Covid Mo’ Bad; Rain Drops & Wild Fires; Minnie Turns 50

[Note: this is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland. I've delayed posting this one by a day to give this week's Tattoo blog a little more exposure.]

7/31/21

 Aloha All –

Well, our preventable epidemic among the unvaccinated continues and is getting even worse. The number of daily new cases remains about 5-10 times more than it was before the Delta variant became dominant here, and on Friday set a record by exceeding the number at the height of our epidemic last year.  Over 99% are among unvaccinated people, though "breakthrough" cases are increasing. Hospitalizations are starting to tick up, and our local Kona Community Hospital reports that nearly all those cases are young and unvaccinated.  The severe cases all have pre-existing conditions, including those few who are vaccinated. We’re still ok, but it won’t take much more to become a problem for severe cases to get treatment. A newspaper article this week did report some good news – the number of people getting their first shots has increased slightly.  Karen had a good idea of offering “stealth vaccinations” for those who were vaccination-hesitant or anti-vax but who have now come around to facts.  For example, restaurants could open a back room near the restrooms that you could slip into for a quick jab while you wait for your order. That way nobody would have to know you were doing the responsible thing, and you wouldn’t lose face with your anti-vax friends.  Of course, they might get suspicious when you aren’t getting sick or being hospitalized but they are dropping like flies......

Our wet period is still with us.  I’ve said before that this is one of the coolest and wettest summers we can remember here.  However, by “here” I mean RIGHT here.  In fact, this morning it is raining as I write this and we may have to alter our usual routine. The northern end of the island is in drought conditions and we are even fighting wild fires near Waimea, only 45-50  miles away. The geological, meteorological, biological and cultural complexity of this place continues to fascinate me – there’s always something more to learn and to puzzle over.

Karen’s little Mazda Miata reached a milestone on Thursday – 50k miles!  I know this doesn’t sound very impressive, until you figure that Karen bought the car nearly 20 years ago in 2003. So the average mileage per year works out to less than 3k, which is very low.  The car’s nickname is “Minnie” and “she” has been a great car. We had her shipped over from Honolulu, a common practice even today.  We

have dealerships on the island of course, but selection and availability are much better on Oahu. Over the years it has been a very reliable car, and I bet we haven’t spent more than $1500-2000 on repairs & maintenance.  We just put on a second set of tires, and of course there have been several batteries, oil changes, some body work, a new vinyl top, new O2 sensor, and something called a cam sensor that measures revolutions and controls the engine timing accordingly. That’s it.  Now, like the rest of us, she will soon be hitting the age when sh*t starts to happen and we’ll likely spend a lot more keeping her going.  I bet new brakes are soon going to be one of those expenses, and a new timing belt (big bucks for that one).  I’ve suggesting getting a new model, but Karen won’t hear of it.  Being Karen’s car, I’m not allowed to drive it unless she’s with me or if it is necessary to get it serviced or repaired.  When I do get to drive, though, I’m always blown away from how much fun it is – responsive, nimble, great on curvy roads, and not overburdened with complex convenience and safety features.  Oh, and even at 18 she is great-looking and still gets compliments.  

Ok.  Weather permitting, off to market, beach breakfast, and a few errands.  Stay cool, healthy, and happy.