Time Passes

Last night, I spent the evening in the hotel lobby. Incidentally, I ate beans and bread for dinner. My Palm® TX has become indispensable. In fact, I have not watched the tube very much ever since I acquired the device.

Professor Lisa called and left a message. She has been in Hawai'i for about a week. She mentioned something about being depressed. I won't venture to guess why. I knew that she was in town because Pseudo-professor Mike had mentioned that the new faculty for the Diploma Mill's military campus programs would be attending a strategic planning meeting. He had mentioned that one of the new faculty was in the math department. I assumed that he was alluding to Professor Lisa. So, I asked Pseudo-professor Mike to say hello to Professor Lisa for me since he would be attending the meeting.

I left for town fairly early this morning. I had several wage slave duties to attend to. Naturally, I found myself in the faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill. Later, I did my brief stint in wage slavery before going to the gym. I skipped my cardio workout again, although all of my favorite elliptical machines were in use. That was fine with me. I was too fatigued anyway. What's in store for the evening? Did you say, "Nerd out with the Palm® TX"?

I've been giving more thought to the idea of divesting my entire hurdy-gurdy DVD libarary, if not most of it. What exactly is its purpose? Obviously, I will never hook up with hotties like Tory Lane. All I have is my hand. Really, it is time to let the poor Vienna Sausage atrophy to a true eunuch-like state. I must put the Vienna Sausage out to pasture. Why prolong the agony? Anyway, the hurdy-gurdy DVD library just takes up valuable space in my tiny shoebox.

The Big Question. Am I better off than I was before? My diet has suffered, which is bad considering that it was already substandard. I am eating no fruits or vegetables primarily because of the high cost of food in Waikiki. And, I am no closer to acquiring health insurance. On the other hand, I now sleep on a comfortable bed. I also have air conditioning, hot water, and free wireless Internet service.

Into This Lonely Crowd

Last night, I ended up joining Pseudo-professor Mike, Bea, and Lianne for dinner at Bea's place. Nothing beats a home-cooked meal. I departed for Waikiki at 8pm. When I arrived at Chez Loser II, I was fatigued from the long day. So, I spent the rest of the evening in the hotel lobby with my Palm® TX. I am quite impressed by the device. Once configured, the Blazer® Web browser is very capable of rendering mostly all Web sites. With a little practice, scrolling around becomes a natural task. There are a lot of other features built in the Palm® TX which will prove to valuable. I am certain that I will not need a notebook computer.

As usual, I spent some time in the hotel lobby this morning. I drank a few cups of free coffee for the hotel guests. And, I perused a few of my usual favorite Web sites on my beloved Palm® PDA. Then, I departed for town.

I ended up in the faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill. I have a lot of ridiculous busy work that needs to be completed. However, I just cannot bring myself to do anything. I am completely fatigued after my six-plus weeks of homelessness. During the bus commute to town this morning, I silently evaluated my situation. I don't really even know what will make me happy anymore, no less what will relieve the high level of subliminal stress lurking just below the surface. I have strived to simplify my life, but I find that it is no more simple than before. In fact, the opposite holds true. Just existing for a period of time adds levels of complexity, most of it in the form of increasing living expenses.

I really have no answer to this perpetual conundrum because the problem stems from universal wage slavery and materialism. Since the general populace is fully engaged in both the former and the latter, then it generates a tremendous amount of inertia. That inertia creates a vortex which sucks the rest of us into the current. The amount of energy to combat these forces is possibly beyond human capability. What makes matters worse is the byproduct of superficial levels of individualism and narcissism in the general populace. It is a destructive form of "groupthink" which allows common morons to believe that they are better off than everyone else. Naturally, such a degenerative form of psychopathology is a boon to the moneychangers and the powers-that-be. Placating the cattle with useless trinkets and exacting total mind control over the latter is a wet dream come true for evildoers.

Much of what I need to do involves spending money along with the benign activity known as shopping. I become really despondent at the thought of engaging in either activity. The negative aspect of living in Waikiki is that shopping is the main event. Retail stores and eating places line every available spot along the main promenade. Many tourists never leave Waikiki, which is the equivalent of taking a vacation in a local shopping mall. Most of the tourist attractions are pathetic because they are completely overshadowed by more retail stores and eating places. What I personally need to shop for are necessities such as food and clothing. However, even that shopping experience is ridiculously depressing.

