Just got my hair done and need an opinion about the style. I think it’s a little too curly for my rugged nature.
Found a new series on Paramount + that you might like. I plan to binge watch it the next time I’m left alone for a while. Of course, one of my humans will have to dial it up before they leave because I have a real problem with remotes – there are three of them. Maybe if I hold a pencil in my teeth, I could push just one button at a time. Yeah! That might work!
I can do this all day. She’ll cave and put the plate on the floor eventually.
I got to meet some new humans the other day, Brian, Kelly, and Annie. I think they’re related to my primaries in some way. They just showed up in our driveway the other day. I don’t know why, and no one told me they were coming. I’m apparently out of the loop about this stuff.
This is Brian, Kelly, and Me.
And this is Annie, and Diane. You already know Diane. She’s the other primary human I live with.
Sadly, my other primary human, who takes all the photos, didn’t put a lot of thought into getting a photo of all three of them together. How dumb is that? I think he’s getting really old. I heard the other day that he’s like 560 years old in dog years.
We have a trailer so it’s really not ‘camping’. It’s more like RVing. Camping requires a tent. That’s my belief, anyway. Could be wrong, but I’ll stick with that belief until someone gives me empirical proof that I might be mistaken.
So, after getting home from our last getaway, I got a little eager about getting things put away and violated a prime directive about opening the refrigerator too quickly.
Yeah. That happened to me. Seventeen eggs fell and only two survived. Yup. Just two of them. All of that happened in slow motion for me. Kinda like when you fall? Time slows down so you can anticipate the impending pain longer.
This can also happen with cherry tomatoes. I have a photo of that one somewhere but can’t find it.
One thing I failed to mention while sharing Lydia’s birthday … Bob, Steffani, and Berke were visiting us so they also attended the party. This is them with Max.
Somewhere in there we also had a hail storm. I think ‘hail’ is an Indian word that means ‘bouncing rain’.
We also went to a concert by this guy. Luke Yates. Look him up. He tours the USA playing in small venues like our humble church in Warren, Oregon. The group he toured with was New Legacy Project, but they disbanded recently and Luke chose to honor his commitment for venues already scheduled by going solo. He is without a doubt the best piano player I’ve ever seen. He’s amazing.
I guess I kinda wandered off the title topic, huh? That’s just the way my mind works as most of you already know.
Better quit while I can. Is anyone watching the NCAA Ladies basketball games? I’m pulling for Iowa. Just watch UCONN take down USC. So, The final four should be lots of fun.
Here I am, sitting in my recliner, Max hanging out between my legs, watching an NCAA Men’s playoff game (Clemson vs. Alabama) while Diane watches a recorded episode of The Bachelor. Living the dream.
In case you missed it, Kelsey (sp) won and got a humungus ring. Also, Alabama won the game. I don’t know who they play next. The game I watched before that one was UCONN vs. Illinois. Quite an amazing game. When the score was tied 23-23 UCONN went on a 30-0 run which kinda sealed it for them.
Now I’m compelled to lean into the goofy side of my brain. You may stop reading at any time and use your time in a more constructive way. I won’t mind at all.
Recently, Diane and I, and Max, spent a few days at Cape Lookout State Park near Tillamook where we didn’t even take one walk on the beach as a complete family. Max and I got out because he made it very clear that if I didn’t take him out he was going to crap in the trailer. That would not have made Diane happy. The weather was crappy so it really wouldn’t have been upset. But, we walked on the beach numerous times to avoid an unwanted nature call on the couch. He’s never done that but sometimes it’s difficult to deny physical needs that are ignored for too long. So, we walked and played.
The tide was out most of the times we walked making the beach appear to be enormous.
I tried to get him to run in the waves, and he did for about 30 seconds before dragging me back to the high tide mark that was littered with thousands of dead velella. They were odiferous and Max found them to be very appealing to his sensitive nose.
Left to his own devices he did his best to roll his little body in the sweet perfume of dead sea creatures but I won that tussle. He still needed a bath which he got when we returned to the trailer.
