Does This Happen Often?

Wednesday, 2:20 pm

By Kate

Sep

22

2010

I happen to own the first book—it’s in my To Be Read pile. The second book was recommended because I have just finished reading a young adult book. I likely would not have known about it otherwise. The cover is distinctive and whenever I see it, it means Mavala Skikongo to me. Pretty strange to see it sporting another book title. Assuming that this isn’t a copyright issue that somehow fell through the cracks, how often are covers duplicated for different books, authors, and publishing houses? I don’t recall having run across it before. It doesn’t seem like good policy....

The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo

Publisher: Back Bay Books

Date: 16 May 2007

ISBN: 978-0316066334

Amazon store link: http://tinyurl.com/2v68lvr

Chanda’s Wars

Publisher: HarperTeen

Date: 11 March 2008

ISBN: 978-0060872625

Amazon Store link: http://tinyurl.com/3239d5r

Kindles

Friday, 3:25 pm

By Cyn

Sep

17

2010

Truthfully, I would rather stay on the THE GAUNTLET discussion but I do have a question or two...........

Kindles--I think you, Kate, love to read even more than I do and of course, read things that are far better for your mind!!  I know you have a kindle so my question to you and to your loyal followers is...is it a worthwhile investment?  Should I not feel guilty about using that instead of purchasing books?  Is it easy to use?  How expensive are e-books (keep in mind, I read popular fiction). 

When we went to Hawaii I took (as I do on every vacation) a stack of books for the beach, for the plane, for sitting in airports, etc.  Lots of books, lots of extra weight.  The good news is that I left everything I read there for my friends to read and they will, in turn, take them to their local library book sale. Bad news is I bought a stack more for the return trip. I noticed more and more people with Kindles and have really been considering it.  I also saw that the price has really dropped.

SO, after you post on Kate’s Gauntlet post, tell me your thoughts...........good and bad.  Any suggestions, comments, criticisms will be appreciated.  If I decide I want one, then it goes to the top of my Christmas or birthday list as both my sons like ‘lists’ and never know what to get me!!

Ciao’

The Gauntlet has been thrown down

Saturday, 11:37 am

By Kate

Sep

11

2010

Oh.My.God. A neighbor across the street just installed two Tea Party candidates’ signs in her front lawn. Where I can’t miss them whenever I walk out my front door. I knew there was something off about her. I hate those signs. I hate them with a rich, deep, and abiding passion. If I wasn’t the person I am, I would rip them out of the ground some dark foggy night. But, I’m fair minded. Kind of. I believe, however, the answer to this is two signs for Democrats in my front yard. The Democratiest Democrats that I can find.

Hawaii!!

Saturday, 4:51 pm

By Cyn

Aug

21

2010

OK, so been here a week and a half and today is partly cloudy with some light showers, first time!  Usually it rains through the night and is gorgeous all day.  But I am not complaining--somehow a rainy-ish day here is not like one in New England, it really is not a factor at all unless it is torrential!  So I just might postpone my daily swim at Kailua Beach until later.

After all of our trips here, we pretty much have it down to a science Our first day here, Joe joins a gym for a month (yeah he is one of THOSE types), this year it is 24 hour FItness.  On the days he goes to the gym, he drops me off at Kailua Beach--me, my boogie board and my books (life is VERY good), when he finishes whatever he does, he comes and joins me for an hour, back to the house, shower, change and off.  If it is not a gym day, then we go early to sightsee, explore new places and revisit all of our favorites.  Already made one trip out to the North Shore, will hit it one more time before we leave.
A hike in the Waimea Valley is on the schedule next week, along with a tour of the Macademia Nut Farm.  We have been there at least 4 times--in fact we took our friends who live here to it!!--but never took the tour cause we were never there on the right day, so we are determined to do it. 

Spent yesterday at the Blaisdell (sp) Center in Honolulu at an “All things Hawaiian” show (Steve, if you are reading this, I would recommend it, it was terrific, lots and lots of samples of foods etc to try - and lots of made in Hawaii products.  We were there, along with another college friend of mine Marcia for over 4 hours.  Then off to Waikiki Beach, watched the sunset - spectacular as always, and dinner at one of our favorites.

