Sacramento Breakfast Club - Today

The breakfast club got together today. It was our turn to pick the place to go. We've had a Groupon coupon for The Omelet Professor so we chose to go there. We got there right at 8am. Eric Rench was waiting....strangely enough the restaurant wasn't open. They are open from 7am to 1pm according to the sign on the door. There was no sign on the door saying they'd be closed. So Gerry suggested we go to a place in Orangevale called "Ashley's Country Kitchen. Another couple had driven up. So they followed us over to Ashley's and Eric was going to wait for anyone else that showed up.Here is the breakfast I had...half of a Belgian waffle, 1 scrambled egg and 1 sausage link...with OJ to drink. It was perfect...I think it was called Silver Platter on the senior menu. Gerry's bike club had gone here on Wednesday. They've been open about a month and have a sister restaurant in Granite Bay called Jessie's Country Kitchen.

My breakfast was good and I actually "cleaned" my plate. The group numbered 10 people today. Gerry said a Burger King was there and then a Mexican restaurant.

We started going through boxes that have been stored in our spare bedroom today. There is stuff all over the living room floor. I had 3 piles going on...keep, trash and Goodwill. The trash has been taken out, the Goodwill stuff is in the back of Gerry's van, plus the totes that need to get taken to storage. I've set aside stuff that I want to keep...I will probably go through it again and see what I can do without.

As I was going through each box, I realized that the reason the boxes were in the spare bedroom is because it is things I don't want in the storage unit...so I've got to figure out where to put them or just part with more.

Elizabeth came over and she took home two big shopping bags full of stuff for she and her girls. She was also going to see if Jenni wanted anything...what they don't want will be saved for the girls youth group to put in their annual spring rummage sale. The stuff I've designated "Goodwill" may go that route too.

Our mobile home park does a garage sale in May...I don't want stuff sitting around until then. I did find the choir picture I just posted and I'm excited about that. I will work on more tomorrow.

By the time Elizabeth left, we were tired and starving so we drove over to Brookfield's for dinner. It is 3 blocks from our house...it is a little more than a Denny's type restaurant. I had a chopped steak dinner (hamburger patty with onions, green chilis and cheese on top of it, covered with gravy) and Gerry had meatloaf. I didn't think to take pictures...

Kailua High School Choir, School Year 1959-1960

Here is a picture of the Kailua High School Choir, school year 1959-1960. We had performed a Christmas concert at the then Kailua Intermediate School. Mr. Shigeru Hotoke was our director. I was in Mr. Hotoke's 5th period class, we were the "Select Class".

I have looked for this picture several times over the years and was never able to find it. Gerry and I are in the process of cleaning out boxes that have been stacked in our spare bedroom. In one of the boxes was an album that had some old pictures in it. I was taking the pictures out and putting a post-it note on the back of them. Towards the back of the album, SURPRISE...here was this picture. What is awesome too is that on the back of the picture are the names of the classmates who were in that 5th period class.

I just scanned the picture onto my computer and wanted to post it. I will be sending it to Rodney Inefuku, who is a 1961 graduate. He has kept the classmates connected through email. Some time ago, I told him I had this picture and then couldn't find it.

Oh, I am on the left side, 4th row, 3rd person from the end. Standing next to me (the 4th person) is Shirley Davis. We reconnected a few years ago.

Note: Click on picture to see the entire choir. I wish there was a way to zoom in on it.

Siblings and A Cousin

Here's another picture from days gone by...I think it was taken either in 1947 or 1948.

Left to right: my brother, Edwin Ernest (Eddie), our cousin Keith Kaneta, my sister Puanani Rowena (Nani), me Violet-Elizabeth (Betty) and my younger sister Ernestine Kealoha (Ernie). Another sister, Agnes Naomi (we call her Naomi) was born in December 1948 and our brother Samuel (Sam) was born in August 1950.

This was taken at Ala Moana Park (I think). The five of us were always together; usually we were lined up according to age...Keith is older than my brother Eddie...can you tell that I am fairer than my siblings?