Those things were everywhere amongst the rocks.
To make the trip a little more enjoyable, we came upon some waterfalls that dribbled themselves onto the beach. They were very pretty and I did my best to get Max under them be he wasn’t having any of that.
Instead of choosing to rinse under one of the waterfalls he wandered toward the incoming tide, climbed on a rock and was promptly washed off into a roiling spin bath. I wish I had had some soap with me. I would have taken a photo but didn’t want to take a chance of dropping my phone into the water. Just trust me when I say he was thoroughly soaked when I managed to get him back to dry ground.
I just realized, like just now, really, that I’m on the verge of failing my 2024 resolution already. And it’s only the 8th! I suspect that some of you might disagree with the “on the verge” claim and, instead, believe I’ve already exceeded the self-imposed timeframe for failure. For those of you on that side I submit that whatever rule I imposed is subjective meaning that I can change it any time I want. So, I’m still OK here.
It’s cold out there. Wet, too. Because of that double whammy it’s an adventure to take Max for a walk. My raincoat actually keeps me dry but Max’s raincoat is more like a sponge. I think it’s more of a coat to keep him warm instead of dry. But, that’s all he has. Considering the weather, I think Diane should do a little shopping and get something that’s a little more waterproof for the little guy. Don’t you? Maybe after she reads this, she’ll do it.
It might be a good idea to get him one that serves as a life jacket, too, because the creek out back is getting pretty high, almost to the point of overflowing into the yard. Keeping Max dry is our problem, not Max’s. He likes the water and doesn’t care how high it gets.
It’ll go back to normal eventually. Thankfully, he hasn’t fallen in while it’s running this high and fast. He’s not afraid of it but he respects the potential disastrous results should he venture in for a swim. I’ve had talks with him about that and I think he gets it. If he falls in my only recourse would be to make a beeline to the point where Milton Creek joins the Columbia River. That’s only a couple of miles away. If I miss him there then he’s getting a trip all the way to Astoria, another 60 miles. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to be dog-paddling that far. So, he keeps his distance.
We were going to make a trip to the coast later this week to watch the King Tides, and maybe see a couple of whales on their way south, but the rain, and the forecast for more rain isn’t encouraging. I know, we’re Oregonians and we love the rain. That’s true. But we don’t have to go out a play in it like we did when we were 7. Did I mention that it’s cold, too?
We’ve been dealing with RV woes for the past couple of months, trying to get new weather stripping around the slides and seal up a couple of leaky spots that annoy us. Nothing catastrophic, just annoying. I took the RV to a local dealer who recently moved to St. Helens from Gresham (I think) and explained what I was hoping to accomplish, and they gave me a quote for “about $700” which I thought wasn’t too bad. Labor’s the biggie at $159/hr. After they had it for about a week I was called and told the job is done and I could go get it.
I was happy to do that because there’s a huge mattress in the garage that needs to go back in it so we can park the truck inside. When I got there, I paid the bill, then I went to get in and take it home. First, however, I checked the items I had address to see how it was done and discovered that, gee, it wasn’t done. I know, should have checked first, right? True, but I’ve had other items fixed by them since they moved in and trusted them.
The Reader’s Digest version is that they addressed all the issues but didn’t finish any of them. The bill was over $900. I received assurance that all the discrepancies I pointed out while serving as their QC guy would be fixed at no additional cost to me.
Another week goes by and I get another call to come get the rig because the work was done. I paid them a visit and let them know I was going to check it out. The maintenance supervisor went with me. I checked all the items I’d previously address and found that it still hadn’t been addressed and the main leak in the driver’s area was worse than ever.
Another week trickles by and I get another call to come check it out and find that the leaks have stopped, the floor was dry, but the gasket around the main slide was still in the “partially fixed” stage. The same stage it was in the first time I was called to claim my finished rig. I personally pointed it out to them 3 times what I figured should be done and was obviously ignored. The lead tech acknowledged the failure on their part claiming that the guy he had working on it was focused on the leaks, not the gaskets. I believe he might finally understand that Jerrie isn’t pleased as he headed for the exit.
