we have it on good authority the Hillsdale's harbinger of Spring, Josh will be "jamming" at the Market. April should be "eiffel" exciting -stay tuned... MTP

The In-Crowd.. for Now

2009-03-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this convoluted rhyme
Is to highlight that instant in time
When staying in the moment
Helps to focus one’s intent
Allowing for an experience that’s sublime

During this past weekend, I got the chance to experience “in-person” some enjoyable performances and I wanted to take time to reflect on the value of participating “live”. On Friday night, Dianna & I went to see the touring Broadway production of “Wicked”, a clever musical backstory of the witches from Wizard of Oz re-imagined by Gregory Maguire. The cast was top notch but we both were perplexed by the general audience reaction which seemed much more interactive than most theater performances with clapping, cheering and whispering. In some ways it was as if the audience was an extension of the cast – almost like a viewing of “Rocky Horror Picture Show”. Maybe we’ve gotten used to our Portland center Stage plays where we absorb the consistently high quality content quietly…

Saturday night started with a dinner outing with Ted & Rick at Clay’s Smokehouse and then arrival at the Rose Garden for a game between the Blazers and Memphis. Since the Philly loss that Sean & I attended the Blazers had comfortably beaten Phoenix and with just one game separating Portland Denver, and Utah, emotions were running high. The Blazers came out with energy and the crowd provided vocal and moral support that helped a double digit home court win. The concept of “home court advantage” applies to many endeavors beyond sports. The comfort level one has in familiar settings such as a beloved neighborhood or in a gathering of familiar friends is something we all crave. The noted philosopher D. Gale summed it up as “There’s no place like home”

Our evening ended in Southeast Portland at “The Goodfoot”, where Sean’s band “Reeble Jar” (http://www.myspace.com/reeblejar ) was headlining. We skewed to the older end of the crowd but it was interesting to note that it could have been the early 70’s with the dress and the vibe of Reeble Jar’s funk. The only tip-off was the ubiquitous cell phones waving as the Bic lighters of the 21st century. RJ’s music is hard to sit still for but it was fun to watch how the show was enhanced by the crowd reaction. The band is preparing for a month long tour across the Western US in June and that should be an invigorating month. They hope to return to Eugene and use some studio time to produce their first non-audience album which will be a big departure. Should be fun to watch & hear develop.

The end of the weekend brought the dramatics of Tiger Woods winning after a 284 day drought, using a script that we’ve seen before. With daylight fading and wind swirling, and a motionless gallery watching, along with the biggest TV audience since 9 months ago when he was in the identical situation, Tiger calmed sank a 16 foot putt to win Arnold Palmer’s tournament. Once again he showed not only how to be in the moment, but to seize it and define it…. Great theater that isn’t the same if you watch a replay…

RIP CITY REDUX

2009-03-24T20:41:00.001-07:00

Although the most recent outcome was a pity

It won't diminish the tone of this ditty

Because while the shorts have gotten longer

Blazer fan support has gotten stronger

As the Rose City revisits "Rip City"

On a late spring afternoon in early June 1977, in front of a sellout crowd of 12,666, The Portland Trailblazers scored 108 points, beat the Philadelphia 76'ers and the resulting NBA Championship fundamentally changed its perception of itself. On an early spring evening in late March of 2009, with a sellout of 20,620 fans, the Blazers scored 108 points but lost to Philadelphia during a push to return to the playoffs after a 6 year drought. Although much has changed in form, fashion, finance both personally and globally over the span of 3 decades, it's interesting to reflect on what hasn't changed.

The role of sports in society is widely debated as some feel it is emphasized too much in our educational system and garners more coverage in the media than other more significant issues. The role model aspect of sports has suffered as the perception of "win at any cost" has dominated recent headlines. Still, there are aspects of the sporting experience that are valuable for a society, particularly during challenging times. I've always felt that being able to identify with a team and vicariously participating in their ups and downs is valuable experience for dealing with life's inevitable ups & downs. I've been fortunate with my fan support of Medford, Stanford, and St. Louis sports teams and their level of success, so the thrill of victory has been experienced a number of times. (Medford's 1970 State football championship, Stanford's 1972 Rose Bowl and the numerous good showings in other sports, and the STL Cardinals entertainingly contending often with World Series in '64, '67, '68, '82, '85, & '06) The 1977 Trailblazer championship was another of those great memories and it's interesting to see the impact of that event still resonates with fans, many who weren't even born then.

Last night's game was enjoyable, especially since Sean was able to come up from Eugene to catch the game with me, much like Evan did when he lit briefly in Portland between foreign assignments. Sean came up with some buddies who were performing at the Mt. Tabor Theater, and he'll be back on Saturday with Reeble Jar, playing at the Goodfoot. Ted & I have tickets for the Memphis game so we hope to catch the early portion of Sean's show after the game. We settled in our seats during player introductions and after a nearly flawless 1^st quarter when the 76'ers outshot their name (81%), we felt fortunate the Blazers were only down by 5 points. Aldridge kept the Blazers in the game, and Oden looked good in limited action but the Blazers still were down 58-44 at the half. A spirited comeback led by Rudy and Steve Blake made for a exciting 2^nd half and with 20 seconds left, the Blazers were just were they wanted, Brandon Roy with the ball and a chance to win, tied at 98. Brandon had an off night, including his final shot and the resulting overtime only provided Chalupas for scoring 100 points, not the sweet taste of victory. The buzz in the crowd was some disappointment but more appreciation that the Blazers came back and gave themselves a chance. In the recent past of a few years ago, the team might have packed it in after falling behind by 20 but the current Blazers aren't quitters, and that sends a good message to the Portland psyche. Bad bounces, calls, or breaks are part of life on and off the court and the response is the valuable lesson. I look forward to experiencing more of those lessons… MTP

"Hep Now, Dude!"

2009-03-21T01:11:00.000-07:00

For almost 90 years he kept a good attitude
Biscuits & Gravy was always a favorite food
A builder of things, a fan of baseball
He experienced a lot, and survived it all
Looking back, he was one cool “Dude”

March 21st 2009 would have been my dad’s 91st birthday and I’m down in Medford for the weekend to acknowledge the occasion with family. Sean rode down with me from Eugene and since we needed to gas up before we reached Medford, we stopped at Canyonville and ate at Seven Feathers Casino and bought a group of Keno tickets with my dad’s favorite 3 number combination 38-39-41 and ate one of his favorite meals, chicken-fried steak. We left before all his tickets played, but we had about as much luck as he usually did. At least I got a 3 cent discount on gas and the Prius cruised along at 43mpg.

