HAWAII, 1968

         In previous posts, I’ve indicated that John was an adventurous, let’s do it last minute kind of guy. This didn’t end with marriage and honeymoon, but continued. Just before Christmas 1968, he came home from work and told me we were going to Hawaii!!!

          Now, everyone knows that you can’t just book a December trip to Hawaii at the last minute…and John didn’t. Flying and changing reservations back then was very easy. Someone at Nordstrom had been promoted and had to cancel his vacation. He sold his tickets and arrangements to John. So, we were, indeed, going to Hawaii right after Christmas. 

           We also still “dressed” in 1968. John wore his white Nehru jacket and small checked black and white pants. I had a couple of dresses I wore when we weren’t going out and about. Then it was shorts and t-shirts.

John's Pineapple plantation

          What a wonderful experience to leave the gray of Seattle and step off the plane into sunshine and warmth. The hotel we stayed at was actually a little enclave of cottages between two high rise hotels. There was a pool and the ocean was just a little walk away. The gentleman who had arranged the trip for himself and his wife had made arrangements for a number of tours. We visited the Dole Plantation and I was astounded to see how pineapple actually grew. We also went to something like Sea World. It had a three-masted ship and a dolphin show. We could have also toured the Arizona, but for some reason John didn’t want to do that.

          John had an even better idea. He’d rent a little motor scooter and then we’d be free to go anyplace on the island instead of just staying in downtown Waikiki. The days we didn’t have a tour, we’d head out on that motor scooter and just go wherever the road took us. After all, it was an island, so we couldn’t get lost. We saw places and things that most people probably didn’t back then. I remember we went through this little town, camp, wide place in the road. It was like visiting Mexico again. The children were running around naked, the homes were literally shacks, and there didn’t appear to be any running water or electricity. I was appalled that such places could exist in the U. S. of A.

          One day we got up and went to Makaha Beach where they held the surfing championships back then and maybe still do today. At one end of the bay, the big waves came in. As they moved down the bay, they became smaller so people like me who didn’t swim well could body surf or just be in the water. John spent most of the time on the beach while I spent it in the water. I know he enjoyed sitting there, covered with sun block and towels so he wouldn’t be burned and watching all the young women in their bikinis. I enjoyed people watching and playing in the water.

          By the end of the day, we had exhausted our supply of sun block. When we left the beach on our motor scooter, the sun was behind us and low in the sky. I didn’t think about getting a sunburn, but by the time we got to the hotel, the backs of my arms and calves were bright red. Oh my, this trip it was me saying, “Don’t touch my sunburn.”

Inside Diamond Head

          We also attended our very first outdoor concert. It was held in the bowl of Diamond Head. I cannot remember who was playing, but we enjoyed hiking through the tunnel and into the volcano basin. It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

          You cannot go to Hawaii without going to a Luau. It was part of the tour package and we attended late one afternoon. The roasted pork was delicious although a trifle greasy. The poi was absolutely awful. We couldn’t imagine eating anything like that on a regular basis. John really enjoyed the young ladies dressed in Hawaiian attire. They danced the Hula and there was a group of young men who danced with fire sticks while music and drums were played by others. The young men were very handsome as well…I enjoyed watching.

          Of course, we were there for the new year. What an experience. Long before dark and midnight, people in the two adjacent hotels began throwing strings of fire crackers from their balconies. The space in between where we were acted like an echo chamber. This was in addition to all the other fireworks on the beach, in town, everywhere. Talk about noisy plus it went on almost the entire night. The following morning when we went out and about, there was red firecracker paper littering the sidewalks, streets and everything else. It looked as though it had snowed red during the night.

          We also experienced how it rains in the tropics.  One afternoon, we had to wait for a light to change so we could make a U-turn in order to reach the hotel. The sky opened up and it rained so hard you could barely see. We were drenched by the time the light changed, John turned the motor scooter and we went a quarter of a block to the hotel. There’s a photo of John pouring water out of his shoe although it might not be very clear. It rained like that most afternoons in Waikiki. It was great fun to be swimming in the pool or the ocean while being drenched by the rain. Then, the sun would come out and dry up everything.

