Getting Ready for a New Hip!

One exercise used to build the muscles that support my hips is seen below. Although it can look a little bit like an S&M project it does give you a good workout. Prior to yesterday I had used the bungie cord device attached to a heavy piece of equipment. But this time Cris (Bless her soul) decided she would be the anchor. Using this approach I can take 40-80 "monster" steps forward instead of just 10. The red, white and blue scarf around my neck is to wipe away the perspiration this exercise produces.




The same equipment is used to take half squat side steps against the resistance presented by the bungie cord. Fun, fun, fun. It is our understanding these types of preparatory exercises provide a real benefit in the recovery process after the new hip surgery.

Another one we do involves a length of blue exercise band. It is kind of like a large rubber band. The resistance of a particular band is indicated by the color. I began with red then green and now blue. The band is tied in a circle, secured around a post, one foot goes in the band at the ankle then the band is stretched in each of the four directions of the compass. The stretching is done in 3 sets of 10 repeats first with one leg then the other. It almost looks like a ballet move.

And Here is DAVE!

David Newman is our "official" physical therapist. We see him for evaluation on progress and modifications to the physical therapy exercises I do at Tripler Army Medical Center three times a week. Dave takes periodic measurements of the degree of bend that the leg with the new knee can do. (I am proud to say the angle of bend today measured at 138 degrees) He also sets goals for strengthening specific muscle groups and weight bearing. We have now added exercises to prepare for a total hip replacement - the right hip. Dave works with a group of dedicated and knowledgeable physical therapy technicians. I am never alone when working on exercises toward a full recovery. Each visit has you assigned to someone who is with you to assist, answer questions and encourage.



Here Dave is working with a patient who received a total knee replacement very recently. See that smile? He smiles just about all of the time he is working with you and encouraging you. Can't really ask for more than that. The people in PT have begun to be a bright spot in our week.

You can't see it in this photo but the right leg on this patient is the one with the new knee and the staples are still in. You can tell the knee is new because the bruising has yet to develop. A couple of photos below show my leg after the bruises began to bloom.



Pretty, huh? Interesting colors.

8 Weeks and 1 Day

Today after Physical Therapy we had an appointment with Dr. Lee. He is still smiling, engaging, and patient. Dr. Lee said that at 8 weeks I am about 1/4th of the way through recovery. He seemed to be pleased with the progress made. We will see him again in a few months. I hope to make him proud of his handiwork. He and Dr. Gumboc did a great job!



We took advantage of a display of the new knee and snapped the photo above. We think it may be a side view with the knee cap on the left side of the image.

Physical therapy continues. John took several videos of me hard at work.



This exercise involves going up, then down one step (15 times twice) using the leg with the new knee. When the knee was brand new, we began with stepping up and down on a platform about 3 inches high. Then we worked up to the steps shown that are 6 inches high. This strengthened the muscles in the leg that control actions of the knee. After about 7 weeks came the wonderful going-up-2-steps approach. This exercise is aimed at increasing the strength in the leg with the new knee. (10 times twice) (Whew!)



This is a new exercise for me - started this week. A strong spring is inside of a jacket of blue cloth with a belt at the end. The first assignment is called the "Monster Walk." It seems strange, but it strengthens lots of leg muscles. You must walk as far as you can pulling on the spring but using circular monster steps. A strong Physical Therapy person walks behind me in case I lose my balance and spring backward out of control.

Next comes doing side steps going as far as I can while pulling against the spring. I asked today and learned this exercise is to strengthen the adductor muscles in the thigh.



I must admit I had no idea where these muscles were and what they do. So I "Googled" the term and found this image. Whatever they are - mine are getting stronger!

Dodging the Tsunami Bullet -- February 27, 2010

Just in case you were wondering - we are fine.

Oahu has a series of air sirens all around the island.  During the first week of each month all sirens go off for testing.  They are really loud!! This morning at about 6 a.m. the sirens went off - for real.  

The sirens are pretty easy to recognize.

