Taj Mahal Visit, Saturday, September 6, 2008

Some background on the Taj Mahal and why it was built:

In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was griefstricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their fourteenth child, Gauhara Begum.^[2] The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrates the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal.^{[3] [4]} The construction of Taj Mahal begun soon after Mumtaz's death with the principal mausoleum completed in 1648. The surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later.Empror Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:

"Should guilty seek asylum here, Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin. Should a sinner make his way to this mansion, All his past sins are to be washed away. The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs; And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes. In this world this edifice has been made; To display thereby the creator's glory".^[5]

I am traveling with my boss, Mina Stewart, her daughter, Paige, and her Aunt Mary. Mary is a DC native and she and I have had some good laughs. She's the trouble maker, I'm sure there is no need for me to point that fact out!

Additional photos of the day can be viewed at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32969&l=2f70e&id=827093935

Spray, Dry Oil or Lotion?

My burning topic (get it) is to use Suntan Lotion, Dry Oil or Spray.

I love Panama Jack #8 Dry Oil, now how an oil can be dry is beyond me! But I guess it isn't as messy as baby oil and is easy to spray out of the bottle.

The latest thing, or latest thing that I've noticed, is this Continuous Spray suntan oil/lotion. For a 6 ounce bottle it is like $10. I bought one, on sale of course, to try it out. Wow, it's great for getting in on fast, you just spray and no rub. Takes all of 20 seconds to do your whole body (except face). Now, for those of us on the hairier side, there is a drawback. It feels like you just sprayed your whole body with hair spray. Sort of hurt when I laid on my front! It softens once you are in the water. Obviously, this is targeted to the kid market. I still remember as a child being all wiggly and antsy as I was plastered with Coppertone. The draw back here is that it lasts about 5 times and that is it. So, that is somewhat pricey if you ask me. I can make a bottle of dry oil last weeks. So, I thought I would just inform all of my survey and experience!

Today has been more of a work day for me. Seems that a lot is going on and I'm sort of in the middle of it even without being there.

It's a beautiful day and looking forward to the Mexican/Shave Ice. We are eating through "leftovers" for lunch. We are also going to head up the road outside of our resort, this is the part where Kumu would say "NO DON"T GO THERE". It is an area of the island where mostly true natives live and they don't necessarily like visitors. We're not going to go far into it, just to say we've been there. I guess we shouldn't ride with the top down! Of course the minute they see a convertible they will know it is another rental! Lots of convertibles on this island.

We did have some white chocolate macadamia cheesecake left over from last night! I think I'll go get a piece. Maybe Jeannie forgot and I can have both!

Aloha!

P.S. - If inquiring minds want to know, Jeannie has had the same bottle of suntan oil she has had for several years - cheap Banana Boat oil SP4 - hey it works. I'll be sporting my Hawaiian tan upon return to the mainland. I'll let the evidence speak for itself :)

Resort Wildlife

I've been meaning to add this to a post since we've been here at Ko'Olina but it never fit in so I'm giving it a post of it's own. Now, when I say wildlife - I'm not talking about wild carryings-on by us - no, not at all - I'm talking about the animals around here who keep us company while we miss our furbabies, Ilio & Kutta, at home.

One of the first aspects of the resort we noticed was the large Koi Pond. It is an addition since the last time we were here. In reading about it, we learned it was set up a little over a year ago by two men who had never done a koi pond before - evidently it is not an easy thing to do and takes just the right conditions and maintenance. Well, not only have the fish thrived, but they have multiplied recently and little baby koi are swimming around - that is also quite a feat that they would reproduce so quickly. So we have enjoyed watching them. In fact our dinner last night was right next to the pond - so close in fact, that if Craig has pushed his chair back a little farther, he would have been swimming with the koi!

Second, we must talk about the bids. There are several species we can identify - an unusual black bird, the Hawaiian cardinal (mainly white and gray with red on his head), sparrows and something that resembles a small pigeon. Well, they are very friendly and if food is out, they are even friendlier. See, we have our lunch at one of the picnic tables near the pool area every day and sure enough, a few will even hop up on the picnic table and wait for a little treat. They will come within inches of your hand - they know no fear. They actually can be a little too aggressive and you have to shoo them away and make them wait to pick up crumbs when you are done. Reminds me of two hungry chocolate labs at home that I know!

