gigi-hawaii

I get along very well with my neighbors. Recently, my Vietnamese neighbor, David T, came to my house and presented me with a huge grapefruit, which he had plucked from his tree. So nice of him to do this. I cut it open and scooped out the pink flesh for hubby and me to enjoy. It was sweet and tasty.

Pink grapefruit:

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My Filipino neighbor, Rose, was hosting a family party one evening. She brought us two plates of food. The banana lumpia and pancit were delicious.

Banana lumpia:

Pancit:

Several days later, Rose and Virgie came by with sliced turkey, ham, and a pumpkin pie as a Thanksgiving treat. (No pictures)

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I don’t have a photo of David T, but here’s one of Rose, taken last year in front of my driveway:

Yes, we have very kind neighbors.

Why is it always the U.S. Navy that makes the headlines in Hawaii? You would think that these sailors had enough brains to do the right thing for Hawaii. They are bumbling idiots. I guess being at sea does weird things to their brain.

The latest news is that a Navy P-8A spy plane overshot the runway and ended up in Kaneohe Bay. All nine people on board were uninjured. Maybe, the Navy should leave the flying to the Air Force.

Anyway, the Navy has managed to remove all 2,000 gallons of fuel from the plane, which is the size of a 737 commercial jet (Airbus A320). Now, they have to figure out how to get the plane out of the Bay without damaging the coral reef and surrounding environment. Good luck.

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You might recall that in 2021 jet fuel from the storage tanks at Red Hill leaked into the aquifer and contaminated the water. This leakage was due to egregious errors made by the U.S. Navy, followed by deception and cover-up. Hundreds of families were sickened by drinking and bathing in that contaminated water. These families have filed a number of lawsuits against the U.S. Navy.

Because of the contamination, the Board of Water Supply has had to shut down the Red Hill and Halawa wells. They plan to drill new wells to replace the ones that were shut down.

To pay for this, the Board has announced that it will increase our water bills by more than 50% over five years. Ouch! David and I are already paying $180-190 per month. We hate the thought of paying $200+ per month. I guess we’ll have to water our lawn less often and just reduce consumption.

Further, the Board of Water Supply has also filed a $1.2 billion claim against the U.S. Navy because of the water contamination. I think the Navy will fight this in federal court.

Why can’t the U.S. Navy make things right for the people of Hawaii? We all are so fed up with their incompetence, their lies, and their arrogance. They should acknowledge their mistakes and pay the price.

There used to be hundreds of feral cats on my street. They were everywhere. And for some unknown reason, they liked our house. Why, I don’t know. Do I look like a cat lover to you? I hate cats. They make me sneeze and wheeze. Stay away from Gigi. Cats should know this.

These are some of the feral cats that found their way to our patio. There were many more:

Lisa and David are cat lovers (unlike me), so they befriended Kitty and Cutey in 2007:

Cutey got into a fight with another stray cat. We had to pay the vet almost $400 to fix him:

Kitty bit my hand, when I picked him up with two hands on his stomach. I had to undergo several rounds of antibiotics:

Kitty and Cutey eventually died of some mysterious feline disease in 2010. In fact, hundreds of cats suddenly died or disappeared. The streets were devoid of cats. I was so happy!!!

Then, my Vietnamese neighbor told me that he saw a stray cat in his patio. He began feeding it. That cat eventually gave birth to 9 kittens. None spayed or neutered. Oh, no. Puhleeze!!!

Anyway, all these cats have gone their separate ways, and I notice only three loitering. David is always upset when that black cat sits on our car and leaves pawprints on the windshield. Why our car and our windshield? Find someone else’s car, okay?

However, the worst is over. We don’t see hundreds of cats anymore. The few that remain do eliminate the rodents, so we are grateful.

It was Thanksgiving, and Maria brought her family to celebrate the holiday with us.

I dressed the table in green. Those are Chrysanthemums in the vase:

Maria brought Rice, Mochiko fried chicken, and Beef broccoli chow mein:

I made a bowl of Rylan’s favorite fruits (Lychees and Mandarin oranges) and a Veggie salad:

I also made Chocolate pudding for dessert. (Rylan hates Pumpkin pie):

Here we are:

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Julia (16) and Rylan (13) are doing well in school and in soccer. Julia is taking Trigonometry and AP English this semester. Smart girl. She’s also taking Nursing, but doesn’t think she wants to be a nurse. She still plans to major in Marketing in college and become a pro soccer player.

Grant continues to teach the Gifted and Talented kids at his elementary school. He was featured on Channel 4 News this year. He had his class paint an abstract mural to display on the fence near the school. It covered up the ugly graffiti. He also took the students to Kakaako to look at the street murals there. He is such a great teacher, and it’s about time the local TV News took note of him and his work.

Maria continues to teach Math at her high school, which also happens to be her alma mater. This will be her 22nd anniversary as a teacher there. Longevity! Way to go, Maria!

It was a lovely Thanksgiving. I was very happy to see everyone.

Map of Oahu.

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Every winter, starting in November, there is a high surf warning issued to everyone in Hawaii. During the summer, the ocean is flat and ideal for swimming. However, during the winter, the surf on the North shore of Oahu reaches up to 25-30 feet. It’s dangerous to swim in the North at this time.