About 4 a.m. upon turning on the TV (the sleep machine) we insomniacs saw the "breaking news" warning that the Chilean 8.8 earthquake likely produced a tsunami, and it was coming our way. Located here, NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initiated notifications at six. All local stations (ABC, NBC, CBS) were talking about the earthquake in Chile, the possible effects here, and what we should do and expect to happen.  They sent their reporters and cameras to key places here on Oahu and to the Big Island, since the island of Hawaii would be hit first.

When we were looking for a place to buy, John (bless his soul) made certain that any places we considered were not in a tsunami evacuation zone.  (So, we're not, and we're on the 12th floor.) On the other hand Waikiki is such a zone and people were told to move above the 3rd floor and stay off the roads. This was a major change to the prior evacuation plan for the island. Previously folks were to seek higher terrain a few blocks mauka of the beach areas. The last time this resulted in gridlock on the roads. So this "horizontal" evacuation was changed to a "vertical" evacuation - go to higher floors in the hotels and condos.

Well, the 2 or 3 meter water rise did not occur. We watched Hilo harbor on TV as the water oscillated in and out like a river that couldn't make up its mind which way to go. The water level rose slightly over 3 feet. But it came at the calculated, appointed time at 11:05 a.m.

This will be analyzed to death along with everyone's performance and reaction. And out of it I hope one of the items mentioned will be the admirable way that the locals, visitors, and governments reacted. I am really proud of how everything and everyone seemed to work. Virtually everyone (we saw a couple of oddballs out there) cooperated and followed the warnings and directions that were given.

This could have been bad; but it wasn't.

New Knee Plus 17 Days

We were alerted in advance that a TKR (total knee replacement) is no small thing. The docs warned to expect it to hurt. They did not lie. But they also said to have faith that it will get better each day. That also was the truth. Yesterday was our follow up visit with the surgeons. The staples came out. Physical therapy continues. The one thing I did not expect is the total physical exhaustion that comes along with the TKR. Taking a shower, walking a short distance, going out to dinner - almost any activity results in being totally washed out and spent. Sometimes I even find myself internally shaking with just plain exhaustion.

On the positive side - I am so glad to have received my new knee. Barely two weeks out and I am walking without a walker or cane. The leg can now bend at the knee at a 90+ degree angle. The exercises we were given have built the muscles enough that a straight leg lift is now doable. Yes, I am tired. But I am tired and pleased with the progress.



This is Dr. Lee. He, along with Dr. Gumboc, were my surgeons. Each time we have met with Dr. Lee we have had a list of questions (and not a short one). Dr. Lee sits down, makes himself comfortable, smiles (as in this photo), and invites you to ask any/all questions you may have. Each question is answered patiently, in detail, and in terms the average person can understand.


This is Dr. Gumboc, the other member of the team who performed my total knee replacement. He is a quiet, self effacing kind of guy who you cannot help but admire and respect. No question or concerns are off limits with him. Dr. Gumboc was open and patient with the many many questions thrown at them by yours truly.




This photo shows an x-ray of the new knee. I asked Dr. Lee if I could see the knee and before I knew it -- there it was! And isn't it pretty? (if you double click on the photo it will enlarge)



I think this move is called a partial squat. The lovely lady with me is Chris. She has been my physical therapist from day one. Don't get me wrong - she is tough. But she is also sweet and filled with Aloha.



This is Krist removing the staples. Krist is the surgery coordinator in the very large and busy orthopedic department. As you can tell from the photo, she does more than just coordinate. Got a question/concern? Call Krist. Worried about something? Call Krist. Can't ask for more than that.

TKR (total knee replacement) plus 5 days

Walk, walk, walk.


John snapped this photo a little while ago. We came home with PT exercises we are doing but walking is also on the list of activities. So today I ventured outside of our apt and managed to clock 0.24 miles on my pedometer. The pedometer came from my job. Each employee was encouraged to accept and wear the pedometer in an effort to have a healthier work force. I have used it faithfully ever since. Now the pedometer will help track my progress back to being fully, tirelessly functional. I can't wait.

Total Knee Replacment

January 19th, 2010. Not "D" day but "knee" day.


About 25 or so staples holding me together for the following 2 weeks.


