SUNRISE, SUNSET

Mr. Ralph's birthday is tomorrow.  He turns 82.  It's hard to believe he didn't even make it to 80!  He did everything right.  Exercised.  Flossed.  Moisturized.  Loved.  Traveled.  Then cancer.  It just stinks.

But he LOVED his Maui sunsets!  Last week Beth and David visited for not quite a week.  We did manage to get to the beach each night for a sunset.

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS ....

Unfortunately, life sometimes gives you lemons.  Something to put a wrench in your plans.  The whole saying has a negative connotation ... and I don't think it should!  Because I have a lemon tree!  Which I have probably mentioned.  But now I will tell you the story with photos ... because a picture is worth a thousand words ...

Little lemon blossoms ... so fragrant!

Lemon babies ... 

Lemon teenagers!

SUSHI WEEK 2016

My house guests love sushi even more than I do.  We have had sushi or poke every night since they arrived on Sunday. 

Mr. Ralph and I had our favorite, Izakaya Matsu, in a little strip mall near our Ace Hardware store ... about one mile from home.  Since they are closed on Sunday, we went to a newer (open two months) Japanese restaurant called Miso Phat Sushi.  Large portions and great sushi.  Not very comfortable seating and pretty small ... but Guy Fieri from Food Network had just called to say he was coming next month!

Guess what!  I now have a new favorite ... spicy tuna roll.  Not very spicy at all ... just really flavorful with a tiny kick.  Probably all places make them at different levels of heat so until I know each restaurant, I wouldn't order just that for my meal.

Poke is a fresh (raw) fish salad, usually yellowfin tuna, and common basic ingredients such as soy sauce and sea salt.  Poke can be seasoned with ingredients such as inamona (roasted crushed candlenut), sesame oil, limu seaweed, and chopped chili pepper, fish eggs, wasabi, green onions, Maui onions, sriracha, mayonnaise ... every shop has their special recipe.  Believe it or not, we have a wine shop with a deli in the back and they have the best poke on Maui!  Beth and David probably thought I was nuts but we stopped in to get a bottle of champagne and poke!!!  We stayed in that night and had fresh veggies and fruit and poke.  Followed by Trader Joe's dark chocolate covered peanut butter cups.  Heaven!

Last night we tried my favorite Izakaya Matsu.  Once we were seated (about 20 people can fit in there ...) the server announced that the sushi chef was out sick ... no sushi!  Lots and lots of other things .... but we opted to try Sushi Paradise.  The server was angry looking and angry acting and very bossy.  We had to sit at the bar so no cooked food available there ... there were two tables of people and four RESERVED tables (no one ever came in the whole hour we were there!).  The chef was an artist but the food was ordinary.  Fresh, good but not even as good at Miso Phat.

Tonight we are invited over to friends (of Beth's!) and Thursday they are going out for a special date at Morimoto's (I'm staying home ... out of my budget and they have been paying for everything ... but I have my dignity!  It's about $150 minimum each person!!)  I actually did get talked into going and my oh my it was worth it.  Once in a lifetime anyway.  (Thank you Leslie!!!!)

So we will have one more sushi dinner on Friday before they depart at 11pm!

WELL, NOW!

It's pretty amazing here in Maui.

Beth and David arrive around midnight tonight.  I've known this for months.  So I saved up all the cleaning and laundry for today!  PROCRASTINATION at it's best.

Yes, I have a bi-weekly cleaning crew but of course they came LAST Friday.  So the cleaning is not as bad as it could be.  (Thank you Mr. Ralph for this luxury).  The guest room sheets are clean and the bed is made, I even found a blanket and set up a luggage rack!

It's a good feeling to have ALL the laundry done (including beach towels!)  And everything is hanging in my closet.  I've got my typical Maui sweats (matching cotton capris and short sleeve shirts) ready to hang out at home or the beach.  I've ironed all my "fancy" clothes in case we do something that requires that kind of look (trust me ... not fancy ... collars on my shirts or blouses over tank tops!)  It's a good feeling!

