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[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Our bags are packed, all four huge suitcases, a backpack, a roller carry on, and a dog. Enough to overwhelm any Uber driver. Luckily, Michelle will drive us to the airport. We picked a day to fly when the flights are wide open. Check in was smooth, plenty of seats were available and we were seated in the Delta Comfort Plus section.  That means free beer and wine for Mom and Pop, and more space for Dylan’s carrier. About an hour into the trip, we had a visit from a little chinaware that came walking over to our seat. Dylan let out a little growl. The dog belonged to a lady a few rows back that had fallen asleep. Mouth open, head drooping and snoring, she had no idea her dog had gone visiting. The dog had been on the ladies lap the whole time, so she must have been a “therapy dog”. Anyone with a true therapy dog would know from their training that the dog needs to be put in a carrier if her owner wants to take a nap!  This behavior is what ruins the whole therapy dog program. The flight attendant took the dog back to her owner and woke her up. Dylan was great, she stayed in her carrier the entire trip. 

Cynthia was there to pick us up. I think she was more excited to see the dog than us. We managed to get all the luggage and ourselves into her car. I was thrilled that we didn’t return to snow. The weather was actually similar to what we left in San Francisco. Walking into our home there was that “new house” smell that I love. When we have been away for a while I still smell it when we come in. I think it’s the cherrywood cupboards and the wood floor. Sliding into our huge bed, it really seems so much bigger than I remember. I went to sleep first, and I didn’t even know when Tom came to bed. By then, Dylan found a soft spot right in the middle of the bed. Tomorrow groceries will be delivered, laundry will be done, mail will be read, but tonight I smile as I fall asleep. 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Monday, April 8, 2019

Last day in San Francisco turns out to be a beautiful sunny day. A little chilly still, but enough to give you a feeling that spring is on its way.  It’s a great day for a walk. The SF library offers many free city walks all around the city. Today we are joining the Chinatown walk. From the Ghanchi’s it’s a little over a mile to Prospect Park. Tom Dylan and I  make our way to the heart of Chinatown, and the beginning of our walk. Unfortunately, we find that dogs are not allowed on the library walks. Muzi, who is enjoying a well deserved day off drives over to pick up Dylan. Although that wasn’t part of the plan for today, it does allow Muzi to spend a day with Dylan.

 Prospect Park is known as the living room of Chinatown. At any time of day, you’ll find the park full of elderly residents enjoying the park. They play cards, discuss current events, prior events, and check on each others health. 

 We learn on the walk that most residents of this area live in rooms that average 10’x10’. Sometimes entire families live in that one room. Most residents are new to the country, or are elderly moving back to the neighborhood.What was once a crime filled area of gangs and crime, is now one of the safest neighborhoods of SF. 

We walked around the markets, the medicinal shops, the restaurants, temples. It was a dizzying walk of unusual scents and sights. From the curry scent to seeing red, red. everywhere. Red is the color good luck, and then there is green, the color of money and prosperity. One of the landmarks we visited is currently a bank, but once was the center of the immigrants’ world. The telephone exchange! It was here that a phone call could be placed to China or the reverse.  Did the money I sent money arrive? Did the family safely make the voyage to SF? All news between the two worlds was shared here. 

Visiting the Ma-Tsu temple brought us face to face with the giant warriors that protect the goddess. 

She is the deified form of the purported historical Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. Revered after her death as a goddess of fishermen and sailors. She is now generally regarded by her believers as a powerful and benevolent Queen of Heaven. What really needs protecting, I think, are the towers of offerings that flank the alter. Followers present offerings of gold coins that are kept in boxes on display within the towers.

On the way home, we faced the Broadway tunnel again. We either walk straight up ( way up), or through the tunnel. Again, we chose the tunnel. 

Michelle accepted her new job today, so opening up a good bottle of champagne was in order. I made pork chops, which really wasn’t a good choice for a celebratory dinner for my vegetarian daughter. Michelle brought her own sushi dinner and reminded me of my failure as a Mom. The rest of us enjoyed the pork chops. To be honest, I found the chops while I was organizing Mallory’s freezer  I knew Mallory wouldn’t cook them, so I thought I would. It wasn’t something I had planned on doing. Looking at my family all in one place around the dinner table makes me incredibly happy. I’m going to miss this most of all. 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Sunday, April 7, 2019 San Francisco

Fort Mason National Park 

Sunday morning at the Ghanchi’s means waffles, at least when we are here. I love it! Hawaiian macadamia nut coffee, a fresh waffle, and I’m not cooking.  In the afternoon, the Ghanchi’s walk. So when at the Ghanchi’s, we eat, then we walk. 

Today we explored Fort Mason National Park. Fort Mason was originally established as a coastal fortification in the 1860s. It was also known as San Francisco Port of Embarkation, US Army, in San Francisco, California  between 1910 and 1963.It’s located in the the northern Marina District, alongside San Francisco Bay. It’s a little over one mile from the Ghanchi’s. Today, the campus is a great place for a stroll, a dog walk, a picnic, or just a quiet spot near the water to read.  

