Wondering about the differences between Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines in first class? Well, yesterday, I experienced my first Alaska Airlines flight from Sacramento to Kona in Hawaii, and chose First Class. Until recently, no airlines from Sacramento flew directly to Kona. We used to have to fly Hawaiian Airlines to Honolulu and hang out there for several hours to catch a 45-minute connecting flight to Kona. Which meant travel time from Sacramento to Kona was about 8 hours minimum. Well, not only does Alaska fly non-stop (direct), but it advertises its time at 5 hours, and we made the trip in 4 hours; blew my mind.However, its First Class service leaves much to be desired. Here are my observations in no particular order.The Trouble With First Class on Alaska Airlines vs Hawaiian Airlines... 04/17/2019

When we bought our house in Hawaii, the former sellers rented back from us for 18 months. So, I got to know them fairly well. They also moved temporarily across the street one December just so I could stay in our house. Super nice people from Canada. The only people I know who are missionaries, reliant on donations and benefactors. This couple work together at University of Nations in Kona, a religious organization that presents specific curriculum to international students.And the wife grows orchids. She mentioned in passing one day that the best way to grow orchids in Hawaii is to take that potted plant you bought at Safeway or Wal-Mart and, after blooms die, throw it into a tree. Not sure what she meant, I placed a few under our mango tree, but they got overwatered and died. However,... 03/28/2019

Lock Watch for the Week of 3/18/2019 Volatility-O-Meter:All eyes on the Fed this week. Economicalendar (all times are Pacific):Mon, 3/18:     Housing Market Index (7am).Tues, 3/19:     Factory Orders (7am).Weds, 3/20:     FOMC Meeting  (11am).Thurs, 3/21:    Jobless Claims and Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey (5:30am).  Fed Balance Sheet (1:30pm).Fri, 3/22:        Existing Home Sales (7am). 10-Year Treasury History2.60%     Market Open2.64%     One Week Ago2.65%     One Month Ago2.85%     One Year Ago(Need a rate quote for your specific scenario?  Click anywhere on this link.) W.S. Merwin, 1927 - 2019 I had hardly begun to readI asked how can you ever be surethat what you write is reallyany good at all and he said you can't You can't you can never be sureyou die without knowingw... 03/19/2019

Lock Watch for the Week of 3/4/2019 Volatility-O-Meter:A healthy slate of reports this week but I'm not sure any of it will break the 15bps range we've held since early January.  Employment situation on Friday warrants the most attention. Economicalendar (all times are Pacific):Mon, 3/4:     Construction Spending (7am).Tues, 3/5:     New Home Sales and ISM Non-Mfg Index (7am).Weds, 3/6:     ADP Employment Report (5:15am), International Trade (5:30am), Beige Book (11am).Thurs, 3/7:    Jobless Claims and Productivity and Costs (5:30am).  Fed Balance Sheet (1:30pm).Fri, 3/8:        Employment Situation and Housing Starts (5:30am). 10-Year Treasury History2.74%     Market Open2.68%     One Week Ago2.73%     One Month Ago2.86%     One Year Ago(Need a rate quote for your specific scenario?  C... 03/04/2019

Almost every morning at Kona Haven, we watch dolphins jumping and can spot whales near the horizon. At the beaches up north, there are even more whales. As I dug my toes into the sand Thursday at Makalawena Beach, I started to count the number of blowholes on the water, and there were at least a dozen, breaching over and over, too. But they were a long ways away. Even so, it makes one feel connected to nature.Imagine how incredible it would be, though, to be paddle boarding a mile or so off Kailua Bay and have not one but three humpback whales breaching right in front of you? It would be a bit scary because you might worry they would splash or hit your board or land on on top of you. But they don't. Then the awe sets in. You can read more and see the short video in my personal blog toda... 03/02/2019

I've always thought a praying mantis reminds me of the lead singer in Midnight Oil. You gotta admit there is a strong resemblance. However, I did not realize that a praying mantis is supposed to bring good luck. I had heard that dragonflies and hummingbirds can bring good luck or supposedly messages from the beyond, LOL, if you believe in that sort of thing, but had no idea about the praying mantis.Turned out to be a bit of truth to that. You can read more about it in my personal blog today at this link: Will a Praying Mantis Bring You Good Luck? 02/28/2019

