Writing, from the top of the Empire State Building...

Dear Friends and Family,

Just kidding. I am not in New York. And, I am definitely not on top of the Empire State Building. I AM at the mouse pad. And, I brought my laptop, so it is weird writing from here with my computer vs. Mr. mouse's hand-me-down klunker.

Just having my morning tea and psyching myself out for the interview this afternoon. I should have taken the summer off to enjoy here in mouse town. It would have been time well spent. Sigh... Such is life.

The last two days at work were great. I went to a conference on leadership that was SO inspirational. So many great people. So many great speakers. So much commitment and passion and energy. On the surface, so many opportunities. It's easy to forget the day-by-day hell that is my reality and get sucked into the dream of what we can be. In the past two weeks, I've heard the two top leaders tell me, in small settings, the vision, the future. I want to stay. I want to do this. But, I can't. My department doesn't work that way. I want to tell them, your vision, it gets lost in the execution of bad managers and bad departments.

So, I go into the interviews today with hope and determination and a sense of loss. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me. I hope it all works out for "the best."

On a lighter note, on the radio the other day driving into work, I heard the old Michael McDonald song, "I Keep Forgetting." Again, transposing it from romance to work... you can see why I laugh!

I keep forgettin we're not in love anymore
I keep forgettin things will never be the same again
I keep forgettin how you made that so clear
I keep forgettin every time that you are near

Did it put a smile on your face too?


Cheers!
mouse

PS: (11:17 am update) just lazing on the hammock. love the roof top deck. gonna eat lunch up there. fabulous.

Kauai Update, Part 4D - What I Learned

Dear Friends and Family,

Busy day today. But, want to take the time this morning to reflect on some thoughts from one of my favorite books... There are books I read once and donate and there are books I can read over and over again. Age of Innocence (ISBN: 0375753206) is one of those books I can read over and over again. The movie doesn't do it justice. The rich language just gets lost in the movie... Unlike, Lord of the Rings, Jackson did a phenomenal job carrying Tolkein's language into film.

Back to Age of Innocence. It centers around a character, Newland, and two women. There's a passage from the end, that always makes me think...

"His days were full, and they were filled decently. He supposed it was all a man ought to ask. Something he knew he had missed: the flower of life. But he thought of it now as a thing so unattainable and improbable that to have repined would have been like despairing because one had not drawn the first prize in a lottery. There were a hundred million tickets in his lottery and only one prize; the chances had been too decidedly against him... Their long years together had shown him that it did not matter if marriage was a dull duty, as long as it kept the dignity of duty: lapsing from that, it became a mere battle of ugly appetites."

Okay. My lesson? It's not about Mr. mouse. It's about work.

There was a corporate session I attended back in school for Exxon. And, asking about the assignment people enjoyed most - they all came up with the same story. There was this assignment, I didn't want to take it, surprisingly it turned out to be the best assignment in my life because... My thoughts? Great. But, for those people where it didn't turn out to be the best assignment, they're probably not here to tell their story. They might have left the company. They might not be recruiting. All I could take away is that Exxon sent its people on assignments they don't want. Thanks, but no thanks.

Well, yesterday (reinforcement from vacation), we heard a ton of inspirational speakers talk about the success of women in the work environment. But, you don't hear about the people who didn't win Newland's "lottery". These are executives who against the odds made it work. Great, but maybe I won't be as lucky. I didn't say as good. I said as lucky.

Back to the quote. Putting the job/career lens on it. Maybe, maybe, I'll miss the "flower of life" with regards to work. Maybe it won't be the center of my life. Maybe, it'll in the end be a dull duty I do with human dignity. And, maybe that's okay. Maybe that's what's allocated to me in this life and I need to learn what lessons I can from it. I'm okay with that.

So, I am looking forward tomorrow. But, with open eyes. I hope it's a place I can excel and challenge myself and learn and grow. But, if it's not the be-all end-all. That's okay, too.

Wish me luck!


Cheers!
mouse

Ro*Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies

Dear Friends and Family,

Long day ahead of loose ends to set up a successful week.

Saturday, at the supermarket, Mr. mouse noticed some uber-ripe avocados. He picked up two to make some guacamole with... I could hardly wait... He also picked up a second can of Ro*Tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies. (He wanted to use the first can and keep constant stock.)


Now, he had my curiosity going. Our neighbors in Texas used to rant and rave about Ro*Tel. Mix it with anything and you've got instant Tex-Mex. We've had the can for close to a year now, but had never opened it. Looks like we were going to be opening the can of Ro*Tel.

The can says it all.

RO*TEL is the original Texas family recipe of plump, vine-ripened tomatoes blended with select green chilies and flavorful spices. It's the secret ingredient that makes ordinary recipes and dips come alive. A secret that originated in the sun-drenched Rio Grande Valley and spread across the country by word of mouth. Why? Because this Southwestern favorite brings mouth-watering zest to any dish. Just add RO*TEL to all your same old recipes and you'll see what we mean. Add a can. Lose the bland! You can RO*TEL the difference! For great recipes, visit us at www.ro-tel.com.