That’s where I left this mess last week sometime and I’m waiting for them to call me again to report completion. Diane told me to be stern and “don’t pay them another dime” or else she’ll go talk with them and it won’t be pretty. So, to keep from having to scrape up some bail money for her, I need to follow this to the end all by myself.
Looking forward to the next phone call reporting completion of this project.
This is the rig, you may recall, that we took on that Utah trip, pulling a big Silverado. It worked great but I decided during that trip that I’m getting too old to drive something this big.
So, not long after returning home we bought a replacement that we can tow behind the Silverado. Makes more sense, right?
Now, on another note, did you know that the front glass on an iMac is held in place by magnets and that the LCD screen is secured with only 8 teeny, tiny, little screws.
I’ve always wondered what the insides of this thing looked like.
We left Beatty about 1030, right on time. Not the time we planned to leave, but it is what it is. Getting to NAS Fallon was an uphill drive the entire way. Seems like every direction in this part of the world is uphill, all the way. NAS, by the way, is an abbreviation for Naval Air Station. This particular NAS is a Top Gun training facility. Fighter jets are flying around every day, and they are loud. Diane calls all that noise “the sound of freedom.” I agree.
I didn’t get photos of the fighters during the day but did visit the flight line museum which is a static display of many aircraft, including Russian MIGs. But first, here’s an old COG plane that used to be on the USS Nimitz.
And lastly, here’s an American jet with the Super Moon in the background.
Actually, sometimes we went downhill, but not as often as uphill. During one of the downhill legs, I had to stop for a nap and some food prior to tackling the next uphill battle.
We got to the Fallon back gate at about 1500 and discovered it was closed. Nifty, right? Tried to turn around and got in a pickle. That means I was jackknifed and stuck. A Navy policeman magically appeared at my window and tried to help. Apparently, he and another sailor were manning the gate so they could open it when people like me showed up. Sadly, they didn’t get to the gate before I made a hasty decision to turn around without disconnecting the truck. As we worked, a local farmer stopped and also helped. He offered to go home and bring back one of his tractors so he could lift the back end of the truck and move it in line with the RV.
I couldn’t disconnect the tow bars so I disconnected the entire hitch but we couldn’t get it out of the receiver due to the pressure it was under. I had farmer get in truck and put it in reverse while I backed up the RV and the hitch came right out once we got to less than a 90 angle.
I’m sure you’re sad, like me, that no one took any photos of all that commotion so you’ll have to just let your imagination run wild.
We happily got on base, found the RV park, found the MWR office purely by luck and checked in. We found our space and I drove over the space marker while parking on the gravel which was next to a really nice patio. After some discussion, and observation Diane determined the RV was supposed to be on the patio, not the gravel. I reparked in the proper place, straightened up the space marker, and only had to adjust 4 times to allow room for electric, water, and sewer. What a day.
After all that was done, I hooked up the satellite dish and it wouldn’t work. don’t know the problem. I didn’t really care right then so did a search for over the air channels and got a bunch, but the signal wasn’t very good. Diane watched them anyway. We were just happy to be there.
The next day I found a screwdriver and dismantled the satellite antenna to see if something fell apart inside. I was curious what it looked like anyway, so it didn’t really matter if it was OK. I also checked the cable using a continuity check with my little handy meter. About the time I was ready to go out and get a replacement system, I did one more check on the small cable that connects the Satellite receiver to the internal line from the antenna and found it to be faulty. I replaced it and the system worked perfectly. All the while I was working on this, Diane was nearby doing laundry. It was hard to pass it up because it was free. She was a happy camper. Happier, even, when she learned that the satellite worked again. She got even happier, if possible, when I drove into town, all by myself, to get a haircut.
Life is good when you can be happy over small things like that.
It’s been a while since my computer called to me so let me first apologize to those of you who find it hard to get through a day without something from me to get you going. Or, maybe it’s called to me when I wasn’t wearing my hearing aids. That’s probably more likely. As for you who suffer minor withdrawal pains due to my neglect, you seriously need to get a life. Or, read an old post from 2012.