We walked around the open lawn area where the San Francisco Worlds Fair was held in 1915  We also walked through the neighborhood where the officers and army staff once lived. The former base commanders office is now the clubhouse and a very popular wedding venue. The Army still used some of the buildings and housing, and other residences are rented. The units look small, but I’m sure they are very expensive because of the excellent location. In former Army buildings you’ll now find art galleries, restaurants, and bars. There is an improv studio, a full theater, and bookstores. On Sunday mornings there is a Farmers Market here that we missed.  We stopped into Radhaus for a beer.

 Mallory pointed out they had potatoes pancakes. Since it was a German restaurant I ordered first! I was excited to have a nice crispy potato pancake! Instead, what I got was this potato patty of raw stringy potato covered with tiny toasted onions and flour. It was terrible, and I really was missing  my Great Aunt Helen, who made the best. My sister Cynthia also makes a mean potato pancake, but we don’t have it often.   

We continued our walk to the beach. It wasn’t even 70 degrees today, but  we found people swimming. The tiny beach isn’t the best, the water is cold and brown. Mallory tried to take Dylan into the surf, but she wasn’t interested - at all. Next it was up the hill following Polk Street from the water to the Ghanchi house. The first three blocks were hard, then the street levels out and gets flatter. The last stop was Lush. They home make gelato in unusual flavors. I got Vietnamese Cinnamon, Mallory has green tea and mango. In total, we walked almost 4 miles. Dylan needs a bath after the visit to the beach, so that’s next. 

I’m also finishing packing. Tonight Mallory and I are looking forward to the ACM Awards. The show should have been on at 5 if it were live, but for some reason it’s being shown here at 8pm. Not sure if we’ll be up for the while show-but I’m enjoying sharing the sofa with my Tom, my Mallory, and my son-in-law. I will miss this! 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Saturday, April 6, 2019 Alameda

Glorious Sunny California Day.  Our family of 5 and our trusty canine drove to Alameda to visit with Andrew and Ashley. I first met them in Luxembourg, great friends of Mallorys’ from Deloitte. But first, there is a stop at In and Out Burger.  Mallory says it's a California thing. I guess so, the line for the drive through was over 11 cars long. We opted for inside ordering. Dylan and I grabbed a table outside and waited for the “California experience”. The french frys were stale, drinks ordinary, the burgers were just okay.  My feeling is, I wouldn’t wait in line again. 

Continuing to Alameda Point to the Faction Brewery.  Alameda Point is a large area that was once the Alameda Naval Air Base. It’s an island, you can get here either by boat or bridge. In fact Andrew and Ashley commute into the city on a ferry every day. Alameda Point was used in the 1930’s by Pan American Airlines as an airfield. The navy closed the base over 20 years ago. Leaving behind huge warehouse spaces, offices, housing, all abandoned.  Today I find the empty offices boarded up. Many huge buildings are being converted into entertainment spaces. In addition to the Brewery, there is a vodka house, a whiskey bar, and food trucks. 

Chillin’ at the brewery was like being in someone’s back yard. We sit at a picnic table, one a huge lot, with a direct view of the San Francisco skyline. Andrew tells me there have been many attempts to develop the area. None have succeeded yet. There is some speculation that the land is contaminated, which the navy denies. Last year the city council approved a 500 million dollar plan to bring  800 units of housing, retail and  city services to the area. I don’t see any evidence of any development. Just individual businesses opening one at a time.

There was so many people, kids, dogs, enjoying the sunny day. We spent a good part of the afternoon here. As we drove out, there was a line of cars driving down to the point for the Saturday evening activities. As for three female Spartin Alums ( and our two gentlemen) something more important. We needed to get in front of a TV to watch the final four basketball game in which Michigan State was playing.  It was a disappointing game all around as Michigan State could not hold one to a lead. The Texas Tech team outplayed the Spartans and won the match. Can’t say it wasn’t a little disappointing. 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Thursday, April 4, 2019 San Francisco

In Michigan, I have a medical marijuana card. I was hoping that trying some form of cannabis could help me get off some of the medication I take for arthritis pain or sleep. What I have tried really hasn’t helped. My primary care doctor doesn’t believe in using cannabis. The Marijuana Doctor seemed to just pass our cards, not really helping me decide what I should try. When I went to my first meeting at the Michigan Dispensary I had no idea what to expect. Tom had to sit in the waiting room as I was buzzed into a dark back room, that looked like a secret meeting room out of Harry Potter. I was assigned a counselor, who asked me what I was trying to achieve and what I had already tried. He spent a long time with me introducing me to the products. Such an assortment, chocolates, gummies, pretzels, flowers, oils. I was happy that I didn’t have to smoke anything. No smoking of anything for me. 

Today we visit the Apothecarium, the nicest marijuana dispensary I’ve have ever  seen. The class today was about non euphoric for medicinal purposes. It was led by the dispensary’s Public Education Officer, Sara Payan. She is a stage 3 colon cancer survivor. During her cancer treatment she discovered cannabis.

