I have added a Resources page, the link is at the end of the list on the right hand side of the page. I will add more items as I find them. If you have found something helpful that is not listed, please leave me a comment about it.
There was a M 4.6 earthquake on the Big Island early this morning. A tsunami is not expected. Usually there is no damage caused by an earthquake of this size.
Met with one of the couples interested in buying my house today. Not sure if my house is the right one for them. They are talking about putting a second story on it. But it is a 1926 house and the studs and joists are 24" o.c. Current code is 16" o.c. which means they would have to reinforce the first floor walls as well as upgrade the footings to handle the extra weight. They may be paying as much to do the additional work as it would to buy it! But they like the area, so they will be checking in on whether it is doable or not.
Called Aunty Daisy this evening, she thought I was Aunty Florence's daughter. And that I lived in Hawai'i. She did like the idea of coming to Seattle to visit once she was out of the rehab place, then going to Hawai'i for a visit.
The camas is coming up. This clump is doing great but the pesky squirrel has been digging up the other clump and eating the bulbs! I guess I should have expected that since Native Americans used it as a food source. (This clump survived because it was under the plastic until recently.) But that pesky squirrel has also been eating my saffron crocus bulbs and that's not the part people eat. :( If I was staying at this house I would redo the beds, place chicken wire over the top of the bulbs, and bury everything to keep them from eating the bulbs.
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| Camas (Camassia quamash) |
Happy Birthday to Heather! Happy Anniversary to Tom and Carrie!
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11/21/2015 Day 7 A Trip to Don Quijote
After breakfast Mom and I went to Don Quijote to do some grocery shopping. Don Quijote is Mom and Dad's favorite place to shop; they have a lot of other stuff besides groceries. It's sort of like a Japanese Walmart; except they pay better. As we entered I saw a "wet floor" sign, then another a little farther down the aisle. I finally figured out they had a problem with the rain, or more specifically, a problem with their roof when it rained! As I was going to find one of the items we needed, I saw a piece of rain-soaked ceiling tile fall, just missing an elderly man and his wife. They were pretty cool about it. She brushed off bits of ceiling tile that splattered on him when it hit the boxes next to him. then they went on shopping!
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| Leaky roof at DQ |
There is a Walmart a couple blocks from Don Quijote but I don't think they will be able to put Don Quijote out of business.Although I haven't been in it, I don't think Walmart will be able to undercut proces much since Don Quijote has a lot of local and Asian items that would be difficult for Walmast to buy in massive quantities to sell at all their other stores as well. Don Quijote is also a company from Japan, where they have a different business philosophy thatn the U. S.
The Boys paid little attention to the weather today. They decided to stay indoors all day doing what they do best.
| Momo and Shiro |
11/22/2015 Day 8 Another Rainy Day
No outdoor work again and no errands to run today, just laundry and vacuuming. Cats were fed indoors; even though the eaves are 3 feet wide there are no gutters so when its pouring some of the raindrops splashing on the concrete end up in Chibi and Xander's food bowls. (Right now Shiro and Momo are being fed in the laundry room so the door can be closed so none of the cats try to get at the other cats’ food; at least while they are actively feeding.)
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| Chibi (top) and Xander (bottom) |
Had a couple emergencies to take care of today, one of them long-distance. Kai called from Everett wanting to know where the plunger was, the toilet was draining slowly. While he was explaining what happened I headed to the dryer since it beeped. On the way there I noticed that the Cat Genie was blowing hot air to dry the litter while it was actually on the washing cycle with the bowl full of water, not a good sign. After directing Kai to go to the neighbor to borrow a plunger, I proceeded to take the Cat Genie apart to find out what was wrong. No photos of that, some parts are kind of gross. At any rate, I could not figure out what was wrong but it has worked fine ever since I took it apart so it might have just been a one time glitch in the system. Did not hear from Kai again, so figured he must have solved his issue also.
During the first night here I was pleased to not hear the greenhouse frogs chirping. Though not officially listed as an invasive species like the related coqui frog, the greenhouse frog is also a non-native. It has the same impacts on local fauna, though not on humans since its call is not as loud as the coqui frog. After the few days of rain, however, I heard the greenhouse frog tonight for the first time on this trip. (There are no native Hawaiian frogs.) One of the features that makes these two such successful invasive species is that both do not have a free tadpole stage so they don’t need ponded water. The eggs are laid on land and tended by the male who keeps them moist, fully formed tiny frogs emerge. (Kinda like the New Zealand mud snails …)
Out of all the cats, Momo is the one who likes to be outside the most. He even likes going out in the rain (he would do that in Washington, too). Here he is looking out the door during a downpour, he is usually the last one in every night.
