life in the old lane

We are having sorta cloudy weather. Pretty much in the 70s all the time down in the Village. 

My old body is complaining today, so I am giving it a break. I might not even make 2 miles today. 

While sprawled on the sofa, I started thinking: What exactly am I going to do in Tokyo?

I adore Tokyo. Unfortunately, I have the ambition of a 25-year-old trapped inside an 81-year-old body.

Then it hit me: trains.

That’s what I’m going to do. I love trains almost as much as I love coffee.

I’ll be staying right across from the 8th-busiest train station in the world, and Japanese trains run on time to the second, because… Japan. So here’s the working plan for my 3–4 days in Tokyo:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• At 10 a.m.—after rush hour—board a Shinkansen going somewhere, one to two hours away.
• Get off. Wander. People-watch. Drink coffee. Admire vending machines.
• Get back on a Shinkansen.
• Return to Tokyo before 4 p.m. to avoid being trampled by commuters.
• Stop at 7-Eleven for a sandwich and coffee.
• Go look at holiday lights at dusk.

Honestly, I’m perfectly happy just sitting on a train staring out a window. 

I will need to do a little planning, mostly to make sure the trains come back. And if I’m riding Shinkansen, I’ll need to brush up on my ticket-buying skills. For the regular trains, I’ve got my IC card.

Got some good cardio in before it got too warm. Also, finished up my coffee shopping. Did a little “sink and soak” laundry. And read a book. That would be my morning.

Sautéed a chunk of yesterday’s ono in butter. Half was lunch, and the remainder will be dinner. There is another chunk in the fridge for tomorrow. I haven’t a clue how I will manage the return to eating Asylum food. Well, that’s Carlton’s wreckage of the future. Enjoy today’s food.

And while we are on trees…

I believe this little topiary whale is only visible to pedestrians trudging south on Kuakini. I may be wrong. Maybe everyone can see it. And – going north – it just looks like a bush.

I call my bathroom Auschwitz. Because the shower might kill me.

One month from today – the last great adventure begins.  

Start the day with a visit to the Kealakekua Market. It’s about 30 minutes away from here.

I avoided this delightful pastry vendor.

The trip to the market was a part of Billy and Monique’s instant party plan. They caught a 40 pound fish yesterday morning. In Hawai’i, it’s simply called “ono,” which is the Hawaiian word for “good.” The rest of the world calls it wahoo. So, fish tacos were served to honor the fish. And fishy doggy bags were issued to all the attendees. I have enough fish for maybe 4 meals.

I was collected at about 8:40 this morning and returned to my lodgings at about 4:40 pm. That’s about all the excitement that I can take.

That would be the Safari Explorer, 36 passengers, Alaska in summer, Hawai‘i in winter. I understand that.

And honestly, that was the most exciting thing on my walk this morning.

Since my brain was operating at a level above that of a potato today, I completed the online travel documents for my December Tokyo adventure.

You know, I truly do not have much common sense. Who in their right mind books a flight from Honolulu to Tokyo via the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Guam?

At my age, I’m too old to get excited or worried about much of anything. However, I am mildly curious and slightly apprehensive about how this is all going to unfold.

Whatever happens is what I planned.

Head out to the Old Airport with Billy this morning. The plan: walk, talk, eat breakfast.

We do a little cloud appreciation. What’s not to love about this formation?

We stopped to admire spider webs. How do spiders do it? If you gave me a spool of silk thread and told me to make a web? Wouldn’t happen. Heck, I bet ChatGPT couldn’t even give instructions for making a proper spider web out of nothing but silk thread. Mother Nature, certified bitch, but brilliant.

Lots of mongoose today.

When I got home, I was exhausted. I’ve decided it’s either a delayed reaction to yesterday’s flu shot, a breakfast-induced coma, a caffeine deficit, or simply an “old” day. Possibly all four. Did a token bit of apartment cleaning and declared myself at leisure.

Naturally, I checked on United 154. The flight I’ll be on five weeks from yesterday.

Read it from the bottom up: it appears to have gotten stuck in Kosrae. Population ~7,000.
Note to self: pack extra granola bars.

If you think you’re having fun, you’re having fun.

Got my flu shot and my $$$ coupon from Safeway today. That would be the major — and possibly only — accomplishment.

