Hawaii 2023 Day 4 & Beyond

Must remember to move the first post to this blog...  

Day 4: Disney A'ulani Resort 

The day started very early, with the unmistakable whoop whoop of a house alarm, at 3:30 we put on shoes, grabbed the car key, room keys to the other hotel, wallets and phones and headed outside for a quiet pool side star gaze. We were very much in the wrong location, but it was the closest "out" nearest our room and we weren't alone. After the fire trucks came, there was an announcement in the hotel that we could not hear, and Jessica called the front desk. We were given the all clear, so back to bed we went. It wasn't easy but we all managed to get another couple hours of rest. 

At a more reasonable hour, we joined our friends at the pool, and they had secured six lounge chairs in the shade. We spent a lovely day swimming in the pools, floating the lazy river and the LT's popped out to the lagoon for a dip in the ocean. In the afternoon we moved our luggage from our room to the K's room, and then to the cars. We hung out at the pool until we were done with Disney. The pools were great, the service fantastic, but the age group was very much younger. Lots and lots of babies and little kids. Our main hotel also has lots of families, but the demographic seems to be a bit older. 

Once back and settled in our primary hotel, I did the mom thing and used the washer dryer. It has been nice to wash as we go, not only so that we don't bring home a giant pile of heavy wet stuff, but to keep the favorite items in rotation. We dined at the "good" restaurant at the hotel. and I don't think any of us was too impressed.

Off to bed to get ready for our tourist day.

Day 5:  

The plan for day 5 was to visit the Pearl Harbor national Park.   The drive into Honolulu wasn’t too challenging, but parking was a bit of an event.   One thing to note about the park is hat bags are not permitted, so I paid $7.00 to stow my bag in an air conditioned hut.   The bag had almost nothing in it once I removed my credit card, phone and trusty hair tie.  Oh well…

Everyone should visit the Memorial at least once.  It was moving, interesting, and very well done.   I think both my dad and Jason’s dad were with us in  spirit as we experienced the sites.   We had tickets to the Arizona memorial, but paid extra to wander around the Submarine museum.   The feature attraction was the USS Bowfin Submarine, a decommissioned World War II submarine.  The USS Bowfin was a “silent service” vessel meaning that to be stealth the servicemen on board were required to be silent so as to not be detected.    It was commissioned one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor.   

There was a ramp from the park to the top of the submarine  and before I knew it we were ushered  to a set of stairs, nope a ladder that led into the submarine.   The self-guided tour was incredible, but also hot, sweaty, and spaces were TIGHT.   This was not a simulation, but we were moving through the sub from the aft to the stern through about 6 bulkhead doors, (not a hatch) of rather small nature.  Not at all ADA compliant.   Once we were in the sub, the only way out was to keep moving forward.   It is apparent that the navy submariners were not ever going to be in the NBA.  The cots, or bunks were at most 5 feet long., and the head was not made for comfort.   It’s impressive that these men lived like that.    The subs to today are much bigger, but probably still not like a fancy cruise ship.

Once topside, we took many photos and then purchased the photo of our family that was printed on the “newspaper” from 1941, the day after the attack.   Cheesy - yes, but nicely done and the proceeds returned to the museum.   Better money spent than a tacky water bottle in the shape of a large missile.  (Available for purchase at the USS Bowfin gift shop for $39.99.)

We wandered through a couple of the on site exhibitions that talked through the Second World War, the Cold War, and then the information about the attack on Oahu.  (It was much more than just Pearl Harbor.). Lucy and Sophie were noticeably disturbed by the actions of humans and were confused as to why anyone would sign up to participate in something that would most likely lead to their deaths.   Hard to explain …

Our time to go to the Arizona arrived and our group was lead into an auditorium where a very somber US Park ranger, Daniel made it clear that this was not an exposition, or an experience but a living cemetery where 1200 bodies were still entombed beneath the water.  We were instructed that we could take photos but no social media would be tolerated.  I can only imagine how they had to come to the point of being crystal clear that that activity was not appropriate.  

