Eyeball Mo’ Betta’; Doctor Fights; Three Anniversaries

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

8/28/21

Aloha All –

My appointment with my eye doc last Saturday went very well.  My acuity was slightly better in the right eye (20/80), good pressures, no new edema.  The plan is to go back in four weeks just before our trip and probably have a precautionary shot then.  That will make 10 weeks between injections – a record!  By the way, I happened to stumble on the date when all this started – it was in the fall of 2013, nearly 8 years ago! I’m guessing I’m up to 50 or more jabs in the eyeball during that time, so I welcome the slowdown.

I also saw my internist for my usual 6-month followup.  This didn’t go quite so well, at least at first. My preliminary blood work showed – you guessed it – low sodium.  I got the usual call from his nurse – restrict fluids to 32 oz. and stay away from demon water. Deja vu all over again!  I know, I know, I was going to change physicians after the last episode of this, but somehow I never got around to it.  Then my prescriptions ran out and I figured the quickest way to get them renewed was to go back to Dr. “You-drink-too-much-water-stop-that-you-dufus” one more time. This was an actual office visit, not a Zoom call, and he’ll only see you in person if you’ve been vaccinated. The session actually went pretty good – I think he had reviewed my history in advance this time. He admitted that I’m somebody with normally low sodium (not caused by drinking gallons of liquid) and it can get even lower if I drink lots of water or if I sweat (or if somebody prescribes a diuretic without checking the patient’s history).  He backed off the restriction mantra but warned me of the danger of taking in too much pure water all at once with my condition – namely the risk of a brain aneurysm, aka exploding brain. There has to be a delicate balance between retaining enough salt in my blood to avoid this, while not having it so high that it raises my bp. Isn’t this fun!?  

We’re still on track for our Mexico trip.  Some of our acquaintances here have expressed grave concern over our safety in terms of the Covid upsurge.  It turns out that the current infection rate here in Kona is twice what it is in Mexico City, and it is 6 to 10 times higher in Kona than in the other areas of Mexico where we will be spending most of our time.  In short, we are far safer in Mexico than we are in Kona right now.  Anyway, our biggest concern is that Mexico may impose restrictions while we are there that would make it difficult to enjoy the trip, so we’re tracking developments closely.
    
Wednesday was our Wedding Anniversary.  Last year we celebrated with takeout.  This year we had

Complimentary Chocolate Souffle!

dinner at the Four Seasons resort up north.  Guess which was more enjoyable, though way more expensive. Also this week we had two other anniversaries which we always try to celebrate: The last first day of school for Karen on the 27th and the last first day for me on the 28th.  These days always put a huge damper on celebrating our Wedding Anniversary, so now we eagerly celebrate their absence.  We split a bottle of champagne three ways – a little before our dinner at Four Seasons, and then the rest on the other two days.  Let’s hear it for anniversaries!

We got our electric bill this week and it confirmed that June, July, and August have been the cloudiest consecutive months since we installed our pv system 8 years ago.  We still have a surplus for the contract year with Helco, but it is the lowest ever.  Actually this is kind of good news, because the surplus will revert to the company at the end of October and we will start from zero for the next 12 months.  Usually we give up hundreds of dollars when this happens, but this year it will be a pittance.  Our solar investment is paying off, in other words.

Ok, take care everybody.  Keep you head clear and your body safe.  Off to the beach (still open so far) for our picnic breakfast.

Becoming a Bogey Man, Lockdowns Looming

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

8/21/21

I’ll get right to the good news of the week.  On Wednesday Karen and I played golf again at Makalei.  This was the same mountain course where she regularly plays, the one with the peacocks and Nenes.  It

Happy Bogey Man

was a beautiful day again for my second outing – clear, sunny, great view of the ocean.  It was a bit wet to start from the rain the day before, but that wasn’t a problem (in some places the course is so steep that people often spin their golf carts when they put on the brakes too hard).  Karen did exceptionally well and I did too, including getting what I understand are called “bogeys” on two holes – one stroke over par.  I’m now a bogey-man!  We still didn’t finish all 18 holes, though – I pooped out after 14, which is three more than last week.  I’m not hooked yet, but it was certainly a good experience.