The other thing about these birds that is so predictable - every evening, right at dusk they gather in the tops of the trees and begin to "chatter." And I mean it is LOUD! If you are walking beneath the trees during that time you can hardly talk to the person next to you. By the time it gets dark all is quiet - guess they have gone to bed.

So, other than a few stray cats who seem to roam the place but keep out of sight during the day, that is the collection of wildlife who have kept us company these past two weeks.

Looking forward to coming home to our own wildlife!

Day 12 - A Wonderful Birthday...

Sigh - it is still my birthday in Hawai'i but at home it has come and gone. What a truly nice day I had. I feel so blessed.

I had e-mail birthday wishes from several folks and e-cards from every member of my family (human and animal) at home thanks to Joanie - our faithful friend and roommate holding down the fort. It was wonderful to talk to mom and receive her birthday greetings live on the phone. As I reflect on the day I think of birthday wishes from folks like Sherly, my care group leader's wife who is currently in Australia awaiting the birth of her second grandchild; and Annemarie, a good friend and pastor's wife currently in Wales; Barb, my Weight Watcher friend who I had dinner with here in Hawai'i last Friday night. If you take all these meaningful wishes they practically span the globe. Wow.

This morning I cut up a real pineapple we got at the store last week and used our special knife we bought at the Dole Plantation - it works great! We had another wonderful day at the pool - I finished my second book and went to the book exchange shelf to pick out a third. We had our dinner here at "Chuck's" at the resort - honest it is much nicer than it sounds. Our table was right by the koi pond and overlooked palm trees and the sunset. I had the special - sirloin steak and Alaskan Crab Legs - my favorite, and Craig had a sirloin steak with scallops. The meal came with a lovely salad bar and a loaded baked potato. We had a nice bottle of wine and a lobster appetizer, and they brought dessert with a candle in it since it was my birthday - it was something like a chocolate, mocha macadamia nut ice cream cake thing-y. We were full when we left - that's for sure. So we took a romantic stroll around the lagoon and then came back to sit in lounge chairs and listen to live music playing at the outdoor cafe. A wonderful end to a great day. I think I want to come back to Hawai'i every year and celebrate my birthday. Hint-hint, dear!

Time for bed. We are going back up towards the North Shore tomorrow into the town of Hale'iwa - we will probably get their famous shaved ice again as well as have a meal at a great Mexican place we've heard of. We are planning out all our final meals so we get in everything we want to.

Thanks again to each of you who made my birthday special.

Day 10 & 11 - The start of our second week!

Greetings everyone! Before I get another day behind I better get a post written about Monday and Tuesday activities. But even before that I have to say - Happy Birthday to me! This post will be dated Wednesday the 5th since it's after midnight east coast time. This is fun - I can celebrate my birthday for 5 extra hours - starting now when it's my birthday at home until midnight Hawai'i time tomorrow night. Woo-hoo!

Well, in terms of our activities over the past two days - each of us has finished a book and have moved onto the next one. Craig has finished two this vacation - me just one. So with the gorgeous sun shining down on us, we have spent the past two days just doing lots of reading and soaking in the sun. We haven't even been down to the lagoon and beach. Just poolside only taking time for a quick dip in the pool when we get too hot.

Dinner plans - we know that many of you are sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for what dining adventure we have jumped into today; or maybe not. Yesterday was Monday and the resort has a special reception for owners every Monday night - I don't think we wrote about it last week. It is held out on the lawn overlooking the lagoon. You get coupons for two free MaiTai's each and they serve chips and barbeque sandwiches. So it is enough for us to make a meal out of. They also have a short program as a teaser for the luau show on Tuesday night (called Fia Fia) and also give away door prizes like boxes of chocolate covered macadamia nuts, Hawaiian CD's and snorkeling cruises. Sad to say we have not won anything either week. But they also give free 5 minute back massages so after learning that the first week, Craig was first in line for one this week. And knowing what the program entailed, I also volunteered last night to go up with the professional dancers and try my hand at the hula to the tune of "Pearly Shells." I'm sure Craig would have taken my picture for posterity but he was getting his massage at that moment!