The medicinal part of cannabis is the CBD, the euphoric part is the THC.  The products come in different concentrations of CBD to THC.  CBD has shown that it helps anxiety, arthritis, restless leg syndrome and high blood pressure.  But Sara emphasized, we are all chemistry experiments, each person is different. What works for one may not work for another. That makes it sound, to me, like they might be selling snake oil.  We have some products we purchased before, I’ll need to experiment and see what might work for me. It would be great to eliminate some of the medicines I take daily.

It was disturbing to me, however, to learn that CBD is not recommended for persons with estrogen positive cancer. Unfortunately, that is exactly the kind of breast cancer I had back in 2004. I asked after class if that would be a concern for someone that has been cancer free for 15 years. Sara suggested  I speak to my primary physician. Back to the beginning again. More research needed. 

Michelle, Tom and I went out to the Fish House for some dinner. Michelle has to make a decision on a new job opportunity by Monday. She is considering leaving the fashion industry and going to work for a startup called Lark. They make a very fancy high end water bottle that filters the water with lasers. Or she might choose Credo, a clean make up company, or maybe even Macys to work on their online commerce site. Lots to think about. 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Wednesday, April 3, 2019 San Francisco

Mallory and Muzi surprised us with tickets to Hamilton. Tom and I both really like history, and I know we are going to enjoy this. Mallory advised us to listed to the soundtrack because the words are so fast we are going to miss many of the puns, inside jokes, and references to events today that are repeating prior history. In fact, on the average there are more than 100 words sung or spoken per minute in this show.  Last night, we also watched the episode of “Drunk History” with Lin-Manuel Miranda that told the story of Alexander Hamilton.We are prepared! 

There is an app that allows you to reserve you parking space in advance, after all, this is San Francisco. There is an app for everything. We entered the address of our spot into the WAZE app and followed the directions.  The Orpheum Theater is located on Market Street, near the city hall. As we drive away from Russian Hill, only a few miles but the neighborhoods are so different. 

 The streets and buildings get dirtier and dirtier, the people in the streets get grungier and grungier. This part of San Francisco scares me, even though I grew up in Detroit. I’ve never walked down streets where people live in tents set up along the street and against building. People are eating, sleeping, drinking, and just living out here. Other people are just walking by going from their jobs to their homes, or out to dinner, or to the theater like us. We see tents and cardboard houses, and on the corner I see someone sweeping his park of the sidewalk.  I don’t know what the solution to homelessness is, but we need to think of something. If I were to live here, I’d want to do something to help. There are many organizations that offer food, shelter and clothing to these folks.

 I guess I just don’t understand the problem. We saw tents in Hawaii, I’ve seen them in Florida, other parts of the US. I’ve didn’t  see them in Germany, Denmark, Scandinavia, French Polynesia, or even Greece, who’s economy completely fell apart. 

Once again, I digress. 

The theater is beautiful, gold gilded, plus red carpet and tapestries, and a gorgeous carved ceiling. In the Blue Room, we order a glass of champagne and a beer, and place an order for intermission, as we were advised to do by the person in front of us at the bar line. We sat down to soak the atmosphere and people watch until curtain time. Could we really fit in here I wonder again?  Our seats are great!  

We know what to expect, because our kids have already seen the show and gave us most of the details. We saw the clip of Lin-Manuel Miranda reciting the song, that became this play, at the White House to the Obamas back in 2009. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNFf7nMIGnE).  We have been entering the lottery for cheap tickets every day, and have stood in line in NYC trying to get lottery tickets…but we are finally here.  

At intermission we walked over to the bar and sure enough, there is a card with my name on it, a beer and a fresh glass of champagne, among all the other preorders. We didn’t have a bill, or any way to prove we payed, but there was no one there to give it to. People just walked up to the table and took their drinks. We were sitting nearby, and I watched as customers just walked up. At the end of intermission, there were still drinks and cards on the table. I wondered what happened to these people? Why didn’t they pick up their expensive drinks? I guess I don’t understand San Francisco. 

I liked the way the refrain “I’m not throwing away my shot” was carried through the entire play. The most thought provoking part for me was “Who’s going to tell our story”. Maybe that’s what I’m doing right now, telling my own story? I’m not sure who will read it, or care about it, but I’m telling my story. Hopefully as I continue writing, I’ll get better at it. I know I could add, delete, or invent parts to make the story more entertaining, maybe someday I will. For now, however, I’m going to try to keep it real as they say.

Returning home we find Mallory and Muzi on the sofa. “Did you listen to the first half of the soundtrack?” Mallory asked.  I impressed her by replying “ We listened to the whole thing”.“ I only wanted you to listen to the first half so it wouldn’t ruin the ending for you”, she added. Who doesn’t know the ending? 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Tuesday, April 2, 2019 San Francisco

Coming back to San Francisco almost feels like coming home. Having my two girls here makes it homey. Could we become Californians? I guess it’s possible. We are not ready to make a permanent move. I am concerned about our house just sitting there costing us money. Our condo association doesn’t allow for AIRBNB rentals. I think 6 months is the least, but only with approval.  I’m not sure we could fly under the radar with AIRBNB, but maybe with one month rentals?  The winter weather here is a bit too cloudy and rainy. It’s not the sunny Florida sunshine I thought I would want. 