Now for some bad news.  The unvaccinated pandemic is much worse. We have now filled the available beds in our local hospital and all but one of the Covid patients are unvaccinated.  The number of active cases on the island now exceeds the number at any time last year, and over 90% are unvaccinated.  Testing centers have reopened and are doing a brisk business. Some people have seen the light and are getting vaccinated at an increased rate – a bit late to stave off this sh*t storm, but still a hopeful sign.  The Governor and the Mayor are soon going to reinstate some of our previous restrictions, including reducing gatherings on beaches, closing the libraries, parks and other public facilities where people come into close contact.  Loosening the distance requirements in restaurants is on hold after being very close to being relaxed. Also likely is the reinstating the requirement of a negative test to travel between islands, even with a vaccine certificate.  This may even be extended to travelers from the mainland as well. (Oh, a note to visitors: some have been caught with fake vaccination certificates, an offense with a justifiably stiff fine and quarantine.  Stay home, please.) We tried to get booster shots this week, which I think we qualify for, but the only vaccine available right now is the Moderna, and we need Pfizer.  At any rate, we’ll get one as soon as we can, hopefully before our Mexico trip next month.

Our rainy weather in Kailua continues – about 3 inches for the week at our house.  However, to the north there was another wildfire on saddle road.  Fortunately this one was controlled before it got very big.  The record-breaking fire around Waimea and Waikaloa is now contained, some good news.  Remember, we’re only talking about 40 miles between being soaked and being burnt. I believe there was some rain in that area late in the week, and that may help.

Today I see my retina doctor again.  It's been 6 weeks since my last injection and I might need another. I'm going to have a bit of a timing issue, though, because of our upcoming trip. I don't think I can last from now until we return, and so I may need to have another just before we leave -- but that's shorter than the usual interim. Hmmm. I'll let you know how this turns out.

Ok, I guess that’s about it.  Hopefully we’ll be able to have our beach picnic this morning if the beaches haven’t been closed.  Take care everyone.  This, too, shall pass.  Let’s hope it will be soon.

 

TSA PreChecks, Golf, Creatures Big & Small

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

8/14/21

Aloha All –

Summer finally arrived here this week – sort of.  We had several days when it was warm enough to crank up our new ac bedroom unit for a few hours, and we skipped covering the pool several nights.  However, last night the air temp dropped to a frigid 68d and it was cool a couple of other nights as well. It doesn’t seem to want to make up its mind.

One thing that is very much in earnest is our Covid spike.  The number of active cases is as high as anytime last year, and our local hospitals are now getting full.  The last report was that of all the hospitalizations at our Kona Community Hospital all except one are unvaccinated.  Next week a group of about 50 nurses from the mainland will arrive, some assigned to our island. They will assist the overburdened local staff and that should temporarily help administering to the regular patients, as well as to the Covid cases.

On Tuesday Karen and I stopped in at our local TSA Precheck enrollment center and signed up – surprisingly easy and fast.  We used to get this as part of our United rewards program, but they stopped that a few years ago.  Going though the PreCheck security line isn’t a great advantage here at our airport, but it sure is at big ones like Denver.  The regular line last spring when we had our forced layover there reminded us of a pre-Covid Disney World ride line – except that the experience at the end wasn’t fun at all.

After we applied for the PreCheck program we went on up to Makalei and played golf.  Yes me, Tin Cup Dick.  Karen’s snow bird partner is traveling (taking a cruise, no less!) and so I agreed to give it a try.  I actually hit the ball most of the time, and it usually went in the direction of the hole.  I made it through 11 holes before pooping out – remember, for me that was a LOT of strokes.  It was a gorgeous day and that course is really beautiful.  I even got to see several Peacock babies and to pet a cat!  Despite my Planet Fitness workouts I was also a wee bit stiff the next morning.  

About midweek we had a real dumper overnight – .8 inches total.  The next morning was we were on our daily walk we passed a driveway where the car parked there had an interesting roof decoration – a bedraggled turkey trying to dry out. My main thought was that if the bird pooped up there it would be a real mess. Turkey doo can be smelly, gooey, and often comes in astonishingly large quantities (see Cleaning Up Poop In Paradise). Anyway, this is the kind of interesting encounter that makes living here enjoyable.

