Author: Peg

Updating the blog at 3:30AM from Salt Lake City – because we have good cell signal here.

So far so good on the train. Today will be the only day that is totally on the train – except for any “fresh air” breaks. Oops the train is leaving – I’ll post this before I lose signal.

Most of the time the train chugs along at about 60 mph. But, in the mountains it was averaging 30. Yesterday we topped out at about 7,000 feet. We might go higher day in the Rockies. This information comes from a GPS app. GPS seems to be more faithful than cell signal.

Guess I should turn the light off and go back to sleep – because coffee doesn’t show up for another 2.5 hours.

Not much of a post tonight, because I am really tired. Yesterday’s plane that was scheduled to leave at 10PM went wheels up at 1215 AM. I had to run to make my connection. (10 minutes to spare. Not bad considering I had to change terminals.)

By 9AM I was on the ground in Portland and figuring out how to get to the train station/downtown. Not a problem. Great light rail system in Portland.

I liked Portland. That doesn’t surprise anyone, does it? They have some very interesting public art.

After I walked around for 3 hours or so – made my way to the 1896 “Union Station”. Seems like every town has a Union Station. Union Pacific and Southern Pacific RRs, I guess.

It is spring in Portland. Cherry trees in bloom. Star Magnolia blooming. Likewise – camellias blooming like crazy.

Got on the train at 1415 and rushed the dining car for a late lunch. Soon I’ll get a little dinner and hopefully catch 6 hours of sleep before I get kicked off the train in the wee hours tomorrow. BTW: Current temp is 51 degrees – it is 5PM.

What did I have for lunch? A salad. There might be a kitchen on this train but I haven’t found it. I will make my dinner selection with that in mind. No reason to court disappointment.

Life is good. A day without TV news. And, associated Republican politics.

Time this morning for a last run up and down Ali’i Drive with Billy, so I can soak up enough Kona to last until late October.

I am 90% packed and the toys are all charging. Latest word from Delta is my flight out of here will be 30 minutes late. Not a real auspicious start. Portland, where I have a pretty long layover tomorrow, looks like rain. Going the long way home isn’t looking like my greatest idea ever at this instant. But, whatever happens is what I planned.

President The Donald. Trump without the T is rump. Seems appropriate to me. We survived Dick Nixon (just barely).

Pack. Charge. Swim. Nap. Shower. Dinner. Airport. Fly. – I can do this.

 

I finally sprung into action. And about time, too! Rather than listen to Pandora – I watched the news channels. Pretty damn scarey. For those who slept through American History – President John Adams’ staff, during the 1800 campaign called Vice President Jefferson “a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father.” And an atheist too. But, it wasn’t one sided Jefferson’s men said President Adams had a “hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.” The country survived that. Maybe we can survive the current unpleasantness.

Still have to get packing. Maybe I should start now. Or not. (Oh, what did I do today? I packed up a box to send home and I packed the stuff that stays behind.)

I knocked some things off my going home 2do list. But, not everything that was scheduled for completion. I took a page from my friend from Iowa Vivian’s play book – I took my kindle poolside and enjoyed the warm. All afternoon.

Also made my last trip to the farm market for final avocado and papaya purchases until Halloween.

And, did I mention that I hate reality tv shows?

The old dudes old car club comes down to the hotel restaurant every Saturday. This was my last chance to photograph them this year. But, I am guessing that they will be lined up viewing pleasure next November. I have a room here starting Sunday, October 30.

I was going to do a whole bunch of “getting ready to go home” stuff today. But, all I did was get some money out of the bank. I’ll think about it tomorrow.

Oh, I rented a really bad old Paul Newman film When Time Ran Out. Since it was filmed right here in exciting Kailua-Kona, it is sort of a local cult favorite. Will watch it on the train. Also have North by Northwest on board for more entertainment.

There are several annoying things about Death in the Online Age. First, Amazon keeps trying to sell me men’s tennis shoes, Extra Strength Ensure, and all manner of wound care products. Because I used to buy those things. Well, I don’t anymore. I haven’t in 18 months. So shut up already.

And, these things.

Carlton didn’t want to be LinkedIn even when he was alive. He wouldn’t have had a clue what LinkedIn is. He couldn’t even turn a computer on. I could kill off his email address I guess. Since it comes through my domain. Or I could set up a “The person you emailed has left the building” autoresponse. Or maybe LinkedIn really can connect with the dear departed.

 

Started out early at Costco to get the tires on Billy’s truck rotated. The Costco roosters were in fine form.

Then we went a little north to check out one of the lava tubes from the 1801 Huʻehuʻe flow from Hualalai. I would have been happier if I’d had proper footwear – hiking boots not worn out sandals – nevertheless we made it out unscathed.

Then – off looking for big waves. Didn’t find many. Good times.

