shave ice & gelato

Missing the snow, I did a little search today checking out all the new snow pictures on the web. I found the cutest picture on the Boston Globe's "Second snow hits hard" photo gallery page.

Photo 13: "A young opposum ran through the snow in front of Trinity Baptist Church in Arlington." (picture by: Globe Staff Photo / Dina Rudick)

Wear RED, post RED, eat RED, drink RED. February 1st is National Wear Red Day to show support for women’s heart disease awareness. My hope is that with this day being targeted yearly to increase women's awareness of heart disease, women will become more aware of how important it is to be aware of staying heart healthy. My mom died of a sudden heart attack in February, 2000. I wish she was more aware of her risks.

Tips for Heart Health

* Don't smoke, and if you do, quit. Women who smoke are two to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than non-smoking women. Smoking also boosts the risk of stroke and cancer.

* Aim for a healthy weight. It's important for a long, vigorous life. Overweight and obesity cause many preventable deaths.

* Get moving. Make a commitment to be more physically active. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.

* Eat for heart health. Choose a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, and moderate in total fat.

* Know your numbers. Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), and blood glucose. Work with your doctor to improve any numbers that are not normal.

These are 2 of my favorite RED photos.

The first photo is of a red hibiscus flower. I took this photo for a photography class a few years ago.

The second photo is a photo which was posted on the Boston Globe website this past year. I believe it was taken during Spring Training. We don't have Willy on our team anymore but we still have Manny & Big Papi. GO SOX!!

Today is "game night". We started having "game nights" at our school this year on Friday nights every now and then as a way to relax, spend time together in a non-stressful situation, and have fun together. There are board games, wii, this guitar game I just don't get, and Scrapbooking. I am a board game player. I love board games, always have, always will.

Leslie at Kaleidoscope asked on one of her posts what your favorite toys were as a child?”

This got me thinking about some of my favorite toys that I had as a child and how different childhood was "way back when" with the toys we played with compared to how childhood is today with the "electronic" toys kids now have.

These are the toys and games that stick in my mind as favorites: the Easy Bake Oven, my barbies, playing kick the can outside, and all the board games that we had as kids. I loved playing Mystery Date, Operation, Yahtzee, Risk, Rack-o, Uncle Wiggily, Clue, and Monopoly.

I did a search and found the following two YouTube videos that may bring back some memories. Did you own any of these original version games? And for those of you too young to remember or too young to have had any of these games, you sure missed out on some fun.

Remember Mystery Date? I always wanted to date or win? the "skier guy" but usually ended up with "dud guy".

Gambling is illegal here in Hawaii. That makes my chances even more difficult than most to win the lottery. I would first have to be on vacation somewhere to legally buy a ticket because it is against the law to purchase a ticket from a mainland state lottery unless I was physically in that state. The ironic thing is that the top vacation destination for residents in Hawaii is Las Vegas. Some have tried and tried to get a lottery here, but those preaching the evils of gambling seem to win every time. I am sure they are the same ones flying to Las Vegas three or four times a year. I guess it’s one of those, "not in my backyard" things.

So, after that little rant, if I did win the lottery, what would I do? Since many of my fellow bloggers have already declared their intentions, I have an advantage of getting some great ideas to help me lay out my plan. I hope I did not miss anyone's post on winning the lottery. It has been fun reading what everyone else would do.

I have decided that my winnings would be around 200 million as Kim did in her post. You gotta pick some number and I thought 200 million sounded like an good amount to win. However I would take my winnings in euros instead of US dollars (smart huh?). I am not sure how much I would be hit with regarding taxes, but I am guessing I would still have plenty left to spend.

I have to say that I was quite impressed with how Deborah broke down her winnings by dollar amount. I think I would have to hire someone to help me figure that out even with “pretend money”.

So here is my list:

*The very first thing I would do would be to get season tickets for the Red Sox. Some of you may ask, what good would season tickets be since I live in Hawaii? Quitting my job would be the next thing I would do. I would then buy a little condo right in the heart of the city of Boston where I would spend time when the Red Sox were in town. I would invite friends and family to the games and make sure that someone would be enjoying my tickets when I was not in town.

I am definitely a night owl, no question about it. I have tried my best for many years to "fit into the land of morning people" but never with any luck. I can adapt for a day or two or perhaps a week, but I will never be as alert or as productive as I am in the evening.

There are four of us at my school who are all definite night owls. We dream of a school that would start at 9:30 or 10am. We would even be happy with a 9am start. Every day, we drag our bodies into work, always arriving last, right before the bell rings. We stumble down to our classrooms, trying our best to put on a cheery smile when one of our morning friends says hello in that "bright and cheery morning voice", while inside that cheeriness feels similar to fingernails scratching a blackboard. We are exhausted all week, never catching up on the sleep we need. It doesn't matter if we go to bed at 8 or 11 pm, we are still in a fog until at least 9 am the following morning. During school vacations, we start staying up later and later. We do our most productive work late at night. We could easily call each other at 1 am during our breaks and we would all still be wide awake. When school starts again, it is like dealing with jet lag, trying to adjust back to that early morning wake up call. The longer the vacation, the more difficult it is to adjust, but we never really fully adjust.

I did a little more searching on google and found an article which explains how some of us are neither early birds (larks) or night owls, but instead, hummingbirds. Here's an excerpt:

What makes some of us "night owls"--people who perk up in the evening and don't go to bed until 2 a.m. (or even later)--while others are "larks"--early birds who wake up bright-eyed and ready to go at the crack of dawn? The answer lies mostly in our internal body clock, which is largely determined by our genes. In addition to driving our 24-hour (or circadian) sleep-wake cycle, this clock regulates hormone levels, body temperature, blood pressure, alertness and performance ability.

The cycles themselves are controlled mainly by a region within the brain's hypothalamus known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This area responds to signals from the retina, specifically, the light that travels from our eyes to our brain, which is the most important factor in orienting our bodies to daytime alertness and night-time sleep.

But that's not the whole story. The "owl" and "lark" categories account for just about 30 percent of the population, explains Michael Smolensky, Ph.D., a professor of environmental physiology at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston and co-author of The Body Clock Guide to Better Health (Henry Holt & Co., 2001). Smolensky says the remaining 70 percent of us are "hummingbirds"--people who can usually adapt when they need to, though it's easier or harder to do so depending on where you fall along the body-clock continuum.

Over 10,000 people showed up the day Kmart opened back in 1988. Yes, you are reading correctly, over 10,000 people on opening day for Kmart!! People started lining up in the middle of the night waiting for the doors to open. I kept telling everyone it was “just Kmart”. I could not believe the hype and the insane number of people that camped out and showed up on opening day. I do remember going to Filene's basement in Boston with my grandmother when I was little and waiting outside for the doors to open and then watching in amazement when two people would fight over a shirt, but this was Kmart!

Tomorrow is going to be another crazy day in Hawaii. It is the grand opening of Nordstrom at Ala Moana. I am not getting anywhere near Ala Moana tomorrow or for the next few days. After 10,000 people showed up for Kmart's opening day, I can just imagine the madhouse.

I have to say that I am pretty excited about this store coming to Hawaii and am looking forward to shopping there. Hopefully I will no longer need to make so many online orders with all the new choices this store will bring.

In addition to Nordstrom opening tomorrow, there will be 30 additional stores, including Chico's and Lululemon Athletica, in the wing that attaches Nordstrom to Ala Moana and there will be a gelato bar located either in Nordstrom or somewhere in this new wing. Maurizio Grasso, who makes homemade gelato at his little shop in Honolulu will be providing the gelato at this gelato bar. I met him years ago while taking an Italian class. He is from Torino and makes great gelato. I am almost as excited about the gelato bar as I am about Nordstrom.

