Miss Granny, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Posted on September 19, 2015 by Aunty

Aunty must admit to being a Korean drama almost addict and has upgraded to being a Premium member (at $5 per month). The advantage of this is zero commercials and having access to some exclusive shows.

Some movies have been really good, and not all of them are Korean. The Chinese “Ocean Heaven” starring Jet Li was an excellent one about a father’s love for his autistic son. It can also be viewed on YouTube:

Some movies have Aunty’s favorite Korean actors and actresses but leave too many loose ends or have sub par storylines.

Miss Granny was a real winner about 2nd chances with a quirky lead actress, compelling relationships, and the complete 5 star package of being a really great movie.

best marigold To top off this weekend’s winners, Aunty would recommend “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”. It was rented for $1/week at our local library and starts off a bit haphazardly as the characters are introduced and ears adjust for British accents. The perfectly cast players and the bustle of India merge together splendidly, and Aunty has already put “The 2nd Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” on reserve at the library (after 100 others who have also requested it).

It has been a rather unproductive week for Aunty since not much has been accomplished. Kind of like stirring oatmeal. These movies were divergences that filled the space of taking it easy and allowing myself to waste time.

A waste of time, but one that engaged, entertained, and delighted. So much so, that Aunty actually stood up and clapped after each show ended.

Review of Yakitori Glad $3.90

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Aunty

Good friends Sharon and Rayna told us about Yakitori Glad, located left next to Pizza Hut on Kapahulu Avenue. EVERYTHING on the menu, including beer in small, medium, or large sizes is $3.90.

Ample parking was found in the small downsloping driveway lot behind on Palani Avenue with a small sign that said parking was free for Yakitori Glad if you let them know your parking stall number.

We were there early, before 6:00, and were asked if we had reservations (no), our parking stall # (3), and then seated against a counter that had no view, but it was okay since we were there to eat, and not for a view. Our server was a nice young man who brought us water and green tea.

Their large glossy 3 section menu card is quite extensive and overwhelming at first. Shio, Tare, Mene. whatever. We ordered, almost blindly.

Bacon wrapped mushroom sounded delicious – and it was! 2 mushrooms with bacon on a stick, and we got 2 juicy yummy sticks.

Aunty ordered kamameshi rice which had gobo (Aunty loves kamameshi rice) and was told that it would take 30 minutes to make. Hmmm. Gotta have it, and it actually came sooner, or it seemed like came sooner, in a neat little metal bowl on a stand with a wooden cover – so cute! We were already rather full so took most of it home (and it was just as delicious the next day after a zapping in the microwave oven).

We ordered a couple of orders of yakitori (chicken chunks on sticks) – one was Mune Glad-yaki, and another that was recommended by the server, but we were not impressed with either because the chicken was quite dry and rather tasteless, imo. It did not taste fresh and was probably pre-cooked. We were there very early, way before the crowd, so perhaps fresher sticks would have been served later, as the place got more packed and busy by the time we left.

The enoki mushrooms (we love mushrooms) came in a foil boat with ponzu sauce and was delicious though a little sparse.

We tried the tsukune okonomiyaki in shio flavor – that was tasty and more like a ground chicken patty with sauce, at the recommendation of the server when I commented that the chicken was a bit too dry for my taste. These were pretty good so next time we will order the chicken patties instead of the chicken yakitoris.

The Gyu-kushi wasabi yuzu beef sticks that we ordered sounded and looked delicious, and they were – but again, very dry. Aunty was hoping for something like gyutaku with ponzu sauce but this was not it. Maybe next time we’ll order pork instead.

: mune glad-yaki, meh…

: chicken skewer, forgot which one

: enoki mushrooms, yum!

: tsukune okonimiyaki

: gyu-kushi (beef)

half eaten already, yum!

Aunty’s favorite was the ume ochazuke – nice deep bowl of rice with 3 soft big ume swimming in green tea. Yum! It was the best simple and most satisfying ochazuke, so it really made Aunty’s meal.

Lastly, we ordered their mochi ice cream, 2 green tea and 1 cherry blossom (tasted like cherry ice cream). Meh. It was okay but nothing to write home about.

Would Aunty go back to this place again? Yes, definitely – but with a better idea of what to order.

Here’s what Aunty would order the next time. Kamameshi rice (with the plan to take home most of it), ume ochazuke, bacon wrapped mushroom, shiitake nikuzume (mushroom with chicken patty), renkon nikuzume (lotus root stuffed with ground chicken). Maybe the buta-bara (pork), or chicken skin (kawa-shio), or a salad, or … Actually, going back is a must because there are a lot of things that we didn’t try that might be super delicious.