As you know, David and I vacationed at the Turtle Bay Resort in August. Turtle Bay is located in Kahuku on the North shore of Oahu. This is how the ocean looked from our balcony. The surf was vey flat:

Now look at the surf on the North shore. (Photo from the Internet):

And it also attracts hundreds of tourists. (Photo from the Internet):

Like most locals, David and I just stay home and watch TV. It’s much safer being couch potatoes.

Throughout my 17 years of blogging, I have never taken a long hiatus. Even when traveling in Japan (2008), Hong Kong (2010), the Big Island (2011), India (2012), and the East coast (2013), I managed to post photos and commentary of my travel experiences on a daily basis.

I even wrote daily about my treatment when I was in the hospital back in 2011. Remember? I was taken there by ambulance.

Hey, don’t be surprised if I write from my grave! I am just “dying” to let you all know what heaven is like. Expect to see angels, flowers, and God, himself.

I love to write. It’s fun creating something out of nothing, and I never seem to run out of topics.

So far, I have totaled 4,040 posts.

I have 296 subscribers. And a lot more lurkers.

The top 3 commenters are Christine (2.2K), DavidH (945), and Elephant’s Child (617). Thank you!

So, I want to congratulate myself on being so faithful to my blog for 17 years. I started it on November 20, 2006.

Here’s to blogging! Let’s spread the cheer!

David used to smoke cigarettes and marijuana constantly when he was single. Then, he met me, and I forced him to quit his filthy habit. With every ounce of will power, that’s precisely what he did.

I told him to do what my father did to quit smoking: Chew gum and suck on cough drops.

So, instead of reaching for a pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket, David reached for a pack of gum or cough drops. It worked!

I just thought I’d share this advice with you. Pass it on to people you know who are addicted to smoking.

There’s nothing better than kicking the habit and breathing clean air.

Yesterday, we got in our car and drove on the H-3 Freeway on our way to Kaneohe on the Windward side of Oahu:

This is the tunnel to the Windward side:

And, voila, this is what we saw on the Windward side. Beautiful Kaneohe Bay. Feast your eyes on this:

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Then, we drove to verdant Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden:

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This is the Art Gallery at the Garden. We were there to view the 11th Annual Miniature Art Show. There were more than 100 paintings:

Paul Nagano was the juror. He is an 85 year old artist, who was the Art Director of the Pucker Gallery in Boston, MA for 22 years.

Best in Show. “Resting Honu” by Esperance Rakotonirina:

First Place. “Metamorphosis” by John Cross:

Honorable Mention. “Papaya” by Carol D’Angelo:

Honorable Mention. “Sunset Storm” by Karen Sewell:

Honorable Mention. “Calm or Chaotic, Life is Great” by Frances Wong:

Here are other paintings that appealed to me.

“Moilili Gateway” by Frances Wong:

“Sumo During Covid-19” by Jimmy Dan:

“Sweet Temptations” by Suzanne McCrary:

“Laysan Albatross at Kaena” by Jessica Orfe:

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The Association of Hawaii Artists put on this show. There is so much talent in Hawaii.

It was a nice outing for us. It got us out of the house, and we experienced the beauty of Kaneohe Bay and Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden. Not to mention lots of fine art in miniature.

Awesome!

David is a modern dude with modern ears. I’m an old lady with old ears.

David enjoys modern music. He loves the jukebox music of “And Juliet” and “Moulin Rouge,” two Broadway musicals being performed right now in New York.

“And Juliet” features the music of The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and other artists, whereas “Moulin Rouge” features the music of Elton John, Lady Gaga and others:

David also enjoys “The Voice” and “American Idol” on TV. He loves the modern pop and country music featured on those shows:

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As for me, I’m in a time warp. I don’t know why I am so resistant to change. It really bothers me to listen to modern pop music. It drives me nuts!

I prefer old Broadway musicals and classical symphonic music. What can I say? I am just a little old lady, who enjoys old music.

I find ecstasy in the symphony:

But, I also like Frank Sinatra and Count Basie:

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How do David and I manage to get along? Quite well, actually.

David is a music major. He appreciates all music. Go ahead and pick his brain. He knows so much about music.

For instance, we were listening to a classical anthology on the stereo recently. David said: “That’s an aria from ‘Pagliacci.’ Enrico Caruso sang it 150 times at the Met. Caruso died of pleurisy. He was my mother’s favorite tenor.”

Who knew, huh?

Yesterday, I invited my sisters, Nedra and Sylvia, to my home for lunch. We got together to celebrate Sylvia’s 73rd birthday. Yes, she is a Scorpio, a November baby. Before retirement, Sylvia was a successful realtor and vegan restauranteur. Her husband died of cancer in 2015, but she socializes frequently with her family and friends, so she isn’t lonely. She is well liked by everyone and is truly a kind and generous person. She is such a sweetheart!

I dressed my table in pink. Those are carnations in the vase:

This is my buffet. I made a spicy Thai shrimp curry and jasmine rice. The aroma was heavenly:

I also made butter flake crescent rolls and a veggie salad:

This is the birthday cake that Nedra brought. A delicious Japanese cheese cake from Panya Bistro:

She also brought slices of tiramisu, mango mousse cake, and a brownie from Panya Bistro:

Here we are. Nedra is camera shy, so she took the photo:

This is Sylvia blowing out the candles:

It was a lovely get together. I love to socialize with my sisters.

Happy Birthday, Sylvia!