Thursday night, Dianna & I went to Portland Center Stage and saw their production of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”, a witty send-up of Victorian manners aided by multiple cases of mistaken & deceptive identity worthy of some of Shakespeare’s comedies. It reminded me of my dad’s phases of identity during his 9o years of life…

He was born in SW Missouri n the spring of 1918, just missing St. Patrick’s Day but close enough for his Irish mother and was christened Thomas Julian Ponder. School records identified him as Julian, but from an early age everyone called him “Dude”. The entire family seemed to have a thing for nicknames as his brothers were Diskin (Dick), Herschel (Brandy), and David (Pete). When I asked him why, he said he didn’t know but his father George was always called Steve! Anybody who knew my dad before WWII knew him as Dude, so it was always easy to determine length of acquaintance. My mom never called him anything but Tommy or Tom, so it was sometimes confusing when relatives would visit. During college, one of our favorite phrases was “Hep now, Dude!” to register enthusiasm, so when I received a letter addressed to “Hep now, Dude” Ponder, we had to decide who got to open the letter first. I took my dad back to his 60th high school reunion in 1997 and when we stopped in the local gas station on the site of my dad’s first job pumping gas, my dad told the story of his uncle building the first station in the county on that spot. A guy in the back room heard us and came out and said “Is that “Dude” Ponder, and my dad remet a classmate he hadn’t seen since the day he headed off to join the CCC’s during the summer after graduation. He got assigned to Oregon and initially was the camp cook near Grants Pass, just about 20 minutes West of where I’m typing right now. His fond memories of his experiences in Oregon are what led him and my mom to relocate to Medford in the spring of 1958 with their 5-year old. (The photos above are 50 years apart at the apartment I left in LA-when we went down to a family reunion, he gave detailed directions from the LA airport right to the apartment – try that even if you’re not blind!) During the next 16 months, we lived in a 16 foot trailer with convenient bathroom facilities just steps away until we moved into the house as I started first grade. I special have a special appreciation for indoor plumbing…

It was a poignant drive down our street tonight, a drive I’ve made 100’s of times. In the later years, my folks would be anticipating a return from college or a visit from Portland, and would be checking their clocks to see if I met my projected arrival. Pati is now living in the house which is a good feeling, but I know it doesn’t have the buzz it once did with kids running around on the ballfield during all seasons or in and out of the house at all hours. The Fowler house is like most of us as we hit our 50’s, still recognizable, but some things sag and others are the worse for wear. Things have faded except if you’ve allowed an 87 year old blind guy to make the color choice. If you ever fly over Medford at the right angle, it will be easy to spot the day-glo yellow house on the left.

Tomorrow we’ll all reconnect as Cody and his girlfriend Amy will be down from Corvallis where Cody just became an OSU grad and we’ll get to catch up with Vanessa & Kaden, and Sandi & Steve. Dad was always big on getting family together and if the topic of getting together with folks came up, he’d have his “lid” on and be out the door before you finished the sentence.. For tomorrow the sentence might begin with “Hep, now,Dude…

Hope Springs Eternal

2009-03-17T23:11:00.000-07:00

We never know what tomorrow may bring
Which is why we like hope to eternally spring
It’s the best approach in dealing with stress
In which we usually can find some success
It’s all in “How One Perceives Everything”

On this “Lucky” Day of the Irish, (of which I can claim 25% heritage) I was reflecting on the difference in philosophy between those who rely on hope versus those who cast their lot with luck. “Hope” has become a buzzword in the recent political season but I think it could be a significant factor in helping us deal with the challenges with which we are currently grappling. Two Thousand years ago, we were reminded that three greatest virtues were “faith, hope, and charity (love) and the greatest of these is charity” Most people remember this quote using love, but the intent is on empathy, caring, and compassion for others, not romantic love, much to the chagrin of wedding planners everywhere. Faith is based in the present and is a belief in an outside power to determine outcome. Hope is future based and is a more optimistic mindset, encouraging one to seize opportunities though the choices made. Restoring a sense of hope in the midst of what seems like incessant “bad news” seems like an important early step to getting people to come up with new solutions. Einstein’s quote that “Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them”, is a good reminder that thinking differently can by itself change our perceptions of a problem and give us new options.

I’ve been reading about a number of people in the last few months that thought differently and changed the world. One is R. Buckminster Fuller (“Our power is in our ability to decide.” ), a 20th century architect, inventor, and visionary who promoted the concept of “Spaceship Earth” He came by his “transcendental” thinking naturally, as his great aunt was Margaret Fuller, a close contemporary of Emerson & Thoreau. He didn’t discover his purpose until his mid-30s when he was bankrupt and suicidal, having lost his young daughter to illness. He had an epiphany and decided to devote his life to an experiment, to find “what a single individual [could] contribute to changing the world and benefiting all humanity”. In the 1930’s-40’s he designed efficient cars and buildings including the famous geodesic dome (of which the Tacoma Dome is one of the larger examples). Portland Center Stage had a great one-man play about his life earlier this year. If you want to know more about him, check out the Fuller Institute ( http://www.bfi.org/ )

The biography of Joseph Priestly (I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning...”), “The invention of Air” is a fascinating profile of a pivotal figure in the early development of America. An English theologian, political theorist philosopher, and inventor who became friends with Franklin, was much sought after for counsel by Adams, Jefferson and others. He can claim the discovery of oxygen and principles of electricity, the invention of soda water, and was the founder of the Unitarian Church. His life could be described as the hopeful exploration of scientific and spiritual principles

Two more shining examples of hope personified are Helen Keller and Victor Frankl. Helen Keller (“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope or confidence.” “No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.”), although deaf and blind, her insights into the human condition continue to inspire.

Frankl believed that “everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." His experiences in a concentration camp formed the basis for his “Man’s Search for Meaning” which lead to his development of Existential Therapy, which encourages one to make new & healthy choices if desiring better outcomes.

All this rambling helps me remember the importance of choices in life and significance in looking forward to those choices. Restoring confidence in our current world is going to require people to step up and participate in new and different ways and I look forward to the adventure. “Good Night and Good.. Hope” -MTP

PI vs Pie

2009-03-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a Friday and a 13 coincides

If one is scared, the result is he hides

But don't despair, rely on your pluck

Positive thinking will bring you good luck

Unless you are Roman and March has an Ides

Three point one four one five nine two

It's been around forever - it's not new

It appears everywhere in here and in there

Circumference divided by diameter, if you care

It's irrational I know but it's true!

It's lucky Friday the 13th for the second time in a month, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow. March 14^th is perfectly juxtaposed between a Friday the 13^th and the Ides of March and is International PI Day as well. Though not well known, this holiday is deserved due to the unique nature of that famous mathematical constant. "Pi is strange because it's both an irrational number (its decimal expansion never ends or repeats) and yet the number is also transcendental (no finite sequence of algebraic functions could ever produce it)", states SF. physicist Ron Hipschman. The fact it is also Einstein's birthday adds an interesting bit of synchronicity. (Happy 130^th B-Day Al!)

We've already been treated to National Square Root Day ( 03/03/09) but be sure to mark your calendar for the next occurrence on 04/04/16 (Mayans excluded) I'll be busy preparing for my 63^rd birthday.

We plan on celebrating PI day with a gathering at Dorothy's to hold a masterminding session, a brainstorming /accountability process with a long and storied history. Popularized by Napeleon Hill in his 1937 book "Think & Grow Rich", it expands on the idea of a group of like minded individuals supporting each other in pursuit of personal goals.