I know what I am going to be doing during my March vacation :-)

I am feeling much better today although I am still not back at 100%. With no energy for an original post, I am cheating a little with this puzzle.

I have seen many versions of this puzzle. I am posting the version from Peter Rohde's blog where you will also find the answer.

There are 5 houses of 5 different colors. Each house is occupied by a man of different nationality. The 5 owners each drink a different type of beverage, smoke a different brand of cigar, and keep a different pet.

The clues are as follows:

* The Brit lives in the red house.
* The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
* The Dane drinks tea.
* The green house is on the left of the white house.
* The green house’s owner drinks coffee.
* The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
* The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
* The man living in the center house drinks milk.
* The Norwegian lives in the first house.
* The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
* The man who keeps the horse lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
* The owner who smokes Bluemasters drinks beer.
* The German smokes Prince.
* The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
* The man who smokes Blends has a neighbor who drinks water.

Question: Who owns the fish?

2 more days until vacation begins - spring break!!




3 more days until my new refrigerator arrives!!





13 days, 3 hours, 5 minutes until Opening Day!!
Red Sox vs. A's - Both games will be played in
Tokyo, Japan and will be shown live on ESPN2
(at midnight Hawaii time)
Good thing I am a night owl.




86 more days until the school year ends!!





101 more days until...
I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane...
and my trip to Italy begins!!




313 days, 10 hours until Bush's Last Day!!!!

Two months ago, my 15-year old trusty refrigerator started making some pretty spooky sounds as if it was possessed. I decided it was finally time to get a new one. My search for a new refrigerator included two canceled orders, becoming buddies with a couple of guys at Best Buy, and finally putting in a special order for a very ordinary refrigerator, but one that would fit in my tiny space. It took a month to arrive. I got the call yesterday that it would be delivered between 2 and 4 pm today.

This morning, I got up early and started on a major cleaning spree. I wanted to make sure my place would be sparkley clean and less cluttered for the delivery guys, not that they would really care. I threw out piles and piles of catalogs, boxes I had piled up in my outdoor storage space, and a few items that have been hiding in the back of my refrigerator for a few years. I live on the second floor and must have taken at least 20 trips up and down the stairs today. Because I still have some gunk in my chest, I am pretty wiped out after all those stairs. Now I knew that the delivery guys would not be peeking into my outdoor storage space, but I got on a roll. A little tidying up turned into a mini spring cleaning event.

I am happy to report that my new refrigerator was successfully delivered and is now sitting in the little corner of my kitchen. I can't believe how quiet it is. I even checked on it a few times to make sure it was still working. I am looking forward to a peaceful night - no more clunking sounds to wake me up :-)

Krista's post, "A Rose in Bloom", reminded me of the photo I took of this flower while hiking in Mürren, Switzerland a few years ago.

Does anyone know the name of this flower?? OR the type of bug??

Someone sent this to me today. I am not sure where it originally came from.
It is Friday!!! Enjoy :-)

LIPSTICK IN SCHOOL

(You've got to love this principal)

According to a news report, a certain private school in Washington was recently faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints. Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back.
Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine the yawns from the little princesses). To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required.

He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror.

There are teachers.... and then there are educators.

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE EDUCATORS..........

My credit card was denied today while attempting to purchase lunch.

11:45 - I called the credit card company to find out what the problem was. I was told that a block was put on my card due to a couple of large charges I made last night. I was then told that I would have to speak to the fraud department. The woman on the phone said that she would be happy to transfer me.

11:55 - After being transferred, the phone rang for 5 minutes straight.

12:00 - Five minutes of ringing in my ear was all I could take. I hung up and started all over again. After answering all the routine questions for a second time and explaining what the problem was, I asked if there was someone else I could speak to since I did not have a lot of time to spend waiting on the phone. Little did I know how long my wait would actually be! I was told that only the fraud department could help me. The woman said I could have had a bad connection and proceeded to connect me to the fraud department once again.

12:10 – The connection was made to the fraud department and I began to hold, waiting for the next available agent...until 2:15!!! That would be 2 hours and 5 minutes!! While I waited, every minute or so, a recording would come on saying "We're sorry, but all agents are busy at this time. Please hold on the line and your call will be answered in the order it was received." Then there would be silence. A few times I panicked thinking that I was disconnected and then the recording would repeat once again reassuring me that yes, I was still on hold. The least they could do is stop that annoying recording from repeating every minute or so. Although there are slow learners in the world, I doubt anyone would need 120 reminders that your call will not be answered until the fraud department is good and ready to answer the call.

2:05 - I had had enough. I got out my cell phone and called the credit card department while I continued to hold the school phone up to my other ear in the off chance that my call would finally be answered. For the third time, I gave the credit card department my name, credit card number, and assured them that I was the only person authorized to use my card. The woman then asked in a very friendly voice how she could help me. Let me tell you, I was no longer a calm and rational person. I explained that I had been on hold for over 2 hours and was wondering if perhaps everyone in the fraud department went home for the day and I would be spending the night with the phone attached to my ear waiting for someone to answer. The woman obviously could tell that I was quite upset. She said she would see what she could do and put me on hold.

2:15 - Like magic, a few seconds later, a person from the fraud department answered the phone. After answering about 10 different security questions, I explained that my card was blocked. I wanted to find out the the reason and what I needed to do to get it to work again. I was told that I made two large purchases the night before. I told her that yes, I was aware of this. She said that they just wanted to make sure that I did indeed make these charges.

After discussing each charge, including the two times I attempted to use my card today (which I reminded her were denied), she said that my charge to Unicef was the suspicious charge. I could not believe that making a donation would be considered suspicious activity on a credit card. How many theives do you know steal a credit card or aquire someone's credit card number to make a donation to a cause?

Two hours and fifteen minutes later (after first calling the credit card department) my card was “unblocked”.

I am soooooo itchy!!!!!! I was given a wonderful neck/shoulder massage after my acupuncture treatment last Friday. Unfortunately I had a severe allergic reaction to the peppermint oil she used and I now have huge red itchy welts all over my upper chest as well as the sides and back of my neck.

These welts first appeared Saturday morning. They have continued to spread since then. I have taken zyrtec and benedryl and have used a cream similar to hydrocortisone cream to attempt to calm the itch but nothing has worked. I have been sleeping (or not sleeping) with ice packs all over me since that is the only thing that temporarily stops the itch.

I finally went over to Longs last night to try to get something over the counter to help. The pharmacist suggested a hydrocortisone cream and said I should continue to take the benedryl, but she also said that I would probably need to get a prescription for prednisone. I thought about how much easier it would be if I was in Italy with this rash (although I am not wishing myself sick while in Italy). The pharmacist would have been able to sell me the drug I needed right then and there but instead I had to wait another day before getting the medicine I needed (unless I went to the ER). So, I bought some hydrocortisone cream and took more benedryl, both of which did nothing.

This morning, my first official day of summer vacation, I called my doctor and begged for an appointment and got a prescription for prednisone.

I will be in Santa Margherita Ligure on the Ligurian Coast of Italy two weeks from today! Hoping my rash is gone by then.

Itchy, itchy, itchy.....

If you are thinking this is about the movie, guess again! I just opened my Visa bill (with all my trip charges + the exchange rate) .... Mamma Mia!!

Update - I just opened a letter from my credit union. They are soooo happy with my spending that they have just raised my limit!

After spending much of the day watching my new DVD, The Sound of Music, I found it quite interesting to read a breaking news story on a new upcoming beauty contest...for nuns! Not that I would equate the Sound of Music to a beauty contest, but it was a bit of a coincidence to be watching a movie about a nun and then read about this nun contest.

According to the TimesOnline article, Father Antonio Rungi is planning to hold
The Sister Italia 2008 contest on his blog. Now those of you that love beauty contests for the bikinis, don't get your hopes up for this one. There will be no bikinis, no swimsuits, not revealing clothing in this beauty contest.

