Sunday Afternoon 8/13/2017

It’s been a nice week here at Casa Aloha, in spite of the weather. It has been hot, hot, hot and HUMID. I had my teeth cleaned this past week, and the hygienist, who has lived on Kaua’i for nearly 40 years, said she too is afraid that next month we’re going to get a repeat of what we experienced three years ago, where the humidity settled in and the trade winds stopped. She said it’s the first year she’s finally thought about getting an air conditioner. It does feel a bit like the whole island is holding its breath, and willing the trades to continue. One reason it’s been so hot for us is that our house really is not situated well to catch the breezes. We’re blocked on two sides by a hill and the windows are on the wrong sides of the house, so unless the breezes are quite strong they don’t flow through like they might otherwise. We are so thankful though for the lanai, where we can escape when it gets uncomfortably warm inside.

Although I whine about the weather all the time, one upside this year is that it’s greatly tamped down my appetite. I’m having no trouble at all keeping my intake between 1000 – 1200 calories per day. And, I’m eating a LOT more fruit and vegetables these days, another good thing.

WenYu told us this week she has a boyfriend! We learned about him when she revealed he would be picking her up from the airport when she goes back to Massachusetts at the end of the month. I asked her why she had never mentioned him before, and apparently somewhere along the way she had gotten an idea that we wanted her to “live like a nun” while she was at college. LOL! Nope – our only “rules” for our kids when they are at college are 1) don’t get pregnant (or get someone pregnant); and 2) graduate. Otherwise, they’re adults, they’re paying their own way, and we have to let them make their own decisions and live with them. We have no expectations that this is the romance of the century or anything, but for now she’s happy and that’s enough for us.

YaYu’s first week of school went well and she’s already settled in. Her first day of school was bittersweet for us – it was her last “first day,” but the last one for Brett and I as well. We’ve had “first days” with the girls for the past 17 years, and I can close my eyes and remember what each of them was wearing for their first day of kindergarten! Where did the time go, and how did it go so fast?

Today I am:

• Reading: I just started Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin. It’s the first of the John Rebus series, and I’ve decided to read them all again. Of all the mysteries/procedurals I’ve read over the years, Rebus remains my favorite detective. I also love that Rankin puts the city of Edinburgh on equal footing with any of the main characters.
• Listening to: Nothing right now – it’s very quiet. The girls are back in their room, and Brett is out on his daily walk/hike. There are a few birds singing outside, and the breeze is blowing through the trees, but otherwise it’s very still. I’m going to start the washing machine in a few minutes, but for now the peace and quiet is lovely.
• Watching: We’re into Season 3 now of American Crime, which is the last. It’s been a provocative show, and the character development superb. There’s a new season of Hinterland available so we’ll watch that next, and then we plan to dip our toes into Game of Thrones. I will finish up all the available episodes of Lewis this week, so am going to have to find something new to watch at night. Because of that show I am now more determined than ever to visit Oxford (also known as the Murder Capital of the Western World).
• Cooking/baking: Because of the girls’ crazy schedules this week, we had our scrambled eggs and bacon dinner on Friday, and tonight we’re having cheeseburgers along with some fried okra. Their schedule also got in the way of the barbecue pulled pork, so we’ll be having it tomorrow. I may try and bake an orange cake today now that the oven is working again.
• Happy I accomplished last week: I got through my semi-annual dental exam with no cavities or problems. I greatly dislike going to the dentist (previous trauma) even though I like the hygienists, staff and doctor here, I’m always glad when that’s over for at least another six months. In spite of the heat and humidity I still was able to get in my daily bike ride, and I drank my daily water allotment and studied my language every day for at least 10 minutes. I also made my first goal with Swagbucks every day this past week, the key to earning bonus points at the end of each month.
• Looking forward to next week: It’s big shop week again – an event I both look forward to and dread – Brett and I will be doing that on Thursday and Friday. This month there’s a lot less on our list than last month, so hopefully we’ll see some savings.
• Thinking of good things that happened: After Thursday’s post about my shabby, too-big pants, I tried on the smaller sized ones again and three more pairs now fit! So, the shabby pants are being set aside. I loved finding out about WenYu’s boyfriend – I’m really, really happy for her. The oven repairs were finished on Friday so we can bake once again, although that will be limited for a while because of the heat.
• Grateful for: Both Brett and I saw the dentist this week, and I’m so grateful we have dental insurance that keeps our care affordable, especially since Brett is getting a new crown and some other issues taken care of. Dental health is an important component of all-over health, and we’re lucky to be able to get affordable (but not free) insurance through the military healthcare system. The girls also remain covered as long as they’re in college.
• Bonus question: Have you ever broken any bones or had surgery? OMG, yes. I was the kid in our family that was always getting messed up and having to go to the emergency room. I can’t remember how many stitches I had by the time I went to high school, but it was a LOT. I’ve actually only broken bones twice though, and both times involved stairs. I fell down once and broke a toe (very painful), and in 1999 I tripped over the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs and shattered my kneecap into five pieces. I am very, very grateful today that I can walk and don’t need a knee repair, but there are still things I cannot do (like run), and going down stairs or hills will always be difficult – it’s the main reason I don’t hike with Brett these days. I also fell down the stairs once and tore the ligaments in my ankle – the doctor told me my ankle would have healed faster if I’d broken it, but I’m glad I didn’t. As for surgeries, I’ve had six, beginning with having my tonsils removed at age three, and I’ve also had an appendectomy (16), a hysterectomy (28), and my knee repaired in 1999. My last surgeries were in 2013, when I had both feet operated on to remove bunions. I sincerely hope those were the last I ever have to have!

That’s a wrap for this week at Casa Aloha. How was your week? How’s the weather where you are? What good things happened for you?

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