$3.90 sounds like a great price for entrees, but it can add up. It would help to try blindly first (like we did) and then figure out slowly what you really like. It was a small busy fun place with very nice servers, and good simple food that makes for a happy stomach.

If you do go, please let Aunty know what your favorite dish is, onegai shimasu (please)!

Aunty at the auction

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Aunty

The Honolulu Star Advertiser has a promotion going on, so Aunty gets free Sunday and holiday newspaper home delivery. At first, these would pile up, unread and then get tossed in the blue recycle bin, but one day, Aunty opened up the paper and saw a page in the classified section about property foreclosure auctions.

One of the foreclosures in the newspaper was for a unit in the Ala Moana Hotel, so Aunty decided to go to hopefully bid and win a condo unit. One must show proof of funds for 10% of the bid price, and getting a cashier’s check in your own name will suffice instead of carrying around a lot of cash.

Several years ago, Aunty went to her first foreclosure auction, which was non-judicial. It was rather exciting, and yet not so exciting. It took place on the sidewalk just across the Federal Building on Punchbowl Street and there was no shouting, pushing, hand waving, or dramas. One person was in charge of all the properties that were available for bidding on for the day. Not all of the properties were sold because the upset prices were too high, and everyone disbursed at the end, friendly but not friends.

A difference scene

This time, instead of it being on the sidewalk, it was up on the raised concrete area near the courthouse entrance. This was a judicial auction. Bidding at a judicial auction is a less guaranteed purchase than at a non-judicial auction, because a follow up confirmation hearing needs to be held, where more bids, pleas, etc. can be entered by interested parties in court, even if you “won”.

On this day, only 2 properties were being auctioned – the one Aunty wanted at the Ala Moana Hotel, and a single family home in Pauoa. One man took down the info of potential bidders and checked to make sure that proof of funds (Aunty’s cashier’s check) were in order for the Ala Moana Hotel unit, and another man took down the info of potential bidders for the Pauoa house.

At 12:00 noon, the auction began without much fanfare for the Ala Moana Hotel, and $1 was bid by the AOAO Homeowners’ representative. According to the fact sheet, the current owner was in arrears for $45,633.38 to the AOAO, and had a delinquent first mortgage of $128,088.02.

To tell you the truth, Aunty was like a fish out of water, but a curious fish that always wanted ownership in the Ala Moana Hotel, so Aunty “raised” the bid to $10. Ha!

The AOAO rep looked a bit irritated and asked how low an increment could the bids be, and he said that it could be whatever. She then “raised” the bid to $1,000. Aunty countered with $20,000 (really being a fish out of water) and hoped – Maybe, maybe, maybe?

Nope, the AOAO rep responded with $21,000. Bleeegh. At this point, Aunty knew it was going to be a fat cat chasing a fishy mouse with $1,000 raises, so Aunty did not counter, no one else bid, and the going going gone went to the AOAO for $21,000.

Disappointing relief

Aunty believes that things happen for a reason or because it is just the way it is. Her attention and curiosity now turned to the auction for the Pauoa house.

It was a 3 bedroom single family home on 5,000 square feet and Aunty watched as 2 ladies battled for the property with their bidding. It was very civil, one woman would bid, and the other would bid $1,000 or $2,000 more. It seemed like this would take a long time going back and forth in the $445,000 to $450,000 range, but surprisingly it ended quite quickly after a $453,000 bid was placed and won the going going gone stamp of approval. Aunty wanted to clap.

An alright & rather exciting day

Looking back, it was a kinda neat day. Not an earthshaking day, not a life changing event – but it was a first hand opportunity to take a chance and watch some action.

Aunty now looks forward to receiving the Sunday Star Advertiser paper to check out the foreclosure auctions, not just because of the auctions, but to keep a finger on the pulse of what is out there.

The pulse of Hawaii

Hawaii does not follow national trends, especially in real estate. It seems like everything is super sizing, and getting bigger in prices, house sizes, and improvements.

Is real estate in Hawaii good for investors, or even homeowners? Hard to say, especially mixed in with the super low interest rates that have been around recently. We are limited in land because we live on islands in the middle of the sea, though the many new up and coming high rises seem determined to take their pieces of the pie straight up since they can’t go out.

Meanwhile, old homes in nifty old neighborhoods are being put up for sale to settle estates. It is like seeing rare objects come to light, for very flashy prices. New people move in with different ideas and the face of neighborhoods change with bulldozers and concrete trucks.

The flow

Change happens. Even if Aunty stays in the same place, the area around her will become transformed. That is kinda sad, but also kinda alright.

It reminds me of a quote of Gandhi that our #3 likes to say, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”

Sometimes though, Aunty just wants things to remain the way they have always been.