We watched the rest of the program from a second floor open air reception area which is quite beautiful - not only does it overlook the grassy area where the reception was, but the palm trees, lagoon and beach are all in the background and as this event takes place around sunset, it made for some great pictures. I have taken more sunset pictures than anything else so far! And, while we sat and watched I went and checked out our ice cream which is being held for us since we have no freezer in the room. With a couple of plastic spoons we were set. Hey - it was still good.

We came back to the room and watched a show Craig wanted to check out - a 20/20 special about a behind the scenes look at the British Royal Family. Enjoyable.

Craig has continued to getup early each morning and run. So let's hear it for Craig!

Then today (Tuesday) our day was the same - and for dinner we went to our favorite Chili's (that the third time this trip if you are counting.) And yes, we had Craig's must have dessert - the White Chocolate Lava Cake - and yes, it's still the best! Then, because it was still early (pre-sunset) we came back and parked at one of the lagoons and walked the path by the beach and we able to look back along the west coast and see the resorts, shoreline and mountains. It was so incredible - as was the sunset.

Now we are back at the room, Craig is doing some work, I'm watching American Idol and writing this blog.

The days are ticking away and our time here will soon draw to a close. But tomorrow is my birthday and should be a great day. We have planned out all we want to do with our remaining days. We will certainly miss this place but when the time comes to fly home, we will be ready. :) Promise!

Day 8 & 9 - Jeannie adds a few thoughts...

Okay - first of all - I love it when Craig posts the blog entry. His posts are fresh and funny and make me want to read more - even if his spelling and facts recall isn't always entirely accurate. Mine are, on the other hand, factual but probably boring. Oh well.

Craig left out our dining option for Saturday night - that would be Outback, which just like Chili's is right near the resort. So it has convenience going for it - and predictability - except the prices. Overall we must say the prices in most of our favorite restaurants here on the island make us squeeze our belts a little tighter. Our usual dish - the Alice Springs Chicken is like $6 more than it would be at home so we opted for something else from the menu that night. Everything in Hawai'i is more expensive. Guess it takes more gas to get the goods here, huh?

And while we are adding and/or correcting facts - the crab legs, while they were good, were NOT Alaskan King Crab Legs. There is nothing like those. These were quite respectable but were Dungeness. Just wanted to set the record straight. :)

The other aspect of our mini kitchen I wanted to mention was the lack of any tupperware or storage items - probably because there would be no room to store anything in the mini frig anyway! You must understand - the kitchen in the one bedroom unit was fully stocked with anything and everything you would ever need (though there are some Pampered Chef items they could use - who do I contact for that!!?) However, in this mini wanna be kitchenette, there are two plates, two of each eating utensil, two bowls and two cups - that's about it. All that to say we have become very grateful for our lonely, lidless tupperware bowl given to us by Mrs. Dreier last week. She gave us some lovely smelling flowers from one of her trees (not plumeria - something else) and placed them in the bowl to transport them back to the resort. That bowl has become priceless - holding everything from Craig's oatmeal in the morning to his salad for lunch that I'm about to bring out to him poolside (such service!)

So since the post was about the small things I thought we should also add our thanks for the small things like a lidless tupperware bowl that makes all the difference.

Mahalo for our bowl!

Day 8 & 9 - It's a small World After All!!

Okay, so we got behind. What are vacations for anyway!

As you can see from this blogs theme, it's all about small.

On Saturday we did our move from our BIG one bedroom with kitchen/dining and living room to our efficiency. We were dreading it. But little did we know how little some things were. Here is the list and our perceptions:

1. Refrigerator - NOT - a small tiny under the counter unit that had no freezer compartment. So do you think they looked at us funny when they delivered our bin of refrigerated and frozen items and we just stared at our "load" and where it would be going. What do you do with 2 half gallons of ice cream (half fat mind you) with NO freezer compartment! We had a 4 pound bag of Edamame (or whatever you call those pods) frozen with nowhere to go. Let alone the 5 pound bag on Hawaiian Salt that I bought to go with it! LOL!! And yes, I bought the authentic Maui Raw Sugar from Costco, what a steal under $5 for 10 pounds. Now, what are the weight limits for checked baggage? Good thing we're flying back before they impose the new $25 charge for the 2nd bag! We crammed everything else in and that crisis was averted. Jeannie asked the hotel to store our ice cream for us.

