Ruth's Chris's ovens are 1800 Degrees and the serving plates are in a heat box next to it. When they say HOT.. they mean it!
We started out with the house fresh baked bread, the gumbo soup ( not overwhelming in the spices) and the Cesar salad... noisy crisp with home made dressing.
Easily I could have made a meal with either and been happy!
 
We opted for the Filet migs. The butter on top had melted, but the butter at the side was sizzle dancing away. A sprinkle of salt and pepper and it, too, disappeared . 

My own litmus test for a great steak is flavor and when you do not have to resort to using steak knives.
 
Real mashed potatoes made with plenty of butter and cream, creamed spinach, elegant yet earthy and more of the house's freshly baked bread.

Steve had his iced tea and I opted for a red.
What? Wine? Yes.. On my Doctor's orders, I have given up alcohol/wine since my last Cancer and the ensuing treatments. (My CA and other blood test numbers are still moving in the right direction. That to me is a big Payday.)

Steve, like a kid, could hardly wait to for his bread pudding. Whiskey sauce or not, it is his all time favorite dessert.
I went with the Mango sorbet.... melt in my mouth and go to heaven delish.
 
The service was 'Class'! yet personable.

You know how the waiters come by after food delivery and ask if everything is Okay?  
I sat forward as he bent over to hear.
"May I have some Catsup?" 

I thought sure he'd drop his order book, but Steve said he did not even flinch.
That Steve! His laughing gave the joke away.

YES YES  and one more time YES! We will be going back! 

We have to go back. I want to try the steak and lobster Haynes 94 blogged.... and then back to Macaroni Grill, Tommy Bahama's and the Mauna Kea and....hmmmm, I think I know why my weight loss program is not ....

All I can say is that I am eating SO well on this diet~. 

YES! Aaron is here for a visit. You can bet we are having a ball...It has been non stop laughter.

Aaron is my very first grandson..
My mind is flooded with all the joyful memories of our past as we add more.

My mind is clear as I remember our first meeting...I was worrying that I would not be a good grandma... I did not feel like a grandma... But from the first moment I laid eyes on that child, Grandma-ism kicked in. BIG TIME!

I am so blessed with 5 Grands.
I am still the Fastest Photo Quick Draw on the block. Every one of them is perfect... no bragging... just the facts.

We have been on the go... trying to show him everything Hawaii in a short time.

We've been to see the live and active Kilauea Volcano...

Halamaumau culdera  is really acting up... pouring out emissions that appear to be worse than before it blew when Shellie was here.

We checked out the Black sands beach... no giant sea turtles today.
   

... and we watched whales breach as we played in the Ocean..

        
          .... and we ate
     
     Our Tommy Bahama's has the best lobsters bisque.. fresh baked bread..
     Outside seating, please....
 
     We shopped the Queens, ate and did a bit of shopping.
  
  These fish are spectacular.

   Checked out the northern top of the Island.. Hawi...
   .....only because we are short of time did we decide not to take
   the long and scenic trip down to another spectacular black sand beach.
   Just behind Aaron is a loooong way to the next landfall.

 Did anyone miss all that lush green vegitation?

   and we ate...

   Tomorrow is lunch at the fabulous Mauna Kea Resort. They have a menu that is
   so delish it is hard to pick.. the chicken salad, crisp greens with their fresh orange
   vinegrette, the hamburgers are #1 gourmet... right there on the beach with
   that Turquoise water and white waves... balmy breezes and white picturesque umbrellas.

    The profile painting? It's Prince Hapuna Beach,
    It is our favorite swimming and laying on the sand beach.
  
   Yes! We are having fun.
                                          Wish you were here!   
 
  

Welcome to Pea Gravel Beach!

It begins at the side of my house where the Italian Cypress
are planted...
 
      

      .... and then meanders past the Magnolia tree and the Lady Palms

     
     
       This is where a low foot bridge is planned over 'Black River'.

        Then the beach widens at the Areca Palm and Mock Orange
 
       

       and terminates at the Black River Lake path
      

       We are afraid to count up the bags of peas gravel ... but when we started 
      with this idea, a bag of pea gravel was $1.98. Like all fine imported things,
      ( imported from the mainland) prices have reached the high end cost of
       $5.04.

      We are so glad to have this part of the yard project completed, that I think
      we should opt for a very good bottle of 'Red' to celebrate.
      ( Debi, what would you suggest? Ofcourse! We will want something with a
       cork)

       I cannot help but feel we may not be finished until we drill some beach-y
       sign in the ground.
     
      What should a beach-y sign say? 

