Category: Advice

Unspoken Rules Everyone Should Live By

Most of these can be attributed to – http://theminds.co/16-unspoken-rules-everyone-live/

Here’s the list of top unwritten rules in life everyone should know. If we all followed these rules, life would be a whole lot easier.

RULE #1 – When you borrow someone’s car, return it with a full tank of gas, or at least fill it up more than what you got it as a way to saying thank you.

RULE #2 – When someone shows you a picture on their phone, don’t swipe left or right . . . you don’t want to see something embarrassing.

RULE #3 – Don’t break up with someone over text message, email or using a social networking site.

RULE #4 – Always leave at least one buffer urinal between you and the sir next you.

RULE #5 – Be quiet when other people are asleep. That means more than not talking — not slamming doors, drawers, etc.

RULE #6 – If you ask your friends for help with some house work, feed them as payment.

RULE #7 – Chew with your mouth closed. No one needs to hear you crunching.

RULE #8 – Don’t let your arguments escalate in public. If you feel you can’t control your language or volume then go somewhere else where to continue where other people won’t feel uncomfortable.

RULE #9 – Always leave the last piece of something to the person who bought it, unless they really insist they won’t eat it.

RULE #10 – In case you miss a call, drop a message as soon as possible if you’re unable to call them.

RULE #11 – When you borrow money from a friend, pay them back as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter the amount, don’t assume they don’t need it, never make them ask you for it.

RULE #12 – If you stay the night at someone’s house,  either make the bed or remove the sheets, regardless if they plan to wash the blankets or not.

RULE #13 – When someone else cooks for you, offer to help with the dishes.

RULE #14 – If someone gives you space, or the right of way on the road, wave to them as a sign of thank you.

RULE #15 – Don’t make plans with friends, or talk about plans with friends, in front of people who weren’t invited.

RULE #16 – Don’t stop in the middle of a busy sidewalk or the entrance of a subway station

Suggestions for visiting Kauai

Kauai Recommendations 
We recently visited Kauai for the first time. It was fabulous. We did the VRBO thing and stayed in an oceanfront condo in Poipu. My one recommendation – do the helicopter tour at least once. It was the highlight of the trip for us.

In preparation I went through a lot of posts elsewhere trying to determine what we should see and do. From that collection – and an email from a friend of mine – here is the collection. Sorry for all the choppiness and grammar issues. I just copied and pasted from existing posts.

Places to see:

  • Waimea Canyon – Make sure you drive all the way to the parking lot where the road ends and if it’s fogged over, wait at least an hour to see if it’ll clear out.
  • The falls have a local name but often go by Secret Falls. Good recommendation.
  • Driving through Waimea Canyon.
  • Go see the Waimea Canyon, the Grand canyon of Hawaii. You can drive to the top of it, access is from the south side of the island.
  • For places to visit drive up Waimea canyon to Kalalau lookout. The view is incredible and there are a few other lookout places you can stop at on the way. The lighthouse is another good place to visit.
  • Visit Wailua Falls, you can drive right up to it…but if you are stealthy the fun thing is to jump the fence on the south end and climb down to the falls bottom and swim into the falls. Usually there is a guy sitting there and if you keep it quiet, just ask him where to go (he will be there making little bowls from palm leaves)
  • Visited Water Falls: Opaeka’a Falls Wailua Falls (from Treasure Island TV show). You can drive to both of these.
  • Visited Fern Grotto: You have to kayak to this. Was a little more strenuous than Hanalei River When we did this we also kayaked up to a point (opposite side of the river than Fern Grotto) and hike to Secret falls and went swimming (cold water). I think they have a boat ride that goes to fern grotto. People get married there.
  • Lighthouse at Kiauea: Very was cool. It costs to go to this. I can’t remembe how much.
  • Guava Plantation: There was a guava farm near the light house that we visited.
  • Hanalei Lookout – is cool to see. If you saw “Blue Hawaii”, this is the place. It looks the same as when Elvis Presley sang here. It right along the side of the road heading from Princeville to Hanalei.
  • Tree tunnel: You will enjoy the tree tunnel on 520 (the road that goes to Poipu Beach area).
  • Spouting Horn: Go west on Lawai Rd and visit the Spouting Horn. It was cool. It is real close to where you are staying.
  • Waimea Canyon: A must see. It is really cool looking. It looks like Grand Canyon. In fact they refer to it as the Grand Canyon of the Hawaiian Islands. Dirt is really red. It will ruin white shoes!
  • Hanalei Bay: Where they filmed “South Pacific” the movie. You would recognize it from the movie from the princeville side. There is a very fancy hotel there. If I remember correctly, that is where we recognized Hanalei Bay as the location where it was filmed.

