I don’t believe in Heaven or Hell, but I do believe in an afterlife of some kind. Whether it takes place as reincarnation or moving to another level of existence, I do believe we go on from here. I’ve always hoped for some communication from my dear departed family members (human or otherwise), but I don’t believe they’ve ever contacted me. Other than one very real-seeming dream in which dearly missed Oscar appeared to let me know he was fine on the other side, wherever that is, I’ve never seen a sign from beyond.
This year I took some photos at and around the gravesite of my maternal grandmother and some other family members who died long before I was born. I’ve seen some ghost photos that were obvious fakes, and others that really made me wonder, so I thought I’d see what might show up in any photos that I took. Nothing unusual showed up, either upon viewing the photos right after taking them, or upon viewing them at full size on the computer later that evening.
But something rather strange did happen at the next gravesite I visited.
After spotting my uncle’s gravestone from the roadway, I happened to glance down as I walked towards it. The gravestone I saw was a smaller one with a photo: a high school graduation photo of someone I’d been friends with so very long ago. This was not someone I’d ever dated, or been extremely close to, but we had been pretty good friends all through my high school years. I knew he had passed away very young. I had already moved to Chicago and lost touch with a lot of people, including him, a couple of years before that.
Someone I hadn’t thought of in many years. Until earlier that week, when I saw an advertisement for the 70s Nightclub Reunion, which took place just this past weekend. I had a lot of friends who played in bands during the 70s, and his would have been one from that time. I knew quite a few of the members in the bands that were playing at this event, and I was just thinking about other friends from that time. Including him. And then to stumble upon his gravesite, with a forever young photo.
I am not sure if that was a sign from beyond. My friend has been gone for almost 30 years, and my uncle for about 6 years. It is very strange that I never happened upon my friend’s gravestone until that day. I visit my uncle’s gravesite every year. What are the odds that I would have always gone up the other path?
I have always loved that pink hotel, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
The hotel was closed for a major renovation last year. Certain areas began reopening at the beginning of January, and the grand re-opening is set for March.
Banquet facilities and more guest rooms were opened a few weeks ago, featuring a gala inauguration ball on January 20. However, with the full re-opening over a month away, it seemed like a good idea to make sure all was well for our personal vacation tradition of having a drink at the Mai Tai Bar on the last night of our stay.
All is well:
Mai Tai Bar, Royal Hawaiian Hotel
Looks like they still have more work to do, but we’ll be able to enjoy some cocktails here on Tuesday evening.
The photo links to a few more Royal Hawaiian photos. If you like pink, that is.
And not to forget Axel. Final update for the weekend: Sunday, Winners Dog and Best of Winners for one more point. Three total points for the weekend, 12 more points and two majors needed for his championship. Good start for his very first weekend out! I am very proud of my puppy boy.
Looking out on the koi pond at the International Market Place from Coconut Willy’s bar.
I have been coming to this bar since before I was actually old enough to drink. I was 17, I think, and the legal drinking age in Hawaii at the time was 18. A friend’s band played on Sunday afternoons so we would go to support them. The bar was called the Cock’s Roost then (it’s on the second floor so the name does sort of make sense). I don’t remember all of the in-between names. The interior of the bar hasn’t changed much at all over the years. With all the change that has taken place here, and everywhere, it is sometimes nice to see something that has not changed much at all.
Not much sunshine today but I hear it is supposed to make an appearance tomorrow. In our one hour of sunshine today, I did get this sliver of ocean to show you.
This was taken looking off the patio of Ryan’s Grill towards Ala Moana Beach. See the little teeny bit of ocean there?
Heavy-ish rain interfered with picture taking, other than my snarky airport and traffic shots Twittered earlier. If we are not following each other on Twitter… why not? Check my links or comment and we’ll fix that!
Also didn’t think to photograph my supper, a mini Loco Moco from L&L Drive-In, until after inhaling it.
7:45 pm here, but my body thinks it’s still in Chicago and close to midnight. So we’ll see you tomorrow.
Sometimes it’s not the most famous or highest quality cuisine of your hometown that you miss the most. Sometimes it’s just the little things you can’t get anywhere else.
This is a very little thing indeed.
There is a special edition Hershey’s Kiss – the macadamia nut kiss – that is sold only in Hawaii (and from what I understand, at least one online source). While some candy lovers complain about the small quantity of macadamia nuts in each kiss (c’mon, a kiss is a very small candy), I think they are just wonderful. Just enough chocolate and just enough macadamia nut flavor. Of course that would be too much chocolate if you just keep nibbling on them, because they are soooo darn good.
Yes, I have a couple of bags to take back to the vast midwestern wasteland with me. Mmmm mmm mmm!
