Tuesday, January 10, 2023

 Tuesday, January 10, 2023

      My morning routine was the same. I got ready for my 11:30 luncheon appointment with my friend Jean, who was visiting from Arizona. We met at the Kona Inn restaurant. The seating area is separate from the oceanfront by an expanse of lawn. It reminded me of Bermuda. Our waters are rougher than they are there. When I eat at Huggo’s or where Daylight Mind used to be, I see the water crashing into the shoreline.

     I ordered a hamburger with fries and a lemonade. I ate there once with my friend Zola. I ordered a hamburger then, too. I remembered it as good. Eh! On today’s burger. I think it was a Costco preformed one. It was tasteless. Jean had crab cakes with shrimp and a wedge salad. The waiter warned that the shrimp weren’t separate but mixed into the crab cake. Jean said her meal was okay. Neither of us gave a rave review. We shared a mud pie with a huge wedge of ice cream and whipped cream for dessert. It was fun to eat. More importantly, I had a great time with Jean; it was very renewing.

    When we left, I asked her to come to Mike’s gravesite. Jean is an artist; I wanted her opinion on what color to select for the wedges the gravestones will rest on. I didn’t have a color chart, just small bits of color on the Internet. It didn’t make any difference. I couldn’t get to the site. Jean still wanted to see where Mike was buried. The man was so loved by one and all – and me. Jean loved the cemetery; she found it peaceful. It’s very small. I’m surprised it wasn’t filled up years ago. It doesn’t have a lawn; it’s naked lava rubble. Most of the gravesites have bare cement, grimy after years of exposure. But there was no question in my mind that this was where Mike wanted to be buried. He was loved by the priest and the parish members, and he loved them. He was so happy. His happiness was a great source of joy for me, too.

    After Jean and I said our goodbyes, she headed to her daughter’s house to be home when her grandkids arrived. I headed to Office Max to print out two copies of a will. When I tried to print it out, it was a huge deal. It took the woman manning the print desk fifteen minutes. I had the document printed double-sided. That reduced the bulk substantially. My printer gave up on double-sided printouts years ago.  

    I noticed a for sale table. There was an electronic paint kit suitable for children three and up. I was looking for a present for a three-year-old I was about to visit. Next weekend, I was to travel to Honolulu to stay with relatives.

    After Office Max, I headed to Dr. Hiranaka’s office for my three-month checkup on my five pulled teeth and the implanted posts. I had to wait all this time without teeth until the swelling reduced. Getting a good fit for the implant caps and the bridge would have been difficult otherwise.  

    While I was waiting to be seen, my phone rang. It was Kaiser. I was expecting a call from the billing department. I wanted to order an end-year statement for tax purposes. It wasn’t them. I emailed my doctor asking for a baseline memory test. I have several friends suffering from noticeable memory loss. I see it in myself. So far, so good, only age-related errors. However, I was disoriented by this phone call. I usually get an email telling me that someone will call. I was expecting one call, and I got an unexpected one. The irony of my disorientation when requesting a memory check didn’t escape me. I made an appointment.

     I was full of energy at the end of the day and was up for stopping at Costco. I did a large shopping including two Costco-sized boxes of diapers to donate. I hoped I would run into some I knew. When they saw the diapers, I would say, “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m pregnant.” Ha! That’s been impossible for years. I’m sure there will be no surprises in my future.