What a man wants

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Aunty

Answer: Slim and nun

Us women all know what we want and most men are mystified about that, but do we know what men want, other than just about their testosterone?

Perhaps this explains the honeymoon syndrome, when the relationship is bliss and wonderful. Some couples are able to continue that state of bliss, while others fall off of it quite quickly. Once off, it is hard to get back on the bliss wagon – but not impossible.

Here’s the answer, from a podcast of James Altchuler and his guest, Brett McKay from The Art of Manliness:

James Altchuler: What do you think is the most important thing a woman should know about a man that a woman probably doesn’t know?

Brett McKay: Here’s one thing and they have research to back this up. Men are very sensitive or attuned to status. We all know that. Men are hierarchal. But men actually respond more adversely to status defeat or status slights than women do. There are parts of brain that fire up. We release more adrenaline and cortisol whenever we experience some sort of status defeat. That’s when we look bad in front of others.

So yeah, that whole thing that men want more respect and women want love, there’s some truth to that. There’s some scientific truth to back that up. So understand that status and how a man feels other people are perceiving them as, that’s important. You can laugh at it as a sensitive male ego but that’s the thing. That’s how we’re hardwired. So just keep that in consideration whenever you’re interacting with your menfolk.

What do you think? Pretty simple and Aunty thinks, pretty true. On the other side, for men to figure out what a woman wants is not so simple, not simple at all.

Perhaps China can make you wealthy

Posted on August 16, 2015 by Aunty

world reserve currencies Recently, Aunty has been reading about the Chinese yuan (or renminbi) becoming a world reserve currency when the IMF (International Monetary Fund made up of international bankers) meets in October. If this happens, then international trades, purchases, exchanges, etc. can be done with Chinese money. Currently, the US dollar is the dominant trade currency, followed by Euros, English pounds, and Japanese yen. Adding the Chinese yuan to the mix may have extreme financial consequences.

What is a world reserve currency?

It is the acceptable form of money for international trade, and somewhat regulated to ensure that it is kosher. If Timbuktu wants to buy oil from Saudi Arabia, Timbuktu needs to buy US dollars (or another world reserve currency) to complete the the purchase. In the older days, gold was the standard of trade. In today’s fast and frenzied world, the standard of value for trade is any of the world reserve currencies, and more than likely, the US dollar.

China is scary

The US and China are rivals, yet they are very much dependent upon each other. China can materialize fake growth (building empty cities), manipulate financials, and act with impunity (no fear of consequences). It is a communist country with a controlled citizenship, sort of like the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. China owns a lot of US dollars as well as a lot of our US debt. The US is the largest buyer of Chinese exports.

If the yuan becomes a world reserve currency, what can happen?

Some experts say that it can be a huge opportunity to building wealth. That sounds pretty good, and then the next question would be, “HOW?” since we already know the WHEN – October 2015. [Update: it didn’t happen at the IMF October meeting in Peru this year – so experts are now predicting NEXT year October 2016.]

BAIDU and BABA

Recently, Aunty was playing with these 2 Chinese company stocks which are traded on the US stock market. BAIDU is the Chinese equivalent of Google, and BABA the equivalent of eBay. Billions of people, badabee badaboom, Aunty played some options (a future post) on both stocks and then the dang Chinese government began to de-value the yuan.

What is going on with that scary country? Aunty likes their food but not their moves. After a financial whack on the hand (not too bad), it was time to visit some experts.

Stansberry’s Sjuggerud strategies

Aunty subscribes to tons of newsletters. Some are free, some are cheap, some are not so cheap but come with money back guarantees. Stansberry Research was either free or cheap and their daily emails are very informative. Dr. Steve Sjuggerud (pronounced sugar rude) is one of their advisors, and just the other day, his offer to subscribe to his monthly newsletters came with some timely bonus reports about how to benefit from the yuan becoming a world reserve currency. For $39, Aunty subscribed for a year, and got the bonus reports with the potentially wonderfully profitable advice. Here they are, in a nutshell:

Funds A few were a little beyond Aunty’s comfort zone such as certain Chinese bond funds or opening an account with Everbank. FXI (iShares China Large-Cap Fund) sounded pretty good since it is a fund that holds China’s 50 biggest and best companies that trade in Hong Kong, but Aunty is not sure about its fees.

House Another bonus report was about taking advantage if the US dollar becomes weaker by getting into investments that act like a hedge (protection). The hedge was to buy a house. The reasoning is that interest rates are so low and that homes are at bargain prices right now. Okay, it may be true about interest rates, but houses in Hawaii are NOT at bargain prices. Still, Aunty tends to think this is a good idea, even in Hawaii, and almost dreads to think of what will happen to our real estate once rich Chinese people decide to buy in Hawaii.

