Believe it or not, this is what we had for dinner yesterday. After graduation we went to a parent’s house for a gathering. They had some great food but Joe was in the mood for something besides luau food. We decided to go to the Monkeypod restaurant in Wailea on the way home. This is a fantastic restaurant, by the way! They have some of the freshest local ingredients anywhere and the executive chef is someone we know well and have much respect for with his dedication to buying local.

We ordered a couple of martinis. Joe wanted to try their french fries with truffle oil, garlic and salt. I’ve had them and can attest - they‘re delicious! The special of the day was a thin crust, kiawe wood fired pizza with a creamy sauce and lobster. It sounded intriguing so we ordered it. Oh my gosh!!!!! It was fantastic!!

While we were sitting there some friends who had overheard us at the gathering came in looking for us. They joined our table and we just had a blast laughing, talking, eating

They ordered their food and drinks and after awhile we became hungry for dessert. This restaurant is famous for their pies with a wonderful homemade crust. We ordered passion fruit, chocolate and banana - all cream pies. Heavenly!

It was truly a decadent afternoon. One we won’t be repeating any time soon or we’ll gain a lot of weight. But worth each and every calorie for one day.

No, this is not a new tropical cocktail. It’s a remedy for rain! Kind of an odd superstition over here in Hawaii but when it’s raining or threatening rain people put out a ti leaf, some gin and rock salt to fend off the drizzle.  

Today is graduation for my husband’s school. We live upcountry where it tends to rain a lot. Graduation takes place under a tent on the lawn at the school. A couple of years ago it rained the whole day. It was hot, humid, wet and miserable for those families not to mention the children on their special day.

So a little while ago I put a ti leaf on the table outside our back door with a jigger of gin and sprinkled the whole thing with Hawaiian rock salt. I sure hope it works!!

I take my physiology final this afternoon. Then the semester is officially over! This has been a long haul but I’m sure it’s nothing like Fall will be when the nursing program starts. So, this past semester was probably the best schedule I could have had in preparation for what’s ahead.

So I ended up with a B in algebra, looks like an A in Microbiology and I’m anticipating an A in physiology. I earned a 99.5 out of 100 on my unknown bacteria report and set the curve for the rest of the class with my final exam in lab. The teacher was very excited when she told me that. I felt really proud. I worked very hard this past 4 months. But in fairness to the teacher, she had a big part to play in my success in that class. This woman is brilliant! She has a PhD in Microbiology and also teaches Genetics and is well known in her field and respected by her peers. She’s a great teacher. It’s clear she loves what she does and she cares about her students. This has been one of the most enriching experiences thus far in my college career.

Thank you for the support I’ve had from my fab40 friends! I’ve received lots of positive comments on my profile and even some cards in the mail (thank you, Neicy!)

So, here I go! Off to study for the FINAL final of the school year!