hawaii

Pave the paths

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Okay, here's something I don't understand:

If everyone is going to go around the gates, why not put the barrier where people are actually going?

Yes, yes, I completely understand that it is more likely the view was developed AFTER the barrier went in, and know that. It was, however, an opportunity to tell my mom about the "pave the paths" story, though I told it pretty-much tech-universe centered. Something like the stories collected on this page:

Momma at Volcano

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I really want to put a "the" in that title....

Volcano

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Mom and I went to the volcano today. For the first time since 1982, the volcano has been spewing and sloshing hot lava (a term which cracks me up and makes me think of the Hot Lava ultimate frisbee team) in the caldera. Because of this appearance and subsequent sloshing, the volcano is quite popular as a tourist destination. Where previously you could just drive around a big hole at the top of the hill, now you can see smoke rising from the hill and red lava sloshing. Win!

Of note, it's not called THE volcano. You go to Volcano. Turns out, there's a town just outside of the volcano named, unsurprisingly, Volcano. This is where you go. The volcano itself is in the national park outside of the city. You say, "We are going to Volcano," not "We are going to the volcano."

And people think Los Angelenos are weird with their freeways. :eyeroll:

So, this happened.

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To no one's surprise, I suspect, I went from this:

... to this today:

View on this morning's walk

Daily Photo

End of the third day in Kona

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Living the high life here! We found a deck of old style Skipbo cards in the condo during our cleaning, so I asked Mom if she'd like to play. She agreed, and despite not having played in years (maybe a decade), she kicked my butt. Which I will admit is a bit frustrating, since I KEEP HAVING MY BUTT KICKED AT HOME, TOO.

I swear, my Skipbo mojo is weak.

Errands on Kona Day 3

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Man, today was a day of errands. After Java on the Rocks, we lounged for only a short bit, then started in on all the tasks we had to do for the condo. We left the condo around 10:30 and shopped until nearly 3, including lunch, and really, that is so way not my thing, random shopping. This, however, was focused shopping, and I didn't have the correct shoes on, and my back was killing me. As you can tell by that run-on sentence.

One of the highlights of the day, however, was going into the new/used bookstore that is near the natural foods store, where Mom and I have taken to purchasing lunch at the deli. Mom said it was a good bookstore. I mean, just LOOK at this door and inside:

Isn't this just HEAVEN?

Java on the Rocks

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Mom and I keep waking up at 3:00. "Yay West Coast time!" I guess. Since we're up, we might as well walk at dawn in the cooler air. Turns out, that Java on the Rocks, a breakfast place in Kona, is open at 6:00, so we had a destination for this morning. I suspect we'll be walking to a couple other places father down the street, since we've been at this one and we're making new memories on this trip.

The breakfast here was fantastic. Highly recommended for a morning jaunt.

Mmmmmmmm... cupcake

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Seriously, no day is complete without a cupcake.

We went to the Bleu Cupcakery today (with my giggling, "Mer Bleu! Mer Bleu!" the whole way), and bought a half dozen. I fully expect to eat 5 of them to Mom's 1. We'll see.

The icing on this cupcake is stunningly light. Even Mom liked it.

Awkward

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After showing the condo to various people and running errands, I asked Mom if we could lounge in the pool for a bit. Yesterday afternoon was hot and humid and full of melting, so I was hoping to avoid some of that today in the pool. You know, the pool THIS close to the OCEAN.

Yep. That's about right.

We pulled on our bathing suits. I hadn't worn mine since I don't know, maybe last summer? If ever I have felt like a stuffed pork sausage, today was the day. So, I did what every woman who feels like she can't measure up to the American objectification of women: I covered myself up. I put on a shirt and shorts and went out to the pool with Mom.

When I arrived at the pool, I saw a woman lying on one of the lounge chairs. She was wearing the same make and model of bathing suit that I had on.

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