On the way to the dog park we saw a sign offering tours of a beautiful victorian lady, painted green, and standing proudly on Franklin Street. She is the Haas-Lilienthal House.  She was built  by William Haas, a German Jews that came to American from Braveria in 1868. He joined other family members and many former residents of the Reckendorf Germany in San Francisco.  In 20 years, he built up a wholesale grocery store, married Bertha, had 3 children, and built this upper class home. Inside it was a marvel of moldings, light fixtures, furniture, and a glimpse into the past. 

In the photo above, you’ll see the Pasteur Water Filter. The first of it’s kind invented to filter drinking water. The 12 fixture light was called a “6 up and 6 down”. It allowed for 6 lights to be electric (down)  and 6 gas (up). Take a look at the Magic Chef Stove. The regal Queen Anne survived  the earthquake and fire of 1906 with just a large crack in the upstairs wall. The home stayed in the family until 1973 when it was gifted to San Francisco Heritage, as the city’s only Gilded Age house museum open to the public. It is now open for tours, and used as a venue for weddings and other events. In 2012, the San Francisco landmark was recognized by the National Trust for Historical Preservation, one of only 34 National Treasures in America. You can read more about the house and the family at https://www.haas-lilienthalhouse.org/about. 

Continuing our walk UP  to Lafayette Dog Park. I love the park, but it’s hard to get to. Not distance, but INCLINE. Two blocks are at least a 90 degree incline. Tom has to pull me. Once you get to the top of the street, and you congratulate yourself for making it , you see the steep set of stairs into the park. One foot at a time, one foot at a time, with the dog leading her two senior citizens up the steps. I’ve written about this park before. The dogs can be off leash. There is a large protected space for dogs to run on the astroturf. Of course you must clean up any solid deposits, but there is a sprinkler system built in that washes the yard otherwise.

  I can tell Dylan is getting more comfortable here, she will actually walk around a bit. She is still too shy to initiate play. After all, she is the “new girl”.

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Monday, April 1, 2019 San Diego

We docked this morning right downtown near the navel base. After breakfast Avis picked us up at the pier. 

Joy Roberts had told me not to miss Balboa Park, since it was right next to the zoo. We got to the park at 9am, parked, and went out to explore. What a fantastic place! The park was full of people running, walking their dogs and children. They have the largest organ ever made installed at an outdoor theater. The air and space museum, the art museum, and so many other things to do were all part of the park. There is a shuttle bus that takes you around, since there is a lot of walking otherwise. The Japanese garden was a highlight for me. It's so beautiful! The cherry trees were in full bloom, and the jasmine bushes made the scent truly heavenly.

 We walked by the mock “Globe Theater” which they use for Shakespearian plays. We could have easily spend the whole day here. Tom says he really like what we have seen of the city. I do too.  

Next we headed for the zoo. Not only is it April Fools' Day, they are celebrating Caesar Chaves Day here. No school today. The line for the zoo was very long, but moved fast.  The San Diego zoo is unique in that it is a non profit enterprise. All proceeds from the admissions, restaurants, gift shop, along with donations go to support the zoo and it’s research. One of the exciting projects currently is their attempt to save the white horned Rhinoceros. There are only two in existence, and neither are able to breed.  The zoo has a bank of sperm and eggs from many species of animals. They are going to attempt to inseminate another form of Rhino with the egg and sperm of the white horned variety. The surrogate will help the species from going extinct. They also have an elephant and koala hospital. It was fascinating! 

We had a warm, sunny day. We road the double deck bus and road the skyway gondola. We saw the polar bears, the grizzly bears, koala bears, monkeys, elephants and so many more. I was said to hear that the Panda’s that have been in San Diego since they were born, are going back to China April 27, 2019. Something about our President imposing tariffs on China……so they want their bears back. The lines are always the longest to see the Pandas. Since so many of these animals are nocturnal, they were doing just what they should be…sleeping. I was happy to see them at all!  Only problem with the day was while we were watching the animals…..my left foot started spasming. It felt like my foot was suddenly in a vice and it was being squeezed! I almost fell over it happened so suddenly and hurt so much. What’s that all about? I’m wearing my ugly black shoes, I am wearing the orthotics and the toe spacer.  It happened once more later on, and I was ready to leave the zoo. 

We headed to the airport early. When I figured that we were going to use United to fly to Papeete ,and then to San Francisco, I applied for the United Credit Card. They gave us a ton of miles and allowed us to check our bags for free. The best part, was a day pass for two to use the United Club. We planned on using it on our way home, today.  We checked in for the flight, dropped our bags, and headed for the bar. Totally worth it to sit and drink champagne and snack for free while we wait for our flight. 

As a bonus, we got our seats changed from the last trow of coach, two middle seats apart, to row 8 together which is their economy plus.

Mallory and Michelle have been sending us photos of Dylan almost daily. I miss her so much. I hope the kids bring her to pick us up. 