Hikes:

  • Also Polihali State park on the far south west corner of the island is an awesome beach, absolutely huge I think it is something like 17 mile long, and there are very few people there because it is as remote a place as you can go on the island. There is very little shade there though so buy a couple of those cheap beach umbrella’s from the walmart in town to take with you but it is well worth going out there. The last several miles are down a dirt road with a lot of washboard surface, but once again it is awesome, be sure to go there at least once. In fact a good day trip is to go to the Canyon, access is on the south side headed toward Polihale, then after you come donw from the top of the canyon continue west to Polihale since you are 3/4 of the way there already and spend the rest of the day at Palihale. Once again bring umbrella’s but also bring coolers with plenty of drinks and bring food as there is nothing out there to get those things.
  • We loved hiking the Kalalau trail to Hanakapi’ai Beach
  • Hike the grand canyon of the Pacific, tour NaPali coast, kayak trip to waterfall
  • Take a hike, there is a nice, although modestly strenuous one, you can take from the northwest end of the island along the NaPali Coast.
  • Make sure you hike to Waipo’o falls in Waimea Canyon. Go to the end of the road up the canyon, second lookout Pu’u a Hina is the best. Hike to Pihea Peak if you have time go to the swamp.
  • If you are staying for a long time, get a permit and take the Napali coast Kalalau Trail all the way to Kalalau Beach (11 miles each way) you will need to camp to do it. If not hike to Hanakapia’ai Falls. Get to Ke’e beach early to get a parking spot, hike 4 miles into the Falls, swim and hike back out, you can do it in about 4-6 hours. Unbelievable views!
  • Hike: The favorite for my kids over everything was the hike on the Napali coast. You take 560 to the very end, park at Ke’e beach area. I marked it also with an arrow on the sketch above. Make sure you do not park in low areas. The mountain right there is the wettest place on earth. Dips in the road can become a river. The trail is the Kalalau Trail. We hiked up this trail and then took the trail to Hanakapiai Falls (8 mile round trip) . You don’t have to do the whole thing. Just hike along the trail near the ocean is spectacular. You can make it as long or as short as you want.
  • Hike: The favorite for my kids over everything was the hike on the Napali coast. You take 560 to the very end, park at Ke’e beach area. Make sure you do not park in low areas. The mountain right there is the wettest place on earth. Dips in the road can become a river. I believe the trail name is Kalalau Trail. We hike up this trail and then took the trail to Hanakapiai Falls (8 mile round trip) . You don’t have to do the whole thing. Just hike along the trail near the ocean is spectacular.

Snorkeling:

  • Anini beach on the north shore is protected by the biggest coral reef in Hawaii and is an excellent place to snorkel.
  • Snorkeling at Tunnels
  • Go snorkeling at Tunnels Beach.
  • Tunnels and Anini are great for snorkeling on the north side of the island.
  • Snorkel : Best snorkeling was at Tunnels beach, lots of fish, turtles. Most of the days it was calm, but there was one day it was a little rough, other than that it was great. It is a double reef. You park at Haena State Park and walk back up the beach to Tunnels beach. I put an arrow pointing to tunnels beach. If you look to the left of it, you can see Haena State Park where you can park.
  • Snorkel: Safest place to snorkel was at Lydgate State Park (there were some fish, not a lot though and the water was a little cloudy ) you will find this just south of Wailua Bay. South of the mouth of the Wailua river. It has a man-made rock water break there.
  • Snorkel: Poipu was ok for snorkeling, there are a lot of people there, the fish were scarce and the water was cloudy It is a good place to swim though.

Beaches:

  • Also go to Palihali beach which is on the far southwest corner of the island. It is an awesome beach, miles and miles long with almost no one there. Bring an umbrella as there isn’t any shade and the surf in February will be big.
  • If I could retire anywhere and money was no object, I’d pick Hanalei…..my favorite beach ever.
  • Best beaches, Polihale Beach on the west side, all the way you can go. You can hit up Waimea Canyon and Polihale the same day.
  • Donkey Beach is great, Hanalei is an awesome surfer town. North Shore is amazing.
  • Queensbath is awesome, depending on the waves you can get in, but if the surf is high, stay out or you wasily could be swept out to sea. But it is awesome even if you are just watching the massive waves come in. Summertime the swells are smaller on the North Shore.
  • Swam at “Queen’s Bath” – you have to hike down to this. I think there was lava type rocks. It was a little spooky in some places where the water was coming in. Not one of my favorite places. This is in Princeville area.

Activities:

  • Kauai Helicopter – do at least once
  • Helicopter tour without doors (Jack Harter)
  • Tube through the mountain tunnels…. This is more of a locals thing but others are starting to figure it out, I think there might even be some tours doing it now although I’m not positive about that. Basically there were some tunnels bored through a mountain for a canal to run through it. People float through it on inner tubes, it comes out in a big hidden pool with a waterfall. Frankly it is one of the funnest things we’ve done there. We’ve been to Kauai 7 times so at this point we’ve done almost everything you can think of.
  • Boat tour Napali Coast – should see a ton of whales this time of year
  • I would recommend skipping the Smith Family Luau. It gets decent reviews, but we thought it was cheesy, and the food wasn’t good at all.
  • Captain Andy’s tours of Napali coast https://www.napali.com/tours/
  • That is when the whales are there. Definitely take a NaPali coast cruise so that you can both see the unbelievable NaPali coast and the whales.
  • Go ride tubes through the tunnels, this is a locals thing, I don’t think there are tours for this. You kind of have to figure out how to do that on your own, I think you can google some info.
  • Kayak Wailua river to the secret falls and Fern grotto.
  • Kayak Hanalei River – very easy to do. You rent the boats near the mouth of the river.
  • Surfing Lessons: We took surfing lessons in Hanalei Bay. It was fun, waves were small. Very expensive, but we had fun.
  • Boogie boarding: At Brennecke Beach, Great boogie boarding, however, there were some rocks t the right of the beach that you need to be careful of. You can rent the boards right there, or at least you could when I was there. It is the beach just east of Poipu Beach.
  • Catamaran Ride: We took a catamaran ride from around Waimea around to the Napali coast. It was an enjoyable ride. You get to see areas where Jurassic Park was filmed, and other movie filmed locations like King Kong. I do not remember how much that one cost. We did that one many years ago.

Food:

  • Smith Family Luau was pretty good. The food was just OK, but the grounds and show were pretty cool. This was about 8 years ago or so.
  • Go to Hanalei Bay and get some tacos from the taco truck in the parking lot, Pats Taqueria.
  • After Bubba’s in Kapaa, go to Ono Ono Shave ice.
  • Make sure you eat at Puka dog in the poipu shopping village on the south side of the island.
  • Luau: If I remember correctly, the luau we went to was in the Coconut Marketplace area. We liked it. They got all three of my girls up there dancing. By this time Stephanie was already heads and shoulders above anyone there, since she had been Polynesian dancing for years.
  • A MUST: Eat some of the pineapple here. THE BEST PINEAPPLE I HAVE EVER TASTED!!!!!

Other:

  • Kauai has my favorite dives, especially off Niihau
  • Hanalei Kauai for church
  • Rent some bikes and ride the beach trail in the morning.
  • Ulewehi (Secret) Falls hike is cool.
  • Spend a day hanging out in Hanalei, also on the north side of the island, its a really cool town down in a valley.
  • Explore, it is a gorgeous island, just go and explore it and discover things. The standard touristy things are easy enough to figure out and find but if you just kind of wing it and go see what you can find it is a lot more fun IMO.
  • I loved waking up in the morning to the sound of birds. Many many birds.
  • You will probably run into wild chickens everywhere. A hurricane scattered them all over the island.
  • Make sure you take your camera and take the great sunsets that you can see from where you are staying. We got some really good ones when we stayed at Lawaii Beach, just west of where you are staying.

Last tips: Reserve the tubes in tunnels and helicopter ride in advance and buy the book. When we went in March we went to sign up for the ride on tubes thru the tunnels, but were told at that point they are booked 3 weeks in advance. Also for the helicopter ride – if you reserve in advance you can get their discounted fares. We did the Blue Hawaiian helicopter. Definitely get the ‘blue bible’ – “Kauai Revealed” by Andrew Doughty and Harriett Friedman. http://www.hawaiirevealed.com/kauai-revealed/

10 Life Lessons From Navy Seal Training

Adm. William H. McRaven, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, gave a commencement address that graduates, and their parents, won’t soon forget.

  1. If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.
  2. If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.
  3. If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.
  4. If you want to change the world get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.
  5. But if you want to change the world, don’t be afraid of the circuses.
  6. If you want to change the world sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first.
  7. So, if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.
  8. If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.
  9. So, if you want to change the world, start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud.
  10. If you want to change the world don’t ever, ever ring the bell.

Now read the explanations behind the ten lessons: Link

 

Very good advice for parents – both dads and moms

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865590425/How-and-why-to-be-the-meanest-mom-in-the-world.html

By Megan Wallgren

Very wise blog entry. Read the whole thing for the explanations behind them.

1. Make your kids go to bed at a reasonable time.
2. Don’t give your kids dessert every day.
3. Make them pay for their own stuff.
4. Don’t pull strings
5. Make them do hard things.
6. Give them a watch and an alarm clock.
7. Don’t always buy the latest and greatest.
8. Let them feel loss.
9. Control media.
10. Make them apologize.
11. Mind their manners.
12. Make them work — for free.

Safety Recommendations for Women written by a Cop

WRITTEN BY A COP:
(From an email. Author Unknown.)
Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or a loved one’s life. In daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things …to do in an emergency situation… This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, & everyone you know. After reading these 9 crucial tips, forward them to someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.
  1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
  2. Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you… Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
  3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy.. The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
  4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR , LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, Repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.
  5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
    1. Be aware:look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor , and in the back seat.
    2. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
    3. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side.. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
  6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)
  7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!
  8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked ‘for help’ into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
  9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird.. The police told her ‘Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door..’ The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, ‘We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.’ He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby’s cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby.. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby’s cries outside their doors when they’re home alone at night.
  10. Water scam! If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full blast so that you will go out to investigate and then attack. Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors!

Please pass this on. This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on America ‘s Most Wanted when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana I’d like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle.. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well. Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better to be safe than sorry.. Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or a loved one’s life.