Stock Related to housing and in the real estate game of buy, fix and sell is the Blackstone Group, stock symbol BX. Currently it is $38 and it pays dividends. With its current pricing, the dividends return 7%! Hmmm. This is a looker! [Update Aug 2015: Almost all stocks took a beating after the Chinese government AGAIN devalued the yuan. BX dropped to $32 and is recovering. At current pricing of $34, it now provides dividend income of 8%, which is not shabby at all. Still, only invest what you are willing to lose if you cut your losses.]

Gold and silver This was not surprising – in times of uncertainty, precious metals are safe havens. However, rather than buying ETFs (exchange traded funds that “hold” gold and silver for you) or bullion or bars, the recommended investment are collectible coins, specifically older gold Saint-Gaudens or Morgan silver dollars, in MS64 or MS65 grades. (Aunty forgets how she found him, but Rich Gordon is the man at Eastern Numismatics. If you want to start off with a coin of interest or a roll of Silver Eagles, ask him for his help and expertise at (800) 835-0008 ext. 2300. He accommodates us Hawaii people by burning the New York midnight oil and calling his Hawaii clients late in the day or early evening.)

Sharing is caring

Aunty is not sure if sharing this info is against the subscription rules. If it is, then please, somebody let Aunty know and this post comes down. Aunty has a feeling that Dr. Sjuggerud’s True Wealth newsletters will be very worthwhile reading. Hopefully you will find his advice here to be worthy of thought, if not action.

Meanwhile, Aunty still likes BAIDU, and BABA. It is just too bad that they don’t seem to care about Aunty.

Near miss = lesson learned

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Aunty

eye This is not a picture to show Aunty’s lack of eyelashes, sparse eyebrow hairs, wrinkles, bags under eyes, or melasma splotches on face.

It is to show that little brown dot just above and the bigger dot just below Aunty’s eye as a warning to all of us to be careful.

Aunty wanted to cut down a piece of a laminate plank to be a barrier in the vegetable garden. Instead of using a circular saw, Aunty used her Dremel with a thin rigid sandpaper looking cutting disc mounted on a mandrel. The laminate plank was hard and difficult to cut and as the Dremel spun furiously to the point of smoking, Aunty felt a sharp shard fly toward her eye. It was either her lightning quick reflexes or the hand of angels (I’d bet on angels) that resulted in Aunty’s squinting shut her eye just in time, or else the shard would have burned into her eye ball rather than landing on her eye bag. It was painfully sharp and embedded in the skin, and it took a little while before Aunty could pluck it out because it was burning hot.

It looks so little (actually it is about 2 days old and the scab just peeled off) but Aunty felt very lucky. Imagine if it had lodged IN her eye!?!

So, lesson learned – wear safety goggles or glasses when cutting, drilling, or hammering. And thank your angels every day and night, for the near misses we realize, and for those that we didn’t even know that we missed.

Lithuania and beyond – with only a backpack?

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Aunty

One of Aunty’s favorite daughters is off to Lithuania for an entrepreneur camp (all expenses paid except for getting there). After the 4 day camp, she plans to join groups that feed and house for labor during the day, and then backpack across Europe with a friend for a few months. A real adventure, almost like Bilbo Baggins without dragons and dwarfs.

Some tips from friends include ALWAYS saying “Bon jour” when entering a business in Paris, and bringing your own bandaids because they are terribly expensive in Europe ($10 for a small pack). Bring postcards from Hawaii to show off, since Hawaii is so foreign to foreigners and other tourists.

Make copies of your passport, credit cards, travel docs and give them to someone at home. Keep a copy in your luggage. If your documents get lost or stolen, you will be able to retrieve the information to show at the American Embassy.

Aunty’s own travel tips included what to pack, though being limited to a backpack made most of the items moot. Aunty does NOT plan to travel with only a backpack, and life in the senior lane requires comfort and leisure.

