life in the old lane

Waiting. Waiting. More Waiting. Waiting for Covid-19. There isn’t any science to tell folks what to do about Covid-19. Well, beyond the common sense hygiene suggestions. These same suggestions were made 100+ years ago.

Our Asylum being part cruise ship and part nursing home is sort of in a quandary. They really haven’t a clue. Not their fault. There isn’t a clue to be had anywhere. SO, they seem to be doing the “Let’s just throw every at it and hope that something just happens to work.” The other extreme would be to do nothing and hope for the best. Seems to be that either option has a chance of working. But, The Asylum’s  option would help the most in case of a law suit.

They took the self serve  soft ice cream machine away today. That is sort of the end of life on the planet as we know it. Bet the Jacuzzi goes tomorrow. They took the salt and pepper shakers away yesterday.

I fear that I will be nailed in my room by this time next week.

But, I escaped for dinner tonight at an Ethiopian restaurant with a few of my adventurous friends. We had dinner with a couple of young women who used to work here at The Asylum. Isn’t that too  cool. They wanted to see us. And, they even bought our dinner. It was really special.

Another day of reentry. But, this year is different. There is this steady under current of unrest. Waiting for Covid-19. I am having a really hard time accepting that when they mention “the elderly” they are talking to me.  Heck we have a 103 year old woman who just came back from a two week cruise today.

Dusted for the OMD-EM1 today for some flower pictures and some crows. The objective was to shoot 3 big black buzzards. But, by the time I had swapped out the battery and gotten the manual focus set – the buzzards were long gone. So, a crow must suffice.

Everyone is this OLD folks Asylum is a little jumpy about what might happen when Covid-19 shows up in our facility. It really is a cruise ship. With the added feature of an 80 bed skilled nursing facility on the 2nd floor. There is a central kitchen and several satellite kitchens. We have a building HVAC system. About 400 residents and as many staff.

My greatest fear is that my friends will get really sick.  Next comes the fear that I get locked in my room.  Oh well, I have read enough post-apocalyptic fiction to know that it ain’t going to be pretty. I would have been safer in Kona. But, nobody is promised tomorrow.

Nobody is promised tomorrow.  With that firmly in mind I had chocolate cake and coffee stout for lunch. It would be ashamed to die with chocolate cake and beer in the house.

 

76 trips around the sun. It’s been one hell of a ride. And, for now, having another birthday sure beats the alternative.

Dinner with 9 friends. Excellent cake.  Great conversation. Dinner with friends is the best part of life at The Asylum. And, it isn’t the food. It is the people. Friends and staff.

Accomplished nothing today. Zero, Zip, Nada. Well, I toddled over to the grocery for yogurt. But, that really doesn’t count.

In the words of Mickey Mantle: If I knew I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.

😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

Before noon yesterday, I left our little drinking village with a fishing problem and headed east.

And before 10 this morning, I was back in The Asylum. And I found the Old Bat Cave stuffed with beers, chocolates, and all kinds of goodies.

It wasn’t raining or snowing. The Asylum has some vague “quarantine policy”  for travelers, which I immediately decided didn’t apply to me. Never mind that I don’t have enough working brain cells at this instant to set the clock on my coffee pot.

After doing 3 airports yesterday, I decided that computers actually fly the planes. Airlines only have pilots on board to drive the planes around the airports.

Hopefully, more brain cells will kick in tomorrow.

Gratitude

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Grateful for a safe return.

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Just a nice tranquil wrap things up day here in Kona. Sunny, warm. Perfect.

Breakfast early tomorrow morning. Then finish up packing, Off to the airport before noon. Back at the Asylum on Friday.  (3 planes, 1 metro, 1 bus)

Gratitude

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On my first Thanksgiving (2014) as a widow woman, I made this little gratitude list:

Air conditioning, turtles, good coffee, tangerines, dead tree newspapers, the chance to correct past mistakes, comfy shoes, new friends that take care of me, waves, sunshine, family be they ever so distant, dolphins, old friends that support me, kalua pig and cabbage, apple pie, avocados, swimming in the bay, indoor plumbing, whales, trashy novels, my  gray cashmere shawl, naps, beer, chocolate…

And I am still grateful for all of these things.

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While looking at November 2014, I found this interesting paragraph in the blog.

You know Carlton, the idea of moving out of Northern Virginia is starting to wander around my brain. Or getting a studio unit at the old lady’s asylum – so – I’ll have more travel money. Except for a nice comfy reading chair, I have everything spacewise that I need right here in this hotel room. But, we knew that all along. Where would I move? Honolulu, Portland, Seattle, Key Largo, Paris, Pago Pago?? Do I have to actually live anywhere?

This was when I wasn’t 2 months a widow.  And, I hadn’t made the real commitment to move into the Asylum sooner not later. I really did take the “getting a studio unit” option.

This little cat is a small feral cat who has taken up residence at the Fish Hopper where I frequently eat breakfast. Last year, one of the employees took the cat home. 15 minutes away. by car. She soon ran away from her nice new home. And, you guessed it, 3 weeks later the cat found her way back to the restaurant.  Where  she continues keeping the rats and mice at bay.

The big events were breakfast and lunch. Had a great trip up north for lunch with a couple of old ladies. Both of whom regularly still ride horses. But, the 80 year old admitted that she could no longer just hop up on her ride, but needed a little help from a fence or stool.

I left a few fries. But, I ate an onion ring the one of my fellow diners didn’t eat. After having breakfast at Fish Hopper – and about 3,000 calories of pig and grease for lunch, I think that the last container of yogurt will be dinner.