During my absence we did things. As soon as I figure out what they were I will share with you. Until then, I’ll ramble on. Perhaps doing that will release the lock my mind has on significant events that you are dying to hear about.
Max, our dog, has a weight loss program that works perfectly for me. I didn’t know dogs could do that. I suspect that all dogs can if their adult friends just pay attention. For me, it’s around the block at least twice a day that amounts to about 1/2 a mile or 3000 steps. Sometimes we take adventurous routes that require many extra steps. Max doesn’t care and it’s good for me. I’ve lost 20 lbs somewhere along those streets. That loss worked out to a loss of four inches around my waist. I can pull my belt tighter to indicate a 5″ loss but it’s a bit uncomfortable. We keep looking for those lost lbs but apparently someone else needed them more than I did. Truthfully, I’m not looking very hard for them and I’m pretty sure Max could care less. He’s not looking for lbs. He’s looking for places to pee. So far he’s pretty much staked his claim to the entire block by anointing every telephone pole, power pole, fence post, bush, and garbage can near the sidewalk. He wears me out.
Once we get back to our house I let him off the leash and he leisurely strolls to the creek and wades in until the water is halfway up his side, then lays down to cool off. It’s been very warm lately so can’t blame him. The excessive heat is helping algae/moss grow like gang busters. After his cool-off period, he wades out to the long strings of moss, sticks his head in the water to get a mouthful then he pulls it up and shakes it like he’s trying to get rid of it. Very strange. Sadly, all this wading in the creek and trying to kill the moss causes him to smell like an Everglades swamp monster of some sort. He doesn’t mind, but Diane gets a bit testy when he jumps in her lap to share.
Last Sunday we drove to Albany to support Jeran as he gave the sermon at his church, North Albany Community Church. He’s been serving an internship there since graduating from Corban University. He did an excellent job and it was very satisfying to witness the growth in his faith. Max had to stay home but he would have enjoyed it, too. It was outside in the church amphitheater.
After a nice lunch at one of Jeran’s favorite places …
… we headed back up the freeway to release Max. We were gone about 6 hours and Jeff took him out for a run at noon so he wasn’t abandoned. He’s just got a way of making me feel like I’m abusing him, the way he hangs his head and looks over his glasses at me. He’s very convincing.
Diane’s busy studying maps, and making reservations on what’s going to be a marathon trip in the RV. Making it more interesting is that we traded the Equinox, our tow car, for a large truck. So, now the truck needs to be set up to tow. We haven’t decided if the RV is going to to the truck or vice versa. Maybe we’ll just switch it around randomly as we travel. Wouldn’t that be fun? Actually, no it wouldn’t.
Watching the news is pretty sad lately what with all the hot weather. Most of that is happening along the route Diane is plotting for us through Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. Things can change quickly, however, and we’ve got a ways to go before we head out. Still, plans need be made and that’s one of main things Diane loves about traveling: studying maps and making reservations. She’s really good at planning for us.
On the way back from Albany this guy passed us. Looks like he’s pretty serious about his squirt guns …
Now I must stop and do something productive. Diane said.
On this day we didn’t do much in the way of playing tourist. Our main goal was to get gas for the rental so we wouldn’t run out on the way to or from the Polynesian Cultural Center which is waaaay over on the other side of the island. I think it’s something like 34 miles away. Sounds close, but with speed limits normally 35-45 mph, and unpredictable traffic, it takes about 1.5 hours to get there. There are, however, always drivers who think it’s necessary to get places faster than anyone else. It’s them who make traffic unpredictable. Diane dismisses them easily. In general, drivers here are pretty nice.
Getting to the base gas station was a journey worth mentioning. First, our GPS took us to an AMR Gas station located next to a small NEX in a military housing area, but the station was closed forever. It was interesting because the GPS took us to the small exchange on a previous trip so it was deja’vu all over again.