My main objective must remain in focus. I am living in small hotel room. My goal is to divest myself of all my useless possessions in order to ready myself for my eventual exodus from society. I must replace any bulky crap with portable ones. I must also utilized shared resources as best as possible. Practically everything must be expendable. There can be no attachment to anything. The cost of possible replacements must be cheap as well.

Catering to the needs of the flesh must also be minimized. For example, the investment in my vast hurdy-gurdy DVD library was foolish. It only tends to reinforce the consumerist concept, although the most basic of human needs has already been adulterated by the latter. Human relationships have now been reduced to monetary transactions. "If you want to dance, you have to pay the piper." Remember that trite cliché? Well, it's not so trite these days.

I have also been experiencing an extremely high level of anxiety, the source of which I cannot immediately determine. My hunch is that it stems from impatience with myself. I am not moving rapidly enough to accommodate my exodus from society. My gut reaction is to just drop everything and flee. Even more anxiety was generated when the Fed decided to halt the short-term interest rate hikes yesterday. I am also sensing some kind of impending doom, the end of society as we know it. I don't want to be around when that happens.

Robert, the former IT guy at the Asylum, sent e-mail. It looks as thought the project is moving along. The investors have released funds for a downtown office and associated furnishings. Lori called and left a message yesterday. She apparently needs my help to move a hot tub that she and Kirk want to purchase. In other words, they need a truck to transport the hot tub. The only problem is that they want to do this at a time most inconvenient for me.

I finally submitted the property tax home exemption form to the downtown Satellite City Hall. I will still be paying a high rate of tax until the exemption becomes effective in September of next year. Yep, a rip-off. I did my usual workout at the gym. I was famished, so I walked to Safeway®. I purchased six energy bars. At 75 cents each, they are a rip-off. However, everything is a rip-off in Hawai'i. I ended up back in the faculty computer room. When it closes, I will ride the bus back to Waikiki. I'm sure that I'll spend most of the evening in the lobby with my beloved Palm® TX.

Future Primitive (Reprise)

After arriving back in Waikiki yesterday, I at a nice meal consisting of beans and bread. Just like the old days! Rather than walk down to the beach, I made the decision to go to CompUSA® to check out the Palm ® PDAs. I looked specifically at the TX model. It was connected to a wireless network in the store, so I was able see how it performed insofar as Net accessibility was concerned. I was impressed with the device, although the small screen required a lot of horizontal and vertical scrolling. Yes, I purchased a new Palm® TX for $300 and some change.

When I returned to Chez Loser, I charged the batteries of my new Palm® TX. While I waited, I did my laundry in the laundry room. Because of the alarming warning about unwashed new sheets that Scott had posted on Speak! VI, I was compelled to do my laundry. I couldn't wait the full three hours, so I powered it up after about two hours. My new Palm® TX was not able to connect to the hotel's wireless network, even though I had a strong signal. I tried again in the lobby, but to no avail. However, I was able to connect to the network in one of the adjoining hotels. I was a little perturbed because I had just spent a lot of dough on the device. I did not get to sleep until after one o'clock because I was so happy to have net access. There was some kind of domestic disturbance at 4am with all kinds screaming and crying. Isn't city life great?

This morning, I woke up at 8am. I was very groggy. I spent time in the hotel lobby drinking the free coffee for the hotel guests. I also was able to check out some of usual Web sites on the Net courtesy my new Palm® TX. Back in Chez Loser II, I discovered that the bathroom floor had a huge puddle of water. At first, I thought that there was a leak somewhere in my place. Then, I saw water drops falling from the vent in the ceiling. I contacted the manager in the lobby. He dispatched his maintenance people to remedy the problem. I departed for town shortly afterward.

I found myself in the faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill. I tried to set up my Palm® TX to utilize the Diploma Mill wireless network. Even after configuring the security protocol, I was not able to connect. In fact, I experienced the same problem as I did with the wireless network in the hotel. The PDA attempts to connect and retrieve an IP address, but the connection fails. I have no idea what is going on, but I was very perturbed. Had I known that I was going to have these problems, then I would not have purchased the PDA. I perused the Palm® on-line support documents. Nada. I'm not sure what I will do now.

