Monday, November 19, 2012

It arrived when I wasn't looking...


…I’m talking about the holidays!  Wasn't it just Halloween? I went to Target on the Friday after Halloween and found it had been relegated to a small corner and Christmas had arrived and taken over. I almost feel that Thanksgiving has become an afterthought.

Norman Rockwell's Thanksgiving


 But hold on, no one is cheating me out of turkey with all the trimmings!

Save me a drumstick, Martha!


I’m not sure how you feel about Christmas commercials and specials appearing so early in the season but I guess it helps some people with planning or whatever. Not that I don’t enjoy the holidays but it does seem to get here earlier each year.  Please God, don’t let me be turning into a Grinch!


Thought you might like to see this shot of myself and my brother at my niece’s wedding back in 1999 in Santa Barbara on the beautiful campus of UCSB. There are so many stories behind this picture it’s hard to know where to start. 
Me and my brother Mike at our niece's wedding


I need to take you back two months prior to an accident that left me wondering if I would make it to the wedding! I literally smashed my ankle walking the dog. I had fallen down a little gully and had to wait for a passerby to ask for help. Long story short, I ended up being transported in an ambulance to the hospital where the emergency room doctor told me that if I had to break my ankle I did a damn good job of it!

It was a Sunday and being the bad dream that it was, I found out my surgeon was on the golf course – but of course! Surgery was scheduled for the next day followed by two months spent strictly in bed (if I wanted to make the wedding) and some rehab. I got cut out of my cast just a few days before the trip and on crutches,  I traveled to Ohio for a few days to be with my sister where it was the hottest summer on record (triple digits!) and then onward to Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, back to LA and finally back home to Hawaii. It was an adventure traveling on crutches and when there was a time crunch with connections, I was whisked about on a scooter thru the concourse. I’m sure you've seen them. Do you know how hard people stare at you when you’re in one of those!

See that outfit I’m in? Does it look a tad big on me? It fit me perfectly when I got it (esp. for the wedding) but I knew I had to cut back on my food intake if I didn't want to balloon up. Two months lying in bed with no activity was a dangerous proposition! I ended up losing weight and didn't even realize it.

The gorgeous Santa Barbara coastline


Santa Barbara is a beautiful town. I remember thinking I could so easily live there. My brother drove us to State Street (their main street) where there are so many restaurants, shops, and galleries and I remember how he complained about “crazy California drivers” of which I have now become minus the crazy part! We got a parking ticket which I offered to pay and when I got home I included a little yellow sticky note on my check that said how much I enjoyed visiting their fair city!


There is so much more I could tell you but suffice to say, it was quite the trip, and one that will not be easily forgotten!


Thursday, November 1, 2012


Yes, I am a day late and a dollar short BUT hope you all had a fun Halloween. This commercial has been playing all month and I'll miss seeing it now that Halloween's over. It just tickles my funny bone!

The Horseless Headsman!
With apologies to Washington Irving



And since Halloween is really for kids, here is a photo of my newest niece and her brothers all decked out for a night of fright!

Do or do not get pissed. There is no try.



My nephews Brian as Boba Fett, Miles as Yoda, and two week old (or is it three weeks?) Victoria as Princess Leia. Here is is Victoria in all her glory...




See you next time!