HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

The DVD just came out. I just watched the entire movie with G, cool, fun flick. You'll like it...really. The next generation's 'Sound of Music', "West Side Story,' Saturday Night Fever,' 'Grease,' '8 Mile' (just kidding.)

She loves this movie, knows all the words, all the actor's names. We sing and dance to the songs. Try it, it's fun..."we're soaring, flying..."

The downside is you can't get the songs out of your head.

Enjoy.

ALOHA

Heading back to the mainland. I'm at the airport in Hilo, our flight's delayed two hours. (At least there's wifi.) Ironically, it's a sunny, gorgeous day today, the majority of my trip it was cloudy or raining.

I will miss the energy here, the fragrant fresh air that awakens my senses. I go home rested and renewed, already wanting to come back soon, to explore the other islands.

I came here to say goodbye to my Grandma who's in the hospital (she's 91). She wasn't expected to make it past the weekend but now she's actually taking a slight turn for the better. As I kissed her goodbye I whispered "I love you Grandma.' With a gentle yet weakened smile, she was able to whisper back, "I love you too." Even though the doctors had given her a short time to live, I think we underestimate the power of love.

Love will keep you going, keep you holding on, even keep you alive.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I gave her a kiss for all of you too.

(pic: painting from local gallery)

AUDIO ALOHA

MAC STORE NY OPENING

Good ol' SJ and those Apple Geniuses (Geniui?) at it again.

link

ISLAND SPIRITUALITY

Yesterday went to church, New Hope Christian Fellowship Hilo, a large congregation situated on a beautiful new campus. I sat in the back but for some reason I was on the edge of tears the whole time, not necessarily because of things that were said, but just being in Hawaii at a place of worship, silent prayers and questions to God, seeing the beauty and grace upon those around me, ordinary people like me, following the yearning for something more, something deeper. I couldn't escape that feeling in my heart, a mix of brokeness and joy, gratitude and awe.

One thing the preacher did say was to honor the Creator. Beautiful creation points to the Creator. Appropriate being in Hawaii, surrounded by its breathtaking beauty.

HILO LIFE



Here are some pics at the local diner we've been frequenting, Blanes Drive Inn (courtesy of budding photographer Gillian Seguerre). It's across the street from Hilo High School where both of my parents went to school and grew up in. My dad said this is the same location of the diner where my parents dated in High School 45 years ago. Yes, forty-five. Wow. Of course they reminisce a lot about those teenage years, "The Wonder Years." Listening to their stories over a plate lunch, I was struck by the fact that I was back here with them these many years later. However you look at it, that's waaay cool.



And speaking of Blane's. Instead of the requiste pictures of palm trees and beaches, here's a little montage of one of my favorite things to do when I'm in Hawaii...eat da local broke da mouth grinds (sorry, it means 'good food." A new phrase I heard is "If can, can. If no can, no can. " Say it, it will make you smile. It means "if you can do it, fine. If not, no biggie.")


(plate lunch!)


(super loco moco)


(Lau Lau plate)


(lomi, poke)


(yumm)


(fast food)


(slush float)

This didn't even include the fresh mango, fried saimin, spam musubi, saloon pilot crackers, freshly made mochi, one-ton chips and more.

Some more pics:


(the keikis)


(a local business)


(from our hotel balcony)


(farmers market)


(The Princess and the King)

Hey Beautiful People,

Checking in from beautiful, rainy Hilo, Hawaii (on the Big Island) at the Kope Kope Cafe (free WiFi), Jack Johnson playing over the cafe sound system. I'm here for a personal (as in close to my heart vs. private) family matter which I'll blog about a little later, but I just needed to be here now, right away.




Lots of fun things I look forward to doing and seeing while I'm here. I know I'll find new found energy from being on the islands and gathering with family.

I've attached a few pictures courtesy of my brother Noel and my daughter Gillian who got to make the trip with me. She's like her Daddy-she loves planes, travel, hotels and getting out. On the plane before take-off, sprinkled in among her many restless questions and observations, she blurted out excitedly, "this is sooo coool! I can't wait to go to Hawai-Hee! Can we go to the beach?"



Gotta run....lots more later.

