Arrrgh!!!

Yeah....I bet you thought I was going to talk about the Fourth of July, didn't you??

Actually, I was sitting here, envying those of you who can imbibe....especially those of you who can imbibe and still type!

We all have them to one extent or another. I have a list of them which is growing by leaps and bounds. Last year, when DH's daughter was getting married, and we thought wedding guests would be visiting between the wedding and the reception, I had a three page, double spaced list of Mine, His and OUR chores.

About two-thirds of the chores got done. Now, I've started another list.

We have two bird feeders outside the kitchen windows. Yesterday we discovered that there is an albino bird who visits the larger feeder. I suspect that he is a red-winged blackbird, and I think from his behavior that he is in his late teens....not quite an adult, but on his own.

His feathers are almost a light cream color. He has the size and shape and beak of a blackbird, and the area on his shoulders where we would normally see the red and yellow bands seem to be slightly ridged. He is more gentle than the mature birds. I'd say he plays well with others. *G*

This is our first experience with an albino bird. I took pictures with an instant camera today, and I'll see if I can get my stepson to catch the bird with his digital camera. Perhaps we will have something to share with you in a bit.

It's astounding how differently auditors go about their jobs.

We have a business, so we have a worker's compensation insurance policy. Each year, you guess what your payroll will be. The insurance costs so much per $100. Your payments are determined, and then spread out over the year. At the end of the insurance term, an auditor comes to determine if you have underpaid, or overpaid.

Normally you receive a letter requesting payroll information, and certificates of insurance for sub-contractors. They will also look at quarterly reports to the feds to see if the material you are giving them adds up.

Sooooooo.....the last auditor was just a bit different. I'm used to one of the more experienced auditors, who breezes in, enters the bottom line from the four quarterly reports, makes the necessary deductions, hit's enter, slams the lid on her laptop and is out the door in ten or fifteen minutes.

This year we got a junior Big Bird look-alike who was new to the job. I had pulled reports off the computer as requested, but he was not satisfied. He made me kill a tree so that he could have the annual report BY EMPLOYEE! What a jerk. At least he didn't keep me for ages.

Last year....or maybe it was two years ago, we got hit with audits from the union, the state revenue department and insurance I had become the PRO at preparing for audits. The worst was the Revenue auditor. He looked through three years of job folders. It took him all day. I gave him the uncomfortable chair. It was the least I could do to express my opinion about being audited.

I hope next year they send the speedy auditor!

I stole this meme from Leg's blog. You're welcome to steal it from me, if he doesn't mind.

For the past month, I've had a goal in mind. As things kept going bad around us, I would say to myself "In just __ days, I'll be going to Maui." Things have finally settled down here. We've had lovely visits with two of my nieces, and my cold seems to be improving a bit each day, so the mantra hasn't had to repeated quite so frequently.

Tuesday morning at 0:dark:30 six of us will put our sleepy bodies into a limo for the trip to the airport, and by 7:00 we will be taking off for Hawaii. It will be my first visit. We're going to attend a family wedding.

Ten of us will take the same plane. We'll meet another eight of them, who will fly out two days early. My Aunt, my Dad's sister, must be turning in her grave to think of so many of us all on the same plane. I never worried about things like that. I figured it was superstition, and the statistics support the idea that flight is the safest form of travel. Still...someone had to fill in for Auntie, so I was the one who voiced the thought.

Other than attending the wedding, I have a few things on my agenda. I want to sit in the shade of a palm tree, reading a book, and having someone bring me refills for my iced tea. I want to walk along the water's edge each day. I want to fly over to Oahu to see the Arizona Memorial. Other than that, I don't have any particular plans. We will only be gone six days and five nights, so I plan to have the most laid back visit I can manage.

There are a truly amazing number of people who don't give a rip what they look like in a bathing suit. Now, I should tell you that I am a plus size woman. I have always thought that it would be a disservice to the world to be seen in a bathing suit.....even one that managed to suck me in and cover me up. But, I can honestly say that I looked fine compared to some of the beached whales I have seen on vacation.

There's something really odd in the vacationer's mentality. They seem to leave their fashion sense at home. I saw women in the oddest outfits. Those who normally have a realistic idea about what looks good on them will wear see-through "cover-ups" that were meant for 16 year olds. And a pareau or sarong was really meant for a well proportioned woman. Just because it wraps around you doesn't mean it looks lovely.

We have just returned from a trip to Maui, and this is one of the very few things I can complain about, so you have to know that trip was awesome!

If we call out the fashion police, I'll have to diet before I can return. Actually, that's not a bad idea, and a LOT of incentive, because Maui is lovely. I hope each of you gets to experience it.

1. Lack of assigned seats prior to arriving at the airport.

2. Incredible lack of space on the airplane for a 10 1/2 hour fight.

3. Stepping out of the shower the first afternoon to discover there were NO TOWELS. (I know....I should have checked before I got into the shower!)

