I am still alive. The trip back from Hawaii involved 22 hours in transit. The 7.5 hour layover in Vancouver wasn't as bad as expected. I had two free passes to Priority Lounges. I used the first pass on my way to Hawaii at LAX. I used the second pass in Vancouver. Priority Lounges provide complimentary food, drinks, snacks, and wi-fi. There are comfortable chairs and laptops for use. Vancouver's lounge even provided rooms where you could shower.
Haley and Dustin picked me up at the airport, probably because Dustin was excited to get the Moo Moo I bought him in Hawaii. I bought Haley and Mary the obligatory macadamia nuts, Hawaiin sarongs, and scrunchies.
I slept in on Sunday, but I still attended church. Sermons are much shorter when you arrive at 10:30am. After church, Dustin's parents treated me to Dim Sum, then I went home for a beauty sleep. On Sunday evening, I was at Church Council Retreat. The retreat was great, but my mind was still on a beach in Hawaii.
Yesterday, I got back in the groove with volleyball in the morning. My volleyball friends are a very loving, caring bunch. Many of them attended Judy's Celebration of Life. In the afternoon, I installed a new toilet in the main bathroom. Murphy's Law was in full effect, but the King now has a new throne. I finished off the day chairing the Church Council meeting, so it's been a bit of a whirlwind since I returned to the Great White North.
Today was a bit more sane. To begin, I completed more of my executor's duties then I went to the Dr. for the results of my yearly physical. Praise the Lord! I am healthy as a horse.
My greatest joy came at noon today. I went to the bank and cleared my daughters' student loans. Both girls worked hard and paid their way through university. Yes, they got free room and board, but for the most part, they paid their own way with minimal assistance. They learned an important life lesson and today was the day I had the chance to give them a reward for being the wonderful people they are.
I want to close this post by clearing up a misunderstanding. Many have asked me if my neighbors really raise chickens in their garage. You see, I have a tendency to make things up. I also embrace a gag and run with it for a long, long time. I exaggerate just a bit. My brother says he can tell when I am lying because my lips are moving. So....no, there are no real chickens next door. There are just singing chickens that lay plastic eggs and do fancy dances. Really. Believe me on this one.
Another untruth that I have been spreading is that I plug into my neighbor's power supply to lower my power bill. Not true. But one thing you should know is that when I returned home from Hawaii, there was extension cord threaded through my fence. Apparently, the neighbors were plugging into my outdoor outlet to power the huge chandelier they installed in their living room. I am glad that I have the chance to be neighborly. Good night.
Tuesday, 15 March 2016
Thursday, 10 March 2016
March 10
Today was one of those days when you needed rocks in your pockets. There were gusts up to 70 kph. Fortunately, we were able to find a sheltered beach at Mauna Lani Resort. The plan for tomorrow is more of the same.
Tomorrow is my last day in Hawaii. The day will start with the usual 90 minute walk. We will return for some Kona coffee on the balcony, then have brunch before visiting Spencer Beach up the road from here. After happy hour, we are barbecuing burgers, then I will be making my way to Kona Airport for 11:00 pm takeoff. I get into LAX at 6:30 am Saturday and depart for Vancouver at 9:30. After arriving in Vancouver at 1:00 pm, I have an 7.5 hour layover. My buddy in Vancouver is going to pick me up for a seafood dinner in Steveston. I arrive in Saskatoon after midnight. It`s been a great holiday, but I am looking forward to being home with my family and friends.
Tomorrow is my last day in Hawaii. The day will start with the usual 90 minute walk. We will return for some Kona coffee on the balcony, then have brunch before visiting Spencer Beach up the road from here. After happy hour, we are barbecuing burgers, then I will be making my way to Kona Airport for 11:00 pm takeoff. I get into LAX at 6:30 am Saturday and depart for Vancouver at 9:30. After arriving in Vancouver at 1:00 pm, I have an 7.5 hour layover. My buddy in Vancouver is going to pick me up for a seafood dinner in Steveston. I arrive in Saskatoon after midnight. It`s been a great holiday, but I am looking forward to being home with my family and friends.
Wednesday, 9 March 2016
March 9
As predicted, very windy here today unless you were in an area protected by a large mountain. When we were at the Farmer's Market, the temperature was 90 Fahrenheit, but when we travelled to the north point, the temperature was down to 55 Fahrenheit. The Farmer's Market was very quaint. There were some fine handicrafts and some locally grown products. I had a chance to chat it up with the entertainment, a Hawaiian ukulele player named PonchoMan Kuanoni. Perhaps, you have heard his hit song, "There's a Ukulele in My Soup." Anyway, I got my picture taken with The Legend.