Aloha,

Roman

(pic: view from my room)

VIVA LAS VEGAS

Niice, free WiFi at the McCarran Airport. I'm blogging from the terminal, waiting for my flight back home. I just smiled at another passenger who's also working on her Mac. You know the 'fellow Mac-user look.'

Here's some pics from the trip. One of the best parts of the trip was meeting so many interesting, kind people: a veterinarian and his family from Toronto, a pilot from LA, a scientist from LV, a property developer from Phoenix. I even met a realtor from Benicia (where I live). Small town, small world.

During my seminar, the keynote speaker was without a doubt, one of the most amazing, articulate, humorous speakers I've ever heard, which is high praise coming from me. I've heard many, and since I've done a lot of public speaking, I'm wired to critique a speaker. His name is Jamie Clarke, an adventurer, author who was one of the first Canadians to summit Mt. Everest, a herculean feat. He talked about courage and fear, life and passion. It sparked something inside me, the quest for adventure, for exploration, curiosity, testing my limits, overcoming my fears, and living to the fullest. Check out his site, especially his book, "Above All Else", which his talk was based on.

link

(pics: Wheel of Fortune slots at The Venetian; 'Roman' statues at Caesar's (j/k, they're Greek..); The Venetian Bridge; The Bellagio Lake)

LV Early Arrival: 8:09 A.M.

I leave for Vegas in about 5 hours. Can't sleep. Reading through this article in the Chronicle about living above Santana Row. Interesting if somewhat (actually, extremely) jaded and cynical perspective.

But check out this slammin' outdoor mall. Here's a video tour. Looks like a hot spot.

It reminded me how much I miss living in downtown Benicia by the water (we moved up more in the Benicia hills). They're building new townhomes above soon-to-be new storefronts (and rumored Starbucks), overlooking the main street with a view of the water and the bridge. I even asked my realtor to check them out for me.

I loved being downtown where the action is: Thursday night Farmer's Market; early AM runs at the Marina; walk to the Waterfront Pier for a beautiful view of the bridge and water, or fishing, throwing rocks and feeding the ducks; walk to my gym; bike to the State Park; all the eats: Sandoval's (Mexican), Chinese, Double-Rainbow Cafe (Ice Cream), Kinder's Deli, First Street Cafe for Breakfast, Thai, Sushi, Seafood; Gazebo Park; Benicia Library; 4th of July firework displays; numerous parades, shows, concerts, events. And all right outside my door within walking distance.

Maybe it is time to move back, no matter what the Chronicle Columnist says.


(pics: Santana Row; Benicia Marina)

PAY AT THE PUMP

Filling up my SUV at Costco where gas is 'only' $3.17, I saw one of these at the pump next to me, a Fleetwood Southwind. With these current gas prices, of course I had to know how much it cost to fill one of those bad boys up. I went over to talk to the owner, commented on his rig, 'she's a beauty,' and other small talk then asked what the damage was. $300 to fill 'er up. Yikes. That's about a 94 gallon tank. Forgot to ask him the range he gets.

They were heading out of town, probably get as far as filling up at the next Costco Gas :) I asked if he wouldn't mind if I peeked inside, which he and his wife happily obliged. Niiice. Huge, comfy, all the amneties. 6 figure ride. Worth it. Just added it to my wish/dream list. Home away from home. I like that.

ART CONTINUED

More of my favs:

Van Gogh's "Irises":


Michelangelo's Pieta:


Robert Bechtle's "Agua Caliente Nova." Oil on canvas. Photorealism. Saw his amazing work at SFMOMA:


"The Battle of Anghiari", usually attributed to Da Vinci or one of his unknown students. One of my favorites, it's on my Mac's desktop:

ART

To all the artists after my own heart - keep creating, bringing beauty into, and sharing your genius with the world.

