Monday February 18th 2019

Please, Will The Sun Ever Come Up Over The Mountain 
Got up this morning and there was not a cloud in the sky.  The birds were singing and there was a light breeze . The sun is not up yet, but you knew today would be the best day since we arrived.  I am finally able to stay up until 10:30 and get up at 6:30. Yesterday Clela got up early so we could get a Sunday paper, knowing that if you are not early, all the papers would be gone. While going for the paper she was able to see the sun come up over the mountain.  She suggest we go out to take a picture, but didn't remember what time that was.  She said no one was out there, so we should go out in our PJ's.  Okay, haven't you seen someone in a store with their PJ's on.  Now you got to know me.  I use to have nightmares the I was walking down the halls at high school with only my PJ's on.  Even after teaching thirty some years, I still had those nightmares, Okay even after I had retired.  So out we go.  No one will up right.  We got out there at 6:45.  Oh it's getting up there.

It is now 7:00 and it is getting lighter. Here I an in PJ's don't look happy? 

Can't you tell it's lighter right?  Now people are out and about.  Still no sun at 7:15.  A lady and her skipping, happy, young daughter comes by with groceries.  I'm thinking where can I climb in a hole, but I act cool, everyone walks around in their PJ's right, RIGHT?  I'm cool, I'm cool. The buses are driving up to bring people to work and yes I'm standing there in my PJ's, I'm cool.  Oh, here comes that lady again. Hi and smile.  Well It's now 7:25 and lo and behold HERE COMES THE SUN.

Okay that is beautiful and worth the wait, but maybe not in my PJ's.  Does this mean I will be having nightmares of me standing in the parking lot with only my PJ's on, I hope not.

We ate breakfast on the Lanai. can you believe  it's a beautiful day.

Just look at this. I've got Passion Orange Nectar, coffee, Scrambled eggs and Canadian bacon.  Don't forget the Journal.  Right after eating and before drinking our coffee we made a mad dash inside because we were cold.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday, if needed, we go to the Farmers Market.

The market is just up street.

Our next stop was an ABC store, just a block from the our condo.  We were looking for something for lunch and Dinner.  Ba ta, Ba ta, Bing and we were back in the condo.  Here is our loot. Thank you Kathy for the gift card to ABC, it was well spent.

All of this fit in that bag that folds up into this small bag that hangs on her purse.  We took a little break, after packing our lunch, to go to our favorite beach.  We call it Cemetery Beach because there is a cemetery by the road and then the beach.  Want to hear some of my weird sick mind.  I told Clela , you know when it rains it cleans the bodies of those who are buried here.  That water runs down to the beach. Now that is sick.
When we got there, the parking lot was packed.  Can all those people have off for Presidents Day?  We were luck because someone was leaving so we parked.

 We always set up in the shade.  Shade? You should see my feet from yesterday after sitting in the sun.  It's a picnic right.  We had our roll ups we bought at the ABC store.
We also had Maui chips, a very small cookie. Last year when we were here, there were big turtles by the rock out cropping .  It's amazing to see those large sea turtles, so I went over to take some pictures. Here are some of the pictures I took on my way over.

Well no turtles today.  There is always someone painting the life guards tower.  She is a good painter.  If you can zoom in you can see her work.

We came back to our condo and took a short map, we are old don't ya know.  Lo and behold it was time for dinner.

Thank you ABC store.  Mashed potatoes and gravy and of course some Maui Splash wine.
Oh, by the way, today was U.W. La Crosse Day

That was our day. See you soon.

Saturday February 16th and 17th

Musical Chairs
Getting up Saturday morning with my head in the fog.  It's like walking around out of sync.  You know where you are but you're just tired and you can't think logically.  Some people have said my head is in the fog, so whats new.  Today we went out to eat, went to Safeway for food and we needed to adjust the furniture and last we always go out to eat breakfast.

For the umpteen year we go out to eat at CJ's for breakfast. If you want good food please stop in. CJ's is on highway 30 in a small strip mall.  I go there for one thing and that is Banana Macadamia Nut pancakes smothered on coconut syrup.

Clela always gets scrambled eggs and rice, always enough to make two meals.

Now don't forget CJ's
No lunch need after that. On we went to Safeway to get some food.

OMG, look what they did to our store.  Holy cow, it's twice the size, looks like a new store.

They even have a place you can eat and there is an Starbucks inside.  That is a nice addition.
The isles were so cramped before.
We got back to the condo, put our food away and went into solving our patio furniture problem.  We have big chairs and huge lounger.  Now don't get me wrong it's beautiful set in a small space, plus we have two people with their own ideas, you know I'm always right.  Here what we are dealing with.

How does this look.  OK, how do you get to the chairs in the back? How about crawling over the top?Okay I could get on top the table but how do I get down. Nope, that won't work. Oh did  I tell you lounge chair on the other side.

Look at the end of the lounge chair and you can see a chair, not much room. My idea you can see was to put two chairs next to the lounge chair.

Bingo! Now look at this configuration.  Look at all the room. All is well.  But wait this is my view.

Getting tired of this? We are not done.  Can you see the ocean? That is a pool not the ocean.  Here is Clela's idea.

The same idea that I had only on the other side.  Now if I put my head on the table, you know with no food on the table and the wind blowing the palm trees I can see the ocean.  Hey it's better than nothing. Now we both can see the ocean. Now after all this ask us how may meals have we eaten out there. Okay a couple.  Come on we are hoping for more warmer weather.  Starting Tuesday we are getting flood warnings, like heavy rain.

