Melicious Details

For Nausea or Racquet Sports

I went on a sailing vacation in the British Virgin Islands last week which is really surprising considering that I don't sail and also considering that I get motion sickness.  Since me barfing can ruin my entire day, before I left on the trip I bought something called Sea-Bands which claim to prevent nausea and vomiting.  And right now the marketer in me is imagining the product naming meeting where there was a big debate as to why they couldn't be called NauSea-Bands.  But I digress.

Sea-Bands are knitted, elasticated (that is the manufacturer's word choice, not mine, and it does not pass the spell check by the way) wrist bands you wear on each wrist.  Once you have accessorized your swimsuit or other boating attire with your Sea-Bands, you look like you are all ready for a sporting activity that requires you stop the sweat from getting on your hands.  I have never even actually sweat so much to consider getting a paper towel, but from what I hear, preventing sweat from dripping down past your wrists is crucial to winning a title. 

I can tell you from my personal experience on a boat in 25 mph winds and seven foot swells that Sea-Bands are anti-barfing magic.  When I I had them on, the idea of barfing never entered my mind, which is a good thing, because you know what happens...once you start thinking about barfing, tragedy ensues.  After an especially turbulent night of non-stop pitching and rolling (I am referring to the boat, not to any other activity you may be presuming I was indulging in) I am certain I would have hurled if not for my Sea-Bands.

If you are wondering what makes Sea-Bands work, it's the white plastic stud (as shown on my own personal arm in the photo) that applies pressure to the nei kuan acupressure point on each wrist.  (Our friends at wikipedia provide a long, complex answer to your questions about what and where is a nei kuan pressure point.  Trust me, it is more than you want to know, but I like to be a full service blogger and give you the sources for the level of detail you need to feel fulfilled.) I actually have another theory about how Sea-Bands work:  if you leave them on long enough, the plastic stud presses into your nei kuan to such an extent that alarming indentations form on your inner wrists, which causes pain - on a scale of 1 to 10 - of about a 7.  You cannot possibly be distracted by vomiting when your wrists are turning purple and your hands are going numb.

Campaigning Hawaiian Style

We just returned from a week with our friends at their home in Hanalei on the island of Kauai.  If you've never been to Hanalei, you should go, I promise you will love it.  And if you have been there, you know Hanalei is in one of the most remote area of the state, on the north shore of the island, not far from where the road literally ends at Ha'ena beach.

Not reading the paper or watching the news was one of the highlights of the trip.  I was tired of hearing about John and Sarah and Barack and Joe, so happily spent a few days in a haze induced by sunshine, seawater, mai tais and the view of Bali Hai.  But it turned out not to be possible to completely escape the elections.

The campaign for Mayor of Kauai (who knew each island had it's own mayor?) was in full swing.  We found this out when we drove about 10 miles to Kilauea on the only road going south.  It's called the Kuhio Highway but do not picture anything like Highway 101 because it's a two lane road bordered by lush trees, bougainvillea and taro fields.  As we got close to town, we saw several groups of people along the side of the road.  Everyone was relaxed, sitting in beach chairs or standing in the shade of the large umbrellas they had set up.  At first I thought they might be waiting for a parade, but no, they were holding signs - the kind every political candidate prints up with their name in big letters.

One candidate's supporters were on one side of the road, while friends of the opposition were a bit farther down, on the other side.  And what exactly were they doing?  Smiling and waving at every car that drove by.  No yelling or name calling, no impersonations or finger pointing.  Just people supporting their candidates, in the most charming and civilized way.

Taos. The Cure for Writer's Block.

Do you like the snappy new blog design?  And the fact that I am actually writing my blog again?   I had been having my own version of a climate crisis, my creativity flopping around like a fish in a dry riverbed, floundering through a summer drought.  But then I attended Jennifer Louden’s Writers Spa in Taos last week and came back feeling energized and creatively revived.

I was with 30 women from the US and Canada. We talked, we laughed, we wrote, we found a new voice or reconnected with an old one.  Taos spun it’s magic around us for a week leaving us grateful and richer for the experience.

The workshop/spa was at the  Mabel Dodge Luhan House, which is walking distance from the Taos plaza.  Mabel was quite the colorful babe, living a raucous and unconventional life in the early 20th century, and her home is now designated a historic landmark.  Historic in this case meaning a house with small dark rooms, loud creaking floors and ceilings (you can experience both simultaneously if you’re in a first floor room like I was!), finicky plumbing and all kinds of bugs and insects.