“Cool” and cloudy today. Got the steps in, got yoga done. Skipped the swim.
The first layer.
The wrinkled beige thing is a sleeveless long jersey nightie. It can be a beach coverup. It is great for lounging around the hotel room. It will protect stuff in the luggage… Plus 4 undies and 3 bras.
Beachy Stuff
Swim suit, short sleeve rash guard. Long sleeve shirt that can be a rash guard or a long sleeve shirt. The short sleeve rash guard can be used with the O’Neill shorts as an alternative swim outfit.
The Extras
Dorky Hat, huge brownish crinkle cotton gauze scarf, big red silk scarf. The hat is an essential. The brown scarf is for a little warmth or sun protection. The silk scarf is just for lagniappe.
This afternoon, I weighed all the clothes – except for sneakers. 6..5 pounds.
OK – that is the clothes. Now the hard stuff. Cameras, technology, creature comforts. Keeping it as light as possible.
Four tops. The cami is to use as a base layer if it gets “chilly”. Or to wear by itself if it is hot. The pink and yellow shirts are generic athletic-shirt type material. They dry really quickly. The flowered top is fairly heavy silk. It washes nicely and dries pretty quickly.
The top layer.
The beige one is tissue weight silk. The white one is polyester. Both of these wash and dry in a flash. On the right is my beloved old black cashmere hoodie. Hoping it will not need washing. But, it washes great. Just use shampoo. For planes and trains. What you don’t see is a rain jacket. That comes in the “just in case” category. If it rains – I’ll just get wet. Or buy an umbrella or rain jacket.
Today I rounded up my debit and credit cards and notified the companies about my travel plans. They are all the chip kind and I remember the PINs on all of them . Good for me.
Accept the things I can not change: I am taking my elderly iPad on the trip. It has a T-Mobile SIM – my plan was to swap it out for a Project Fi SIM card. The SIM tray is stuck. Shamu the Phone will be the only cell device. I just like to have technology redundancy.
Had a nice swim today – but, I am pretty sure I didn’t get any good pictures.
My friends from Iowa are coming in tonight for 30 days. Glad that we’ll have a one week overlap.
Exciting day – Tsunami warning, high waves and snow.
The tsunami was just a warning. If you didn’t happen to be awake in the middle of the night – you missed it. I was awake. And for sure I didn’t go to sleep until “they” decided that there wouldn’t be a tsunami. So, I had a really great nap this afternoon!
You have to pack the stuff into something.
Here are my packing options. The old 3 pound backpack. And the much newer 4.5 pound wheelie bag. Strange problem. The backpack is much smaller but it isn’t 100% carry-on legal. It is 3 cm too wide. As I said – it is very old. It is very sturdy. If need be – I can check it. It is nicely water proof. We have been together on lots of adventures.
A couple of years ago – as a concession to my advanced years – I picked up a really funky rollaboard at REI. It is totally carry-on legit. As long as I keep it under 14 pounds.
Don’t know which one will go to the antipodes.
The Bottoms.
Brown cotton wide leg pants. These will be my traveling pants. Don’t think they will be too hot. The problem will be if they get wet. Not quick drying. Next, men’s O’Neill Hybrid board shorts. These are about perfect. Have no clue why they can not make women’s pants as good as men’s pants. And finally, a black skirt.
Time to start at least thinking about packing. So, I decided to start at the bottom. Shoes and socks. I need a couple more pair of wool socks. But, I figure Australia is next to New Zealand. And New Zealand has LOTS of sheep. So, it stands to reason that Australia will have wool socks. So, first adventure of the Australian Adventure Before Alzheimer’s will be to score socks in Melbourne.
Catch of the Day – Hawaiian BigEye
In all my years of chasing fish around Kailua Bay – this is the first red Hawaiian Bigeye that wandered in front of my lens. They aren’t uncommon. But they are nocturnal. So, I usually only see them snuggled up under a rock. Guess this guy was having trouble sleeping.
