Soul searching

Note: This news is about a half a day old, because Google's Blogger system was down for repairs last night. I wrote the post and then had no way to share it, which made me sad for all five of my regular readers who use this blog as a lifeline to the aloha spirit. In all seriousness, I'm very excited because my blog statistics inform me that I've actually had almost 1,000 pageviews. That makes me feel loved, and very interesting. So without further delay... onto my latest post:

Our whole house shuts down between 1:00 and 3:00 pm for napping and quiet time. There is really no way to avoid the restfulness because there is usually a sleeping person in every room (two bedrooms, plus a living room attached to the kitchen). I will really miss this post-lunch routine when we’re all back in the real world. On days when both kids fall asleep and stay that way, it is a great time to read, write and/or follow major league baseball games (if you’re so inclined).  It would also be a great time to do some soul searching, but let’s be honest… introspection takes way more energy than reading and I can’t say I’ve worked up to it yet. This post finds a whole other kinda soul… but more on that later.

After the family siesta we decided to head out to the walking path along the marsh that borders Kailua to scope out some turtle trapping sites. Tag has been spending his time here so far working on some writing, making a presentation at Hawaii Pacific University, catching up with grad students back in Chico, and meeting with local experts on Oahu. It was time to get outside and start envisioning where to initiate the field work. We imagined all kinds of turtle hiding spots while walking along, and determined that Tag will need to borrow Gregg’s kayak to set and revisit the traps each day. Gregg owns our house and has lots of good outdoor gear, too. We like this.

The adventure did not end with the marsh, because our next stop was the Thursday night Kailua Farmers’ Market. Bingo. There was so much culinary awesomeness in one location my Mazzei Food Radar (MFR) went into hyper-drive.  I quickly noted our coordinates, mentally calculated the remaining number of Thursdays in our trip, and gave myself a sense of bliss and serenity by knowing that I will have a chance to try all of the offerings over time as long as we come to the market each week. Due to the reliability of the MFR (tested and refined over generations), I promise you that we will. 

My first stop was the farm stand that had a line snaking through the stall to get to the two registers. No kidding. I love a produce destination that draws a crowd, and not one to be dissuaded by the hubbub I grabbed a basket and joined the queue. Twenty-five dollars later I had scored cucumbers, red peppers, tomatoes, corn, papayas, Thai basil, Chinese parsley (cilantro), spinach, romaine, kale and zucchini.  This is a total bargain in Hawaii, and that was just the beginning.

Our next priority was dinner. We whetted our appetites with sushi sliders—ahi tuna served on top of eggplant and kale tempura. For the main course Tag opted for the surprisingly authentic burrito stand (of course). After walking by all of the vendors a couple of times, I just had to go for the Soul food. Crazy choice in Hawaii, I know, but the panko-crusted fried chicken had my name on it. Add the cornbread, black-eyed peas and cilantro-laced coleslaw and I was sold. Full-on yumminess. I made Tag promise he will eat there next week, because I need someone else to share in the taste bud joy. Meanwhile, I’ll be hitting the Raw Food bar for some funky, soul-less vegan creation that is the yin to the yang of the dinner I ate this week.    

Playing is so exhausting. 

This is where Alice wanted to finish her nap. Now that you've seen the couch, you've also seen about 40% of our living room. Cozy living in Kailua!

Scoping out the marsh for trapping sights. We want us some ugly turtles! 

Another rock caught mid-flight.
This means one of two things: I am an adept photographer, OR my kids throw a lot of rocks. Hmm. 

Daddy's girl hitching a ride.

Sushi sliders at the farmers' market. Alice asks with irritation, "Why the wait?"

Tropical flowers. Love the colors!

I am dainty while eating loaded nachos. See? 

One final note: There is no reason for me to ever know if 1,000 pageviews is really pathetic, because I know nothing about blog stats and it is better that way.