Hill's definition is, "The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony….No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind."

The acknowledgement of a "Higher Power", focused intentions of the group, and supportive accountability provide a good environment for goal attainment. This is much more successful that "New Years resolutions" or a To-Do list since it has a more consistent support structure. I've had great experiences during this century being involved in the MM process and I especially appreciate our current MM group.

Afterward, we'll celebrate with Pi(e) at 1:59 and play some cards during the afternoon. Maybe on Sunday I'll revisit a little Shakespeare for inspiration...

"No lean & hungry look" MTP

Ode to Mom

2009-03-10T00:38:00.000-07:00

Sylvia Ponder wore many hats in her life

Mother, Gramma, great neighbor, friend, and wife

But the roles I will remember most

Were made of cinnamon and few could boast

Of a better use of butter on a knife.

Mother's Day is two months to the day away but March 10^th is always a mom reminder. My mom passed away 15 (!) years ago today after a sudden stroke claimed her, at what with each passing year becomes the increasingly young age of 72. Evelyn Sylvia Silverness born October 9, 1921, parted her name in the middle, using Sylvia her whole life, as did her younger sister Agnes Eleanor. She was of hardy Norwegian stock, growing up with a brother and 3 sisters in NW Minnesota. She lost her father in 1931 in the midst of the depression but her mom and the kids continued to run the farm. We heard stories of early milkings and blizzards that would blind you between house and barn, and benefited from early skills she learned with abundant fresh homemade bread and cinnamon rolls, and the shrewd knack to stretch a buck during lean times.

Mom smiled a lot but rarely laughed although the Tilt-o-Whirl at the annual county fair seemed to unleash some girlish laughter. She didn't sing much, but possessed a fine voice during our occasional visits to church. She was an inveterate crossword puzzle fan and reader, particularly of Erle Stanley Gardner (who may have been born Stanley Erle), and Readers Digest and its associated condensed book series. Ironically, I think I got more of my introspective "pondering" style of personality and love of books from her side of the family. She tended to be quiet except when she was rooting for one of her kids or grandkids at a sporting event and her work behind the scenes to get things accomplished was common ocurrence. When I'd show up with a gang of college friends in town for a weekend of Shakespeare, a brunch for 20 would magically appear. She was as comfortable in high heels as rubber boots and could wield a gun or a hammer as easily as a needle & thread or spatula. She was proud of creating a home out of the bare land of the Agate desert in Medford when we impulsively moved there in 1958, and the trees and the yard are testament to her perserverance.

There are some people you don't notice or fully appreciate until they're no longer in your life and you realize their consistent impact. Knowing the joy she received from watching her grandkids grow, I regret she didn't get the pleasure of watching them and rooting for them as they journeyed to adulthood.

The last four days of my mom's life were spent in a coma, seemingly unresponsive though her grip was as strong as ever. I was on a Pacific Power corporate jet returning from a Utah budget trip when the on-board phone rang and said arrangements were made for me to fly directly from Portland to Medford by 5:00 PM. At 4:30, with my dad at her side, my mom suddenly sat up, smiled one last time as if seeing long-lost family, and then lay down and passed peacefully.

Thanks, Mom, for a lifetime of gifts...

You'll notice in the pictures above, the one constant thing is an arm around me - to me that's the perfect metaphor for my mom... A hug waiting to happen.

The Vacation Concludes….

2009-03-08T14:55:00.001-07:00

The time has come to return to our chosen vocation

We do so begrudgingly with little elation

Physicists have studied and know without seeing

That solid, liquid, and gas are 3 states of being

But we know only two, OnVacation or UnVacation

The last day of a vacation and the first day back in the "real" world always have a disjointed feel, so it's probably best that we lost an hour of sleep last night. We packed up, played grocery delivery person for John & Sally with our leftover food and took a leisurely drive to the airport. Since I was operating under the assumption we had a 11:30 hopper to Oahu, I saw no reason to rush our departure. Halfway there at 9:45, Mary questioned why her itinerary showed a 9:55 boarding time, and we realized why professional travel agents exist. A calm, grounded airport porter worked some magic while I rushed to drop the car off and he had us in possession of the last four seats on the 10:55 flight by the time I got back. We still had a two hour layover in Honolulu, so we ate our brown bag lunches and played a last pinochle game in the Islands for this year. Smooth flight and then a quick 30 degree adjustment to Portland weather as Merry picked us up. The cat hadn't given up on our return as he needed another heat source for a cold night's sleep. Aloha until another time..

There are many types of vacation, some yet undiscovered. Feel free to add your own…

Ad-vacation – Going someplace enjoyable while on a business trip

In-vacation – Praying for no rain

Man-cation – Usually involves golf, BBQ, and/or beer

Me-cation – A personal Mental Health Day

Medi-cation – Out-of-country travel for medical procedures

Play-cation – Fun 24/7

Pour-cation-Likely result of an Oregon vacation 9 months of the year

Ray-cation – In search of sun…

Sea-cation – An ocean get-away

Stay-cation –"Think Local, Go Local"

Suppli-cation – You just let go and relax

ZZZ-acation – Restful retreat and recreation

The S.P.A.M. Chronicles - Day 18

2009-03-06T23:11:00.000-08:00

The vacation concludes with no sign of disaster
The pace seems to pick up and move a lot faster
We journey north toward the shores of Bali Hai
As our friends from Seattle, John & Sally sigh
Over the melodic musings of a slack key master

The final full day of our Hawaiian vacation comes to a close with an enjoyable slack-key guitar concert at the north end of the island. The morning was low key as Mary & Dianna finished up some last minute shopping and sightseeing with Merlin at the wheel. We headed out on our road trip at noon for about an 80 mile roundtrip and took the scenic route east and north. We revisited Anini Beach for some views and to stretch our legs and then checked on progress at the Princeville Westin Hotel which has been closed for major renovations since September. You usually can get great sunset views over the mountain called Bali Hai but we had no access and the clouds ended up thickening by days end. As we arrived in the town of Hanalei, the rain greeted us and kept us company as we drove 8 more miles to the end of the road to Haena Beach, the jumping off point for the hike along the NaPali coastline. We returned to Hanalei and dined at Tropical Taco where orders were placed for fresh fish tacos and “Fat Jack”s, a filling deep-fried burrito. Today’s concert was at the Hanalei Community Center. The largely famous and famously large late Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, a sweet-voiced native Hawaiian ukulele player helped raise the money to fund construction of this wonderful gathering spot

Doug and Sandy McMaster have been performing on Kauai since they moved here in 1999 and performed 100’s of Sunset concerts at the picturesque Hanalei Bay until they became too disruptive. They now perform twice-weekly 2 hour concerts for 40-50 people and share music and stories of their responsibility to continue the tradition of old-style slack key guitar. As the skies opened up outside the Center, the sun was shining inside as we were treated to a wonderful and relaxing performance. John and Sally were able to attend with John’s daughter and son-in-law and grandson Gabe but were only able to stay for half the show as a 2-year-old’s priorities are sometimes different from those of the older folks.

