Hey, From Palm Springs

I know you’ll laugh
when I tell you it’s
a cool morning, only 68.
I’m feeling pretty cool, too.
Haven’t drunk the country club kool-aid.
Yet.

Stopping By Palm Springs on a Sunny Day

This village mine, for ten years now
is making its most seasoned bow
to guests and locals, everyone,
its snowcapped peaks and sunshine wow.

We’ve grown accustomed to the sun,
we feel entitled, everyone.
The nights, while cool, still hold their cheer,
no holding back the year-end fun.

Our friends back east are very clear
about what matters, what is dear;
it’s family, and friends who please,
kept close at hand, in hearts, so near.

The snow is deep, and white, but please,
I have promised not e’er to freeze,
and rays to catch, snowbirds to tease,
and rays to catch, snowbirds to tease.

(yes, indeed, an homage to Robert Frost)

Favorite Places to Eat

Home, of course, is ever the best place to eat, and our special clubhouse at 7 Lakes Country Club is always a social dining treat, but when we roam, the choices are many and varied. In Palm Springs, there' Cheeky's for lunch and breakfast, and Maxcy's is a great cheap eat, as is Panera Bread. Ruby's is fun for shakes and malts, and they have am especially tasty Hawaiian Turkey Burger. A little higher on the food chain are Dinks, Matchbox, and Tyler's, who have the best burgers west of the Mississippi. For sushi, it's Ichiban, and for fancy-dancy, there's Le Vallauris , Purple Palm and Copley's. For dining with entertainment, Blame It On Midnight is fabulous, and close to the theaters during our big film festival. Down valley, in Palm Desert and eastward we like Tommy Bahama's, Castelli's, P.F. Chang, Pacifica Seafood, and Roy's. In Redondo Beach, we always try to get to Chez Melange, and, in Rancho Bernardo, there's a great Greek joint, The Athens Market. Milwaukee is filled with great restaurants, but Mama Mia's and Pepino's have the best pizza, and Jake's has those fabulous onion rings. Fish fry on Friday's is a special treat, and driving out to The Golden Mast in Okauchee is worth the effort. We are engaged in an ongoing "Roy's World Tour", eating in every Roy's we find, but they keep opening new sites, so we'll have to keep on trucking. We've been to La Jolla, San Francisco, Newport, Rancho Mirage, Scottsdale and more, including Poipu, Kauai for Valentine's Day, and the original in Hawaii Kai many times. In fact, we had lunch at Roy's Ko Olina one day, and dinner at Hawaii Kai...even the hostess at Ko Olina was laughing at that one, since we had her make the reservation for us. Next week, we'll try the new Roy's in the Waikiki Embassy Suites Hotel. That'll be after breakfast at Cheeseburgers In Paradise. On Oahu, we like the small noodle shops, and we just have to get shave ice from Matsumoto's.