Author: Peg

Today was a grim day in the USA. The orange lord’s tax legislation is a train wreck for all but the uber rich. The orange lord’s lawyer says that “President cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer under [the Constitution’s Article II]…” The orange lord destroyed two national monuments. And that is just the top level crap.

How to deal with the end of my country as I knew it? Nothing lasts forever. If the younger people want what “we” wanted starting with Roosevelt (either one) through JFK, LBJ, Clinton, Obama et al. If they want that vision of America – well they will have to get their butts to the polls for each and every election. From dog catcher to president. It is time for a “new generation”. 

These little guys were everywhere today. 

Nice Sunday. Logged my five miles walking  and 30 minutes of swimming. And, resupplied my “kitchen”. Today’s bonus was chicken caesar salad from Costco. 

Also, got some more bath goodies. I am taking full advantage of my hotel room’s tub. The Old Bat Cave is a senior safe tub free unit. I am sure it is “for my own good”. 

Better late than never: been playing Sea Hero Quest – as a video game – it is rather lame. But, as a concept it is pretty cool. Sort of citizen science like the old Seti project when we “donated” our PCs downtime to search for intelligent life in the universe. Maybe we should try searching for intelligent life here in the USA? 

But, Sea Hero Quest is a cute little cartoony game – what you do and how you do it goes to researchers in the UK who are studying dementia. Read about it. 

Earlier this month on one of our morning walks – Billy asks – What is that?

It looked vaguely familiar. It is about as tall as I am, has slightly misshaped large fruits, and small flowers. I think it might be some sort of cocoa plant, except it isn’t. I don’t think much more of the mystery tree.

Until. Thursday, when I am going walkabout at the old airport. I wander over to check it out more carefully. 

When I see the seeds I realized that this is a monster milkweed. A milkweed tree.  Google declares it to be Calotropis Procera – Apple of Sodom. (Solanum linnaeanum is also called Apple of Sodom.) But this big thing is the Biblical Apple of Sodom. Josephus, that ever popular Roman Jewish historian saw  growing near Sodom: “…as well as the ashes growing in their fruits; which fruits have a color as if they were fit to be eaten, but if you pluck them with your hands, they dissolve into smoke and ashes.” 

The Apple of Sodom has been used by John Milton, Marilyn Manson, JS Bach and others as an allegory for something that looks great on the outside – but is something else entirely on the inside. Did I mention it’s latex sap contains some serious cardiac poisons? 

Have a nice day. An Apple of Sodom a day keeps long life away. A totally unpleasant plant. 

The menu from the Asylum for today has Lobster Mac and Cheese as a choice. I will have Avocado Mac and Cheese. 

The State of Hawai’i wants us to take cover and stay covered for 14 days. I don’t think so. I plan to grab some beers, sit on the pier and watch show. 

Kiss your ass goodbye.

On more positive notes: I got passport photos today. And, winter friends from Wyoming arrived last night.

I frequently put up images of the beach side of the old airport. That is to the left side. On the right side – where the terminal was – there are interesting plants, mongoose, and feral cats. Today the right side.

This is the kapok tree. Not too many people remember it – but – for the first part of the last century kapok was the floatation part of the life vest. I remember having kapok stuffed pillows when I was a kid. Downside to kapok is it is pretty flammable. 

Walking, swimming, photography, reading today.

Scrambled some eggs for breakfast, tuna and tomato sandwich for lunch… Avocado will anchor dinner.

Oh, the old airport was a WWII landing strip. After the war it was The Airport. In 1970 the New Airport opened, and now the only planes that land are radio controlled. 

This is youtube

this is my web server

Well, if I don’t sleep well tonight, I have only myself to blame. Came back from a fine afternoon out – I came home and decided to take a “little” nap  Next thing I know, it is after 5PM. But, hey I am trying to dial it back. Take it easy. Stop being the Energizer Bunny. Did real good at that this afternoon.

Making gold foil butterflies for Xmas. They flutter really nice on the tree. I put a couple on “my” hotel tree. 

