About Aunty

Aunty is a new senior citizen and loving this phase of her life. Less responsibilities, less fear of being weird, able to do more of the things that I want to do! Older, yes, slower, yes, but life is even more wonderful in my golden years and I look forward to even goldener ones.

Looking forward to 2017

snoopy-happy-new-yearLani Kwon, a life coach that Aunty had the pleasure of listening to, sent Aunty an email with a link to an insightful article, entitled “Let go or be dragged into 2017”.

Based on numerology, the numbers 2, 0, 1, 6 add up to 9 – which is a very fiery, emotional, intense number that also signifies the end of cycles with sudden shocks, dramatic endings, and tying up loose ends. Which will lead us into 2017.

These numbers 2, 0, 1, 7 add up to 1 – which is beginning again. Time to re-energize, clean up, move forwards. The article mentioned the Mari Kondo way of tidying (post coming, for sure in 2017!) which Aunty has been in the process of doing, and it has been transforming the living spaces in our home.

Aunty really is looking forward to 2017. It will be a good time for us all, and so, HAPPY NEW YEAR my friends, family and readers!

Aunty da auto detailer

steel-woolOne rainy night, Aunty was driving to a company party dinner, and it was really difficult to see through the windshield even with the wipers going full blast.  The windshield de-fogger option on the AC was used, which didn’t do much because it was not the inside of the glass, but the outside that seemed to have an irregular haze on it that made driving at night a bit dangerous.

While at the dinner, Aunty mentioned it to Winfield in conversation, and he suggested using steel wool on the glass.

Really?  Doesn’t that sound scratchy and potentially damaging?  So Aunty google-searched, and sure enough, some of the professional auto detailers out there mentioned using finest grade steel wool, dry (important to use dry) on glass windshields and windows to clean off and clear up glass.

By now, Aunty figured out that it was the car wash wax that had left residue on her windshield, got out a pad of 0000 steel wool and started buffing off wax and grit on the front windshield.  It didn’t take long and soon the glass felt smooth and slippery.  The steel wool pad seemed to have gathered some wax on it after the easy job was over.  As an additional precaution, Aunty also wiped down the rubber wiper blades in case they also had wax on it.

A few days later, while driving home in the evening, it began to rain.  Goody!  Aunty turned on the wipers, and swish swish swish, they squeegeed the glass clean and clear, giving Aunty such a nice sense of accomplishment as her own auto detailer.

Next up is waxing the car by hand instead of taking the easy way out at McKinley Car Wash.

Hmmmm.  It has been awhile.  Aunty needs to think about that.

Mai’s Beauty is Aunty’s top stylist

3-girlsOur youngest daughter Rosie used to go to a hair stylist that she thought was the best, but we were never impressed.  One day she decided to cut her hair to shoulder length.  It was so bad, she went to her boyfriend’s barber/stylist, Mai at Mai’s Beauty & Barber to get it fixed.  For less than half the price, Mai styled her butchered bad cut into something really cute and flattering.  Each time she went to Mai, she looked better and better.

Our oldest daughter Malia wanted to see Mai, and so we both went to check her out.  Surprisingly, Mai is not busy, or we were very lucky.  We got back to back appointments the next day.  The shop is just off the busy corner of Kapahulu and Campbell Avenues in a rather dinky old building across the street from Zippy’s.  Phone number 808-734-0344.

We were warmly greeted by Mai and Mary, and instantly, the rather bleak old place was pleasantly transformed into a nice neighborhood shop like a diamond in the rough.

For $35 (plus a nice tip), Malia’s long scraggly hair was washed, cut, and styled into a sophisticated, easy care hairdo that she just loves.  She looks younger and her good features pop out.  Amazing what a good hair cut can do for a woman.

Mai made sure that she understood what I wanted (VERY important), gave a few suggestions, one of which was to cut bangs to look younger.  Aunty cannot handle bangs because they get in the way so Mai respected that preference and, after a nice shampoo, began to expertly cut and style Aunty’s hair – to perfection, exactly just right.  What a joy, what a find!  An undiscovered treasure with reasonable prices!