One of the nice things about being in an environment where tourists go is there are a lot of hotel activities everybody can attend. The Kona Kohala Chamber of Commerce sponsored an event at the Sheraton this weekend called the Hawaii Island Living and Design Expo. It was held both Saturday and Sunday at the Sheraton in Keauhou. This is one of the prettiest spots on the Kona side of Big Island.I like attending these types of expos, although my husband detests them. He doesn't want to talk to home improvement vendors because he intensely dislikes home improvement projects. That's one of the reasons I am in Hawaii right now and he is not, although I am returning to Sacramento shortly. As you guys know, I finished our remodeling project in Kona.But, Eureka! My friend Linda is still in the p... 02/25/2019

Thirteen years doesn't seem like a long time, but I guess it does to a 13-year-old girl. And speaking of that, what a horrible age to be, 13. I would not wish that on any girl much less her parents. That's about the age when we should lock them up and not let them out until they turn 18. However, 13 years is how long we've had the avocado festival on Big Island. There were almost more vendors than people, but we got there in mid-afternoon with only a couple of hours left, and Hawaii does not allow alcohol at these events. You know, for the guys who don't want to go but then figure the wife and kids would like to and what the hey, at least he can enjoy a beer. You can see more photos and read all about it in my personal blog today at this link: Hawaii Avocado Festival in Kona. 02/24/2019

Every day that I am on vacation in Hawaii, I am grateful that I am not in the miserably cold weather in Sacramento. Especially more so when my sister sends me a photo of the back-breaking job she just went through in Minneapolis to shovel her front sidewalk. I thought of that yesterday when I met up with my friend Loli to go to the beach. For some reason, Kuakini was blocked off, and we could not go to the beach we wanted to visit. Instead, we headed across Ali'i Drive and turned south in search of another.On foot is a big of a pain but sometimes it's the best way to discover. We located shoreline access and zipped down the path only to be confronted by a plethora of wedding guests already seated and waiting. Oops. Not our beach for that moment in time. As we marched back up the hill, a... 02/23/2019

I had planned originally to post this as a Wordless Wednesday post but then I figured out that even though it happened yesterday, posting it today doesn't count toward a Wordless Wednesday post. Not to mention, talking about the photograph is not exactly wordless, now, is it? I say no. Perhaps a thoughtful Thursday instead then. Nah, I will leave it.Well, you can read more in my personal blog today and find out ways to murder turkeys at this link: Wordless Wednesday: Turkey Terrorists in Kona. 02/21/2019

Have you ever tasted a fruit so deliciously satisfying that you could feel compelled to get out of bed and drive to the grocery store at 2 AM to take care of that craving? Say hello the Hawai'i Sharwil avocado! Up until last month, these types of avocados were not allowed by the USDA to be shipped to the Mainland. There was a concern about fruit fly infestation, which fruit growers in Hawaii say was not a problem. Even though that law has been lifted for the months of November to March and 32 lucky states, plus D.C., can receive shipments, the state of California is not included. No Sharwil avocados for you, Californians. Pity. You can read more in my personal blog today at this link: Hawai'i Sharwil Avocados are Shockingly Addictive. 02/18/2019

Even though I have been in Hawaii since November, I have yet to perfect the art of grocery shopping for myself. I have a really good excuse for it because I haven't had to grocery shop for myself for 20 years at least. Much has changed in grocery stores.Who knew how many selections we needed for paper towels or tissues? The deodorant aisle is a mystery. Whatever happened to the choices of only Dial, Irish Spring or Dove? I have discovered you have to really pay attention to the cost per ounce or number of items inside the packaging. Too many products and brands, all vying for our eyeballs.In fact this morning, I discovered the plastic gallon bottle of Crystal Geyser water I use for coffee had its plastic cap smushed down below the lid. Why didn't I notice that when I picked up the water... 02/17/2019

Yesterday morning my gaze fell upon the newly refinished kitchen -- before I realized I could not open the dishwasher so the contractor had to come back -- and I noticed how butt ugly the ceiling light is. Well, I knew that all along but figured I could ignore that small voice. Besides, I had searched through every light fixture online and could not find a suitable replacement. The ceiling is vaulted, which rules out chandeliers, unless I want to swag. The light fixture sits too closely to the upper cabinets so any depth beyond 9 inches would interfere with opening a cabinet door. On top of that, if I don't find a fixture at least 13 3/4ths in diameter, it will involve painting the entire ceiling, not only in the kitchen but in the entire house.So apart from developing "mouse arm" resul... 02/13/2019