Yes, that is exactly what I said... A basket of snakes.

I was having some problems with the Francolin birds digging up newly planted seeds and plants. They don't just scratch, they DIG and grub out huge patches.
We are getting ready to seed the back yard for the first time. I wanted to discourage these diggers from
thinking this, too, is a feast we have set out for them.
Between their voracious appetites (not to mention they are also the noisiest birds I have ever lived with) and the
daily blasts of wind, we had to seed and reseed our front lawn at least 10 times.

Anyhow, I decided to search for snakes. Not real ones, but these toy ones, and finally located a basket of
snakes at a yard sale. The lady had used them as a Medussa Halloween costume and readily gave them to me.

I was so elated. I went home immediately and set them about my back yard.. one here, two tucked into my tomatoes another... well, you get the picture.

In my mainland past, I have used these snakes in my strawberry patch with great success. Birds suddenly decided to leave them all for me.
Well...long story short.. these Francolin birds kept right on eating my garden and digging up the practice seed.

Francolins are a game bird from Ethiopia. They were set free here so that sailors would have a ready food source.
In Ethiopia there are vast grasslands and the reason for their loud voices is to enable them to find a mate.
 
We do not have snakes on this Island and the pseudo snakes hold no great fear for our birds. Hello! So much for that great plan!

Instead, I have frightened my own self a thousand times. I have been picking them up as I 'found' them. Today is the day I decided to wash then. Once dried, they'll be clearly marked in whatever packaging I put them in, and ready for the next project or person in need.

Even though they are so phony looking, bobbing up and down in all that sudsy water.... I did not turn my back on them.

There are at least three more lurking out there somewhere, ready to wreck a bit of fateful vengeance upon myself.

This is a bit complex because I am not usually afraid of snakes or even handling them.
It might be that my subconscious knows there are no snakes here, so I am surprised at seeing one?

I should be more careful sticking my hand in places where I cannot see. There are things here that could hurt me.

When does that Trip of a lifetime vacation Ahhhhhh! turn into an OH! NO!
You've packed, you've planned.
You bought all the new clothing to make up a wardrobe, leaving space for new purchases along the way.
Your significant other has put a stop / resume order on the mail, the newspapers and the milk man.
The bills and insurances are all up to date and the dog/house sitter has reconfirmed.
The tickets are purchased, printed out the itinerary and the boarding passes

That is it.. everything on that list of things to do. Everything is covered..YES!

Well, maybe not!

Hopefully, you have not forgotten to call the credit card companies of the cards you will be using.
It is possible that they might question any new charges to your card from France, decide that these may be a fraud.
Maybe, if you are lucky or pay for the service, your credit card company will telephone your home telephone number, alerting you to a possible problem with your card and ask that you call them with the next 24 hours or they will shut down that card.

You will not be home. Your dream vacation starts with two weeks aboard a cruise ship.

Who, then,  calls the credit card company??? 
Even if the house sitter and all your relatives call the card company.. all they can do is put a note on the account.
According to credit card company supervisor, that really does nothing.

I do know that my friends have a card from this credit card service, but wait, that is no guarantee that this call could be a fraud.
I decided to call the credit card company from the friends' home phone number. I used the Credit card phone number from my own credit card ( same company) and NOT a call back number ( because that, too, could be a scam).

I did insist on a note be placed on the account... and have my friends call the Credit Card Company at their next purchase point. That is all I can do.

IF there is anything else amiss..

 
So, my dear Xanga vacationer..  if it not too late, make the call to your Credit Card number and tell them there will be a flurry of activity.............

Otherwise, you may be facing several weeks.. almost cashless and in another country.

Maybe you should take two cards...just in case.

When does that Trip of a lifetime vacation Ahhhhhh! turn into an OH! NO!
You've packed
You bought all the new clothing to make up a wardrobe
Your husband has put a stop / resume order on the mail, the newspapers and the milk man.
The bills and insurances are all up to date and the dog/house sitter has reconfirmed.
The tickets are purchased, printed out the itinerary and the boarding passes

That is it.. everything on that list of things to do. Everything is covered..YES!

Well, maybe not!

Hopefully you have not forgotten to call the credit card companies of the cards you will be using. It is possible that they might question new charges to your card from France, decided that these may be a fraud. The telephone your home telephone number and ask that you call them with the next 24 hours or they will shut down that card.

You will not be home. Your dream vacation starts with two weeks aboard a cruise ship.

Who calls the credit card company???  Even if the house sitter and all your relatives call the card company.. all they can do is put a note on the account. According to credit card company supervisor, that really does nothing.