This is Dr. Gumboc, one of the surgeons who performed my total knee replacement. He is a quiet, self effacing kind of guy who you cannot help but admire and respect. The senior surgeon is Dr. Lee. I didn't have a chance to snap his photo yet but I haven't given up. Dr. Lee is a wonderful, caring surgeon. No question or concerns are off limits with him. He and Dr. Gumboc were open and patient with the many many questions thrown at them by yours truly.


Here is Patty. Patty is in charge of a research study on total knee replacements. We met her before the day of surgery. She explained the study and visited in the hospital daily. Surgery was Tuesday and I came home on Friday. We will see Patty again tomorrow (Monday) when we return to the hospital to begin PT.


John snapped this photo while I was dozing. We were really lucky in that we wound up with a private room. John spent each night with me and was the very best attendant anyone could possibly ask for.

Is It New Year's Eve Yet?

Wow! Although we previously made it a point to visit the islands in each season, it appears West Oahu is a unique experience around the time of New Year celebrations. About a week ago tents have shown up along the roadside selling fireworks - even K Mart is selling them. Since before Christmas we have heard explosions/bombs at various times. Now that we have reached the 31st of December it sounds like a war zone out there!

The noisy fireworks are saved for the daytime while the light show type began at dusk. The noise is of such a level that car alarms are triggered here and there. Luckily John does not suffer from PTSD. He said the sounds are exactly like when he was in Viet Nam. When sounds like this would start the troops grabbed their weapons and dove for cover! We Googled (new verb) "history fireworks Hawaii" and found several interesting snippets:

"While most of America sets off fireworks on the Fourth of July, Hawaii saves its best blasts for New Year's Eve, when Asian cultures say firecrackers ward off evil spirits.

And each year, the pyrotechnics make Hawaii look like a war zone, touching off a few house fires, causing occasional eye and hand injuries, and creating so much smoke that people with asthma and other respiratory conditions suffer.. . . "

And ------
"EWA BEACH, Hawaii -- The illegal fireworks complaints are starting to roll in on Oahu, and it is not even Christmas yet.
Residents in Ewa Beach said they were bombarded with illegal firework bombs on Monday night and they want it to stop. The problem is not just in West Oahu, but for some reason this week has been particularly noisy, and frustrated families are turning to their lawmakers for help.
Rep. Kymberly Pine received eight complaints on Tuesday morning alone.
"We have noticed an increase in calls during the week. People are just getting fed up with the illegal fireworks in our neighborhood," Pine said.
The bombs have been particularly heartbreaking for one couple whose special needs child is shaken by the loud booms.
"Our youngest is special needs. He is 3 years old. So with that, pipe bombs going off, it really startles him because he is sensitive to noise," Ewa Beach resident Tessa Smith said.
Those noises can trigger seizures so it is particularly worrisome for the family.
There are also the pet problems.
"They bark quite a bit, and we hear fireworks right now, and I guess for the neighbors it's the dogs as well, because they are startled. They bark and are a nuisance," Ewa Beach resident John Smith said.
Pine said her dogs get spooked, too. The area lawmaker said many people have e-mailed that they are forced to medicate their animals more than just for one night.
"It seems like its starting earlier and the frequency is definitely worse than it was last year," Pine said.
Those who have put up with the fireworks since Halloween said enough is enough.
"If the community is more active in reporting these crimes right away, and more active more proactive in reporting these crimes that would help police a lot,"
Every year at around this time, there is talk of a fireworks ban and better inspections at the docks.
The Honolulu Police Department said it expects enforcement of illegal fireworks to be about the same as last year. The department says it issued seven citations and made two arrests last year."

Guaranteed no one will sleep through this night!

Meet Higgins

Almost everyone has had a pet some time during their life. If you have had multiple pets you understand it when I say that there are always one or two who stand out in your mind and remain in your heart forever.

This is Higgins. He was a "service" dog.



Higgins worked with a man who could not see. When Higgins was "retired" he was 7 1/2 years old and came to live with us. His working career spanned from the age of two when he completed his training until he came to us. We had been on the adoption waiting list for three years before receiving that fateful call saying we could come and pick him up. Although some service dogs do decide on their own that they have had enough of the working life, this was not the case with Higgins. The organization that had trained and placed him, Leader Dogs For The Blind, removed him from his placement due to concerns for his health. Higgins was what could be termed morbidly obese. The majority of his days were spent under a desk and his master fed him lots of people food. The vet put Higgins on a strict diet and soon enough he dropped the excess weight.