One of the items on Aunty’s want list at a nursing home would be to have someone wash her hair, so Aunty asked Mai if she would do shampoos on a weekly basis, without styling, and what the price would be.  “$10”, she said, and so Aunty is now planning on treating herself to that luxury soon and often.  Mary could do the shampooing and when a trim is needed, Mai would be Aunty’s stylist. (update:  Mary is no longer there.)

As we left, Mai gave us hugs and beneficial wishes.  Such a nice lady.  So glad that she was also one of the best hair stylists that Aunty has ever had, because we will definitely see her again and again.

Aunty’s best turkey day = no cook, just buy

the-deliveryThis year, Aunty was at a loss because the terrific cooking daughter of the family was living on the Mainland and not coming back.  Aunty had never cooked a bird bigger than a chicken and had always relied on someone else expertly cooking the turkey – so lucky, so happy, so spoiled, but now…

What to do this year?  Attempt to cook a huge bird that is very easy to mess up, drop, ruin?  Or try the Zippy’s turkey meal with all the fixings?  Aunty’s non-cooking sister Mimi was all for buying and even offered to pay, when youngest daughter came to the rescue.  She had won a Lanakila turkey dinner package – just in the nick of time, before the Zippy’s order was called in!

Pickup up was at 8:00 am on Thanksgiving Day.  The winner daughter said that it was bustling with volunteers delivering meals to the elderly and is now thinking about becoming a volunteer herself next year.

The turkey was huge, still warm, and absolutely beautiful.  Golden brown and savory.  Number one son carved it perfectly after watching YouTube videos online.  The entire bird was moist and delicious!  Aunty’s favorite part was the wing tip – which usually looks good but is too hard and tough to eat.  Lanakila’s wing tips were edible and SO onolicious, like eating chewy crispy chicken skin without the grease.

Box #1 had the warm stuff – gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes and buns.  Box #2 had the cold stuff – cranberry sauce, salad, pumpkin pie.  All were excellent, except for the buns (Aunty isn’t a bun person).

Aunty Mimi brought garlic eggplant from Wah Kun Chinese restaurant and Uncle Bob brought his fantastic seared ahi and his unreal fabulous poke.  Nephew Danny brought his homemade mac and cheese that got gobbled up.  Aunty made her traditional mochi rice stuffing and Grannie’s Crispy Skin Chicken.

lunch-spread

The only things missing were the traditional pan of sweet yam with marshmallow and a couple of favorite family members.  Regardless, we had a wonderful feast and lots of leftover takeouts.  Thanks to our youngest daughter’s good luck win, Lanakila’s Thanksgiving Meal was introduced to us and will become a new tradition for Aunty’s stress free, no cook easy turkey day.  And that is a very good thing.

Easy Easy Costco Burritos

on-plateThis was a recipe link from Amy Lynn Andrews, a blogger that I follow because she gives good website advice.  She also shares good tips, and this recipe was super EASY!

Easy is important, because Aunty does NOT cook very well, and is the take-out queen of plate lunches and zip meals.  However, fresh and hot is better for the family, so if you have good easy recipes to share, please DO share with Aunty.

Truth to tell, the kids liked it but Aunty didn’t really like this brand of burritos because it was too “fat” in size and there wasn’t enough sauce in the pan.  Perhaps if I only used 6 burritos instead of packing in the 8 burritos, or used a “skinnier” burrito or a cheese enchilada instead, Aunty might have loved it.  Btw, Aunty’s absolute favorite Mexican dish is from Azteca in Kaimuki Town – their Verde Cheese Enchilada plate.  Yum yum.  Yum yum!

1 package of 8 frozen organic Bean & Cheese Burritos from Costco (important step – defrost in the refrigerator the day before!  very important step, trust Aunty….)

2 cups enchilada sauce (more or less to taste) more is bettah!