We were lead down to a pier where three active Naval service persons were on hand to get us onto the boat and tot he memorial.  Once across the harbor to the memorial the size of the Arizona became clear and the somber news of the location was palpable.   Most everyone was in their own quiet groups, some asking questions of the park ranger on hand, and others moving about the memorial.   At one end, there is a space that had the names of the servicemen who perished on the Arizona, and the names of the survivors who had chosen to be interred with their fellow servicemen.   It was “just a big white room” but you could really feel the importance of it.  Everyone was quiet and purposeful about taking in the names, but at one point a young boy about 6 or 7 noted the excellent acoustics and belted out a very loud chorus of “who let the dogs out?”, the mom, who obviously had never had to threaten the sweet prince before, shushed him, but he was a defiant little jerk and dropped an additional chorus in a slightly quieter, but equally less reverent manner.   I had to walk away… but from that moment on, any time there is a quiet moment in our group travels, I think a round of “who let the dogs out” will ring through the car. Maybe Lucy and Sophie will sing a round at my funeral someday.  

Back to the hotel for a refreshing dip in the pool and dinner in the room. All parties agreed that our hotel room dinner was better than the one from the night before.  

Day 6: The Dole Plantation

The K’s attended a sales pitch for their vacation club, so the LT’s had a quiet morning and a homemade breakfast. Something about the scrambled eggs made by a vacationing Jason that just hit the spot.  

We reconnected at noon to head to the Dole plantation for a tour and “dole Whip”.  Upon arrival the line for the train was one hour, so we opted not to park and just head over to the North Shore. We were in search of food trucks  and then off to Turtle Bay.

Oddly, we haven’t spent any cash on this trip and the $20 I threw in just in case it was needed meant that we were limited to food trucks that would take credit cards. Lucky for us, that is most (but not all). Our food truck lunch has probably been the best food we’ve had so far. This is likely owing to the fact that we’ve been eating at resorts.  My taco salad made me very happy and I know Jason and Lucy loved their burrito and pork tacos.

We then ventured north to Turtle Bay.  The traffics was slow, but it was an interesting ride.    On the way back I was on the Ocean side and spotted dolphins jumping in the water.  

After a short ride we arrived at the Turtle Bay Resort.  This is a beautiful property and a bit of a price jump from our location.  The lobby was open on all sides and the views were stunning. We made use of the restrooms, spent some money in the hotel general store, and then popped out to the beach.    It is our understanding that all beaches on the island are public. No one questioned our group as we marched through the fancy beach chairs to the beautiful lagoon. We hopped right in the water and played until we were watered out. 

The K’s popped back into the hotel to change and  buy some stuff at the Turtle Bay gift store while we sanded off at the car.  The drive back was longer than the trip out, but the sights were amazing.

Back at the hotel, the families split into their own pods and dined separately .  No drama just different agendas.   Lucy, who was shorted out of shave ice AND dole whip today decided to skip the Mud Pie at dinner.   We also opted to skip the pool tonight in favor of a good shower and quiet time in our room.

Tomorrow looks to be a beach day, which is perfect for our last day.

Hawaii 2023 - Journal

Travelers: Jason, Lucy (12) & me (aka "the LTs") Zack, Jessica & Sophie (11) (sometimes called "the K's") 

Reason for travel: summer vacation, and to celebrate Jessica's 50th birthday 

Location of trip: Oahu, Hawaii Day 1: travel day, Seattle to Honolulu 

Our 11:20 am flight left a bit late, but spirits were high with the three in our party. The flight was smooth, nothing exciting to report, but we did notice the two house cats, one dog and two babies on the flight who seem to call to one another from row 6 to row 20. "Are you still here?"..."Yes, I'm stuck back here, am unhappy. You?", "Heck yeah, I'm pissed." 