I am sharing memories of Higgins with you in the hope you might consider adopting a retiring service animal. They put in their time and really appreciate having time to just be themselves. Higgins did not bark, chase any other animals, loved all people and children and pooped on command - "park it" was all it took. Boy did we love this dog! Now that we are settled here in Hawaii we have once again gone on a waiting list. This time it is with an organization called Eye of the Pacific that provides assistance to people with sight issues. Hope it won't take another three years but you never know.

Vog? Huh?

We have learned yet another new term from our local weatherman - vog. As far as we can figure this word is a variation on fog but the source of the fog is a volcano, thus vog. Recently we were out for a drive, as we are wont to do, and I commented to John there appeared to be a slight haze in the distance. He said, "Oh, maybe that is vog." Remember I mentioned that he is a local news and weather junkie (besides Cspan 1,2,3, and MSNBC and Fox and Cnn etc.) He then explained to me that we actually have a web page maintained by the state government (http://hawaii.gov/gov/vog) that provides "important information about vog". Apparently when one of the volcanos on the Big Island of Hawaii vents some steam it results in a concentration of some temporary increased levels (spikes) of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulates occurring mainly in the early morning hours in the communities closest to the vent areas. It seems to be rare for vog to reach as far as Oahu where we live but it does remind me of some of the national weather reports that talk about Los Angeles and their air quality. Of course we have the advantage of being surrounded by wind from one direction or another 98% of time so our situation is vastly different from that of LA.

I must apologize to any of you dear readers who are residents of this corner of paradise for stating what is known to all here. However, some friends and relatives are learning along with us about the wonders of our new home state. My goodness but we do love it!

Tiger Woods

People, people, people - Give me and Tiger Woods a break. Get out of his bedroom, auto, marriage, women, etc. I have been considering posting myself as his potential #13 mistress but think it may be hard to convince anyone of his interest in a gray haired, medicare age female.

So let it be. Please!

"The Eddie" is On

Named in memory of famed North Shore surfer Eddie Aikau. The local news reports: "The contest is only held when waves at Waimea Bay are in the range of 30 feet or more. When conditions are favorable, 28 of the world's foremost big wave surfers are invited to Oahu to participate." The waves can't be choppy or too close together. The contest has been held 8 times in the last 25 years due to waiting for the right waves.

I learned from the New York Times that the Eddie invitations are made only to recognized world class surfers. The waves wound up being 50+ feet high. The photos below (courtesy of the Times article) give you some idea of the height of these bad boys. (click on a photo and it will enlarge)


The story of Edie Aikau is, to me, more inspirational than any I have heard of late. Eddie was the first lifeguard hired by the City & County of Honolulu to work on the North Shore. His area of responsibility was large but his assigned beach was as a lifeguard at Waimea Bay (where the contest is held). As a lifeguard he responded to calls in waves often 30+ ft high and he never lost a person. In 1971 Eddie was named Lifeguard of the year. That is a pretty big deal considering this is an island with many, many beaches.

Wikipedia tells the rest of the story better than I can:
"Lost at sea

In 1978, the Polynesian Voyaging Society was seeking volunteers for a 30-day, 2,500-mile (4,000 km) journey to follow the ancient route of the Polynesian migration between the Hawaiian and Tahitian island chains. At 31 years of age, Aikau joined the voyage as a crew member. The Hokule'a left the Hawaiian islands on March 16, 1978. The double-hulled voyaging canoe developed a leak in one of the hulls and later capsized about twelve miles (19 km) south of the island of Molokai. In an attempt to get help, Aikau paddled toward Lanai on his surfboard.[6] Although the rest of the crew was later rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard, Aikau was never seen again. The ensuing search for Aikau was the largest air-sea search in Hawaii history.[7]
The last person lifeguard Eddie Aikau rescued at Waimea Bay was a young TV producer named John Orland, who had just wrapped up production on a TV pilot called the "Hawaii Experience," starring Bob Crane from Hogan's Heroes. He was rescued on February 19, 1978, less than a month before Eddie Aikau was lost at sea."