I have never used foil paper. It is very thin and holds the fold really well. I forgot to bring any origami paper with me so I decided to try foil. Only in Kona do you go to Ace Hardware for origami papers. And, good Japanese paper it is. 

Ok, it has been over a year. The orange lord has been president too long. When will the madness end? Today Hawai’i County had meeting to tell residents what to do in case of nuclear attack. I think in case of nuclear attack I will just die. That was my plan back in the day when I had a whole life ahead; and it is my plan when a have a whole life behind. 

 

Sweet gray cloudy coolish day. We “locals” like days like this – because they are so rare here in ever sunny Kailua-Kona. 

I spent the day doing a little walking and puttering around with a little “Thank You” video to show back at the Asylum. And reading. And napping. 

Here it is 1915 hours. And I am thinking about firing up the coffee maker. Glad coffee doesn’t keep me awake. 

Food today: poached egg and English muffin, baked potato with avocado, chicken “burger” with the rest of the avocado. Plus the usual yogurt or two and “medicinal” chocolate.

Just sort of gray all day. It hasn’t rained down here at the ocean, yet. But, I can smell the rain. And see the snow on the Mauna Kea web cams. So, I will not be surprised if I get “rained in” tomorrow. 

The videos from the Last Great Photo Shoot have been running 24/7 on TV monitors back at the asylum. They did the job. Funds were raised to give nice cash presents to our long suffering staff members. 

Today, I almost talked myself into going back to the Asylum for a few days to receive accolades and make a “Thank you” video. Then I heard Carlton say “That would just be an ego trip”. Right. And friend Billy said that would be  a stupid thing to do. Right. So, I will rest on my laurels right out here in the middle of the Pacific. And continue simplifying/decluttering my life.

My back continues to improve. Dinner was avocado, cheese, spinach wrap. Have enough food on hand so I don’t have to go out tomorrow if it is all wet.

Out for an early little stroll this morning when I spy an eel frolicking on the rocks. A good omen for getting out of my funk. It was an eel frolicking on the rocks that I took as a sign that the location for Carlton’s final destination had been found. 

Both the muscle strain and the sciatica sides of my back are better today. But, I was very careful about what I did and didn’t do today. I cut my walk-about and my swim short. 

Speaking of swim:

The catch of the day – saddleback butterfly fish. We rarely see them here in Kona. But, when we do, they are in pairs. This pair was in maybe 20 feet of water and I was in my wet suit – so I didn’t get very close. But, I followed them around for about 5 minutes. 

Coming in, I found the mystery blue humuhumu. Also saw I tiny eel. 

I was advised to use gratitude  to get out of my funk. Good Carlton advice. 

Good friends, good coffee, chocolate, indoor plumbing, microwave ovens, Aleve, … 

Suffering from a dose of what Carlton called unresolved discontent. Which I suspect is some sort of AA thing. Just freaking mopey might be a better term. Normally, I deal with this by doing lots of things all at the same time. But, I am trying to get out of Energizer Bunny mode – so I am sort of stuck. 

This mope is exacerbated by my back issues. The right side has it’s normal sciatica and the left side got strained decorating the Xmas tree. Resting in bed helps the left side. But, being in bed hurts the right side. So, I have been trying to stand or set in a straight chair most of the day – which doesn’t make me happy. I am a lounger and sloucher for sure.

Tomorrow will be another day. Hopefully,  I will be recalibrated by then. 

To atone for yesterday’s excess – walk, swim, yoga.

This was a small trumpet fish, they can be 3 feet long. In Hawaii, they come in yellow and brown. I don’t know if they change colors, if the yellow females make yellow babies, maybe I should find out. They are ambush hunters and they sort of vacuum up their prey. Notice the black eye-spot on the tail. 

Those jack-rabbits that live in my boots were hopping today. Time to get trip planning. Or maybe just time to go somewhere. 

Excellent turkey, avocado and spinach wrap for dinner.

Oh, and I didn’t buy anything today. Not even a dead tree newspaper.