2. The bed. Well, the good news is that as they replace the furniture every 4-5 years they will be changing the beds from Queen (I say it's a Full) to Kings in these little units. The bad news is that it is right before the 5 years so we still have the smaller bed!

3. The balcony or shall we call it the cubby hole? 3 x 8 at max! I'm sitting on it now as I type. If I crane my neck really hard to the left I can see the ocean, does that qualify as ocean view?

But, as we've settled in it hasn't been that bad. We are on the 11th floor overlooking one of the pools looking towards the JW Marriott. We are right by the elevator. However, it is 2 floors down to the ice machine and 1 floor down to the "community" washer/dryer. But hey, the trash room is right outside our door! What convenience!

The resort amenities are the same so you really can't complain. And heck, why complain if you are in Hawaii! I guess this is like buying the inside cabin at the bottom of the ship, the room is nothing to talk about but you still have the same experience as everyone else!

Okay, on to the rest of the theme. On Day 9 I got a page from Tim Hale, a friend from work who has been working on Oahu the past 18 months with Hawaiian Telecom. His family, wife and 3 kids are all living here and they taught me some word (that I can't recall now) for local. He was surprised that "my Island friend" had not taught me this word. Supposedly you get big discounts at places if you are a local. I had to explain to him that "my friend" would tell me that I'm a local wannabe (just like I'm a Potomac wannabe)!!

Well Tim and the family came over around 2 p.m. and stayed till sunset with us enjoying the lagoon and pool. It was good to see him and hear that he's taking the next 3 months off to enjoy Hawaii and let the kids finish school here before heading back to the states and another work assignment. Gee, that sounded like a great idea, maybe I should consider something like that......................

Okay, so we did something Hawaiian for dinner! Craig read about a Chinese restaurant on our side of the island that was written up in the Sunday Food section. They have included crab legs in their dinner buffet and for only $17.97 on weekends and $14.95 week nights that was a bargain. So after enjoying the sunset we headed to Ho Ho Chinese Buffet. It was a little hard to find and we stopped into Long's Drugstore for more suntan lotion. We asked them for directions and they immediately started saying, yummy we love that place. But they would NEVER go on the weekends because it cost extra. So we found it. The decor is nothing to write about but the food and crab legs were plentiful and we left happy.

So I guess I can end this story on a BIG NOTE and that would be the Alaskan Crab Legs!

Perhaps bigger things will be in store for us tomorrow...........

Until then, Aloha!

p.s. The weather is sunny and 81 for the foreseeable future!

Day Seven - Waikiki and other adventures

Well, once again I think I missed a day of posting. I hope everyone enjoyed Craig's "White Chocolate" blog post - of course, that was Day Six for those who are keeping track.

Day Seven was Friday the 29th. Craig spent the morning dealing with work and writing the blog entry which he did a great job on. That's why I hope he chooses to write for us more often. We spent the first part of the day at the pool in the morning, and then the lagoon (near the ocean) in the afternoon. The lagoon faces west and that way you can watch the sun as it starts to sink into the horizon. Friday was also the day we finally broke out and blew up one of the lounge/rafts we brought along. It was so relaxing to just float in the crystal clear waters. Of course, Friday was the first day that I can truly say I got way too much sun. My tan has a reddish hue shall we say. I'm trying to be more careful!

Friday evening we left Ko'Olina and headed for The Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki - about a 45 minute drive. We had planned on meeting my friend, Barb and her husband, Bill for dinner. The fun part of this is - Barb is someone I had never actually met in person. She has been a friend for almost 2 years from the Weight Watchers web-site. We have been on challenge teams together, and even been work-out accountability partners. So when we learned we would both be in Hawai'i at the same time, we had to take advantage of the opportunity.

As we made our way into downtown, we were grateful to have our GPS system with us. Let me tell you, some folks come to Hawai'i and all they ever see of it is Waikiki which is a shame. For us, one trip into the city is about all we can take. Imagine one of the biggest cosmopolitan cities you have ever visited, remember what it's like to navigate those kind of streets, and then take into account the fact that the Hawaiian language has all the normal vowels we have but only like 7 consonants and all the words have lots of multiple vowels all running together. It can take some getting used to! And, there is lots of traffic and people everywhere - well, we finally found it - Craig let me off and Barb and I found each other right away and then Craig spent the next 20 minutes trying to figure out where to park.