Waves! Warnings!

Today warnings on TV. Waves of up to 50 ft on the North Shore. Sorry, no photos. The roads are jammed with cars on the way to see the waves. Sand has been deposited on some parts of the road. Warnings have been broadcast to people who may plan to stand on the beaches to watch. A set of large waves may swamp the beach and pull observers into the water!

Needless to say. . . we will not be going. Instead we plan to observe as much of the Pearl Harbor remembrance activities as we can from here on the 12th floor of our building.

Rules, rules, rules!

High rise living is a new world. Out of necessity there must be rules that govern both behaviors and movement. For those who have always been either in military housing or a single family home, we have much to learn and are trying hard to comply.

Almost exactly 2 years ago we gave away 40 years worth of accumulations, sold our home and packed off to Peace Corps Thailand. Remaining was 16 boxes of "stuff" and my mother-in-law's small ladies desk and chair. These few items went into storage near Atlanta, Ga. A short while ago we arranged to retrieve said "stuff" and have it shipped to us. We received a call our items in the form of one crate (containing said desk and chair) and one pallet (with a mix of 16 small and medium boxes) were ready for pickup.

John and I knew from recent experience that (a) one of our two elevators is designated for freight and (b) said elevator must be properly protected with quilted pads when it is to be used. So when the call came in from the docks saying our shipment was ready the first thing John did was check the service elevator. We were in luck! For one reason or another, the pads were up. Off we went to rent a small truck and do the pickup. (photos below) Lucky for us the people at the dock were willing to take the wooden pallet and dispose of the crate (for a fee) once we emptied it.

Upon arriving back at our building our luck continued when we saw the designated unloading parking spot was open. We were happy. John pulled in and we began unloading boxes to the sidewalk. Next, out came the staff member assigned to our building. Staff: did you make an appointment? Us: Appointment?? For what?? Staff: To use the elevator. Us: But the pads are up. Staff: Oh yes they are up for someone else. Us: But no one else is using it now. Staff: But they will. Us: OK. We will hurry. Staff: You must have an appointment. Us: OK. What shall we do? Take the items back to the dock? Staff: Call the office.

We called the office to report ourselves and were told it is OK. Next time please make an appointment. As luck would have it - the people who had made the appointment - thus the putting up of the pads - had their truck show up just as we were taking the last of our items off of ours. Turns out the people who had made the appointment were not very happy with us. But we tried so very hard to comply!

For the last 41 years our philosophy has been "every day a new adventure". Condo living is indeed an adventure in itself. As long as we can be together we would not have it any other way!



Relatively small crate holding said desk and chair.



16 boxes of memories (a set of golf clubs and one vacuum cleaner)



Amazingly, this truck was exactly the right size for us!

Christmas Lights Park at Pearlridge

The holidays here conjure up much enthusiasm. Tonight when we came home after dark we were treated to a display of lights in our inner courtyard. Once we were upstairs at our door I leaned over the railing and took a photo from above. What fun!

Almost 6 Months -- A Few Observations

The weather report - what to say?
John is a news and weather junkie. Each night he faithfully watches the weather report. What to say when you live where not much happens? Just as in the far North there are over 200 ways to describe snow . . . here it is the winds that have the spotlight. We have Trade Winds (very nice), Mauka Winds (come from the mountains) and Kona Winds (come from the south and are warm). The temperature fluctuation seems to be sort of steady, but it does vary the comfort level depending upon the altitude in question. Our location seems to be in a happy medium both temperature and rain-wise. The temperature and rainfall at higher altitudes (toward the center of Oahu) are drastically different from that found at sea level on the Leeward side. The same is true for the other islands in the state. The weather report also covers neighbor islands of the state, not just Oahu. There may be flooding, power outages, and washed out roads on one island while another has perfect beach weather. So you see there is a real job for weather people here.