Yes, I get asked how is that kitchen remodel with Lowes coming along almost every week from friends . . .  and strangers to boot. Problem is there has been no activity since the first week in December. Lowes had to come to a screeching halt with crown molding hanging midair because some of the Shenandoah cabinets arrived damaged and other parts of the order did not arrive at all. The clerks at Lowes who were overseeing the job were filling in for another who was out on maternity leave, so there was not not much management. Lousy systems in place, and I am a systems-type person so I recognize the deficiency in corporations.The countertop install was far more stressful over all than anything, and that was not Lowe's job. That was the job of some guy I found online who works out of a stora... 02/07/2019

At first blush, I wasn't sure the Apple store in Kona was really an Apple store. I'm still not certain. I stopped by the store last year to pick up a couple of cables. The place was packed and it took a long time to get somebody to ring up my purchase, but I don't recall anything unusual about it.However, I was astonished that when I stopped by the store last week, it would not sell me a MacBook Air. My plan was to order through my local store and after it arrived at the store, bring down my MacBook Pro to transfer my data. Whenever possible, I try to spend my money in the community. The clerk at the store instructed me to order it myself through Apple.com and then bring it back. He assured me I did not need an appointment. Just bring the new computer down and we'll do it for you, he sa... 02/03/2019

Photography inspires me in cookbooks and magazines. I do not often get a chance to cook or bake anything but every so often I do tend to find inspiration in a photograph. Can I make this object, I wonder to myself. And then I set out to do it. Not to necessarily consume the end result, but it's not a bad distraction.However, there is just something about coconut pretzels that sounded really good. They actually are pretty amazing. Perhaps it is the cup of whipped cream or all of that brown sugar! And probably the funniest part of the whole ordeal was when I sat down with the final manipulation of bread dough and suddenly realized I do not know how to make a pretzel shape. You can read more in my personal blog today at this link and I encourage you to try out the recipe: How to Make Cocon... 01/25/2019

We spotted a couple of guys running along the Maka'eo Walking Path in Kona but at the time of day we were there (mid-afternoon), it was pretty quiet. Not a soul gardening. Not a soul relaxing under the Australian  Fire Tree to read a book. Nobody but mongooses darting about.This walking path provides a way to not have to walk uphill. My neighbor, when he goes out for a walk, does extreme walks, and he is almost 70. He walks at least 5 miles. When you live on the slope of a volcano, inclines are steep. You can easily walk into town, it's only a mile, but getting back up the hill is another story.You can read more about the perfect walking spot and view photos of the spectacular garden in my personal blog today at this link: Kona Maka'eo Walking Path and Community Garden. 01/21/2019

It may surprise you to learn that vanilla beans come from vanilla orchids. I know, right? If you're like me, you can hardly wrap your head around the fact a vanilla bean needs to go through a process to become vanilla extract. On top of which, you might not know that you can make your own vanilla extract by adding alcohol to the beans. And we have a vanilla factory right here in Kona, which is open for tours. When I think about it, we use vanilla all over our houses. From hand wash to lotion to air fresheners. You can read more in my personal blog today and see all of the amazing photographs at this link: The Vanillerie Tour in Kona Ends With Ice Cream. 01/19/2019

Finding secluded, out-of-the-way beaches in West Hawaii is one of the great joys in life. And while we did not make it to the beach billed as the most beautiful in all of Hawaii, we will do it, even if I have to do it myself. We had already walked to the closest beach to the first parking lot, followed by strolling along the shore to the other end when we realized it involved a much further trip to the last beach.By that time, we had already found both of the two Hawaiian monk seals who live on the island, resting on the beach. That was enough excitement for one day. Not to mention traversing the unforgiving road from the highway to the beach. You can read more and view a bunch of photos in my personal blog today at this link: Mahai'ula Beach at Kekaha Kai State Park. 01/18/2019

We got to the beach out on Old Airport Road yesterday with about an hour left of low tide. My plan was to hit the beach earlier but we had commerce to attend to. More specifically, we were on a search for a mortar and pestle. I made grilled shrimp on skewers a few nights back, yes, I actually cooked dinner for my husband, and I needed a mortar and pestle to smush kosher salt into chopped garlic. Every so often I discover we do not have an essential item at our vacation house.Some people just stared at us when we asked if they carried such a thing in their store. They asked: what is it? One Asian store in Kona had woks, rice bowls, chopsticks, seaweed, all sorts of stuff, but no mortar and pestle. Nothing at Island Naturals. They suggested Pier I but no such luck. If you'd like to know w... 01/15/2019