Big Birthday, Lost Passports, Rumbling Volcano

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

5/11/24

 

Aloha All -- 

 

Well, today is Karen's xxth (censored) birthday-- but she's keeping it low-key. She had lunch with a couple of friends yesterday at  the Four Seasons resort up north, and tonight we might have dinner somewhere up north.  However, the weather has turned so yucky that we may put that on hold. A rather big rain system is moving across the state this weekend and part of the positive experience of eating out here in Hawai'i is that you eat truly out -- outside, that is.  But not when it's raining. She was adamant that I not get her a gift, but I couldn't let that happen and got her something simple to wear -- a risky thing to do, but she seems ok with it.  Although the event is low key now she's chosen to return later in the year to southeast Asia  (Thailand and Cambodia) as her way of  celebrating the occasion.  This will be in November. and we've begun planning the trip.  

Karen's driver's license expired this year and the renewal process led to the discovery that our passports are missing.  She wanted to use her passport as proof of ID and citizenship, but couldn't find it in the usual place where we keep them.  We had them when we re-entered the US on our return  from Africa in February.  We landed in San Francisco and spent the night before flying home.  We're sure we put them away and used our driver's licenses when we checked in for our Kona flight the next morning, but now we

Yeah, Those

can't find them anywhere in the house.  We spent a few days looking in every drawer, crack, piece of luggage, clothing, etc. --- everywhere and anywhere they could conceivably (and inconceivably) be -- before concluding that we had to replace them,  This is very puzzling and frustrating because we are usually very, very careful with them and have a set routine when we use them to travel.  Anyway we have bitten the bullet and started the process of getting new ones. This turns out to require filling out a form reporting them missing, which immediately and permanently invalidates them, and then applying for brand-new ones, a process that requires documentation of citizenship and identity in the form of birth certificates, driver's licenses, and an in-person visit to a designated passport acceptance center -- in our case one of our local post offices.  We made an appointment and on Tuesday had our interview, only to find out that our photos weren't acceptable because we had smiled, and I had printed out the online form doubled-sided while the original is on separate pages (!). We made another appointment for the next day, hustled to the passport photo department in Walmart for new photos, and reprinted the applications.  Back again the next day and mine passed inspection, but Karen's didn't because her driver's license is only a temporary one until she gets her permanent card.  Sooooooo, we will hope we can get her application in soon --- our deadline is in July, when we leave for Canada.  It should work out, but I hate the uncertainty. 

My final bit of news is that Kilauea is rumbling again.  For about a week starting April 27th the volcanologists detected magma rising and recharging the summit and an area called the Upper East Rift Zone. Then it seemed to quiet down for a few days, but as of yesterday it is rumbling again.  The two main indicators of unrest are small earthquakes (hundreds of them) and ground inflation of the areas where magma is intruding.  Here's part of the volcanologist assessment from yesterday: "Magma continues to pressurize the system...,activating seismicity along faults in the upper East Rift Zone. At this time, it is not possible to say whether this increase in activity will lead to an intrusion or eruption in the near future or simply continue as seismic unrest at depth. Changes in the character and location of unrest can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption."  In other words, maybe, maybe not.  However, it is certain that Kilauea will erupt again -- it is a very active volcano and the quiet, vog-free period we've been enjoying is the exception to a fiery past.

 

That's it for this week other than to mention that I'm continuing to enjoy our new car, we got our new license plates,  I played a so-so round of golf on Wednesday, and I received my eyeglasses Thursday.  They definitely help, but aren't quite as helpful as I had hoped.  I'll get another injection next week.  Also coming up will be the installation of our replacement pool solar system and an ultra-sound examination of my aorta  Exciting times!

 

Hope your weather hasn't been as extreme as some people have been experiencing.  Enjoy whatever good weather you get,   Take care, stay sane and remember that there really is a middle ground  -- try not to lose sight of it.....

Car Bonding, 3 Doc Visits, Wheeling & Dealing

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

5/4/24

 

Aloha Everybody -- 

Busy week!!

I spent a fair amount of time "bonding" with my new Subaru.  Loving it so far.  We took a short road trip up north last Sunday, to a Lei Day celebration at the Waikaloa Resort shopping center -- some hula, Hawaiian singing groups, and lunch at a beach-side restaurant, plus a short walk along the shore,  The drive up was on a straight coastal highway, giving me a chance to try out one of the car's nifty features -- adaptive cruise control.  This is like the old style cruise control but it automatically maintains a set distance from the car in front.  It also has a lane-centering option which means that if both are engaged at the same time it is practically self- driving.  No napping, however, because the car has a fit if you take your hands off the wheel or stop looking ahead.  I'm slowly working my way through the gazillion other features and settings.  This car has more computing power than the mainframe IBM at my graduate school university! It is very comfortable and quiet, and even has dual a.c. settings so my wife and I don't have to agree on how cool the air is blowing at us.  Although I'm not super-thrilled with the color, it's ok -- Subaru calls it "Brilliant Bronze,"  which I've changed to "Metallic Poop," depending on the scatological sensitivities of the person I'm describing it to.

This was also a busy medical week with a visit to three (!) doctors in two days.  Over the weekend it seemed to me that my eye that had the recent vein occlusion  (left) was actually getting worse, not better. I got an appointment for the very next day.  Despite my subjective assessment, the exam showed that everything is progressing ok.  My acuity actually improved in both eyes compared to two weeks ago, though only by a smidge.  The scan showed no negative changes.  My doctor reminded  me that the gunk would clear out very slowly and that some of my acuity and brightness issues might be helped by a temporary pair of prescription lenses.  I saw an Optometrist the next day and wow, what an improvement when he adjusted the dials just right..  It turns out that my left eye has developed a slight astigmatism that is adding to the blurriness at all distances.  I've got a pair of cheap glasses ordered that should help a lot.  The Optometrist concurred that my left eye will eventually be correctable to 20/20 or close -- definitely good news.

On the same day as my emergency eye exam, I saw my internist for my routine 6-month checkup.  All is as good as can be expected, given the progression of my emphysema, but he did order an ultra-sound of my chest to check out some aortic calcification that showed up on my last CT.  My cholesterol numbers are very good, so this is just to check out if the calcification has progressed and exactly how bad it might be.  Oh what fun!

The final source of busyness this week was selling our old CRV,  I posted an ad on FB Marketplace and within hours got many inquiries.  I set up appointments for a few people to see the car, but before they

Yippee!

took place my pool guy offered to buy it and gave me a deposit,  Unfortunately he couldn't come up with the rest of the cash and we agreed to cancel the deal the next day.  Within two hours of indicating on Marketplace that it was available again I sold it to a guy for full price who gave me a hefty cash deposit of $2k, with the rest to come on Friday, the next day. With that much at stake for him,  it seemed like a done deal  -- I had $2k and still had the car, so there was no risk for me. Yup, as agreed we met yesterday evening after he got off work and he gave me the rest of the price in cash.  I'll deposit it this morning on our Saturday rounds.  Although this process was intense, it only took 4 days.  Also, the paperwork that I had initially found a daunting prospect turned out to be minor, thanks to online advice and tips from a neighbor who sold a car last year.  All in all, I have to conclude that the dealer who low balled me actually did me a very lucrative favor.  Anyway, it's all over and I hope not to have to do it again for a long time. My career in used car sales has come to an end!

 

Ok, I sure hope next week is a bit calmer.  There are a couple of sagas involving lost or stolen passports and a rumbling volcano that I haven't regaled you with yet.  I'll hold off until next missive.

Take care.  Enjoy your spring!