Friday afternoon had us making a road drip to Honoka'a, which I always enjoy. Road trips are limited here, as you might imagine. You can circumnavigate the island, of course, which takes about six, maybe seven hours. Or you can go in a single direction and back, the longest stretch for about three hours. Once you've done that a few times, you've done it and that's that. Except for the occasion mongoose crossing the road, there's not much variation. The island doesn't change much either, from season to season. Oh sure, it's lush and green on the east side, dry and barren except where humans have planted palm trees on the west. I used to love the drive from Gunnison to Denver along Highway 50, then 285. There was always wildlife: elk in a pasture, deer, maybe even some antelope, red tail hawks, eagles, and a variety of other varmints. It's the same road every time, but in winter, it's white. In spring, the gradual transformation to green seems miraculous. In summer, it's lush with flowers. In fall, yellow and red leaves shimmer in the sunlight. It's different every time. Plus, if you want to, you can keep going and drive for days. Weeks. Forever. Now that's a road trip.Anyway, I bopped around Honoka'a while Ron was probed and prodded at the doctor. He was there for a checkup. We have to drive and hour and a half to see our doctor here. We ate a mediocre burger and excellent blueberry shake at The 50s cafe in Laupahoehoe on our way home.
The kitties make me happy. Hoppsy too. She's all healed from her recent eyelid surgery. Still no word what that suspicious lump was. Poor girl is starting to slow down a bit. She's stiff and slow to get up, peters out early when we play ball and if I walk her too long, I find her noticeably gimpy the next day.
Yesterday, I ate Thai food with my neighbor. We make a point doing that once a month or so. It's usually Thai food and always fun. That said, she is really my only friend here, besides my co-workers at the winery. Don't get me wrong. They are really are great. But that's it. I participate in the occasional AAUW function, but don't hang out with those ladies otherwise. II quit the book group because I found myself working so many Sundays early on. Honestly, I was also concerned that the woman take turns hosting the group at their homes, and the homes I visited were all beautiful and spacious, while mine is not. Can't help it. All my close friends and family, the friendships I've cultivated over years, the people who know me best and still like me anyway, are far, far away. I made some good friends in Alaska last summer too, thrown into the writer's soup as we were, but as those of you with even the slightest understanding of world geography know, Alaska is also far, far away.
Still, life's not all bad. Winnie is here, right now, sitting in my lap, purring like a leaf blower, which they have no use for here in Hawaii because there's no autumn.
Mr. Sox, as you can see, has no concept of size, stuffed into this box. He's a big, sweet boy.
I'm off to work today to earn my usual $54 before taxes.
A hui hou. Aloha.
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