Here are a few of the details:

It will be open only to nuns.

The contestants must be aged between 18 and 40, and can be either full members of an order or novices.

The nuns can decide whether to wear their full habits, including veils, or let their hair down.

Each photo will be accompanied by an account by the nun of her life, personality, daily activities and spiritual development.

Photos of the contestants will appear on Father Rungi's blog in September where readers can vote for their favorite nun. Father Rungi does acknowledge that not all Catholics will be in favor of this contest.

The Times article goes on to mention how although there is no beauty contest for priests, they have been featured in calendars for the past four years. If you haven't seen the priest calendars, Shelley wrote about it here on her former blog, At Home in Rome. She also posted some nice photos of the calendar.

I tried to find Father Rungi's blog, but no luck yet, although I did find 3,120 articles on the subject. I even checked out the Corriere della Sera article, Gara per la suora più bella organizzata dal prete teologo and still no link.

It would be interesting to hear the Pope's point of view on this contest. What are your thoughts?

Paul Newman was not only a great actor and quite a hunk; he was also a successful sports car racer, an extremely generous person, a devoted family man, and a remarkable human being.

My mother, a huge Paul Newman fan, had a poster-sized photo of Paul Newman hanging on our bathroom door when I was growing up. The photo was black and white except for his blue eyes. I can still picture that handsome face and those beautiful blue eyes staring at me whenever I closed our bathroom door. How fortunate was I to get to gaze at Paul Newman every day.

I have also been a huge fan of Paul Newman. He has made so many great movies including my all time favorite, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Whenever I watched Paul Newman act, he always made me smile.

Besides being a fan of his acting, I have been most impressed by his generosity. Paul Newman started Newman's Own as a joke in 1982 and ended up raising over 250 million dollars, all of which has been donated to thousands of charities all over the world. He has never even earned a nickel profit for himself from any of his food products.

I am so very saddened to hear of Paul Newman's death. My deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends. Farewell Paul Newman. The world will not be the same without you.

Video from the Newman's Own Foundation website:

Yesterday evening, after having dinner with friends in town, I went to Whole Foods. The grand opening for the first Whole Foods store on the island was September 10th. I have been waiting so long for this store to finally open and I was not disappointed. The first time I went was the day after the Grand Opening. The store of course was packed. I found out later that a friend of mine was also there at the same time but we never ran into each other because the store was so crowded. We even both parked our cars in the same area on the other side of the mall because there were so many cars in the parking lot that day.

Because of my allergies and migraines, I buy most of my food at health food stores. The cost ends up being not that much different for many of the products I buy and there are so many more choices for me at Whole Foods than there are at the other health food stores. The only downfall is that the store is located 30 miles from my house.

Last night was my second visit to Whole Foods. I bought some organic chicken. I could not believe the difference in taste. Not because it was organic (I have bought organic chicken before) but because it was so fresh! Wow! What a difference! The chicken tasted so much better than the organic chicken I have bought in the regular grocery stores. I found out that many of the products at Whole Foods are flown in. The chicken as well as many of the other products in the other grocery stores arrive after traveling by barge (which takes days).

Finally, we have the opportunity to purchase fresh products! I even found mozzarella bufala at Whole Foods! I enjoyed the most delicious caprese salad for lunch today. The mozzarella melted in my mouth. Even the tomatoes were worth the drive.

But I digress.... back to my "Lost" sighting...

I drove into the parking lot around 8:30 last night and was thrilled to find a parking spot right in front of the store. I grabbed a cart and headed inside. I was pleasantly surprised to find the store much less crowded. Because this was only my second visit, I wasn't really sure where to start. For some reason I started in the middle of the store. As I was standing in front of the gluten free section at the end of the aisle, I noticed a a two-tier cart being pushed by someone. As I looked up, standing right in front of me was Sayid!! (Naveen Andrews) from LOST. He was even better looking than on TV. Our eyes met momentarily and then he walked on by. I was definitely flustered. I could not focus on shopping. Instead, I plotted a way to get another look in a casual way. I did not want to be a stalker but I just had to get another glance.

I pushed my cart by a few aisles until I spotted him again and then casually walked by him. With two quick glances, I could not take my eyes off his face. I remember him wearing a tight black shirt and I think he was wearing capris or long shorts but cannot be sure and I have no idea what type of shoes he was wearing. All I can say is, WOW, he is drop dead gorgeous! It took me about 30 minutes before I was finally able to concentrate on shopping again. What a thrill to see him in person, even if it was only momentarily. He is definitely my favorite character on LOST now. I can't wait til the season begins!

I apologize for being so behind in catching up and commenting on everyone’s blogs. I have been busy watching the Red Sox. They lost a tough one in the 12th inning tonight but still only need one more win to move on to the ALCS. I will try to catch up on everyone's blogs this week. GO SOX!!

I finished the last of my three San Luca posts. I dated it October 3rd (although I posted it today) so that it would be in sequence with the my other two San Luca posts. Click here or scroll down below my photohunt post to see this post.

This was my second “LOST” sighting. If you are interested in reading about my first “LOST” sighting…click on continue

I bought my last Mac (an iMac) in January 2001 and have wanted to get a new computer for a couple of years now. It has taken me a long time to decide on a new computer because I am not a fan of the new glossy screens on most of the new Macs. Last week, I finally decided on a computer. I spontaneously ordered a Macbook Pro (previous model with a matte screen) at 5 am two days after the latest Mac laptops were revealed. I missed out on the refurb models (they went in one day) but I did luck out getting my laptop for a great price.

My very cool new computer finally arrived after a couple of frustrating days dealing with FedEx. It took me over 4 hours today just to transfer everything, which meant no access to both my old and my new computer during that time.

I still have a lot to learn! I am not familiar with many of the new features of Leopard, I can't figure out where the screen shots go after I take them, and I can't figure out how to right click yet (without using a mouse). My old version of photoshop elements does not work on this new computer which is a bummer. That means I will still need to use my old computer for any photo editing/resizing/etc. until I buy a newer version. Fortunately so far all of my other programs I have tried work.

I will probably be occupied with trying to figure out how everything works on my new computer for the next couple of days. I will try to catch up with everyone this weekend. Meanwhile, here is a photo of my new toy.

In honor of all who have served in the United States Armed Services...

I decided to start with my needle in my eyelid story. Warning, it is not pretty. I decided to add a few photos (NOT of my eyelid) for those who get squeamish and would rather skip the story.

I took these photos a couple of weeks ago in the parking lot outside the medical plaza building where my eye doctor is located on a gloomy gray day (much like the weather is today).

And now the story...

Back in late July, I noticed this little lump on my bottom right eyelid. I thought it was the beginning of a stye. I tried to squish it when I first noticed it. This might have been a contributing factor of my pinkeye, which forced me to miss the first day of school for the first time in 26 years. The lump returned a week or so later and took on a life of its own. Everyone gave me advice. Nothing worked. It was even there when my school picture was taken.

Quoting part of today's Star Bulletin article: STORM PUMMELS OAHU

Schools are closed, power is out, homes are flooded and traffic is a mess.

Torrential rain overnight and this morning flooded scores of homes on Oahu, closed roads and dozens of schools, knocked out power and shut the Arizona Memorial.

More than 10 inches of rain fell at Makaha Stream in the 24 hours that ended at 8 a.m., and more than 4 inches of that fell between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m.

(photo from the Honolulu Advertiser - click on the photo to see more amazing photos)

click on the continue reading link below to read about my day...

The weather is crazy here!! It started pouring again this morning. The wind is howling. Here is a photo of the damage on Kunia Road from Thursday's rain.

(photo linked to the Honolulu Advertiser article)

CLICK HERE to see a slideshow of more amazing photos from the storm (including a couple of cool waterfall shots). Place your mouse near the top of each photo to see the description for each photo.