The news - tracking waves, trees, jelly fish
The local news of course is like that anywhere else in the country, but it does have a few unique features.
For enjoyment John likes to relate some stories from the local news.
The wave report - We have a daily wave report. I think it is because it is winter the waves are higher than other seasons. North Shore (famous for its surfing competitions), Leeward, Windward, Waikiki, etc. are covered faithfully.
A few of the waves we managed to catch on film are below. They were taken at a famous beach -- the Banzai Pipeline -- on the first day of big waves this season. The local TV station was out filming. They interviewed John and he was on the evening news. If you click on any photo you will be able to see more detail.

The tree report - Christmas is almost here. The news began reporting which ships would be arriving with Christmas trees. Christmas seems to be a much beloved season here. Decorations began to appear before mid-November. The progress, count and type of available Christmas tree is periodically mentioned. The newest concern is whether or not there will be enough trees for all.

The jellyfish report - We have been here long enough to realize there is a regular monitoring of when the jellyfish are expected on beaches. Apparently it has something to do with the full moon so is cyclical each month. This is something we never realized before but certainly do now - thanks to the news team.


This photo shows a surfer riding between two curling waves. (click on the photo and it will enlarge) It does not easy to do I would think!

You can get an idea of the height of this wave by the size of the surfers "catching" it. Wow!



Rainbows - everywhere
A recurrent theme we noticed upon our first arrival is that of the rainbow. Sports teams, restaurants, beauty parlors, on our license plate and driver license, etc. It did not take long for us to realize rainbows are everywhere. One evening the weather man said tomorrow was going to be a good rainbow day. We are still exploring our island and have been able to see up to 8 different rainbows in one day.





Aloha - many meanings
As non-natives our concept of Aloha was basically from TV, books, and the movies (thank you Elvis). Now that we have been here a while longer than a long vacation, we are learning that Aloha is a way of life. A delightful way of life. Upon arrival we discovered we would be required to take a written test to get our drivers license. So we went out and got a driver test instruction book to study. In the very front of the book is a letter from the Governor. At the end of her letter she asks the reader to "drive with Aloha." Showing Aloha can involve being polite, showing love, understanding, saying hello or saying goodbye, tolerance, protecting the environment, being a responsible citizen, etc. It is hard to capture all of its many meanings. And we have observed showing Aloha can also involve a hand gesture called the Shaka. Make a fist then pull out and point the thumb and little finger. If we are driving and we let someone merge in front of us they most likely will stick their hand out of the window and shake a Shaka at us to say "Thank You." We, in turn, have begun to use the Shaka to thank other drivers when a kindness is shown to us. We observe Aloha daily when we see the consideration given to pedestrians by drivers. Generally when a pedestrian steps into the road - be there a crosswalk or not. If that pedestrian is not given the right of way we begin to look if it may be a rental car belonging to someone on vacation who is not familiar with the island ways.

Kama'aina
The word “kama’aina” may mean what it says in the Hawaiian dictionary, (means native-born; host; native plant; child of the land) but practically speaking it is that a local driver’s license is enough proof to get you the kama’aina rate at hotels, car-rental services and many other places. Kama’aina also is a description of a state of mind, a sense of belonging and acceptance of Hawaii and its people, and to that notion we subscribe wholeheartedly. This island belongs to the Hawaiians, and they are kind enough to welcome us both as visitors and contributing members of society.

Our First Gecko

Walked into the kitchen this morning and picked up the sponge to do some dishes. Discovered this little guy "hiding" in the soap dish. He is tiny!

Can you see him?

Exactly how a gecko can get up to our floor (12th) is a mystery to us. Either he came up in the elevator or maybe accompanied an insurance man. . . not certain. Since he is not wearing a suit I guess the elevator may be the best bet. But he is cute and will eat bugs that may fly in. I only hope he doesn't starve.

Here he is after he decided 8 hours in a soap dish is no fun.

Having Fun Yet?

We are now "retired" and live in Paradise. And so one of our kids often wisecracks, "having fun yet?"



Yes, we are. We are often greeted by a rainbow when going about our daily lives. We love each and every one of them. We don't have the rain associated with the rainbow, and that makes it even more enjoyable. This particular rainbow is the first we have seen that was so intense we could even see the violet in the bottom-most stripe.