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

2 cups sour cream

Place burritos in bottom of baking pan
Pour enchilada sauce over the top
Sprinkle cheese on top of burritos
Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 min or until done to your likeness. Dollop with Sour Cream.  Enjoy!

Construction notice:  Aunty will be getting a facelift soon, by the good folks over at OneWaveDesigns.com because of some irritating little glitches that WordPress has, and their techie types speak their own lingo about c-panel stuff and widgets, apps, etc.  Aunty cannot handle and lately, Aunty’s ticker tape stopped functioning, and then a warning at the top of Aunty’s website was really frustrating, so time to bite the bullet, pay the piper, and get a new and better look with support! 

Viva Aloha Las Vegas!

Aunty and Olaf in Vegas

Aunty and Olaf in Vegas

Aunty just returned from a 5 day trip to Vegas. Unpacking suitcases is both fun and a bother, though this time it was easy because ALL of the packed clothes were used, and thus needing to be washed, the only store visited was Trader Joes, and one suitcase was dedicated to supplies, tools, and projects from the fabulous Clay Carnival that Donna Kato puts on year after year.

Aunty’s packing post was helpful just before leaving on the trip, though a blow up seat cushion was missing and Aunty’s butt was not as comfortable during the semi-long flight that landed around midnight.  One little Lorazepam pill that first night worked wonders, and when the 6:30 am hotel wake up call rang, Aunty was up, feeling well rested, and ready to hit the classrooms.

A bunch of us went to see the Michael Jackson ONE show at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.  Since it was the late show at 9:30 pm, we first ate at the hotel’s Citizens Kitchen & Bar for dinner, and BAM! it was the best food that we all had during the entire trip!  Everything we ate there – fish and chips, mahimahi tacos, chicken wings – were cooked perfectly, seasoned perfectly, and devoured even though the servings were very generous.  This restaurant gets Aunty’s 5 stars, really, truly.

The Michael Jackson ONE show was absolutely fantastic.  We had center stage 2nd row seats, very close to the stage and the performance.  They were great seats because we could see all the details of muscle, wrinkles (some of the performers were older than expected), hands, emotion, and props.  Actually, all seats are good, with different perspectives.  A seat farther from the stage would give a broader view as some of the characters were zoomed in from the ceiling onto the stage, and the light show could be seen in entirety.  Aunty doesn’t want to spoil any expectations so will not go into more detail, but it was SO well done, it couldn’t have been better.  One of the biggest surprises to Aunty was when some flying caped things turned out to be Chinese acrobats!  It is a gotta go see show, especially if you like Michael’s music and memory.  You can even buy his lighted glove in the souvenir store for $30, which Aunty did, wistfully and happily.

Donna’s polymer Clay Carnival was 4 FULL days of instructors and projects, ideas and inspiration.  This event has sparked Aunty’s creativity drive, so Aunty will soon be in her workroom cranking out polymer clay beads, swirls, and whatever else comes cranking out.  That means less Korean drama watching, but perhaps, that is a good thing.

As always, for this homing pigeon Aunty, the highlight of the trip is coming home and getting back into old routines.  Old routines that now have a little bit of an urgency and appreciation for what we have.  This was a good trip, visiting the light fantastic, walking on the edge, and landing on familiar ground.

 

 

 

 

 

Ala Moana Hotel auction and update

auction

Tuesday’s auction on the Courthouse lanai

Aunty was again at the Courthouse steps (actually it is the lanai fronting the courthouse) to try her hand at bidding for an Ala Moana Hotel room unit this Tuesday at noon.  The foreclosure notice was found in the classified section of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser – the bank was due $215,458 with arrears, late charges, etc.

Aunty went to its Sunday open house about a month ago, met Jenny the commissioner in charge there, and decided to attend the auction.

Fortunately, Aunty’s credit union is just across the street from the Courthouse, so it was easy to stop there earlier in the day to withdraw a cashier’s check for 10% of the max of what Aunty might be bidding.  (All that is required of the winning bidder on the day of auction is 10% of the bid.  The rest of the bid is due after the closing.)  Proof of funds must be verified by the commissioner, so Jenny took Aunty’s name, phone number, and noted the proof of funds on her worksheet at noonish of the auction day.

