life in the old lane

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?

MOJAVE, Calif., Feb 19 (Reuters) – Richard Branson‘s Virgin Galactic venture unveiled a new passenger spacecraft on Friday, nearly 16 months after a fatal accident destroyed its sister ship during a test flight over California’s Mojave Desert.

Yes, Peggy would go. What do I have to lose except my cookies? And, besides – do they really have to actually go? Couldn’t they fake the entire thing with a great virtual reality setup?

Note to Carlton: I miss your skinny ass. Life’s a journey – a good travel partner makes the trip worthwhile.

We finished off our adventure by polishing off a couple of plate lunches at Kawaihae. Grilled cheese and fries yesterday. 1/2 a chicken for lunch today. Better be careful or I’ll not fit in my jeans when I get back to the Old Bat Cave.

And today – The Donald attacks Apple. To recap this week: The Donald has attacked Pappa Bush, the Holy Father, and Apple Computer.

You know, nobody really wants to hear that you couldn’t sleep last night. So, you just muddle through. And, if you are like me – by 6PM the next day – your eyes are too tired to read. Time to crack open an audiobook.

I can not believe that I am living in a world where The Holy Father and The Donald get into a pissing contest. It is too depressing to think about The Donald. He couldn’t become president – could he?

Don’t you just hate it when you lose your glasses and find them on top of your head? Maybe I really am OLD.

I am sort of in denial about being OLD. My youngest son-in-law is going to be 55 soon. That is an old age wake up call.

The quilt is on it’s way to a new home. I feel good about that. At my OLD age – less is best. I will continue to use and enjoy my old quilts. The ones that I have had forever.

In his later years – Carlton tried to “avoid beginnings”. It is a concept that I am starting to appreciate. 20 years or more years ago, a dear older friend told me to just say “I don’t do that anymore”. Never mind if I never did it – if someone asks me to go skydiving – I can just say “I don’t do that anymore”.

Well, this is an interesting experiment. I am trying to do this post using the voice recognition and the iPad. I think it would be easier for someone like Carlton. Someone, Who had experience in dictating to a secretary. 

I find it rather difficult I just don’t think in words I think in paper well actually I think with the keyboard. Because I have a hard time writing a letter or even a postcard I must let my fingers do my thinking. 

But, as I get older options are good and maybe I’ll end up talking my blog not typing my blog. Gee, I wonder what will happen to my blog after I am dead? Speaking of dead,  I am trying to be enthusiastic about returning to the asylum. Every week I read the newsletter of weekly events, and every week I hope to find some event that I would have liked to attend. I have not missed a single thing. I am so not interested in the activities at the asylum. I know it’s where I’m supposed to be. I know it’s a good place. I just never meant to be a little old lady. But, I R1? Ok voice recognition I are one.

Two weeks from today, at about this time, I’ll be getting ready to head off to the airport. Starting the adventure back to the asylum. And as soon as I get there, I will start planning my next escape.heck, I could start planning my escape right now!

Well, this is the end of the experiment

Nothing special today. But, even a nothing special day in Kona is pretty damn good.

I am at the “restless” period of my time in winter quarters. It always happens. It is too soon to start packing up. It is too late to make any long term plans or commitments. Everything that I was going to do should have been done.

May you live in interesting times.

I made it through 46 Tech Free Hours. Not too shabby. Finished one book, started and finished 2 books and started another. That seems to be what I do with I can not mindlessly play with my technology toys.

Notes to Carlton: I found this fine picture of you from 6 years ago. When life was all good. And not “just like it is supposed to be”. Which was what you said it was like during your last 2 years. You are still my Valentine.

When I downsized, I scanned the pile of cards and letters you sent me over the years. I read a couple of them just now. You know, I wish you had left me a letter before you died. And, I think you would have if you knew you were going to take the express train out of town. These old letters are a nice substitute. Glad that I scanned them. (I did pitch them). About the time we got married, you stopped sending me cards and letters. But, you always did little nice things for me. In your own way you took care of me. You had zero skills as a caregiver. I remember getting out of the hospital – still recovering from a raging kidney infection. You figured I should eat something – so – you offered to go get a bucket of fried chicken! That got me out of bed and into the kitchen in a hurry. And, you are still taking care of me.

One thing I remember you said one night in bed in those final months – you said that we seemed to be closer “in sickness” than we were “in health”. Fortunately we never had to test the “richer” or “poorer” part.

Yes, I still wear your ring. Yes I still sleep on “my” side of the bed. I never told you this – but before you came along – your side of the bed was “my” side. But, you logged more time in that bed than any other man – so I am staying on “my” Carlton Era side. Besides, back in the Old Bat Cave – my side is closer to the bathroom!

Happy Valentine’s Day, Carlton. Do the have holidays wherever you are?

 

As soon as this is posted – I shall start my February Tech Free Weekend. No devices. Except Shamu the Phone for calling and the Kindle for reading. I’ll be back online Sunday evening. I can do this.

Spent most of last year downsizing and moving. You all heard all about that for months on end. Another way to describe what I did is “curating”. And that is what I am going to consider may new downsized life. It is curated. Years ago, I worked for a Park Service curator. He stressed the importance of having a tightly worded scope of collections and sticking to it. Now, I just have to come up with a scope of collections for my “stuff”. I am going to reflect on that during my technology free time. That way, if something comes into The Old Bat Cave – because it followed me home, someone gave it to me, I bought it, or even won it in a raffle… If it doesn’t fit into the collection – then I have to pass it on. I do not have to accession it into my collection of stuff. I do not have to find it a place. I do not have to take care of it. I do not have to keep it alive.

Now, this is in no way saying that my stuff is museum worthy. It is just stuff. But, thinking of it as a curated collection helps keep the tchotchke under control.

This has be a silly week holiday-wise. We had Chinese New Years, Mardi Gras, and now we are having Valentine’s Day and President’s Day. This is the Year of the Monkey in case you were wondering.