We worked our way back toward home, pausing at a vista overlooking the Taro feils of Hanalei, with final stops at Wal-Mart and Costco to shop up and gas up respectively and then we wound down with a little ice cream and games until 10:00. Most of tomorrow will be a lost day of travel, especially since our clocks jump 3 hours ahead before we get up Sunday morning. It’s been an enjoyable and relaxing stay with plenty of good memories so we return home bearing gifts of “He mea waiwai loas, maluhia, pomaika’i, and luana” (very valuable things, peace, good fortune, & enjoyment) Mahalo -MTP

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 17

2009-03-05T23:37:00.000-08:00

Here on Kauai we get Ihilani
The day ends with the twilight Alohilani
I‘ve taken time to write this Mele
Before we return to Kahale
So we’ll remember the joy of the Haunani

Or for those not versed in Hawaiian… (and yes it does rhyme)

Here on Kauai we get Heavenly Bliss
As day ends with the twilight Sky sun-kissed
I‘ve taken time to write this Poem
Before we return to Home
So we’ll remember the joy of the Beautiful Mist

Last day of the vacation to savor the south end of the island as we head north to end the day with a slack-key guitar concert with some of favorite performers. The clouds and rain greeted us this morning but skies cleared and when Mary sounded the shout, Whales, Ahoy!”, we raced to Shipwreck Beach where we caught an active display of spouting and fin slapping. We followed the whales as they moved west and then returned home to prepare to leave more than footprints and take more than memories. This group could never be accused of writing “Confessions of a Shopahlic”, but we did want to bring a few things home for friends and family. First stop was the Lawai Shell store where I was able to procure my Hawaiian dictionary for today’s entry and practice my surfing. We then headed down to Kauai Chocolate for some required purchases and visited Salt Pond Park on a beautiful afternoon before we made our 8 minute visit to the Hanapepe Sunshine Market for the third time. Last stop was at the Kauai Coffee Visitor Center and Plantation where we picked up vital provisions for the souls left behind on the Oregon Trail. Home for dinner and the magic refrigerator provided a nice Bento Bowl as our endless supply of pork chops we cooked last week were diced with rice and it was all very nice.

A final Poipu sunset wasn’t as color ful as we hoped but it was still a nice exclamation point to our stay. We started the laundry/packing process during our evening game playing which had been taking an ugly turn from the guys point of view but normalcy was restored to 50 % of the participants by evenings end.

This will be the last e-mail I foist upon a suspecting public as I am ready to introduce something potentially even more irritating but less intrusive – my own blog. It will be called MT Ponderings and will be located at http://mtponderings.blogspot.com/ The advantage for readers is: a) no e-mail clutter, and b) no need to read. I’ll post sporadically, hopefully weekly as the muse encourages. I’ve enjoyed setting time aside to use some long-dormant skills and would like to continue. Thanks for your interest … MTP

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 16

2009-03-05T01:12:00.001-08:00

Today’s weather was fit for a duck
But we are not bemoaning our luck
For last night in the sky,
A small asteroid whizzed by
And spared us from a cosmic Mack truck

Being over here in Hawaii teaches you a lot about gratitude and you get many chances to practice. The note at www.sfgate.com about our close encounter last night with a 100 foot rock that sailed by within 50,000 miles reminded me of how often we don’t even know half of the things to be grateful for. This asteroid was about the same size as the one that hit Siberia in 1908 and leveled 800 square miles of forest. We can apparently relax until 2029 when a 1000 mile wide visitor passes within 20,000 miles. I’ve now decided to start the day being grateful for an intact planet in spite of the fact it is a little worn around the edges.

In keeping with this theme, we were thankful this morning that we were warm & dry in bed at sunrise as our first real heavy rainstorm was in progress at sunrise. Today was my chance for KP duty so I flipped out a dozen pancakes with some scrambled eggs for the gang for breakfast. We got a phone call from John & Sally mid-morning and they ventured over for a visit between showers. Our next big adventure is a visit to Victoria in early May with them, so we talked logistics and swapped stories for a while.

We followed to recent pattern of making lunch our major meal and we dine on some of Merlin’s black snapper flown in from Oregon. We only have two days left to jolt the local economy with an infusion of our shopping dollars, but we decided to wait until tomorrow as strolling weather kept being interrupted by showers. We cruised the shoreline in search of whales and sunset but had little success. Glad to get a call from Evan after he just finished attending a Wynton Marsalis concert at Grinnell. Plans are still on track for his spring break Nicaragua adventures as they finally got funding from the college.
Spent a quiet evening at the condo running through the gamut of games before setting time aside to “feed the blog.” We hope to “go West young man” tomorrow to Hanapepe. (That phrase was given to Josiah Grinnell by Horace Greeley and it got him as far as Iowa where he established his namesake college…) We just intend to buy coffee and chocolate… “Mahalo” Mike

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 15

2009-03-04T00:29:00.000-08:00

A migratory species searches for good weather
They congregate in big groups like birds of a feather
For our Makahuena gang who prefers to act “local”
We stay under the radar and try not to be vocal
And avoid the confusion when large groups get together

A comment was made last night at the concert about the influx of visitors and the impact they have on the Island, filling the restaurants, buying up event tickets early, and staking out the best spots on the beach. The impact this year caused the rental car shortage as Mainland fares dropped dramatically and people booked cars late and in many cases were out of luck. Some clever people even resorted to rent U-Haul trucks. Adopting the philosophy that it’s best to stay “far from the madding crowd”, we have been fairly successful finding out of the way spots or picking times when the crowds are light. It helps we’ve come to Kauai seven out of the last eight years and the neighborhoods start to feel as familiar as Hillsdale. Our only absence was in 2005 when Mary was recovering from bypass surgery the previous fall and we opted for our Italian trip with Rick & Diane. That’s a story that could fill a blog on its own…

Clouds, not crowds partially obscured the sunrise this morning but we got some good color (see attached) and then M&M went off to the Menehune Market in search of fresh cinnamon rolls and malasadas a week after Malasada Tuesday. (Also see attached) That filled the breakfast portion of today’s program and we entertained ourselves with reading and games while we waited to hear from John & Sally. Mary and Dianna cooked a pot roast with local carrots and potatoes which we had for lunch and then Dianna & I walked over to John & Sally’s condo which was only about 200 yards away. John’s daughter and son-in law and their 2-year old Gabe are also staying, so it’s a much livelier household than ours but they where out sightseeing at Waimea Canyon. We enjoyed a bowl of coconut ice cream and talked about our plans to reunite in Victoria in early May like we did last year to the amusement and enjoyment of all. Sally showed us a proof copy of her daughter-in-law Rebecca Wells’ (Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood) new book, “The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder” We met her while she was working on the book so maybe it planted a seed…