Dinner was very nice and we enjoyed our time with Barb and Bill. But oh were we glad to get out of the city and back to Ko'Olina where the pace of life is much more what we want out of a vacation. And yes, we drove the whole way back with the convertible top down! And me with my jacket on to keep from freezing with the night air whizzing by. Gotta love it!

White Chocolate Chill-Out vs White Chocolate Molten Cake!!

This entry is all about food! Or more specifically DESSERT!

My twisted mind (ok, you've probably figured out that Craig is writing this) has all kinds of comparisons of this topic to our current Hawaiian weather vs the Mid-Atlantic regions weather!

Most know that I don't crave or have a preference for CHOCOLATE. However, I really do like White Chocolate and pairing it with Raspberry is just over the top! (Anyone needing Birthday suggestions (Oct 5th, thanks for inquiring) can get me anything white chocolate with raspberry).

Bennigan's has been carrying a dessert for the past few years called White Chocolate Chill-Out. It is described as: White chocolate almond and vanilla chocolate chip ice creams blended with crumbled Oreo® cookies atop an Oreo® cookie crust and dipped in white chocolate sauce. Whenever we would go to Bennigan's, no matter what diet I may have been on at the time, I would have to get this dessert. It's great. Unfortunately, it appears that Bennigan's is or has taken it off their menu.

Well, last night we went back to Chili's. Ok, you may be asking, "What is up with them going to Chili's all the time in Hawaii". Thanks for your inquiry. To make a long story short, as part of pushing FiOS on all our friends and their friends, the company has a program where you get "rewards". By selling like 5 of these I recieved over $400 in gift cards. I received over $200 in Chili's cards since I knew it was available in Hawaii. So needless to say, you will hear more about Chili's throughout our stay.

Sorry for digressing, oh, FiOS is a great product and when it becomes available in your area let me know so that I can get credit for the sale and perhaps can take you out to Chili's on my next gift card!

Yesterday was a working day for Craig. It started at 4 a.m. Hawaiian time and I went straight for over 9 hours. Grueling. The work days before had been okay, but yesterday felt like being back at work. I was more then happy to sign off and run out to the late afternoon sun and sand to redeem the rest of the day. I went on a 4 mile run to help clear my head (nothing like running by the ocean in Hawaii!). Jeannie had eaten some of her leftovers from a previous outing and was interested in just having some appetizer for wherever we went. So it was up to me to pick the place. Realizing that we have over $175 in Chili gift card value the choice was simple.

As we were leaving the sun was setting. I put the roof back and we dashed to the furthest lagoon to watch. And then we were off to Chili's.

The burger was fine and Jeannie decided to snack off of my plate and await the White Chocolate Molten Cake! Oh my gosh! Here is their description: White chocolate cake with a warm white chocolate filling, raspberry sauce and white chocolate curls. Topped with vanilla ice cream under a crunchy white chocolate shell.

I think I've found my new favorite dessert! It was more then enough for 2 to share. I don't know how one person could survive it. My body was shaking after just the first few spoons. It comes looking like a volcano with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream on top that has been covered in white chocolate. The cake below (the base of the volcano) is rich and moist vanilla and there is a drizzle of raspberry sauce under the cake and surrounding it. Okay, if that wasn't enough, as you eat the cake portion you hit the middle and it is filled with a warm white chocolate sauce! My description doesn't do it justice! You must go have one!

To bring this entry to a close. I've given up my wintry cold Chill-Out for my warm Molton Cake (or as I like to call it "Lava Cake"). The best part is that for all of you in a chilly climate, it is available at your local Chili's! So why not go out to dinner tonight and have my new favorite dessert!!

Aloha!

p.s. The above references to Chili's, Bennigan's and FiOS are not a paid endorsement and should not be construed as referencing as such. Also, NO you can't borrow my Chili's Gift Card! We have another $140 of eating to go!

Day Five - Same old, same old...

Whoops - I think we may have nearly missed a day! It's Thursday evening as I write this but is already Friday according to my computer which is still logged into East Coast Time. So - Happy Leap Day!

