There Goes Pele! (See and Remember)

She's at it again. For the first time since 1982, Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawai`i has begun erupting. People are flocking to see, as lava drifts toward residential neighborhoods in the Puna District.

Hotel Honolulu Cantina Moon

Read

I just started reading Paul Theroux's Hotel Honolulu, a 424-page novel about a blocked writer trying to lead a normal life as the manager of a run-down Waikiki hotel. It is one of those rare treats in literature; the very first paragraph is magic. It pulled me in immediately and I have marveled at the writing every since. It's quick, smart, clever-but-not-too-clever and accurately depicts the Hawai`i they don't write about in guide books or resort brochures.

I am pasting in the first paragraph because I think it is so brilliant:

"Nothing to me is so erotic as a hotel room, and therefore so penetrated with life and death. Buddy Hamstra offered me a hotel job in Honolulu and laughed at my accepting it so quickly. I had been trying to begin a new life, as people do when they flee to distant places. Hawaii was paradise with heavy traffic. I met Sweetie in the hotel, where she was also working. One day when we were alone on the fourth floor I asked "Do you want to make love?" and she said "Part of me does." Why smile? At least we did it, then often, and always in the same vacant guest room, 409. Sweetie got pregnant, our daughter was born. So, within a year of arriving, I had my new life, and as the writer said after the crack-up, I found new things to care about. I was resident manager of the Hotel Honolulu, eighty rooms nibbled by rats."

That is craftsmanship. I have mostly been reading non-fiction and how-to lately so I am elated that the novel I picked to shake things up is such a good one so far. It kind of makes me want to write fiction again, though I'm so rusty after focusing on scriptwriting for all those years.



Drink

Last night after work I headed over to the old neighborhood to meet up with our friend Sarah, who was visiting from Bellingham. She recently moved up there to go back to school for graphic design. She had us all meet up at the new and improved Cha Cha Lounge. The lounge is now underneath the restaurant portion, Bimbo's Cantina and does not open until 5pm so we hung out up there for a little bit. The service was fast and friendly and the Bartender's Margaritas made very well (maybe too well...easy to drink those suckers!). The downstairs is like a whole other world. While the old Cha Cha was compact, cramped with low ceilings and not a lot of open space, the new Cha Cha is palatial in comparison: high ceilings, plenty of seating, very open floor plan. The decor is still kitsch, but with an upscale twist. And yes, still very red.



See

Did you see the moon last night? Dan took this picture as we headed to our car in Columbia City after another reliably tasty meal at El Sombrero.

Beacon Hill Groper (Worry)

There is a man in our neighborhood who has become quite prolific in groping Asian women, mostly at bus stops. His most recent attack happened close to the main drag of Beacon Hill, on 14th Avenue South. He seems to be getting bolder, as his assaults are happening during broad daylight.

How can this man still be on the loose?!? Authorities are starting to consider that this might be the work of more than one person, too.

If anyone has information on the case, detectives say they should contact the sexual assault unit directly. The number is 206-684-5575.

Shamrock Caesar (Remember)

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Here is our beloved feline, Caesar.



I love dressing him up, but it doesn't make him so happy. I used to have a Santa necklace thing with bells that I would make him wear around Christmas. Despite his grumpiness, he is a surprisingly tolerant cat - and he loves to cuddle. He is 9.5 years old (or so) and just the best house cat a guy could want.

Mission Accomplished (Eat & Drink)

Saturday we did our taxes (mostly) and so we decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner. We've been wanting to check out West Seattle now that we are so close, and this was a perfect opportunity as we had no time schedule and a full tank of gas.

I did a google search of "West Seattle restaurtants" and this very helpful site came up. We decided on The Mission, based on our love of glam Tex-Mex and a good recommendation from my sister. Having glanced at the menu on-line, it seemed to fit in with some of our other favorite places with a creative bent on the standard burrito: The Matador, Cactus, Agua Verde, and Mexico.



The interior of The Mission is very sleek, with dim lighting and high ceilings. There is a bar with some high tables (where we were seated), some booths along two of the walls and then an upstairs open-balcony with more seating. The layout definitely felt clubby, almost like a swanky version of The Eagle (a really cleaned up version!).