Not for the faint-hearted. A single serving of Ro*Tel delivers a whopping 22% of your daily sodium allowance. Then, again, doubt you'll consume a single serving in a single serving. I had about a quarter serving in my guacamole. Given last week's heart incident, this might not have been the smartest thing to do. Oh well. Too late now.

The guac was yummy. And, I've got to say, I started thinking of a million and one things I'd like to try adding it to... Chili... Chicken... Cheese... Fajitas... It got me looking forward to my trip back to Austin this weekend. I can hardly wait.


Cheers!
mouse

Weekend Update - Loose Ends

Dear Friends and Family,

Having trouble getting my act together today. Might be because I have so much going on this week.

1. There's work, which, Murphy's Law guarantees gets hectic just when other stuff starts getting hectic. We spent all day today working on a presentation that isn't due for another month.
2. Then, I'm out two days for an offsite. This involves driving to new places, change in eating routine, and lots of stuff going on that I haven't prepared for.
3. Then, there's my interview on Thursday and all the prep work associate with it.
4. Then, I'm flying down Friday to get my retainer fixed. It's been broken for weeks and this is the first good chance to get it taken care of.

Basically, too many loose ends, logistically. I need to make a list and get my hands around it all. Any one would be enough to handle in a week, much less all four. Argh.

This weekend went by in a blur. Saturday, we slept in. Then, we spent the day unpacking all of my fall clothes and assessing how much of it is still usable. We hit the supermarket. We roasted a chicken for dinner. We watched a lot of TV. Where did the day go? Sunday, we slept in. We spent the day cleaning the house from top to bottom. Then, our neighbors came over and we helped them spec out a new computer. Looked at pictures from Labor Day (which I still need to write about) and our Kauai vacation. Had a simple dinner. And, there went the weekend.

Feeling like having a special treat before organizing my head around what needs to be done this week. So many little details, so little time.


Cheers!
mouse

80% Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

I won't have time to post the weekend update until later this evening. But, had to share my weekly weigh-in with you.

Another 10%!!!

Yeah, me. Chin up about the work day ahead.


Cheers!
mouse

Sleepless in the Midwest

Dear Friends and Family,

I had a bad dream about work. So, instead of taking Mr. mouse to the airport, I sent him in a cab. I'm going to finish off some slides. Hopefully, I'll write more later this morning.

#$%@! work.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse Working

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm going to be working on adding formatting to the right hand side for categories. Excuse the mess while I'm working on it. Most of it won't be functional until I'm done.


Cheers!
mouse

Slow and Steady

Dear Friends and Family,

This was my first week working on finding a new job.

So, what did I do? I wanted to make sure, every day, I do something proactive, no matter now small, to move the ball forward. Monday, I picked up my suit (I had some alterations done on it). Tuesday, I made travel arrangements for an interview next week. Wednesday, I cleared through most of my email inbox so it's usable again. Thursday, I reached out to a friend. He's sending me three people I can network with. I also began compiling references. Today, I'm going to finish the references. So, not earth shattering progress, but it's a start. We'll see how next week goes.

It's been cold here all week. And, last night it rained, not the breezy, warm summer rain, but the first of the cold, wet autumn rains. Speaking of which, today's the official start of fall. Enjoy! (since winter's right around the corner)


Cheers!
mouse

Kauai Update, Part 4C - What I Learned

Dear Friends and Family,

Lots to cover this morning...

Rewind to Kauai... Actually, this all started before Hawaii and continues, but it happened in the time frame, and culminated in Kauai so I'm taking the liberty of including it here.

I was in Korea the summer of 1998. I had a summer internship out there that was hell on wheels. Well, towards the end of summer, a couple of friends invited me on a hike up a famous mountain on the border of Seoul. It was a tough hike, but when we got to our vantage point, I had a chance to reflect on the summer overall.

I realized, at the time, that while the summer had been an abysmal failure, that if Mr. mouse had been in Korea with me, I would have been okay. We would have found a way to make it work. I left with a faith the Mr. mouse and I could, as a team, always land on our two (technically, four) feet and make it through any tough situations okay. I left the mountain with renewed faith. Maybe it was naive, but, it was where I was in my life's journey.

Fast forward eight years to this summer. There was a day when work was going "poorly" and Mr. mouse wasn't being supportive... And, I was at wits end. What's the correlation? Well, in Kauai, when we were up on the "mountain" in Waimea Canyon, I felt alone. Now, our relationship is stronger now than it's ever been. But, I felt alone. And, it all crystallized...

Maybe, the only person I can truly count on, always and forever, is me. And, maybe, it won't all end up okay in the end. Maybe, it'll be a bust... Now, don't think I'm being a downer or anything or think I don't value the love and support I get from you all. It's actually very refreshing and liberating, truth be told. It frees Mr. mouse from the burden of savior and champion and let's him be "merely" friend and companion. And, it frees me from running around in mental circles. It's GOT to end okay, so what assumption am I making wrong? what angle am I missing? what action is within my control? ARGH! Help! Instead, it allows me to say, maybe, it isn't going to be okay. Maybe, I'm assessing it all correctly and it is going to suck. Now, that's an okay ending. I can move on instead of trying to find the missing piece.

