Hawaii: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9
I sneaked up on the wine and was surprised at it!
At five in the morning, Bubbles (Mary’s new nickname) was getting ready to leave for school. I opened my right eye, and it snapped shut, making a sound like a door slamming. I got up, at least halfway, and said, “Aloha Aloha,” like a gentleman. I made my way to the table, opened the laptop, and started the Daily Diary, but it was difficult as my eyes had yet to begin focusing.
Mary grabbed her tote bag and daily program and stopped by for a quick smooch. She was off and running. With all newly found education, she might be difficult to live with. I might have to go back to school!
On her way to school!
She arrived just in time to greet the instructor.
By 8:30 am, I was finally moving and made it to the buffet before it closed. The birdies were awaiting my arrival, but I disappointed them by not leaving a scrap of food when I departed.
The birdies are perched for an attack on any table left unattended and having a single morsel of sustenance on it.
The omelet chef recognized me, and we talked for a few minutes. I asked him to prepare his favorite, and he did. OMG, I think it was called “the kitchen sink”!
It was chocked full of goodies.
The birdies got brave and came quite close as if to be surveying their potential meal. One good “shush” sent them scurrying into the atmosphere for a flight around the room and eventually returning to the same spot.
Did You Know? The common myna, or Indian myna, sometimes spelled mynah, is a bird in the family Sturnidae, native to Asia. The common myna has adapted remarkably well to urban environments, an omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct.
The calls include croaks, squawks, chirps, clicks, whistles, and ‘growls’; the bird often fluffs its feathers and bobs its head in singing. The common myna screeches warnings to its mate or other birds in cases of predators in proximity or when it is about to take off flying.
After lunch, I walked around the facility and returned to the room, awaiting a call from the boss. Mary called and had a break, so I wandered down to her location via a newly discovered secret staircase.
My discovery saved me walking back to the lobby and then down to the convention center. However, I did have to dress up as a groundskeeper, dodge the security personnel, and crawl on my hands and knees past the employees-only sign.
The secret passage also involved crossing treacherous bridged spanning incredible gorges thousands of feet deep; maybe I exaggerate.
It was 1:00 pm, and Mary called and said she was coming to the room. I put a fish in my mouth and waited with baited breath! When she arrived, she knew something was fishy!
She decided to attend the late afternoon session scheduled from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. Therefore, I canceled our reservations at the Country Club.
After getting some rest, we headed towards the conference center, and on our way, we saw a mermaid collecting money for the poor. In this context, the definition of ‘poor’ was anyone who had paid for their room at that luxurious establishment.”
“Alms for the poor!”
We needed a drink and finally found a bar/restaurant adjacent to the adult pool. How nice, a pool without screaming kids and sand flying everywhere. There are no pool toys to step over, and kids zipping by at 45 miles per hour chasing each other.
We had a glass of wine so Mary could get through this next session. Mary did a small salad as a pre-dinner appetizer, and I ordered the local oysters, thinking of Vicky the whole time. The presentation was terrific. The oysters were tiny but tasty.
A bit of tobacco, and it was delicious.
She was now ready for the next session; her tummy was full, and her nervous system slowed down. Bring on the avalanche of knowledge, which shall be recorded in the notebook of new knowledge!
She thought the snack before school was a great idea.
We made reservations for 5:00 pm at the same restaurant. I went first, and Mary would be along shortly thereafter. Mary went to class as we departed the restaurant, and I returned to the room.
Hearing a loud noise on the secret path, I turned around to see dolphins leaping into the air in the alligator-filled wading pool; how did they get into that pool anyway?
Mary told me once, “I only wear glasses when playing tennis. After all, it is a non-contact sport.”
Splish-Splash, they are taking a bath!
At 4:45 pm another walk was required to hold our reservation at Olivine. I arrived just in time to be checked in, find a table, and order a boggle of wine. When Mary showed up a few minutes later, she had two folks with her! Oops, I had to rethink our table arrangements.
Olivine, the restaurant’s name, is named after the green mineral that produces the gemstone known as the “Hawaiian diamond,” which is formed by the steady flow of lava and can be found widely in Maui.
The sun was going down, and there were outdoor meetings underway!
The Maitre D’ understood my dilemma when Mary showed up with two guests! We were placed at a table for four with a perfect view of the sunset. I love it when a plan works out.
I did a loud rendition of “Aloha Oye” when the sun began to set, but the manager came over and asked Mary to control me. Silly man, that was an impossible request. I whispered the rest of the tune.
We had the best seat in the house.
The menu was quite interesting, and to get out of a rut, Mary ordered a “whole fish” instead of her standard steak! OMG, this thing was huge, and it looked angry, ready to jump off the plate and attack whoever ordered it to be broiled!
We had no idea what to do with it, so the kind waiter brought the necessary tools to fillet the fish. Machete, skill saw, power drill, and some interesting chisels.
Inside the fish, once opened, the meat was terrific looking. It was a buttery white color with very few bones. It provided enough for all four of us.
We told him about our brilliant dog, Scout!
Mary has known Susie since 1975, so it was time to revisit. Sally and Paul just got married about six years ago and moved their practice to Roswell, New Mexico, and they love it there. Both are Ophthalmologists and pretty much the only ones around that part of New Mexico.
Susie ordered a pasta dish but found out too late; it had pork in it, and she declined it. Ta Dah! Paul to the rescue!
I stepped up, taking one for the team, and offered to trade her pasta/pork dish for my fish fish. A deal was struck! Besides, I love spicy pork dishes and let Susie have my portion of the beautiful creature.
Igor, the fish, made a nice meal for the four of us.
The lighting for the photo was not great. Paul and Sally enjoyed the meal, and the four of us laughed all night long. They are both actively doing eye surgeries and working on their massive farm in New Mexico; we will have to visit them.
I asked Paul about his funniest experience, and he said that a patient came in and said, “Doctor doctor, every time I drink a cup of hot chocolate, I get a sharp, stabbing pain in the eye.” To which Paul responded,” Try taking the spoon out first.”
It was wonderful to reconnect after many years.
See you tomorrow!
After dinner, we returned to our room, which was a treacherous path through the dark, around the underbrush, bridges, and fountains. We made it.
Mary wanted to watch TV, so I turned it on; she lasted four and one-half minutes until her eyes closed, and the Sandman visited. Getting smart must be strenuous work!
We had a good day!
That frog/wine photo should be entered in a national photo contest. I like!