With the time zone change, we arrived 6 hours later at 3pm. My only complaint about the whole day is that the Honolulu airport has very little signage as to the location of the rental car wing. It wasn't until I was at the door to cross the street to the rental cars that I saw the first sign for the rental cars. With the key fob to the sexiest, no frills Dodge minivan we loaded up our luggage and headed off to the Marriott Ko' Alina to meet our friends. They were already at the pool, so we found our gear and plopped ourselves into the water to cool off, and begin the process of "un-pleugging" 

Small segue: On our Disney cruise last spring with the K's, the adults took part in a Mojito tasting. The gentleman who was leading the event had an interesting accent and told us that it was so great that we were all there to unplug. However, it sounded like "un-pleuge". Un-pleuge has become part of our friend lexicon. It is used in many ways, such as "my toilet is pleuged", "Did you un-pleuge the iron?", and of course "It it so wonderful to un-pleuge in this pool." 

We opted for a no frills dinner at the pool café, and Lucy said that the pork sandwich was the best she's ever had and hopes to eat it every day. (We're on day 4 now and we haven't been back, but there is still time.) Our room at the Ko' Alina is a "one bedroom villa" which means we have a king bed in a separate zone, a dining table for 6, and a pretty functional kitchen with zero storage, but a dishwasher and washer/dryer. Lucy, sadly has to sleep on the couch pull out, but she's not complaining and sleeping well. She is aware of the fact that these amazing vacations are in our budget, but sometimes the cost of an extra room, or the suite with multiple real beds is not. 

Day 2: Sunday We awoke at 3 am local time and did our fair best to go back to sleep. Later, but still early, we popped out to a grocery store to pick up beverages, and things that should not be purchased at Costco when you're only around for 7 days. At 10, when Costco finally opened the adults went to gather supplies. With a haul in hand, we unpacked our treasures and ate a hearty lunch in our villa. We estimate that each meal we eat here will save us at minimum $80 or more. We aren't on a room PB&J budget, but it's supper nice to be able to scramble eggs in the room. Costco has begun to test out fresh sushi in certain locations, and we were excited to see it in the store. The sushi makers are sort of caged in a mini-kitchen and are rolling Japanese treats for the masses. Zack picked up a platter of sashimi, and I grabbed the platter with the dragon roll and California rolls. Between the 6 of us, we made quick work of it. With all caution aside we skipped the 30 minute waiting requirement for swimming and popped down to the pool for the afternoon. As adults, we now know that the 30 minute waiting period was just a plot to let the adults un-pleuge for a tiny window between the effort to feed kids and the next activity. 

Dinner that night was at a place that Jason's colleague suggested "Monkey Pod". I had the boring fish and chips, which were fabulous. Sophie, who had reached the end of her energy ordered a noodle soup that the adults loved, but she was not impressed. It was unfortunate for her. She is an adventurous eater, but her food critic ratings see a dramatic decline when she is exhausted. 

Day 3: Monday Zack & Jason, the big breakfast fans took themselves on a man-date to the Four Seasons to try their breakfast buffet. One of the many great things about traveling with friends is that there's usually someone who wants to play your game. I don't mind going out for breakfast, but I'm more of a lunch person and for sure, I'm only going to eat one egg and never come close to justifying the cost of a $60 buffet. While the boys had fancy eggs (and probably a bloody mary or two) we packed up an overnight bag because we all were going on a sleep over to the Disney A'ulani resort (which is next door to our Marriott resort.) Jess used some vacation club points to get us each a small room for one night. This allowed us two full days on property to enjoy the pool and amenities. We didn't check out of the Marriott, so we only had to deal with stuff for one night. This was a bit more work that we thought, so I'm very glad we chose do to this activity early in the trip. People can write entire articles about the A'ulani experience, so I won't go into it too much but it was wonderful. The pools are nicely done, the lagoon is superb, pool food is probably the best we've ever had. Finding 6 deck chairs together was not easy, but we did it both days. The second day we were in the shade and it was delightful. Goofy stopped by while we were eating breakfast to let Jason know his food looked yummy, ran into Moana while we were in the lazy river and had to dodge a gaggle of tiny humans who were trying to get hugs from Pluto. It was cute. The room was more fancy than our Mariott villa, but far more compact. I could never live in a place that has shutters for doors between all the spaces, including the toilet. It's hard to un-pleuge when people can hear you. 