Back home for a little road trip to the West since the skies were dark and we climbed the hills above Kalehalo for some nice panoramas of the Poipu coastline. It was smoked salmon & guacamole pupus (appetizers) while we watched some classic old movies, “Key Largo” & “Lost Horizon” Early read on our remaining agenda is Koloa for some souvenir shopping tomorrow, Hanapepe on Thursday, and north to Hanelei Friday before girding up for the return home on Saturday…Aloha MTP

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 14

2009-03-02T23:12:00.000-08:00

Writing daily verse has become de rigueur
Though good material can be quite meager
Singin' blow ye winds in the morning, Blow ye winds, heigh ho, Clear away your running gear, And blow, blow, blow!
The Almanac Singers, Guthrie & Seeger*

*1941 arrangement of a traditional tune from the 1800’s by Woody Guthrie & Pete Seeger

A blustery start to the day greeted us as we met John & Sally at the Point for a virtual sunrise. Heavy clouds and a strong wind made four Northwesteners feel like we were enjoying a brisk July day on the Oregon Coast. Not surprisingly, we were the only folks who ventured out all the way to the viewpoint as M&M caught the view from the parking lot. Clouds thickened and a typical Hawaii cloudburst was on display mid-morning, but by noon the sun and wind had dried things out nicely for our Koloa Sunshine market. We were at the starting gates a few minutes before 12:00 and everyone had their assigned duties Since I’m the designated driver and not qualified to assess the quality of fruits or vegetables due to only a passing acquaintance, I lurked on the outskirts and people-watched. The Kauai Tourist Board apparently has struck a deal with the Weather Bureau since by 12:20 it rained again and then promptly stopped by 12:30. Sean called me from Eugene to check in which was nice since his e-mails have been bouncing back and he’s one of the few remaining members of a friendly audience who hasn’t been subjected to these ramblings.

Most of the group recaptured their sunrise sleep depravation while this correspondent worked on a development to unveiled by the end of the week. A creative use of leftovers from the past few days provided a great lunch of chicken rice soup and sandwiches and the magic refrigerator also was generous at dinner time. We knew our entertainment would be this weeks installment of E Kanikapila Kakou, which this week featured songwriter Eric Lee. He and his fellow musicians were very talented but it leaned a little too much toward Hawaiian lounge rock & roll for my taste. Still, the purpose of this event is to highlight authentic interpretations of Hawaiian music, and as he just won a Hawaiian “Grammy” for his latest album, who am I to be critical?

Back home by 9:30 to Five Straight –Pinochle split before retiring for the evening.

A question was asked about the title of this digest and I’ll quote from Day One in case you missed it…“As a result over the next 18 days you will sporadically receive our version of SPAM which generically will recap the Sights, Play, Activities, and Music we encounter. Consider it a tropical/topical version of a Holiday letter...”

Mahalo for your interest… MTP

The S.P.A.M. Chronicles -Day 13

2009-03-01T23:53:00.000-08:00

A new month arrives packed with a few more days
We can choose to spend them in a lot of ways
The days should get longer as we approach spring
Except for this week with the daylight-saving thing
So we’ll have one less hour to recover from this craze

It’s good we’re not tied to an agenda as the day’s itinerary was different than we thought last night. We had intended to had north to Hanalei to listen to our favorite slack-key musicians Doug & Sandy McMaster (http://www.mcmasterslackkey.com/ ) They have shows at 4:00 PM on Friday and 3:00 PM on Sundays, so we’ll try and catch there show Friday. John & Sally arrived last night, but we weren’t able to connect until mid-day, so we made plans to meet near the coconuts at tomorrow’s Sunshine market.

Welcomed March by flapping in the breeze at Makahuena Point at sunrise and then had a quiet morning with reading and games. My Sudoku fixation is growing, as I made the mistake of bringing a large book of advanced puzzles. Now I see why it was on the bargain table at Borders. Merlin & Mary went into town to church and Dianna & I got a chance to get out for a walk on the wind-blown cliffs. I’ve received some comments expressing condolences about the weather which means I haven’t conveyed the right impression about how much we enjoy our vacation climate. We know other parts of the country are getting stormy weather, so we’re grateful we can run around in shorts, though their has been some muttering by observers as I walk by. When M&M returned they brought back a catered lunch from Costco and then we headed out for some sightseeing on our loop from Poipu Beach to Spouting Horn. Back home, the sun went down like clockwork and we had a light dinner and once again the battle was joined in pinochle with the guys edging ahead. It’s the only game we can win against our wily opponents.

I’ve attached a photo of today’s sunrise and the view from around the corner on our walk… Aloha - MTP

The S.P.A.M. Chronicles - Day 12

2009-02-28T23:37:00.000-08:00

Day 12 concludes of our Hawaiian vacation
The rain provides us some needed hydration
From the sun we get our Vitamin D
Elsie’s oranges exude fresh Vitamin C
And the fresh salt air is welcome ventilation

I’ve been asked why I take my time writing down these vacation musings and I suppose the motivation is from examples both recent and long ago. For the first six weeks of the year Loren & Veneta kept us informed of the Arizona adventures in their Desert Digest. Loren’s a great writer and he recently uncovered a trove of letters from him to his parents during his Korean War days which he’s using during the writing of his autobiography. In college, I used to write 3 or 4 letters a week and I miss the challenge of crafting and organizing my thoughts in a way at least I understand. In the fabled summer of ’72 when Ken & I embarked on a month long 8000 mile automotive odyssey around America, I started a daily journal that I kept for the next 3 years. Though the writing was pedestrian, as the years have gone by I’ve appreciated the documentation of big & little events that shaped the world and got me to who I am today. College life, relationships, and the day to day decisions made against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the 70’s economy, and Watergate are interesting fodder for reflection. As a result I look upon these writings as less about ”how I spent my spring vacation” and more about “who I was as I spent my summer vacation” Also, two of my inspirations are Quaker/Unitarian philosophers, Rick Seifert (http://theredelectric.blogspot.com/) and the journal of Robert Fulghum (http://www.robertfulghum.com/ ) In the age of texting and twittering, it’s nice to slow down and savor someone else’s well-considered thoughts. I’m sure it’s the same reason I enjoy immersing myself in a good book. It’s one reason I encouraged Evan to document his impressions during his far-flung adventures. If he did, I’d have to wait for the English translation since my Spanish is rusty.

We had intended to get out for some walking today since we planned to give the PT a rest today but needed to wait until a break in the weather after lunch and then ended up driving down to some of our favorite viewing spots. Not much whale action due to choppy seas and a rain shower chased us home. Off to the Land of Hanalei tomorrow.

In a fitting postscript to today, I just learned of the passing of master storyteller, Paul Harvey. I remember earning money for our 1972 trip @ $1.91/hr and listening to him on the radio. When asked about retirement, he stated he could think of nothing better to do than paint pictures with his typewriter… To Paul Harvey, one last time… Good Day!