Yesterday the weather was calm most of the day. The skies began to turn black late in the afternoon just as I was heading to physical therapy. I tried not to think about my drive home while in therapy.

When I finished my session, it was raining, but not too bad. The scary part though was the thunder and lightning, which thankfully is pretty rare here in Hawaii. Ever since I was little, I have always freaked out during thunder and lightning storms. Driving in one is definitely not one of my favorite things to do. Other than that, the traffic gods were looking out for me because I made it to the shopping center near my house pretty quickly (which is a miracle even on a sunny day).

Just as I stopped at Long’s Drugs, the sky opened up and it started to pour buckets, so hard that it sounded like pellets hitting my windshield. I ran into the store, still managing to get soaking wet even though I parked right near the store. As I was looking for some little containers for cookies in the back of the store, the lights went out. It was pitch black! Everyone in the store gasped loudly. The lights came back on pretty quickly, but those few seconds seemed like minutes while it was pitch black in the store. This little boy near me was very freaked out.

I had planned to also stop at the grocery store (next door) to buy the ingredients to bake cookies this weekend, but after the power went out in the store, and losing power for nine hours on Thursday due to the storm, I decided to wait until today. Unfortunately, the weather is still crazy this morning, so I am not sure what I am going to do now. Hopefully the weather will calm down. Either that, or I will have to take a leap of faith and keep my fingers crossed that my power will stay on all weekend.

The news last night showed that the road into and out of my town was closed due to flooding. It must have happened during the downpour that started when I reached the store near my house. I read that they opened just one lane going into my town later on and the traffic was backed up for miles on the freeway before the exit. I am sooooo glad I made it home before the rain started again. The traffic gods were definitely looking out for me yesterday. Let’s hope the power gods will do the same!

*Not sure why my comments were not on for Thursday's post. Thank you Kim for alerting me and fixing the problem :)

Early Friday evening, as I drove over to a nearby school to drop off a couple of bags of recycling stuff, a few pretty wild bolts of lightning lit up in the sky. Lightning is pretty rare here in Hawaii. I could barely hear the thunder, so I assumed storm had to be far off in the distance.

The photo to the left was taken by Dave Weil of Wahiawa. I found this photo on the KHNL news website. (photo is linked to the source and an article about the power outage).

When I returned home, I chatted with a couple of neighbors outside. I asked them if their power also went out Thursday night (I woke up Friday morning to blinking clocks). One of my neighbors said the power went out for two minutes at 1:30 in the morning while he was up watching TV. Because lightning freaks me out and the strikes were pretty vivid in the sky, I headed inside a few minutes later

I turned on the TV and started watching something I recorded on my DVD recorder. About 30 minutes later, a little after 7 pm, the everything went black. At first, I figured it would only be out for a few minutes. After about 15 minutes, I though that it was probably just out in my area. I watched a DVD on my computer to pass the time, still thinking that the power would be back on pretty soon. Two hours later, when my laptop was running out of juice, I decided to call the electric company to find out what was going on. I was surprised to learn that the entire island was in the dark. I found my radio and was grateful to find a few stations reporting what was going on.

Getting information about the power outage is so important. Not knowing what was going on is what bothered me the most when I lost power a few weeks ago. HECO, the electric company, was saying something about four lines being tripped which caused the entire system to shut down. All the stations were saying to expect the power to be out throughout the night. The last time power went out island wide was October 15, 2006 when an earthquake hit the Big Island.

Because the entire island lost power, that meant that President-elect Obama, who is vacationing here with his family, also lost power. The mayor was in contact with his staff. Obama was safe at his Kailua rental. He was offered a generator but declined the help saying that they were planning to go to bed early and would be just fine.

I was much better prepared this time than I was two weeks ago. I still had a big bag of ice and a half full bag of ice in the freezer. I put most of my perishable items in the freezer and a few items in my small cooler with the half bag of ice. The very cool flashlight app on my new iPod touch came in handy helping me navigate in the dark. I listened to the radio for while, and then went to bed. I unplugged all of my electronic equipment but did leave all the light switches on hoping that in case the power come back on in the middle of the night, I would wake up since my refrigerated perishables were now in the freezer.

3:13 in the morning, the power came back on at my house. The lights woke me up as planned. Power was only out for about eight hours, less time than the last time I lost electricity and I slept through four hours of it. My area of the island was one of the first to get electricity back. I was very grateful and very fortunate this time. I checked the Honolulu Advertiser for all of the latest news. Only a few areas were back up. I even got electricity back before Obama did! He got his back about 6 am. Some areas didn't get their power back until last night and a few people were out until this morning. A few areas even lost water for a while.

While the power was out island wide, traffic was crazy and there were many delays and cancellations at the airport. Some people ended up sleeping there overnight. Not fun. At least the weather was warm here. The scariest thing I read was that a Hawaiian Airline jet was struck by lightning. The jet landed safely but that must have been pretty scary!

Below are a few more photos of Oahu during the lightning storm and in the dark. The first two photos came from the Star Bulletin. I can't seem to find the first photo anymore to add the correct link. The second photo is linked to the article which is linked to more photos of the outage (where I found the second photo).

I'm not sure how the Christmas tree lights stayed on during the blackout.

The third and fourth photos are from the Honolulu Advertiser. Both are linked to the power outage article where I found these photos.

*Edited to add...since moving to Hawaii, I have only lost power three times that I can remember for more than a few hours - twice in the past couple of weeks and the day of the Big Island earthquake two years ago. I can't remember now if I lost electricity where I was during Hurricane Iniki. The news of this outage probably would not have even made national news if Obama was not vacationing here. Our last storm which caused much more damage than this power outage never made national news.

They are still not sure what caused this island wide power outage. Originally, it was thought that it was due to a direct lightning strike, but no damage was found to any of the lines or equipment. Here is the latest info from HECO on the power outage.

I read this funny article in the Boston Globe last week, written by Globe Columnist Sam Allis, called Grocery gridlock: Stuck at the intersection of storm panic and holiday stress about grocery shopping in December, on a weekend, right before a snowstorm.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Inside, the place was teeming with grown men and women dashing around the store like road runners, emitting stress every step of the way. They carried a sense of urgency reminiscent of the Running of the Brides at Filene's Basement. If they didn't get out fast, they reasoned, the authorities would find their bleached bones in the spring.

I vectored over to the deli section. This is the heart of the matter. This is where people in line watch their lives dribble away. This is where you find out whether any of that Zen stuff about acceptance is worth one Tic Tac.

The crowd was patient but tense. Men shifted their weight from one leg to the other. It was unnervingly quiet.

I noticed a guy named Bob Boynton reading a tabloid he had spread across a shelf of cheese nearby. I asked him how long he had been there, and he said close to 15 minutes. I glanced at his ticket for the deli. It read 307. I looked up at the electronic scoreboard on the deli wall and saw 281.

A lunatic friend of mine was also there Friday morning, I learned. In a separate countdown, his ticket read 337 when the scoreboard read 275. Let's be clear here. There is nothing in the deli section worth waiting that long for. You come home empty-handed, claim they ran out of the potato salad, and hunker down for Defcon 1 if that doesn't fly.

Bob informed me this was not the worst jam he'd faced there. That would be a Saturday after Thanksgiving some time ago. A chill came over him as he said, voice rising: "I'll never go again. Never."

This article brings back memories of my shopping excursion the morning of Hurricane Iniki years ago. I woke up that morning to the sound of sirens blaring. It was my birthday. When I first heard that all schools were canceled, I was thrilled. That feeling only lasted a few seconds as the next thing announced was that a hurricane was headed our way and was set to hit later in the day.

I was sent to the store by friends I was staying with while they got the house prepared and filled containers of water. There was barely any food left on the shelves by the time I arrived. The lines were so long that they started at the back of the store. I was amazed at how many people I ran into that I knew that morning. It was one shopping experience I will never forget and hopefully one I will not have to repeat.