John pouring water out of shoe

          Then, there’s the fruit. We discovered apple bananas. They tasted as though the banana had been soaked in apple juice…delicious. Haven’t seen them or had them since. The pineapple…oh yes, the fresh pineapple. My mother craved pineapple while she was pregnant with me, but you couldn’t get it. She said that’s why I liked it so much. I ate pineapple morning, noon and night, to the point the skin inside my mouth actually sloughed off.

          

          What a wonderful vacation that was. Family and friends picked us up at the airport and we enjoyed reiterating all out adventures to them. I wish I had been journaling back then because I know I’ve forgotten a lot of experiences and stories I could share now if I remembered them. While I may not have a journal, I do have some very bad photographs (wish I’d had a phone with a camera back then) and some wonderful memories of sharing Hawaii with John on our first trip there.

SHELTER IN PLACE PLUSES???

         The Coronavirus Shelter in Place order does have some definite pluses, at least as far as I’m concerned. No one can come visit, so there’s no need to tidy up, vacuum, dust, clean the bathroom or any of the other household chores I’d normally do rather than have family and friends find out just what a slob I really am.

          There’s also no need to get up and get myself together so I can walk first thing since we’re not walking. No need to shower and dress because I’m not going anywhere. Instead, I’m sitting here hours later still in my robe and nightie, my hair uncombed, my face unwashed and my teeth unbrushed. I have eaten a bowl of cereal and it’s about time for my second latte. I can actually stay this way for the entire day if I want to because no one is going to see me.

Couldn't find with dogs

          Just this morning, I got up a bit before 7:00 am, put the dogs out and made myself a latte. I watched Good Morning America for about 20 minutes to find out the latest on the pandemic. Then, the doggies and I had cuddle time on the couch for more than an hour…it was after 9:00 am when I finally stopped dozing and got up.

I took a break from email, Facebook and the keyboard a while ago and was looking through a magazine. I had to laugh. There was an article about little homes. One of the commandments went:

“You shall tidy and organize daily. A house does not keep itself: The secret to a happy home is for everything to have a place and to do the work to put those things back in their place.”

          Looking up from the magazine, I surveyed my room and everything that needed to be put to rights. It was obvious my house is not keeping itself. It was obvious I wasn’t keeping my house.

          So, I got busy, back here at the keyboard, still in my nightie and robe…I won’t tell you just what time it’s become, but my mom and grandma would be terribly ashamed of me if they only knew. Let’s just say I ate my leftover homemade pizza for lunch.

          Of course, there is a part of my that feels lazy and guilty, especially when I think of the women who trained and raised me. I’m not sure mom and grandma ever had a day like this where they accomplished nothing…zip, zero, zilch. Then, I thought that perhaps that wasn’t so, that once they became older, they had days where they didn’t have to do anything. You see when I think of them, I think of myself as young and them as old. The truth is I’m as old now as they were then, so maybe they wouldn’t be quite so disappointed in my inability to be more goal oriented.           

          It’s not like I’m not trying, however. Every Sunday morning, I begin a weekly list of things I either need to get done or want to get done. The list from 3/15 still had three items on it that I didn’t do and haven’t done. The one dated 3/22 has two items not checked off. I saved the list from the week before because I thought I’d get it completed, but we’re closer to a new Sunday than we are to the old one.

          There were things that happened the weeks of 3/15 and 3/22 that I didn’t put on the list, i.e., two afternoons working in my garden; sold El Burrito, straightened up more of the garage, made a trip to Costco with my granddaughter, made a second trip to Costco for an I-pad, did laundry and grocery shopped. All of those were huge and should have been on the lists. Maybe I should add them just so I can check them off and feel accomplished.

