Thanks Sue for this email...LOL

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH ways. yadda, yadda, yadda
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!
But now that I'm over the ripe old age of forty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!



1) I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog and world book encyclopedias!!
2) There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
3) Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!
4) There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
5) Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and screwing it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?
How about the eight track tapes? Cha-dunk to change tracks
6) We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it. And you got in trouble for being on the phone too long, because someone got a busy signal!
7) There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOSH !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.
8) And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
9) We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Or before that there was only Pong! Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
10) You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your butt and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!
11) There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little brats!
12) And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
13) And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!
And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!

See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in the 1970's or any time before!
 
And this isn't a Bab's original but a "Copied and Pasted" (cuz this is not the 1960's anymore) email recieved from Sue the Golf___!  I hope you enjoyed the ride.  If not call Sue.

Tripster and Golfin' Widow

I made mention of a convertible Mustang which "in keeping with the theme" was as blue as the Pacific but I didn't get to the part about the date. 
First, I can say this was Ron's Best Vacation Ever cuz he learned how to golf.  He has always wanted to do this but never really kept score and I was along for the second nine on the first part of the week and The Plantation 18  Kaanapali Golf on the last part of the week and WOW.  The first part of the week it was hard to watch.  I mean Ron looked like it was painful.  He wasn't (I can say this now) even attractive.  Something CLICKED!   Actually it was someone.
This person made Ron look attractive to me again while "swinging". . .Thanks Mr. Bill!!!

No, not this Mr. Bill  but the other Mr. Bill who actually gets all the credit.  (LOL! I am having fun here)

So I have concluded I will probably loose RJ this Spring to the "Links".  He seems to now really enjoy golfing and although I don't quite get the "Thrill" I do believe he is at a point where "All Work and no Play" can end. So as long as he comes home every night he can get new clubs and a membership.

I guess the abundance of golf put Ron in a Date Day mood and on February 4th 2011 we lunched at
 Mama's Fish House and headed for Hana City.  Per the tour book which goes like this, "The Road To Hana-Maui's  most scenic highway is called "The worlds most beautiful drive." This is a very long curvy road that demands many stops to enjoy the fabulous Hawaiian scenery.  It takes all day to go both ways. Hana Highway is an adventure through tropical rain forests with the ocean on one side and thundering waterfalls, fragrant ginger and fruit laden guava trees on the other.

Now I soon realized I was in for the ride of my life...I don't do heights well. . . had already nix the helicopter ride and most of this road is one lane.  Kept my elbow in the car or risked road rash from the cliff.  The most posted road sign was "Watch for Falling Rocks."  Remember I'm topless as in CONVERTIBLE! 
There were 55 bridges and 600 hairpin turns.  We did walk thru a rain forest, bought a kona wood tortoise and  sunset barn photo...I wore a real moo-moo Blue Ginger  Thank God: Ron got us off the road before dark!
Had a super Date Day and I was thinking pontooning this summer will be moo-moo fitted!  This will surely scare the Minnesota natives!

Wowie Maui

Found a house sitter for Yo Yo and Riley (who was very good too...even plowed the drive twice...The house sitter not Riley. Thanxs Remington!) and accepted an invitation to meet friends in Hawaii.  Til last week we were Hawaiian Virgins.
                                                                    Maui Whales

Ended that chapter and added the one on 'The Migration of Humpback Whales.'  Who knew December through April finds them in Maui. Didn't know either that they have few natural predators except humans and killer whales.  20% of Humpback whales have scares from surviving Orca attacks.

Started with a stop in Honolulu @ the Westin where we had an amazing seafood dinner at the Beachcomber and beat the crowds to Pearl Harbor the next morning.  (6am style) Pearl Harbor was amazing.  December 7th 1941 was the date.  By the time the day was over we would realize the significance.  We did the tour which was complete with transportation and the guide was a retired school teacher.  We spent all day there visiting The USS Arizona, The BS Missouri, The  USS Bowfin and took the "audio" which made the experience amazing, amazing, amazing.                   
                                                                     Pearl Harbor

Flew on to Maui that eve, upgraded the car to a convertible which was all my doing (cuz RJ was a bit 'quiet') and headed for the other side of the island where we found Duke's and would soon be joined by our Host(s).  Let the fun & libations Begin...

