Death of a Sandwich, 2 More Docs, Roof Repair

Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]

5/18/24

 

Aloha Guys -- 

The big weather disturbance that came through last weekend dumped a lot of rain on the other islands, and on the northern and eastern part of ours, but we got very little here in our specific area.  As you recall, we were thinking of cancelling plans for any fancy dinner for Karen's birthday, but we wound up going north anyway, and had a terrific meal at the Fairmont Orchid beach-side restaurant.  The weather turned very pleasant, and we were treated to a beautiful sunset as we ate. The meal itself was one of the best we've had here -- lobster curry bisque, poached pear salad with caramelized Macadamia nuts, and a 5-spice duck breast with sweet potato mash and peppered pineapple.  Karen's complementary desert was a chocolate flourless cake with caramel mousse, chocolate streusel and cacao ganache. Each course was creative, complex, and beautifully presented.  Do I sound like we enjoyed it?  Foodies that we are, it was an appropriate birthday present for Karen and I;m glad I got to share it.

 

Continuing the food-oriented theme, the sad news this week was that one of our favorite restaurants is closing -- the family-run Vietnamese restaurant that has been a beloved community fixture for many years.  Among other tasty items on their menu was the sandwich we love -- Lemon Grass Chicken on a French roll.  When we heard that the restaurant was closing at the end of this week we knew we had to have one more, which we did on Wednesday.  We weren't the only locals that wanted to show their appreciation for the owners by visiting one more time -- the place was jam-packed,  We will miss the food, of course, but also the inspiring hard work and integrity of the family.

On Tuesday I had another double-doctor day.  Up first was the ultra-sound examination of my aorta. I received the results on Thursday, which is surprisingly quickly for around here.  My aorta passed the exam with flying colors: "The abdominal aorta is normal in caliber with mild atherosclerotic changes." At this stage I'll take mildly negative as A+.  The second doctor visit was to my eye specialist for another shot in my left eye. It continues to look good to him, but my vision is still pretty crappy compared to what it was before the latest occlusion. I'm trying to be patient, but it is hard not to be discouraged at times.

On Monday the workers showed up right on time to replace our pool solar system.  Everything went well

Old Panel Damage

until removing the old panels revealed several spots where they had rubbed nearly completely through the shingles,  These spots could have been slathered with sealant before putting on the new panels (designed, by the way, not to cause this kind of damage), but it is much better to replace them first.  We've contacted a roofer who will hopefully be able to do this sometime today.  We've rescheduled for the new panels to be installed, but of course we lost our place in line and ut might be late June before we get this done unless an opening occurs earlier.  Seems like we've been doing a lot of waiting lately -- maybe my geezerhood impatience is getting the better of me. Anyway, the replacement of the valves and pvc was completed and the installers did an excellent job of not only just replacing the old system but making the whole setup much, much better.

We played 15 holes of golf on Thursday, and it went pretty well for all three of us.  The peacocks are starting to look a bit bedraggled since it is at the end of the breeding season.  Soon the course will be littered with their magnificent tail feathers.  We haven't seen any of this year's babies yet, but they should begin appearing in a week or so.

 

Ok, that's about it. , No farmer's market or breakfast picnic today because we're waiting for the roofer.   Stay safe, stay healthy, and don't let the crazies get to you.