Bunch of Lavender Tangs
Lavender Tangs also come in brown. I think, but am not sure, that they are brown as juveniles and turn lavender when mature.
My January Resolution was to “Do yoga everyday”. I fell off the yoga wagon a couple of days ago. First day I missed the yoga app wanted to put a yoga session on my calendar. By yesterday, it sort of pitifully asked “Would you like to try to find 10 minutes for a mini session”. I decided I’d best hit the mat first thing this morning.
It was a normal bright sunny day – but sometimes B/W puts the focus on what matters.
The marchers were very polite – always making space for cars that wanted to turn. And, most of the cars gave a honk of support. We gotta keep this spirit going.
Had a very lazy day today. A little photography, a little laundry, a little napping.
I have been playing around with updating the blog sans Forbin. But, the biggest problem might be the lack of wifi or cell for at least ½ of the trip. But, hey, that is good too. A forced digital detox.
There in Hawai’i we are still hyperventilating over the 38 minutes last Saturday morning when we thought we were going to become crispy critters. It sort of shows that we really can not count on government at any level anymore. Don’t know what happens next. We get the government we deserve. Not the one we need. So, lets get our sorry asses to the polls. No excuses. If you don’t like the candidates – run for office.
I was chilly even with the wetsuit on. I saw a fine eel – but no pictures.
The regulars – orange stipe surgeon fish policing the bottom. They look chilly to me!
Today I sent my irreplaceable lauhala papale, (Straw hat to you mainlanders) And my new lauhala honu (Straw turtle) back to The Asylum today. The papale is too important to risk on the Aussie adventure – I am having my dorky hat sent to me here in Kona. Funny, the two hats could pass each other in some airport or the other.
While at the UPS Store – I printed out all of my tickets and reservations for the trip. 69 pages. I wish I didn’t have to print it all out. But, sometimes a piece of paper just works better than an image on a cell phone. Not sure how good cell/internet will be. Not to mention keeping things charged up. So. good. old school paper.
Speaking of old school. About teens and Tide Pods. WTF? In my day we did sensible things. Like drag racing on public roads. Oh and what about playing car “chicken”? And, we fervently hoped that Coke (the beverage) was an effective spermicide.
Actually, the needle fish look lots better in person.
Plan B for Me. Except for health insurance – which I didn’t have for 25 years – and car insurance – which I still have – never mind that I don’t have a car. I don’t actually believe in insurance. As in: I am betting I am going to die and the insurer is betting that I am going to live. And, I am hoping that the insurance company wins.
Into my cheery irresponsible world comes reality. I know a woman who was medivaced from Alaska to Maryland a couple of years ago. She was with her husband and he was able to organize and pay for the evacuation. They were on a cruise.
And, a friend is currently in the ICU here on Big Island. She was on holiday in South East Asia. I don’t know what happened, by 5 days into the trip she was back here in the ICU. She might have gotten herself back on a regular flight. I don’t know. She was solo-tripping.
So, my Plan B is a membership in Global Rescue. It doesn’t pay for lost luggage, missed flights, medical expenses. All they to is get you back home. These guys will go get you off of a mountain or out of a jungle. If you have a satellite phone. I felt deprived. I didn’t have anything to put is the Satellite Phone box.
I was planning on leaving Forbin the Computer here in Kona. Then I wondered. What if I get shipped back to the Asylum. What would happen to my computer. As if that would really matter. But, hey, indulge me.
Thought about shipping Forbin home before I leave for Australia. I don’t feel 100% comfortable shipping my computer. But, here is Forbin’s Plan B. I leave it here. Along with my address and $100. Then if I don’t show up to collect the computer – a friend can take it to UPS and they will pack it up and send it back to the Asylum.
Now, isn’t that mature? And, I still might take Forbin with me. But, I am trying to make this a seriously downsized trip. (Take money, memories and photos. Not stuff.)