After a brief break, I tweaked a few of the WEP WiFi security settings on my Palm® TX. Finally, I was able to connect to the wireless network at the Diploma Mill. I was relieved. I did my usual stint of wage slavery before going to the gym. I skipped my cardio workout because all of the elliptical machines were being used. I'll most likely spend the evening with my beloved Palm® TX. I read that a large part of Waikiki falls under the umbrella of the Wireless Waikiki Project, a free WiFi service. From what I can tell, there is coverage by the beach. So, I may walk down there tonight with my Palm® PDA and see if the latter is true.

So far, I'm far off from being settled. Each day brings more petty nonsense to deal with. I am backlogged with mundane errands. I cannot really complain. I am living in Waikiki with the beach just three blocks away. I wear shorts, a tank top, and slippers (read: slippahs) to work in the morning. It's just the constant noise, the crowds, the increasing madness that is getting to me.

Chez Loser II

When I returned to Waikiki yesterday afternoon, I ate tuna and bread for dinner. Yes, I am trying to return to my old diet. I would like to start cooking and eating rice again, but that may be an impossibility. Even when I retrieve my rice cooker from moms, I don't have any place to put it and safely cook the rice. And, I do not feel like transporting 25-pound bags of rice on the bus to the "condotel" unit.

I walked to the beach at 9pm and sat on one of the benches. Even with the myriad people walking back and forth on Kalakaua Avenue, the ambiance was nice. I sat there until 10:30pm. I discovered that the homeless sleep on the beach. They stake out their nightly homestead by 9:30pm. That involves placing their tatami beach mats on the sand. Back at Chez Loser II, there was nothing fro me to do. So, I watched the tube. Everything seems okay despite the fact that I live in a shoebox. I have decided to rename the generic "condotel" unit to "Chez Loser II" for lack of another moniker.

I have been contemplating the idea of purchasing a computer or a PDA again. This is Viktor Frankl's concept of the "existential vacuum" at play again. I am grasping at straws to find alternatives to combat boredom. I could purchase an inexpensive notebook computer. Most likely, it will have a DVD drive. That way, I could divest the bulky DVD player that I own. However, a PDA would be much better to transport around. Since both alternatives have wireless capability, I would be able to spend my idle time on the Net.

Of course, if I were to divest my vast hurdy-gurdy DVD library, then I would not have to worry about any kind of DVD player. Overall, my goal is to minimize my expenditures. A notebook computer is far more expensive than a PDA. The effective life of a notebook computer is probably around three years. I assume that the hard drive will be the first to go. A PDA could last at least five years, if not longer.

I woke up fairly early this morning. I was feeling really groggy. I drank one cup of free coffee in the lobby of the hotel. Then, I was off to town. I ended up in the faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill. I spent about an hour on the computer before leaving for Kahala Mall on the bus. Moms and I ate lunch at Panda Express® as usual. I've noticed that the the number of entrées decreased lately. Whassup wi' dat? My bro and his wife are still giving moms a hard time. I suppose that they keep forgetting who provided them with a house in affluent Hawai'i Kai for cheap.

I arrived in town at 1pm. I spent some time in the faculty computer room. I also ran a few errands before going to the gym. Most of this week will find me running assorted errands dealing with Chez Loser II. I did my usual workout at the gym. Then, I was back in the faculty computer room. I took a short break and walked over to the Pali Safeway® to buy more food. My goal is to return to the monk diet. I've been eating too many sandwiches made with processed meat laced with preservatives.

Later, when I return to Waikiki, I will have to decide what to do for the evening. Another walk to the beach? Maybe a bus ride to CompUSA® to check out the Palm® PDAs. I may also spend time sorting more stuff for divestiture. Or, I could peruse my vast hurdy-gurdy DVD library. What to do ... what to do ...

Life in a Box

Yesterday, after my workout at the gym, I returned to Waikiki. I drove my truck to my storage unit at Hy-Pac. I was able to fit about half the crap in the truck. I did not put anything in the bed of the truck because it was drizzling. I was able to sort a few things for divestiture. However, the yield was rather small, much to my chagrin. I drove back to the Aloha Surf Hotel and parked in the guest parking lot. I made about three trip from the parking lot to the "condotel" unit. Then, I drove my truck back to the Waikiki Banyan Hotel parking structure.