Since I was calling the credit card company from their home phone number and calling the number that I got from the telephone book and not a call back number ( because that, too, could be a scam).

I did insist on a note be placed on the account... to not shut down the account if it comes from these places on these dates ( I have their schedule) ... but if  there is anything else amiss.. that is all I can do.

 
So, my dear Xanga vacationer..  if it not too late, make the call and tell them there will be a flurry of activity..........

Otherwise, you may be facing four weeks.. almost cashless and in another country.
Maybe you should have two cards...just in case.

                           Merry Christmas! 

                                     Wishing all of ya'll the very best year ever !

Life has been "Interesting" this Christmas season... to say the least.

As it happens, the shatterproof tree ornaments I brought home for just a few $$$$ this year, is what I will use this year...possibly with the exception of a wreath on the gate.

I scored a potted tree at a yard sale some months ago ... planning to set it outside at the patio entry door.
It is my 2009 Christmas tree because... well .....because life does not have to be complicated, someone decided to make it thus~

 
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I have a lifetime collection of Christmas goodies.
As usual, I had a lot of Christmas decorating plans, even though I will only be here part time. I am house and elder dog sitting for friends. 
My friends are doing a trip to South America and... "while they are there"   are adding things to see and are really doing it up royally. 
I think doing it now is so wise, one never knows what the future holds, even with the best of planing.

So,  after dragging out the old Christmas Afghan I crocheted some years ago..( we're not counting )

....a few Poinsettia plants here

A bell tucked in over there....

 
 The extra ornaments brighten up this space ...
,

 and a roll of ribbon (not stored in the overhead)

                               I look like Christmas!
 

I will be having a wonderful Holiday and wish you the Very Best of this 2009 Holiday Season!

These two get started well before sun up...
It begins with Thump Thump Thump Heh Heh ( Daisy's play voice), Hissssssss and growls (from Sister Kitty) . The morning riot has begun and decible level goes up from there!

It would take more effort to go back to sleep, so pour my cup of coffee and grab the paper and  head for the lanai to start my day.

The Brudda Kitty has disappeared over a month ago. The feral Tiger has been back, trying to establish his territory, inflicting terror and havoc within the cat community. 

I would (and still do) call his name before first light when the people community is barely stirring.

I have searched everywhere, plastered the area with posters and phoned everyone cat related. Even with the intense BOLO, he has not been sighted. That could be construed as good news and my show up later.

Sister Kitty (aka Funny Face) had been totally lost.... all but devastated.  She is spooked at everything before when Brudda took care of her and was terrified with everything when he went AWOL.

Steve and I have taken extra care to be more quiet with the yard project... and to talk slow and low to her.
      
She has been coming around.

                 Where is that silly dawg?
    
When I bring her food, I sit longer on the steps and talk to her... insuring that no other cat or dog spooks her while she eats.  She has been waiting at the gate for me where she used to wait under the steps until Brudda called her to eat. She would freak and hide under the house at the sight of Daisy.

               I think I see a kitty kat!   
 

It is Daisy that would bring us the real break through... poking her nose under the gate to get Sister's attention. Sister would eventually be so curious as to poke hers under for a look around...that rolled to a jump over the gate and really look and not be so frightened with the dog.

Just like she would do with Brudda, Daisy would  bring toys to try and interest the kitty into playing.
                Sister now plays hide and seek.
     

It is a progressive thing.. Sister calls me if I am late with food...   Instead of running at the sight of me there is 'chatter tail' with excitement when I bring 'EATIES". Sister wraps her self around my feet as I walk.. touching me is a big deal.
Instead of cringing under the house she now she spends most of her time on the lanai and even sleeps up here....  . first behind chairs, then, on the chairs, under the table (with a long tablecloth) to stay out of the wind.... and now she favors snoozing and sleeping on one of the lounge chairs.

    
She comes to the door in the evening and meows for Daisy to come out and play before bedtime.

Yesterday, we came home to find the both of them sleeping on the same lounge...(a first) not touching, but not at opposite ends either.
She has begun seeking out companionship and starting to play two party games. This little gal has come a long way. Fluke or not , I am so proud of Daisy.

And then there is the ever popular.. STARE OFF!
  

Life is good.. I hope it is for all of you, too.

Daisy likes to do almost everything except stopping long enough to be groomed and take a bath...

Reading Letters to Editor with Steve my favorite .. right after checking on Ruff in Family Circus

Come on, lets play with the squeeky sockie

Too late Steve, here she comes with the shampoo in hand~
Hey! How come she never puts you in the sink and gets soap in your ears???