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 11

2009-02-27T23:38:00.000-08:00

Knowing vocabulary can make you seem smart
The correct order of words from finish to start
A mistake in the usage between wind break
And break wind, a person easily can make
So instead of safe haven, you’re left with a fart

The windbreakers were out in full force as we headed north by mid-day for a day of sight-seeing. We had suggested to Elsie that we visit the Kilauea Lighthouse and ‘Anini Beach. For us Northwesterners, we rarely miss an opportunity to visit a lighthouse, particularly one in such a beautiful setting (see attached picture) The wind was brisk which limited the chance to catch any whale action, so we didn’t stay too long. Our next stop was a gorgeous stretch of beach known as ‘Anini. Years ago, possibly just after WWII a resident shot the “W” off the Wanini Beach sign and locals got used to the new name. This seems to be a great example of the “Hawaiian” attitude – take things as you find them. This beach has a long coral reef and is great for snorkeling but even better for windsurfing or kiteboarding. We some some great examples (picture also attached). We dropped Elsie off at her home and headed back home in time to catch a nice sunset from our deck. (also attached). Have to pack up and leave a week from tomorrow, so I guess we better start enjoying ourselves before it’s too late – Aloha – ‘Ike Ponder

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 10

2009-02-26T23:38:00.000-08:00

Today is Day 10 if you’re keeping a tally
We were up early and tried not to dally
Ocean and foliage and woods made of koa and banyan
Were all on display as we visited Waimea Canyon
And ended our trek at the Kalalau Valley

The wind had swept the clouds away and the sun shone brightly as we headed out after breakfast for a visit to one of the major scenic wonders of Kauai, Waimea Canyon and the lookout from the top of the Kalalau Valley. Mark Twain called the canyon the Grnd Canyon of Hawaii and I’ve attached a picture to illustrate this. We knew we needed to get up the top of the canyon early in the day because the clouds can quickly obscure the view. We raced from sea level at Waimea to 4000 feet in 19 miles and saw the temperature drop from 77F -50F (25C – 10C for those metric-centric readers). We were glad we had our jackets with us. Got a great view, minutes before it was closed off by approaching clouds (picture also attached) The valley was once a self sufficient home to 50,000+ Native Hawaiians but is rarely visited due to the treacherous trials and high surf. We overheard the comment that waves sometime reach 60 feet during intense storms that sweep in from the ocean.

We worked our way back down and visited a couple of viewpoints that afforded great panoramas of the Canyon and waterfalls. As we cruised back into town we stopped at the Shrimp Station for Shrimp Tacos, Beer-Battered Shrimp, and a particularly tasty Coconut Shrimp. We had failed to pick up T-Shirts commemorating the Town Celebration, so we found the printer and placed an order for pickup early next week. We knew we wanted to be back in Hanapepe by 3:00 just like last week for the Sunshine Market, so we visited Salt Pond Park and then browsed the local bookstore until the whistle blew. At 3:08 we were headed back home and enjoyed a nice meal of snapper, rice, corn and salad, Cards, cribbage, and Five-Straight occupied us until 10:00. We head North tomorrow….”Mountaintop” Mike

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 9

2009-02-25T23:36:00.000-08:00

The economy can't seem to sell a car
Stock markets are crashing near and far
We need a way to cope
Someone to give us some hope
Tiger shows how good it is to be under par

It appears the only people that can inspire folks these days are those millionaires, Slumdog & Tiger. We were amused today to see the hype for the return of Tiger Woods after a 254 day hiatus. He, of course, acted like he had just stepped away for a lunch break and picked right up where he left off at the US Open 8 months ago, calmly dispatching his opponent by starting birdie eagle for a 2 up lead. This tournament is Match Play which is very fickle as a bad bounce or inopportune hot or cold streak can eliminate a player. Tiger's record in Match Play is about 75% so he's got a good chance to make it into the weekend. One of the best moments of the telecast came during the airing of a new Nike commercial welcoming Tiger back sung to the tune of "Sunshine, Lollipops. & Rainbows” It seems to sum up nicely the attitude of the rest of the PGA players.

It may seem odd that we watched a golf tournament on TV today but the island was buffeted (not the billionaire) today by strong winds and some rain. The wind subsided and the sun came out in the afternoon so we ventured out to enjoy the sight of some leaping whales and to check on action down at Spouting Horn. The NE winds were blowing offshore so even the waves were some of the highest we've seen, the blowhole wasn't too active. We drove past the Grand Hyatt Hotel which is just down the street to Shipwreck Beach to stroll the grounds and check out the surf. This is the former site of the Grand Slam of Golf at Poipu Bay where Tiger won 7 out of 14 times it was held here (he hadn’t turned pro yet for the first 4) Caught a bit of the sunset before the winds picked packed up and we enjoyed a quiet evening at the condo watching a video of the famous Kamehameha School Song Contest and WALL-E. We have no complaints about the weather since we know parts of the Mainland including the Northwest are getting some cold wet & snowy conditions. Tomorrow it's off west to Hanapepe where the winds might be less... MTP

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 8

2009-02-24T23:35:00.000-08:00

We searched for Malasadas for Fat Tuesday
Think Portuguese-Hawaiian deep-fried beignet
We saw a bevy of gnome
At a 93 year old's home
And it brightened a day that was windy & gray

Mardi Gras is late this year so we get to celebrate in Hawaii. In one of the many blended customs Portuguese immigrants made dough to use up lard & sugar which were usually forbidden during the season of Lent which starts on Ash Wednesday (tomorrow). This creates a problem for me since those are two of my favorite food groups (salt, chocolate, and pork products being significant others). Our goal was to visit Merlin & Mary's friend Elsie, a 93 year old German widow who is still going strong. We picked up lunch at the Snack Shack where orders were placed for 2 fish plates, shrimp teriyaki, and I was able to check off two food groups with fries and a corn dog. The paper listed locations where fresh Palisades were available so we looped around but found them already sold out.

We headed east and north to Kapaa about a 40 minute drive. To visualize where we are on the island, if our base of Poipu is at 6:00 for those who still remember analog clocks, our ventures to Waimea would be around 8:00. The NaPali cliffs are at 10:00. Lihue is at 4:00 and Kapaa is at 3:00. Elsie still lives in the home she first occupied in 1950 and we found her outside manicuring her yard. She has dozens of garden gnomes of all sizes and shapes interspersed with well-maintained planting including lemon, orange and pumelo trees and spends at least a couple of hours outside each day gardening. She treated us to a dessert of cherry pound cake and we sunned ourselves in the garden during a break in the clouds. Merlin harvested some plentiful low hanging fruit for fresh orange juice and we made plans to visit again at the end of the week and have her join us as we head further north toward Kiluea Lighthouse and Anini Beach.