On the surface, Waimea Canyon could have driven us further apart. Instead, it brought us closer together.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: I had a pretty bad scare last night. Had some funny stuff go on with the heart. Thought of going into the emergency room, but didn't. Will probably go in today, if Mr. mouse can find me a appointment, to get it looked at. I'm sure it'll all be fine, but it scared me last night.

Mouse's Top Three Update

Dear Friends and Family,

Not sure if you remember me writing before about my top 3. What it comes down to is I can focus on three things at any given time. With the change in seasons, it's time to revisit my priorities and make sure they're aligned with my goals.

My health and wellness. That's a given. It's not as all-consuming as it was, but it's still very important to me and something I want to continue making progress on.

My job hunt. Time to get that rolling. Time to start networking and reaching out to people I know.

Hmmm... There's tons of things I can put on the list. There's maintaining the house, there's keeping up with friends. There's my day job. But, there's one that's less urgent, more important. There's working to simplify our lives. And, that's one that's important to both Mr. mouse and me. I think I'll go with simplifying our lives. Oh, and there's budget. And, there's new wardrobe. The list never ends.

So, I've already done two things that run counter to simplifying our lives. One, I bought baseball play-off tickets which involves reselling tickets for games we can't go to and eventually submitting for a refund for tickets that get unused. Two, I agreed to meet up with an old friend whose fiance is in town. He wants to fly in so we can all meet. That involves me getting on a plane and potentially helping him get on a plane. All during a weekend when we were going to get on a plane to a third city. Going forward, simplify.

Okay. So, health, new job and simplification. I can do that. What's the order? I think that's the order. Done.

Oh, here's a bit to report. Yesterday, at the gym, I smiled at myself in the mirror (how vain!) and noticed a dimple in my left cheek. I had completely forgotten I ever had a dimple. And, now it's back. It made my day.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse and Food

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm drawing an absolute blank on writing about food.

When I started Weight Watchers, I didn't know what ANYTHING was worth. And, when I entered in my food habits/routine the pointage made it unsustainable. So, I found myself at the supermarket, scouring the shelves, trying tons of new food ideas, looking for new foods to add to my routine.

Now, seven months into it, I've "settled" into a new routine, a new lifestyle. There are a lot of food options that work for me so I'm less motivated to constantly add new.

What did I eat yesterday? I always eat a little extra on Mondays because I work out on Tuesdays and need the extra energy. I have 22 points to work with every day and I use ~5-10 of my flex points for an added buffer.

Breakfast (4 points)

• 2 cups tea (0 points)
• 1/2 cup Fiber One (0 points)
• 1 fat free Stonyfield yogurt, plain (1 point)
• 1 large banana (2 points)
• 9 grams almonds (1 point)
• dash of cinnamon (0 points)

Lunch (7 points)

• 2 slices honey whole wheat bread (2 points)
• 2 oz roast beef (2 points)
• 1 tsp butter (2 points)
• lettuce leaf (0 points)
• salt and pepper (0 points)
• 1 bag Lay's Baked Original Chips, 1.125 oz (2 points)

Dinner (16 points)

• 3 Wei Chuan Moo Shu Pancakes (5 points)
• 6 oz Peking duck (10.5 points)
• 1 tbs hoisin sauce (0.5 points)

Three square meals. I didn't feel hungry at any point in the day. I didn't feel like there was anything I wanted that I couldn't eat. I could have had turkey instead of roast beef. I could have skipped on the butter. I should have gotten more fruits and vegetables in. Call it a day and move on.

In case you haven't guessed, that means I've got no new food item for you this week. There's some new bread I bought, but I don't have a report out on it yet.


Cheers!
mouse

Weekend Update - Midwestern Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

Hope your weekend went as well as ours.

Friday's blood donation went without a hitch. Short of donating online to your favorite charity, it's one of the easiest ways to give back. Also, since it's got zero impact on the checkbook, anyone can do it guilt-free.

Saturday morning, I did a VERY Midwestern Soccer Mom thing. I went stamping. One of my girlfriends is really into it. And, it's not a bad way to spend a couple of hours each quarter. I haven't found a use for the cards yet, so I'm not sure it's all making 100% sense to me. Maybe I should sell them... Or find the time to fill them out and share them with friends... Something... Still it was a good way to catch up with her and I have to confess, I had fun.

Saturday afternoon, I had even more fun. I napped. Blissful napping on the weekend. Life doesn't get any better than this. We went out in the evening to pick up a suit I had altered and ended up spending the better part of the evening shopping. I'm down another size pants-wise so we picked up a bunch of pairs. Nice.