After Farmer's Market, we toured the beach around The Sheraton. The waves were crashing into the shore and sending plumes 20 feet in the air. After leaving Kona, we toured the coast up to Polulu Beach. Hawaii is amazing. You travel a short distance and you are in a different climate/vegetation zone. It never gets old. We travelle back on the Kohala Mountain Road to Waimea where I had a King Hawaii burger and parmesan/garlic fries. Waimea is near the famous Parker Ranch, a massive property that covered thousands of acres in the early 1900s. I remember seeing a Disney movie about the ranch titled, "The Castaway Cowboys" with James Garner. Tonight is chilly so I will have to wear a sweater on my way to and from the hot tub.
Tomorrow's plan is to hit the beaches again.
In case you are wondering, I am continuing to heal. Gord and Mary Lou have been wonderful company. We talk a lot about Judy and we continue to celebrate her beautiful life. Taking this holiday was a good call.
After Farmer's Market, we toured the beach around The Sheraton. The waves were crashing into the shore and sending plumes 20 feet in the air. After leaving Kona, we toured the coast up to Polulu Beach. Hawaii is amazing. You travel a short distance and you are in a different climate/vegetation zone. It never gets old. We travelle back on the Kohala Mountain Road to Waimea where I had a King Hawaii burger and parmesan/garlic fries. Waimea is near the famous Parker Ranch, a massive property that covered thousands of acres in the early 1900s. I remember seeing a Disney movie about the ranch titled, "The Castaway Cowboys" with James Garner. Tonight is chilly so I will have to wear a sweater on my way to and from the hot tub.
Tomorrow's plan is to hit the beaches again.
In case you are wondering, I am continuing to heal. Gord and Mary Lou have been wonderful company. We talk a lot about Judy and we continue to celebrate her beautiful life. Taking this holiday was a good call.
Tuesday, 8 March 2016
March 8
First stop today was The Refuge south of Kona. The Refuge was a sacred place where warriors went when they were not able to fight in battles and a place where the guilty went when they were facing punishment for breaking the law. The priests would get the guilty back on the straight and narrow, then they were able to leave the refuge without fear of punishment. We also visited The Painted Church. Islanders did not want to go into spaces where they could not see the sky so the priest decorated the ceiling with blue sky, clouds, and palm trees. The walls were painted with scenes that explained the Christian faith as a teaching tool for the priest before he learned the Hawaiian language.
I also went snorkelling at the beach beside The Refuge. This was only the second time in my life that I have been snorkelling. What a rush. There were more than 20 species of fish in all shapes, sizes, and colours. I also bumped into a few mermaids...accidentally, of course.
After snorkelling, we went to the Captain Cook Monument. The monument is on the beach where Captain Cook was killed by the islanders after a disagreement over a stolen boat. I have read numerous books on Captain Cook's voyages; therefore, being at the monument was a special time for me.
For our evening meal, we went back to our favourite watering hole, Kona breweries for the Pipeline Porter and a shrimp/Hawaiian pizza. After the evening meal, I bought a Hawaiian shirt at Wallyworld. Those of you who know me well will believe me when I say this shirt can be spotted from space. Buying the shirt was in response to pressure I have been receiving from friends and family to wear a maumau. Trust me. This shirt will not disappoint.
Tomorrow, we are off to the Farmer's Market in Kona, then we are travelling up to the north west point of The Big Island to watch humpback whales. This should be exciting because there is a wind warning. Gale force winds are expected. The waves should be wild.
Now it's time for the pool, hot tub, and nighty night. Aloha.
I also went snorkelling at the beach beside The Refuge. This was only the second time in my life that I have been snorkelling. What a rush. There were more than 20 species of fish in all shapes, sizes, and colours. I also bumped into a few mermaids...accidentally, of course.
After snorkelling, we went to the Captain Cook Monument. The monument is on the beach where Captain Cook was killed by the islanders after a disagreement over a stolen boat. I have read numerous books on Captain Cook's voyages; therefore, being at the monument was a special time for me.
For our evening meal, we went back to our favourite watering hole, Kona breweries for the Pipeline Porter and a shrimp/Hawaiian pizza. After the evening meal, I bought a Hawaiian shirt at Wallyworld. Those of you who know me well will believe me when I say this shirt can be spotted from space. Buying the shirt was in response to pressure I have been receiving from friends and family to wear a maumau. Trust me. This shirt will not disappoint.
Tomorrow, we are off to the Farmer's Market in Kona, then we are travelling up to the north west point of The Big Island to watch humpback whales. This should be exciting because there is a wind warning. Gale force winds are expected. The waves should be wild.
Now it's time for the pool, hot tub, and nighty night. Aloha.
Monday, 7 March 2016
March 7
Gord wears an IFit watch so he keeps track of our distance walked each day. Today, we topped 10 miles.