Back in the "condotel" unit, I sorted through my crap. I was beginning to lose my mind, so I decided to take the bus to Ala Moana Center. Once again, the place was packed with people. I first went to Longs® to purchase a spray bottle of Febreze®. I stopped in Foodland to purchase another sandwich and big-ass can of Foster's® beer. For some reason, there were no buses going back to Waikiki for the longest time. The number of people waiting increased by the minute. I decided to walk to the other bus stop. There were even more people there. I ate my sandwich while I waited. Finally, three buses came at the same time. Like cattle at a slaughterhouse, we all lined up to board the buses.

When I finally returned to the "condotel" unit, I ate my salad and popped open the big-ass can of Foster's®. I then began the arduous task of sorting through my crap. I brought my DVD player and my vast hurdy-gurdy DVD library from storage. I was able to connect the DVD player to the LCD tube. At 10pm, I was still sorting through the crap. I took a break and sprayed Febreze® on the carpet and on the fabric wallpaper. I was amazed that the smoke odor diminished considerably. I may need another spray bottle. The bathroom still has a strong smoke odor. I will have to use a conventional deodorizer since Febreze® only works on fabric.

I was becoming claustrophobic, so I decided to take a walk to the beach. The night was beautiful. Everyone was out walking along Kalakaua Avenue. I sat on one of the benches along the beach. The moon was bright enough to cast light on the waves breaking in the distance. A few of the tourists were frolicking in the water. As I sat there alone, I pondered what Professor Marv had told me the other day. "If you're single in Hawai'i, it's a living hell," he said. Actually, he had told me that a few years ago as well. A good friend of his was living here a few years ago. Apparently, the friend was not able to hook up in the ten years that he lived here. Of course, I can no longer be concerned about the babe situation. My time has long since passed. In addition, I live in a cheesy hotel room. The closest that I will ever get to a babe is my hurdy-gurdy DVD library. Sheesh!

There is an incredible homeless presence in Waikiki, by the way. They tend to come out at night and hang out by the beach. I'm not sure where they sleep. I really did not feel like returning to my small little "condotel" unit which was stuffed with my useless crap. On the way home, I stopped off at the ABC Store to purchase a bottle of Vendage® Chardonnay. I spent the rest of the evening sorting through my crap. I also unpacked my beloved Nalu Board. I was able to set it up in the small space in front of the bed. I was already quite hammered by then. I rode my Nalu Board for a few minutes. I could not help but notice how pathetic my little "condotel" unit looked. I vowed that I will divest close to everything in order to appear more like a tourist. I finally decided to go to sleep at one o' clock. I had polished off the whole bottle of wine.

This morning, I felt quite shitty when I woke up. I spent an hour or so in the lobby reading the paper and drinking the free coffee for the guests. Later, I walked to the ABC Store to buy a few Granny's Gourmet Muffins. I ate one for my breakfast when I returned to the hotel lobby. I spent a little more time sorting through my crap. I finally decided to throw out my old gym bag, the one I've been using now for over seven years. I will be using one of the new gym bags that I purchased to transport my useless crap when I moved out of Chez Loser.

Just as I was about to leave Caroll called. She wants to purchase the house she is renting. The house has been put up for sale. The bottom line is that she wanted to invest in the house. She has evicted her two roommates. As usual, they were losers. Caroll always chooses losers to live with her. They are either "recovering" alcoholics or "former" drug abusers. What Caroll always finds out is that they have not kicked the habit. This situation keeps happening over and over again that I often wonder what Caroll is thinking, if she is thinking at all. I suggested that she find a small condo such that she would not need to depend on roommates to either make the rent or the mortgage. Seems logical to me. Caroll has been working at a convenience store in a petrol station. She is going back to selling cars again next week. After my chat with Caroll, I left for town on the bus. I ended up in the student computer lab at the Diploma Mill, as to be expected.

I did not go to my storage unit today because I was in a bad way after my drinking binge last night. When is it ever going to end? I was planning to empty the storage unit and get the August rent prorated back to me. The big problem is that I do not have enough room to store the remaining crap. I still have my widescreen LCD tube and my surfboard there amongst other crap. I don't know what I'm going to do with the LCD tube. I would give it away to someone, but I do not know anyone who is deserving of it. No one seems to want to buy it either, even though I am selling it for dirt cheap. Most likely I will donate it next year in order to get a tax deduction. However, I cannot continue to pay to store it. I do have room for my surfboard, even though I have no idea when I will use it again.