Sunday morning, we met up with a friend to try a new restaurant. Malaysian food. I love trying new places. And, my friend raved about this one. It was delicious, as good as the Malaysian food we have with Mr. mouse's folks when we visit them over the holidays. We had the roti canai, which is a crepe-like "bread" served with chicken curry sauce. So yummy, I could eat the whole thing by myself. This is my all-time favorite Malaysian dish. We also had the chicken satay for an appetizer. For entrees, we ordered three dishes to share amongst us. We had the pineapple seafood fried rice, a nice blend of sweet and savory. We had the Malaysian green beans which are stir-fried in a spicy shrimp paste. And, we had the Hainan chicken, a simple soy sauce chicken dish.





And to close, this weekend, barring an Indian summer, was the last weekend of good weather we had. This morning was a brisk fall morning with a definite bite in the air.

Happy Monday, everyone.


Cheers!
mouse

Kauai Update, Part 4B - What I Learned

Dear Friends and Family,

I've signed up to give blood today. Mr. mouse is very proud of me. He called me the second I wrote him to tell him.

So, what else did I learn while on vacation?

As most or all of you know, I've been on Weight Watchers since February of this year. And, I consistently lose, on average, about a pound a week. I don't have a lot of mirrors at home. And, I don't spend a lot of time looking in the mirrors I do have. With the weight coming off as slowly as it has, it's tough to realize you're making progress.

This was the first "vacation" trip we've taken since February. Looking at the photos, I can see the difference, finally. I can see that I've lost weight. I can see progress. It felt so good. It made all of the hard work worthwhile. It motivated me for all the hard work to come. Yeah, mouse!

Another observation I made is that if we had taken this trip a couple of months ago, say in early July, it would have been a completely different trip. I remember stressing pretty badly over food and social situations over the spring and summer. Now, granted time with Mr. mouse is hardly a social situation. He knows what I eat and what I don't eat. And, more importantly, I still pretty much control the menu. In July, I would have stressed pretty badly. I didn't. I made it through Kauai without getting bent out of shape about food.

That being said. I'm also more in tune with my body. I can still feel Kauai affecting my metabolism. Granted, I didn't gain any weight on vacation, even with all of the different foods we ate. But, I "know" that I won't lose much weight over the next four weeks. I'll be "good" but won't see progress. Then, my body will sort itself out again and I'll be "rewarded" for "good" behavior. The time lag is weird, but it's okay. It's part of my body's rhythm, and I can anticipate it, so it's okay.

Enough about food. Onto my ankle... The last time I was in Hawaii was early 2005. I had a bum ankle and had my surgery scheduled for just after my return from the trip. The surgery was a huge success and the physical therapy an even bigger success. It couldn't have gone more smoothly. So, I was curious to see how it'd hold up on this trip.

I was definitely aware of the ankle when we were at Queen's Bath. The uneven rock formations would have been my absolute undoing last year. But, this year, they tired my ankle out, but I made it through them just fine. To be honest, I could have used better shoes, but, I managed in my trusty Chacos. Note to self, time to replace the Chacos.

That afternoon, on Kee Beach, my ankle hurt pretty badly when I was walking in the super wet sand, the kind that pulls your foot in and makes little sucking sounds when you pull your feet up. I was also goofing around with walking stride and foot positioning and everything which was probably the straw the broke the proverbial camel's back. But, I left the beach with a bad limp. The next morning, was all better.

Next time, I'll wear better shoes. And, I think I'll be fine.

Still, signs of progress.

Wish me luck on the blood donation today.


Cheers!
mouse

Kauai Update, Part 4A - What I Learned

Dear Friends and Family,

This is going to take the longest since I learned a lot about myself while on vacation and each lesson deserves it's own string. I have a list so I'll keep adding until it runs out.

We used points to stay at the Princeville in Kauai. Theoretically one of the best hotels on the island, it's part of Starwood's Luxury Collection hotels. We had stayed for a day on a prior visit, but I don't have any memory of the hotel from that visit besides thinking it was the best hotel ever. So, I was really excited about returning for a longer stay.


Now, I'm not sure if the resort has aged since our last trip or if I have aged or if we just got a bad room. The lobby is still beautiful; I absolutely love the layout. But, the room was only average. The bathroom was tiled floor to ceiling in dark green marble and the fixtures were all a fancy beaded brass. I thought it looked dated. The bed was comfortable, but I've slept in better. Even our bed at home is more comfortable. And, at night, there was a hum coming from either the air conditioner or the fridge. Either way, I noticed it.

So, what lesson do I take away from this?

1. I'm pretty spoiled. Life is pretty darn good right now.
2. I should be more grateful for what I have.
3. Even when work is at it's worst, my list of worries is trivial compared to other peoples' lists of worries.
4. I need to give back more to my local communities and to the world overall. There needs to be balance.

So, this Friday, I'm going to do something I've never done before. I'm going to donate blood. It's a small give back, granted, but it's something I can do immediately. There's no reason I can't. I'm in good shape. There's no recent travels that bar me. And, it does me no lasting harm and reminds me to do good. Need a reason to donate? Here's a good link from the Red Cross on reasons to give.


