It was actually kind of nice to be home for a weekend after three (for me) away. We took it easy on Saturday morning before stopping by Susie's estate sale to snoop around and then heading downtown to have lunch at Harry & Izzy's. YUM! Jackson's cousins Dede (from Portland, OR) and Will (from Ft. Myers, FL) were in town celebrating their dad's 80th birthday so we all got together for lunch.
Petefish.
I don't get many fancy lunches now that I don't work in public accounting or even an office (ha!) so I was pretty excited for our dining experience. It did not disappoint. The shrimp cocktail was amazing, as always. Everyone except for Jackson got their prime rib sandwich. He got a salad because he knew he'd get some of my sandwich. He's not dumb. :)
BEST shrimp cocktail on the planet!
Marty (Dede's husband), Dede and Jackson
Susan, Will, Donna, Bill and Marty again
We even split a brownie for dessert. It was amazing. Their ice cream on top was just beyond. I cannot recommend this place enough. They have an excellent lunch special, too!
DESSERT!
It was really nice to get to catch up with everyone. Will had just lived through his first hurricane so he had some fun stories from that.
Susie's estate sale had ended by the time we got back to Fishers so we stopped by her house to see what did not sell and just stroll down memory lane. She sold her house quickly and seems to have mixed emotions about it no longer being her home. Jackson got a little sad, too. She'll have an apartment in Fishers again this Spring. She will move back to Florida in mid-October. Until then, she is living in our guest room. This arrangement means a lot of walks for MacKenzie and more treats. I have yet to hear her complain about either.
Cozy.
We had a pretty low-key day today. We cleaned the house, cooked at home and just kind of got settled back in. That isn't always a bad thing. We've got another busy week ahead...
I am not the biggest Jen Hatmaker fan. She's an author, but she just is not my style. I am sure she is a lovely woman. She just writes like she is having a conversation and that is too informal for my taste when reading an actual book. That said, I am a really big fan of author Glennon Doyle. While I do not agree with all of Glennon's politics, she is SO WISE! She lives in Naples and I always wish that I'd just bump into her when we're down there so I could give her a big hug. Glennon is friends with Oprah. That should tell you all you need to know.
Jen interviewed Glennon on her podcast and it was SUCH A GREAT INTERVIEW. I've copied my favorite part of their interaction below, but the whole thing is worth a listen!
Glennon: The beauty of that is, that there is a way to live in which you keep watching the news and you actually believe the story that's being told; that we all hate each other and we’re all divided. That's not the story I live in. I don't live in it. Each day I see it. I understand you could buy into that, but I live in a world where people take care of strangers. People do that, not just like me. I mean I get all the credit for it, right? “Oh, look at me I'm so good I'm raising all this money.” The people who are giving this money are giving it in their own homes. No one will ever see it. No one will know. They're doing it because they’re good. The truest story is that we belong to each other and that small groups of people can literally change the world.So that's why I'm not jaded. That's why you're not jaded. That's why we can keep showing up, because there's two ways in which to live; and one is a story where it's dog eat dog and there’s a much more beautiful story to live inside of too, which is legacy and “together rising.”
Jen: That’s right. It's possible. It is possible. It matters who we are listening to; who we’re grabbing hands with, and where we spend our energy and our time. We can pick. We get to choose this. This is not happening to us. We are not victims of our own culture. I like what you're saying right now; that's the true story, the good story, it’s the right story--so pick it. Just choose it. It’s just that simple. We do have the capability to unhook ourself from the rage machine, and hook into something more beautiful. That’s my choice.
Glennon: Jen, I mean my kids and I--nobody in my family has had social media on our phones. We don't have the internet or social media on our phones for the last like two or three months. So anytime you see anything that I'm posting, it's something that I have written on a word document, and sent to my team, and they post it.
Jen: That sounds amazing. Does that feel good?
Glennon: I cannot even tell you. We are people who believe that the world was spoken into existence, right? Words that we take in and that we say create the worlds that we then step into. We pick up these phones like we are cutters, cutting. We know they're going to cause anxiety, we know it's all information and no wisdom. We know. We know it's divisive. We know. But we pick it up and that becomes our reality. Why is everybody so angry? Because everybody is staring into anger machines all day.