Most often we spot a rainbow when out in the car, but this rainbow greeted us when we got up in the morning and looked out from our lanai (balcony). Rainbows are a theme we see in many business logos, the names of teams (University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors), and displays.



As seen here, Yes, we do occasionally get out and have a chance to enjoy this beautiful island where we now live. As we learned from Dr. Rit when we were in Thailand, you must always be aware of sun exposure when outside. Thus, sunscreen becomes a part of our daily lives accompanied by a hat, water jug, sunglasses, and even an umbrella.



Our air conditioner is the Trade Winds. The Trades (as they are referred to by local weather forcasters) are here about 85-90% of the time. As a result, not just any umbrella will shade me from the sun. We discovered that a double canopy style allows the wind to pass through and does not turn the umbrella inside out or drag you down the street.



When not busy "having fun" we seem thus far to always have an active project from our honey-do list. Here John is figuring out how we will mount this 40-lb ironing board cabinet on a wall that seems to have no studs available for support. The cabinet arrived (the UPS and Fedex people know us by name now) ready for painting or staining. This meant finding somplace in our little apartment to apply stain and not get it on everything around us. And don't you know the door arrived with the hinges on the wrong side. So after the staining job we had to remove the door and remount it on the other edge of the cabinet. Eighty-seven screws to deal with (just kidding).



Project complete. The amusing part is . . . we have no iron. It is in a box we left in storage on the mainland before we departed for Thailand. It will join us one of these days soon. The other amusement is our wardrobe -- shorts and t-shirts. So what's up with the iron?



BEFORE --One of the first things we did after arriving here was pick paint colors. I insisted I wanted a yellow bedroom and that was it - no discussion. So I got a yellow bedroom and here it is.


AFTER --Barely beige is the name of this color.


Once our area rugs arrived (last week-Fedex) it became very evident to me that yellow is not the way to go. So while John was busy in another room, I proceeded to paint a tan color we had left over from painting the bathrooms and the second bedroom.



As you can tell from this photo - someone caught me in the act and snapped away. For the last few days we have been out looking at new paint colors. The tan's not working out after all. So, perhaps the wall by the headboard will be the tan in the photo while the other walls will be something called "barely beige" (whatever that means).



Another completed project is seen here. Our kitchen is really, really small. No space for a waste can. We saw one in a home improvement center that glides out on a rail from under the sink. We couldn't move forward with purchasing it until the plumber finished hooking up the dishwasher, disposal unit and sink stuff. Then we were able to measure and see what size we could use. Here it is completed. I love it. It takes bags exactly the right size for dropping down the trash chute. It is so nice not to have to deal with rolling a 50-gallon can out to the curb for pickup each week!


This is a photo of the interior of one of the two new medicine cabinets we installed recently. When living in a small space storage is a big deal. We discovered this style/brand of medicine cabinet when visiting in a brand new house. Instead of the standard 3 shelves this model has 6 half shelves that can be arranged independently. We had to remove the old cabinets, cut a larger hole in the wallboard and reinforce it with lengths of 2x4. We sure did feel "accomplished" when this job was finished!


John thought the area below the kitchen cabinets was not bright enough for doing prep work on the counter tops. We went exploring the electric departments at several home improvement stores and found these LED "puck" lights. They are purported to last 25 years before having to replace them. We purchased several sets and John went about figuring out how to install them.


This is how the counters look after John finished installing 6 pucks. The photo was taken without the overhead light on. Good job John!



I mentioned the "trades" earlier. We are on the 12th floor facing Diamond Head to one side -- with Pearl Harbor slightly off to another side. When the trades blow, they whip into our space with strength to bowl over a small child. Early on for window treatments, silly us decided to install vertical blinds on the windows and sliding glass door. Seemed like a good, contemporary solution. They look better than drapes and should last longer. My goodness! With the windows open the winds are so strong they literally ripped several of the blinds out of their holders snapping the tops on some. Whew! Fortunately, while hunting another solution someone suggested metal fittings installed at the top of each vertical blind. We found the part on the WEB. Thus far we have installed about 50 of them with maybe 75 more to go. After the finishing with the blinds, the painting (repainting!!), installing a tile mural, etc., we plan to have lots of fun!