I have to run the dishwasher when I head to bed tonight.  Cold brew coffee is "brewing" on the counter top.  As soon as I finish this tiny blog, I'm heading to the store to get a few breakfast items.  Beth and David will be on Portland time, which is two hours ahead of Maui.  They may head out to snorkel before I get up, so will have a few things they can grab and go.

Of course, all along the way to get this stuff completed ... I took myself out for coffee (had to buy beans for the cold brew ... it's a different grind).  Then checked Facebook and answered a few emails.  Stopped to have my Cheerios with banana and almond milk.  Made my body scrub (coconut oil and sugar with a few drops of lavender).  

Finished off the day with a trip to Safeway, got myself a little frozen pizza and some red wine!  

Banana for tomorrow!

F-TROOP

This morning I hosted a coffee, conversation and COLORING morning on the back lanai.  The Merry Widows were invited and six of us had time this morning.  Although we all had our coloring pencils and some brought sheets with intricate designs, only one colored.  We mostly just chatted.  (This coloring thing just started among some of these ladies ... Christmas.)

Widowhood was never even mentioned.  I suggested we change the name of our group to include other single ladies.  The idea of changing it up a bit was widely accepted.  Many years ago there was a group of old guys who met every morning at 7:00 am at a local coffee house.  They were always arguing and getting each other riled up.  I finally got up the nerve to see how they were acquainted (and why they would subject themselves to starting their day getting mad).  They said they were all widowers and just met at the coffee shop.  They named their club the SNOBs....Senile Negative Old Bastards.  And it got out all their ranting and raving at the world before their started their day.  PERFECT

Although none of us ladies are senile (yet), negative (hope to never be), old (it's all relative) and we would have to change it to Bitches.  Which we are not.  We giggled a lot and all went home to put on our thinking caps (or our drinking caps!).

I have come up with the F-Troop ... 

Fabulous     

Fantastic     

Feminine     

First rate

Fifty+ 

Feisty

Free

Fun

Fanciful

Stay tuned!

THANK YOU VERIZON

Yesterday I had a very scary experience.

I got a text message from Verizon saying Kate's phone had recently dialed 911.  WHAT?  I immediately texted her phone to ask her if everything is okay.  Duh!  If she had been abducted would she be answering text messages!???

Then I decided to call Jesse ... no answer or text from him.  She was at work so I decided to be one of THOSE Moms ... and called her.  When her coworker told her it was her Mom on the phone ... she freaked out thinking something had happened to her little family and I was the bearer of bad news.

After both of our hearts started beating again, I told her about the mysterious text message.  She said well I did call 911 today.  While she was on her break or lunch or whatever, she saw a visibly drunk man with an open bottle get into his car and start to drive away.  He hit the car in front of him while trying to exit his parking space.  Fortunately, she was with a friend who encouraged her to call and the police arrived in time ... before the drunk killed someone.

So thank you Verizon for this handy little feature.  When I logged into my account (we all three share the family plan) to thank Verizon, I could NOT until I called and got cleared.

Wow.  Just imagine if your loved one had to dial 911 in order to try to save their life ... and you get such a notification.  An early alert like this could get the police involved in a manner of minutes.

WHAT THE ?????

Oh I am trying to eat better.  Mostly succeeding but it sure isn't very fun.  Thank goodness I LOVE salads and I have lots of kinds of protein around to slap on top or beside.  

One night was opah sauteed with a lite coating of almond meal.  Another night this week was a 3 oz lean ground beef patty and mushrooms.  Last night it was a rib eye steak totally trimmed (and generously donated to Honeysuckle).  Delish.

My reward for being "good" during the week is a bit of wine on the weekends and maybe a carb as a side dish (I love potatoes in any shape or form).  Might even make spaghetti with some brown rice GF noodles.

But evenings are the worst.  Apparently so for most people ...