We’ve had a very wacky, difficult week of weather here on Kaua’i but we’re slowly edging back to our regular fall loveliness. There were huge thunderstorms and heavy, heavy rains last Tuesday and Wednesday, with severe flooding up on the north side of the island. As the storms pulled away though on Thursday they dragged in vog (volcanic smog) from the Big Island to the southern half of our island, so we got to deal with that for a couple of days as well until it blew away. On the plus side, the massive amounts of rain produced multiple gorgeous waterfalls which could be seen cascading down the sides of the mountains all around the island. The sight of all those waterfalls is spectacular!
Swim season kicks off this week for YaYu, with practices at the pool five afternoons a week. YaYu has a love/hate relationship with swimming – it’s an intense and exhausting sport, and yet she loves the exercise and how toned she is by the end of the season. Swimming has always been a bit of a challenge for her because of her hands, but her technique is beautiful and she is a joy to watch. She has become a much better and much speedier swimmer these past four years, and no one leaves the starting block faster than she does! Brett and I always park at the community pool anyway when we go for our walks, and her upcoming practice schedule will fit perfectly with ours.
This afternoon I am:
- Reading: I gave up on trying to finish Lilli deJong and the Rebus mystery before they had to go back, but just in time, Jared Yate Sexton’s The People Are Going To Rise Up Like Water: A Story of American Rage came off of hold. It’s very well written, and an interesting (and somewhat scary) read.
- Listening to: We had a bit of a rainy (off and on) morning, and it’s still cool and breezy day here – I’m enjoying the sound of the wind through the palm trees across the street, and in the trees up on the hill behind me. But, the washing machine is also doing its thing, so there’s that noise as well. Without that it would be quiet inside – Brett has his earplugs in and is studying Italian, and YaYu is back in her room studying something (most likely calculus).
- Watching: Brett and I finished Stranger Things (and thought the second season was better than the first), and then started watching Auntie Duohe, a Chinese soap opera that’s on Netflix. We are really enjoying it. Brett and I of course need subtitles to understand what’s going on, but YaYu’s been watching along with us and can understand everything they’re saying without them. However, beginning this evening, Brett and I are starting “Movie Week.” Amazon Prime has LOTS of favorite films that we can watch for free, ones that we haven’t seen for a while. We’re starting our little film festival tonight with The Big Chill. Legends of the Fall and A River Runs Through It are coming up next.
- Cooking: I baked a pan of brownies this morning for YaYu and Brett to enjoy this week. Brett is making Scotch eggs for dinner tonight, which we’ll have along with fruit (and toast for Y & B).
- Happy I accomplished this week: Brett and I didn’t get to walk either Tuesday or Wednesday because of all the rain, and missed last night too because YaYu had the car from dawn to dusk for multiple volunteer gigs, but we walked all the other days. I’m thinking that by the end of this month we’ll be ready to change directions on the beach path. The way we go now is flat, but the other way has several hills both coming and going, and I think I’ll be ready for them. J’ai étudié le français pendent dix minutes et j’ai bu huit verres d’eau tous les jours. I can read, write and understand (simple) sentences in French now, but still cannot speak it. It will come though.
- Looking forward to next week: The weather and YaYu’s schedule never cooperated for us to get to the beach last week, so we’ll try again this week. I have my rescheduled appointment with the dermatologist on Wednesday morning, and Brett and I are also planning to go down to Poipu on Thursday to pick up something for the girls’ Christmas stockings. We’ll go out for coffee while we’re there.
At the starting point for our evening walk on Friday – there are mountains off in the distance that could barely be seen because of the vog. - Thinking of good things that happened: In spite of the changing weather this week, cooler temperatures still prevailed and the humidity has been kept to a minimum. We often run into a couple walking their adorable French bulldog when we walk in the evenings, and on Friday we stopped to ask the dog’s name. It turned out the couple is retired, had moved to Kaua’i just a few months ago, and had bought a house right up the street from us (my favorite house on the street as it turned out)! We had a lovely chat, and Brett and I learned that the current housing market here is even crazier than we imagined. We’re looking forward to getting together soon.
- Grateful for: I am so thankful this week for my many wonderful readers. I enjoy writing immensely, but never thought in a million years when I started blogging that anyone would actually enjoy reading what I have to say and stick around. I’ve made some wonderful online friendships, and have had the very good fortune to meet several readers here on Kaua’i. I can’t ask for more than that!
There is NO freakin’ way you’d get me to eat, or even try, any of this . . . - Bonus Question: Do you consider yourself an adventurous eater? I think I was more willing in the past to try strange things, but these days . . . not so much. With the advent of so many travel shows, cooking shows, and shows about eating around the world, I’ve learned that there’s a whole lot of things out there I just won’t go near, let alone eat. Number one would be bugs or grubs, in any shape or form, or with any sauce or seasoning. It makes me queasy just to look at them, let alone watch other people eat them. Many claim though that they are tasty and very nutritious. Reptiles, especially snake or alligator, hold no appeal for me either, and I have to turn away or close my eyes when others eat or prepare them. I have eaten some things that others might consider strange: jellyfish, grilled baby birds, snails (escargot), almost all parts of a chicken (except the feet – can’t go there). Some I enjoyed and others I didn’t, but at least I tried them. On the whole though I would say no, I’m not very adventurous. I love lots of different flavors, different ways of preparation, and variety, but I guess there’s a place where I draw a line.
That’s all for this week from Casa Aloha. What good things happened for you this past week? What did you accomplish? Are you an adventurous eater? I hope everyone enjoyed a great week and is looking forward to the one that’s coming up.
The Occasional Nomads 
I haven’t binge watched Stranger Things yet. will do tomorrow. So glad to hear its good and even better. Not sure why my child is not into it (she hasn’t seen S1 yet).
Crazy weather for sure. Sharks… murky water…. ya, okay. I would stay away.
BTW, I have been meaning to tell you congrats on the URL and the Epic trip plans. My brain would be fried trying to figure out those logistics. Kudos to you!
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YaYu isn’t into Stranger Things either – she said she was probably the only one at her high school who hasn’t watched it.
We do get some very heavy rainstorms here, with flooding all over. This storm just happened to hang around for a couple of days makings things worse.
We’re looking forward to thing falling into place next year once we have a couple of dates nailed down (like the India Tour dates, and when YaYu has to be at school).
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I’m with you No bugs, crickets, spiders etc. I have a huge fear of spiders. Just had a 3 inch one in the house. Tried killing it with a fly swatter and missed and when I tried to get to it under some papers I almost had a heart attack when it it came out within an inch of my hand. I finally vanquished it. Whew!
I have never been an adventurous eater. I was extremely picky as a child and not much better as an adult. My mother who grew up very poor has eaten things like turtle, frogs legs, alligator etc. She said her Granny kept a turtle in the bathtub so there would always be something to eat. Glad I’ve never been in that position.
Is that amount of flooding common? It looks bad. Must be good for the taro plants.
What is “Rise up like water about”?
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My mom ate some strange things when she was young – they weren’t poor, but the depression was hard for them.
The book is about the rage a lot of Americans were feeling before the election, on both sides, and how ugly it got. It’s very interesting to read and understand, but scary too. I think we’re a very sick country right now and I’m not sure if the things that divide us can be healed anymore. Even if they can, it’s going to take a long, long time and a LOT of work.
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