Potatoes in the Mist

So the weather was good today by NYC early spring standards (a little over 50 degrees). Both kids stripped off their jackets and shoes. Later, when we were heading out, I couldn't find Zoe's shoes. A friend told me that someone else's little kid had been playing with them. So I asked the little kid's mother (Redhead) where Zoe's shoes were. She said vaguely, "I'm not sure, they might be over by the sand pit." They weren't. I started to think they were just gone. Then my friend found them in some random person's stroller. Redhead's daughter had put them there. During the search, Redhead had escaped. The whole incident gave me a dim view of Redhead. I think she should have helped us look, or at least stayed until they were found, since her daughter was responsible.

I miss Hawaii. It's paradise, a truly relaxing place. In other news, I saw a good movie last night, called Enough Said. It had a lot of funny, clever lines.

The trip was worth it, I think...one of the best vacations I've had...but neither child wants to go to bed and it's 12:52 a.m. I went to Gristede's at 9pm (the latest I've been there in a very long time) and only recognized one cashier. I hope they get back on a normal sleep schedule, stat.

Before we left for Hawaii, Eric had his weekly "playdate" with his grandparents. They always cook something together. In honor of our trip, they made pineapple upside down cake. I'd never had it before; somehow it didn't appeal to me - but this smelled so good when Eric brought it home. You could smell the caramelized brown sugar and butter, and the sweetness of the baked pineapple. One bite and I was hooked! So I got the recipe from my mother-in-law. She used a basic recipe with cake mix. I also found a recipe online, more sophisticated, which actually calls for vanilla beans. You can order them on Amazon. And of course we had it in Hawaii...at the Molokini Bistro.

Eric on the beach last night

I took this picture of a rainbow this morning. It's kind of crazy how beautiful it is here.

So we've done some fun things in Hawaii - lounging on the beach, watching Eric and David surf while Zoe played with ladybugs, had some delicious pineapple upside down cake, etc. (I even found a recipe for pineapple upside down cake that calls for a vanilla bean, and I figured out that you can buy them from Beanilla.) But another thing I want to write about is the kitchen in our "villa." We're traveling with my mom and two small children, so they put us in a little house. Anyway, the kitchen has everything recessed: oven, microwave, dishwasher, fridge and freezer. You can see the flat faces of the oven and microwave, and everything else is behind a cabinet door. In the center of the kitchen is an island instead of a table. The stovetop is part of the island. I really like this setup. (The dishwasher controls are on the inside, which is the only awkward part.) I also like the L-shaped sofa - I think it's called a sectional.

So we've been in Hawaii for a few days. The jet lag was terrible at first, and the Newark-L.A. portion of the flight was trying (if you're thinking about flying on Virgin Airlines, don't). Delta, on the L.A.-Hawaii leg, was much better. And Hawaii itself is beautiful. I kind of don't want to go home. We are definitely going to come back here.

So D was checking out the vegetarian options at our hotel restaurant (not that we have arrived in Hawaii yet. We're leaving Saturday). Sadly it is meat-and-fish dominated...but it's not that sad...because it's Hawaii! I'm sure they'll be flexible. The hotel offers a "grocery shopping service," has a really good-looking breakfast, and there is an Indian restaurant nearby (I was surprised). I was thinking back to stories I have heard of Hawaii. I did yoga teacher training in 2005, and my "yoga buddy" was from Hawaii. She was pregnant at age 19 or so and her parents kicked her off their island. So she went to another island. She told me stories of how she breastfed other people's babies. Also, I remembered that Obama is from Hawaii. But I don't know which island.

I remember my first job out of college, where this guy said once, "I'm just keeping my head above water" because he felt overwhelmed by the job. I remember not relating to this comment AT ALL because it was a ridiculous, easy, mindless job where the only difficult thing was getting promoted because no one wanted to be stuck at the entry level (I did get promoted after a year). Anyway, I have lost that superior feeling entirely because I do feel overwhelmed right now. It helps to think of this:

I'm re-reading The Secret Garden.  It's a wonderful book. The one I'm reading is one of those Barnes & Noble collectible hardcover editions with a lilac cover. (They are only ten dollars and they have most of the classics.) The one I read as a child was a paperback Dell Yearling edition with a light green cover. The other book by the same author, A Little Princess , had a pink cover. The Barnes & Noble version does as well. I guess they figured that one has to have a pink cover. Children's books stay with you in a way that adult books don't always. When I was coming back from dinner with D the other night, we passed a building that said Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. I was starstruck! That was where Dell Yearling was headquartered, and that was my favorite imprint as a child. It was like seeing a rock star or something. But better.

We're reading the Little House series with Eric...he loves it. But it's funny reading it this time around. As a child, I liked how it was based on a true story, and the dynamic between the sisters. This time, I'm mostly struck by Pa as superman. He can whip up a table, bedstead or log cabin at a moment's notice. Once he carries a tin stove home from "town" and comments, "Thank God it was only three miles!" I explained to Eric that three miles is the equivalent of sixty city blocks. D's cousin said, "Pa is an alpha male, like Putin." (But a lot nicer.)