Did I mention I could get real used to this??  My body is totally on Hawaiian time right now, I so do not want to go back to NE.  Love swimming every day, being able to stay in the water for hours without freezing to death!  Not too many negatives to living here, other than the cost of real estate and food.

Went shopping for ingredients for a dinner I made last week, plus some extras and the bill was close to what I spend a week at home.  Food is HIGH!  But you do not pay heat and a lot of other things we pay for on the mainland so I think it is a wash.

Taking everyone out for Mexican food tonight, so should be fun!

OK, just thought I should post something.  More when we return to work, home and reality!!

Ciao’

Switchel: A Hot Weather Drink

Saturday, 11:17 am

By Cyn

Aug

07

2010

Was going through even more of the papers from my mom and dad and found this recipe.  My dad used to make gallons and gallons and gallons of it when he was a farmer, and most especially during the haying season. 

Speaking from a very distant memory, I think it was disgusting.  But he and the other men swore by it and that it kept them hydrated and cooler........So, without further ado, I give you Switchel!

5 Tablespoons Ginger
1 Cup Vinegar
3 Cups Molasses
8 quarts cold water
*Optional - 3/4 Cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Get this really cold (seems to me, I remember it being kept cold in big milk cans in the cold water they kept the milk cold in!!) and drink!

Aloha!

Friday, 9:43 pm

By Cyn

Aug

06

2010

The countdown begins.  Nearly time to head back to Hawaii for our ‘almost’ annual visit.  Each time I wonder if it is the last time; if the appeal has run it’s course.  I will have to let you know when we return............or while we are there!!

So, am starting to make lists and try to consolidate things.  House charger for cell phones (Check!)--finally got smart and got HIM the same phone as me!!  Car charger for same (check); Digital camera (check); Charger for it, along with extra battery. (check); GPS (yes you CAN get lost on an island)--first time Joe went with me (and my trip by myself is a story for another day), I took him on a tour.  Managed to get ON the Army base, and took forever to find my way off. Of course he just sat there laughing like an idiot.  Today I would probably end up in jail-then tho, no one paid any particular attention to us--Maybe it was the jeep!  And then another day I got us to a place where the road actually ran out, no road, good for off road vehicles, but no real road, so now I take the GPS. Charger for GPS, check! Netbook (check); charger for Netbook, (check); Ipod (check); Charger for Ipod - charger for Ipod (no check, cause it is not where it should be). 

Now how ridiculous is all of the above, my life has been taken over by ‘things’ and even worse, things that all need their own little bits and pieces to make my life better!  Better?  Or more complicated?  Sometimes I wonder and sometimes I swear I am channeling my mom!!

And books, god forbid I should go on a plane without books.  I have this fear of being without one or seven.  It is like when I used to smoke, used to panic at the thought I MIGHT run out in the middle of the night or something so always had extra.  Have transferred one addiction for another, although I have to admit, this one is a lot healthier. I am hooked on a series by J.D. Ward and the latest book came out about 6 weeks ago.  I have had it since the day it came out, have touched it, picked it up, turned it over and managed to NOT read it yet.  If it is even half as good as the others in the series, I will lose myself in it for most of the trip.

This time I am trying something different. I am always excited to go so the 12-13 hours go by--well, not exactly quickly, but not too bad.  Ahh, wrong, it is bad, but I am anxious to see our friends, so I can deal.  It is coming home that is the killer, it takes me days to get back on schedule here, the 6 hour time difference coming back is awful.  SO, we are flying Vegas, spending one night in Vegas, flying out the next AM on Hawaiian Air (and I have always wanted to fly on that airline) and then on our trip home, we go back to Vegas, spend 3 days or so there and then home.  I am hoping it will be easier and if it isn’t, at least I will have some gambling time!

And that’s all I’ve got people...........assuming anyone is reading any of this anyway.  The news the last couple of days might be marginally better than it has been.  There is still too much skepticism and racism out there but I don’t think that is going to change any time soon.  Just if each one of us does our part, one by one, by one we might begin to get through to some people.

OH, and at this very moment, the Red Sox are beating the Yankees.  One can always hope!!

So, Aloha and Mahalo--first of all to Kate for being so gracious and generous in allowing me to play on her blog and to those of you who actually check in here now and again and read my nonsense and, on occasion, actually comment on it!!

Blogging from Lanikai, (Oahu), will be starting before you know it!!

Ciao!