I asked a young Marine, who was headed for the store, where the station really was and he gave us good information. Turns out it’s hidden away behind the main NEX and Commissary that we’ve visited a few times already. Diane got us next to an empty pump right away but I caused a bit of delay to our line because I couldn’t figure out how to get the fuel door open. There was no inside release, so I went back to it and smacked it with my hand and it popped right open. That didn’t work the first time. When it opened I was surprised to discover that there wasn’t a cap for tank behind the door. Turns out that the door seals against the filler spout making a cap unnecessary. Never had one of those before. The guy on the motorcycle behind us wasn’t impressed.
Anyway, we got the tank full, then drove back to the parking lot that takes up a lot of space around the yacht club and what I call the Hilton Lagoon. That’s the one that’s in front of the Rainbow Tower.
Diane drove to the very edge of the parking area and was waved into a spot next to a group of local surfers. The view directly ahead of us was Diamondhead, to the left Waikiki Beach. Couldn’t have hoped for a better spot.
We broke out our brand new folding chairs and parked them between a couple of large canoes that we stranded on beach and just sat there taking in the view.
It wasn’t long before a lady named Faith struck up a conversation with Diane. They talked for a while until we had to move because the middle canoe was returning to the next, where we were sitting.
Faith’s husband, Saul, who grew up in NYC, his wife is from the Philippines. We have no idea where they currently reside, but that doesn’t matter. We had a nice visit.
Eventually, the sun went down. I could tell because it got darker so I took another photo of a sunset. I’ve got hundreds of these, but they never get old.
Then we left, making one of the drivers circling the parking lot very happy, and drove back to the hotel. Diane got out and headed back to the room while I assumed driver duties and drove to the Hale Koa parking lot that I’m sure I mentioned in previous posts. It’s a pleasant walk back to our hotel.
That’s our routine.
See you on Day 9. I should have information about the Polynesian Cultural Center for you.
Another lazy start to another beautiful day. Every time I check the temperature, it’s 82. Makes me wonder if my temperature taker is faulty. Doesn’t really matter. Whatever the temperature may really be, it was a beautiful day.
Our primary destination was the MWR (Military Welfare and Recreation) office at the NEX (Navy Exchange). We got there around noonish and decided before we did anything else, we’d eat something. So, we went upstairs to the food court and visited Taco Bell. “Really,” you may say, “Taco Bell?” Makes one wonder, doesn’t it? Well, we go where our stomach tells us to go. No reason to go elsewhere. I had a Crunchwap and Diane had two Chicken Chalupas. When we opened the bag we discovered that each of those orders included one crunchy taco. I, of course, had to eat the unexpected extras.
Then we went shopping for shirts and stuff for all the people we left behind to make this trip.
Diane is the expert shopper and does way better when I’m in a different part of the store because she thinks I’m hovering, trying to speed things up. That’s not true. I just want to be near the love of my life. But, to make her more comfortable by spending my time in the electronics section looking at TV’s, and laptops.
When Diane was finished it was after 4:00 pm and we hadn’t located the MWR office yet. So, I took my tired feet around the corner from the NEX main entrance and found the office. The door was open so I went in and was promptly told they were closed. They close at 4pm. I thanked the young lady behind the desk and said, “Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow.” As I exited I heard her say, “We’re closed tomorrow” which drew me back inside. She said they are only open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Great! I thought. Then she said there was an annex office on the main Navy Base that will be open tomorrow, 9am-4pm. She even gave me direction which was very confusing to me. In her effort to clarify, she asked if I knew where Willamette Street was. When I heard that name I perked up because it’s a NW name we know well. She mispronounced it, however, like a visitor. You know what I mean – she said it like Will-uh-mette with emphasis on all the wrong syllables. Like a foreigner. Being who I am, I had to explain that I’m very familiar with that name and told her how to pronounce it properly. She took it well.
So now we must go back to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base tomorrow on our way to Waianae. We’re actually finally going to the beach. Been here six days and haven’t even got our feet wet.
But, we’ve been busy.
Now for some random stuff …
First, here’s a photo of the front of our hotel. Our room is up there somewhere.