Just a quick one hour flight and we arrived in San Francisco. There are Muzi, Mallory and Dylan waiting for us. I made sure to hug Muzi and Mallory before I embraced my little Dylan!. Arriving home for a glass of wine and a look at some of the photos. Muzi bought a camera to spy on Dylan during the day.  He showed us some hidden video moments of Dylan howling while left alone. When it was bedtime, both Mallory and Muzi walked the dog to the balcony, watching her and encouraging her to “do her business” on the natural grass pods. Watching them both I could just imagine what’s going to happen when they actually have a child. I was wondering if Dylan was going to jump right into bed with us..but instead she followed Muzi and Mallory  into their room. After Mallory closed the door. Muzi says Dylan didn’t bank to get out at all!. Does Dylan have a new favorite? 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Saturday, March 30, 2019

The ship staff organized a county fair on the pool deck. Silly things like “get the pen into the bottle," “guess the nationality of certain crew members”, nautical knots, and the harder “guess the spice or scent”. I though all those years of working in the fragrance industry for Sandie Applebaum would work in my favor, but I wasn’t as good as I thought. Perhaps my nose isn’t as sharp as it was. Tom and I had tons of tickets for the raffle following the fair, however, none of them were lucky tickets. Carolee won a bottle of champagne and some cuff links. 

Since we (me) are fans of champagne, the Jone’s invited us to have dinner with them the last night and share the bottle. 

I love sea days! I love cruises!  I like being able to choose to do nothing, or pick some things off the activity list, or again, nothing. I attended a lecture about security when you’re traveling and when using your electronic devices. There was laundry to do. Returning to Mallory’s I won’t have a huge stack of laundry. 

Tonight the entertainment crew put on a mock “American Idol”. Wevo ted for members of the crew as they gave it their all to win our votes.  One of the guys portrayed a character as being from Detroit, so we had to vote for  the “hometown” guy, who actually won. One of the dancers had the cutest dress/pants outfit. In another color, and fabric, it might be good for another wedding outfit. Whenever that happens, maybe Gabby Wood and I could get together and design something using this outfit as inspiration. 

Tom and I are finishing off the champagne, wine, and gin we had in our room. 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Friday, March 29, 2019

Woke up later than usual, almost missed breakfast. Today was had a “country fair” going on around the pool. Guess the smell, guess the country, nautical knots, beer pong. Tom and I walked around and collected tickets, but none of ours were winners of some really nice prizes. Finished my latest Danielle Steel book in the beautiful library. Stopped in the room and found Tom watching a movie, and I got sucked into it too. We ordered room service, opened the bottle of champagne, and relaxed the rest of the afternoon. 

Our trivia team is having dinner together tonight in the Polo Lounge. We so enjoyed our conversation that we missed the evening session. In the photo we have Joy and Larry Roberts of Punta Gorda,FL  and Colin and Carolee of Eagan, MN and New Zealand, and Tom and I. Tonight I learned that Larry had a knee replacement done by Dr. Ronald Constine of Punta Gorda, FL. He also did my left hip replacement. ( the one with all the problems). Larry tells me his knee is messed up, and he actually switched to a different doctor in the same Orthopedic Practice for his upcoming hip replacement. I truly hope the hip replacement will bring relief not only to his hip but also his knee. 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Thursday, March 28, 2019

I had a hard night. Tossing and turning trying to find a comfortable spot. I considered wandering around the ship. I just didn’t want to change out of my pajamas into the required “country club casual” dress code. Maybe that’s relaxed at 2am?  I know on the fun ships, there would be people still dancing and drinking. I don’t think that would be the case here. 

We attended the Grand Brunch, which really was special. Our friend Colin took lots of photos so I will have to get them from him. We sat with Colin and Carolee. There was so much food, but the way it was arranged was the special part. 

Two rounds of Trivia and a comedian tonight, it’s going to be a fun day. The weather was chilly and very windy so I didn’t spend much time on the sun deck. 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Wednesday March 27, 2019  At Sea

Yeah! No alarm, sleeping as long as I want, doing anything I want, no cooking, no cleaning, my favorite kind of day. We had breakfast outside at the back of the ship. The water is blue, calm, the sun is out, it’s glorious. Tom has just left for the library, and I’m writing.  The internet at sea isn’t great so I’m not sure when I will be able to post this. I’m already two days behind posting. I think I’ll stop for a while and go out on pool deck. My shoulder could use some time in the hot tub. It’s become very windy, and with the sun behind the clouds there is a chill in the air. Perfect time to submerge up to my ears in the hot tub. Also a perfect place to not hear the terrible pool music, something like elevator music of the 70”s.  While submerged, I began thinking about something that has been haunting me for a few days.  Back in Honolulu, while waiting for the submarine, I walked along Ft. DeRussey Beach. I had spent many, many days here, most with a textbook nearby. My 63 year old self was looking over at a memory of my 20 year old self sitting on the beach.  