On Wednesday we spent the day at the pool all day. Same as Monday. Will probably be the same most days! For dinner - you would be proud of us - we ventured out to something different - we went to Zippy's. This is a chain restaurant here on the Islands and serves many local dishes and, the true test, you don't really see tourists in there - it's all local folks. And we had a healthy dinner of grilled salmon and steamed broccoli. Aren't you proud of us? Ah well - hold that praise til we come back with our post of tonight's meal!

And on that note it's time to go to bed!

Day Four - The Convertible takes a Road Trip

Hello everyone! Well, all will be glad to know we ventured out on Tuesday. After lunch we set out to drive around the island and see some of our favorite sights. Heading north, we stopped at the Dole Plantation, watched a "How to Cut a Pineapple" demonstration and proceeded to buy ourselves a curved knife so we can repeat the process at home! Next we headed into the old town of Hale'iwa and the BEST place on the island for shaved ice - Matsumoto's. Normally the line for this little hole in the wall of a store goes down the street (don't go there on a weekend!) but we were lucky going when we did. All I can say is -Yummo! You get your choice of 3 syrup flavors (I opted for Grape, Lime and Strawberry while Craig had Raspberry, Tangerine and something else!) and then at the bottom you definitely choose the option of getting the vanilla ice cream AND azuki beans - it is the best part! Here's a link to the site if you want to read more about this landmark of Hawai'i! www.matsumotoshaveice.com

Next we drove up the coast and witnessed the powerful surf of the ocean. The waves were pretty high but we didn't see many surfers. The power of those waves on the rocks was breathtaking. Coming back down on the northeast side of the island we stopped at the home of Mrs. Dreier, Kumu's mom and had a lovely visit with her. We made our way back to "our side" of the island by taking the Likelike Highway (pronounced lick-y, like what our dogs do to your face!) It is a beautiful drive up and over the mountains and the temperature change is dramatic. Still, being the adventurers we are, we, of course, kept the top of the convertible down. Why have a convertible if you are not going to enjoy it fully, right?! We stopped at Wal-Mart on our way home so that, among other things, I could buy some hair clips for our road trips!

Dinner would not necessarily be considered the highlight of the day. Craig said he was in the mood for mexican food - translation - we ate at Taco Bell! What can I say!

Day Three - Complete relaxation

I (Jeannie) thought about taking a picture yesterday and posting it, knowing that it alone would say it all to describe Monday and vacation life in Hawaii. It was a picture of the view of a palm tree from the ground looking straight up. All you would see would be the gently blowing palm fronds, glints of sun peeking through, with a perfect blue sky in the background.

That is the view as I recline in my lounge chair, listening to soothing music and virtually all I filled my mind with yesterday. Sigh...it was a GREAT day.

Day Two in Paradise or the day Jeannie emerged from her sick cocoon...

Hello world...well, at least hello to our friends and family who will be the ones to read this.

What a nice surprise to awaken yesterday morning to my surprise Blog creation from Craig (and fully awake I was after about 11 hours of sleep to match the 11 hours of flight travel!) I thought the Blog was a truly wonderful idea but not something we had talked about doing (well, maybe there was a passing comment or two). Once upon a time I thought I was the primary writer of the family but after reading his opening post, I think it is a title we will both share. Great job, dear!

Of course, my initial excitement was - "What a great way to keep a log of all our travels and vacations!" and which point Craig corrected my thinking by declaring, "No we are going to blog about more than our travels - we are going to blog about our life!" Okay I say - but is our daily life really exciting enough to write about? I guess we will see.

First - an update on my health - I am much better thank goodness! A wonderful combination of prayers, rest, beautiful surroundings and...Zicam - my new best OTC drug of choice! It was recommended by one of our United flight attendants (yes, their service and care was exceptional) and after searching for it at several stores we found it at - you guessed it - Costco. I promise - we are done shopping for at least a few days!

So, to the task at hand - Day Two... we took time to enjoy the wonderful amenities of the Marriott Ko'Olina resort. Craig took his morning run along the lagoon paths next to the ocean and later we relaxed at the pool though passing showers cut short our sun time. After lunch we finished up our grocery shopping and then went back to the pool. And we have both found the steam room to be one of the best kept secrets here! Everything about this resort is delightful!