Have you ever had a crazy grocery shopping experience?

I enjoyed the luxury of sleeping in almost every morning during my wonderful three week break. Many of you know that I am not a morning person. Now that school has started, it has been like dealing with jet lag. As the years go by, my body seems to take longer to adjust to having to suddenly get up early again. I guess I should have tried the cherries. It also seems more difficult to adjust to the first few days back at work after a long break. On top of that, I have a bunch of work due for a three credit class I have been taking and of course queen procrastinator that I am, I have left much of the written part due to the last minute.

I have been peeking in on everyone, but have been too tired to do much blogging or commenting. I tried to do a little at lunch today, but then got interrupted. I hope to be back blogging and commenting by the weekend...that is if this next storm headed our way doesn't knock out the power once again.

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch starting tomorrow evening and extending through Friday afternoon. They are saying this storm could be worse than the storm that knocked down all the lines on the Leeward Coast two years ago. We are also supposed to be getting more rain and HUGE surf. They have already closed many of the beaches for tomorrow. The state is taking this storm seriously, warning us now to get our flashlights ready. I know where mine is :) I even have a big bag of ice in my freezer from the first power outage. I just hope I don't end up on the road during the storm. Possible school closures have already been talked about for Friday but my school never gets closed unless of course a hurricane is about to hit. At least we are not having to deal with the horrible cold weather many of you are dealing with.

Tomorrow is National Wear Red Day.

Wear RED, post RED, eat RED, drink RED.

Wear Red Day is a day to make an important promise to yourself—the promise to love your heart by doing everything you can to reduce your risk factors.

Tips for Heart Health

*Don't smoke, and if you do, quit. Women who smoke are two to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than non-smoking women. Smoking also boosts the risk of stroke and cancer.

*Aim for a healthy weight. It's important for a long, vigorous life. Overweight and obesity cause many preventable deaths.

*Get moving. Make a commitment to be more physically active. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.

*Eat for heart health. Choose a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, and moderate in total fat.

*Know your numbers. Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), and blood glucose. Work with your doctor to improve any numbers that are not normal.

Risk Factors for Heart Disease

*High blood pressure
*High blood cholesterol
*Diabetes
*Smoking
*Being overweight
*Being physically inactive
*Having a family history of early heart disease
*Age (55 or older for women)

Both Annie's post on Orbs from last week and Brenda's post with photos of Orbs from last summer reminded me of the photos I have taken with Orbs.

I used to think that Orbs were water spots or dirt on the lens of the camera. Wikipedia describes them as light reflections off normally sub-visible particles when using digital cameras. I have also read the theory that they might be ghosts or spirits or something else mystical in nature. I found this interesting website called What are Orbs which talks about some of these possibilities. After reading more about Orbs, it makes me wonder if they could be something more than just dust or light reflections.

I took this photo of the little church near Katia’s house in Coccaglio back in 2003. We stopped by this church on the way to the yearly festival event taking place nearby. When I returned home from Italy that summer, I almost dumped the photo thinking it was ruined. I saved it though since it was the only photo I had of the outside of this cute little church. I also thought about trying to clean up the photo in photoshop but never got around to it.

If you look carefully, you will see one Orb in this photo up above the light on the right and a few Orbs, which are more difficult to see on the floor.

There is just one Orb that I can find in this photo on the wooden bench on the right.

I don't think it could have been dust on the camera though because I took the second and third photos right after taking the photo of the outside of the church. If it was dust or spots on my lens, I would assume the Orbs would be in the same spots on all three photos. I am sure I did not clean my camera in between shots. I also took other outside photos that night without any Orbs in them.

Below is a video clip of a story I saw on the news the other night (Friday the 13th) about Ghost tours and Orbs. Check out the cool shirt!

It makes you wonder...

The death toll is now over 200, an estimated 1500 are injured, and 50,000 have been left homeless by the devastating earthquake that hit the Abruzzo area of Italy early Monday morning.

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) has established a special NIAF/Abruzzo Relief Fund to help the victims and their families who perished from the recent earthquake in the town of L’Aquila and other small towns in central Italy in the region of Abruzzo. Donations from the US are tax deductable.

This is an easy way to help those who have been affected by this devastating Abruzzo earthquake. It only takes a minute to do. My heart breaks for everyone in the region and for all who have lost family members or friends.

I need to take a break from blogging for a few days. My brother arrived with his family last night. They will be here for just one week. I am hoping the weather improves for them. Brrrrr!! Chilly & windy weather. I had to bust out my fleece today.

a presto...

What a great week! Family visiting, Sox/Yankees series, my new passport, and the tree that I have been cursing and that has been home to many birds who have all crapped on my car for years and years has finally been cut down.

Family visiting - I really enjoyed spending time with my brother, sister-in-law, and my niece & nephew. The last time I saw them, my niece was about 10 months and my nephew was two (I think). It was really nice getting to know my niece and nephew a little bit better.

Here they are on one of the rides at my school's Family Fun Fest Friday night:

Sox - As you can see, rooting for the Red Sox runs in our family. There was a big 3 game Sox/Yankees series last weekend, the first meeting of the two teams this year. Friday night, after buying food at the fair, we decided to eat in my classroom since all the tables outside were taken (a perk of working at the school). My brother has an iPhone and was checking the score on and off most of the night. When we went into my room, I turned on Gameday Audio (the radio broadcast of the game) on my computer.

The game was tied and they were in extra innings. If it was up to my brother and I, we would have stayed in my room until someone scored, but the kids, my sister, and my sister-in-law were ready to play more games and go on more rides. Just as I went over to turn off my computer, Kevin Youkilis hit a walk off home run and the Red Sox won. I started jumping up and down cheering. My nephew thought it was pretty funny, probably thought I was nuts, and was surprised at how much I love the Red Sox. I think I earned a few points with him that night :)

Finally getting around to writing about my frozen shoulder...

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition where the connective tissue that surrounds the shoulder joint becomes inflamed and stiff.

The Mayo Clinic's definition of frozen shoulder:

The bones, ligaments and tendons that make up your shoulder joint are encased in a capsule of connective tissue. Frozen shoulder occurs when this capsule thickens and tightens around the shoulder joint, restricting its movement.

The adhesions (or the sticky stuff) result in stiffness and chronic pain in your shoulder joint. Frozen shoulder also results in limited range of motion. Loss of range of motion makes it difficult to do simple tasks such as reaching for a parking ticket, blow drying your hair, putting on sunscreen, and even putting on/taking off a t-shirt. There is also a lot of pain involved.

There are three stages of the frozen shoulder:

1. The freezing stage
2. The frozen stage
3. The thawing stage

They say the thawing stage takes about two years. The thawing stage is the last stage after the shoulder has very restricted range of motion. I was not going to wait that long for it to resolve on its own and I don't think it will resolve completely without therapy.

Last June, I strained a muscle in my left arm when moving files from one file cabinet to another during the last week of school. I was also on this medicine for a few weeks that had a side effect of joint pain. By the time I left for Italy, my arm was hurting badly. Lifting luggage did not help, although I babied my arm as much as possible and tried to pull my luggage with my right arm only. I did carry a bag at times on my left shoulder though.

I really have no idea what caused my frozen shoulder, but by the time I returned from Italy, I was in a lot of pain. I noticed that my range of motion started to become restricted after returning from Italy. That caused more pain. Of course I was busy with the beginning of the year school stuff when I returned from my trip. I also figured it was probably just a pulled muscle that needed time to heal. I finally called to make an appointment with one of the best Orthopedic Specialists on the island in mid-August. The earliest appointment I could get with him was the first week of October. By this time my shoulder was approaching the frozen stage.