 Menu planning also isn’t a necessity beyond deciding what I’d really like to eat. I know in my younger days that would have meant lots of sugar, chips and way more prepared food that tasted wonderful but probably wasn’t all that good for me. Instead, I find myself in the freezer deciding what I should thaw or sorting through the containers of food prepared earlier this year to see what sounds good. I’ve also been making a huge salad one day, eating half then and the other half the next day. Truth be told, I’m probably eating better now than I was before I was told to stay home. At least I’m cooking for myself…maybe I should add that to my lists too.

          In any case, I tell myself every night when I’m getting ready for bed what I’m going to accomplish the next day.  Guess what, apparently, I’m not listening when I tell myself that because nothing is happening…nothing, nada.  I’ve even tried to tell the doggies, but they really don’t care. In fact, they hate the vacuum, love messing up the blankets I put on the couch to keep their fur off the cushions and would happily get into any of the trash bins and make a mess. Whenever I go to the kitchen, they think I’m there just to make sure they get something to eat. They aren’t the least bit supportive when it comes to reaching my goals.

          I also think I’m spending enough time at this computer to qualify for unemployment if someone were paying me. That’s something else that seems to have taken over my life. I read my emails, look at Facebook, post my blog and then write more blog posts. I believe I mentioned last week that I was going to use my writing as the carrot before the donkey. Guess what, that idea failed…apparently this donkey believes she doesn’t need any dang carrots.

          Tomorrow is a new day…another Friday. Another week is almost gone and there’s two incomplete lists on my desk. I sincerely hope I listen to myself tonight and get busy once I get my lazy ass out of bed tomorrow. Maybe what I need is for one of you to call and tell me you’re coming to visit. I bet my lists would be far beyond complete…I’ll bet if that happened, I’d get so much done I’d be able to take all next week off.

TREASURES ON THE OLD I-PAD

I  did make the trek to Costco to purchase a new I-pad on Wednesday. I wore gloves and had a bottle of sanitizer in my pocket which I used liberally before, during and after. And, wow, things had changed at Costco. Tape on the floor marking six-foot distances and huge clear plastic shields at the check-out stations to protect both me and the checker. I had to get close to the person who checked the I-pad out of the back, and I had to touch the computer screen to type in my email. I sincerely hope she wasn’t a carrier and vice-versa and that no one with the virus on their fingers used the screen before me. I hand-sanitized immediately after.

So, I have a new I-pad. I did try to rectify the problem with my 13-year old one, but what my friend Ernie suggested didn’t work at all. I was very concerned that I’d lose the information on my old I-pad, but my granddaughter assured me everything would be transferred to the new one. She was absolutely correct, with one exception…the library books I’d downloaded didn’t transfer. It took a frustrating couple of hours to figure out how to get that done. In the end, I deleted them from the old I-pad, then went to the library and requested them all again. Wouldn’t you know it, the one I had been reading was the only one I had to place a hold on. I wonder if I’ll remember what I’d read or have to begin again once it comes available.

This morning, I began going through all the apps on my new I-pad and it has considerably more than what was on the old one. I guess there have been some great advances in 13 years. I’m looking forward to learning how to do some of the new stuff as I experiment with things like Podcasts, Apple TV, I-tunes, I-movie, Clips, Pages, Keynote and several others. One new one is Stocks. Not knowing exactly what would appear, I opened it and was very satisfied to see the stock market was up today. There were also a few articles I scanned that seemed promising with regard to financials, but written in such a way, the author(s) wouldn’t have to eat crow if it doesn’t happen.

As I said, all the data on the old I-pad transferred, including photos I’d forgotten all about. Some were from the last trip John and I took to Oregon in 2012. Later that same year, we took a cruise to Alaska and Glacier Bay. The Alaska photos included ones of John. I guess I didn’t really see him for a much longer period of time than I thought or remember because he looks older and more frail than I remember him being in those photos. It’s hard for me to believe I didn’t actually look at and actually “see” him for almost seven years.

