And now I am tired. And it is dark outside. So, I am calling today done. Well done. But done.
Gratitude
Fish tacos, beer, and cars.
Busy
All Good.
Yesterday Sam and I ventured over to Hilo to checkout our county’s tiny zoo. It is really tiny and I am sure that it doesn’t support any endangered species breeding programs or good stuff like that. But, it is a ZOO. It is free. It is the only zoo that most of our local kids will see. Nothing at all fancy. But totally charming. And. It is always better to be lucky than smart. We went to a zoo in a rainforest and forgot our umbrellas. Mother Nature was very forgiving. Not even a sprinkle after we got out of the car.
Then we went over to Hilo Bay for a little walkabout before heading back to Kona via the Hamakua Coast and Waipio overlook. Folk who know Big Island will know that we went to the Waipio overlook and not down to the valley.
Today we went to Pu`uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park. And took the afternoon off from having fun. Sam is going out to see the manta rays tonight. Since I don’t do boats very well, I am passing on this adventure. Tomorrow we go to see what is left of the volcano.
Oh, and my hotel room got fixed. So, I am back “home” in my own bed tonight.
Gratitude
Shoes and grownup grandkids who understand that tutu needs a little downtime.
Evicted
Had a fine day with the granddaughter. We went to Hilo to see our island’s tiny zoo. Took in some other sights, got back to the hotel after sunset.
But, my room sprung a leak. The hotel wants me to sleep in another room. Of course, I want to sleep in my room. But, I decided to sleep in the not leaky room. It seems like the grown up thing to do.
So here I am. In my alternate room with only my cellphone and kindle.
a sweet little cruise ship
The Pacific Princess, aka The Love Boat is a cute little cruise ship. Only 680 passengers. It is on a rather interesting around the world cruise. I could do that. Maybe. I will enjoy thinking about doing that. When I get “old”.
Decided that it would be nice if I went out to the airport to welcome the grand daughter to Big Island. I will leave for the airport at the same time her plane leaves for the airport. It really only takes 10 or 15 minutes to get to the airport. But, you never know. She will be amazed at how sleepy our little drinking village with a fishing problem actually is.
Gratitude
Air Travel.
Sun and waves
Today was a lazy day. Watching the sun come up. And the waves.
Downside – the ocean was junk for swimming.
Gratitude
Friends, family, workable health, Amazon Prime.
Happy Year of the Rat
Sprung into action. Getting myself into Vancouver before noon on March 2 and hopefully will make it to catch the train by 1500 hours.
Still need to figure out how to get back to The Asylum from Toronto. Last time I took MegaBus for $10.50. Thinking I’ll take a plane this time.
An altogether fine day. Breakfast with friends, logged 4.5 miles walking, got a great dress at the thrift shop, and finished up the day with a nice visit with friends from Iowa. And, I got my trip back east set. The only thing I didn’t find was a lion dance for Chinese New Years.
Gratitude
Grateful for a lovely day. A good start to the Year of the Rat.
OK-decide already
Still pondering how to get back home. When did I get so wimpy? Taking the train across OH-Canada involves 3 planes, one train, and one night in a hotel or sleeping in the airport. Or cancel the hotel and one plane and take MegaBus. A much easier way is The Empire Builder from Seattle to DC. It is a very easy trip. I should just dive in and go the Canada route. When I get “old”… that will be plenty of time to go the easy way. When did I get so wimpy? I fear that this is a sign of old age.
But, I must not lose sight – this is a totally upscale “problem”. OK, so “What would Carlton suggest?” He would say just take the cheapest flight directly back to DCA. But, what fun would that be?
Gratitude
Grateful that I still have lots of choices. I think that we run out of choices as we get older. Or maybe we just stop taking advantage of our options out of fear or fatigue.
Catching the light
I tried adulting today. One of my drugs will run out next week. My original plan was to just skip those drugs for 6 weeks or so. Maybe not the bestest idea. My next plan was to get it refilled at the grocery store back home and get one of my friends to pick it up an mail it to me. Well, that didn’t seem very adult. If I can spend winters in Kona. I can figure out how to get my meds. Mission accomplished. All it took was time and money. When I get back to The Asylum, I will price out moving my prescriptions to CVS so I can get them here easily. Last time I priced out CVS it was way more expensive than using my grocery pharmacy. Adulting.
Spent 45 minutes sitting in the drug department at WalMart waiting on my ‘script to be transfered. I put myself on a bench where I could watch the surgical/N95 mask offerings. There was a steady parade of lookers but few buyers. Guess people aren’t very worried about the new chinese virus.
I have tried to avoid mentioning our idiot president. But this recent quote about Elon Musk and Thomas Edison and one of the Flintstones is mindblowing.
“I was worried about him, because he’s one of our great geniuses, and we have to protect our genius. You know, we have to protect Thomas Edison and we have to protect all of these people that came up with originally the light bulb and the wheel and all of these things.”
Gratitude
Winter in Hawai’i. The coldest night of the winter – 66° last night.
No ship today.
Wednesday. It is ship day. But no ship showed up. No monk seal either. Guess our lady found a more suitable beach. Still, it was a grand few days sharing out village with a big old monk seal.
About all that I accomplished today was a trek to the farm market and a couple of naps. Well, and I renewed my medical evacuation insurance policy. I never buy “trip insurance”. The only reason that I have the medivac policy is to make it easier for my lawyer to arrange for my care if something happens when I am away from The Asylum. I am betting that I will fall and break my hip walking around Paris and they are betting that I won’t. And, I am hoping they are going to win.
Time to make plans to get back to The Asylum. There are 5 trains that cross North America. I just have to pick out one. They all have advantages. And disadvantages. Choices.
Gratitude
Grateful to have a sweet lanai to sit on and watch evening creep in over the mountains.
Tuesday
Easing back to normal. Did a little yoga, went for a walk with Billy, and got back in the ocean.
The monk seal wasn’t around today. I floated around. Pretending to be a big old monk seal.
Will be heading out in 6 weeks or so. Needed to check to be sure that I still fit in my travel pants. They zip. No stress or strain. But, I can not head out until I actually make some plans. Gotta make some plans about my little trip to GB in May too. Why can’t I be like normal people and just make plane reservations and go direct? Why do I insist on turning everything into an adventure? Isn’t being old enough of an adventure?
Gratitude
The Ocean – it is almost too magical to be real.
Monday
Our monk sea remains in the village. This morning she floated around the “Ironman side” of the pier. And, then she swam around to the other side and the beach.
According to the local paper, she is about 10 years old and successfully raised pups in 2018 and 2019. Since monk seals have a very hard time raising pups she is kind of a monk seal superstar.
Gratitude
Grateful for shoes. Where would my feet be without them?
Company left. Monk seal remains.
I was out early this morning and saw the monk seal coming back in. She looks a lot bigger in the water. She seemed to be stopping to catch a few last minute fish – so – I didn’t hang around and wait to see her land. But, land she did. I talked to the monk seal police this afternoon. They said that everyone had been very respectful. But, they wished that she would move to a more isolated beach.
Maybe today some small kid for the very first time saw a monk seal and maybe this is just what it will take to start that kid on a lifetime of wildlife conservation. Maybe an elder like myself sees her and realizes there is still wonder. Maybe that is why she is sharing the beach with us.
Gratitude
Grateful that the mail packet from home is a non-event.