After having x-rays done to rule out other causes, he diagnosed my condition as frozen shoulder. He discussed two options with me. I could either start physical therapy right away, which would be very painful and might or might give me back full range of motion or I could have a manipulation procedure done under anesthesia and then start physical therapy. The manipulation procedure breaks up (or rips apart) the adhesions and scar tissue.

I decided on the sure thing and went with the manipulation procedure since I could end up having that done anyways if the physical therapy did not work by itself. I also wanted to get my range of motion back as soon as possible.

I have never heard of frozen shoulder before being diagnosed but have been amazed to find out how many other people have had this condition. Frozen shoulder seems to occur more often with women (70%) than men and frozen shoulder seems to affect mostly those 40 years old and older. You probably know at least one other person (besides me) who has had a frozen shoulder.

People who have experienced prolonged immobility of their shoulder are at higher risk of developing frozen shoulder. Also people with certain medical conditions such as diabetes, stroke, lung disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart disease, thyroid problems, Parkinson's disease are at a higher risk for frozen shoulder. Those with diabetes experience a much longer recovery time.

The most important thing I learned during this experience is to NOT baby your arm/shoulder if it is injured. Continue to stretch and use your arm as much as possible and see a doctor immediately so that you can be given exercises or start physical therapy before it begins to freeze.

But before I go, you are probably wondering why I brought this up right now. Well, unfortunately my arm started to bother me again last week. I am back in physical therapy. My range of motion has also begun to become restricted. Trying to sleep at night is the most difficult, especially since I usually sleep on that arm (which my therapist said not to do - easier said than done). At first I thought it was a frozen shoulder again, but my PT thinks it might be something different this time. Just what I need at this point in the year. At least this happened before leaving for Italy. I just hope I can get this resolved in the next few weeks.

I scheduled my shoulder manipulation procedure for the day before election day, which ended up working out great. I was so nervous about the election that it helped me not obsess on my shoulder manipulation procedure. My procedure was scheduled to take place at noon. I really don’t get that you can’t eat/drink anything after midnight no matter what time your procedure is scheduled... 6 am or 12 noon. Makes no sense. But since I am generally a rule follower, I made sure not to eat or drink anything after midnight.

After arriving at the hospital and filling out some paperwork, I was brought into the pre-op area. While the nurse gave me my cute little gown, paper booties, and cap to change into, she mentioned something about having a big needle inserted in my neck to numb my shoulder/arm. That was the first I heard about needles (besides of course the IV needle). I thought I was just going to get some mild anesthesia since there was no cutting involved and the entire procedure would only take 10-15 minutes. She immediately noticed the panicked look on my face. She told me that getting the block (the big needle) was up to me but she highly recommended it saying that it was much easier to do the manipulation this way. I think my reaction was mostly due to the fact that I was not prepared for any big needles.

While obsessing about the big needle, another nurse came in to take my blood pressure. It was extremely low. If I remember correctly now it was something like 65 or 70 over 50 with 50 being the number she was concerned about. My blood pressure is always low but never that low. I think my hunger and anxiety might have had something to do with it. She waited a few minutes and then took it a second time. It went up enough to be ok. Thank goodness. I really wanted to get this over with and did not want to have to come back another day to have it done.

The anesthesiologist came in with the big needle to give me the block, which would make my left arm and hand completely numb. He described what he would be doing and then stuck this big blunt needle slowly into my neck (into the front of my neck on the left side right by that little pocket by my collar bone) while a nurse slowly pumped liquid in though the needle. I started to feel a cold feeling move slowly down my arm. I think I remember needing to tell him when I felt it reach my fingers. He told me that pretty soon my arm would be numb. He put up the railing so that my arm would not fall off the bed and then hung a sign, which I think had something to do with my numb arm.

Now anyone who knows me knows that I am usually a big wimp when it comes to pain, but I am proud to report that the anesthesiologist told me that he was surprised at how well I did when he administered the block. He told me that when he administers the block to football players, they always handle it much worse than I did. That made me feel good.

Because my left arm was completely numb (very strange feeling) and my right arm was hooked up to the pulse ox thingy that they put on your finger, I could not reach the TV to change the channel on the TV to catch up on the election news. My bed was located right in front of "the board" where all the surgeries were listed, which meant everyone hung out in that area. I thought about using the call button or calling out to someone to ask them to change the channel for me, but they were all busy discussing how to make the schedule work since my doctor was running late and I felt pretty silly bothering them just to ask to have the channel changed. I tried to move the TV with my foot, but that didn't work either. Instead, I kept busy listening to everyone try to rework the board to accommodate my doctor who was running late. As long as my procedure was not pushed back further once he arrived (my procedure was scheduled first), I was ok. I did not want that block to wear off.

Finally, after enduring about 25 minutes of the medicare commercial and spending most of that time trying to move my arm and fingers with my mind (a very strange feeling to have your arm/hand/fingers completely numb), a nurse stopped in to give me an update on when I would be taken in. While she was there, I asked her if she could turn the channel for me.

I was much happier being able to watch the election coverage. Right before my doctor finally arrived, the breaking news that Barack Obama's grandmother passed away was announced. I fell completely apart. Tears came pouring out uncontrollably and then one minute later everyone arrived to take me away. I quickly got my act together and was whisked off. I didn’t want them all to think I was freaking out about the manipulation procedure.

As I was wheeled in to the operating room, my doctor started the manipulation procedure right away. I remember sitting part of the way up as my doctor raised my left arm slowly up towards the ceiling. I heard this cracking noise. Sort of a crack crack crack as he slowly lifted my arm (I imagine the noise was the scar tissue, adhesions, and sticky stuff breaking up). It was a very strange noise. Meanwhile the anesthesiologist was putting something in my IV and telling me that I should be feeling something very soon. As my doctor continued to move my arm in different directions, I distinctly remember telling the anesthesiologist that the anesthesia was not working and that was the last thing I remember.

Good news (I think)! My doctor says it is tendonitis or bursitis. Basically it means that there is inflammation around the rotator cuff tendons and shoulder joint. The good news is that my shoulder is not freezing up again and it is not a rotator cuff tear. He said a cortisone shot should help.

While the nurse prepared the needle, he went to see another patient. The nurse came in and left the tray with the BIG needle on the examining table right next to where I was sitting. I sat and stared at that needle for the next 5 minutes. Flashbacks of the needle and the lump on my lower eye lid raced through my mind.

I was a little nervous about getting this shot as I have heard that cortisone shots can hurt quite a bit. Staring at that needle for five minutes didn't help any. When my doctor returned, he told me that some people feel a little bit of pain in the shoulder area a day or two after getting a cortisone shot. Others don't notice it at all. Since I already have pain in my shoulder, I figured a little more pain for a few more days couldn't be that bad.

He sanitized the area with an alcohol pad and then sprayed some cold stuff on my shoulder. Just as he was about to give me the shot, he made a comment about how he heard that the pasta in Italy is great. I replied, "yep... the pasta, the pizza, the gelato, the espresso..." with a big smile on my face (thinking about all that wonderful food I will soon be enjoying). I really do think he was genuinely interested in Italy as he also commented that he has always wanted to go there but it very well could also have been a diversion tactic. It certainly worked. I hardly even felt the shot. In my book, he gets a score of a perfect 10 for administering shots.

The cortisone shot is supposed to reduce the inflammation and the pain should subside in the next few days. It's a good thing I asked if I should continue to ice my arm. I had no idea that icing it could interfere with the absorption of the medicine. I will finish my last two physical therapy sessions and then plan to religiously continue my shoulder and arm exercises.

I have an appointment to see him again the morning that I leave. I am very grateful that he was able to squeeze me in today. Hopefully my arm will have enough time to heal before my trip begins. Thanks again everyone for all of your support and previous comments about my shoulder. I am thinking positive thoughts that my shoulder will be as good as new by the time I leave for Italy - 3 weeks from today!!