Those photos made me sad, not because of how John looked, but because of what a bitch I must have been for those seven years. Of course, I knew John wasn’t well or capable of doing a lot. I offered to get him a wheelchair to get him on board the cruise ship, but he refused. There was a lot of walking, first on the dock, then through the hallways of the ship to our room. He made it, but barely and then had to rest on the bed for pretty much the remainder of the day.

Once he got up, we took the elevator up to the top level for the leaving port party. At least we were able to share that. When it came to meals, John would take the elevator up one floor and I would take the stairs. Once there, he’d look at what was being offered for whatever meal and tell me what he wanted. He’d go sit at the table and I’d go back and fill his plate and bring it to him before getting what I wanted to eat. I was never mean or cruel about this process and did it happily, but I still don’t think I “saw” him as he was.

John left the ship only once. I can't remember for sure, but I think it was Sitka. He got off to go to a salmon BBQ and to ride the tram up the mountain. He did okay, but I wasn't sure he'd get back aboard without some kind of assistance. But make it he did, while I remained ashore and did some sightseeing around the little town. The other stops the ship made, John stayed on board while I went ashore. I took a hike in the woods at one stop and went sea kayaking at another. It would have been much more fun with John, but he didn't pout or resent my going...he encouraged it for which I'm thankful.

On that cruise, John took one tour of the ship. We walked the top deck from one end to the other very slowly. That’s when I took the pictures with my I-pad. When we got to the Crow’s Nest, we bought lattes and John had to sit for a while before being able to return to the other end of the ship where our room was located. Again, I was aware of his inability to move quickly, his need for a rest period; but again, I don’t remember actually “seeing” him. 

When it came to Glacier Bay and the glaciers, I was so happy we had a verandah stateroom. John was able to sit there or inside if it became too cold and see the glaciers just as well as I did from my spot outside. The ship even turned, so he was able to see both sides of everything. 

I know my ability to "see" was caused to some degree by the hypothetical glasses I wore. One lens was frustration and the other was anger. Both these feelings were because I believed John had the difficulties he did as a result of not taking care of himself and his addiction to Oxy. I believed he could get better, be better if only he would try. Looking at those photos now, perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps he really did the best he could. Perhaps I should have tried to be more understanding and more patient. 

Damn, just when I think I've moved another few steps forward, something like these photos return to haunt me, to make me feel sad and guilty and wishing I could go back and redo some of those seven years. But, I can't, that time is gone forever. I do urge those of you reading this though, to take off your hypothetical glasses and actually look at your spouse, partner, parent, child and really really see them. It's not too late when they're still right there, so don't wait. 

ONE CHICKEN, RATS, MICE & MOLES

        

When John was alive, he contracted with a pest control company that came once a quarter to spray around the house and eliminate spiders and bugs. They also did mole control (not very effective in my opinion) and rat/mouse control. I think one of John’s reasons for doing this beyond his inability to do it any longer with safe and sane traps, was getting to interact with the pest control guys. It had to get boring interacting with just me most of the time.

          In any case, I wasn’t terribly appreciative of the pest control company and after their fall visit where the operator indicated on his slip that he’d seen no mole activity…really, really??? he walked right by it, so how could he have not seen it…I called and cancelled their service. I figured the spiders weren’t too much of a big deal; and as for the rodents, I’d have to see.

          Mabel is the only chicken left. Her mates, Lucy and Ethel are long gone, but Mabel lives on. I lock her up every night and let her out every morning so she doesn't become a coyote snack or worse. In the process, I sprinkle food on the ground by the back gate. She and the squirrels love it, and I do laugh when I see her chase the squirrels away.

          Today, I was sitting here at my desk on the phone and looking out the window. The sun was shining and suddenly there were mice and rats dashing to the food, loading up and dashing away. They all looked very healthy, fat, their fur shiny and bright. If I knew for sure they’d stay away from the house and continue to live behind the fence, and not breed like rabbits, I probably wouldn’t do anything. And, why is it that rats give me the shivers. Snakes and almost any other animal are fine with me, but rats…don’t like em.

