Not quite the Annal Horriblis but we were definitely poster girls for what is happening in the US economy! If you click on the image, you can read the comic clearly. Kath was pink-slipped back in September but didn't actually leave her job until Dec. 31. In the meanwhile, she had secured a job at Tripler Medical Center but it wouldn't start until May. So for the first part of the year, she was the wife!
During the Spring, Kath oversaw the build out of the front patio and tried to single-handedly do the back patio with recycled brick. She did develop carpal tunnel in both wrists and still is suffering from it.
I tell you, middle age is not for sissies! Kath gets carpal tunnel. I throw my back out in June doing yoga!!! That was pretty pathetic. I was out for 2 weeks and the day I came back to work only to be told my services were no longer needed. It was a little more personal if you know what I mean. Luckily, I was able to get unemployment. I've interviewed several places but it is tough here! You have to make your own luck (somebody said that) so I've been networking like crazy and have kept a good attitude.
As many of you know the Hawaii economy tanked big time. It's bad on the mainland but, tourism is the engine that drives the state and with less and less folks spending their travel dollars here...
In between looking for jobs, I became an avid gardner and am up to my armpits in arugula. I've developed a few recipes for it. I've tried to be as organic as possible: no pesticides, no fertilizers. Just composted horse manure. I was disappointed to find out that the horse manure and the all the crap the horses are fed probably undid all my efforts--c'est la vie!
Kath did her annual soccer tourneys in April in Las Vegas and July in Washington. No threepeat this time.
In January, we almost killed our beloved Maka dog who had taken to sleeping right against the inside of the garage door. He was virtually deaf and did not hear us pulling up in the car and we drove the car into the garage without looking for him!!! We ran right over him and managed to not kill him or break any of his limbs. As you can imagine we were frantic when we realized with a sickening feeling what we had done. Our neighbor was able to jack up the car within minutes and we pulled him out. He never even whimpered. He was trapped under the engine block and suffered a severe deep burn. Kath was able to nurse him back to health over the course of several months. We did not know that the injury coincided with a slow growing cancer on his elbow that would eventually fatally weaken him. My time at home was a blessing as I was able to be with Maka. He needed to have his dressing changed several times a day. Our friends Dan, Crockett and Doris helped ease his way out of this life.
At the end of October, we traveled to upstate New York for Kath's nephew, David's wedding. Kath took a suitcase full of funny hats and it brought out the ham in everyone at the wedding party! The party itself was proudly Redneck (I'm serious! ) and incredibly elegant with the walls covered in gauze and lights and a red, black and white color scheme. Kath and I helped with the set up and decorations. I demanded the DJ play The Stones or R&B for every 3 country western songs. Dave and Anita's friends danced to everything as did all their family.
Outside, I had never seen the leaves change, so that was a major treat. Ogdensberg is as far north as you can get in New York without being in Canada. In fact, I was trying to convince Kath we needed to go to try out a culinary oddity on the other side of the border that involves cheese curds, gravy and french fries. An equivalent to our loco moco. I had even brought my passport just in case but nope (!) didn't happen. Next time!
On the left, here's Ed looking comfortable in frothy pink, Dave Sr. with Kathy. There I am in Mad Hatter hat, Kath's sis Kim is on my right and mother Betty on my left. Siblings Kevin and Maureen styling in their hats. Ed changed hats again and is standing behind Betty.
In Manhattan, Kath and I had a dramatic start to our visit with the apartment building we were staying set on fire! The apartment right below ours was fully engaged in fire when we got there. We were so stunned I forgot to take pictures! Even as we watched the firemen break into our apartment shattering the glass, the other firemen were simultaneously breaking in the front door. But we were lucky because the firemen shot gallons of water into the apartment and all the apartments of the 5 floors below it. Many of the tenants had to find other places to stay that night and for a few nights following. We suffered smoke damage but that was it! We were dry! I reconnected with old pal, Mary McClean (left) who works at Random House and Bo Lim who works for the UN. And our visit coincided with Crockett (right) who was overjoyed to be on her old stomping grounds. Here she is in full regalia at the MOMA. She got us into all the museums. We went to a lot of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows (Wicked, Gypsy, 39 Steps, etc.) and walked all over the city. We especially enjoyed the farmers market at Union Square. I was surprised that kalo flourishes even in cool weather (!!!)
This historic year, I attended the state party convention, voted in the caucuses, worked both the primary and general elections and boy was that an eye opener! I was stationed at a little polling place in Kalihi Valley. Less than 25% of registered voters did so inthe primary and less than 50% in the general. Interesting how few people voted. Despite that, Obama carried the state by over 70% (only Washington DC voted more for him) I was hooked on all the political blogs. Inauguration day I will be glued to the boob tube again.
Here is wishing you all the best in 2009. We will all weather this la-la and have a great
New Year!
