I have been swimming...

... not much, but I am.  Tuesdays and Thursdays unless travel or something disrupts me.

What's changed is that I've been able to swim at work.  An indoor pool, and pretty much entirely to myself every time I've gone.  No fear of sunburn if I swim too long.  It's been good to be able to head over there at lunch time and get in a splash.  My swimming is, well, shit, but at least I'm doing a little of it.

It's been an active day overall.  It was a foggy morning

when I set out

on a walk today, but by the end of the 5.2 miles, it was a nice morning out.

I'll continue to swim when I can through the semester, and perhaps when Conrad is able to swim again, he and I can head to the Rose Bowl together.  If so, I'll be sure to grab a pool deck selfie! 

Hawaii, day five

Day five of the Hawaii trip was the transition day.  Vacation came to an end for Marie and was practically at an end for me.  But we had the better part of a day together, and we made of it what we could, even if that meant going back into the mall yet again for some last souvenirs.  And, to be totally upfront, I went back to the mall at least one more time (I think maybe twice) after Marie left.  The power of shopping!

Anyway, the day started out with Marie insisting to herself that she join me for a morning walk on her last morning, and so we did.  Awake with the sunrise

and shortly after out the door.  Into the nearby park where we mostly walked and talked, few photos, but I couldn't resist getting a couple of this opportunistic bird,

hanging out near a man fishing.  I hope he got something out of it!

After a light Starbucks breakfast and some hanging out, it was time for us to make.  Oh yes, for while Marie was leaving, I was checking out of our spacious suite and heading to a more modest room in the hotel, to be charged to the work that I was doing in Hawaii.  16 floors down, the other tower, a more modest view,

not a suite.  It was fine for the next three nights, and - happily - the hotel was able to move me right away, which meant that Marie and I didn't need to park our luggage elsewhere for a period of time.

The afternoon brought the shopping, but before we shopped, we lunched.  After a handful of days enjoying the various culinary influences on Hawaiian cuisine, we opted for the familiar:  California Pizza Kitchen.  And yes, we did it:  we ordered a Hawaiian pizza. 

The food of our people, for it was invented in Canada.  A cosmo for me

to fortify me for shopping, and then we were off.

It's all food all the time here, so no, no afternoon photos, just on to our early dinner.  Marie wanted to eat at 5:00 so as to allow enough time for her to make it to the airport.  For her flight.  Which was at 10:45.  Ah, Marie.  I'm not sure why she was so concerned.  No matter.  We ended up at Pint and Jigger, in a corner of the hotel.  Can I be honest?  It's a sports bar.  We thought our server was a delight, but the place had multiple screens showing games of various sorts, and the vibe was entirely sports bar.  No matter.  They have a remarkable bar,

and they mix a great cocktail.  A Last Word for me

- something was off by my palate, but kudos to them on having the green chartreuse - and another drink, called the Iris,

that I very much liked.  The food wasn't gourmet, but a fried chicken sandwich and some fries hot out of the fryer and properly salted were a treat. 

Oh, and Marie

caught for you a glimpse of how the magic happens. 

Make of that shot what you will.

I got Marie off to the airport in very good time, then settled in the room for a sip of wine, a glance at documents, and an evening with Buffy.  Two days of work lay ahead, and I was grateful that we two siblings could have some time before all of that. 

Hawaii, day four

Another day in Honolulu, and - oh so sadly (insert eyeroll here) - another glorious morning to go for a walk.  So, let's start this out with a lovely little photodump from the morning stroll before I move on to telling you about how the rest of the day went.  Friends, I present to you scenes from Ala Moana Park and Kewalo Basin Park, rainbows and more!

Marie did not join me for the walk that morning, opting to walk later on instead.  And she had a proper walk planned:  from our hotel to the Outrigger Canoe Club.  It's over three miles,

I warned her, and it wouldn't be in the somewhat cooler early morning.  Nope, that was what she wanted.  Sunscreen on, a cap on my head, we set out on an expedition, my second of the day.  My step count was awesome, I tell you.

Anyway, we set out late in the morning, heading over into Waikiki, detouring a slight bit - through the Pink Palace, the Royal Hawaiian, for example. 

Down along Waikiki, though, pausing for a couple of photos

and glancing in a store or two, making it to the club with Marie a little worn down and perhaps a tad cranky.  She soldiered through it all, though.  She was also very glad for us to grab seats on the patio just out of reach of the surf washing over, order drinks

and lunch,

enjoy a second drink, then instead of going in the water (which was a little more turbulent than the day before), hopping in an Uber back to the hotel where we enjoyed the easier access to the hotel pool and patio.  After so much walking, it was a gentle, relaxing afternoon for us.

Dinner time took us back into Waikiki, to go to Orchids at The Halekulani.  It's a restaurant that Conrad and I have loved so much, we named a table at our wedding reception for it (we named all the tables for restaurants rather than numbering them).  I wanted Marie to try what I think are the best mai tais in Hawaii. 

She wasn't disappointed, I can tell you that.  We had lovely seats by the lawn, and we sipped in no great haste. 

Dinner was also good:  a kampachi sashimi for me,

the beef cheeks,

then we shared a white chocolate mousse with pineapple cake. 

The cheeks were especially good, so tender, and they went well with a bottle of a nice California Pinot noir that we splurged on.  Dinner ended with a couple of little treats,

and we caught an Uber back to the hotel.  A fine day with a lot of steps and some very good food and drink in our bellies.  I was sorry it would come to an end the next day, and that by the end of that Sunday, I would have to send Marie on her way home.

Britpop cocktails

A break from the Hawaii posts for a moment and catching you up on the recent goings-on at home instead.  Yes, it's monthly online happy hour time!

In honour of the recent Oasis and Pulp concert-going, and because it's Allison's birthday month, the group went with a BritPop theme for the drinks.  Now, I have to say, this was a tricky one for some people.  Allison and I are such big fans of BritPop that it needs no explanation for us.  We can just go with it and have fun.  Chris came through nicely with an Elastica allusion in one cocktail.  Marie or maybe Rachel or Van or Conrad had previously asked if Elton John was BritPop, though, and... oh dear.  Ah well.  We always encourage a lot of creative thinking in relation to the cocktail theme, so whatever worked for folks worked.

First things first, though:  I came attired. 

I pulled out a tshirt

that still fit me (barely) from when Conrad and I saw Suede and Manic Street Preachers co-headlining a show in LA two or three years ago.  Dressed for drinks, I made up several to try.

I posted these on Instagram, and a friend asked me - agog and worried, I think - if I had drunk them all.  No.  I tasted them all, but I had two cocktails in the end.  It was not a hyper-boozy Sunday!

So here they were, with an appropriate backdrop in place for the photos.  Ranked from least favourite to the winner:

The Modern Life.  Sad to say, it was kind of rubbish.  Sorry, the joke had to be made.

The Country House.  Vodka, cranberry, tonic water.  Just a bit plain.

The Morning Glory.  A highball, and drinkable but bland.

The Wonderwall, version 1.  This was an oddball one.  I didn't mind it, but it was just odd.

The Park Life Fizzle.  I liked this, but I would dial back on the bitters next time.

The Wonderwall, version 2.  Pretty good.  Light and fresh and clean.

The Oasis.  A spin on a margarita using pear liqueur and basil.

A fun time was had by all, or so I always hope.  We'll meet again in a few weeks, and we'll see what comes of the drinks exploration for that one!