4. The mirror on the bathroom door was never cleaned, and the light on my side of the bed needed a new three-way bulb. (I KNOW.....I should have told housekeeping.)

5. Parking in Lahina and Ka'anapoli is a joke.

6. The restaurant where we ate after the wedding, needed to be more realistic about how long it would take ONE waiter to take the orders for 21 people. At the very least, two waiters should have been taking care of our group, and four would have been even better. When the food came from the kitchen, four of them handled delivery, and were very confused about where most of the plates were going.

7. Sunday night, when we landed at L.A. we overheard the pilot informing his superiors that he would NOT be flying the same plane on the next leg of our journey. Apparently, the plane was having rudder problems. Hmmmmmmmm......actually...this should have been entered under "The Good." Any pilot who wants to save my life can't be bad.

Okay, compared to "The Good," you can see that I really had to work to find something bad in this trip. It was an exceedingly glorious visit, and I really hope to get the chance to go again.

1. Hawaii is the cleanest state I've ever visited!

2. The trade winds blew in the day we arrived and stayed through all but our last day there. Thank you, God, for trade winds!

3. The person who handled the rental arrangements for our car at Avis gave us incredibly clear directions, complete with landmarks. Even better, it only took us about ten minutes to get through the entire transaction, and she was pleasant the entire time. I suspect that Avis DOES try harder.

4. The view up the mountain each morning when we woke.

5. The amazing variety of blooming shrubs and flowers.

6. The gorgeous birds.

7. The heart stopping view out over the ocean from Ka'anipali on the west side of Maui. The restaurants where we dined each of the evenings had a view of the nearby islands and the setting sun, and it was heavenly.

8. My first try at parasailing!

9. Snorkling. (I didn't do it...DH did...and said it was great!

10. From the time we landed, to the time we left Maui, we experienceced the most amazing service. I've heard the phrase "service with a smile," but Maui is where you truly experience it.

11. The curved shower rod.

12. The shower with two shower heads.

13. Breakfast at the Plantation House.

14. Dinner at the Hula Grill.

15. The wedding on a rough spit of land where an old lava spill tumbles into the ocean near the Ritz Carlton.

16. The luau....and the late twenty-something guy who was the lead dancer.

17. Walking along the edge of the surf before going to bed.

18. The cost of Hawaiian 100% cotton fabrics.

19. The open-air structure of our hotel....the winds blowing through, and the incredible waterfalls and pools that we walked past every day.

20. Getting Leid.... (old joke)

(yawning) I'm just starting to get over my jet lag....but it might take another day or so.

We're just back from a trip to Maui to attend a family wedding. It was my first visit, and we had a wonderful time. I have a lot to say about the trip, and you can see the "Cliffs Notes" in the entries below. I'll expand upon them when I have just a little more time.

If you haven't been to Hawaii.....start saving! Everyone should go at least once. And....when you go, plan to stay more than six days. Our trip from Chicago to Maui wasn't bad, but the trip home was a killer. We really wished we had planned to stay longer to make that flight worthwhile.

You'll note that this entry is NOT categorized as "From the Kitchen." I suppose it has to do with a kitchen, but not with MY kitchen.

I'm still in rapture from our visit to Maui. I suspect that you will all be thoroughly tired of my comments before the week is over, but when you've had such an incredible trip, it's hard not to share your experiences.

The first night in Maui, Dear Husband and I went to dinner alone. That alone should tell you that it was wonderful....just the two of us, and no one grousing about having to eat at a place not of their choosing.

We went to the Hula Grill. On the plane to Maui, there was a young man who was a feast for the eyes, and he was wearing a T-shirt from the Hula Grill. So, I wasn't exactly prepared for our experience.

The Hula Grill is perhaps twenty, maybe thirty feet from the Pacific Ocean. There is a section where the tables are set up on sand. You can walk in from the surf for a meal. Right next to that, is an elegant house, for lack of better words, with an open lanai. We sat on the lanai and let the trade winds blow over us.

Our waiter was friendly, well informed and there when we needed him. He described the specials and we mulled over our choices. We needed to eat, but neither of us wanted to overeat. The solution was to share soup and salad, and each have an entree.

The soup was fabulous. I'm trying to expand my soup repertoire, and one of the soups I'd like to learn to make is a tortilla soup. The Hula Grill offered a Fish and Corn chowder that is the best tortilla soup I've ever had! I wish I had begged for the recipe!

The soup was a mildly spicy tomato base, rather like a salsa that had been run through a blender for just a couple of seconds. It had chunks of tuna that were firm and bite-sized, a little bit of corn, some black beans, a sprinkle of toasted tortilla strips and a sprig of cilantro as a garnish. It was so good we almost licked the bottom of the bowl!

We both chose the fish special for the night. The plate had been dressed with a Lobster Miso Coconut sauce and four ounce cuts of herb grilled Ono and seared Ahi were laid over a small mound of ramen noodles. A fall of Shrimp Salsa decorated the area between the cuts of fish, and a fan of Asian green beans (identical to tiny haricot verts) finished the plate.