Each day starts just after 7 am. I do my abdominal exercises, then we walk just over 5 miles around Waikoloa Beach Resort. When we return to the condo, we sip Kona coffee until about 11, then we have brunch. Gord is the activity coordinator so he has a plan for each day. When we return from the day's activity, we have happy hour then a late meal. The day ends with a trip to the swimming pool before I happily pass out from exhaustion.
Today, we drove across the island to Hilo. Our brunch today was at Ken's Pancake House in Hilo. We feasted on coconut and macadamia nut pancakes along with ham, eggs, and hashbrowns. Hilo is in the rainforest area of the island. On the way to Hilo, you pass through the lava flows of the west to the grasslands near the famous Parker Ranch into the rainforest of the North east portion of the island. During the afternoon, we stopped at Rainbow and Kakaka Falls, the Japanese Gardens and the cliffs of Waipio Bay. I can't begin to describe the natural beauty I witnessed today. Amazing! The Big Island is a wonder. One of our last stops was at The Tex Restaurant for a malasada. A malasada is a Portuguese donut filled with a filling of your choice. They were delicious and, of course, there was no associated guilt because we walked over ten miles today.
Tomorrow is another scheduled beach day. Gord runs a tight ship. I had better get a good night's sleep because 7 am comes early.
Each day starts just after 7 am. I do my abdominal exercises, then we walk just over 5 miles around Waikoloa Beach Resort. When we return to the condo, we sip Kona coffee until about 11, then we have brunch. Gord is the activity coordinator so he has a plan for each day. When we return from the day's activity, we have happy hour then a late meal. The day ends with a trip to the swimming pool before I happily pass out from exhaustion.
Today, we drove across the island to Hilo. Our brunch today was at Ken's Pancake House in Hilo. We feasted on coconut and macadamia nut pancakes along with ham, eggs, and hashbrowns. Hilo is in the rainforest area of the island. On the way to Hilo, you pass through the lava flows of the west to the grasslands near the famous Parker Ranch into the rainforest of the North east portion of the island. During the afternoon, we stopped at Rainbow and Kakaka Falls, the Japanese Gardens and the cliffs of Waipio Bay. I can't begin to describe the natural beauty I witnessed today. Amazing! The Big Island is a wonder. One of our last stops was at The Tex Restaurant for a malasada. A malasada is a Portuguese donut filled with a filling of your choice. They were delicious and, of course, there was no associated guilt because we walked over ten miles today.
Tomorrow is another scheduled beach day. Gord runs a tight ship. I had better get a good night's sleep because 7 am comes early.
Sunday, 6 March 2016
Into the Blue
Okay. The first thing I realized is: the title, "Into the Blue" is going to be hard to find. Perhaps the address, "ktown56.blogspot.com" will be easier to find.
Why did I choose the title? Answer: The last few months have felt like I was flying through a big, old cloud bank. Now it feels like a new stage has begun where I am flying into some clear, blue sky.
I am typing this first entry in a hurry because I am on my way to the beach in a few minutes. Yes, I am in Kona, Hawaii. My cousin, Gord, who you may recall from the series, "Mondays With Gordie", invited me to spend a week in Hawaii with him and his wife, Mary Lou. I flew Calgary, LA, Kona on Friday, March 4.
The last two weeks have been an emotional time. There was a week of planning Judy's Celebration of Life. Indeed, the Celebration of Life was a true celebration. By all accounts I have heard, people came away feeling Judy would be pleased. I was overwhelmed by the support of family and friends. There were about 400 people at Judy's Celebration of Life. I cannot count the number of cards, texts, emails, and Facebook messages I have received. Of course, I feel that I have to respond to every message that comes my way, but I know that replying is not necessary. If you haven't received a reply from me, know that I appreciate the love and support everyone has shown the girls and me.
After the service, I had the whole family to our place for an evening meal. The evening ended with some heartfelt toasts to Judy then my two beautiful daughters gave a wonderful toast to their dear, old dad.
On Saturday, the girls arranged a birthday party for me. They had asked me in December what I wanted for my birthday. I said, "A dance. And I get to choose the music." The girls booked Albert Community Center. When Judy's service was on Friday, people assumed the party would be cancelled. I reminded people that Judy always said, "When I die, I don't want a funeral. I want a party...a wake." David called our little party a Polish Wake. Yes, there were plenty of polkas. There were nearly 60 people at the shindig. I taught everyone a square dance and there were lots of old time dances with a smattering of other dances. I didn't sit out one dance. The party was a wonderful release after the emotions of the preceding week. My mom, sister Paulette, brother Wayne, and brother Vince were all at the party with several other family members and friends. On Sunday, I made breakfast for my family and we had my Uncle Clarence and Aunt Chris over as well. Mom stayed with me until Monday and my sister, Paulette stayed until Thursday. Another special treat was a visit from my old buddy, Brian Hartzell. Brian and I went to elementary and high school together in "The Center of the Universe" aka Kelvington.