A sign Diane wants after we get the new floor in the Cricket House.
Here’s a fun sign we’ve seen a few times while traveling the freeways.
Simple advice, right? Well, let me tell you that drivers here pretty scary. It’s pretty much guaranteed that after a light turns red, at least one car is going to run it. Sometimes more. Not joking.
Today we slept late, a planned event for the duration of our stay. It works for Diane but I still wake up early. That’s OK.
After a bite to eat we took a trip to the North Shore to visit Waimea Bay Beach Park. Perhaps some of you already know that’s where the Eddie Aikau Invitational (a BIG Wave tournament) is being held Saturday & Sunday. Eddie was a famous, fearless life guard at Waimea back in the day (he was Diane’s age). The tricky weathermen over here apparently can predict when and where to find the big waves. Depending on which news broadcast you watch, the waves are expected to be anywhere from 30-60 feet high. Even at the lowest, it should be fun to watch.
On the way up Nimitz Highway we saw this building on fire. Turns out 911 got the call about 10 minutes before we drove by. Sadly there were three fatalities – 1 elderly man and 2 dogs.
Once past this sad event, we departed H-1 west and took H-2 north to Wahiawa. That’s where we lived from 1986 to 1989 during our last tour in the navy. My initial duty station was at NAVCAMS Eastpac located near this village, and Diane worked for Dr. Corboy at the Hawaiian Eye Center in the town. After two years I was moved to CINCPACFLT Headquarters at Pearl Harbor.
Wahiawa is where many of the Dole pineapples that you eat grow up.
Without incident, we made it to Waimea Bay Beach Park where we just sat around for a while at a picnic table. The parking at the park is limited to only about 20 vehicles. But, if you have a handicap pass you get an extra chance. Thankfully, Diane thought to bring ours with so we generally don’t have any problem finding a place to park, even in small lots. That pass, however, doesn’t help with the incredible amount of traffic traversing the two lane road that connects all the villages on the north shore. It really didn’t bother me at all because I wasn’t driving. Diane, though, had a few choice words for the way some Hawaiians drive. That didn’t bother me, either. I just sat in my seat minding my own business for the duration of the trip.
Although the big waves weren’t here, yet, the surf was pretty stunning by Oregon standards.
Same is true for some of the beach-goers.
On the wasy “home” we stopped at Zippy’s in Wahiawa where we had some Saimin (fancy Ramen). I knew what Saimin was, but asked the waitress if it was like Ramen anyway. She said, “Yes, like Ramen but way bettah”. She was right. Diane did half of her bowl and I ate the rest, including mine. Quite tasty.
After Zippy’s we drove in to Mililani Town where Jeff attended High School. Mililani it the next village down the hill from Wahiawa as you head back to Honolulu.
This is H-1 East on our way back to Honolulu. Notice the people heading West. They’re going to the North Shore, all of them, and this is just a sampling of what the weekend will be like for all roads leading north.
Thought you might like to see the fancy toilet we have in our condo. Once I figured out what all the buttons are for, I found myself going to the bathroom more frequently.
Ala Moana Blvd from our porch. This is one of the busiest roads on the island as it’s right in the heart of the Waikiki area. A number of years ago we stayed in a nearby condo where we survived a tsunami caused by an earthquake in Chile. At that time, there was not a car on this blvd and no one was allowed on the beaches. It was quite interesting. Diane bought me a Tsunami Survivor T-shirt. It’s brown.
Sunset with a friendly bird. Notice he’s standing on one leg. He just came up and landed a couple feet away from us while we were watching the sunset. He didn’t leave until we did.
When staying in tall buildings, I use our assigned balcony railing to ensure neighboring buildings are straight up and down. This one looks to be pretty plumb to me.
Having verified that it was OK, I was able to relax.
Got up at 0500 to go wait for the airport shuttle.