Some quotes to share with you that have inspired me:

“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.” - Abraham Maslow

"Great art not only brings forth the ordered essence of human experience, but of the world we live in, this is what we call beauty. Art and love are man’s greatest gifts to himself; and there can be no art without love. Art is always the making of the soul, the craft of a human being’s touch…" - David Hawkins, "Power vs. Force"

“[One] viewer describes the unsettling physical dimension of the aesthetic flow experience, which resembles the shock a body feels when diving into a pool of cold water:

‘When I see works that come close to my heart…I have the strangest reaction, which is not always exhilarating, it is sort of like being hit in the stomach. It’s just this sort of completely overwhelming feeling, which then I have to grope my way out of, calm myself down, and try to approach it scientifically, not with all my antennae vulnerable, open . . . . What comes to you after looking at it calmly, after you’ve really digested every nuance and every little thread, is the total impact. When you encounter a very great work of art, you just know it and it thrills you in all your senses, not just visually, but sensually and intellectually.’ “ - Mihaly Scikszentmihalyi, "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience"

En-joy,

Roman

(pic: "Red Jazz" by Didier Lourenco; "La Victoire de Samothrace")

ROAD TRIP


Heading to Vegas for business next weekend. Staying at the Rio. Can't wait.

SUNDAY A.M. RAMBLE

Blogging from Panera Bread. Just opened in Concord. What a gorgeous, sunny day. This a great place to chill. This may become my new mobile office location along with Starbucks. Hot Tea. Smoothies. Free WiFi. Plenty of outlets. Lots of patio and indoor seating. Uh-oh, the secret’s out.

And try the Spinach & Artichoke Souffle and Chocolate Croissant. MmmMm.

I'm back. Stopped into REI next door. They’re having a big sale, tons of cool stuff, what a zoo. Picked up some new gear, but couldn’t decide on which new bag (looking for a new carry-on) but also picked up the new CamelBak water bottle to try out. Just came out. The checker raved about it, even had hers with her as she rang me up. Like a sipee cup for adults, hehe.

Hi. I’m Roman. And I’m a gear and gadget nut.

Out on the bike yesterday, nice easy jaunt with some of the boys, two of whom got brand new Specialized rigs, same as mine. Yes, more converts. Nice to ride after all that rain and get ready for the season. Lots of events to choose from this year.



Saw my friend Tom the other night. As in Cruise. Mission Impossible 3. Great popcorn flick. What the first two should have been. I don’t really keep up with all the gossip about him. I just like (most of) his movies, especially his latest ones, Samurai, Collateral, War of the Worlds. It’s become somewhat of a tradition of mine to see the latest Cruise movie on the big screen.



Looks like the rain ain’t coming back. Enjoy the sun!

ROAD AND SKY TRIPPIN'

I took G out for a run on her new bike. She’s fast now, I can’t just jog next to her, I have to ruuuun. And she just loves her new pink (of course) Chuck Taylor Converse All Star High Tops (see pic). She spotted them in the shoe store window at the mall among countless others. Are all females genetically wired toward shoes and bags?

Anyways, we were down at the Benicia Marina and the city was hosting a car show downtown. We saw dozens of cool cars, mostly classics and hotrods but also saw this(!) parked on the street:



It’s a Roadtrek RS Adventurous Motorhome!

My Life To-Do List includes ‘Travel the Lower 48 States by RV.” For instance, I’ve actually never been to the Grand Canyon but have always wanted to go. They say pictures are one thing, but it’s a world of difference seeing it in person. There are so many outrageously beautiful and interesting places to visit throughout America. RV is one way to go: taking your time, visiting whatever places you want to go, at your own pace. There’s the freedom of traveling with everything you need, camping out, a home away from home. A must do. The RoadTrek is a place to start.

Or maybe one of these(!):


SUPERMAN

In the meantime, you can also dowload Google Earth and scout the places you want to travel to. The Google Geeks are geniuses. You enter and address or location and you ‘fly’ to that location anywhere on the map. So of course I spent considerable time ‘flying’ around the world to all my favorite places and yet to visit places: Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Great Wall of China, Fiji and of course places in Nor Cal. Very detailed images, you can zoom in and even see cars in your driveway. And get this, you can rotate the topography and see the images in 3-D.

Here’s the Grand Canyon:


Here’s the Marina where we ran:


Here’s the Google Campus:


Up, up, up and away...

I OWE IT TO MY MOTHER!

Early Mother's Day thoughts I came across. Fuuunny!

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4.My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12 My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"