I was named, partially, after Keith's mom. Her name was Elizabeth...she went by Eli...she was my mom's younger sister. I was also named after my father's sister Violet. I don't have a middle name and my first name is hyphenated. Brother Samuel doesn't have a middle name either. Brother Eddie was named for my mom's brother, Edwin and my father Ernest. My sister Ernie was also named for my father (my father was hoping for a boy) and her middle name was my mom's middle name. Samuel was named for Samuel in the Bible. I don't think sister Nani was named for anyone.

I think I've told the story how I got my nickname "Betty"...if not, I'll tell it some other time.

Dinner Tonight

I made stir fry for dinner tonight...it had been a while since I made some...used beef, string beans, red bell pepper, celery, onions and mushrooms. It was really good.

I got the Christmas stuff packed up...just need to get the totes back to storage. We have several boxes in our spare room. Gerry asked me if we could go through them. He wants to get them over to storage. So much of the stuff that is in those boxes can be either thrown out or taken to Goodwill. Of course, I've been wanting to do it for quite some time...getting him to be in the mood doesn't always happen. :) We'll see if I have to do it by myself or if he will actually help me...

My Momma and I - 1959-1960

Last summer we were cleaning out some things from our storage unit to put in a garage sale. We found this picture in one of the boxes. It is my momma and I taken in front of Kailua Church of the Nazarene after church one Sunday morning. I was a senior in high school. My momma made the outfits we are both wearing.

I scanned it to my computer so it is rather grainy and not real clear. I was so skinny then... :)

Today's Evening Sky

We had some errands to do this afternoon. We got back home a little after 5 pm. As we drove down the street towards our mobile, the sky towards the south was pink and purple...just gorgeous. In the few short minutes it took to get in the house and grab my camera, the sky had completely changed. Where it had been pink and purple was now gray with just a sliver of pink at the very bottom. It is clear towards the west. It is amazing how quickly things change.

Joyce, Wendi, Katie and Emma drove up to Sacramento on Thursday for a belated Christmas with their mom and other family. Yesterday afternoon we went over to Elizabeth's to visit with them. They headed home this morning. Katie and Emma both had Christmas programs at school so they sang a couple of songs for us from their programs. It sure was cute watching them.

I had planned to start taking Christmas decorations down today. Unfortunately, that didn't get accomplished. Oh well, there is always tomorrow...laundry didn't get done either...just the bed sheets...

We had the leftover casserole I made the other night for dinner tonight. I think it was better tonight than the night I fixed it.

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou/Happy New Year

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou/Happy New Year to you!

Were you able to stay up until midnight? I tried...made it to 11:30pm...I did hear the gunfire going off at midnight. Fireworks are not permitted, although I wouldn't be surprised if there is some of that going on too. There is always gunfire...that is against the law too.

We went to Nagato's Sukiyaki & Sushi restaurant for dinner last night. Their food is so good. It is a family run restaurant...they've been in business for 40 plus years. It could probably be considered a "hole-in-the-wall" type of restaurant. It is nothing fancy...just authentic Japanese food and lots of it. We were both stuffed when we left.

A story about Nagato's...back in the late '70's...my younger sister lived in Sacramento...I lived in Fresno. Denise and I would come to Sacramento to visit and a couple of times, we went to Nagato's to eat.

I moved to Sacramento in 1980...shortly after I moved here, I met Gerry...we were engaged shortly thereafter. One Friday night Denise was invited to a birthday party so we had about 2 hours before we had to pick her up. I took Gerry to Nagato's for dinner. I kidded him...it was a test, if he ate Japanese food and liked it, I would marry him. Well, obviously he passed the test.

Nagato's is one of the places I go for lunch...once in a while...I absolutely LOVE Japanese food and could eat it every day.

We came home and spent a quiet rest of the evening.

I am looking forward to a great new year. I have several projects I want to do...trust I will enjoy good health...I still need to have my cataract surgery.

A very heartfelt thank you to all who read my blog or find it in your searching for other things. Hope you like what I "ramble" about...

Have a blessed New Year!!