Speaking of introduced critters, last night I officially became a two-fisted coqui killer.  A light rain around dinner time brought out the males loudly serenading for sex (their calls are to attract females). I went out hunting and quickly got two – one in each hand!  In both cases I was able to blind them with my headlight and make successful grabs.  Once I got the first one in my fist I heard another very close by and soon had him in my sights, too.  Normally it helps to have both hands free for capturing coqui, but in this case I figured I’d make a try with my free hand and see what happened. Bam!  One in each fist and soon, with Karen’s help, both bagged and in the freezer.  Sing to the ice cubes, you little buggers!


Ok, off to market and beach breakfast.  Take care and stay safe.
 

August Already? Abnormal Normality?

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

8/7/21

Aloha Everyone –

Well, August caught me by surprise.  What happened to June & July? I swear, since last year it is difficult to keep track of time.  In many respects it is like we skipped last year altogether.  Then I start to think back to the sh*t storm of events that happened. Maybe it’s because I’d like to forget that time and I have blocked it out.  Anyway, our return to “normal” seems to be an uneven lurch into the future.  On the one hand, we now have travel plans, we’ve returned to some of our usual routine (golf, Planet Fitness, Saturday mornings at the beach), and tourists have returned bringing much need revenue to businesses and providing jobs. On the other our Covid cases have now reached and exceeded last year’s record levels, tourists are overwhelming our infrastructure, and we’re spending time worrying about who is vaccinated and who is not – hardly “normal.”  Oh, and our travel plans now include arranging to have a Covid test in order to get back into the U.S.

One high for the week was last Sunday, when we had friends over for dinner – the first dinner guests (aside from our Ohio visitors) in 1 ½ years.  It was a real treat to chat, joke, and share a meal with someone.  Of course even that had a tinge of crapola because it was necessary to agree on some pandemic precautions for the evening.  Sheesh.  Anyway, it was still very pleasant. This is the couple I've mentioned before who own a coffee farm up above us.  He was fraternity brother back in the dark ages, and his wife is an expat Japanese who has been trying unsuccessfully to get back to Tokyo to honor her mother, who died last year. Tough. On the other hand, their house has one section that is a family vacation rental, and the return of tourists has been a great financial relief to them. As I said, abnormal normal.

Such Excitement!

My big house project of the week (!) was to apply some anti-algae spray to parts of the roof.  I routinely do this about once a year to combat dark discoloration of our asphalt shingles, but the online sellers of the product I used to buy from now no longer ship to Hawai’i.  I could do the old trick of sending it to a friend on the mainland and then having them reship it to us, but I recently discovered a different product that is available here at Lowe’s and Home Depot that may do the same thing.  Whoopie! (My threshold for excitement has lowered considerably lately.) My biggest challenge has been to find a 12-hour period without rain so that it has time to work.  We’re still getting almost daily showers – Tuesday it rained all day starting about 11 am, for a total of just over 1 inch.  Anyway, we’ll see if it works as well as the old stuff. Getting up on the roof will also allow me to fix another problem that is common in Hawai’i – we’ve got some nice foliage growing in one of the gutters and it’s time to do some weeding.

Since I haven’t mentioned it in a long time, I should give a brief update on our volcano that caused so much havoc a couple of years ago.  Not a speck of surface lava has been observed since May, and the lava lake that was in Kilauea caldera is completely crusted over. The volcanologists know that this is just a nap, though, because seismic measurements and other sensor data indicate a slow but continuous resupply of lava deep in the plumbing.  It could be years without any significant activity, or it could be only a few weeks.  The best bet, though, is that it *will* happen.  Kilauea volcano has been erupting more or less continuously (in geological time) for over 10k years, and there is no reason to expect it won’t continue for at least that same number into the future.

Well, on that semi-happy note I’ll end and get ready for our usual “normal” Saturday morning activities.  

Stay cool, unburnt, and uncontaminated.

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.

Gramps Gets a Tattoo!

Injecting ink into people's skin is big business these days, and the "body modification" industry, which includes piercing, has been growing briskly in recent years. According to a 2018 analysis by Market Research, in the U.S. about $1.35 billion is spent on tattoos, another $900 million on body piercing, and about $700 million on tattoo removal.  This totals about $3 billion per year, nearly double the amount spent in 2007.