Today Sunday the 18th of February we have done very little.  You know all that heavy lifting yesterday.  Sounds like a good reason.  Clela made breakfast.  I had scramble eggs with Spam and toast.  When in Hawaii you must have Spam.  Now were not talking bad email, were talking about the meat made for World War II.  Hawaiians love the food.  I have it once a year when in Hawaii.

Jam from up country (mountains), butter from Ireland, Hawaiian bread and scrambled eggs from organic farms and Coffee from Maui, just up the hill from us.  Yes our favorites coffee by new owners.

Yes, Yes, Yes Yes!!!  Try it you will like it.  You can order on line, we have.
After lunch we went down to the ocean. We brought our own chairs because you have to be there early to get a couple lounge chairs. The waves were big, you know five footers.  There are two reefs before waves gets to shore.  Because of the cold weather a lot of plants and trees didn't do to well.

There should be beautiful flowers here, but they will grow back.

You are looking at hibiscus hedge. should be covered in flowers , only one survived.

This is  one of our favorite trees for shade, not now.  Some trees have no leaves.  We laugh and say your cold on Maui, wimp.  I think someone said this is the second time in 100 years it that cold.

 

We got the binoculars out to look for whales and saw some between Molokai and Lanai.
That was our day.  See you soon.

Friday February 15th
Our Journey To Maui
Welcome back!  It's been a year now since the last time I blogged, older now, not wiser nor clever.  Clela though it be a good idea to start with our journey to Maui, so her we go.

We start packing on Tuesday and and you believe it I was just about packed before she started.

Notice Grand kids you are all represented.  Oops, Sam no hat for you.  Soon Sam soon.

 With the wonderful weather we were having we though it was a good idea to get out of dodge.  We have a snow plowing service that was to start on the 10th, well they didn't show up until Wednesday.

Thursday afternoon we got our boarding passes.

You know at this time with nothing to do and after FaceTiming with all the grand kids you start the what ifs.  What if that wind drifts over the driveway, what if this and what if that and that drives you crazy.
Well Thursday night it was hard to sleep.  Then at two in the morning we get that call and panic steps in.  False arm, Mrs Rueter this is GoRight, we don,t have you full address.  In a clam voice gives the young lady your address.  Now, you are now wide awake.  I said that's it I'm going to start getting ready.  It's now 4:40 and i"m moving our bags to the garage.  I open the door and there was our driver was there.  He said he didn't want to be late.  Good, you know I like that.  I always philosophy is the following of Lombardi, "if you arrive on time,your late.  Thus I want to be at least 15 minutes early.  The roads were great and we made it there by 5:25.
We left Milwaukee on time flying over "Miller Park",( I like the old name, )

We have been flying first class since last year.  I don't recommend this because you will never go back.  We were given a breakfast of a hot ham and cheese sandwich along with fruit.

The plane didn't have monitors so if you had a computer, phone or tablet you could go to there in house site and watch a move.  I like action movies.  I watch Mission Impassible.  About half way through I ran out of battery.  I switched to my IPad for the rest of the movie.

We arrived in Seattle after four hours.

Now here is where the weird stuff started .  We stopped on the runway out in the middle of nowhere.
I have been on a flight like this and that was to the Rose Bowl.  We then got off our plane and onto buses that took us to our hotel.  Oh, no my friends. They bought out this cattle shoot and headed us off the plane.

OK it was a ramp.  We got on a bus that looked like the subway on the inside and went off to the terminal.  Being from the Midwest we except anything, don't ya know.  We knew what terminal we wanted so we went up two escalators and moving walks. Oh ya, we also took a train ride to our terminal.

No sweat, right.
Once again the plane was on time.  Got to love my Delta app. 

Just put your phone on the scanner and go.
We took up a conversation with a guy who was going over to Maui.  He took this picture of us. 

He was carrying a small duffel bag which contain ashes of his wife who just died recently.  He's going to meet some friends which will be part of the ashes spreading. Everyone has a story. Just as we were boarding we got a message that our bags were on the plane, which is nice.  

about a half hour after takeoff they started the lunch service.  You got to see this.

Next came the hot cloths to clean our hands and face. I told her she just made my blog.

First came the drinks. Clela had a Momosa and I had a Mai Tai.  Next came the cloth face mat.

Clela an I choose a chicken and veggies.  The chicken was perfect.  The best of all Ben and Jerry's. 

Yum.  Can't tell you the last time we had that much ice cream. 

I watched a couple movies.  Getting tired now. that was two five hour flights. 
This time we taxed up to a gate.  They must have forgot there was some Midwestern on board.  We picked up our car and drove to the resort about six.  We got to our condo and cleaned up and went out for a light dinner.  It was raining.  We got to our condo we entered our door code. We tried and tried. This went on until we called the manager. We tried this and we tried that. Nothing worked. Finally she said they have had trouble with the lock.  They even called in an expert. Duh, maybe they should replace it, don't you think. She finally gave us the "Master Code" this works every time.  So now we have the code that you could use when there is no one here, because we have the Master Code", Just give us a call. Just kidding. After that I don't remember.  Remember what? I don't know.  Maybe you know.  After almost twenty three hours>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Oh, I went to bed.
See ya soon.