I was devastated last night when the news of Senator Ted Kennedy’s death was announced. I knew he was very ill. I knew he did not have much time left, especially after he did not attend his sister’s funeral two weeks ago. Still, it was heartbreaking to hear that he passed away late last night.

Thank you Teddy for all that you have done for this country. You have dedicated your entire life to public service to improve the lives of others. You fought for the young, the old, the sick, the poor. You fought for those with disabilities. You fought for equal rights for all.

Thank you for your fight to provide health care for all. It is my hope as it was yours that very soon every American will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege.

My deepest sympathies go out to your family and friends. Rest in peace Teddy. Say hello to Jack, Bobby, and John...

O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and for the second year in a row, Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy and Michelle of Bleeding Espresso are hosting the O Foods Contest to raise awareness of this important health issue.

There are TWO WAYS to take part in the O Foods Contest:

ONE: Post a recipe to your blog using a food that starts or ends with the letter O (e.g., oatmeal, orange, okra, octopus, olive, onion, potato, tomato); include this entire text box in the post; and send your post url along with a photo (100 x 100) to ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com by 11:59 pm (Italy time) on Monday, September 28, 2009.

PRIZES for recipe posts:

* 1st: Signed copy of Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina DePalma, Executive Pastry Chef of Babbo Ristorante in NYC, who is currently battling ovarian cancer, inspired this event, and will be choosing her favorite recipe for this prize;

* 2nd: Signed copy of Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home by Mario Batali (winner chosen by Sara);

* 3rd: Signed copy of Vino Italiano: The Regional Italian Wines of Italy by Joseph Bastianich (winner chosen by Michelle).

OR

TWO: If you’re not into the recipe thing, simply post this entire text box in a post on your blog to help spread the word and send your post url to ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com by 11:59 pm (Italy time) on Monday, September 28, 2009.

Awareness posts PRIZE:

* One winner chosen at random will receive a Teal Toes tote bag filled with ovarian cancer awareness goodies that you can spread around amongst your friends and family.

———

From the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund:

* Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women; a woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 67.
* The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose, but include bloating, pelvic and/or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly; and urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency).
* There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer but there are tests which can detect ovarian cancer when patients are at high risk or have early symptoms.
* In spite of this, patients are usually diagnosed in advanced stages and only 45% survive longer than five years. Only 19% of cases are caught before the cancer has spread beyond the ovary to the pelvic region.
* When ovarian cancer is detected and treated early on, the five-year survival rate is greater than 92%.

And remember, you can also always donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at Sara & Michelle's page through FirstGiving!

Please help spread the word about ovarian cancer.
Together we can make enough noise to kill this silent killer.

———

I am very late with this post but there still is time to participate in the contest if you start cooking right now.

I started drinking coffee when I was 5 years old. I drank coffee off and on much of my life, never really giving the taste of coffee much thought until the summer of 1999 when I drank my first Italian cappuccino in Italy. I now consider myself a coffee snob. I no longer drink American coffee and am very picky about my espresso.

I have owned two espresso machines. The first was a Capresso I bought at Macy's. It never really made a great espresso but it was better than Starbucks. It lasted three years.

The second was a Gaggia. Sadly, my Gaggia espresso machine bit the dust in September. With perfect conditions, I was able to make a pretty good espresso, but I could not replicate it daily, partly because I did not have a good grinder. I would stop at the store and buy and grind small amounts of coffee every 2-4 days but that is not the same as grinding your coffee daily.

I loved making my espresso on the weekends. But it was getting more and more difficult to make my espresso and then get out the door on time during work days due to the traffic situation which was forcing me to leave my house earlier and earlier each month. Making a good espresso takes time in the morning, time that I often did not have when rushing around to get to work (I am NOT a morning person).

Because of my migraines, I need to keep my caffeine level the same daily or avoid caffeine all together. I am not able to drink an espresso. I do own a little moka but making coffee from a moka still takes a bit of time and it is just not the same as an espresso made from an espresso machine.

Last January, I made the difficult choice of giving up coffee until the traffic nightmare improved. I chose sleep over coffee and put my Gaggia machine into early retirement. My mistake was not descaling it at that time. The daily traffic problem finally ended in August when the extra lane was opened up. I dusted off my machine and attempted to get it running again. After a few weeks of trying to get it to work, I realized it was not meant to be.

I decided that if I was going to buy another espresso machine, I also wanted to invest in a good grinder. Decent grinders cost at least $200 and the espresso machines I had been looking at cost between $250 and $500, making this quite a big investment. I finally narrowed my choices down to two espresso machines and two grinders, all of which I would have to order from a mainland coffee shop. There are very limited options available for espresso machines and grinders in Hawaii.

In the end, I decided that the cost was just too much along the added hassle of having to deal with a mainland company if something went wrong. That was the main reason I did not pursue getting my Gaggia fixed. I was also concerned with the space needed for the two machines (I have a tiny kitchen with very little counter space) and the fact that making a good cup of espresso still takes time every morning. So again, I gave up the thought of drinking coffee.

Then a week before Christmas, I had the brilliant idea of checking out the Nespresso machines. George actually spurred me on when I saw one of his commercials on YouTube. Now if only George came with my machine...

The funny thing is that I briefly thought about the Nespresso machine a year ago after putting my Gaggia into retirement. At that time though I already owned a machine and thought it would be silly to buy a second machine. I also could not imagine that these machines would actually make a good espresso and questioned the freshness of the coffee in the capsules.

So, I started researching Nespresso machines. I was surprised to find so many positive reviews, both on the taste and the ease of making a cup.

I just wanted to post a quick update to let you know that my Nespresso machine was delivered at 2pm today at school. I stalked the office all day long, walking through every 15 to 20 minutes. I finally let the secretaries know what was up. At 2pm, one of the secretaries called me and said "brown" (meaning the brown UPS truck). That was all I she needed to say and I knew that my machine was being delivered! I quickly finished up my conversation with a fellow teacher and rushed over to the office.

Two of my friends were in the office when I rushed over to the box with a huge smile on my face. I joked to them about how cool it would be if George was in the big box. I opened up the box and took out my machine to show them. They laughed as I opened up the box to find another one inside. Inside the second box was the Nespresso box. Inside that box was two boxes; a box containing the machine and a box containing the Aeroccino Milk Frother. My friends laughed saying my excitement was just like Christmas morning opening gifts.

My Nespresso machine is now sitting on my counter at home.

I have my machine prepped for initial use and ready to go tomorrow morning. The machine comes with 16 different sample capsules. Now I just need to figure out which capsule to try first. Decisions, decisions :)

Update on the tsunami warning: Sirens rang at 6 am this morning to alert everyone about the tsunami warning after the 8.8 earthquake happened in Chile yesterday. Coastal evacuations are happening for all tsunami zone areas of Hawaii. I live not far from the beach, but fortunately far enough that I do not live in a tsunami evacuation zone. I am safe but do worry for all those living in tsunami evacuation zones. I hope everyone who does live in a tsunami evacuation zone will take this seriously and evacuate. My thoughts are also with everyone in Chile right now.

Sirens are blaring again. I guess they will be going off every hour. There are many closures on all islands. Tsunami waves are predicted to hit all coastal areas of Hawaii. Arrival time of the first waves is at 11:19 am. I am not sure if they are predicted to hit Hilo Bay first or all islands at the same time. I will update this post later on today with more news...

*More specific info on times: 11:05 a.m. Hilo, 11:20 a.m. Maui, 11:35 a.m. Oahu, 11:50 a.m. Kauai, 9-12 ft. surge estimates.

*Good link to follow tsunami info in Hawaii.

*Here's a second link (another local news station).