Calamari is nothing like the mainland.  No rings, no deepfries, at Dukes they actually coat it lightly with  "citrus crumbs" and it is greenish and tastes like nothing I had ever tried before and it is sliced open lengthwise....Delicious           
Takes the squid part right out of the equation.

While in Maui the menus are fish fish everywhere yet I had to venture into "Filet with Butter Sauce" at  Roy's  and "The Lamb Shank" @ Lahaina Grill   (Here is where gargonzola stuffed queen olives go well with Martini's!)  (Mother Mary is still "Queen of the Lamb Shank" and "The Three Martini Lunch at
Duluth's Pickwick for that matter.)

Butterfish (Ron's favorite) is usually served whole and if you see "butterfish fillets." they are probably sablefish, also called black cod (which is not a cod at all, but a skilfish) or walu, a type of makeral in Fiji and other South pacific islands, also known as oil fish or escolar.  At Roy's the term butterfish refers to a style of presentation rather than a specific species of fish. At Roy's they use sablefish or black cod marinated with miso to give the fish a rich buttery texture.  (I just typed that for your learning excitement!)  Also Meg's told dad once (actually at Roy's in Boston) Butterfish can be disasterous if not properly prepared.  Follow up with the girl to learn how dangerous.
 
Maui menus are sea packed with Onaga ((long tailed red snapper or ruby snapper), Marlin (swordfish), Mahimahi (dolphin (no, not Flipper) and Ron did catch them when in Guam or dorado), Moi (Pacific Threadfin), Ono (wahoo, which Michael caught in the Bahamas: tigerfish, or ocean barracuda and in the Bahama's baracuda isn't eaten), Opah (moonfish), Opakapaka (pink snapper or crimson jobfish), Pacific Salmon (king, sockeye, pink, chum), Swordfish (shutome or broadbill), Tuna (which Ron once caught a yellow fin), Uka (gray snapper or jobfish), Ulua ( jackfish, papio, or giant trevally). and then the seafoods as clams, mussels, lobster, shrimp, calamari and/or squid.  Hawaiins don't eat shark as it is believed to "Bring Bad Luck."

Longhis qualified for two evenings...but then Lainia's was a two hour wait.  Eating well is defined on the islands. As result of the Whole Artichoke Appetizer I now know how to take the "Choke" out of an artichoke and that "Most great chef's agree wine with artichokes changes the taste of the wine" Julia Childs.  Great argument for Grey Goose.

The best lunch ever was at a little recommendation after an afternoon at the Barefoot Bar drinking "Salty Dogs al 'a Linda's "Sweeter" Pink Grapefruit  on to  Mama's Fish House

Stay Tuned as the next episode will include The Ride To Hana  Or Scared, Dizzy, and Senseless after 55 bridges, 600 hairpin switch back turns and an attack peacock.

Happy New Year

It has been acknowledge the older I get the faster time flies.  I have realized Christmas was a blur..The week between was a 'No Speed Zone' and the days since, I still feel I am speeding down the autobahn in the backseat with no control of the car, the car air fresheners or the radio.
 
The holidays in Wisconsin were a lot of fun and although there are no grandchildren we managed to spend a bit of time with all the kiddos.  Even managed a Packer game and a Wilds' game...Greg came home for a few days and got snowed out of New York to complete his New Years and the rest of us joined the girls in Abelssen for more "spirits" than I needed  The 12th was my birthday so the merriment continued.  I remain totally spoiled for 2011.  (I plan to spoil RJK a little tonight and be the DD for his office party.  I got some lottery tickets for him to pass out to the masses so perhaps someone will "scratch" the "jackpot."
Cocktails five thirty...dinner at six thirty...Not Here...Life is good.)

Gretchen is being visited by Mary, Dave and Brittany and venturing off to the Spanish Canary Islands soon which I am learning actually exist.  She and Josh get some soon realized together R&;R and have plans to repeat this destination/adventure then.

Meg is home and taken on babysitting for another couple of people in the entourage...cuz Meg is a nice girlfriend and daughter!