Cheers!
mouse

Kauai Update, Part III - Travel Administrivia

Dear Friends and Family,

Another miserable day at work. Mr. mouse, rightfully, asked me when I am going to quit. Maybe I should... I have a potential interview later this month. I don't want to make any changes between now and then, since they know me as employed.

Travel Administrivia

We brought three travel guide books with us on the trip from the bunch that were available at Borders. Normally, the default two are Lonely Planet and, when available, Eyewitness. This time we opted for three, two new and one back up.


If I only had room in my bag for one book, I'd bring the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook. Everyone had it. It covered all of the beaches and hikes thoroughly and the most info on places to eat. One word of warning, it seems to overestimate the difficulty of the hikes and underestimate the level of surf, so you need to compensate for the writer's skewed scale. It's written by a local which lends street cred to all the info about where to go and what to see. (ISBN: 0971727910)


Moon Kauai was a good counter-balance to Kauai Revealed. It's more mainstream, but still covers all of the relevant details. It helps triangulate - after all, if a place is on the best of list for both books it's almost a sure fire hit. Also, we always travel with at least two guidebooks. That way, we can both read up at the same time. We both have books to use when writing post cards. It weighs a little more to pack two, but, it's worth it. (ISBN: 1566919568)


Thirdly, Eyewitness Hawaii. Sadly, we hardly opened the book while we were on the trip. It's good eye candy and great for trip planning since it builds up the anticipation, but, once we were there, we relied almost exclusively on the other two books. This one just kind of found a home for itself in the bottom of our backpack.

Shampoo and conditioner and other contraband items... I am a big fan of carry on luggage. No, not for the usual reasons... We take a lot of short weekend trips. If you spend an hour in each direction waiting for your bags, you've lost an appreciable part of your trip time. We fly stand-by. This decreases the chances your bags will end up on the same flight you're on. If you have to make a second trip back to the airport, you've really lost time.

So, what to do about the new travel restrictions? Not shower for the length of the trip? I did some research on the internet to see if anyone sold solid shampoos and/or conditioners. And, voila, they do. Trixie turned me on to a company called Lush. And, they have shampoo and conditioner bars. I went to the store to sort through all of the flavors and picked up three shampoos and one conditioner. Hybrid shampoo smells like black licorice, new smells like cinnamon, and irresistible bliss doesn't have much of a scent at all. Also picked up Jungle hair conditioner which has a heavy coconut scent, not my favorite, but thought it's the only scent they currently carry.

The shampoo worked like a charm. Keep it out of the direct line of shower so it doesn't melt down on you. It leaves my hair a little on the dry side so I wouldn't recommend it for daily use unless you love the squeaky clean feeling. Also, once it's dry, you don't smell the licorice smell at all. The conditioner works well too. My only gripe is it doesn't come in cute round shape with a handy travel tin. So, it's less convenient to pack. And, the scent lingers more. I'm hoping they come up with more scents once demand rises, but for now, I'll continue to use it to avoid checking luggage. All in all they get the essential job done.

Toothpaste? Most hotels and friends have it on hand and don't mind sharing. Plus, it's more of a commodity item so I'm not as picky. And the other essentials? 4 oz of contact lens solution allowed on board. And, we stopped at the local Wal-Mart to pick up sunscreen, after sun lotion, purell and beach mats. We always pick up the mats as soon as we land. They're about $1 to $1.50 each, and keeps the towels off the sand so you can use the towels to dry off without getting covered in sand. Totally worth the investment.

Happy Hump Day.


Cheers!
mouse

Fiber One Bran Cereal

Dear Friends and Family,

One day back and work is already driving me crazy.

Our team is dysfunctional (understatement of the millennium) and it's tough to stay motivated when you don't have a lot of faith in the work being done. Also, I get a lot of my energy from being around people that are high energy and motivated and inclusive and that's not our team...

Sigh, I guess they call it work for a reason. If it was all fun and games they'd call it play and we wouldn't get paid for the jobs we do. Somehow, I don't think it's quite so simple. In my Dorothy-like naivete, I believe work should be something you enjoy. It should be something you're passionate about. I think it's time for a change.

I had "coffee" yesterday with a close girlfriend. She's so rock solid stable. I'm glad I have her as a friend. She helps me remember, I'm not dysfunctional. I am a very capable professional. I need to get myself out of a bad situation and not internalize it all. Then, I had wine with Trixie and got a chance to remember, it's not all in my control, but I need to be proactive about what is in my control. Two great friends to help with the two totally different sides of me - the logical and the emotional. I needed both yesterday.

On to food...


In reading the Weight Watchers boards, there are a lot of posts about foods other people rant and rave about. Fiber One comes up ALL the time. 1/2 cup, 0 Weight Watchers points. Most of the time I ignore most of the food recommendations. Sugar free, fat free fake food isn't what I want to be filling my day with. Real food with real substance, please. A healthy lifestyle, not just lower body mass, please.