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| Momo checking out the rain at night |
11/23/2015 Day 9 New Stove!
The new stove was installed today, much to the cats’ displeasure. They had to stay in the cat run while it was pouring; I’m glad they didn’t smell like wet dogs when they came in and shake water all over the place, it’s great that they are self-cleaning. Here’s what they thought of the arrangements.
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| Wet Momo |
First my phone was smarter than me, now the stove is smarter than me! It shows which oven burner is on, knows what to set the oven on for cakes & breads, can be pre-set for a delayed start, then warm & hold when done, and more. I’m glad it came with a user’s manual!
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| Smart stove |
Mom wanted a sweet potato with dinner tonight so we tested out the oven this evening. It worked great. Tomorrow morning I’m making pancakes to test out the bridge burner and the griddle. Later I will experiment with the convection oven, making 2 batches of banana nut muffins, one regular, one with the convection oven. The owner of the plumbing company that contracts with Sears to install stoves will be dropping by tomorrow to give us an estimate on replacing the bath tub with a walk-in shower. Tomorrow is also Dad’s 91st birthday.
The rain is forecast to stick around till after Thanksgiving. Here’s the rain cascading off the eaves this morning (when the kitties were out in the cat run, that’s why Momo has that look on his face ...).
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| Rain cascading off the eaves |
11/24/2015 Day 10 Happy 91st!
Today is Dad’s 91st birthday. We started the day with pancakes made on the griddle that came with the new stove. The pancakes were from a mix in a gift pack that I found in the refrigerator that included a bottle of huckleberry syrup. They were golden-brown, yummy, and much enjoyed by Dad and Mom. That griddle made it so easy I think pancakes for breakfast once a week may become a staple once I move here. I don’t feel bad about giving them a refined carb, high sugar breakfast since they always begin with a large bowl of fresh in-season local fruit, sometimes supplemented with some exotic fruit, like apples. And they enjoy it. (FYI - Stove vs range, I think it’s a Hawaiian thing to call the appliance that includes both a stove and an oven a “stove”.)
We went to the Navy Exchange because Mom wanted to buy a 3-unit slow cooker for my sister-in-law Lori so she would have something to keep food warm when she was entertaining (like at the upcoming Thanksgiving feast) but they were all sold out (and no rain checks). Nevertheless she returned with over $100 worth of goods; at the time she knew exactly who she was buying things for and why, but once we got home she could not remember and I had to prompt her. I got some Hawaiian-themed kitchen towels, etc., for the family that ENVS (my team at work) is sponsoring this year.
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| Hawaiian kitchen stuff for holiday family |
Met with a plumbing contractor to get a bid on changing the bathtub out for a walk-in shower with grab bars. Because of the window over the shower stall and the age of the house, there will need to be some custom work done. Zack said it would be between $10K and $12K but would give me a firm quote by the end of the week after he checks on some prices. If we give him a quick answer, he said he could probably do it before I leave. My brother, Curt, was surprised by the rough estimate, he has been pricing some work he wants done at his house and was thinking it would be at least $15K. Mom says she doesn’t need it, he told her it wasn’t for her, it was for me because I was getting old! Not sure if she is buying that. (They have more than enough money to do the work and she keeps saying she wants to spend it all before she dies because she can’t take it with her. But I think the Depression Era frugality is constantly there making them feel like they shouldn’t spend money if its not a necessity right now.)
Found a mushroom in the neighbor’s lawn. Curt says they would always pop up after a big rain like we have just had but I don’t really remember seeing mushrooms in Hawai’i before. I think its because I was so focused on the ocean and spent so much time underwater.
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| Unknown mushroom |
Went to dinner at Big City Diner in Kaimuki to celebrate Dad’s birthday. This is the entrance from the parking lot; you walk through the kitchen from here. They don’t take reservations, if you go at a popular time there will be a wait, but its worth it for the good local food and local atmosphere. If you’re fortunate enough to be there on Weeks #1 or #4, I recommend the Spicy Ahi & Avocado Poke Bowl with Sriracha Aioli. Curt says the Really Loco, Loco Moco ordered with Grandma’s Incredible Kim Chee Fried Rice in place of the regular rice is excellent! (Sorry, I don’t think about taking photos of the food, I think I am thinking too much about just eating.)
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| Back entrance to Big City Diner |
Lori brought a cake from Napoleon’s Bakery (the one inside Zippy’s), put number candles on it, and we sang Happy Birthday. The lady in the booth next to us wished Dad a Happy Birthday as they were leaving.