We planned to attend the Paradise Cove luau, that was next door to A'ulani that evening, so after a fun day in the water we cleaned up and headed over. It was a short walk and when the show was over I know we were back at A'ulani before some of the folks were out of the parking lot. The show was great, Sophie got pulled onto the stage by the fire eating guy and was a great sport about it. Jason and I privately noted that the Feast of LeLe in Maui was a much more elegant event but the K's seemed to have a great time, which is all that mattered. No need to go on an on about a different event. Back at A'ulani we settled in for a good night sleep. 

Day 4: Tuesday 3:30 a.m. the unmistakable whoop of the emergency alarm woke us up, and we were instructed to leave the building due to an emergency. We grabbed phones, the car key, and our wallets and headed to the nearest exit. Because we were on the ground floor, this meant we exited to the pool area and were met with 4-5 other families. we convinced ourselves that it was all nothing and that we should go back in to bed but decided to hold off once we heard the sirens. We do know that in certain situations the fire department must clear any alarms, so we didn't think the hotel was going to burn down, but it did make the event a bit more real. Once we got the all clear we headed back in and were able to go back to sleep. We were up at an later, but still early hour and were at the pool before breakfast. That's it for now, I'm on the lanai (Wed am) and am out of coffee and need to either put on sun screen or step inside. 

Spring break - Denver trip

Spring Tree

Lucy @ Freddy's 

 Lucy's spring break was a great time to zip off to Denver to take Susie to visit friends, attend a dinner to celebrate a beloved friend and get away for a few days.

I wouldn't say the trip was necessarily on par with an actual vacation.  We spent a lot of time in the car going to visit multiple people in all the corners of the Denver metro area.  We did enjoy lots of great dinners and had some nice visits with family and friends.

Lucy was a great sport and only had one minor "typical teen" moment and that was wholly due to being awakened at 4 am for an early morning flight.  We were all tired, but seemed to bounce back after a nap on the plane.

Thankfully, we were able to squeeze in a visit to Lucy's most favorite burger place EVER.  Freddy's Steakburger.  It is very good and no one was mad about the side trip. 

Our outbound travel was a bit "off".   The automated system at the airport off site car park that we had reserved simply would not recognize our code to let us in.  Getting an actual human to help was difficult and after she finally lumbered over she had the nerve to be irritated at us because our reservation was to start 3 hours earlier.   Um... so what?   We paid extra then... let us in.   She did and the lot was overfull and we ended up parking at the end of an row in an unofficial spot.    When we left yesterday, since we weren't checked in properly we had to get help to get out.   So much for easy pre-pay automation.  

Finally parked and at the airport we were just through security when the announcement that our flight was 3 1/2 hours delayed.  We were each given food vouchers and ultimately a $50 coupon for future travel.   The delay messed up our day one plans, but not too badly.    

Our VRBO house was cute, the perfect size for the three of us and served us well.   We were close to Susie's old neighborhood so we popped over to their favorite pizza place and brought home dinner.   The timing was perfect in that at the end of the month, this place will be closing forever.   

The next day we spent with cousin Beth and then "popped out" to her mother's place for a quick visit.   That took all day, but we did manage the side trip to Freddy's which Lucy and the rest of us enjoyed tremendously.  

We had planned to have dinner with Beth that night, but after the 6+ hour day activities we decided to skip it and have breakfast the next day.    Our afternoon plans fell through and we had a few hours on our own so we went to the mall.

We were able to connect with Jason's bestie Sean for a fun dinner and also a visit to former neighbors where Mrs. Hahn (Barbie) pulled out her clarinets and she and Lucy had a great chat about music.  