Fun Times

At one time, displaying a tattoo was considered a mark of delinquency, drunken misjudgment, criminality, or rebellion against mainstream society.  Today it is far more acceptable and regarded by many as a reasonable thing to do as an artistic expression of personal identity.  A 2021 survey by Statistica found that 35% of Americans report having one tattoo, and about 20% have 2-3. The percent of 30-39 year-olds with 1 or more tattoos doubled from about 28% to 55% in 2015.  Today's mainstream acceptance of tattooing is illustrated by another recent study by Market Research in which 30% of college graduates reported having 1 or more tattoos.

Although most people get their first tattoo while young (40% when 18 years or younger), there is a

Looking Good!

growing trend for people in their 60's, 70's , and even older to get tattooed.  Many of them are retirees who feel they are no longer constrained by considerations of workplace acceptability and career advancement. There is also a common feature of geezerdom that involves an attitude of  "who cares what others may think -- I'll do what I want." As one tattoo artist put it:

“They hit the ‘screw it’ stage — ‘I’m going to do what I want, and screw the rest of the world,’ ” said Sandy Parsons, 63, co-owner of Great Southern Tattoo in Alexandria and College Park, where business from people older than 50 has gone up by 30 percent in the past 20 years. Two or three times a week, someone older than 50 comes in for a first tattoo. (Tara Bahrampour)

In addition to the rebellious codger attitude, there is likely a desire among some older tattoo recipients to identify with being young again, like all those all those 30-somethings they see sporting ink these days. Better to look like that than just another geezer with liver spots.

Speaking of liver spots, older skin can pose a number of problems for tattooing.  Not only does older skin have more blemishes, sags, and bags, it can also be much thinner than young skin, and therefore more susceptible to bruising and bleeding, something I've explored previously ad nauseum in "Geezer Grease: My Missed Opportunity to Make Bazillions."  Age-related health conditions can also make tattooing more challenging -- like diabetes and coronary treatments with blood thinners, which make bleeding more likely.  This can lead to the ink "blowing out" and leaking into adjacent areas and spoiling the tattoo design. Skilled tattoo artists who are experienced with older clients can ameliorate some of the issues, for example by setting their needles to a shallower depth and working more slowly.  It seems to me that the designs themselves might be adapted to these challenges, though I lack the artistic sensibility to create examples.  For instance, imagine a design that can morph gracefully and artfully from detailed realism to abstract smoosh depending on the amount of "blowing out."  Or designs that can incorporate blemishes like liver spots, making them features, not flaws, like say spots in a small leopard or markings on a snake. And wrinkles, sags and bags?  Sure -- just look at artists like Salvador Dali and other surrealists for possible inspiration!

You Be The Judge

So far we've considered only the issues involved when people get tattoos when they're older.  Another of this seems relevant for today's ink-happy young'ns to consider. You will get old....and so will your tattoos.  That cute little smiley face on your young tight butt may eventually swell to a thin-mouthed pudgy-puss or morph into Mr. Potato Head as the cellulite takes over.  And that lovely hummingbird on your calf might become a rather evil-looking pterodactyl as the chicken-skin takes over.  Finally, the inks in tattoos fade over time, and a gorgeous colorful pattern at 22 can be nearly monochromatic as the decades march on relentlessly.  I think there is real opportunity here to make gazillions if an entrepreneur can somehow combine computer software that can project the ways that age can transform the human body with software that can map different possible tattoo

Well......

designs onto those changes.  This would allow a preview that could greatly help in deciding which tattoo to select and where to put it.  This might have to be pretty sophisticated programming to take into account each individual's own body type, family background, and life-style choices for predicting how that person's body might change over time. However, I'm sure there are many geek-coders out there who could rise to the challenge.

You may be wondering if I have any tattoos or if I'm considering getting any. A definite double NO to that. I'm getting more accepting of other people having tattoos, except when I think they've taken it too far.  I also question whether they realize that the values and bold statements of identity they're making are almost certainly going to change later in life. And I've certainly hit that "screw it" stage of life and what others think of me has much less power than it used to. But even though I'm far from delighted with the way my aging body looks these days,  I'm pretty sure that covering it with ink won't help. Rather, I'm working on coming to grips with the idea that maybe it's more important to accept that this is the normal and inevitable consequence of living.

