We ended up hitting August 15th without any plans for a celebration, and ended up having one of our typical days.
Our day began, as has been our standard for over four years, with a 3-mile morning walk to enjoy the sunrise on Kaaawa beach. At this time of year, the sun comes up shortly after 6 a.m., just a couple of minutes before we make it down to the shoreline.
It was low tide this morning, exposing this old pipeline which apparently was used to bring fuel ashore back in WWII, when Kaaawa hosted an Army camp.
This was my attempt at a self-portrait, holding the camera extended with one hand and trying to guess what's within its view.
Not too bad for folks who have been married forever.
Then it was home for freshly brewed, dark roast Peet's coffee, toast and papaya, then off to work.
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The big "excitement" on the way to town was a stop at a Kalihi plumbing supply store for a Kohler toilet valve. When you try to slow down for a few days, the household chores rise to the surface. And we've had more than the usual ones to deal with as the summer fades. |
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The rest of the day was uneventful, and we ended up working late. Meda's afternoon meeting didn't break up until after 6. We debated going out to dinner, but we're restaurant wimps. We don't try many new restaurants because we are almost always disappointed. We have a current favorite Thai restaurant just minutes from the Star-Bulletin, but we were just there a few nights ago.
So we hit the road and headed home, arriving back in Kaaawa about 7:30 p.m., in time for a glass of wine while we cooked.
Ian made up a garlic salmon steak cooked in lime juice, chopped sweet red pepper, ground jalapeno, and a sprinkle of garam masala, while Meda whipped up a Caesar salad. We hoped the salmon would spark Buster's appetite for some tempting morsels fed by hand, but he didn't have much of an appetite. He sat at the table with us--well, on the table is a more accurate description--but didn't partake.
We almost set a new record for cheaping out by pouring the first glass of wine from an already open jug, complete with ice cubes. Stand back--The fun hogs go all out!
Luckily, we came to our senses before it was too late, poured those glasses back into the vat, and opened something more appropriate to the obvious festive occasion.
And that was it. An enjoyable day, remarkable for its quiet normalcy, ending at home with ourselves, the cats, and three decades of shared history.