Monday, May 25, 2009

Re-entry

Hilton Beach, Wikiki

Twice during the years I lived in San Antonio, the Medical Library Association meeting came to town. After each, we heard how San Antonio was one of the most popular venues and that it was one of the most requested locations when members were surveyed about were they would like to have our annual conference.

I didn't get it. Partly, of course, because when the conference is in your town, it's a lot of work. But partly because, although I had visited a lot of nice cities that I had enjoyed as conference hosts, I couldn't imagine liking one that much. I liked going somewhere different every year and seeing places I might never otherwise have a chance to visit.

Until now. Yes, I would go back to Honolulu every year!

Hawaii Mosaic
(Caption here.)

More of my photos are here and there's a group account here, where you can see that we were actually working, too.

My entry back into the real world was made somewhat easier when I spotted this this afternoon.

Iowa City Shrimp Truck

My Texas friends will recognize a shrimp truck. Yes, a shrimp truck in Iowa City! It comes up from Galveston about once a month, always on a Monday afternoon. Usually, I'm at work and don't make it, but today was a holiday, so I stopped for a pound of shrimp. I used to worry about the freshness of the shrimp from roadside trucks in San Antonio -- after all, we were 100 miles from the coast -- but for some reason, that doesn't bother me at all here, 1000+ miles from the coast. I'm just happy to see it!

I boiled about 1/3 of my shrimp to make this calorific Lemon Pasta (although I did use light sour cream) with added shrimp.

Lemon Pasta with Shrimp

It made enough to feed an army -- or me for the rest of the week. Luckily, it's really yummy. Next time, I'll make a half recipe. With it, I had a glass of a nice inexpensive Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, which apparently helps the world every time I drink it! I believe I need another glass....

Monday, May 18, 2009

Hawaii

Okay - this place really is gorgeous! We're staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and our conference is at the Convention Center. Even the Convention Center is gorgeous!

More pictures to come...

View from Convention Center

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Did I tell you I was going to Hawaii?

Yes, the Medical Library Association's annual conference is in Honolulu. We'll be staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I leave Friday, before the crack of dawn. The meeting is over next Wednesday, and I'm staying a couple more days after that, just for fun.

I'm trying to finish up all those things that have to get done when I'm going to be gone from work for 7 days. Knitting is not one of those things. Also, I'm still working on the baby blanket, and although I'm definitely making progress, I'm so bored! And since I've told myself I can't work on anything else, I seem to be ignoring it. It's too big for travel knitting, so I'll be taking the Bougainvillea socks and the newly-cast-on Gale, which I think will be fairly repetitive -- good for working on while listening to presentations. And maybe Stonewall, too. (I'm definitely on an Anne Hanson kick right now! Too bad she didn't design that baby blanket!) Because, yes, even though it's Hawaii, there will still be meetings and such to attend, not to mention looooong plane rides on either end of the trip.

To tide you over until I have Hawaii pictures, here's my niece Sarah, celebrating her triumphant performance as an Oompa Loompa in her middle school production of Willy Wonka

Sarah

and here's a froggy who was sitting in my front yard a couple days ago. He's camera-shy, though, and hid under this plant when I got my camera out.

froggy