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Slacker

Yes, I know I've been a slacker. That's what happens to people in the tropics. The rainforest sucks the ambition right out of you.
It's looking sunny outside this morning. The tradewinds have died, however, so we may be in for some heavy vog this weekend. Apparently, Pele is in need of some industrial strength breath mints these days. Maybe those folks at Altoids could dump a 747 load of some seriously strong cinnamons onto the latest eruption point to squelch her sulfur dioxide-induced halitosis. No wonder her advances were always rebuffed and she was forced to turn men into stone or trees or whatevahs. That girl has some worrisome anger management issues, not to mention her brutally bad breath. (Now watch. She'll get pissy and take out my house. Some goddesses just can't take a joke.)
Business at the winery has picked up a bit. Thank goodness for those crazy Canooks! They're spending loonies and toonies like their going outa style. (Loonies and toonies are ones and twos in Canadian money.) Unfortunately, they can only take back two bottles each duty free and we cannot ship to Canada. United Airlines put a crimp in our britches this week when they announced that they will begin charging $25 for a second checked bag. Since the best, cheapest way to get wine home via airplane is to check a box of it as an extra piece of luggage, that does not bode well for us. If the other airlines follow suit, we're toast. (Rumor has it that American plans to charge $80. Zoinks!)
I've spent the last week putting together an application packet for the University of Alaska's Master of Fine Arts program in Creative writing. Sounds more fun than law school, doesn't it? I'll apply to Bennington College in Vermont, too. They require some slightly different stuff, so the process of putting their packet together begins today. While the prospect of traveling to Anchorage every summer for intensive study is intriguing, the program there is new. The program at Bennington is well established, held in high regard and flaunts an impressive faculty of published writers who hold all sorts of prestigious awards. So I'm leaning toward Bennington as my first choice. There's also a program at the University of Southern Maine that looks great, so I may apply there too, although the soonest I can expect to get into that program is January with a September application. There are other good programs; Antioch in L.A., Pacific University in Portland, etc. I've lived in those cities. Been there, done that. I want to go someplace new. These are all low-residency programs, so most of the work is done from wherever a writer lives, with intensive study sessions on campus twice each year.
Last week, while walking the dogs, I noticed two pheasants casually hanging out in the road. As we approached, I saw another large bird swoop down. In a fantastically frenzied flurry of pheasant feathers, the hawk tried, but failed to nab his breakfast. Unfortunately for him, both pheasants got away. Honestly, I was rooting for the hawk. This was a mature i'o. The photo I posted on this site awhile back was apparently a juvenile bird. This one was full grown with a white chest and charcoal black feathers. He flew back up to his perch above the road, which wasn't very high. I got a good look at him, and he at me. Too cool.
I have four days off from the winery; four days during which I do not have to explain what jaboticaba is why we don't put nuts in our macadamia nut honey wine. Yay!
A hui hou. Aloha!

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