Jen: You are like slicing me open right now. I’m going to stop talking.
Glennon: We use the excuse of, “oh, we have to stay informed.” You're not staying informed, you're staying entertained.
Jen: That's great.
Glennon: You pick up a frickin’ newspaper. Read a book. You can be informed each day in three minutes. You do not need 13 hours--you are not getting your work done. It becomes this impotent, temper tantrum rage that is not creative.
Jen: That's good. You're right.
Glennon: There's work to be done. It's like serious times and we need wise serious people. And the wise serious people are not staring at their phones all day.
Jen: That's good. I am ingesting what you're saying like a girl drinking water who's never had a sip. It’s true. This year has been so contentious, and so enraged, and so bonkers, but if that's the message that I'm taking in on the daily--and not just on the daily, all day on the daily—it makes us into angry, scared people.
Glennon: What people say, Jen, “oh, well that’s just burying your head in the sand if you don't stare at it all day.” No, no, no, no. I am not saying I am a privileged person, so I don't have to know what's going on. I'm saying, I'm a privileged person and I'm a leader, so I need to be using my time wisely. I need to be actually creating projects and creating a plan for us to lead better. I need to use my privilege wisely. Staring--it's an easy button. It's giving me an excuse not to do my work. But what's away from the phones is the stillness, and we don't want to be there.
Jen: Thank you for saying that and making me feel incredibly convicted. I appreciate that.
I got word when I was in Maui that Jocelin Porterfield had lost her first tooth. I knew that I had a card ready for the occasion (I bought in bulk when Jax lost his first tooth) so I grabbed her a fun Hawaiian t-shirt to add to her gift bag. Heidi told me that she wanted "pink gum" so I bought her 5 different kinds and delivered them Tuesday evening after getting home from my flights. She LOVED her little card and all of the gum. She said she would not be sharing it. I think she might give Jax just a little. Maybe.
MISSING A TOOTH!
She LOVED her card with a monkey missing a tooth!
In her own words...
Jossi shared some of her gum with "Grammy" so that Susie could show her how to blow bubbles. It was too cute!
We just love Jocelin and love getting to watch her grow up!
I didn't just watch movies! I promise! I also read a couple of books (and some magazines) while we were in Hawaii.
Where I read this book was gorgeous, too!
Per Goodreads: I Like You Just the Way I Am is about not doing the right thing—about indulging your inner crazy-person. It is Jenny when she's not trying to impress anyone or come across as a responsible, level-headed member of society. With any luck it will make youbetter acquainted with who you really are and what you really want. Which, let's be honest, is most likely someone else's email password.
I follow Jenny on Instagram and she's so hilarious that I decided to see if her book was any good. It was really, really funny. She also has some comedy shorts online that you can see here: http://abc.go.com/shows/i-like-you-just-the-way-i-am.
Per Goodreads: Denmark is officially the happiest nation on Earth. When Helen Russell is forced to move to rural Jutland, can she discover the secrets of their happiness? Or will the long, dark winters and pickled herring take their toll?
A Year of Living Danishly looks at where the Danes get it right, where they get it wrong, and how we might just benefit from living a little more Danishly ourselves.
Jenny brought this book for me to read. I, naturally, loved the chapter on taxation. I love learning about new culture so I found this book really interesting. The author gets a little bogged down in talking to experts sometimes, but it was an educational, thought-provoking book.
Per Goodreads: In a witty and wonderful debut, first-time novelist Holly Chamberlin chronicles an eventful year in the lives of four thirty-something women who are navigating sex, singlehood, and the big city.
I found this book at the condo's free library so I grabbed it for an easy beach read. That it was. It was fun to read a book set in Boston.
Last, but certainly not least, I brought this book for Jenny to read. Geraldine, my favorite blogger, wrote a hilarious book that I cannot lend out enough! Do yourself a favor and read her blog and buy her book here: http://www.everywhereist.com/all-over-the-place/
A lot of time on planes means catching up on a lot of movies. I lucked out and watched some amazing films. My favorite of which was a Scandal-like film about a D.C. lobbyist. A close second was George Clooney's Money Monster. I've decided to never pay to see a movie again since in a few months I could see them for free on a plane AND pass the time more quickly. Win/Win!