          As I’m typing this, there’s a big healthy one out there stuffing his face again. Hopefully, he won’t last long because I went to Ace Hardware and bought some rat eliminator. I put it down the holes into the tunnels made by the moles and then covered them up. I’m hoping they have a wonderful underground snack (moles and rats) and stay there, underground. This particular rat is coming under the gate from behind the fence. I don’t want to put any kind of poison on the surface where Mabel or any other non-rodent bird or animal could get to it. So, I don’t know what to do about the under the gate guy. Maybe some of his friends will turn him on to the tunnel tasties.

          I really don’t want to call the pest control folks and have them start coming again, but I don’t want this to turn into a major rodent problem. Do any of you have any ideas on how to control these that doesn’t involve poison? I like the idea we have foxes and coyotes and who knows what else living in my little neighborhood. I don’t like thinking they could be affected by my attempts to rid myself of what would probably be a great snack for them.

          In the time it took to type the last two paragraphs (and I type really fast), the big fat rat has made at least six trips to the chicken food. Back and forth under the garden gate. So, any ideas you may have and want to share with me about rodent control would be most appreciated. Apparently Mabel noticed what was going on. She’s now roosting in front of the gate where the rat comes and goes. Maybe she’ll take care of him???

          Another instance where John would have made the decision about what to do...well, he wouldn't have cancelled the service to begin with. Sometimes I actually envy the people I know who have moved into a facility where every single thing is taken care of for them. I know I'm not ready for that, but lately, having someone else make all the decisions would maybe be a blessing...for a while anyway.

TO I-PAD OR NOT I-PAD

         Feel like I’ve been a bit whiney the last couple of posts. So, I’m trying to think of some upbeat and positive information to share. First though, another big whine. I bought an I-pad in 2007. It’s served me well, but appears to be on its last leg. Mostly I use it for reading books from the library these days and had just downloaded about six. Last night I plugged it in at bedtime only to find this morning that it had not recharged. Tried a variety of things, and finally plugged it into this computer. It now appears to be sloooooooooowly charging. By slowly, I mean like 10% over the last hour. At that rate, I’ll be able to use it tomorrow.

          Since there’s no going to the library these days, I really want my I-pad to work so I can read some books. On the other hand, if I cannot read, then maybe I’ll spend more time writing these revealing and wonderful posts you’ve been reading. Of course, since none of us have much of anything to do, I’m not sure how much longer I can continue coming up with post material. Seriously, do you want me to go back to my childhood and dredge up some wonderful memories? Or, I could certainly continue to post about John and our marriage, travels, events, etc. I’m sure I’ve barely begun to tap that well of information.

          But I digress. I took a look at I-pads for sale now. It seems there are quite a few models, ranging from about $250 to over $1,000. I don’t need one of the expensive ones, but which one should I actually buy? If I had a new one, I’m sure I’d use it for more than just reading books. Originally, on my current one, I wrote stuff, checked email, sent email, etc. I do prefer my computer though because I can type so much faster with my keyboard. Amazon would send in two days, but if I went to Costco, I could walk out with it in my hand.

Anyway, my daughter-in-law, Angie, is very knowledgeable when it comes to electronics, so I sent her an email and asked for her opinion on purchasing a new one. Someone else I talked to suggested a Kindle, but that’s just for reading although it is a lot cheaper. And, apparently Samsung has some kind of tablet. I haven’t looked at that yet. Or, should I buy a laptop computer? I feel so far out of the loop when it comes to this kind of stuff.

Do any of you reading this have any suggestions as to what I should buy or where I should buy it? I’m definitely seeking input so don’t be shy about providing an opinion on the electronics or what you’d like to see me write about. Thank you so much in advance.

EL BURRITO HAS LEFT...THE DRIVEWAY!!!

        Well, what a long and very hard day this has been. On the happy/sad side, my driveway now contains only one car…mine. I realized last night that I needed some extra paperwork in order to sell El Burrito. So, I waited until AJ and Haley got here before leaving for the licensing place, just in case Bob (the purchaser) arrived before I got back.