Here are Aunty’s travel packing tips copied and pasted:

Aunty is a late packer for flights – which is a very bad habit. Minutes before leaving the house for the airport finds me scrambling for last minute things to take, and I invariably forget something that I need, and thus have made a list of things to pack. Aunty’s carryon bag is always ready to go – just needing last minute additions like makeup, charging cords, address book, cereal, snack. Here’s Aunty’s packing list:

For the carryon bag

Toiletries such as toothbrush, small toothpaste, makeup, shower cap, deodorant, tweezers, nail file (small ones pass the TSA inspections).
A folding fan – just in case the terminal, airplane, room, etc. gets hot and stuffy – you will be glad you have this little portable tool. Aunty usually keeps a fan in her purse (Aunty has a big bag).
Makeup stuff, sunscreen, moisturizer, vaseline (if you get real dried up), eye drops,
Headsets (though Hawaiian Airlines and others do provide free headsets now, and you pay to watch on your own individual screen)
iPad, iPod or something to play with or read or do
Socks in case your feet get cold, jacket or scarf. Aunty brings a 45”x60” piece of rayon or polyester fabric to act as a blanket because sometimes the airline blankets feel and smell yucky. (note: Hawaiian Airlines now does not provide pillows and blankets so if you do get chilled on flights, bring something to keep warm.)
A set of plastic cutlery like knife and fork that comes packaged in bentos (in case you need eating utensils in the hotel), disposable chopsticks.
Instant coffee packs so you can have a fast cup of coffee with just a cup of hot water. Aunty packs either Nescafe that already comes with cream (from San Francisco), or some Vietnamese coffee packs (from Chinatown).
Small ziplock bag of cereal. A cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal is Aunty’s breakfast, every day, for the last 30 years. It makes for a very easy start of the day.
Jewelry and accessories that coordinate with outfits. Just bring what you will wear.
Rubber slippers – can be used to walk around in your hotel room or when going to the spa.
One set of undies – just in case your luggage gets lost, at least you have one clean one.
Folded up extra plastic bags. Aunty also has her “Tokyo” bag – a folded vinyl bag that can open up and act as an extra suitcase in case you bought so much stuff that you need another suitcase
Essentials: charging cords for phones, computers, iPads, cameras (Aunty sticks them in a zippered funky cosmetic case and when I keep it in my carryon bag even if empty so when I see it when packing, I remember to put all those essential cords in it before leaving.)
Address book, my little notebook of all my user names and passwords if I plan to use the computer, your laptop or iPad if you are like Aunty and have to log in and do computering.
1 empty water bottle with cover. After you pass TSA, you can then fill up your water bottle so you have water when you want on the plane. Sometimes the water bottle might “sweat”, so a bottle wrap might be a good idea to keep the bottle insulated.
Blow up things like pillows for the back, neck, etc. Whatever will make you comfy. Because they are blowup, they don’t take up a lot of space in your bag.
Snack for the plane – I love to take Manabu musubis – those perfectly salted rice balls are fantastic ambassadors of good will – I always bring extra to share with seat mates and/or the nice flight attendants on Hawaiian Air.
Maps of the place that you are going to. Having a compass also helps since the Mainland use directions such as north, south, east, west – unlike our Hawaiian directional navigations of mauka (mountain), makai (ocean), Ewa, Diamond Head.

In your purse (bring a big one)

Men might think that we women have bags that are too big, but we can be lifesavers with our big bags when the little needs come up. I usually empty out my regular handbag and pull out the stuff I usually use like my wallet (only take 1 or 2 credit cards that you will use), lipstick, cell phone, pens, business cards, pills, camera, bandaids, mad money (because when traveling we should be a bit mad and spend a bit foolishly, imo).
Your “drugs” such as medications, vitamins, etc. Aunty brings a plastic pill box with 7 days worth of compartments, each with my daily dose of Strontium, Super Food, and Intestinal Correctional Formula 1 (I know, I know, too much information…)
Reading glasses. If you have bifocal glasses, bring a pair of reading glasses to make movie viewing easier on the personal screens because of the angle of the screen otherwise you will have to lift your chin and watch – which is a drag, or you can wear your bifocals upside down and look weird.
Aspirin/Advil, whatever you think you will need just in case.
Li Hing Mui or ginger for air sickness and also because it tastes good. Chewing gum and hard candy are good too.
Sunglasses, watch, voice recorder (in case you have a great idea or a memo to remember), notebook, pen.