Her zest for life wasn't just due to the lemons in her backyard. She said she was grateful everyday and eagerly looked forward to daily chores - she still drives and never misses her weekly church visit, but clearly it's the time out in her yard that energizes her. This got me to reflect on the message from a poem Loren sent yesterday that he received from a friend in 1961 just before the Lesher clan departed to Alaska. It was the opening line of William Cullen Bryant's "Thanatopsis" which Dianna & I were introduced to by Mrs. Stewart, our 11th grade Transcendentalist English teacher At 17 we didn't understand the meaning of a poem written mostly about death by a Romantic poet in 1811 but now in our mid-50s the tone of the poem is different. It seems to say fully embrace nature while you can since you and everyone else will eventually be part of it. Elsie's attitiude serves as a good reminder.

This was probably an odd tangent, but maybe it was inspired by all the birthdays in around this month like Rick & Leah today, Lika, Deborah & Nicole at the end of the month and Scott, Dan & Nathan earlier. I suppose this is an unusual birthday wish but in the spirit of "Carpe Diem", I hope you embrace every day... Here in Hawaii we don't need reminders....Aloha - Mike "While I Pondered"

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 7

2009-02-23T23:35:00.000-08:00

Monday's Activities are totally free
Ukeleles by the dozens to hear and to see
Sunshine markets give wonderful veggies and fruit
If you're willing to tussle, jostle, grab and root
Calmness & Artistry prevails at at E Kanikapila

A nice rosy fingered dawn greeted us this morning as we began Day 7. Today is the local Koloa Sunshine Market which is one of the biggest and has the best selection. We lined up at the gates just before noon and joined the throngs pummeling for pumelos, grabbing for grapefruit, and knocking coconuts in search of the best and the freshest.

Dianna & Mary got out for a walk and some whale-watching which has been quieter than in recent years. Part of the reason is the wind has been active which makes it a little harder to spy spouts and we haven't been lounging on the beach as much so far so we've had less "eyeball time"

Snacked in the afternoon and then got ready for the evening's entertainment in at the Island School Lihue. E Kanikapila Kakou loosely translates as "Hawaiian jam session with strings" and is a 25+ year tradition on Kauai where some of the best talent showcasing Hawaiian music is highlighted at free Monday night concerts from mid-January through early April. At least a quarter of the audience shows up with their ukeleles and plays along after participating in a workshop before the show. In past years we've seen a 17 year old ukelele prodigy who studies remotely with the Berklee School of Music and a 100 year old Uke player who can play behind his back. We used to think of this series as a local secret but the word is out this year as the place was almost as packed as the Sunshine Market. Tonight's artists were a 20-something duo, Kupaoa (www.Kupaoa.com) who met at UH where they were music majors. They play upright electric bass and 6 & !2 string guitar, and ukelele and wrote about half of the songs on their album - very talented artists and an enjoyable concert where they explained in detail how they devloped their music. At intermission, Axel,the high school senior who won the Waimea Town Celebration Uke Contest Saturday played 2 tunes.

Another great day in Paradise... "MUSIC is my sideline" Mike

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 6

2009-02-22T23:34:00.000-08:00

It is time for the daily theme search.
Is it M&M's visit to church?
Or is it the fresh rain?
Which we rarely disdain
Sitting sheltered on our lanai perch

Washington's birthday was today as best we knew
Though he was actually born Feb 11, 1732
Because of the switch to the Gregorian calendar
There's doubt about just when those dates were
Which is why we use President's Day with no further ado

We were able to catch a bit of a nice sunrise before the morning wind and rain blew in and cancelled our morning tennis plans. Merlin & Merry always like to attend a local church up near Lihue where they're always welcomed back by the congregation so they headed out around 10:00. It's nice to have a community to participate in... They did some local shopping and in a small world coincedence, they ran into Larry Rivera ( http://www.k12.hi.us/~kapaahs/foundation/alumniprofilelr.html ) a famous long time Kauai entertainer who serenaded people for years at the resort Elvis made Blue Hawaii at, The Coco Palms. The resort was devastated by Hurricane Iniki in 1992 and within the last year plans to reopen were cancelled, much to Larry's regret. Merlin & Mary have seen Larry many times and he remembered them and invited all of us to his Wednesday show at the Kauai Beach Hilton.

It's a slow news day so a geography primer may be in order to make sense of some of the places we visit. The island is roughly circular with a diameter of ~30 miles which for those who still remember their circumference calculation (Diameter x Pi ) yields a 90 mile round trip. We situated in the South at Poipu and Koloa and a 30 mile drive West through Waimea puts you at the edge of the 5000 ft NaPali cliffs. This is the dry end of the island averaging only a foot of rain per year. It's very Arizona-like with cacti and it's own version of the Grand Canyon - The 3000 foot deep Waimea Canyon.
head off to the East and you pass through the commercial hub of the island, Lihue on your way to the north shore. The mountain in the center of the island gets ~480 inches of rain per year, enough to feed 5 navigable rivers and numerous waterfalls. As you head north you see the lush end of the island where South Pacific and Jurrasic Park were filmed. Hanalei is reminiscent of the Willamette Valley complete with a laid back community vibe. A few miles further you reach the end of the road and the NaPali coastline where it's a challenging 2 day hike around to the top of the Waimea Canyon through the muddy Alakai Swamp. This geographic and micro-climate diversity make it easy to find someplace on the island to enjoy the beauty.

The weather cleared in the afternoon as we enjoyed a relaxing day at the condo. Turned the TV on for the first time this week to watch the Blazers cruise to a comfortable win over the Clippers and then watched some of the Oscars complete with popcorn. Our penultimate Kauai Sunday ended quietly at 10...

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 5

2009-02-21T23:32:00.000-08:00

The big day had arrived for the Oregonian Team
The Player of Tunes and the Eaters of Ice Cream
On a musical note, all the practice done daily
Served Merlin well as he played his Ukelele
And we did ourselves proud just like in our dream

Bookended the day with a picture perfect sunrise and sunset and had an enjoyable time at the Waimea Town Celebration which is like Multnomah Days with Kalua Pig and Poi Balls (an odd twist on a hushpuppy). We participated fully in the Ice Cream Eating contest & The Uke contest but "Veni, Vini, No Vici Bruddah" ( We came, We saw, We left empty handed..) Documentation is available at: http://www.hawaiistream.com/ Look for Merlin 1/3 of the way through the Uke contest and the AARP contestants (55+) at the end of the IC Contest. Merlin is in the yellow shirt and we're on the left side. This proves were not writing these recaps from our condo at Caldew... >New week to make good use of... More later - I've got an ice cream headache... MTP

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 4

2009-02-20T23:31:00.000-08:00

As Day 4 comes to a close, we settle into a routine
that involves sitting and watching and reporting what's seen.
As you receive this message through this medium
We hope to alleviate some tedium
As we strive to translate what we say into what we mean...

