I apologize for not posting over the last couple of weeks. I was in Honolulu for a few days visiting with my parents and going to Pearl Harbor. I was able to take a tour of the USS Missouri and that was really very interesting. It is not often that civilians can take a tour of a battleship that was recently decommissioned. I was also able to see a nuclear submarine that was in Pearl Harbor along with an array of other ships. I also spent some time shopping for new clothes in Honolulu - fun, fun. After that excursion, my parents flew back to Hilo with me. It was not a fun visit - we did absolutely nothing. My father literally would not leave our living room because he was watching TV on his laptop the entire time. They complained about it being too hot all the time (it was actually cold) and complained about the people - well everything. My father also cornered Brian and talked to him for about three hours and told him we need to move to Florida because it is so great (so great that my parents moved from there). Brian was in a horrible mood the whole time, my parents spent the entire time planning where to sit on the plane ride back and complaining about how long it takes to get here (yes, it does when you don’t take the direct flight you should have taken and instead get stuck with 6 hour layovers so you can save $5).

After all of that, I had to get ready for a “trunk show” for all of my handbags, Swarovski flip-flops, pareos, and jewelry. I had a terrible first day but the last two days were fabulous. Several people actually had me autograph the items! It was a lot of fun. I am looking forward to my next show and I was also invited to take part in a show that is by invitation only - so I am thrilled. My jewelry was also a hit and the cruise ship tourists loved it. A number of people told me I should open my own store on the bayfront and everyone was very complimentary of my products. The hours were extremely long - I arrived at 7 am and left after 8 pm and had to get up early and go to bed late to get things ready. It is a lot harder to work 13 hour days when you have to interact with people constantly compared to working 13 hours at home! I think I caught some kind of virus from the show - probably a result of being around all those people, handling money, being in recycled and air conditioned air, and keeping long hours. I have also been having gall bladder attacks again (I had a severe one in Honolulu) so I am currently taking care of that. Fun.

I am in the process of setting up my kitchen laptop since Brian just got a new laptop and he is having a great time getting it ready to use.  I finally decided on some  kitchen software - The Living Cookbook - it seems to be the most robust program in its category and it does exactly what I want it to do. I should be able to synch it with my new cell phone when I go get a new one.

Our trip to Kauai is coming up next week after Brian gives his final.  Hooray!  After that, Brian will be heading to California to visit his family for Xmas.

More later…

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I should preface this post by saying that I am a Vegetarian foodie. If you are not aware, according to Slashfood,

a foodie is someone has an ardent or refined interest in food. I really enjoy creating unique and unusual dishes that few people would take the time and effort to cook. I generally do not use recipes to cook with nor do I usually remember everything I put into a dish when I am cooking. It is fun for me to never make the same thing twice.

While I get excited over things like Green Pea Flan accented with Cold Heirloom Tomato Soup, many people on VegWeb and VegSource are getting excited over a tater tot casserole. A lot of the posters use processed foods in the recipes they post online, which turns my stomach just thinking about it. Tater tots, canned food, and baked beans have never been and will never be a part of my diet. These people get excited about Tofurkey, which is really nothing more than tofu, gluten, beans, and some seasoning. Why not be creative?

I also fail to see how these people are eating a healthy diet if all they are doing is eating the Standard American Diet but using a meat substitute in the place of meat. That would mean that the diet they are eating is still high in saturated fat, calories, and low in fiber.

Why do people eat unhealthy & uninspired food?

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I love gourmet cooking and more specifically, I really enjoy creating art using food. I was pondering the possibility of making a dedicated kitchen computer to help me while I am cooking. The more I thought about it, the more I decided that I did not want a bulky computer sitting on my counter collecting gecko excrement. I was also thinking that using a computer in the kitchen would cut down on the need to use printed photos or recipes for inspiration. However, I do not like writing down shopping lists and even with a kitchen computer I would have to write down the list or print it out. I thought a laptop might be the answer but I have no desire to lug a laptop around when I go out to buy food. After considering it a bit longer, I was thinking that I could install a laptop onto the cabinets and turn it upside down so you can only see the screen and then use a wireless keyboard and mouse.

I Googled and found someone who had actually done this. They were able to use the dead space next to the refridgerator which was really smart. Nearly every house I have ever lived in has had that dead space and it went unused. Unfortunately, this house does not have that dead space and the kitchen is somewhat irregular. I definitely do not want to take up much counter space for this.

Then I started thinking about creating an island in the middle of the kitchen that is on wheels. It would be great for parties and prep work. Alternatively, I could house the laptop on the island and just move it when I need the counter space.

Does anyone have any experience with creating a kitchen computer setup or something similar?

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I don’t really use recipes.  I am one of those people that says I use a recipe until someone asks for the recipe and then I realize that I did not in fact follow the recipe at all but instead made up something entirely different.  It makes me wonder why I continue to think that I actually follow recipes.

At any rate…  I was looking online for some new recipes to inspire me.  Specifically, I was looking for recipes that have blackbeans in them.  I always seem to be rather shocked at the horrific things people put in their mouths.  I saw way too many recipes that included Cheese Whiz (is that even a food?) and many many processed cheese products, random canned foods, and a myriad of unhealthy items with unforseeable quantities of unnatural colors and additives.  Why do people eat that crap?  Do they really believe it is healthy?  Or am I delusional for thinking people want to be healthy?  In a world of McDonalds and fast food am I weird for eating a healthy vegetarian diet?

In other news, my doctor is presenting *me* or more specifically my case at a medical conference to get other opinions on what is wrong with me.  I have been referred to an endocrinologist for further study.  I will have to fly to Oahu to see one in Honolulu which is fine…

In other news, I am going to the mainland in May - it should be a fun little trip.  Brian wants to head to Alaska during the summer…

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Things are getting back to normal around here… Since we have moved to the Hamakua coast I now have a huge yard to garden in - I am thrilled. I was going to post a picture of the house but the camera has to be charged - oh well. Our house is 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and we have a basement. We also have an ofuro - it is a traditional Japanese soaking tub and we have a plantation shower complete with a concrete floor and exposed plumbing in the basement. We have about a 1/2 acre to play with too! I am also anxiously awaiting the delivery of 40 orchids in a flask that I am excited about working with.

Brian and I have both been immensely busy with work and fun things too. Between gardening, orchids, the house, day trips, work, school, reading, Powerlifting, and everything else I scarcely have time for anything especially since Brian has urged me to get back into web design… Brian has been super busy working and training to climb Mauna Loa on his 30th birthday. His family is coming to visit for his birthday and he and his dad are going to climb Mauna Loa on the *big day,* July 28, his birthday. I am glad he is doing it, I think he will have a lot of fun and remember it always… I am cooking a huge meal for everyone the day after when he and his dad come back.

Enter Exhaustion…

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