Miss Sloane: Per IMDb: In the high-stakes world of political power-brokers, Elizabeth Sloane is the most sought after and formidable lobbyist in D.C. But when taking on the most powerful opponent of her career, she finds winning may come at too high a price.
Money Monster: Per IMDb: Financial TV host Lee Gates and his producer Patty are put in an extreme situation when an irate investor takes them and their crew as hostage.
Eye in the Sky: Per IMDb: Col. Katherine Powell, a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.
Moana: Per IMDb: In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui reaches Moana's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the Demigod to set things right. **I watched this only because I promised Jocelin Porterfield that I would if it were available on my flights to Hawaii and since it was, I couldn't break that promise. It was actually pretty cute!
Some that are honorable mentions meaning if they're free, watch them, but don't pay to see them. :)
The Edge of Seventeen: High-school life gets even more unbearable for Nadine when her best friend, Krista, starts dating her older brother.
The Meddler: An aging widow from New York City follows her daughter to Los Angeles in hopes of starting a new life after her husband passes away.
The Founder: The story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned two brothers' innovative fast food eatery, McDonald's, into the biggest restaurant business in the world with a combination of ambition, persistence and ruthlessness.
Jenny and I met up at the Honolulu airport, grabbed the rental car (a Buick- ha!) and headed for the Dole Plantation. Jackson and I went there last time we were on Oahu and loved it so I insisted Jenny see it, too. It is similar to a pumpkin patch but with pineapples and other crops planted. It did not disappoint! We had a Dole Whip first because some stuff is just important.
Behold: the world's best (non-chocolate) dessert
Then, Jenny convinced me to ride the little train around the property. It turned out to be a great idea because the stuff you learned on the ride. We saw banana trees!
Pineapple plants
Jenny and her ticket for the Pineapple Express
Mocking some of the other travelers for their poses
A gorgeous gum tree
Look at that!
All the sudden we are on a safari! Obsessed!
Selfie!
Look at the color of the dirt!
Jenny was a good sport about this photo op
We went from there to the North Shore to try to see some massive waves. It turns out to be the wrong time of year for that so we just sat and watched normal surfers. We also at a local McDonald's and Jenny tried some of the local fare: taro pie. I am kind of obsessed with this guy's review of trying it when he was in Hawaii. Jenny did not finish her pie, but said it was not awful. It was kind of like a sweet potato pie, she said.
We eventually headed down to Honolulu to meet up with Uncle Derek. He had to be with us to check into the hotel because it is a military hotel. I really love it there. I feel insanely safe when I am there! After we got all checked in we took Uncle Derek back to his house. We got to see Aunt Fe. She is seriously my favorite. She is an absolute hoot. I just love her. She says exactly what she is thinking. That is one thing I really miss about my Grams and Aunt Fe just kicks it up a notch.
Aunt Fe
We eventually headed back to the hotel to rest up for the night. We spent the next day pretty close to home. We went to the adult pool and were the only young people. I loved it.
The view from our room
Then we headed down to the beach and "borrowed" a set of chairs and an umbrella. It was awesome. Jenny was happy in the shade and I was happy in the sun, sand and surf. WINNING!
YES!!!
Uncle Derek came and met us for dinner at the hotel because we ALL love the Mongolian BBQ they do by the pools and beach.
THIS is my FAVORITE part of the Hale Koa hotel: the
Mongolian Grill they have on weekends
MONGOLIAN BBQ!!!!
I'd never been happier in all of my life. It was that good.
A rainbow over Diamond Head Crater
I love this view of Diamond Head
Jenny and the sunset
Look at that!!!!
Group shot!
Grams would be SO pleased!
Uncle Derek headed home and we went back up to the room to do face masks and other girly stuff. The mask felt so good after a long day in the sun!
Chilled rose masks? Yes, please!
We decided to get up really early the next morning so that we could hike the Diamond Head Crater before Jenny had to get cleaned up for her flight. She left about 6 hours earlier than me just due to flight availability. Again with my free flights not being ones you could argue with much!
Anyway, we headed out to the crater and were some of the first ones in line to get in at sunrise. We snagged an awesome parking spot and headed up with the rest of our friends. No one spoke English. It was ok, though. We powered up to the top via some back routes I'd read about online. They worked like a charm. It was totally worth the early morning to see the tail-end of the sunrise.