We were dropped near the middle of the terminal which left us with a very long walk, to the right, to the Hawaiian Air Lines checkin area. None of the kiosks worked which required everyone heading to Hawaii to get in a Conga Line so we could check our bags. Some folks were bummed about having to get in such a long line but they didn’t consider that even had the kiosks worked, they would have still been required to join the line to check their bags. Surprisingly, the line moved along quickly. To dispel the growing feeling of being left behind, an HAL agent spent a lot of time walking up and down the line assuring everyone that the plane would not leave without us. I’m thinking, “Really! Pretty much everyone in line constituted the entire passenger list for FLIGHT 25 so, of course, they were going to wait.”
I was a bit concerned about the weight of our two big bags because Diane insisted on packing them. We were both surprised that both were accepted as being on or under the limit so we didn’t have to pay the $200 I was expecting. One came in at 52.5 lbs, the other was 49.2. Yippee! I think we both said that out loud causing the ticket agent to wonder what kind of people she was letting on the plane.
We got to the gate just in time to board. Diane got us seats just behind the kitchen and toilet section that separated common folks from 1st class folks. Since there were no seats directly in front of us we had about 4 feet of leg room. Plus, the toilet was right in front of us, next to the section that contained our food, How handy is that?
It was a 5.5 hour flight crossing two time zones. Since I forgot to get our iPads from the front pocket of a checked suitcase, we had to use our phones to read our books. It worked OK. We read a little and actually nodded off a couple of times. Since Diane wore her mask the entire time we were on the plane she was equipped with a perfect sleep aid:
We landed safely at 11:16 am local in Honolulu. As it was with Portland, where we had to walk 1-2 miles to get to the departure gate, in Honolulu it was easily that far, or further, to the baggage claim. We walked, rested, walked, rested, walked, etc., until we finally arrived at carousel 7 and noticed right away that it wasn’t running. After all that travel, and resting, we beat our luggage to the carousel. Then we waited a while. And a little longer. It was the typical “wait for your luggage” moment. Whoever flies knows this.
Our suitcases finally made it around the last corner (I was at the end of the conveyor belt where it disappeared into the wall). Had I not snagged them in time it would have been another aggravating 5 minutes until they reappeared. With them in tow, we shuffled off out of the terminal, across a street, to a shuttle bus that looked suspiciously like one headed for some sort of rental car place. Luckily, it was. Turn out that Honolulu, like Las Vegas, and maybe many other airports, have a garage facility dedicated totally to rental car folks.
Diane had already reserved a vehicle so all we had to do was find the Budget Car folks. We did and walked right up to an agent and was issued keys to a new Chevy Malibu after agreeing to pay for an incredible amount of money for insurance. It’s Hawaii so it’s OK. I suppose we could have not rented a car and paid for an Uber every time we wanted to go somewhere but that would never have worked. We plan to go everywhere on this island. We lived here from 1986 to 1989, and have had short visits since, but we’ve got 2 weeks to see it all.
We drove to the Grand Waikikiian in the Hilton Hawaiian Village, where Waikiki resides. We parked out front while checking in to our room. When the lady checking us in discovered we had a car her eyes got big as she exclaimed, “Do you know how much it costs to park here?” I said, “No” because I didn’t. She said, “$65 a day for a total of over $900 for your two weeks!” I said, “No one told us” and she said “did anyone ask?” I said “Let me go get the boss” and went to get Diane involved. I was all ready to pull that chain but clearer heads prevailed when she said parking at the Hale Koa lot was more reasonable and the walk wasn’t much further. So, we decided to do that.
I left Diane at the hotel while I arranged for parking the car. I got a lot of walking in getting this all done. Something like 4 miles. But, I got a pass for 30 days for only $120. That’s like stealing for parking only a couple blocks from Waikiki.
Then we went to dinner at Fresco, a nearby Italian restaurant. The food was great, we had a terrific view of the Hilton Lagoon, and we could hear the music from a luau going on in the park.
Fortunately I didn’t spill anything. Diane, however, spilled her water. It was OK. Our waiter had a mop.
We walked back to our hotel, took a shower called it a night. It wasn’t even 8 pm, but our bodies tell us it’s 10 pm so went to bed.
Temporary Sanity ... 