*Sirens just went off again (10:30 am). Very loud this time. They have been going off every hour. I guess now they will be going off every 30 minutes. We have been told not to flush. They are shutting down the waste water treatment sites. The fear if too many people flush, the waste will go onto the streets. Ewww!

*11:40 am. Nothing yet. They say they could be off by an hour with the predicted time waves could hit.

*12 noon - Definite receding of water in Hilo. Looked like a rushing river for a few minutes. Now waiting to see how big the surge will be. The second link above is showing the water in Hilo.

*1:45 pm. The tsunami warning in Hawaii has officially been canceled. We have fortunately been spared any damage. Hope the same goes for all other places with warnings waiting for waves to hit.

Thanks everyone for your concern. I am going to move my PhotoHunt post up above this post now that the warning has been canceled. Have a great Saturday!

Been dealing with some shoulder pain for over a year now. Yesterday I went back to my doctor again. He noticed that the muscle behind my left shoulder looks like it has atrophied. Since I am on vacation for the next two months, he suggested that I attend this special orthopedic rehabilitation training program. He told me that this program uses cutting edge training techniques that include the use of an ARP (Accelerated Recovery Performance) trainer, a type of electrical stimulation device, although it really isn't regular electrical stimulation. I figured why not. Anything to make the pain go away.

I attended my first session today. At this very moment, I am in so much pain that even my fingernails hurt! I was warned yesterday when I went to fill out a bunch of paperwork and sign up for the program that this was a very intense type of therapy. I figured it couldn't be any tougher than that first day of therapy after having my shoulder manipulation procedure done. Was I wrong!

When I arrived, I was asked a few questions, the trainer looked at the little dent in my arm and then he checked out my range of motion and brought over the arp machine. I told him that I have had electrical stimulation during acupuncture sessions in the past. He smiled.

He hooked up the two pads to wires and then put one of the sticky pads on my upper back right behind my shoulder and the other pad along the side of my arm right below my shoulder (where the dent is). He turned on the machine and told me to tell him when it started to feel intense. For a second it tingled and then WHOA it was very intense. He told me to raise my arm a few times. This would help my arm get used to the electrical stimulation. He said that the electrical stimulation was at level 2. He asked me if I thought I could take a little bit more. The machine goes up to 10. I told him to go for it. He moved the dial again. When it felt intense, I told him to stop. I asked him what number it was on. He said 2 1/2! I thought for sure he must have moved it to at least 4 or 5. To make me feel better, he did say that not many people tolerate it all the way up to 10 when the pads are on shoulders.

He walked over to get one of the colored weighted exercise balls. I recognized them from physical therapy. I hate those balls! He was carrying a green ball, which was 2 pounds. I was hoping for the yellow 1 pound ball. He demonstrated the first exercise for me. Three minutes was the goal for this first exercise. I don't think I even made 20 seconds before I had to stop and rest.

By the end of the first exercise (I didn't even get to my other arm yet), sweat was pouring down my forehead. The session had just begun and my arm already felt like I had done a three-hour work out. I ended up doing only 5 exercises total in one hour. The first three exercises were 3 minutes per arm and the last two were 2 minutes per arm. He did finally go get that yellow ball for my left arm but continued to have my use the green ball for my right arm.

The trainer was very kind and patient throughout my session. He joked at one point asking if I would be returning for my second session. He also warned me that tomorrow I may be a little sore. I think he was being optimistic. I could barely lift my purse out of my locker when I was done. My arms were shaking. I told him that I felt like my arms just ran a marathon. For the past six hours, I have barely moved off of my couch.

My next session is Saturday. This certainly is turning out to be a very different summer than my usual trip to Italy. Wish me luck.

*Update: I am happy to report that I survived my second session. I now feel like I ran 1/2 a marathon instead of a full marathon. Just to clarify, it is not a shooting type of pain, just really really sore from working out really hard. I am thinking very positively that eventually I will be in shape and my shoulder will be healed. I appreciate everyone's kind words and support. Thanks!

I really can't figure it out, but somehow, June is just about over.

My workouts have kept me busy. I have finally adjusted to my shoulder workouts, although there are still days and exercises that are extremely challenging. Even though I have developed muscles in my arms, and this time, muscles that you can even see, my left arm is still pretty weak and not pain free yet. I am thinking about adding more days each week to my workout for the month of July.

I have also been enjoying watching the Red Sox this summer. They started out in first (for a day), lost a bunch of games, and then everyone wrote them off. As a Sox fan, I have learned to never give up on the Sox! They have fought their way back and as of today, they are just one game out of of first place! This really is an amazing feat, especially with all of the injuries this year, and when I say injuries, I am talking someone at just about every position being hurt. It has been unbelievable! There have been broken ribs, a broken foot, a broken thumb, hamstring pulls, as well as a variety of other injuries. Meanwhile, the new players brought up to take the place of the injured players have been pulling their weight and the Sox miraculously keep on winning! GO SOX!!!!

My photography started last week. This class is more of a creative class rather than a class on settings and how to shoot manual. For our first class, we talked about some of the elements that make a good composition. We need to choose a genre for our photos and once we choose our genre, we cannot change it. Even though I have had months to think about which genre to choose (we were told this during the last day of the previous class I took), I still could not decide. I took a ton of photos the past few days while still thinking about a few genre possibilities (beach, flowers, plants, lines, architecture). For our first assignment, we need to turn in just one photograph. I was up until 1 am Monday night trying to finally make a decision on my genre and then trying to decide on which photo out of the hundreds I took to turn. On Wednesday, when the photo is shown in class, we will need to defend it while everyone else critiques the photo. Talk about stress!

So, here is the photo I turned in. I decided on lines.

Happy last day of June!! I will try to catch up with everyone real soon.

*Update July 1st: Unbelievable! Since I wrote this post, two more Red Sox players have gone on the DL (disabled list). Another broken foot and a pitcher with a right forearm strain. We are out of catchers. There have been five total in just the past week! The blogs are going crazy with catchy titles and posts about the various injuries. No one can believe the bad luck. ESPN has been referring to it as the Sox injury bug, and that was before the latest two injuries occurred.

As far as my class went, I really enjoyed the variety of themes chosen by the different people in the class. I think I am going to learn a lot from everyone. I feel a little more relaxed now that I got my first photo out of the way. I received some nice critiques on my photo and my teacher said that my theme (lines in nature - had to make it a bit more specific) sounded like an interesting theme. Oh, and can you see a letter in my leaf photo? I didn't notice it until my teacher pointed it out.

Good morning!! My poor blog has been without a new post in over two months now. I thought it was about time to start it up again. The difficulty starting up again is trying to figure out just what to post. After thinking about this for a couple of days, I decided to go with a few close ups (some cropped) of a few flower photos I took this summer. Nothing special, just something cheery and colorful.

If your are interested in reading the highlights of my life the past couple of months, click on Continue reading "good morning world!" » below...

My heart breaks for the people of Japan. The news just keeps getting worse and worse. There are many ways to help. Here are three. Just click on one of the images below and open up your heart. It's easy...

So what have I been doing this past year? Reading! I have been on a journey.

Here is the list:

~ Aleph – Paul Coelho

~ The Shack – William P Young

~ The Alchemist – Paul Coelho

~ The Zahir – Paul Coelho

~ Eleven Minutes – Paul Coelho

~ Quiet Your Mind – John Selby

~ The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle

~ A New Earth – Eckhart Tolle

~ You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment – Thich Nhat

~ The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living – Dalai Lama

~ The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation – Thich Nhat Hanh

~ The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself – Michael Singer

~ Turning the Mind Into an Ally – Sakyong Mipham (the one book I started and then stopped BUT still plan on finishing)

~ A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course In Miracles” – Marianne Williamson

~ The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money, and Miracles – Marianne Williamson

and I am currently reading:

~ A Course In Miracles – Foundation for Inner Peace