For your Checked in baggage

1 set of clothes per day or event, pack fewer bottoms than tops and try to coordinate so they mix and match. If Aunty packs too lightly – then Aunty has a good excuse to go shopping for clothes at our destination (poor Aunty, lol!)
Undies – tops and bottoms.
1 bathing suit if you plan to go to the spa and enjoy the jacuzzi/steam room/etc.
A hat for protection from the sun. Uncle likes to wear a baseball cap on the airplane – keeps his eyes shaded and protected from the air flow from the vents.
Sleeping and/or comfortable clothes while in hotel room (Aunty must admit this is what I always forget.) I call these my bodobodo clothes that I normally wear around the house.
Shoes and extra socks – make sure you bring comfortable practical shoes or sandals
A bottle of unopened water, wrapped in a towel and sealed in a plastic bag. This is for the first day at the hotel before you get to a store to buy water – otherwise you will probably pay for the hotel room bottle of water which is rather pricey.
Your gifts from Hawaii to the people you will visit. Aunty always packs little treats from Hawaii to give to the hotel desk clerk, taxi driver, maid. It makes them happy and that is always good karma. Mele Macs by Island Princess are round balls of exquisite delight and always welcome. Remember to take these out and put in your bag after retrieving your luggage from the carousel so it is ready to give from the start.
Garlic pepper dried ahi poke from Yama’s, pulehu tako, pipikaula, poi, pancake taro mix. Never go empty handed when visiting – that is one local rule. Aunty uses ice packs to keep the perishables cold (frozen poi also acts as an ice pack) and wraps the entire bag in newspapers, or paper bags, then in plastic (or cooler bag) and puts it in a corner in the suitcase. The baggage area of the plane gets super cold during the flight, like being in a refrigerator, and so your food arrives safe and still chilled.
Aunty just learned another great tip for keeping things such as flower leis cool if carrying them on the plane – instead of using cold packs (which might be disallowed) – use bags of frozen vegetables! Mahalo to Sly of Le Flowers on King Street for that great and useful tip!

Here is what Aunty does to make sure her stuff doesn’t get smashed or banged up in the suitcase. Put one of those cardboard crates that Costco has for packing our purchases at the checkout into your suitcase. Get a box that fits the depth of the suitcase as high as possible and still be able to zip the case closed. This will really strengthen the walls of the suitcase. Aunty has brought back cookies from Trader Joes intact and unsmashed because they go right next to the box walls and the middle is packed with the less fragile stuff such as clothing, shoes, etc.

Summer sun great for laundry tip

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Aunty

linens Since it has been so terribly hot and sunny recently, Aunty has been laying out linens, hankies, furoshikis (squares that are used to tie up parcels and gifts), unlined tote bags, and whatever other natural fiber item that are stained or discolored on the front lawn and having the intense sun bleach the stains away. It works like magic.

Mrs. Orpha Herrick was a favorite college professor. Not only did she teach a great course, she also was a class act in every way. I learned her trick and have used it often with great success.

To remove the yellow spots and discolorations from linens and cottons (natural fibers), spread the item on the grass in the sun, and water the fabric evenly. As the sun starts to dry the items, wet again.

spots on linen, sometimes called “rust spots” brown spots on nice linen doily

Do this several times during the day until the stains disappear, and your linens and cottons look whiter than they ever did!

Ta daaaahh! Sun bleached beautiful clean linens!

If it is windy, use clean rocks or weights to hold down corners. Remove from the grass before the sun goes down and lay out again the next morning if the stains need more time to disappear. Handle only when dry. Keep your dogs off unless you want dog paw prints as a pattern – Aunty learned this the hard way. Paw print are not removable with this method.

Crocheted doilies and cloths are great candidates for this method since they do not wash well. However, the dyes that are used in the natural looking crochet threads do tend to also bleach out, so a brownish ecru piece will lose its brown-ness and become almost white.

Aunty was on TV!

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Aunty

It was a really good show at the Hawaii All-Collectors Show this Sunday. Collectors are really special and nice people and it is so fun to walk around, talk story, and see people so happy to find their own special treasures and deals. One customer said it was like Christmas for him!

KITV 4 was walking around, and interviewed Aunty – how cool was that!

Here’s the link, Aunty is so thrilled!

Old lady bike

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Aunty

Townie Aunty

Aunty is no longer young. But she can still ride a bike. And now, beginning her golden years, she wanted to have a good bike with all the bells, whistles and specs that fit her short, flat butted senior body. A folding bike seemed like a very usable and adaptable choice, and so, the search was on.

First potential

Giant Expressway2 McCully Bike $560

Initial stop was the old standard – McCully Bike on King Street. It was overwhelming to see rows of bicycles, all of them looking huge and youthful. The friendliest looking bike was a folding bike (!) – Giant Expressway2. It was also the smallest adult bike.

Aunty loved its look. Cute and sassy. It had 20″ wheels, 7 speeds (which wasn’t important), handle bars were adjustable in height and the seat could be lowered to Aunty’s short size.

Trying to be cool, Aunty swung her left leg over the low center bar (21.5″) and almost died as her non stretch skirt failed to give enough slack for the up and over leg. Pride and determination won out, and Aunty barely escaped crash mounting in the store by jumping into the seat and luckily finding her balance. A test drive down 4′ of crowded aisle was excruciating because of the stiff little seat of torture. How do people ride on those? A week later, Aunty’s tailbone was still feeling abused from the seat and her near mishap.