What would I tell her if I could? Would I warn her of the heartbreaks that were yet to come? Would I give her career advice? Would I tell her that the incredible sadness she feels sometime was  not normal. How could I encourage her to get out of her comfort zone and start facing challenges instead of running away from them. Would she listen? I can’t describe the feeling I have for that girl. So far away from home, but isn’t that what she wanted? I am proud of her for not giving up on her dreams. I’m happy with what she did accomplish. There were missed opportunities, and some time spend on the wrong roads, and some goals that are never going to be met. But at 63, she’ll be happy, content, and loved. Isn’t that what she really wanted? Maybe all I need to say is “Everything is going to be all right”. And so it is. 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Tuesday March 26, 2019 Nawiliwili Harbor, Kauai

Early call for our tour today, movies and waterfalls. We get to the spot, watch a clip from the film, it’s kind of fun. It was raining when we left, but now at noon it’s finally stopped. Our leader today, Sam another former Californian, has lived in Kauai for 30 years, so he knows his stuff. We drove from the pier, around the West side and north shore. We visited the Marriott near the pier, where we spent a day with the girls while on a cruise when they were younger. It’s just as beautiful as it was. 

Opaekaa Falls was next.  It was raining, but we got off the bus anyway to take some photos. 

We stopped at Kalypso for lunch in Hanalei.

We saw some multi million dollar homes in Aliomanu, the bustle of the city of Kapaa. We drove past homes owned by Mark Zuckerburg, Sylvester Stallone, Ben Stiller, Will Smith, and others I have already forgotten. 

The North shore area of Princeville and Hanalei has had a lot of flooding so there are many roads we can’t drive to. We drove through the Princeville complex of homes, condos, The Wyndham Hotel, and the golf corse. 

We ended the day at Lydgate Park in Lihue. It’s a beautiful, large park with a sand beach. Since the coast of Kauai is mostly rock, a nice sand beach is a special place. The current here is quite strong, which would not make this beach good for children. 

Having four children that played at this beach, Albert Morgan decided to do something about this. In 1958, while vacationing in Sorrento, Italy, he noticed that Sorrento’s beaches were protected from the open sea of the Bay of Naples by stone breakwaters lying roughly 100 yards offshore.Upon his return home to Kauai, Mr. Morgan looked over the photographs he’d taken at Sorrento and reckoned that building a breakwater at Lydgate Park similar to those he saw at Sorrento would improve the park’s swimming area considerably.Morgan then contacted William “Billy” Fernandes, (territorial and state representative from 1953-1956 and 1959-1964, and state senator from 1965-1970), and together they submitted a proposal to the state of Hawaii for an allocation of funds for the construction of a 2.6-acre rock barrier offshore of Lydgate Beach that would enclose a body of seawater comprised of a children’s wading pool and a larger swimming area.As a result, the state appropriated $18,000, and the barrier and pools at Lydgate Park were built in 1964. Thanks to George, kids can play in the childrens lagoon, while adults can swim or snorkel in the larger lagoon.  On this site there is a Marriott Garden Inn for visitors. 

All day I have been taking notes and thinking about possible places to spend next winter. Kauai is quiet, and I like that, but it might be too quiet for Tom. Plus there is no Apple Store or Starbucks on this island.  

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Monday March 25, 2019 Honolulu HI

I was so excited to be in Honolulu. I’ve always wanted to go down into the Atlantis Submarine. It’s either been too expensive, or I had no one else to go with. Tom didn’t think he could take being cooped up in a small submarine. We have talked about his motion sickness, but he also doesn’t like tight spaces. Today I had the opportunity to go with the group from the ship.  

Rather than go along with me, Tom took a tour that took him behind the scenes and actually into the bowels of the U.S.S. Missouri. I’ll ask him to write about his day. 

 From Thomas Holloway

With tempered expectations I embarked on an inside tour of the USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor today.  Our driver taking our small group  of 7 cruisers was a retired Navy man who had served on a sister ship of the Missouri during the Vietnam war years.  That driver had a penchant for changing every tour worker’s name including his own - but he finally settled on the ironic name of “Ernest.”  

  A young woman named Bonnie guided our group inside this Iowa class battleship known to her admirers as Mighty Mo.  Ernest naturally dubbed her Mabel much to her chagrin.  Bonnie weaved us into a gun turret on our first stop that shot 18” diameter shells over 23 nautical miles with astounding accuracy.  

The shells were the equivalent weight of a VW bug and Mighty Mo hit thousands of targets from her inauguration in 1944 until her last tour in Desert Storm.  Remarkably Mo was never struck by a shell but was hit by a kamikaze fighter in the Pacific campaign and left only a slight dent on the starboard side.  

  The innards of this dreadnaught battleship were fascinating and often led us to stifling spaces that evoked what must have been almost impossible conditions especially in tropical climates.  We ran into a Captain Halliday whom had served on this ship in his career but had just days earlier retired from the Navy and was leading his own small tour of friends.  Cap’n Halliday had signed his and other crew members names on a steam  turbine inside on of the boiler rooms back during Desert Storm.   It was a fortunate coincidence to encounter a crew member from such a historic icon of naval history

  Our tour later undertook a 30 minute guided tour of the top deck and we found that to be equally awe inspiring.  We were ushered to what was called the Surrender Deck where WWiI ended by the Japanese signing an unconditional surrender.  The documents and the pen used to sign it were on display.  In just 28 minutes in a ceremony officiated by General MacArthur, the war that took 69 million lives came to an end.  This battleship is docked right alongside the USS Arizona’s shrine and both a striking symbols of American patriotism that deserve our deepest respect. 