Big ass waves may have shown up somewhere on our island. But, not in the bay. But, it was too choppy for my swimming pleasure. So, I stayed inside most of the morning – watching The Eddie – our occasional surf contest – on the computer. It hasn’t happened since December 2009. And, when it happens – it is sort of a state holiday. Think DC snow day.

Rumor has it that a large overweight very white tourist washed up on the hotel side beach. I am just as glad to have missed this event. The guy washed up after I took this photo. It would be hard to (but not impossible) to drown in that area. So, maybe, heart attack.

I thought about what to keep here in Kona, what to mail home, and what to take home on the plane/train. Don’t want to take much on the train. My “roomette” is 3.5 by 6.5 feet. More “ette” than “room”.

Oh, and The Eddie. It was worth the 7 year wait. One of the young guns won. But, the old guys (the oldest was 66) did good too. The waves were massive and gnarly. The wipeouts were spectacular. No one got hurt. Maybe the best Eddie ever.

Everything is all calm in the ocean today. Tomorrow, tomorrow might might be an entirely different ocean. “They” are going to try to run The Eddie tomorrow. It was supposed to happen on Feb 10 – but the waves arrived too late in the day. They either will or won’t arrive on time tomorrow. They will be big enough. The Eddie

Calm day today on land too. Coffee and ocean watching, walk, swim, breakfast, bank for train tip money, picked up a nice black cashmere sweater for 25cents at the thrift shop. Actually, I felt guilty – I paid them a dollar for it. Washed the sweater and put it out to dry. When you pay a dollar for a 25cent sweater – you really don’t take the “Dry Clean Only” tag very seriously! Read some, napped some, sat on the pier for a while. Calm and lazy day.

Tomorrow – I’ll spring into action – getting ready to take the Long Way Back. Think I’ll mail my camera lenses back. I might mail the camera too. Shamu the Phone takes OK pictures. And, photography out of a moving train isn’t very good any how.

I would love to mail the Airness too – but, I would only feel safe doing that if I removed the SSD. EVERYTHING is in the Airness. (It is backed up. I am old. Not that clueless yet.) Figure it is smartest to just tuck the AIrness in the backpack and tote it.

President The Donald. (Just testing) But, President Ted Cruz is actually scarier to me. Which is worse a bunch of angry white guys or a religious fanatic who missed the Establishment Clause?

Note to Carlton: After almost 3 years of not being able to read – my ability to read returned. And, I am happy to tell you that after 2+ years of leaving my (and since October 2014 your) finances sort of on autopilot, my financial management skills seem to have returned.  Fortunately, nothing bad happened that I would have been able to prevent even if I had my A-game on. Ed took good care of your money. Clark didn’t do so good with his kuleana. And, the money that I took care of or rather ignored – survived OK. For three years, I subscribed to The WSJ for no apparent reason. But, I am getting back on my game.

 

Indeed, what’s not to love. So, why in world am I going back home to the asylum? Maybe I am suffering from global stupidity.

One week from today: My bags will be packed and I’ll be in my traveling togs.

It is time to plan my next Escape From The Asylum.

 

Good food last night. Or as our hostess said – ono kaukau. Which is kind of funny since “ono kaukau” is plantation pidgin for “good eats”. And one of the primary purposes of The Daughters of Hawai’i is “to preserve the nomenclature and correct pronunciation of the Hawaiian language.”

But, farbeit from me to bite the hand that feeds me. Never mind that I ended up washing dishes. Good pig and cabbage – I’ll help wash up. (Good brownies and good beer too)

About the state of politics – here in the US and yes – outside too. It seems to me that the human race has been taken stupid. And, our giant brain was our only evolutionary advantage. We humans are pretty pathetic. No fur, no claws, no sharp teeth, no horns, can not fly, not very fast… We are sort of soft and juicy. Imagine we would be pretty tasty when compared to say an anteater.

I guess the last time we went down this rat hole – was in the 500 – 1500AD range – The Dark Ages.

Instead of trying to stop global warming – we should be worried about global stupidity.

This brown booby has been fishing in the bay for a month or so. Chicks must be somewhere nearby. The brown booby is the only booby that crash dives into the water after fish. He/she caught one today. I would hate to be swimming by and have a huge bird crash in next to me!

Now, shall we amuse ourselves? If you were the Republican Party – and if The Donald were your presidential candidate. Who one earth would be Veep. Last time the Republicans ran a wildly unqualified person for president – they backed him up with the adult/experienced Dick Cheney. And, when John McCain looked a little old and boring they made things more interesting with She Who Must Not Be Mentioned. Who can they be thinking about as Veep? Mother Teresa is dead – never mind she wasn’t a citizen. Maybe one of the Kardasians? Are they citizens? Is this a great country or what?