Well, I did abandon a Kindle book. I used to think I had to finish every book I started. Then I downgraded that to “must read at least half.” This summer I read an article that said: when you’re old, subtract your age from 100 and that’s how many pages you owe a book before ditching it. I read more than 19 pages. I feel I met the requirement.

Once upon a time, I could fold a butterfly out of a dollar bill. Wonder if I still can? Really, I wonder if my fingers remember how. My brain certainly doesn’t.

Yes, ICE rounds up people in Hawai‘i. As if folks don’t have enough to worry about already.

I had plans today. But then, Billy called up and said he was going swimming at Pine Trees, and did I want to come. You bet. Never mind that I no longer do open ocean swimming. Billy supplied a comfy chair, bananas, and granola bars. Life was good.

Billy dropped me off to get a flu shot. You can get a flu shot every day—except today. No worries. Tomorrow is another day. And I’ll get a COVID shot on December 8. Apparently COVID shots “prevent” COVID for only a few weeks after you get them; after that, they’re mostly about keeping you out of the hospital. I want maximum protection for the Island Hopper → Tokyo → Home phase.

People keep asking, “What are you doing?”
I am staying alive. That’s what I am doing.

I recline on the couch and read and look at the mountain.
Or I recline on the other end of the couch and read and look at the ocean.

It seems to be chilly back East today. So, enjoy 45 seconds of nothing but ocean. 

Today was my regular yoga class. But rather than 12 PM in person. I did 7 AM Zoom. After a wonderful breakfast of scrambled eggs and avocado, I went down to inspect the ocean. 

Every time I use an egg, I must decide which color egg to eat. Wonderful. And, when the chickens pass their laying prime, they are allowed to retire. They do not become chicken soup.

Had to have avocado with brekkie. Because.

Avocado will be on the menu for dinner again tonight. Can not let any avocado goodness go to waste.

The people give scale. The fountains were over 1,000 feet. Still have about 4 weeks to make it over in person. If it is supposed to happen, it will happen.

No pictures today. Well, except this one from my grocery run.

And this one from my laundry room. Gotta get an app to pay for the washing. For now, my sink and suds method works fine.

Oh yes, I am culling and cataloging photos from my trip to Alaska last summer.

Remember folks. Nobody gets out alive. So, make the very best of it.

Well, I have survived a week of my own cooking very nicely. Going out for tacos tonight with Billy and Monique — they’re temporarily sans electric.

The volcano is doing its thing. And power is off over much of the island for no apparent reason. There is power in exciting downtown Kona. 

Sort of a lazy day for me. 3.5 miles. 

OOPS. The volcano just went out.

Lucky for me, there is a market about a block away. It’s not a fancy market. There are no gourmet dog treats, no freshly roasted coffee beans, no hydroponic greens. And no prepared food. Just fruits and veggies grown in good old dirt right here on Big Island. And since this is Big Island, there is always the chance of getting rat lungworm disease from some of the produce.  That adds excitement to your salad!

I didn’t buy any cocoa beans. I’ll let the pros turn it into chocolate.

I passed on these also. Just sticking to the basics. Papaya. Bananas. Avocado. 

I am trying very hard to “eat healthier” and maybe lose 5 pounds while I am here. The food is so hideous at The Asylum that one would think it would be easy to lose weight. But no. I found myself eating way too many grilled cheese sandwiches, with added bacon, burgers, and chips. And, I would have lots of snacks around the Old Bat’s Cave. And not raw veggie snacks either. Oh yes, there were the beers too. 

My doctor thought that losing 5 pounds would be an excellent idea. And, my clothes would appreciate that too. We’ll see how this works out. 

Not fancy is good. I don’t need to be tempted by croissants.

Took these photos last evening while having dinner on my lanai.

I was looking through my old photos to see if I had any of the church before the 2006 earthquake. I only found one.

It was more graceful and at least 20 feet shorter pre-earthquake.  But stout might be better next time there is an earthquake. And taller, better when the next tsunami arrives. 

And I discovered this photo. I should have been deleted long ago. OOPS. It should have been deleted long ago. Never mind that many people think that I should have been deleted long ago.  It wasn’t carefully cataloged. Just tagged Hawaii2003.