They also have this cool display right outside the front door:



The service was incredibly fast and friendly, which helped to ameliorate the news that their kitchen was only serving a limited menu that evening. I decided on the tamale special (chicken and jack cheese) while Dan tried the sweet potato tacos. We both had their cadillac margarita (my favorite cocktail and done very well here).

Tacos


Tamales


Margarita


Me trying to master the wide screen feature on our new camera


The food was very tasty, prices fair and atmosphere hip without the attitude. I will undoubtedly be back, adding it to the growing list of inventive Tex Mex cuisine in Seattle (whoever said you couldn't find good Mexican in Seattle?!?).

Seventh of 2008

See

My fiance has a mastercard through CitiBank, which belongs to the Thank You Network. How it works is simple: each time you charge something with your credit card, you earn points. You also can earn points by booking travel through expedia, through certain car rental services, and through certain retail chains like The Gap.

Over the years we wracked up enough points to redeem a pretty snazzy camera. We went with this model, the Panasonic Lumix FZ8 DMC-FZ8. I've just played around with it a bit, but I am eager to learn how to master all its bells and whistles. It will be so wonderful to have such a high quality camera for our next trip to Hawai`i.



We had some points left over so we added on this digital underwater camera. Supposedly it doesn't take very good out-of-water photos, but for snorkeling (and in the bathtub maybe?) it seems to excel. Now I can capture all those bright yellow fish I see!



Yet, a third camera? Yes, indeed. Our simple and sleek Canon (insert exact model) deteriorated, finally forcing us to not even try to capture moments with it. It began to create horizontal lines that cut through the image. So long old friend. I do like the newer model better, and it will be nice to have a familiar camera that can easily be stuffed in my pocket along with the more complicated Panasonic for when we choose to be more artful in our photography.



Eat

Who is this fiance, you say? His name is Dan Garlington and he just started a new food blog, documenting each day what he cooks and eats with pictures and commentary. Check out What's Cookin' Good Lookin' for great recipes from a man who loves food (all kinds)!



This will also let you know what I'm eating, too, which begs the question of what direction this section should take. Hmmm...

Drink

Tuesday I took the day off, and met my friend Ruth for a late lunch of wine and cheese at bustling Cafe Presse at 12th and Madison. This was my second trip, the first being a dinner date with my fiance to redeem a gift card we had received.

I had just been to the doctor that morning (more on that soon) and was ready for some vino! I went with the server's suggestion for a crisp White, and it was exceptional. I wish I remembered the name; it started with a G. I had a cheese plate, while Ruth had the Croque Madame. At 2pm, the front area was almost at capacity so I slipped in the back to grab a table. It, too, was fairly occupied. It eventually cleared out, as we sipped our wine and chatted as the sun spilled through the high windows. It's a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

My lunch:


Me and my lunch:


Read

I finished up Access: Introduction to Travel & Tourism. It did not turn me away from wanting to pursue a career in that industry, but I do think there will be challenges with finding a way in that doesn't require a huge pay cut or dealing directly with the public. But I'm confident that in time, if it's still what I want, I will find a way! The information is presented very clearly, the chapters seem just the right length and the activities and questions make you reflect and flex your muscles. I can see why it's used often in a classroom setting.

Next, after catching up on the latest issue of Hana Hou, is this guide to wedding readings and vows, from "The Knot."



Picking readings for a wedding is challenging, as it turns out. It's easy to recollect all the books you've enjoyed, or that have had some riveting impact on your life. But finding specific passages that seem appropriate in length and theme for a wedding ceremony so far has been tricky. Maybe this will help!

Remember


An old friend of mine, a very talented actor and writer, has created a new blog called 40licious and it's all about being 40 in youth-obsessed Los Angeles. I can vouch for Vanessa having very keen insights and a natural ability to find humor in everyday life.

And speaking of blogging, this will be the last (for now) of the sorta-weekly newsletter-y format. I will now attempt to blog more regularly, as these things actually happen as I realize that is when blogging is at its most relevant. I will stick to the same headings, though, but they may not always be the in the same order.

So, we'll see how yet another direction goes with this here blog!

Worry


I passed my physical with flying colors! Hurray, and yes I'm a silly worry-wort.

The people on the Big Island, though, have something to worry about. There is a disturbing movement to genetically modify crops in the agriculture industry there (and in all of Hawai`i), including the culturally significant taro.

Leave their poi alone I say!