We finished our visit by attending a celebration of life dinner for Susie's bestie, Sally who passed away on January 2nd.  It was a lively dinner for ten and we did all the things.  Some tears, sweet stories and enjoyed the evening.  Sally would have approved.  

Our 6 am flight home was delayed until 7:30 which gave us extra time in the morning to not have to rush around like crazy.   We shared the flight with Seattle's All Female Football team and unfortunately for Jason he had two linebackers in his row and it was an unfortunately snug row for those three. 

Yesterday afternoon I started the post trip laundry while unexpected naps took place all over the house.  I napped on the plane and managed to stay up until 9pm.  I did take an afternoon bubble bath that was WONDERFUL!   There's nothing like your own home's amenities after being away.  

I've been on hold with Alaska airline's customer care department for (let me check) 1 hour, 23 minutes and 12..13..14 seconds because they charged me twice for the cheese trays and that's not ok.   I sent an email but the reply said it would be 2-3 WEEKS to get a reply.   Sheesh. 

I'm off to Orlando Florida next week for a work trip, hopefully it will be smoother travel than this trip and then our next major travel event is Hawaii in July.  We booked first class for that journey and I'm quite relieved about the luxury accommodations for that trip.  Jason will be happy not to be seated next to a footballer. 

The Seattle Majestics

These ladies are no joke!

How do I explain it?

I need help. Last night our sixth grade student came into our room at bedtime in tears.  "I hate America" was the shocking statement that was made.   We asked, why and what happened because not even an hour earlier this smart, goofy kid who takes tap dancing classes, loves volleyball and is on the honor roll at school was telling us silly jokes and practicing a moonwalk.   "I don't understand why we're scared at school, and that people hate me because I'm different."

After some digging it boiled down to just the two topics that are the most worrisome for us as parents in 2023.  Gun violence and an increasing amount of law makers across the country talking about the dangers of saying "gay", people in Drag, or books in schools that represent real life people. 

We can't do the easy and reassuring parent trick of saying "it will be ok, a shooting at your school will never happen to you" because we don't know that.  Gun violence has already touched our little family.  On a boring Saturday morning we stopped into a local mall to shop for spring clothes and there was an altercation that resulted in two people being shot.  The terror in not knowing what was happening and the need to get out of the area was awful.   We were separated and our third grader had to rely on strangers for comfort and help until we were reunited.  

It simply isn't believable to tell kids that there is no risk in going to school.  The drills they do for lockdown are more likely to be put into action than the earthquake drills we did, and the atomic bomb drills our parents did.   American kids live with a real worry that it will be their school next.

Ok, so training and preparation.  That "solves" the gun issue, but what about the other thing?  How do we explain that legislators are railing on about drag queens because it's an easy thing to vilify?   How do we explain that just because they don't feel comfortable being called a girl that they are talked about by adults in power as deviant, or suggest that they were groomed.   It feels like they are suggesting that if it hadn't been for external factors, that my kid would be 'normal.'  Oh my, was it the true story about two male penguins at the zoo who hatched an adopted egg?  It can't be, our doctor, the therapist we hired after the shooting, and even the clergy at our church have said our family as healthy, loving and frankly ordinary.   

So, I am asking for help.  How do we explain inaction on limiting access to guns that are so powerful that parents have to use DNA to identify their child, but at the same time that these same legislators will limit the use of pronouns because pronouns are are harmful?  How do we explain that the rights of American's to have guns is more important than the right for children to survive the day of school?   How do we explain that even though we have freedom of religion in America that those who believe in the Bible use it to make laws, based on their interpretation.  How do we explain that we as parents would do anything to keep them safe, but we can't stop bullets and we can't stop useless and hurtful laws.

This kid is smart and sees through the irony of inaction on something that will literally kill them and action on stuff like words that don't matter.   

How are we as parents supposed to explain it?   

