And so the cake says.... The cake (thank you Michelle) and 32 of Gary's closest friends and University of Hawaii, Manoa colleagues all gathered together last night at my house for a friendly going away party. I knew some but not all of the guests, but the ones I met for the first time were friendly and engaging, all there to honor Gary and Frances. There was indeed quite a Who's Who of senior level university folks...Deans/ Directors/Chancellor's Office, senior researchers running some of UHM's largest and most prestigious research program, grants management and grants development leaders, and a small entourage working with Gary in his office.
My house was cleaned inside and out in preparation. I think my water bill will reach the ceiling after all of the washing and power washing that Gerri and I did. Thank you Gerri for your contribution before and after, and the amazing salad I was too distracted to sample. And thank you Zoe for your help before and after, the beautiful display of flowers that added life to the party, and the special card that you created for all of the guests to sign.
A special thanks to Michelle for doing the hard work of inviting the guests, following up and even a reminder, collecting for the going away present for Gary and Frances...meant to entice them to return to Hawaii as soon as possible......and for bringing the cleverly disguised cupcakes (see picture above), the leis for Gary and Frances, the large cooler filled with drinks, and for introducing us to your new friend Marcus.
There was plenty to eat and drink. Many people added to the heavily fortified bar with their own wine bottles which seemed to disappear faster than the wonderful food that was prepared, and served by the skilled hands of Ako and Ahmed of Da Spot.
The entire menu was worthy of mention and included:
Pupus
- Macadamia nut green onion sesame infused ahi poki
sitting on a Tempura panko herb encrusted zucchini fritter w/ otahuku
sauce and light mayo topped with green chives and paprika
- stuffed grape leaves
Main Dishes
- Stuffed Chicken breast w/ spinach mushroom and
zucchini slivered to rolls and topped with sun dried tomato goat cheese
and sweet basil sauce
- stuffed zucchini w/ ground beef and lamb rice veges and
herbs topped w/ melted butter herb sauce
- Sesame garlic miso herb seared ahi w/ a side of wasabi
and vinegar shoyu ginger sauce
- Crown shaped roasted red snapper stuffed w/ green and
black Greek olives w/ spinach and Roma tomato served w/ a red garlic herb
buttermilk sauce topped w/ fresh minced oregano and basil
Starches
- Lemon grass, Thai basil infused basmati rice
- Sundried Tomato spinach rosemary & roasted Garlic
infused stone cooked flat bread
Salad
- Mango Lemon Herb Salad
- Waimanalo greens & chopped romaine w/
cherry tomatoes/ cucumber/ sweet peppers/ red onions/ herbs in a
papaya dill vinaigrette
Dessert
- Baklava w/ strawberry cream cheese banana
- haupia craze ( A haupia pudding slice topped w/ haupia
sorbet w/ house made lilikoi syrup w/ mac nuts, shredded coconut
flakes and mint
In addition to the the catered food, some guests also contributed to the festivities with spam musubi, pineapple upside-down cake, and a bunch of other yummy dishes I was too distracted to pay attention to. The truth is that I was so preoccupied at the party that I missed greeting many of the guests at the door, advising them that they could park in my driveway which stood empty till the end, and to thank them for all of the food, wine, flowers and other things that they brought. It seems like everyone brought something to the party, posing an almost impossible task of having to consume such excesses or even to acknowledge and thank them for their contribution.
I have inadvertently avoided the real reason for this writing, which was truly not meant to provide this excruciatingly detailed account ......gosh, maybe my brain needs power washing! I really do not like to say goodbye to anyone I care for in my life. Actually, I really don't know how to say goodbye to anyone I care for in my life. So the above will have to act as a surrogate.
About midway at the party....before the real food was offered, I intended to propose a toast for Gary and Frances, say a few words myself and then to ask for anyone else to step forward to speak their minds. Most of the time, given the opportunity, people say nice things, sincere or insincere, politically correct or incorrect, funny or attempting to be funny, and then the party continues with more food and drink.
But last night was different. Indeed, I was so moved by the sincerity and consistency of the comments stemming from so many leaders of the University that I became momentarily paralyzed, and needed reminding to complete the toast to Gary and Frances: to Gary and Frances!
Last night, my outside lanai was filled with attentive quests listening to every word spoken by the numerous volunteers who came forward to thank Gary for his contribution to the university, for supporting them and their programs, and for his friendship. This was all from the heart, an outpouring of sincere remarks, unrehearsed and all the more powerful for its spontaneity. Frances and then Gary said a few final words of thanks at the end. It seemed in everyone's faces that we were all in total agreement. Gary is truly a class act, one of the best administrators that UHM has or will ever have, and he will be missed greatly not only in the short-term but for years to come!
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