The Expressway2 was pricey at $560 before tax, a nice cushy seat would cost about $50 more, and a basket would be another additional expense.

Plethora of potential

Dahon Speed Uno $402.96 Amazon

After a google search of “folding bikes” and reviews, Aunty focused in on the Dahon Speed Uno because it had some good reviews and it was simple, simple, simple, like the bikes from Aunty’s hanabata days in Palolo Valley. One speed, pedal brakes. No wires and levers on handle bars. Lightweight and foldable, though a bit macho and sparse looking.

This was one of the lightest folding bikes – 24lbs. Small and tough looking.

NYCEwheels.com has a video review of the Dahon Speed Uno. The reviewer, Dave, is a very tall man and Aunty was trying to see if that horizontal bar between the handle and seat was low enough for Aunty to throw her leg over without getting embarrassed and eating it on the asphalt. In the video, the bar barely met the mid part of his lower leg, so maybe it was nice and low, or maybe he was a giant and double the height of Aunty. Dave rode with ease, whipping through U-turns and stopping on a dime.

This bike is bare bones and cool. No fenders, no basket – just bike, fun and simple.

Schwinn

Schwinn 20″ Loop $247.86 on Amazon

One of the top rated folding bikes on Amazon was the Schwinn 20″ folding Loop Bike. It is 32 lbs, heavier than the Dahon Speed Uno, with shifts and cables for its 7 speed and handle bar brakes.

Notice how the frame dips low? This is called a step-through because one can easily step through the frame to get on. Nice feature for Aunty and her skirts. The back rack is part of the frame, handy for cargo or a basket or purse.

Searching “folding bikes” on Amazon will pull this Schwinn up first, but not too many websites even mentioned the Schwinn as a top 10 contender. Still, it is small and cute, has some nice standard features such as front and rear plastic fenders and the rear rack. It comes in several color choices, and it has the Schwinn brand name, which used to mean something in the old days. Free shipping on Amazon makes this a contender.

Brits have it

More google searching for “best folding bikes” opened up several great reviews, but most of them were British and European models, too pricey and shipping to Hawaii was not an option, or if shipping was an option, it would cost an arm and a leg.

“Best bikes for seniors”

Another google search for bikes for seniors was pretty interesting, but not many caught Aunty’s eye since the Dahon Speed Uno was flirting as the numero uno in Aunty’s head. A helpful website is boomerinas.com with an article about bikes for boomer women. She suggested searching “old lady bikes”, so Aunty did. One of the best articles was a 2009 one from AARP about terminology and choosing a bike. Aunty advises potential bike buyers to check out this great article.

Citizen

Citizen Bike’s Barcelona
$399 plus shipping

Reading through many online reviews took Aunty to the website of Citizen Bikes. O. M. G…. Talk about pretty! The Barcelona folding bike in the champagne color was SO beautiful! It looked like something that Katherine Hepburn would ride. Options include a nifty wicker basket in the front mounted just above the front wheels, classy looking 2-tone seats, a bell ringer, and even a mount for smart phones (though how smart is it to use your smart phone while biking).

The rear rack and fenders were standard. Shipping from Florida to Hawaii was $152 via USPS – yikes! Florida is a continent and ocean away. Customer service closed early – 4:00 EST. Total cost with shipping, nifty basket and a 2-tone comfy seat was just under $600. This needed some serious back pedaling of thought. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) the only color in stock was black, not this yummy ivory color. Katherine Hepburn would insist on the ivory because black would not suit her style. Aunty only wanted ivory.

Cheapo option

Stowaway 20″ 6 speed Amazon $149.99

What is most difficult is not being able to actually sit on a bike and take it for a spin. How many people would buy a car without a test drive? Of course, the difference in price of thousands of dollars for a car vs. hundreds of dollars for a bike makes it 100 times less critical, or that’s what Aunty tells herself.

One cheapo (Aunty needs to learn to say “economical”) folding bike is the Stowaway 20″ 6 speed folding bike. It actually looks decent with a back rack, slightly lowered middle bar and pretty silver color. It comes with fenders that have dents in it (?) and weighs 38 lbs. Zooming in on the pictures on Amazon showed rather messy welding.

Reviews about this bike are mixed on Amazon – some have no problems and love it, some encountered problems with poor customer service and quality. Aunty was leery of speed shifting on bikes and this bike might not fit Aunty’s cup of tea because of the lack of hand holding support. Still, it was ~~cheapo~~ economical with free (!) shipping.

Changing strategy

A folding bike was a top priority because of the cool factor as well as being able to fold it up and take it almost anywhere one would take a really big rather heavy contraption. They tended to be lighter and smaller than non-folding bikes, but many of the negative reviews on Amazon about ANY bike was damage during shipment, missed parts, etc. Some companies required a qualified bike shop to put it together once the disassembled bike arrived.

