Footwear

Am I missing something? Like when buzz cuts and flat top haircuts for men were completely out of fashion for years then one day, we looked up and ...... voila.....everybody's wearing one.

After work and on weekends, I find myself walking around quite a bit here in Honolulu and most of the time, I have at least one camera on me. I began to snicker and grin as I looked at the footwear of the visitors in and around the hotels and on the sidewalks on Kalakaua and Kuhio streets and coyly snap a picture of footwear. No, I don't have some kind of fetish, I've gone off on shirts, ties, car styles, you name it, I've obsessed a lot of things. I've even obsessed over what the odds are of a penny landing heads up when dropped.

I began to see loads of men, some much younger than myself, wearing socks with dress shoes or socks with sandals. I'm not exactly on the cutting edge of fashion and probably have no room to judge but the guys look so much as that proverbial fish out of water. Somehow, they've survived 10 hours of flying from Omaha, put on their airport leis and run out to the ABC Store and buy 2 or 3 T shirts. Then on day 2, they catch the bus to Hilo Hattie's, get some free beads and buy a much needed supply of Aloha Shirts. BUT......8 year old sandals and socks? Shorts and lace-ups from Zappo's? Give me a break.

There might be a number of points to consider here, so I'll think on these questions and get back with you on it.

• Why does it bother me ?
  
• Is it any of my business ?
  
• Who died and made me the fashion police ?
  
• I may have missed a fashion turn somewhere ?
  
• I've been there too long ?
  

Somebody help me.

Arts Weekend

(click images to enlarge)

Friday, I found out that one of the ladies I work with has a very close friend who is an art instructor and artist. Mark Brown, was born and grew up here in Hawai`i and runs uninstructed drawing classes at the Chaminade University of Honolulu. His work includes several murals, commissioned paintings and numerous C D album covers .

Friday evening, he and his students had showings of their works on Smith Street (Chinatown), Honolulu and Mark gave a demonstration in the painting of a live model.

Saturday, his students met at the Haleiwa Boat Harbor on the north shore where he gave a "plein air' demonstration by painting a landscape of the harbor. His students were an eclectic mixture of ages, occupations and backgrounds.

It was very informative and he and his students enjoy each other's company. His websites are: http://www.marksarthawaii.com/
and http://www.marknbrownfineart.com/

Home for Easter

Although I'm living in paradise, it's been 3 months since I was last home and I really miss my family, friends and just being home.

I caught a plane out of Honolulu Thursday night and arrived dead tired in Baton Rouge late Friday morning. I cashed in a free rental car and headed north with Darlene for a whirlwind trip to see all of the North Louisiana bunch.

We met at my brother Ricky's new home. My Mama arrived shortly after Darren and I arrived then soon Darlene came with Donna and the two boys. 3 of Rick's girls were there as well and we cooked fish outside around the pool. It sure was great seeing everyone in one place because I was dog tired from flying and driving.

After spending the night with Mama, I met Darlene, Donna and the boys at the Biedenhorn home on Riverside Drive in Monroe to take a few Easter shots of Devin and Hagan.

By noon, we're on the road again toward Baton Rouge to meet at Jared and Jaime's house for an Easter dinner there with Laurie, Jo Ann and Lindsey. It was nice and relaxing there, no pressure and everyone was really laid back. I'd now been home for 36 hours and had not yet been to my own home so around 8:00 PM, we blast off home.

Sunday, I'm still dragging around half asleep and very tired from the jet lag, so after a noon lunch at Robert and Janet's with Lou and Blaise and Susan and her kids, Kate and Nick, we slipped back to the house for a couple of hours worth of nap time.

We had tentatively agreed to drive up to St Francisville to meet our friends, Louis and Jan so we managed to drag ourselves out off the sofa and recliner and drive up there for coffee and pie.

Monday morning, I rode Boudreau back up to meet Louis in St Francisville. After gassing up, wet crossed the Mississippi on the ferry and headed up through New Roads along the river on old Highway 15. It was pretty desolate but it was good to get the cobwebs out of my brain by putting some miles on those Harleys. Overall, it was a 200 mile round trip from and to St Francisville and would be 300 for me when I eventually arrived at Dutchtown.

Crossing the river from Vidalia to Natchez, we stopped off at Fat Mama's Tamales for some Gringo Pie before heading east over to Roxie, MS to head south back into Woodville, MS. That's just north of Louis' home. I left him back there and headed back toward Baton Rouge for a short visit again with Jared, Jaime and Henry. It was a short visit but I had to pack up for my flight out back to Honolulu at 9 AM the next morning.

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It was a great visit but tiresome. To add to it all, it took me a couple more days to recover from the flight back here in Hawaii.