Back to Hawaii...Yesterday, Gord and I did the daily 5 mile walk at 7:30 am because walking later in the day is not advised due to the heat. After coffee and midday brunch, we toured Kona and area. We had our evening meal at Kona Brewery. In the evening, I discovered there was a huge ukulele festival across the road from the resort where we are staying. |Unfortunately, I missed the whole thing. Didn't have a clue the festival was taking place until it ended. On the upside, I visited a ukulele store and played a 2000$ ukulele. I chewed the fat with Hawaiian ukulele master. Oddly enough, he hadn't heard of me. The evening ended with a dip in the pool.
Today, we went to Hapuna Beach State Park and Mauno Lani Resort. Gord and I stayed hydrated with wobbly pops and we got pounded with a few waves. We also toured the brackish ponds at Mauno Lani. We saw coronet fish, moorish idols, yellow fish, eels, puffer fish, and several other species. According to Gord's IFit watch, we racked up 17 000 steps today.
Tomorrow's plan is to drive to the Hilo rainforest. Gord and Mary Lou are treating me like a king. We spend the day talking about family, friends, and future. This trip is just what the doctor ordered.
Why did I choose the title? Answer: The last few months have felt like I was flying through a big, old cloud bank. Now it feels like a new stage has begun where I am flying into some clear, blue sky.
I am typing this first entry in a hurry because I am on my way to the beach in a few minutes. Yes, I am in Kona, Hawaii. My cousin, Gord, who you may recall from the series, "Mondays With Gordie", invited me to spend a week in Hawaii with him and his wife, Mary Lou. I flew Calgary, LA, Kona on Friday, March 4.
The last two weeks have been an emotional time. There was a week of planning Judy's Celebration of Life. Indeed, the Celebration of Life was a true celebration. By all accounts I have heard, people came away feeling Judy would be pleased. I was overwhelmed by the support of family and friends. There were about 400 people at Judy's Celebration of Life. I cannot count the number of cards, texts, emails, and Facebook messages I have received. Of course, I feel that I have to respond to every message that comes my way, but I know that replying is not necessary. If you haven't received a reply from me, know that I appreciate the love and support everyone has shown the girls and me.
After the service, I had the whole family to our place for an evening meal. The evening ended with some heartfelt toasts to Judy then my two beautiful daughters gave a wonderful toast to their dear, old dad.
On Saturday, the girls arranged a birthday party for me. They had asked me in December what I wanted for my birthday. I said, "A dance. And I get to choose the music." The girls booked Albert Community Center. When Judy's service was on Friday, people assumed the party would be cancelled. I reminded people that Judy always said, "When I die, I don't want a funeral. I want a party...a wake." David called our little party a Polish Wake. Yes, there were plenty of polkas. There were nearly 60 people at the shindig. I taught everyone a square dance and there were lots of old time dances with a smattering of other dances. I didn't sit out one dance. The party was a wonderful release after the emotions of the preceding week. My mom, sister Paulette, brother Wayne, and brother Vince were all at the party with several other family members and friends. On Sunday, I made breakfast for my family and we had my Uncle Clarence and Aunt Chris over as well. Mom stayed with me until Monday and my sister, Paulette stayed until Thursday. Another special treat was a visit from my old buddy, Brian Hartzell. Brian and I went to elementary and high school together in "The Center of the Universe" aka Kelvington.
Back to Hawaii...Yesterday, Gord and I did the daily 5 mile walk at 7:30 am because walking later in the day is not advised due to the heat. After coffee and midday brunch, we toured Kona and area. We had our evening meal at Kona Brewery. In the evening, I discovered there was a huge ukulele festival across the road from the resort where we are staying. |Unfortunately, I missed the whole thing. Didn't have a clue the festival was taking place until it ended. On the upside, I visited a ukulele store and played a 2000$ ukulele. I chewed the fat with Hawaiian ukulele master. Oddly enough, he hadn't heard of me. The evening ended with a dip in the pool.
Today, we went to Hapuna Beach State Park and Mauno Lani Resort. Gord and I stayed hydrated with wobbly pops and we got pounded with a few waves. We also toured the brackish ponds at Mauno Lani. We saw coronet fish, moorish idols, yellow fish, eels, puffer fish, and several other species. According to Gord's IFit watch, we racked up 17 000 steps today.
Tomorrow's plan is to drive to the Hilo rainforest. Gord and Mary Lou are treating me like a king. We spend the day talking about family, friends, and future. This trip is just what the doctor ordered.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)