Still, I was always intrigued. And, when I had some time in Kauai, in the supermarket, I picked up a box to see what all the fuss is about. Just to clarify, I picked up a box to read the box. I put it back on the shelf (i.e. did not purchase it). Cereal is insanely expensive in Hawaii. They must import it individually, by the flake. So, I had the chance to read the box while Mr. mouse was checking out the poke.

Granted, Fiber One's got aspartame in it, which always raises a fake food flag. But, it has an unbelievable 14 grams of fiber in a single serving. Keep in mind, Raisin Bran is the yard stick I use and it has "only" eight grams per serving and it's 2 points for a serving. 57% of your daily fiber in a single 0 point serving is enough to pique my curiosity. So, when we got home, I purchased a box.

I tried it in my yogurt yesterday morning. And, have to confess, I like almonds more. But, it wasn't bad. It was okay. It filled me up and added crunch to my yogurt and both of those are the criteria I was looking for. So, why switch if the yogurt-almond thing is working for me? Well, in four pounds, I will need to drop 2 points from my daily intake. So, I need to look at different ways to make this work. This is a very viable alternative. I've got the whole box so I'll see if it's a food choice I adopt or if it becomes like Raisin Bran, a pantry hog that needs to be tossed. (The Raisin Bran is great, but after having a bowl of it with milk for 4 points, I'm still starving, so it's not a workable solution for me.)


Cheers!
mouse

End of Summer Thoughts

Dear Friends and Family,

Good morning. Back in the routine.

Still more to come on the Kauai trip. And, will bring everyone up to date on Labor Day weekend itself. But, those are longer posts and I don't know if I have the time to tackle it now.

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer and I can't help but look back. I had seriously toyed with taking the summer off. I wanted to take some time to enjoy myself, recover from the horrible work experiences of this past year and then move on. As you all know, I didn't. I ended up getting "talked into" staying. At the time, it was the right answer. Looking back, is it still the right answer? Do I regret not taking the time off?

Contrary to what my boss has discussed, work hasn't changed a ton. Granted I don't dread each and every day in the office, but that's a pretty low bar. I still don't find it fulfilling, challenging or rewarding. From a monetary perspective, it's not bad. For the soul, it's not great. Given all that, I do wish I had taken the time off. But, life happens in mysterious ways. So, I won't question it. And, I can't go back and change the past, so crying over spilt milk doesn't really move the plot forward, so to speak.

So, why not quit now? Frankly, there's not enough to do outdoors in the fall to make it worth my while. And, there's a stock grant looming in the next 60 days. It's enough to keep me motivated in the near term. And, last but not least, superstition. I almost quit a job 5 years ago today. And, it was the worst day ever. So, let's not rock the boat any now. We don't need any more 9/11's, thank you.

Speaking of which, it's hard not to look back on the day that changed each and every one of our lives and remember where we were that day and what we were doing when we heard and what happened in our lives. Growing up in New York and having a spouse in the airline industry, it hit me worse than others I live and work with.

I'm sure the media with saturate us with memorials, but the internal look is always the hardest. A lot has changed in my life in the past five years, but not really. 2001 and 2002 saw some big changes, but 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 (so far) have been life as usual. We'll see what the future brings. It promises to be different from anything we can predict.


Best wishes.
mouse

Kauai Update, Part II - What We Saw

Dear Friends and Family,

First a quick update. I broke my retainer AGAIN this morning. I figured on average about once a year. But, I took time off in April this year to get that puppy fixed, and now it's broke again. Last time, it was Austin spring break, so I needed to wait two weeks before going down to get it fixed. This upcoming weekend is Austin City Limits. So, it looks like it'll be another long wait. Pain in the neck...

What We Saw

Tuesday, we changed on the plane, landed in the airport, picked up the rental car and headed to the beach! Since it was almost 5 pm, we risked passing on the sunscreen. Poipu Beach is on the south side of the island, a quick 15 minute drive from Lihue Airport. Actually, there are two beaches on the map labeled Poipu. We went to the east-ish one Tuesday night. We got there with about 40 minutes to sunset. The water was warm and we promptly went for a swim. The surf is manageable for your average swimmer. Mr. mouse thought it was the perfect level of surf. Also, no rocks or coral under foot, so you don't have to watch where you're stepping. We watched the moon rise and the sunset and then headed out for pick up supplies and dinner.



Wednesday, we slept in. It was a drizzly day, so we didn't feel guilty about it. Actually, we never really feel guilty about sleeping in. It's vacation, after all. We headed out to Waimea Canyon - Hawaii's version of the Grand Canyon. We weren't sure what we'd find, since it was overcast. The weather changes by the hour and is pretty different on the four coasts, so we figured we had nothing to lose by trying. It's about 2.5 hours to get from our hotel to Waimea Canyon - pretty much the two furthest points on the island. It was drizzly on the drive up the mountain and on-and-off drizzle during our 1 mile "hike" to the look-out point.