Gratitude

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To have Amazon Prime. I know Amazon is the new WalMart. Killer of Malls. Like WalMart killed small towns. But, I like Amazon. And all the Prime goodies.

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Gotta love hibiscus. They pack a lot of glitz into their 12 hour life. A lesson to me. Make maximum use of what ever time you have. And do it with flare. Nobody is promised tomorrow,

If I make it to tomorrow –  I am going on a road trip with Lynnette  up north for early lunch at The Fish and The Hog. Guessing they serve fish tacos and barbeque pig. Neither of us have been there. Lynnette is the night auditor here at the hotel.

Confirmation, as if it is needed, that I am not normal, today I:

• • • Deployed the little hotel sewing kit to mend a t-shirt that I got at the thrift shop several years ago. Don’t you think maybe I have gotten my $1 worth out of it?  Think this might be the first time I ever used one of those hotel sewing kits. First time for everything.
    • Added a pivot table to my Kindle/audio book spreadsheet.

Just sort of lazing my way to departure on Thursday.

Gratitude

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Shampoo. Don’t want to think about life without shampoo.

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So, what did I do with my last Sunday in Kona.

• • • Sunday breakfast with the usual suspects.
    • Got over being mopey.
    • Almost all ready to leave. Gotta charge up toys and pack last items. Pay the bill and I am good to go.
    • Did my end of month accounting.
    • Discovered that The Asylum had billed Medicare for flu shot that they didn’t give me.
    • Reported the billing error to The Asylum and Medicare. It’s only $72. So, I am not going to spend much more time on this.
    • Finally got all of my Kindle Books and various format  audio books into a spreadsheet. I will not tell anyone how many I have.
    • I accepted a decline in my networth of 130K – last week. I didn’t spend the missing money on a world cruise or a cool car. I spent it on Covid19. Hope that money is all I lose to Covid19. Not having a really good feeling about how this might play out.
    • And I enjoyed my last Sunday in Kona.

Gratitude

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Grateful to just be alive. And out of my little mopey spell. It must be horrid to suffer from chronic depression.

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Kona, where you can get a tan at least 355 days a year – is this really the place to open a tanning salon? Even with “red light” therapy? Whatever that might be. I know what it was in the previous century. But now, not so sure.

So, why am I all mopey this evening. I think it is because I spent most of the day breaking camp. Packing up stuff that is staying here. Getting clothes that are no longer loved ready to take to my thrift shop. Being sure that everything is ready to pop in my bag for the trip home. Even Alexa is packed. As a result my dear little room looks like what it is – a hotel room.

Gratitude

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Grateful for 4 months in Kona.

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I am mopey because I am leaving Hawai’i. Pure and simple. That is the problem. That is why I usually plan an adventure for the way back east. But, I am going directly back this time. And, I hope that it is a total non-adventure.

Had lunch with friends today. A fun lunch at the local Community College. The culinary arts students put on a “restaurant”  quality lunch once or twice a semester. The first-year students are the servers while the second year students plan the menu, do the cooking etc. And, one of the students seems to be the “executive chef”. It was really very good. No wine. But, really good coffee. Everything was locally sourced. Which isn’t real easy out here in the middle of the Pacific.

Also had breakfast this morning with Billy. So, I am thinking that dinner had best be coffee and maybe some yogurt.

All things considered, the advice that we are getting about Covid-19 isn’t all that different than the advice that the government was giving about the Spanish flu in 1917-1918. Don’t think that “send for a doctor” will work too well this time around, however,

Gratitude

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Toilet Paper. Which is currently in short supply. It is being stockpiled by residents concerned about possible shortages. Thus causing a shortage. But, grateful that the hotel seems to be well stocked with the “important paper”.

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Oh, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. I had to check about my aborted train trip across Canada.Via Rail said that they might restart my train on March 2. But, they aren’t. So, I am content with my plan to soak up 4 more days of tropical goodness and fly directly back to the epicenter of hate and discontent next Thursday.

I was trying to put off laundry day until next week – so I would only have to do it one more time. But, I was going to have to go buy more clothes. So, laundry it was. Even with the recent reverses in my portfolio – I think I can afford an additional $5.25 for another round of wash next week. I have no problem bringing dirty clothes home. But, I do have a problem with storing dirty clothes here in a plastic box, for 8 months.

Trying to keep my head in the sand. But, it is hard to do when The NY Times reports that “Pence Will Control All Coronavirus Messaging From Health Officials”.  This is supposed to make me feel better? Note to Administration: Science doesn’t care if you believe in it or not. And, you can not bull shit your way around a virus. Don’t think any virus has a Twitter account. Nor do they listen to Franklin Graham. Or respond to prayers.

Gratitude

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Grateful for the perfectly ripe avocado that will become dinner real soon now.

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Another fine day in the 808.

Yesterday evening this arrived in the email:

Sorry Via Rail. “Might” doesn’t cut it. Not after I have already spent $200 changing flights. ViA Rail  still gave me my money back. I am out less than $400 on this entire mess. Would I have done anything different. Nope. Would I have gotten some sort of trip insurance? Must likely not. Bought “flex” tickets. Not happening. I don’t like losing $400. But, shit happens.

Gratitude

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Grateful for topical Benadryl. I sat on a bee the other night.

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Note to Carlton: Clive Cussler died yesterday. Think I will round the earliest book of his that we have in our Kindle library and give it another read.