The Arrival

An article on CNN.com was posted today that suggests doctors will be able to detect and assess the progression of Alzheimer's using eye tests.   In a study they were able to detect beta-amyloid, a key marker of Alzheimer’s disease in the participants. The hope is that they'll be able to create a test that will help them determine the onset of Alzheimer's before the cognitive symptoms arrive, which would give folks more time to take preventative measures and take or make medical interventions that will delay the devastating effects.

Of course I care about this from the standpoint of an empathetic human as advances in health care is great for everyone.  However, I find myself in a family that has a history with this disease.  Jason's grandmother passed from this when he was young, and his uncle Tom was diagnosed a little over ten years ago.  We are in a constant state of worry and watching over his mom.  She is aware of minor memory issues but cognitive tests don't indicate an active diagnosis is eminent.  

Tom passed away last week.   He had been in full time care for years, and he had stopped recognizing his family a long time ago.  His passing is sad, but also there's some relief in that he's free of his non-functioning body and his family can move on to a daily schedule that doesn't involve his care.   

Jason and Susie will be attending Tom's funeral.  We decided that we all didn't need to make the last minute trip to Kentucky.  Lucy is so very empathetic that she cried for Tom, whom she's never met.   This kid is so lovely.  We explained the complexity of someone passing who, unlike Papa took years and years to go but stopped being themselves a long time ago.   

I'm glad that Jason is going with his mom. I don't think we'd be comfortable with her traveling alone and this trip is one that Susie would have certainly made with John is fraught with some emotional land mines for her.  

This all hits home.  We know that we will be Susie's support system in the event that her forgetfulness turns into a legitimate diagnosis - we're here for it.  What frightens me is that Tom's daughter who is my age has also been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.   

The Alzheimer's association says that having this in the family is not a guarantee that all in that family will have it.  But, having a parent or a sibling that is diagnosed increased the likelihood of a diagnosis.  Susie has a third sibling and to our knowledge their family seems to be free of it.  Finger's crossed that remains true. 

It's not lost on me that this genetic connection is very close to my own household.  Is it coming for Jason?  Lucy?  Obviously, anything could hit us at anytime.  I am infinitely grateful for dodging the myriad of horrors that could have come for our small kid, but as a parent I worry about EVERYTHING. It's not a crippling fear, I don't need a counselor but the list of things that could be coming for us is long.  This one is just a bit more realistic.  

I really love these humans and want our golden luck to continue.   

February 2023

 I'm in San Jose for work for the first time in three years.   It's nice to be here, but also draining.  I had dinner last night with a colleague and was looking forward to puttering around the mini-mall next door to the hotel tonight, but it looks like I'll be grabbing dinner with my manager tonight.   It won't take forever so I should be able to get the downtime I'm hoping for. 

We have an all day meeting tomorrow and I'm hopeful it will be engaging.  More of the same Wednesday morning and then I'm on a plane at 2 to come home.   Why not stay for the whole day?  Well,  Wednesday is Lucy's 12th birthday, and I want to be home for dinner.  I've left presents for the morning - because everyone should wake up to pressies.  

This afternoon, Lucy has two friends coming over after school.  We aren't super jazzed about it but she organized it herself.   The friends are fine, but lately they haven't been talking to her at lunch so I'm not sure why this after school event came up.  I'm a bit worried that it's not what it seems on the upfront and that it won't be as fun for Lucy has hoped.   However, we cannot manage all the heartbreak and maybe we've read the situation wrong.  Still, if it walks like a duck...

Workwise, things are going well.  I was given a promotion this year and I'm happy about it, but am also feeling sheepish.  I know there are more folks who work a ton more and harder than I do.  However you can't turn something like this down.   I only bring it up here because the amount of "congratulations" emails is astonishing and one more just came in.  I had to move them all into a folder because the clutter was making my mailbox hard to navigate. 

Well, I guess it's time to stop hiding out and head back to the main room to finish my day.  I needed a moment alone, so I popped into a conference room.   Maybe I didn't sleep well last night, because I have the yawns right now.   Or, maybe I need to go for a walk. 

Happy 2023