We had a nice dinner out at Chili's using our restaurant gift card. It is close by and I imagine we will make a few more visits there in the next two weeks. Truth be told...there is a White Chocolate Lava Cake on the menu that is calling Craig's name! Speaking of Craig - he went to bed early and Jeannie stayed up to watch some of the Academy Awards broadcast. All in all, a very nice day as we ease into vacation lifestyle. I should mention however that we have not been able to fully enjoy our wonderful convertible yet while we are out and about as there have been on and off showers all day. Ah, the sacrifices we must bear!

Well, the sun is shining today for sure and the warm breezes and refreshing waters are calling our names.

Paradise Bound

Welcome to our web site!

We've enjoyed reading others and decided it was our time to join this communication medium. And what better time to start than when headed out on vacation. Yes, vacation again! Oahu for two weeks at our Ko Olina timeshare.

The week before was full with Craig in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Tampa. We were concerned about weather delays since we were flying through Denver on Saturday. Little did we know that DC was to have a "MAJOR weather event" on Friday and Saturday as we were to leave. The hysteria began on Wednesday with the news stations reporting a MAJOR event. By Thursday night they were closing the schools and raiding the grocery stores for hybernation supplies (milk, eggs, bread and toilet paper). Being a true Harvey, we already have cases of the hybernation supplies (Costco had coupons the week before on all the "basic necessities").

Craig changed his flight back from Tampa to 7 a.m. on Friday. This would be in the height of the storm, but would allow more time for him to get home and get us to the airport for our 7:54 am flight from BWI through Denver to Honolulu on Saturday. Well, Craig arrived in DC with RAIN falling! And yes, they had already closed the schools on Thursday night in preparation for the big event!

We arrived at BWI with ample time (that would be 30 minutes before the flight in Craig's view and 1 hour and 30 minutes in Jeannie's view). And the adventure begins..........

We flew United Airlines on USAir miles. We "had to" fly First Class due to no economy reward tickets available. We did our normal routine where Craig checks in two bags and then takes the rental car back while Jeannie checks in any additional bags and begins to head to the gate. When Craig checked in, they had only printed one checked bag tag. The agent printed another and Craig had a funny feeling about it but didn't act upon it at that time. All was going well until Craig got into the security line. Something made him look at his luggage tags and low and behold "Houston we have a problem". One bag was going to Honolulu and the other was going to Kauai. He waited until he got to the gate to address the issue with an agent. Based on past experiences of lost luggage he braced himself for what they were most likley to say, that you have to wait until you arrive to declare the luggage lost. Well, to his surprise and delight, this was not the case! The agent called down and asked the ground crew to locate and retag the bag! We were amazed, but somewhat doubtful that it would really happen.

Being avid USAir flyers (not because of spectacular service but more for the chance to sit in more comfortable seats and beverage service!) we had low expectations for our flight. Craig had warned Jeannie that there would be a snack for the meals. Were we ever surprised and delighted with our experience. United has an excellent First Class experience and we felt like we ate our way to Hawaii on excellent food and service!

Jeannie had left on the trip with a bad cold. It got worse as we flew. But the flight attendants were wonderfully attentive and provided her with cool cloths and extra attention. It made the whole experience that much more special.

We arrived in Honolulu at 5 p.m. to high 70's and cloudy conditions. We made our way to baggage claim with some apprehension as to whether the mistagged bag would make it. However, based on the rest of our experience the bag miracle might happen. And low and behold it did! Go United! We look forward to our flight home!

We quickly got our rental car and headed to Sam's Club!! Yes, we needed to get our hot dog dinner and necessities! No trip is complete without visiting the local Sam's Club and/or Costco!! Craig had to get his traditional 10 pound bag of Maui Raw Sugar to take home (yes we lug a 10 pound bag of sugar all the way home just so he thinks it is a little taste of paradise).

We checked into the Marriott and have a view from the 9th floor of the mountain and marina.

Jeannie is still sleeping and hopefully will feel better after the long day and drain of her cold.

Craig is currently sitting on the balcony watching the sun rise and placing the finishing touches on this blog. It is a surprise Blog for Jeannie. I hope she likes and furthermore I hope she takes it over!

Aloha!