It's Aloha Friday here but the attitude is typical any day of the week - take it slow, no problem, it is what it is. I leaped into action after a modest sunrise and made a batch of Hawaiian French Toast based on a recipe from Alton Brown, a chemist/chef from the Food Channel. Eggs, Half & Half and Honey made a nice custardy breakfast. Our major goal of the day was to trek into Lihue, about a 1/2 hour car trip, replenish our food stocks, and add Merlin as a driver on the car. The weather remained breezy and showery so our usual agenda of walks was limited. A Costco chicken provided an early dinner before some more card playing. Finally saw some good whale action at sunset and we passed a quiet evening gearing up for the big Waimea Town Celebration tomorrow. Dianna & I are veterans of the Ice Cream Eating contest and Merlin will once again participate in the Ukulele Contest. We are guaranteed a pint of ice cream and a T-shirt respectively. We still have 2 Fridays left before we pack up so we hope to venture out more in the coming days.

If my browser cooperates I'll send an occasional picture - maybe even of tomorrow's festivities.

Aloha -MTP

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 3

2009-02-19T23:29:00.000-08:00

Our choices of cuisine have become more auspicious As our cravings tend to be more ambitious It heightens all our moods To enjoy home-cooked foods To quote a Midwestern musician, "Fish is Delicious!"
Food always plays a big part of a vacation in Hawaii and today we "stayed home" to some degree. After our sunrise acknowledgement we had breakfast and lounged around with books, cards, music and e-mail until Mary & Dianna headed out on a walk to Poipu Beach. The fickle rain gods waited until they were exposed and then decided to shower them with greetings. We drove down and picked them up and shopped for some suitable lunch fixings for a in-house lunch. The island has local "Sunshine" markets scattered around each day and at 3:00 we knew we would head down to Hanapepe for their event. These markets are much different than our Farmer's Markets as you need to be in place when they blow the whistle since things sell out quickly. Our fruit & vegetable experts were in place early and by 3:15 we were on our way home with a variety of avacados, rambutan, oranges, papaya, lettuce, onions, sweet potatoes and other items for the pantry. We visited Salt Pond Park and enjoyed the view while we tried some wind-aided card playing and then set sail for home. We played games until dinner which would be highlighted by Merlin's lovingly hand-caught salmon from Brookings. We bring a suitcase full of frozen food with large quantities of salmon fillets, ling cod, snapper, beef jerky, and smoked salmon prepared by Merlin. Enjoyed a subdued sunset and then had a marvelous meal and resumed the male domination in game playing. Pinochle, Five Straight, and Back-Alley Bridge all went the guys way until Mary & Dianna broke through with a come-from behind win in Pinochle. Retired to the stirrings of the tropical breezes by 10:00...

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 2

2009-02-18T23:28:00.000-08:00

Day One ended and we turned the page And embraced a tradition that has become the rage In Iowa or Nebraska it would be considered insane In Tucson or LA it's never considered vain As Oregonians enter the "No Socks" Age Today begins that annual season we Northwesterners eagerly anticipate when we can expose our lower extremeties to fresh air and sunshine from mid Feb-early March. We view going sock-free as a right not a privledge although Merlin invokes the NW Birkenstock option of using socks with his sandals. Still we all are united in being knee-free.. Those of you in Arizona or California (except for maybe this year) may not appreciate how important this opportunity is to us but most likely the chance won't arise again until around the summer solstice... The first full day on the island began with the usual tradition of walking out to the point and greeting the sunrise at 7:00 AM. All indigenous cultures emphasize acknowledgement of the cycles of life such as sunrise & sunset, the changing of seasons, or birth & death and I think we'd all benefit from spending a little time in gratitude for such things. As such, once the sun returned our welcome with a cloud-tinged sunrise, we were ready to face the day. Breakfast is always the first order of business and oatmeal and toast are always staples which give us a literal base as we metaphorically chew over our plans for the day. Today appears windy with a chance of showers so we're in no hurry to race outside and instead enjoy the weather from our lanai as Merlin plays the ukelele. I work on the overarching theme of this communication and put enough down on-screen that I can send out the the initial issue to an unsuspecting public. Late morning we head out for a little sightseeing and stop at Spouting Horn which is usual a good vista for whalewatching. The wind makes it difficult but does enhance the effect of the volcanic blowhole that gives the vista it's name. We wander by a regular stop on our visits, a local takeout shop called the Snack Shack and grab some food for a picnic at Brenneke Beach in Poipu. This is only about a 10 minute walk from the condo so we're down here a lot. Again the wind makes whalewatching or card playing a challenge but as is typical during the "No-Socks" age, we find little to complain about in 75 degree air. Back to the condo for reading, card playing, and napping while I stay connected to what's happening elsewhere with the use of my laptop. At 4:30 it's time to head off to our birthday date with Jim and imagine our surprise when we arrive at the Camphouse Grill and find it abandoned and overgrown. Jim had already scoped it out and we arranged to head to the Brick Oven for some pizza and a sandwich. Had a good visit and headed back home in time to catch the color at the tail end of a sunset. The evening consisted of equal enjoyment of Hawaiian music,Pinochle, Five-Straight, ice cream, and reading before closing the books at 10:00>Aloha - Mahi-Mahi -Mike

The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 1

2009-02-17T23:51:00.000-08:00

As Hawaiian Air departed to the West We resolved to take time to document the best Activities and reflections this trip might bring And since in Hawaii SPAM is considered a good thing We offer the following for you to digest... The good thing about e-mail is that you can receive "valuable" communications from friends and family with no effort on your part. The bad news about e-mail is that you can receive.... As a result over the next 18 days you will sporadically receive our version of SPAM which generically will recap the Sights, Play, Activities, and Music we encounter. Consider it a tropical/topical version of a Holiday letter... Day One began early as we were up by 5:30 to prepare for our flight. The participants in this adventure are Merlin & Mary & Mike & Dianna and we all appreciated Merry getting up early and dropping us off at the airport. We ran into our high school friend Jim Taylor who would be spending his birthday week in Hawaii so we made plans to get together on Wednesday for a burger at the Camphouse Grill in Kaleheo, a more rustic version of the Hillsdale Pub. The 5 1/2 hour plane ride was uneventful which is always a good thing. We arrived a little early and had a chance to take our hopper early but passed although Jim rushed ahead. We spent more time procuring our rental car than we did flying across from Oahu but finally got passengers and luggage stowed just after 4:00. Apparently as a last ditch bid to avoid bankruptcy, Chrysler decided to offer great deals to rental fleets on PT Cruisers as this is the 2009 choice four tourists. Our first stop was the ceremonial visit to Wal-Mart to pick up water milk and weights for Merlin and then a stop at the local newspaper office to start a 3 week subscription (Note to Rick S - newspapers are not dead!) Our first meal on the island was at a local favorite Hamura's Saimen Shop, famous for their soups and Lilikoa Pie, passion fruit chiffon. Sated with Saimen we arrived at our condo at 5:30. We're in the same complex we've been in the last 2 years but in a unit a few doors down that has a few pluses (one level, few stairs) and a few minuses (limited view from the lanai for whale watching, and near the parking lot) but still with a great address. Quiet evening as we unpacked, started the initial battles in the Pinochle marathon and retired early since we were still on Portland time.
Feel free to opt out on receiving this limited edition newsletter otherwise you'll learn more than you want to know about this year’s adventure in Hawaii... Aloha - "Manta Ray" Mike