Michael is soon to make the quarter century mark and is planning a party.  He was here visiting too.  I sent him off with treats for the party and a recipe for Alfredo.  His S.O. can cook which is a big pleasant plus.  I think they are actually enrolled in Cuban Cooking Class.  What a couple of "jerks."  My Michael has always loved to putter in the kitchen and it is fun to know he may actually grow older with someone who may actually help with the prep and then dishes.

Our diets have been a bit experimental lately.  Ron came back to the hotel room in Chicago a couple of weeks ago with a diet from a functional medical author which was a trial to eat nothing which "ever had a mother, had eyes or eyelashes, exclude fats, including EVOO, no dairy, no nuts and the good news is I eat out a lot.  It has been kinda fun.  Yesterday I made a crock pot 13  bean chili which put him right to sleep.  Today I sent him off with a lunch of tahinni-free hummus and rice wraps. Bkfst was raisin bran and rice milk which isn't too bad. As all fads go c Ron I will give it (the diet) til the end of the month.. .and hope he gives me a lot longer!

It's Winter and Michael's has. . .

Listen to the advice of your mom was something which is generations old.  I told Mich if the mountain won't come to Mohamed than Mohamed needed to go to the mountain.  Appears he took his mom's advise. Didn't tell me until I opened my phone and see this picture of his (handsome) mug. 
                                                         (Better find a new job now Mich!)
Ron was (also) in Rapid City SD last week pheasant hunting and has a bruised right shoulder to prove it.  (Have yet to see any birds.)  I got the dubious honor of painting the dining room pink.  I am awaiting the new mirrors I ordered to hang on the wall and I even managed to move his private book case to the bedroom.  Ron really loves his books.  He was happier about the bookcase than the dining room.  Ron hates painting . . .  I love to paint.
Must have come from Mother Mary.  Big George would go hunting and Mary would paint the living room.  Simultaneously everyone of us would start vomiting.  Mom would be placing buckets in front of five King Kids...Martha said, "MOM, GET ME AN ASPIRIN." and promptly barfed on the kitchen floor...She soon got a bucket too...and as well as I can remember she would get the room painted and all the King children would be "healthy as horses" just in time to welcome dad home. It was a fall ritual at the KING house.
Speaking of rituals: Mary would also make us sit in the dark to watch TV cuz the "Light Patrol was roaming the streets ready to arrest anyone using electricity."  Thank God the TV wasn't electric in those days.(VIEWMASTER!)
You can't make this stuff up...it is too funny.  Wonder what my four will embellish as "Mom Memories" when I am Gone? 
Greg retold the Mandalay Bay story at dinner (Chicago Chop House) last weekend and so far dad is in more trouble than I am. "Hey, Bud."

SEVENTEEN DAYS

We arrived home yesterday from a visit to Meg and Grrr's which included Greg, Annelise and Michael at certain intervals.  I truly needed the whole day to decompress. Jet lag is a real phenomena and I am getting very old.

The constant theme which was a center of conversation everyday was the "group questioning:
What was the best part of ________?" 
Seemed a pattern was forming and the best part of yesterday would be "today".

Upon landing in Frankfort, we took a Lufthansa flight to Edinburgh, Scotland.(The group wouldn't include Michael as he was now employed but was flying over to Venice the following weekend)  So six of us were now in the the home land of "haggis" and the birthplace of scotch.  The first wasn't anything I would "embrace" but I made up for this deficit discovering "Coalila, Ardbeg and Bunnahabbbarn."  As with the haggis . . .scotch too is an acquired taste.  Unlike the haggis the "acquiring" of the later came with laughter, good conversation, and a great buzz. (I was wishing I could name a puppy after each of the four regions of scotch production.) By day's end we would meet "Baby Bird' and not find Jimmy One or Two. I was to learn about tartan plaids and saw synchronized bag pipe players in full regalia.
(Hundreds and hundreds! Military Tattoos have nothing to do with skin and ink.)