I did my usual cardio workout at the gym. I felt a little better after the workout. The hunger pains were getting to me, so I stopped off at Taco Bell®. I purchased two bean burritos with the green sauce. No red sauce. My snack would have been enjoyable had I not privy to a very pungent odor. The source of the odor was someone whom I assumed was mentally ill. She was talking to herself and doing odd things. The smell was not body odor. It was more like rotting flesh. The odor radiated about 25 feet in all directions. I ended up back at the student computer lab for more computer fun after that.

It's going to be a few more weeks before my life settles into a comfortable routine. I will have to get used to shopping in town almost daily and carrying groceries home on the bus. My divestiture of useless crap will continue until I feel that I have met my objective. Money will have to be spent in order to replace a lot of old clothes and other worn-out junk. Eventually, I will need health insurance. With the way the cost of living in Hawai'i just keeps increasing, I am sure that I will experience financial difficulties in the very near future. I've been fortunate so far, but all good things must come to an end.

Dateline Waikiki

Yesterday, after Indigo Happy Hour, I departed for Waikiki on the bus. Traffic was extremely heavy. I was able to procure the pass card for my "condotel" unit at the front desk of the Aloha Surf Hotel. The front desk babe was there. For some strange reason, she is always rude to me. Fortunately, the other person assisted me. When he needed some help, the hottie front desk babe was rude to him as well. I dropped my gym bag off in the "condotel" unit. I also noticed that the bed did not have any sheets or mattress pad. There were no pillows either. I walked to the Waikiki Banyan Hotel where my truck is parked. I drove back to Kapahulu first. Rob was home when I arrived. He was watching the tube. I gathered up the rest of my stuff and packed it in the truck. I thanked Rob and said good-bye. I then decided to drive to Ala Moana Center after that.

Ala Moana Center was packed with people. I was fortunate to get a parking space. I was going to walk across Kapi'olani Boulevard to go to Ross® to shop for linens. However, it started raining. I checked out Sears® first. Nothing was on sale. I walked to the other end of Ala Moana Center to see what's what at Macy's®. Whoa! I was not about to pay those kinds of prices for a set of linens. Well, hey! I'm living in a hotel!

I stopped off at the Apple® Store to look at the new notebook computers. Very nice, but I was not about to tempt myself any further. I returned to Sears® and purchased the cheapest linen set and mattress pad that I could find. I ended up paying $57 and some change. I became a little despondent. I hate spending money. I put my purchase into the truck and went to Foodland to purchase a sandwich and some milk. I wanted buy a big-ass bottle of wine. However, I realized that my corkscrew was in storage. I couldn't buy any of the usual brewskis because I do not have a bottle opener. I ended up purchasing a big-ass can of Foster's®. I was completely fatigued and almost delirious by then.

I drove back to Waikiki and parked in the guest spaces at the Aloha Surf Hotel. I unloaded the stuff. Then, I had to drive the truck back to the Waikiki Banyan Hotel. After I parked the truck in its usual spot on the fifth floor, I walked back to the Aloha Surf hotel. The first thing I did was to pop open the big-ass can of Foster's®. Then, I made my bed. I didn't even bother washing the sheets. I ate my sandwich and powered up the tube. I discovered that I do not have all of the cable channels that I had at Chez Loser. I have a limited subset of channels, which did not include much. I will not be paying to upgrade the service, even though I will no longer be able to watch some of my favorite shows.

The "condotel" unit reeked of smoke. I seriously doubt that any attempt was made to deodorize the unit. Nor was the carpet cleaned. Even if it was, the smell of smoke will most likely never be eliminated except by some costly means. I decided to run the air conditioner. As far as I can tell, the air conditioner is also contaminated with cigarette residuals. I was too tired to deal with this situation. I went out for a brief walk, but I had to cut the latter whort because of rain. I returned to the smoke-contaminated "condotel" unit. I powered up the tube briefly. Feeling like a true loser, I decided that I was better off going to sleep.