After all prospective bidders were signed in on her worksheet, Jenny read off the conditions of the property being auctioned, as well as general rules and procedures.  Then, without much ado, the auction began.

Whenever banks or associations are involved in foreclosures, they try to recover what is owed, and so they bid the total sum due, and then they own the property.  To Aunty, this seems like a matter of them moving the asset from one pocket of what they are owed to the other pocket of keeping the asset for themselves.  Like paying yourself off on behalf of yourself.

So the opening bid was by the bank – for $150,000.  Hmmm!  That was interesting, and also left some room for us regular people to bid.  Aunty dove in at $155,000, hoping no one else would bid.  Sadly, someone did, at $156,000.  A fair price for the unit would have been $160,000, but Aunty looked at the woman bidding, kinda liked her, and so the auction went going, going, gone to the lady for a very nice price for a rather good unit.

Hawaii’s judicial foreclosures require a confirmation hearing before a judge so this was not the end of this auction.  At the confirmation hearing, bidding can begin anew if anyone decides to start a new bid at 5% over $156,000.  Hmmm.  Aunty just might go to that confirmation hearing just to watch and learn more about the process.

Meanwhile, how is the cash flow from the Ala Moana Hotel?

Aunty had posted about “Buying a piece of the Ala Moana Hotel” back in April of this year, and this is an update of how it has been doing.  It has been doing pretty well!

Some months like April and May are rather sparse, and months like February and August are very good.  Property taxes are paid semi annually, working out to be about $200/month.  So, on average, after the AOAO of $800/month, property taxes, and the hotel management fees of 60% are taken from room rentals, Aunty averages about $800/month, net.  ROI (return on investment) is 6%.  Not that great, but not too shabby, especially when compared with the piddly rate of return on savings accounts.

Changes in the works

In July, the hotel ownership changed from the Outrigger Hotel chain to an Australian firm, Mantra Group.   This may be good for us – though not sure how much they will shake up the existing structure of management and employees currently still in existence at the hotel, or if hotel rates will change, or what new ideas and policies will be implemented.  The Mantra Group does seem to want to woo owners with making us feel special, offering 50% off parking services while staying there as well as discounts to other hotel chains under their umbrella.

One very evident improvement is an art gallery/store next to Starbucks in the lobby.  For years that glassed store space was covered up and vacant, and now it looks beautiful with quality merchandise reflecting the diversity of things Hawaiian.

More?

If Aunty could, she would buy more units.  The 07 and 26 one bedroom end units have a mini kitchen complete with a cute dishwasher, but are priced over double of the studio units and have a higher AOAO.  These would be perfect for people who want to stay in Hawaii for a couple of months, and then rent out their units when they are gone.

The studio units in the Kona Tower are the least expensive, with poor views on the mountain side, and these views will get worse during the next year because of construction for the 45 storied Kapiolani Residences that is soon breaking ground.

Units in the Waikiki Tower are more expensive and quieter.

No matter which unit, the amenities for all are the same, and the advantage of being right next to the Ala Moana Center is wonderful and convenient.  Target (Aunty’s favorite!) will be a new neighbor in the old Nordstrom wing.  With all the new condominiums coming up in Kakaako, this hotel will be less congested and more desirable than there, or Waikiki.

It would be great to have more units in this hotel, so Aunty will keep on watching and jump in again if possible because it is reasonably priced cash flowing real estate in a great location.

Please let Aunty know if you get a unit in the Ala Moana Hotel, and we can meet at their annual owner meeting!

Jan 2017 update:  Aunty tried to win at another auction last month.  The bank representative started off the bid just below Aunty’s planned target price, so Aunty bid above him, and THEN! da buggah shot Aunty down with a bid $20,000 higher than Aunty – what a rotten buggah to tease with the low opening bid.

