The Next Dark Age
We're in it Now
Around Kona
The idea for staying in town was that there are plenty of walkable places to go, so as to eliminate the need for a rental car. First, we have the Hulihe’e Palace (run by the Daughters of Hawaii):
Pictures are not allowed inside, but it is a lovely place across the bay from the hotel. It only has six rooms, and no plumbing. But the hardwood is gorgeous and the view is fabulous. Apparently, Princess Ruth would actually sleep outside in a tent. There is also a hen and rooster that seem to live there. Across the street is the site of the first Christian church:
The missionaries arrived in 1820, just after the death of Kamehameha the Great. This structure was built in 1838. It is a very simple and pretty building that continues to offer Sunday services. About a half block down the road is the place where I went for Italian sodas most days and this is my friend the gecko:
See how they made him a table of his own? Directly across from that was one of those trees that I can’t get over:
On the way back is a small public beach. There are always a few early birds, that seem to swim before heading to work (including a volunteer at Hulihe’e Palace) but on Saturday it was totally jammed with people. And two dogs:
The tri-color is a terrier of some sort and his person would toss a ball into the water for him to swim out and retrieve. It seemed like everyone in Kona had a dog, including the homeless people. Last, we have the view out the back of the hotel. I think this is where they would hold the luaus. It looks like a place for a human sacrifice:
I am glad that I stayed in town this time, but I am not sure I would do it again. The cruise ships dropped anchor there and the crowds were horrendous. Also, there was some pretty unpleasant construction noise. If I end up back on the big island, I will go back to staying up north.
Project Linus 10 – 19 2013
These blankets went to Project Linus on Starbucks night, before I left town:
The one on the left that is all messed up from the lighting has dinosaurs on it and is edged in Red Heart Black yarn. The Winnie the Pooh is next, edged in a yellow from somewhere. Next is a doggie pattern edged in Caron White. Finally, the Spongebob pattern is edged in Caron White.
On the bottom is a blue fleece on which someone embroidered a fleece with a fighter jet. Edged one row of Red Heart Soft White and two rows of Red Heart Cherry Red. Above it is a black fleece with flowers, edged in some sort of purple yarn. The pink one has turtles on it and is edged in Caron Soft Limelight. Next is a black with an astronomy theme edged in Red Heart Turqua yarn. The red fleece has an embroidered Cubs hat and is edged in white. Finally, there is a Star Wars fleece edged in white.
The Tour
I planned to take a twilight tour of the volcano, but abandoned the idea for two reasons:
- The first tour company was completely booked for the entire week.
- I learned that these tours are small groups travelling in vans. I was not 100% sure that I wouldn’t get motion sickness climbing the mountain in a van.
So I opted for the Big Island Circle Tour – a full day tour that goes around the entire island, including the volcano. The weather wasn’t cooperating, but I made the pilgrimage to Pele or whatever and took a few pics:
The black sand beach was very pretty. The sand felt perfectly normal.
The volcano crater. I am sure I have better shots of it from prior trips, though.
The lava tube was really icky in the rain. (Dude, you know what that looks like? The dungeons in Jabba’s Palace.)
Rainbow Falls were fabulous.
And from the bus on the way back – the only time I really saw the sunset. And the driver wouldn’t stop talking so we could enjoy it.
Overall, it was very worth the price – $100 for 12 hours of entertainment. Tip: book online for a discount. And bring a jacket.
After a Long Travel Day
I am awake at 4am. Because that’s how it works.
I don’t talk much on airplanes anymore, because I really want to use the time to sleep. I think I disappointed the lady sitting next to me yesterday. She was sitting three rows behind her husband, who spent the entire nine hours talking to the retired couple sitting next to him.
Speaking of retired couples..they are just as entitled and nasty as anyone else. I have come to the conclusion that all Americans are like this and it has little to do with age. I once thought that little old ladies (particularly in the South) kill you with kindness to get what they want. But no. They can be downright mean, too. But the true gem of the day came from a tattooed guy around my own age as we checked into the hotel at the same time:
Him: I’m with the band.
Me: (Rolling eyes)
Her: We’re glad to have you.
Him: Can you get me a room with a view?
Her: I’m sorry, we’re completely booked tonight.
Him: Well..just switch me with someone that hasn’t checked in yet.
Her: … You know, those people paid extra for their rooms.
Him: Oh.
That was when I headed to the elevator. Clueless about the economics of travel and the line between “it doesn’t hurt to ask” and being a total ass? But speaking of that..I may have reached the point where I would be willing to pay something extra for a view. Because my balcony looks out directly over the front entrance. Where people are coming and going and making noise. I am clearly not going to spend any time sitting out there with a book. So my first assignment this morning – when the sun comes up – will be to find a good place on property to read a book.
So. Back in Kona. (As always, don’t bother to try to rob my house. There are people, dogs and ADT there.) This time, I elected to stay in town and save on the rental car. The old King Kamehameha Hotel is now a Marriott Courtyard. Apparently, it was redone after a storm in 2011. The cab driver said it is a fine location and there is a little shuttle that will take you from one end of town to the other for $2.00. Also, this time I plan to head to the volcano on one of the twilight tours. And I will eat papaya every day.