Note: All photos of people's tattoos are from a Buzzfeed post by Alison Caporimo 

Reference Sources and More Information:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/721567/number-of-tattoos-united-states/

http://www.historyoftattoos.net/tattoo-facts/tattoo-statistics/

https://blog.marketresearch.com/tattoo-parlors-tattoo-removal-is-now-a-booming-3-billion-industry

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/06/science/tattoos-cells-laser-removal.html

https://www.livescience.com/14212-tattoo-laser-removal-popular.html

http://www.parscientific.com/InfinitInk.html 

https://www.npr.org/2014/02/21/280213268/job-seekers-still-have-to-hide-tattoos-from-the-neck-up

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/grandparents-and-retirees-get-tattoos-fulfilling-lifelong-dreams-and-raising-eyebrows/2013/09/21/b95a0e5c-219e-11e3-b73c-aab60bf735d0_story.html

https://www.buzzfeed.com/alisoncaporimo/24-reasons-to-never-get-a-tattoo

Mexico A Go-Go; Negatrons; Covid Spike

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

7/24/21 

Aloha Everyone –

Hope you are surviving summer by staying cool, unburnt, and uninfected.

This week we finalized our Mexico plans for September, made a deposit, and booked our flights.  As I mentioned last time, the itinerary is non-standard and very much to our travel preferences.  The area

Mount Alban near Oaxaca

will be quite small by tourist standards, with lots of visits to small towns and villages, architectural sites (this area was the center of Aztec, Zapotec, Mayan, and other civilizations), natural areas (especially a bio-reserve just north of Oaxaca), and we won’t go anywhere near the glitzy Yucatan coastal resorts.  Our two guides are a married team who have been doing this for a number of years. He’s a local-born naturalist who has been a guide for 20 years, and she’s an expat Canadian who is an expert in food, culture, and art.  She’s particular knowledgeable about the famed artist Frida Kahlo and has even written a book about her life and her work.  In short, we are certain we’re in good hands, and we like the fact that we’ll get the perspectives of both a local native and an expat who has adopted Mexico as her home.  (Here’s a link to their tour website, and also one to her personal page: https://discover-oaxaca.com/ and https://www.suzannebarbezat.com/ ). Now all we need is for Covid not to screw this up.  There is a surge in Mexico recently and unfortunately not a lot of people have been vaccinated.  Unlike the US, though, their low rate is because of unavailability of vaccine and lack of infrastructure, not to people choosing to leave themselves unprotected and to infect others as a consequence.

Speaking of that, Hawai’i has seen a dramatic surge in cases in the last few weeks, including on our island.  This is nearly all “community spread”, and about 30% are young people 18 and younger.  Less than 1% of the Covid-related deaths in the last month have been people who were fully vaccinated.  That is, 99+% of the people dying here are those who are unvaccinated, despite the fact that we have plenty of vaccine and there are many walk-in medical and retail venues giving free shots. The paper reported yesterday morning that about 20% of the recent cases are related to local unvaccinated people traveling to the mainland and returning to spread the virus among unvaccinated friends and family. Nearly all of the recent cases are unvaccinated people. It seems to me that freedom of choice should entail accepting responsibility for the consequences of your decision to other people.  I could argue that this is evolution in action and we should just let people go ahead and kill themselves and each other, except that the cost to treat those who request it in terms of medical facilities and personnel is borne by the rest of us.  “Freedom” doesn’t mean “free.”  Getting...off...high horse...now.......

On another cheery note, large parts of the mainland are experiencing dire drought conditions, fires, and record-breaking heat, but we have continued to have showers almost every day and cloudy skies even if it doesn’t rain.  We’re still covering our pool each night whereas in most years we would have been able to stop a month ago. This has kept the pool temperature pretty nice, and the rain has meant we haven’t needed to add water for months and months.  However, the cloudiness has put our pv production in the dumper, and our recent HELCO bill a few days ago showed we were in the red for the month by about 70 kw hours, the worst production in the last year. I call these “negatrons.” With our high energy costs 70 kwh translates to about $25.  We pay about 30-35 cents per kilowatt hour, whereas back in Ohio the rate was about 5 cents when we lived there and about 8 cents now).  We have a surplus built up from previous months that will be used to pay this, but I’d rather have a bigger cushion if we go into a.c. season.

Ok, that’s it.  Sorry for the pontificating but sometimes I can’t help myself.  Stay well.  Stay happy. Carpe Diem.