I 'm back at 15 Craigside, and as much as traveling is great, coming home is better.  The best part was that my brother, who was on life support two weeks ago, is now recovering well.  So much so that there will be a family reunion in Las Vegas next month.  Oh, that graphic to the left.  That was a flight this past February from SFO to HNL.  I will board maybe the same plane, which will be a 777. I left you yesterday in the United Club of the Harry Reid International Airport.  I continued on a United flight to San Francisco. It was in the 90's all week in Las Vegas.  The surprise of this flight was seeing so much snow. Then the salt ponds of the East Bay approach to the airport. Called the  San Francisco Bay Salt Ponds , they stretch over 16,500 acres.  These salt evaporation ponds have been there since around the time of the Gold Rush in the 1850s.  Real salt, like from Leslie, were produced here for your table.  The colors depend on the type of shrimp and microorganisms that

From  Worldometer  (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):           DAY    USA    WORLD      Brazil      India      South Africa 2020 June     9     1093     4732         1185        246       82 July    22      1205     7128         1293      1120     572 Aug    12      1504     6556        1242        835     130 Sept     9      1208      6222       1136       1168       82 Oct     21      1225      6849         571        703       85 Nov    25       2304    12025        620        518      118 Dec     30       3880    14748       1224       299      465 2021 Jan      14       4142      15512       1151         189     712 Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398 Mar      2       1989     9490        1726       110      194 April     6        906    11787         4211       631       37 May     4        853     13667        3025      3786     59   June    1        287    10637         2346      3205      95  July    7         251      8440        1595        817     

Have you ever had a 5-hour dinner for two with a view of Diamond Head and a Waikiki sunset that cost a thousand dollars?  We did last night at La Mer, which is on the second floor above Orchids. The evening began with a gin martini on ice with olives at House Without a Key. We went on to be served Heidsieck Champagne at La Mer, which once was free...but no more. After being kept away from fine cuisine for more than 2.5 years by the pandemic, we splurged on Malossol Caviar.  The roe came from  U.S. aquacultured sturgeon .  Caviar prices are absurd, but  China  is entering the picture, and prices could drop. We selected the $300 version. Sunset at Waikiki. We selected the following Menu Dégustation. First the amusement, of more caviar in a soup sauce. Foie gras paté, beets, onions and popcorn, with a Justin Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. Then a roasted scallop/lobster consommé with cuttlefish. Followed by a plate of chorizo, lobster and squid ink gnocci. The final entre was filet o