Today was the first time we have been separated on this trip. As I got into the van alone and headed for Waikiki I could hardly contain my excitement. Eager to see what is new, what has changed, I was rubbernecking and photographing from both sides of the shuttle.  The Atlantis Submarine operation has its home at the pier at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The hotel is now up to 5 different towers, with the famous mosaic rainbow still at the center. It’s the largest mosaic in Hawaii. 

I wanted to walk around the entire resort but my group was being called to the pier. We boarded a boat to take us out to where the submarine was. We watched as is surfaced.  The first submarine I watched surface holds 64 people and cost 25 million dollars. 

The submarine I went on was about half that size. Once the submarine surfaced, we pulled along side of it and were helped onto the narrow stairway that leads down. One at a time we climbed down into the very narrow space. We sat with backs together, each of us looking out of a plexiglass round window. Once we were all boarded, and the hatch was sealed, our captain took us down. The lowest depth we reached was over 100’. 

The Atlantis company, working with the University of Hawaii, dropped  2 old aircraft, one old ship, some cement platforms, and some Chinese seaweed growing platforms. These items created more of a habitat for the fish and sea turtles. The sea life has increased 300% since the items were sunk. What I saw was a lot of coral growing on these items, a lot of fish living here, and some sea turtles sleeping or just chillin’ on or below the items. 

I think Tom would have been able to handle this, I didn’t feel cramped at all, and breathing was easy the while time. What would have freaked him out was the safety demonstration? We were shown how to put on the safety breathing masks.  We were underground about an hour. After surfacing, we boarded the boat back to the pier. I loved the boat ride. It was a warm, sunny day and staying out on the top of the boat felt wonderful. 

This location, the Hilton Hawaiian Village was significant to me because I use memories of being there when I hypnotize myself. I go through a procedure on counting my steps from the hotel itself, over the sand, to the edge of the beach. I have counted the steps necessary, so I repeat the count to myself. I try to involve all my senses as I remember the walk. How it feels to walk through the warm sand, to have the sun on my skin, the scent of plumeria in the air, the sound of the waterfalls on the grounds, and in the end, the feel of the cool water on my feet.  I have used this many times before my many operations to calm myself down. It really works for me.  Every so often, I feel it’s good to repeat the procedure in person to refresh my memories. 

Tom and I met back at the ship. After a little lunch, we took a shuttle to the Ala Moana Mall. Hard to believe, but it’s now about twice the size as it was last time. It’s expanded a few blocks out. We went first to Longs Drugs. I needed to buy some lidocaine pain patches to try to ease my shoulder pain. Then to the Apple Store, and finally Starbucks. Ah! civilization! Tom is happy. I wanted to walk over to the beach, but he wasn’t interested. I got a quick idea, to find a massage place at the mall and have them work on my shoulder. If I couldn’t be walking the beach, massage might make me feel better. I found a Japanese massage place and signed on for 30 minutes. I didn’t think Tom would be patient enough to wait any longer for me. While Sophia was really working on the pain and the huge knot in my shoulder, Tom was sitting in a $3,000 Japanese massage chair in the waiting room feeling pretty darn good. I should have signed up for 30 more minutes!  We left the mall feeling much better. 

I’m thinking that next winter we’ll come back to Hawaii. I’m not sure exactly where, but it’s a big state and I really want to spend more time checking out all the new areas and things to do. I think there is enough to do here on Oahu to keep Tom happy. If we get bored, we could drive for Uber. I could work a day or so for the land operator for the cruise ships. I believe only the Norwegian Star actually boards here, just once a week. Thats when they need the check in people. Tom is laughing at me as I suggest work I might be able to do. He doesn’t think I’m actually up to any task. Maybe he’s right, but there is no harm in trying. 

We had an interesting dinner with a former navy fighter pilot and his wife. Nigel tells us he and Joan were both widows living in San Diego when they joined a Widow Or Widowers (WOW) group. Soon after meeting, they were married and have been together 12 years. What a great idea! It’s great that they were both willing to take another chance. 

Tonight’s entertainment was a Polynesian Show of dancing and singing, and a little comedy thrown in. It was actually very good. We were already in bed by the time the ship sailed away. I stood on the balcony watching the island fade into the distance. I was so happy to have had this day, and I am making plans to come back soon. 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Sunday, March 24, 2019 Hilo, Hawaii

Early morning, breakfast in the room, then meet our tour group in the lounge. Before we could get off the ship, US Border Patrol staff came on the ship and checked our passports. This was a face to face check. Unlike the rude, no smiles Russian officers we met in St. Petersburg, the US agent smiled at me and said “Welcome Home”. It was raining in Hilo, like it always does. Hilo is one of the rainiest cities in the USA, getting over 12 feet of rain each year. It’s located on the side of the Big Island of Hawaii that is partially rainforest. Except for Arctic and Sand Dessert, the big island has every kind of climate in the world. Truly something for everyone. My favorite part of the island is the Kona side, where it is much dryer and sunny. One of my favorite Hawaii trips was to Kona with Karen Adkins, her daughter Courtney, my daughters, and Karen’s mother Lottie. Truly a mother daughter trip. Lottie must have been in her 80’s then, but she was not one to sit anything out. She climbed into and out of the van we rented and explored the entire island with us. 