Well, the canyon was filled with fog and mist. And, you couldn't see more than a foot or two in front of you... But, it was otherworldly. We had the entire place to ourselves since no other freaks felt the need to hang out on a cold clammy mountaintop when the sunny beach beckoned. But, we did. And, we were richly rewarded for it. A strong wind started blowing from the south, and the fog and mist parted. It was like it was out of a movie. And, Napali Coast and the Canyon appeared before our very eyes. It was so beautiful with the lingering edges of mist hanging onto the mountains. Pictures can't do it justice, you had to be there. Oh, I forgot, NO ONE was there, but us. Okay, I guess you'll just have to trust me on this one. It was awe inspiring.



Then, the winds started blowing from the ocean again, and the mist crept back into the valley. It was as if it was a special gift just for the two of us for a brief moment in time.


We "hiked" back to the car and headed down the mountain. Halfway down, we stopped at a scenic overlook we skipped on the way up (it was pouring rain) and got to see the more classic view of Waimea Canyon with the red rock. Mr. mouse felt like the trip was complete after that. Me? I was completely satisfied after the trip to the top, so the red rock view was an added bonus.


It all worked out perfectly, but for others planning on heading out to Kauai, I'd recommend saving this for the last day. You're in the car and walking at high altitude, so you're not getting particularly dirty or sweaty. It would work well for boarding an afternoon plane vs. being covered in sunscreen, salt and sand. We managed, but, just remarking for y'all...

Thursday... Oh, Thursday... I wanted to head over to a beach called Queen's Bath. It's not really a beach since there's no sand. It's an area on the north side with lots of lava rocks. Some of the rocks form a natural basin that fills with ocean water. During low tide, it's swimmable. I was intrigued by the idea since we had seen a similar concept on a smaller scale in Hilo when we went out last year for my cousin's wedding. Well, the scale of it was completely different... man made vs. Mother Nature... who knew?


The hike down to the pool took a good 40 minutes through some slick red mud, but we managed well considering we weren't planning on hiking. And, then there's a fairly long trek through aa (Hawaiian for lava rock). I wouldn't call them boulders, but, definitely not a paved path. I'll see if I have any photos I can include, so you get the idea.


The pool is down about 10 feet from the level the rocks are at. So, we found a stop with some shimmy-able stones... I was more concerned about my ability to get back up the stones, but that turned out to be a non-issue. The water was too rough to really do any swimming in. I was able to spend about 2 minutes in it, but was constantly battling the tides to avoid getting smashed against the basin. And, Mr. mouse didn't venture in.


Still, the excursion was worth it. Queen's Bath is beautiful, and we were planning on a hike that day anyway. So, it worked well to combine the two into one activity. I wish we had brought a picnic basket for lunch, it would have been a perfect spot for it.

In the afternoon, we headed out to Kee Beach. There's some gorgeous views from there to the west. We found a spot with enough shade for me and enough sun for Mr. mouse. The water was good, but the preponderance of snorkels warned us that there would be lots of coral. Yep. There was. Great for snorkeling, less than optimal for body surfing. Still jumped the waves and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We also had time for a rousing game of Scrabble. I bingoed on reneges and Mr. mouse got even with insides. Fun. Fun.


For sunset, we headed back to Hanalei Bay. The sand there is to die for. There's no tide whatsoever, since it's in a protected bay. We didn't go in the water, so I can't vouch for water quality, always something I check out when there are boats docked nearby. Sometimes it's fine sometimes it feels like I'm swimming in the East River. Oh wait, that's fine now too. Well, you know what I mean. Back to Hanalei... There were two outriggers racing in the bay. It was fun to watch. And, there was a person doing sunset yoga finding her inner peace. And, lots of couples sitting in the sand just passing the time. We sat and gazed at Mr. Sun as he made he way across the sky. A nice ending to the day.


Friday, our last day. We headed south again to the second of the two Poipu beaches, the west-ish one of the two. It's located right outside the Sheraton and also known as Kiahuna Beach. Lots of fun in the sun. The south side gets half the rain the north side does, so it's not as green.


We watched a couple. She had on a cute bikini, cute matching hat and cute sunglasses. She had a disposable camera. He had two fins that didn't fit, a brand new boogie board rented from Snorkel Bob's and a determined look on his face. We busted out laughing watching him go out time and time again while she waited for the perfect shot.


The sand was fine. The surf was even finer. It was perfect for me. There's also a sharp drop off, so you can jump the waves and not worry about constantly hitting the ground. Mr. mouse stayed closer to shore, but bodysurfed with the best of them. There were a couple of local kids enjoying the water, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're comfortable in the water. It bested me once or twice when I had my back turned.


We headed back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool, some quiet time on the beach and most importantly to return our beach towels, rinse off in the shower stands and pick up our bags. Well, as luck would have it, there were two hammocks on the beach and one opened up while we were there. We nearly ran (discretely, of course) to ensure we got it before anyone else did. No problem. So, we took turns rinsing off and lying in the hammock. The view... sigh... I'll miss it.