Sunrise at Diamond Head
Sunrise is equally stunning as the sunset
Looking out towards Honolulu
How could you not feel at peace in the world here?
We finished the hike and went to a local cafe for a massive breakfast. We shared a waffle that was amazing. I had a delicious egg dish. The whole thing was awesome.
Such an awesome breakfast!
We went back to the room and got all clean and packed up. We hung out for a bit around the hotel then I stored my bags in the trunk of my rental car and Jenny grabbed a Lyft to the airport. I had quite a few homeless hours to kill so I bought a magazine and went down to the beach to get some final rays soaked in. I knew I had a long night of traveling ahead of me so I just tried to relax and enjoy the day. It went pretty well and before long it was time to head to the airport myself. I returned my rental car and began the long journey home. I lucked out on my flight and had a row to myself. I watched movies (you'll see a post about those) and just kind of relaxed. I could never get myself to really sleep like I needed to.
One last Hawaiian sunset
I had a long layover in Denver (my flight was a little easier than Jackson's since I was already in Honolulu thereby cutting off one of the flights he had to make the week before) that I used to catch up on work and dig out of my inbox AGAIN. The four hours flew by and it was time to head to Indy. While I was in Denver I got word from Jenny that she had made it home safely and was greeted by her two little guys and husband. It was adorable.
What a sweet welcoming crew
A quick flight and it was time for my own little reunion at the airport. I was so happy to be back with Jack and MacK!
Jenny arrived about 2 hours after Jackson departed. I set up a mobile office at the Starbucks in the airport and got to work on cleaning out my inbox after being out for a little over a week. That is always a chore!
Jenny with her lei and chocolates, a traditional
Maui greeting
We grabbed Jenny's luggage and headed back the hour or so it took to get to our side of the island from the airport. We stopped in for a quick dinner at Maui Brewing Company on our way home.
Their flatbread was quite good!
The sun had already gone down so we just headed to the condo and got Jenny to bed. It is sure a long day of travel to get over here. I actually had to work during the week so I slipped out of the condo each morning and went to a beachfront Starbucks about 20 minutes away.
My "office" view for the week
I had to be up and logged in at about 5 a.m. local time so that I could actually be signed on when my Eastern time co-workers were. It made for early mornings, but once I was done I still had the whole day to do whatever I pleased.
Not a bad place to set up shop
One morning Jenny and I went to the Gazebo for breakfast so she could experience the wonderful food, too. By then I had been a few times and it was not quite as novel- ha!
The view from our table at Gazebo
Jenny was also passionate about fish tacos and found an awesome place in Lahaina for us to eat!
Another round of amazing tacos!
We found a dole whip!
We also hiked the Kapalua trail. We went in the afternoon so the waves were much more intense than when Jackson and I went first thing in the morning.
Turtle cove awash with waves
Views from the trail
We also drove up to the Blow Hole so Jenny could see this part of the island.
The Blow Hole again
We were amazed at the huge waves rolling in at the beaches near the condo.
MASSIVE waves
One day I got some kind of food poisoning so I stayed close to the condo after my morning work session and Jenny went into town to get a massage and do some shopping.
Reading by the pool, a personal favorite!
The view from the condo!
We did get to catch a few sunsets!
Jenny is not a swimmer so we went to a locals beach called "Baby Beach" where they teach their kiddos to swim. It turned out to be a really nice place to spend an afternoon!
The view at Baby Beach
We walked along the Kaanapali Trail one morning soaking in the sights and sounds of the more commercial area of Maui.
My office view again
Sunset from the condo
We kept things pretty low key. We would go to the beach or read and just kind of hang out. One night we treated ourselves to a fancy dinner at the Hula Grill. It did not disappoint.
Sunset on Kaanapali
Jenny and the sunset
Look at that glow!
A lava slide for Jenny
Amazing chicken!
The best fish dish ever!
Saturday morning we finished doing laundry and packed ourselves up to fly over to Oahu to explore Honolulu and its surrounding areas. Jenny's flight was a little before mine so I dropped her off, went to grab a smoothie and fuel up the rental car before heading in to catch my roughly 30 minute flight.