Also, cash flow from the “cheaper” units in the Kona tower is dropping.  Perhaps the new owners of the hotel operations (Mantra Group) are offering cheaper booking rates to contract guests.  It is affecting the monthly cash flow for these units, in a junk way. 

Towards the end of 2016, fewer and fewer units in the hotel were available to buy because the offerings were being snapped up like hotcakes.  However, this trend of lower rental income might have current owners dumping their units on the market.  The Ala Moana Hotel Board meeting is scheduled in February.  It will be interesting to see and hear from the new owners, and Aunty will definitely be there.

 

 

 

Sugru, like Super Putty on steroids!

Aunty loves Sugru.  It can fix almost ANYthing.  It air hardens to a tough flexible rubber in a day.  It is like super glue, polymer clay, and Playdoh, all rolled into one little package.  It is a bit pricey and comes in little bitty blister packages to keep the air out.  It can attach to wood, metal, rocks, plastic, rubber, glass, paper, and almost everything, except air and water.

Aunty will update in another post in the future, but wanted you all to know about an awesome sale that they are having this week – 40% off, eeeeYOWZA, that’s a sale!  Use the savings code “10millionfixes” to save during this flash sale.

Here’s the link to the sale: 2016-09-25_14-21-36

If you do use Sugru, please share how you use it with the nice folks over there as well as with Aunty.  Meanwhile, here is a very short fast video that will give you an inkling of Sugru’s potential:

Out, out, dang spots!

darkarmspot(Warning!  This product contains mercury.  Aunty did an update on this issue.)

Ever since Aunty turned 50, brown spots started showing up on her face, arms, and legs.  These are sometimes called liver spots.  Whatever they are called, they are unwanted and unsightly, and they started getting bigger and darker on Aunty’s cheeks and arm.  Very visually irritating, you know?

Aunty tried all kinds of products, some expensive, some highly recommended, some experimental.  Laser zapping worked but only if the dermatologist gets every part and dot, and it was very very painful during and after.   Nerium AD seemed to help a little, but not enough to take them away.  The last resort would have been Obaji – which was very very expensive, with mixed reviews from absolutely great to permanent pigment problems if one was not careful to stay out of the sun while it was “raw”.

One day, pal Cookie mentioned Lee Sueoka, her Kauai buddy who always looked perfectly coiffed, dressed, and beautified, and her quest to get rid of her freckles.  Lee discovered a Cambodian Be Be cream that she testified took away her freckles!  The ingredients were simple and natural – Lee said that they were so simple, you could eat it.  AND, it was cheap ($12 on ebay)!

Good old pal Cookie gave Aunty a couple of pink cream jars to try.  After about 2 weeks of applying the Be Be cream, Aunty thought that her spots were fading, and they were!  And they did!

Pictures tell are worth a thousand words, so here are some before and after pictures of Aunty’s age spots over a 5 month period.   The redder pictures were taken indoors in March, and the bottom pictures were taken outdoors in August.

Pretty good results, for an inconspicuous looking pink plastic container of cream, don’tcha think?  Aunty was applying the cream to her spots after her evening bath, and then again in the morning – but actually the instructions say to only apply at night (oops!).

The ingredients in this Be Be Special Cream made in Cambodia are:  milk, honey, saffron, wheat flour, turmeric, avocado, and Vitamins C & E.  It does not contain perfume, is easy to use, and Aunty is eternally grateful to pals Cookie and Lee for the best age spot remover, hands down!

Need more proof?  Remember the picture at the top of the dark round spot on Aunty’s forearm?  Here it is now.  Pretty amazing, huh?!?

goodarmspot

The results are great for dark spots BUT I would not recommend this treatment because of its high mercury content. Since I have stopped using it, my brown spots did return. I did a mercury cleanse (chelation therapy) and am learning to live with the fact that I am getting older. One of the benefits of Covid has been the mandatory wearing of masks. These not only cover up my lower face, they also protect my skin from the sun – thus brown spots are not growing or as evident.