Then, we headed back to the airport and our flight home.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: We're such geeks. Mr. mouse is tagging/uploading all the photos to flickr and I'm blogging. Time for bed.

Kauai Update, Part I - What We Ate

Dear Friends and Family,

We're back. Wow! Boy, did I need a vacation badly.

Mr. mouse is taking a nap, so I figured now is as good a time as any to start the vacation recap. We took the week off and headed out to Kauai, Hawaii. More on this later.

What We Ate

I refuse to eat at the hotel when traveling in Hawaii. There's too much good food at great prices to justify not taking advantage of the deals. Hawaii wouldn't be complete, for me, without POG, spam musubi and Korean plate lunches.

Ramen Hawaiian Style = Saimin. It's a noodle based soup dish, meat broth, toppings ranging from pork and scallions (for me) to scallions, pork, fish cake, veggies, boiled egg, and other unidentified bits (for Mr. mouse would got the house special). We hit Hamura's Saimin Tuesday night. Dinner for two was under $20, including a stick of chicken teriyaki. There was one other obvious tourist couple (too pale to be local) and a bunch of locals chowing down on the yummy soup. It was my first time, but definitely one to add to the roster going forward.



Orange Juice Hawaiian Style = POG. POG stands for Passion Fruit - Orange - Guava. It's my morning juice when on the islands. I don't normally have juice with breakfast, but I can't resist POG. We picked up a quart every night and I had two glasses each morning. We found it in a can, so I brought home two 6 packs. I'll have to space it out to make it last.

We stopped by a sandwich/smoothie hut on Wednesday. Mango Mama's specializes in organic foods. We picked up a turkey sandwich loaded with greens, tomatoes, onions and sprouts. Yum. Yum. And, we got two bananas. The bananas on Hawaii are half the size of bananas on the mainland. They've got another name... strawberry bananas? apple bananas? something like that... They're tangier and sweeter at the same time. So good. They were out of hummus, so we stopped by the supermarket for the second half of lunch.

Sashimi Hawaiian Style = Poke. We hit the local Safeway and picked up two containers of rice and three containers of poke. Poke is raw fish marinated in spices, soy sauce and herbs. We got some ahi poke, salmon poke and octopus. The octopus is cooked, but the concept is the same. My favorite was the salmon. Again, full meal for two, under $20. Nice.


Korean barbecue Hawaiian Style = plate lunch/dinner. This is a points buster, but we made it work by eating only half of it for dinner and saving the other half for lunch. It's Korean barbecue modified a little but still recognizable as Korean. But, what you'd expect from a lunch truck, not a restaurant. What's really different is the proportions. Double the rice, triple the meat and an infinitesimal portion of veggies. For some reason, a scoop of macaroni salad gets added on the side. Go figure. We stuck the leftover meat in a baguette we picked up at Safeway. Alone, right around ~$20 for two. Once you amortize over two meals, well south of $20.


Thursday night, we tried something new for dinner. We went Polynesian Cafe. Their slogan is gourmet food, paper plate. It was packed, so we took it as a good sign. I ordered the ahi sandwich and Mr. mouse ordered the Kalua pork Po Boy. My sandwich was heavenly. The fish was cooked just right and the bread and sauce complemented the fish without overpowering it. Mr. mouse's sandwich was great as well. The pork had the smokiness imparted from being cooked luau style. Another great meal for under $20.


Snow cone Hawaiian Style = Shave Ice. We had to try it after seeing so many signs for it and reading about it in the guide books. So, after dinner, Thursday, we got one to share. It's literally ice that's shaved from a gigantic block using a shave ice machine. Then, it's flavored with syrups. We got cherry lime. And, for giggles, we had it topped with condensed milk. It's rich. It's sickeningly sweet. It's huge. It'd be a 10 year old's dream come true. I had a couple of spoonfuls, but let Mr. mouse have most of it. The sugar rush that late at night would have sent me into orbit. But, it's part of the experience, so we had to try it.


Friday lunch and dinner were very simple affairs. We picked up some sliced turkey at Safeway, used the second half of our baguette and made sandwiches. We also got some pre-sliced pineapple. ABC supplied the rest of Friday's food finds. We got 2 Chinese buns, one with char siu, Chinese barbecue pork, and one with lap cheong, Chinese sausage. Which brings us to the last, but not least, saving the best for last, food entry. Spam musubi. I grew up on Spam. I grew up on rice. Spam musubi is rice topped with spam. How can life be any more perfect? A trip to Hawaii wouldn't be complete without it. All of Friday for less than $20.


Okay, I hear Mr. mouse stirring, so I'll continue later.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Pictures will be added once we're back at the house.

Quick Note

Dear Friends and Family,

Gotta run to my one meeting today. Then, I'll be maintaining radio silence for the next week.

Our neighbors are coming to visit us at the mouse pad. Then, we're headed on vacation for a week.

Where? Only the shadow knows.


Cheers!
mouse