Sorta Checking In
It seems I have been neglecting my blog.
I have three books and two plays to write about. There is the story of my dogs being sick that isn’t quite funny yet. (They seem to be fine now.) And there have been several parrot adoptions from the Refuge in the past weeks.
My niece Ashlyn, aged not-quite-three, called me yesterday with the help of her father to tell me that she wants to come to my house. I am pretty sure the draw is Fiona, so she is good for some stuff. We made tentative plans for next weekend, which happens to be my brother’s birthday.
I have a big work meeting next week and I may or may not be getting serious about buying a new car. That should about catch us up.
Up Jumps the Devil, by Margaret Maron
Book 7
Maron continues with the continuing sub-theme of the development of rural and coastal areas of the South. In this case, the land is too close for comfort. One of Deborah’s brothers, who is a techie living in California, was offered an obscene amount of money for his small plot of strategically located land on the family homestead. Then there are a series of murders that seem to be related.
The first is solved instantly. The others are a slow burn. Also, this was the second time where members of the Knott family have motives for any given crime. At one point, I stopped reading and tried to figure it out. And I am happy to tell you that I did. It is not that it was so obvious, but I am finally learning the mystery writer game.
In other plot developments, Deborah is still a district court judge, which brings in some good scenes. She is still seeing the game warden guy and we are introduced to the secret annulled husband. (Insert eye roll here.) Overall, I continue to enjoy the series.
A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole
Book 6
When I saw an audio version available for download from my library, I went all self-indulgent for the re-read. I first read it in the summer of 2008, and wrote about it on a long ago blog:
“Last fall, in New Orleans with some co-workers, we were sitting around saying how glad we were to be back in town. My employer runs plenty of meetings in the city, and most of us love it. I was talking to my friend John, who is a great reader (even if his preferences happen to run in a Clancyish direction), and he asked if I had read A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole. He was all shocked and dismayed and told me that I must read it immediately because I will love it. I had not realized that it was set in New Orleans.
The title comes from a quote by Jonathan Swift (now pasted on my sidebar):
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in a confederacy against him.
So I loved it before I read the first chapter.
The main character, Ignatius Reilly, is described by a Tribune reviewer as “huge, obese, fractious, fastidious, a latter-day Gargantua, a Don Quixote of the French Quarter.”
In the first chapter, Reilly is a total ass, particularly to his mother – and we are meant to feel sorry for her. When she rams her car into some guy’s foundation, Reilly is forced to go to work for the first time to pay for the damages. Reilly has a graduate degree, but has never worked. Seems to be some sort of obsessive-compulsive writer.
So we follow Reilly on his adventures. And start to like him more. I mean the guy is nuts, but a total riot. And his mother seems more and more obnoxious by comparison. Funny thing: Reilly notes that he is forced to work because his mother had an accident DUI, which is totally true. Seems less sympathetic than when the accident first happened.
As Reilly goes from one crazy adventure to the next, the comparison to Don Quixote makes rather more sense. And the climax to conclusion had me totally rooting for him.
Perhaps because by the end of the novel, I was thinking that Reilly is not too terribly far gone from some of the geeks I know. In a kind of “There but by the grace of God” sort of way.
I was even pleased with the ending, which is saying something. We learn in the introduction that this book was published posthumously. Toole committed suicude and his mother saw it through to publish. Left me with an eerie question of just how autobiographical this may have been.
Whatever. Great book.”
It was even better the second time around.
The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro
Book 5
I am pretty sure I have seen the film with Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins, and this book has been sitting on my shelf for awhile. The library recently acquired an audio copy.
Mr. Stevens has spent a lifetime in service to Lord Darlington. After Darlington’s death, his estate is sold to an American who retains him – almost as a relic from a bygone era. Which he totally is. After receiving a letter from a long gone housekeeper (with whom he was rather tight and who seems to be in some marital distress), he heads out on holiday in the new boss’ Ford. His reflections on his own career are the basis of the story.
There are two main trains in his thoughts and they sort of meander to the same point: whether he has had a life of meaning. The first is his totally devoted service to Lord Darlington. The underlying question is whether Darlington was a good man doing good things, thus meriting such devotion. The second is the nature of his relationship with Miss Kenton, the housekeper in question, who left the service to marry “an acquaintance” many years ago.
The first person perspective makes it pretty difficult for a reader to judge the answers to these questions, but I expect that was part of the point. It also displayed zero sexual tension in the relationship with Miss Kenton, which also makes some sense when hearing the entire thing from Stevens’ point of view. The themes of dignity and duty invade every scene.
There are some moments of the absurd – Dude seriously asked the butler to talk with the grown godson about the facts of life – but mostly it is all rather sad. Going to go read something fun now.
Blanket 9 – 2013
Finally, the last of this project! The “pattern” is sort of goofy, but it did what I needed. Namely come out even-ish and not too dark:
Lion Heart’s Vanna brand in pink, white and..I forget what that gray color was called.
The Next Dark Age 