          First off, I got in my car and the battery was dead. I shouldn’t have been surprised because Magic Toyota told me a year ago (or more) that I needed a new one. Amazingly, in the latest car review, Magic told me the battery was fine.  So, they were just a little off with regard to my need for a replacement a year ago.

AJ was a bit impatient and I ended up in tears. I didn’t sleep well last night and the tears were just begging to fill my eyes and roll down my cheeks. How could I possibly be so emotional about a POS that hasn’t run in decades? Anyway, Haley drove me in her dad’s truck (I sat in the back for Coronavirus safety purposes, plus we sanitized our hands every other minute.) to the license office. I got the necessary paperwork and then she took me to O’Reilly’s Auto Parts for a new battery. We returned home and Bob was here.

It took about five hours to get everything together and for El Burrito to be towed away. You see, it came with all the pieces and parts John had purchased over the years in order to restore it at some point. It wasn’t like the parts were stored in one place. There was a stack of boxes in one area, the 350 cubic inch motor and extra transmission were tucked under the work bench. They were, though, on wheeled beds, so not much in the way of lifting. Bob brought some kind of device which jacked up the engine so it could be placed in the back of his wife’s truck. She also ended up with a variety of car parts.

Bob happened to spy a shelf on the north side of the garage which appeared to have car parts. And, lo and behold, it did, so he pulled them out of there and they were added to either his wife’s truck or the El Burrito. Hopefully, he didn’t think I was trying to hide them from him. And, who knows, there may be other pieces that will surface as the clean up continues. I told Bob I’d call if I found anything else. 

Then, there were the extra doors, tailgate, another transmission, a variety of parts I couldn’t identify if you paid me, as well as pieces of glass for the canopy which was on the roof of the garage. By the time Bob got El Burrito on the tow bar, the truck bed was stuffed with parts.  It was also obvious at this point that El Burrito would need a different set of tires on the rear if it wasn’t going to drag as it was being towed.

Bob and his wife left in their respective vehicles and returned a while later, having unloaded the first cargo of stuff at their house. Bob also brought different tires which he put on the back of El Burrito. While they were gone, AJ and Haley figured out how to get the canopy off the garage roof. They had barely set it down on the driveway when Bob returned.

Between Bob, AJ and Haley, everything else that hadn’t been loaded, was loaded and Bob’s El Camino hooked up to the tow bar. AJ and Haley had their photo taken standing at the front of El Burrito and AJ took some photos of El Burrito as it left the neighborhood for the last time. Bob’s wife followed him as a safety precaution.

I have to admit that Bob was very excited to get El Burrito. His smile stretched ear to ear. He told me he had already planned his day for tomorrow. He’s going to get El Burrito running and then check out the brakes. I hope he achieves his goal. El Burrito was a great El Camino in her day. I hope she will be again one day soon.

Had to smile through the tears…El Camino towing El Burrito away…somehow most fitting.

WHY DOES ZERO MAKE ME SO SAD???

         As you are reading this, the gentleman who purchased the El Camino is getting ready to come haul it away. That means four minus four equals zero. He’s the only one of the four or five interested parties that made me an offer. It was less than I was asking, but the important thing here is that it’s gone.

          Besides, both AJ and I liked this man, or to quote AJ’s text, “I like Bob. He is an El Burrito guy. He’ll love & cherish that POS.” 

          Above I said the important thing is that it’s gone. If that’s really true, why do I feel so sad? Why do my eyes fill with tears at the idea my driveway will be empty, except for my Rav4, for the first time in almost 50 years? Why do I feel as though I’m in front of a huge blackboard and am slowly erasing John, his memories and all his belongings? 

          Is this what will happen when I’m gone? Will all the things I cherish and hold dear be erased and sent on to other people who will appreciate them? I don’t know. I just know that as I keep moving forward, I keep getting blindsided by feelings of loss, dismay, fear, and loneliness. Why does it keep hurting? Why can’t I reach the point where an accomplishment like selling El Burrito brings me more joy than pain? I don’t know. Does anyone?