Category: The DayBook

Not the greatest flower photos. But, not too shabby for a telephone. Especially a non-iPhone telephone.

Getting myself settled in. Figuring out what I am going to do. Both this winter and for this phase of my life. For the last year I have sort of been living a Carlton-less version of the life that Carlton and I shared. And filled up my time dealing with “stuff”. Last year was all about “stuff”.

Reading an old John D. McDonald book, Condominium, again. I remember reading it years again when Carlton and I were hanging out in a ratty condo in Ft Pierce Florida. I think I found the book in the laundry room. That book (and the ratty condo) sort of ruined condos and Florida for me forever.

I haven’t started “cooking” yet. So far, cereal, granola bars, yogurt, salad, cheese, and take out or eat out. Tuna sandwich with avocado in on tap for dinner tonight. When I get back to Kona – it takes me a week or two get used to the price things at the grocery. On the other hand – papaya, avocado, bananas … very reasonable.

Temperatures in the high 80’s. With chance of jellyfish later in the week.

Observation: 15 minutes in the ocean is better than a whole bottle of ibuprofen.

 

 

Out with the 35mm prime. Old school shooting – f8, ISO 400. The lawn was the staging area for the Halloween Dog Parade…

Now, remember – I can not shoot wildlife and dogs are “wildlife”…

Hot and overcast here today. And, I got everything unpacked and stored away.

 

 

Totally boring and uneventful trip to Kona. Even arrived early. I was lucky – got a ride to the airport at 0530 and was picked up at 1400. Doesn’t get any better than that. Unless you have a private jet.

For years, Carlton and I would arrive in Kona and rush around unparking and getting all organized as soon as we arrived. Well, this year, I decided to unpack my electronics. And, dig some undies out of the box that I store here… and let everything else wait until “tomorrow”.

It is cloudy and the ocean looks a little murky – so I didn’t even unpack the swimsuit. I did a make a big cup of Kona coffee and picked up some sushi for dinner and some yogurt for when I wake up hungry in the middle of the night.

And, down on the pier with the 35mm prime lens. Sure hope I don’t regret leaving the big glass back in the Old Bat Cave.

Watching the local news – the weather guy said that it would be hot tomorrow with chance of swarming termites tonight. Welcome back to paradise.

 

Using the iPad tonight, so no pictures. 

But the Hawaiian news is all agog about dengue fever and shark attacks. That isn’t stopping me. 

Had a fine day in the OBC. Lunch with one old friend and dinner with 7 new friends.

The alarm is scheduled for 0430. So, night night for now. 

Truthfully, I only walked half way home. Since it was raining and since I just missed the 25B bus at Ballston … I Ubered the rest of the way home. Love Uber.

Speaking of love – so if I love autumn on the east coast – why am l leaving for Kona just when autumn gets going good? Because, I love November in Kona too. Kona is basically tourist free in November. The ocean is still nice and summery. And, for sure it isn’t going to snow in Kona. No such promise in the east. Snow could sneak in early.

Thinking about what camera gear to take to Kona. Think I might leave the killer Leica glass at home. And just take a 35mm prime, the plastic 18mm lens and the new macro lens. The Leica glass with its adapter weighs 1.5 pounds. Prime lenses focus the mind. I know I’ll miss the long glass – but, going old school with just a couple of primes – think I’ll do it. (Which means there will be lots of whale and dolphin action!)

Best ever “Newcomers Meeting” this afternoon. I slept right through it. No, I didn’t actually fall asleep in the meeting. I curled up for a little nap in the OBC – and when I woke up – the Newcomers Meeting was over.

I really am trying to fit in here at the asylum. But, fitting in was never my best trick. Setting the woods on fire. That would be me.

My scariest Halloween trick was setting the Airness up so it can pretend to be my Windows computer at the hospital. Absolutely spooky to hear my beloved Mac make the Windows 7 startup chirp.

Resolved the discontent. Retail therapy. Took a twenty dollar bill into Goodwill and did lots of looking – picked up a “new” scarf and paid for all the stuff the woman behind me in line had in her cart. Donated the change to Goodwill.

Came home by buses. Did laundry and picked up a Neiman Marcus Xmas Catalog. Which I plan to take with me on the plane.

Retail therapy.  I don’t have to actually get more stuff.  I just have to be able to get more stuff. To know that there is stuff out there just waiting for me.

Mr C used to talk about “unresolved discontent”. Not sure what that is – but from time to time he would tell me that was what was “wrong” with me. I would say that I am just being mopey for no apparent reason.

Mopey started last night when they ran out of salted caramel cheesecake and coffee at dinner. They offered decaf and canned peaches as an alternative. I think I was just looking for something to be grumpy about. Had a fine breakfast on the outside with Carlton’s last tennis opponent. Eggs Benedict with salmon. The ‘Skins eked out a victory. Nevertheless the mopes returned.

I’ll snap out of this. Maybe even tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then when the plane goes wheels up – on Friday. No percentage in moping around.

 

Maybe I am getting old. Maybe. 90 minute yoga class and a 2 mile walk leaves me in dire need of a nap. So, I napped.

Note to Carlton: I think you would like it here at the asylum. For one thing, you would have a whole new audience for your stories and jokes. You never liked to eat “out”. I am not too sure how you would have dealt with eating in the dining rooms. I might have had to go get takeout for us every night. Which wouldn’t have been a huge hardship, since in the evenings – one waits for takeout orders in the saloon.

Anyhow, Mr C… all of us widow women are grateful to our men who made it possible for us to live in relative luxury. In fact, there is a little undercurrent of guilt around here. We know that we are very fortunate.

Croquet on the lawn, maid service, happy hour in the saloon, lagniappe soft-serve ice cream 24/7, good enough lagniappe wine with dinner… The coffee leaves much to be desired. It isn’t perfect here. But it is very good.

My old apartment building had a Starbucks on the ground floor. The asylum has a church. Well, maybe it is a “chapel”. What is the difference between a “church” and a “chapel”? I feel sure that one of my chaplain friends will enlighten me. All things considered – Starbucks is better.

Mentally – I am already in Kona. Just gotta get the body over there!

 

Took the day off from work. Mostly to finish up loose ends from the move. Decided that I don’t want to come back home in March and still have to deal with move stuff. The asylum thrift shop accepts donations for a couple of hours every month. This morning was one of those times. I went down to my storage unit and took everything – except a box of papers – to the thrift shop. I didn’t even look at the stuff.

Then I walked to the post office to get a flat rate box and some envelops. It was about a mile – but without such amenities as sidewalks. I never had to actually walk on the highway – I walked through gas stations, stip malls and weedy fields. It wasn’t all waste land. One of the stip malls had a Trader Joe. I wandered around – admiring all things pumpkin.

Think I have figured out dining at the asylum.

Breakfast is a fine meal – most people don’t eat breakfast – so it isn’t crowded. And most of residents just mind their own business and read their papers and eat their food. However, most days I leave at 6AM for the office – and breakfast starts at 7:30

Lunch is good – if you wait until 1:30 or so.

Dinner is a zoo. There is the dress code issue in the “formal” dining room. I haven’t figured out how to get an acceptable table even when I get in.

The “informal” dining room has the potential for better food. But, it is crowded, noisy and you frequently end up at large table with 7 of your new best friends.

However, the secret seems to be to land in the “informal” dining room between 6:50 and 7:00 – they stop serving at 7. But if you sneak in under the wire – most everyone is finishing up. Of course, they might have run out of what you want – but, it is a chance I am willing to take. Especially on “free wine” nights.

And, $5 gets me room service.

This might all change over the next four months while I am off to the beach. And, if that is so, I’ll just sort things out again.