It was heavenly! Everything was done to perfection, and it satisfied all our senses. We were replete without having overdone. While we chose not to do dessert, we saw one of the signature desserts delivered. It's an ice cream sandwich made with macadamia nut brownies and vanilla ice cream. It must stand four to five inches high and is easily six inches long. They decorate it with drizzles of red raspberry sauce. It's the kind of thing you order when you plan to make dessert your entire dinner!

There's a lot to be said about having someone else prepare your meal. I can tell you.....if I'm ever in the Hawaiian Islands again, I'll be sure to return for another helping of the Hula Grill!

I tried something new today. My family all went in different directions. DH went sailing, my mother was working on paperwork, our son slept in, and I got started on the weeding. No one wanted to make a decision about what we were having for dinner, so I made the choice, and pulled a package of America's cut pork chops from the freezer this morning, to start the thawing process.

The Farmers Market is one of my favorite places to shop. That's why it's so unusual that we have not visited one this year, especially since vegetables are so important to our diet now.

I'm thinking about making a list of vegetable dishes that I can accomplish quickly on a week night, and then creating a shoping list for next Saturday. I don't want to miss any more of the sessions, since they only meet once a week.

My chore for today was weeding. While we were away last week, my gardens exploded! I don't know how they did it, since everything was so dry, but they simply doubled in size.....the weeds too!

Sunday, I'll have to continue the job I started. Actually, I'll have to weed or do maintenence on a daily basis for the forseeable future; there's just too much yard for one person.

The best part of today was walking through the herb garden, to determine what needs to be done. Everything needs a haircut......maybe even a buzz cut! The basil is just coming to the point where I need to do a serious harvest. If I top the plant, I should get a bushier plant, and I might be able to delay its flowering. Most culinary herbs need to be harvested before they flower to have the best flavor.

One of the first things I posted when I started blogging was a recipe for Farmer's Tomato pie. This is a rustic pie made from fresh tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, and topped with torn basil leaves. It tastes like summer, melting in your mouth. The recipe is posted here on May 16, 2003, in case this link doesn't work. Give it a try....it makes a wonderful simple supper.

July seems to be a busy month for us for birthdays. Two sons and a daughter-in-law have July birthdays. One nephew, a nephew-in-law, a niece, my former sister-in-law and my grandfather were also born in July.

But...and I hope I've made it in time....I want to wish my oldest sister Happy Birthday today! I hope it was a wonderful day, and that you heard from all the kids. Happy Birthday, Sis!

When I weed, I need some mental diversion. I started my weeding marathon on Saturday, and was listening to WGN 720 AM Radio as I worked. Just before noon, the Paul Harvey Report came on. One of the last segments caught my attention. I've copied the facts down to hand to any of my young relatives who might have doubts about going to college.

If you do not graduate from high school, you are likely to earn an average of $18,826 per year.

If you graduate from high school, that figure jumps to $27,280.

If you go to college and earn a B.A. you will earn an average of $51,194.

If you earn an advanced degree, you are likely to earn an average of $72,824.

I'd say those statistics are pretty compelling when it comes to deciding what you want to do with your life. GO TO SCHOOL! Get an education, if only to raise your earning potential. I can think of a lot of other reasons for getting an education, but being able to make a decent living isn't all that bad.

The current Federal poverty line for a family of four is $18,850. If you happen to live in San Francisco, you'd have to hold down more than THREE minimum wage jobs to meet the minimum standard of living for a single parent with a toddler and a preschooler: $69, 241. Not all places have as high a cost of living as San Francisco, but the point is, without at least a high school education, you are guaranteed to be living at poverty level.

So, talk up education. If finances are tight, use the Internet to find sources of grants and funding. There are an amazing number of grants out there waiting for the student with the right interests. Surf....you'll see. And meanwhile... tell the kids to hit the books!

This week, it was my duty to take my mother to visit her only nephew.....my only cousin. He was quite ill, and was being cared for in a nursing facility. He had asked to see her, twice, so we made the trip on Friday morning.

I bitterly regret that I had not kept in touch with him. I was shocked to see what the past eight or ten years had done to him. Communication was difficult. Emphasema had taken away his ability to project words. I talked to him about recent changes in our lives, and showed him a picture of my new granddaughter.

Our visit was brief, and I hoped to arrange a second visit when his wife or my sister (the nurse) were present, to help us understand what he was saying.

Unfortunately, my cousin passed away this morning.

He is the first of my generation to die. His passing is making us all reflect on the time we have left, and the things we have put off. We were about twenty years apart in age, and were not close, but still.....he was my only cousin. I wish I had made a greater effort to know him.

I'll always remember him for his ascerbic wit, for remarkable talent with a camera, for an intense interest in the family history and genealogy, for extensive knowledge about the petroleum industry, for his successful efforts to improve the quality of the fire department in our home town, and for raising incredibly smart children and grandchildren.

I hope he is trading cracks with St. Peter....free from the pain that has shrouded the last years of his life.