This morning, I woke up at 8:30am. I was quite fatigued. However, I had a good night's rest, as opposed to the last six-plus weeks of homelessness. I went down to the hotel lobby and drank the free coffee provided for the guests. There were a lot of young hotties running amuck. I also observed that most people over 35 years of age were fat slobs. Even in the hotel environment, I felt out of place. After about five cups of coffee, I went for a walk. I stopped off at the dreaded ABC Stores to purchase a muffin for breakfast. Naturally, I had to pay the usual Waikiki rip-off prices. I walked toward the beach. There were crowds of people everywhere. Lots of people were carrying their surfboards to the beach. The South shores has been experiencing several major swells as of recent. The beach itself was packed with sunbathers. Lots of young hotties. I looked out at the surf. The line-up was extremely crowded, although the conditions looked really good. I walked the long way back to the hotel with my modest little Granny's Gourmet Muffin. I sat in the lobby with another cup of coffee and devoured the muffin.

I departed for town at 11:30am. The buses run so frequently to and from Waikiki that I will never have a problem getting anywhere. From the bus, I observed that there were hotties running around all of Waikiki. Of course, none of that matters to me. I'm too old to worry about babes. And, I'm just one step above homelessness, living in a crummy little hotel. Sheesh!

When I arrived in town, I checked my mail. More documents from escrow. I ended up at the student computer lab at the Diploma Mill. I will go to the gym to do my usual workout. Then, I will return to Waikiki afterward. My itinerary for the rest of the day? I want to retrieve some of my useless possessions from my storage unit. I will also be getting more crap ready to be donated. The "condotel" unit is really small. I have no room to store anything useless. And, I really don't want to act as though I am actually living there. I want to present the impression, if only to myself, that I am a tourist.

I have no idea what I will do later this evening. Perhaps I will finally have a chance to ride my Nalu Board. Maybe I'll be able to peruse my vast hurdy-gurdy DVD library. Or, maybe I will take the bus to Ala Moana Center. What is interesting is that I am actually living in Waikiki. There's an interesting mix of residents here. Most are extremely wealthy. The rest are poor and living in the remaining run-down dumps interspersed in Waikiki proper. I am not sure where I fit in.

Next Stop: Waikiki

Last night, I ended up buying another sandwich at Safeway®. I also purchased the new issue of Surfing® magazine. Why, I don't know. The faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill had already closed, so I sat outside one of the classrooms and ate my dinner. I caught a later bus back to Kapahulu. When I arrived, I discovered that Rob, the former IT guy at the Asylum, was not home. I went for a nice long stroll through the park next to the Ala Wai Canal. I could see all of the hotels and condos lining the other side of the Ala Wai in Waikiki. My new home. For some reason, I was not excited about my upcoming move. I will most likely be living there for the rest of my stay in Hawai'i. However, there's still something missing in my life. No, I'm not talking about babes.

Rob was home when I returned from my walk. He sported a new haircut, and he actually had taken a shower. He had just been in a long meeting with Internet Jon. The project is moving along. They will be moving into new offices in the middle of the month. They have also ordered all kinds of new computer equipment. I am still puzzled about the project. Why would a world-famous hip-hop organization, allegedly the Death Row® Records people, contract the services of Internet Jon and Rob? Internet Jon still lives at home with his parents. The only business that I have seen him engaged in was the so-called Internet service provider for the Asylum. Rob was the IT guy at the Asylum. Prior to working at the Asylum, Rob was a hearing aid technician. What is even more interesting is that Rob is a graduate of the Diploma Mill. Nonetheless, the fortunate turn of events for Rob has lifted his spirits.

There is a possibility that the Death Row® people are involved in the project. Death Row® was plagued with a series of tragic circumstances. As far as I can tell, Death Row® does not even has a Net presence. The founders, including Dr. Dre, are not hurting for cash. According to Rob, Internet Jon has some kind of exclusive right to an advanced full-screen digital media-streaming format. I have searched for some background about the project and found that the domain was used for two purposes, one of them being some kind of digital media testing. Rob had mentioned that the domain name was purchased from the famous Jackson family. I failed to locate any connection.

I woke up fairly early this morning. I departed for town at 8:15am, about 15 minutes later than usual. As I was leaving, I noticed that Rob closed all of the doors and windows. He apparently likes to have his place completely sealed off from the outside environment. After a pleasant bus ride, I ended up in the faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill. Debbie, my realtor, sent e-mail. She said that I could present the final HUD-1 statement and my identification at the front desk to get the pass card for the "condotel" unit. At noon, I was still waiting for escrow to send me a copy of the HUD-1 statement. When I checked my cell phone, I noticed that Debbie had called. In her message, she said that all I would need is some identification to get my pass card.