We headed for the hills, or more accurately, the slopes of the volcanos Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Both are about 13,500’. Currently there is no active lava flow anywhere on the island. On previous visits we’ve seen lava flowing down the trails, and more spectacularly watched the lava flow down to and into the ocean. When hot lava and ocean meet-now that’s a great photo. 

What we could see in the Volcanos National Park was the cracks in the surface throwing up steam heat. The Caldera is much bigger now since it collapsed on itself and the bottom fell out. 

The visitor center had movies of what happened in May of 2018 when an entire subdivision of homes was wiped out. Cracks formed in the streets, in the foundation of homes, and all along the previous edge of the caldera, and the lava shot 30 meters into the air. 

Our next stop was the Akatsuka Orchid Farm. I love orchids, and they have more than 500 on display. Slightly more than my mom has in her living room.  Today I learned there are varieties that actually have a scent, my favorite was Onc. Heaven Scent 'Redolence' (Chocolate Orchid). 

We learned never to water with plant using an ice cube, that shocks the plant. The best way to water is to soak the plant or submerge into a pan of water. Just like my Mother and Sister would tell you. Cynthia calls it the Sunday Soak. I was surprised to see how they raise the plants from babies in a bottle, then pot them, and then  you wait a few years for it to bloom. Most orchids kept indoors need to be forced pollinated, something I’m going to start doing. There are videos that address all you’d want to know about orchids at https://akatsukaorchid.com/content/BasicCare.pdf. 

Returning to the ship in time for lunch, we were just in time for sail away.  As the ship was sailing away, I was drifting to sleep. I feel into such a deep sleep that I woke up not knowing where I was. Has that ever happened to you? I was so tired that I skipped trivia this afternoon. I got up in time for dinner and evening trivia. I tried to do some writing, but the pain in my shoulder was very intense, and was even affected by my hands typing on the computer. I had a hard time getting to sleep. Even with the pain pills, I could only lay on my back. I try to just ignore the pain, but sometimes, like tonight, it almost makes me cry. 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

Saturday, March 23, 2019

Tom says he is feeling like he’s in the movie “Groundhog Day”. Each day seems to be a repeat of the previous. It kind of is on a long string of sea days. This is our 5th sea day. I enjoy them, because I can do just as I please. Tomorrow we will be in Hilo so we’ll be on a different time schedule. 

After breakfast we worked on the daily crosswords and the MENSA quiz. We got the answers to the scavenger hunt. We found 32 of the 45 items, There are still decks of this ship we haven’t been on. Had we walked all the decks, we could have found more items.  Our friend Colin found almost all of them. I spent a while talking to Colins wife Carolee about our obsession for organizing things. I was surprised to learn she didn’t know who Maria Kondo was! 

The view of the beautiful blue water from our balcony is something I can’t grow tired of. Trying to read on a sunny, windy, balcony has resulted in one thing - sleep. Today I got through about 3 pages before sleep set in. I set my alarm so I’d be up in time for trivia. Although my body was present at the competition, my brain was still asleep. We did better at the night trivia. Our team of only 4 took 3rd place against the other teams of 8.  Tom was feeling much better after a session of Trump bashing with Colin and Carolee Jones. They revealed their politics after dinner. Carolee says she was thinking she was on a “ship of fools” since most of the people here seem to be supporters of the President. She says she has been having a hard time staying silent as fellow cruisers sing his praises. With the Mueller Report being completed today, we are all wondering what’s going to happen next. 

[sirrongirl]

Road Trip to Tahiti

March 22, 2019

We woke up early intending to do so much. Today we were going to participate, play golf, attend lectures, do the MENSA quiz. We enjoyed breakfast, picked up the quiz, then lounged. The waves are 8 to 10 feet, and the ship is rocking. Tom is taking medication, and he’s feeling okay. There is a scavenger hunt going on, we were given photos of things on the ship, mostly artwork, and we need to describe where we found them.  You see people on the ship wandering around with the sheet of photos. Some are really into this, others willing to share, and even the crew is helping. We need to have the answers by tomorrow morning.

This ship is so different from others we have been on. There is no ship photographer following you around. There are just 2 small shops, one selling jewelry, one selling necessities, like my $2.00 bottle of nail polish remover. No daily pitches to use the spa, no selling of anything, really. No botox, acupuncture, or teeth whitening. There are lots of quite comfortable places to read. If you’re not reading, you’ll be in a conversation with others soon. We have a laundry, where the machines and soap is free. There are irons and ironing boards there too. I was lucky that I didn’t have to wait at all to use the machines today. I might be able to return to Mallory’s with clean clothes. 

Most of the day I spent writing on the balcony, then and opened a bottle of champagne. I fell asleep on our balcony.  Which is where Tom found me with an empty glass. He had spent most of the day in the library. We took 3rd place in afternoon Trivia. Now we are watching the end of “The Wife," before dinner. We got another 3rd place in the evening trivia. At 1030pm tonight there is “name that tune," but I just can’t keep my eyes open.