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| Mom and Dad |
11/25/2015 Day 11 The Boys Go To the Vet in Hawai'i
During Momo’s health certificate check-up to verify that he was healthy enough to travel I mentioned to the vet that I was concerned that he had been losing weight over the last year. She recommended that he see a vet in Hawai’i and get some blood work done to check for kidney problems. We did that this morning. They behaved very differently at the Cat Clinic of Honolulu than they did at the Animal Hospital of Lynnwood. I think a big difference was no dogs; they were out of the carrier immediately and exploring all over the exam room. I had to put them back in the carrier and secure the door so they wouldn’t be knocking things over. There had been an emergency just before we arrived so The Boys ended up in the carrier for about 2 hours and fell asleep; those are the toes of Shiro’s hind feet that you see in the photo. Blood work results will be back next week at the latest.
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| Momo and Shiro waiting for the vet |
I was able to find a scrap piece of flashing at City Mill that fit the gap behind the new stove, which was designed to be installed flush to the countertops. The gap in back was caused by the old gas pipe sticking our of the wall which prevented the stove from being pushed back flush to the wall. Mom was pleased with the fix.
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| Back splash for stove |
Went out to dinner with my high school friends. We tried out the Jawaiian Irie Jerk Restaurant that was recommended by friends Sandy and Kathy from Everett; it is accessed through the same parking lot as for Big City Diner. (There are a lot of restaurants that can be accessed from the same parking lot.) I had the Jamaican Jerk Chicken (oops, no photo), it was ono; now I need to try Sandy’s to compare which is better. If you decide to check it out, its bring your own bottle.
Finally, the boys kept me company while I prepped the Pumpkin & Cranberry Bread Pudding that we will be taking along with a Holy’s Bakery apple pie to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night.
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| Shiro (top bunk) and Momo (bottom bunk) |
Hopefully, Momo will sleep better tonight. Early this morning he was wandering around the house meowing. I think he got up and forgot where he was. I went out and cuddled with him for a minute or so and then went back to bed. He was quiet for the rest of the night.
11/26/2015 Day 12 Turkey Day!
Like many recent mornings, the day started out with rain. Lots of rain. Which was okay since it cooled down the house while I was baking.
Since I don’t have a television I don’t really know what is shown on Washington stations, but I am guessing that there are not as many shows solely devoted to diving and other water sports as there are in Hawai'i. I watched an informative program about the amas, the Japanese abalone divers. Almost all of them are women and now almost all of them are in their 70’s or 80’s. The season is about 20 days long and the money made is what supports the family for the rest of the year; the amas dive between 1&1/2 to 3 hours a day, depending on when the harvest period is open for the day. Here’s a photo of an ama in her 80’s.
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| Ama on the television |
Driving to my brother’s house for dinner was like driving in Washington, lots of rain. I’m glad I was able to help out with the driving. Usually Curtis will pick Mom and Dad up and take them to his house, then drop them off after things are done; it would have meant 2 round trips in the pouring rain. Here’s the turkey he carved; he says its all in the presentation.
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| Turkey ala Rachael Ray |
My sister-in-law Lori had picked up a gingerbread turkey at Trader Joe’s during their trip to Las Vegas in early November. After dinner my nephew Brent put it together. He followed the assembly directions, which we decided were written by someone who had not put one of them together before. Upon closer scrutiny we discovered the step-by-step pictures of someone putting it together were actually drawings and not photos, confirming our suspicions. Brent took some artistic license with the decorating and did a great job in spite of the directions.
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| Brent and the gingerbread turkey |
Mom had seen a recipe for Pumpkin & Cranberry Bread Pudding on an insert with her gas bill and wanted that for dessert. So I made it (and a Holy’s Bakery apple pie) as our contribution to the meal; the base is sweetbread that is soaked overnight in the custard mixture. Along with the Vanilla Anglaise Sauce it was pretty rich (1 quart heavy cream and 8 eggs between them). I will be taking some artistic license with it in the future; it will really make enough for a 9” x 13” pan and not the 8&1/2” x 6&1/2” pan the recipe said to put it in, and use a whole loaf of sweetbread, not half.
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| Pumpkin and cranberry bread pudding |
Lori likes games, so I got her a Washington-opoly game. We ended the evening with a quick (timed) game after dessert. The markers are an apple, a salmon, Bigfoot, a wine bottle, a guitar, and a coffee mug. The chance cards are “Rainy Day” and “Coffee Break”, properties are things like flannel shirt and Olympic National Forest, and the structures you can buy for your properties are coffee houses and wineries. I won, but I had an advantage for questions like “What is the official state marine mammal?” and “How do you pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, and Stillaguamish?” If you get a chance to play it, read the backs of the property cards to learn more about iconic Washington places and things.
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