A Booster, A Radiator, An Eyeball

[Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]

(9/18/21)

Aloha Everybody –

This will be my last regular email for awhile.  Our trip begins next week and it may be difficult to keep keep up. Instead, I’ll include you on the list of travel emails we send out to friends as we go, probably every 10 days or so.  We’re getting excited – our first international trip in 2.5 years!  This week was dedicated to the usual house prep, lots of trimming, cleaning, etc., so that we don’t come home to a jungle or to a mess.  It has been a long time since we have had to work this hard in a short amount of time and I admit it’s tiring.

On Sunday we managed to get booster shots at one of our local pharmacies.  We both have good reasons for getting them a little early, and the pharmacy agreed.  The reactions were about like the first shot – mild headache, brief period of joint pain, and a day of feeling tired and out of sorts.  Not fun but not all that bad, either.  Anyway, we are now about as protected as we can be and as I mentioned, the infection rate in Mexico is far lower than here in Kona.  Our biggest risk is going through airports and sitting on planes for 10-12 hours. Someone here asked if we didn’t feel bad, having 3 shots when much of the world is struggling to get even one.  My answer was yes, but the shot I got here and now was one turned down by someone who could have chosen to have it but refused it.  Rather than have it do no good at all, I took advantage of the opportunity to protect myself and others to the maximum extent that I can.

Minnie’s “surgery” went well and she now has a brand new radiator.  The bill wasn’t as bad as I feared. Any time you can get out of a garage for less than $500 these days you’re lucky. I just barely made it, but over the years this car has been a real bargain and I don’t mind at all.  For being 18 years old it is still doing great, looks good, and we have no intention of replacing it, even if the maintenance gets more expensive.  Of course, a new Corvette C8 might make a nice companion.....
 
Karen played golf on Tuesday.  Her usual golf partner returned unexpectedly and the two of them

Baby now has a tiara

returned to Makalei for a round.  Her partner had been scheduled to go on a cruise and decided to cancel because of Covid.  Karen didn’t know she was coming back until last weekend.  I had agreed to play with her, but I don’t mind skipping it, given the stuff around the house I have to do to get ready for the trip.  Besides, I don’t think I can top my two bogey accomplishment.

Today I have my eyeball examined.  It has stayed more or less the same, which is remarkable given how long it has been since my last shot (10 weeks)  I’d really like to have one today, though, because it seems very unlikely I can make it until we get back from our trip.  Imagine, *wanting* a needle jammed into your eye! If I wasn’t traveling I’d try to go even longer, because I could always quickly get a shot here if needed, but this would be much more difficult while traveling, especially out of the country.

Ok, enough for now. Focus on the positive, stay away from irresponsible people, and enjoy whatever good weather comes your way.