[Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland. Since much of my news these days relates to trying to age gracefully, this series might be called The Geezer Gazette.]
1/3/26
Hau'oli Makahiki Hou (Happy New Year)!
Except for the order of the words, the Hawaiian phrase for Happy New Year is a word-by-word translation: hau'oli (happy) makahiki (year, or season), hou (new). However, "makahiki" has a deeper and more philosophical meaning than just a 365-day unit of time First, it actually refers to a social/religious season that emphasizes peace, rest, and renewal. Further, it is tied to ideas of reflection, balance, and welcoming what’s next (see Word Spotlight). Sounds like we could all use some makahiki right now.........
The usual firework mayhem here in Hawai'i was somewhat muted this year. Even Pele decided to sleep through New Year's Eve and didn't participate in the festivities. Part of the reason for humans to be subdued is 
that there has been a statewide crackdown on illegal fireworks after a tragic explosion last year on Oahu killed 6 people and wiped out a good chunk of a Honolulu neighborhood. On our island another reason was the seizure of 18 TONS of illegal fireworks last August in Hilo. The Hilo operation had been going on for years, headed by a couple of guys who were smuggling them in from outlets in Wisconsin. We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars each year and a very organized setup. Eighteen tons of fireworks is a lot of noise that didn't occur! There were, of course, a fair number of legal displays and the resorts along the coast had big aerial shows, so it wasn't totally quiet. Karen and I set off a bunch of leftover sparklers from previous years, but other than that I restrained my usual pyromania.
My big house maintenance project this week was replacing a couple of our electronic door locks. These are battery operated deadbolts with keypads that you enter a code instead of using a physical key (each comes with a key as a backup, though). I really like not having to carry keys or retrieve them from hiding places that most burglars would locate in minutes. I installed my first ones about 20 years ago and they have been surprisingly durable, except of course for the batteries which last about a year in the locks we use the most. Finally, though, two crapped out at the same time. I ordered replacements online because I couldn't find what I wanted locally. The first two were inoperable and I had to order again. The two bad locks were ones I found on Ebay that were supposed to be new but were in open boxes --- one had missing parts and the other was defective. I ordered again, this time from the manufacturer through Amazon. After a bit of fiddling I have them working well for now. Except for being shinier, this is the kind of project that requires effort and is a definite improvement, but isn't noticeable on the surface. I have to be content with self-praise for a job well done.
I've complained a fair amount about the unusual cloudy weather we had in 2025, though our weather woes hardly compare in seriousness to the weather upheavals on the mainland. Still, for us it is a big deal, since it really contrasts to the conditions we've experienced during most of the 25 years we've lived in Hawai'i. The recording system of my solar pv system gives clear and objective evidence of how weird 2025was. The data indicate there were only 4 months when we generated more power than we used. In the roughly 15 years we've had the system, all of them showed the reverse pattern -- at most there were only 4 months each year when we didn't generate a surplus. I'm not sure what has caused this, probably it is a complex combination of climate change factors, volcanic activity, temporary shifts in the jet stream, cosmic rays from black hole collisions, alien spacecraft contrails, etc., etc. No matter what, though, we could really use some photons! Our mornings almost always start off clear and promising, but by noon the sun takes a nap. We're getting enough sun to heat our hot water supply, but the pool heating system is struggling to keep the temperature up to geezer and geezerette acceptability levels. I know none of you are feeling much sympathy, but it's all relative, right?
Absolutely no Geezer Gazette news this week. A welcome break for you and for me both.
Ok, that's it. Remember, Spring is just around the corner....Maybe. It might be canceled or renamed by the next Executive Order.
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