Pseudo-professor Mike dropped by the faculty computer room. He is trying to get some of us together to go to Indigo Happy Hour. At 12:30pm, I departed for the Aloha Surf Hotel, my future home. As I walked along Fort Street Mall, I heard someone call my name. It was Professor Marv. He was sitting at one of the tables outside the numerous eateries. I have not seen him for at least two years. In fact, he was gravely ill the last time I saw him. He is no longer working at the Diploma Mill, although he would not mind coming back. He's now at an all-black university somewhere in Louisiana. Right now, he's in Hawai'i for a vacation after yet another operation. He is staying at the Ilikai Hotel at the gateway to Waikiki. We chatted for quite a while, so I never made it to Waikiki.

I walked back to the faculty computer room. Debbie sent e-mail to verify that I would only need some kind of identification to retrieve the pass card to the "condotel" unit. "Don't forget paper and coffee in the morning. Play tourist ... You might meet cute mainland girls in the lobby," she added.

I went to the gym to do my usual workout. I was a little perturbed about how my schedule was now offset by a few hours. I wanted to retrieve a few things from my storage unit as well as purchase some linens before going to Waikiki. I must also collect my stuff from Rob's place. After a decent workout at the gym, I ended up back in the faculty computer room. Pseudo-professor Mike was there. We walked over to the Indigo for Happy Hour. After one Happy Hour $2.75 Martini and a plate full of great food, we found ourselves back at the Diploma Mill. We sat around and chatted until the place closed. Oh, what a life I lead! And now, off I go to Waikiki. My new adventure begins.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Last night, when I returned to Kapahulu, I discovered that Rob, the former IT guy at the Asylum, was home. He said that he had walked to town earlier in the day. For some reason, he went to the Asylum. The walk took him one hour. He rode the bus back to Kapahulu. Rob was smelling pretty ripe, as you can imagine. He's probably going on four days without a shower. In addition, he walked to town during the hottest part of the day. I decided that I would take a walk in the small park near the Ala Wai to get some fresh air. When I returned, I was unable to handle Rob's pungent odor. He had also dropped back a brewski. So, now there was the smell of shitty beer in addition to bad body odor. I rode the bus to Ala Moana Center. I ended up at Barnes & Noble®. I stayed there for an hour.

When I returned to Kapahulu at 10:30pm, I found Rob sitting in front of the tube. He also worked a little on the computer project for Pam's real estate office. I'm not sure if he realizes that he makes some rather odd old man noises. Later, Rob called it quits on the project. He spent the rest of the evening lapsing in and out of a coma in front of the tube. The sale of the Kalihi property went through, which was good news for Rob. He was able to get his share immediately, which amounted to $108,000 and some change. Rob seemed quite pleased. He is Big Money Grip!

I woke up fairly early this morning. As I was walking to the bus stop, I noticed that Date Street was closed off. It turns out that there was an accident there at Date and La'au Streets at 4am. In Hawai'i, it takes hours before a road is cleared after a traffic accident. I chatted with one of the police officers and discovered that the buses was being routed through a detour. I had to walk to Kapi'olani Boulevard to catch the bus. Naturally, the bus was completely packed. Once again, I had to stand all the way to town.

Debbie, my realtor, has been sending a barrage of e-mail updates. So far, everything is on schedule for the Friday closing, and contingent on funding by Bank of Hawai'i today. Cleaning of the "condotel" unit is scheduled for Friday and also during the weekend. The bedding is not included in the deal, so I now have another expenditure.

I did my brief stint as a wage slave before heading to the gym. I have had a lot of difficulty performing my wage slave duties in the past few weeks. I am assuming that my homeless situation is the root cause. At the gym, I was only able to complete my weight workout. I did not feel like doing my cardio workout anyway. The constant noise of the city, the crowds of inconsiderate cattle, the smoking, the traffic, all of it is driving me berserk. Figuring out what to eat is another chore. I can sympathize with the truly homeless. I can see why they eventually go insane.

Debbie called and left a message. Closing is scheduled for tomorrow. The "condotel" unit should be ready in the morning. I will most likely not move in until later in the evening. As for tonight, I am not sure what I am going to do. What am I going to eat for dinner? What will I do when I find that Rob has not showered for yet another day? I must remember that my problems are really moot.

