Homesick

Ron loves this place. That's ironic really, since we really never go anywhere or do anything. We eat out ever-so-occasionally. We never go to the beach. We never go hiking, even though we have a national park 12 miles from our house. We hang out here, in the rain, day after day. So I guess when he says he loves it here, he means literally here. This very spot. We take trips to town to make exciting purchases like a new tarp for the car port or a pressure washer to blast mold and algae off the driveway. Yesterday, we had to fix a leak under the kitchen sink, so we ventured all the way to Ace in Kea'au for pipes, tools and other assorted parts. Tools are a big need for us here. They have all been what Alton Brown of Food Network fame would call unitaskers. On this trip, we bought a tool designed to unscrew the place that goes over the big washer at the base of the sink. When we first moved here, we bought a wrench designed exclusively for removing the filter on our water pump. That's all it does. I will say, it beats banging on the edge of the filter canister with a hammer and a stick, which is what the previous owner used.
Yesterday I set a personal speed record on the treadmill. I ran the first four miles in 45 minutes. I made it five in just 56 minutes, 28 seconds. I'll probably never do that again. But it was satisfying. They've added a a couple of leg machines at the gym. That's exciting. Hmmmm... I think I need something better to do.
I've been spending a lot of time online, looking at real estate. Not in Hawaii, mind you, but everywhere else. I think I'm homesick for the mountains. I also think all this rain is having a detrimental effect on my psyche. Ron says we should be glad we have so much water, what with the rest of the world experiencing perpetual drought. I'm not sure if he loves it here as much as he claims, or just loves the romantic idea of living in Hawaii. I know he loves telling people on the phone how great it is here. He rarely elaborates on the weather. Just mentions the temperature and lets them conjure up images of white sandy beaches, swaying palms, azure skies with white puffy clouds. I never hear him use words like "mud" or "mold."
One disappointing thing is how many people are moving here. I guess I'm one of them, so I really shouldn't complain. But I will anyway. The Puna district is experiencing the fastest growth in the islands, because it's where you can still find reasonably priced land and homes. So the traffic is getting worse by the day.
I've decided I will give this place another couple of years and if we both truly love it by then, we'll stay. Right now, for me at least, the jury's still out.
Cheery blog entry, yeah?
A hui hou. Aloha.