Our next JUMP would be on to Berlin.  Following the girls recommendation (who both stayed in Baum holder) we arrived, jumped on bikes, which is a very acceptable transportation which translated is,
                                                      "It is stupid to walk."
We peddled over 10 kilometers crossing from East Berlin to West Berlin.  Being stupid American tourist the next day we went again, however sans guide. Berlin is the Beirgarden capital of my world, in my mind. Berlin's bed are not as great as Edinburgh's yet better than Venice's:  but Meg's wins.!  We drank iced coffees in Sony Square and brought home Salvador Dali to Meg and Grrr. (now totally Mom originals.)

So what does any self respecting, seldom-been-out-of-the-mid west-tourist (later to be synonymous with 'Northerner...from the north.') do next?  Easy. . .  Fly to Venice the town of canals, alleys, and leaning towers which would become the best and worse time of the trip. Mike wouldn't show up until he swam the grand canal  ("al la LaCrosse stupid student slipped in style...The boy smelled like peaty scotch! ) and the gondola regatta couldn't settle my apprehensions about being the next soul lost in the labyrinth of side streets. Best put: I felt I was a human in the  "herding bred" category in the Westminster Dog Show without MY sheep.
Best part of Venice was a boat ride to Murano and on to Burano.

We also got to buy Belgium beer and German wien in France and took a covered boat ride on the uncovered top deck on Rudishiem's Rhine River after the Garman told us to "Board the Ferry" which no one but Frau Garman saw coming. Here was the promise of seeing five 200-400 year old German castles... "two and a half down and two and a half back." quirked Meg.

Also walked avoiding wild gargoyles, giant slugs in the foggy mist of glen and dale in Abbelson, Germany.
I left my newly acquired walking club at Meg's just in case that wild pig comes a-calling.

I had purchase 7 lime green and obnoxious Minnesota 'LAND OF 10,000 LAKES'  Tee Shirts in the Minneapolis airport which everyone in 'solidarity' refused to be caught dead in!  Mine found me some Stillwater, MN friends in Venice.  They told me they had just done an amazing Mediterranean cruise which included Istanbul on a ship of 3000 people and they were the only Americans.  I had worn my shirt to shreds and was relieved no one read it. Great Sportsmanship Award...I won!  I left a slime green Tee shirt with every member of the party in hopes someday they would remember they too could get stupidly crazy. 

Sigmund Freud was the eighth member of the Kirschling traveling team.  I was reminded of the Id, the Ego and the Super Ego. . .directly I was reintroduced to my old friend Oedipus Complex. What goes around comes around.  I was once the queen of Oedipus! ( LOL) 

And air travel cannot be totally appreciated till you have traveled Ryanair. Your carry-on must be under 10 kilos or you pay an Irish ramson, you must bring a self generated computer boarding pass or it will cost you your first born and you are allowed only one bag.  Total count of two bags and you will give up your retirement $$$. This airline is "No Frills, Low cost", can only be booked online and guarantees and boasts, "No refunds...Why would we.?"  If they hit a bumpy ride they sell smokeless cigarettes. They are rumored to soon charge for the one remaining toilet as they could then offer 'standing room' only to more passengers if they pull the other toilets.  They are self proclaimed " The Best On Time Airline in Europe."  They have a Ta-Da  jingle which announces you are on time and people clap.  Forget about First Class too becuz it doesn't exist: but you can pay more to board first, seats are not assigned...
you don't use jet ways...
you walk the tarmac out to roll away stairs and board and deplane both front and rear doors.

In defense of Ryanair there is a new  "selling store" on Delta and Lufthansa too. Besides the merchandise catalogs; there are duty free CARDS, Pringles & M&M's are $3.00, Beer is $5 and drinks and wine are $7.  You can contribute to airline charities and buy lottery tickets on planes in Europe.  The small catch is they don't tell Americans they cannot collect on winning tickets.  Second, if you buy duty free liquor, or perfume on the flight back to Atlanta, GA and only have a carry on it will be confiscated at US security as these items exceed the 3 ounce rule....This they don't tell you during the marketing to entice purchasing on board over the public address. It is resold to the next "stupid American." (I have taken to boarding with rations of  food for 2 days.)

Back to life in Rapids.  Yo Yo is home.  Riley is getting a post kennel bath. I will keep up the exercise routine so off I go to the elliptical.