Hmmm. Aunty decided to check out more local bike shops to see what could be bought already put together.

Ebikes Hawaii

A2b folding electric bike, prices vary

John and Roy Cho are a father and son team running 2 stores (Kapahulu and Hickam AFB), specializing in electric bikes. Aunty went to the Kapahulu store on Campbell Avenue, a couple of blocks from Rainbow’s Drive Inn and close to Zippy’s.

Son Roy showed Aunty some nifty looking folding electric bikes. These run quiet and work on an assist mode combined with pedaling for easy power. They are a bit expensive from around $800, but you pay for what you get.

One kinda neat option is being able to rent an electric bike for a day for $40-50, which a lot of tourists do. Aunty was tempted, but not quite ready to hop on one of these bikes, especially since her tailbone was still aching from her first try out attempt at McCully Bike.

Customer service at Ebikes Hawaii is excellent. Son Roy is super nice, no pressure, and treated Aunty with gentle respect. Maybe Aunty will be back one of these days when taking on hills becomes part of Aunty’s bike riding experience.

Aunty’s search continued, venturing into the possibilities of non-folding bikes that are comfortable, pretty, and easy.

Trek Bikes

Trek Pure S Lowstep $419 list

The Pure S Trek Bike was one found online that was single speed, pedal brakes, and step-through chassis. Trek is a good bike brand with a nice website. They are sold in Hawaii, at the BikeFactory on the corner of Ala Moana Boulevard and Cooke Street. Aunty had to go.

Terrifically, the BikeFactory has lots and lots of bikes! Salesman/expert Tyler really knew his bikes and was a patient guide to a wishy washy yet determined Aunty. He pulled down a Trek bike that looked huge. It was not a Pure S Lowstep, which he said was a slightly recumbent bike, meaning the seat was behind the pedals rather than right above them. It was not a folding bike. Aunty didn’t like it and looked at other bikes in the bike crowded store.

Dahon Boardwalk

Dahon folding Boardwalk $349 at the BikeFactory

Ooooh! The BikeFactory had Dahon bikes! They had the Dahon Boardwalk, a less expensive model than the Speed Uno, and was complete with hand brakes, fenders, and a rack! It was really spiffy looking, though a little heavier than the Speed Uno. Plus, it wasn’t as simple because it had the hand brake cable and lever, which Tyler said could be removed. It really was a cool looking bike and the seat could adjust really low to compensate for Aunty’s lack of height. Aunty liked it!

Excitedly, Aunty took it out in the parking lot out back, ready to ride. They say that once you know how to ride a bike, you never forget how. It’s true, but since it was almost 50 years since Aunty had ridden on a borrowed bike in Palolo Valley, it was like entering uncharted territory. The ride wasn’t as easy as hoped. It was stiff Aunty could only go straight, timidly. Turning was not going to happen with the rather skinny front end and shaky ride. Aunty felt like a chicken.

The Dahon Speed Uno suddenly was not an option anymore based on Aunty’s test drive of the Dahon Boardwalk. Dave, the New York bike reviewer of the Speed Uno was a biking pro whipping along with confidence – and Aunty was not.

The Townie 3i by Electra in Champagne Pearl

Electra Townie 3i $549

Tyler knew just what Aunty needed. The Electra Townie. Just the name of it was delicious. The color was delicious. It was not a folding bike, but a one piece low step through and rather light because of its aluminum frame. The seat goes way down for shorties. It was a 3 speed bike, 20″ wheels with both pedal and hand brakes.

Aunty took it for a spin out back. It felt much more stable than the Dahon. Aunty almost completed a U turn going at snail speed, the seat was surprisingly comfy, and the hand brake had a mean bite which took a bit of getting used to.

This was an old lady bike that Aunty felt good about. It was also one that Aunty could feel proud to ride around the neighborhood. A rear rack was added ($49), the bike was given an all points checkout, registration paper signed, and Aunty was ready for the road!

*Update: It has been a week since Aunty got her new wheels. Every day when there are hardly any cars on the road, Aunty would pedal down the block, going just a little further each day, making a U turn without stopping, and then pedal back home. At this rate, it may take a long time before Aunty is ready for the main road and a trip to the post office, bank, or mall – but that is the goal. It will take some time getting comfortable with riding on the edge of the roads and sharing it with cars – but it will happen.

When you are driving, please be nice to bike riders.

If you do see Aunty perched on her bike with her hat banded hair streaming in the wind and cruising along, please don’t honk. Aunty might fall off.

by Aunty

a lot of stuff about almost everything

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