Lots of strange things going on in the world. Apparently, there is a large following of Zionist Christians who backing the Zionist in Israel for what they believe will be the catalyst for Armageddon. I am not sure if these clowns are part of the "Rapture" crowd. Where do these false prophets come from? And, how do they end up duping all of the cattle? I would not be surprised if the "flock" has also tithed away all of their dough to those religious charlatans. It is fairly obvious that no one has read the Good Book. Why, pray tell, are the cattle involved in a religion that they know nothing about? All of these fools are right about one thing. The end is coming, but not by Zionist Israel's actions. It is the collective evil, the greed of the moneychangers, the destruction of the planet, the false religious prophets, and rampant stupidity that will bring about the Prophesy. This is the New Babylon, the one called, "Babylon the Great," in the Book of Revelations. It is symbolic of the old Babylon, the ruins of which sit in modern Iraq. Humans are intrinsically stupid and antagonistic. They continue to "test" the Almighty. They continue to line up with chips on their shoulders. "See if you can knock this off," they all taunt. The time is coming, my friends. Stay out of harm's way.

Well, this is supposedly my last full day in Kapahulu. I should be moving to Waikiki tomorrow. What kind of adventures are in store for the ol' lavahead. We'll soon find out.

Slaves

When I returned to Kapahulu last night, I discovered that Rob, the former IT guy at the Asylum, was not home. I went for a short walk through the small park adjacent to the Ala Wai. The park is actually a small strip of land next to the I'olani School and Mana'o Drainage Canal that flows into the Ala Wai Canal. The smell from the canal is putrid. As I was walking back to Rob's apartment, I saw him drive in. Internet Jon had apparently called a big meeting of the project staff. The latter has been funded and should be operational by January. Funding will include new offices downtown and myriad computer equipment. The clients are a group of hip-hop artists with big money. Rob and Internet Jon are going to be millionaires by next year, if the project is successful. I really hope that the project pans out for Rob. Rob spent the rest of the evening in front of the tube. He lapsed in and out of a coma several times. I read a few more chapters from Jean Twenge's book, "Generation Me."

I woke up fairly early this morning. Rob woke up up a little after me. He made coffee and powered up the tube. I departed at 7:45am. The scheduled bus did not show up. By the time the next bus arrived, there was a line of people waiting. The bus was packed. I had to stand up for most of the ride. As always, I ended up at the faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill. Pseudo-professor Mike made a surprise visit. We were able to chat for a few minutes. I finally decided to walk to my local bank and cut the check to take to escrow. With check in hand, I walked to the escrow service. All of the people whom I dealt with on a customer service level were somewhat rude this morning. My guess is that Wednesday (read: "hump" day) is always this way. The middle of the work week is riddled with stress and fatigue, a common malady of wage slavery.

No one seems to realize that wage slavery is a tool of the Grim Reaper. All that time spent in the office, slaving away for corporate crooks. Meanwhile, the wage slave is being robbed blind by the moneychangers. Not to worry, though. The wage slave has all the material comforts to ease the burden and pain of slavery. Only until much later, when premature aging occurs and assorted chronic health problems appear, will the wage slave become fully aware of his or her own planned obsolescence. Yes, it is the "standard of living" that keeps the wage slaves appeased and blinded to reality. Who am I? I am a wage slave.

I had a difficult time parting with the dough. As far as I know, closing for the "condotel" unit is scheduled for Friday. Debbie, my realtor, has been doing everything possible to insure that the "condotel" unit will be cleaned and ready for my arrival. As much as I hate to admit it, I really want to go "home." And, "home" will be the "condotel" unit. The past six weeks of homelessness was not brutal by any means. It has, however, given me a sense of appreciation for some kind of stable living arrangement. Well, at least Pseudo-professor Glenn is excited about being my neighbor.

I did my usual gym workout. As I walked to the gym, I noticed that the people around me were scurrying about like roaches. They were all in a rush. I was walking at a leisurely pace. In fact, I've been consciously doing so since I became homeless. I've also been wearing my jeans shorts, a black tank top or T-shirt, and my slippers (read: slippahs) every day. On the days that I must engage in wage slavery, I carry a change of clothes. I also noticed how people were rushing about this morning as I waited for the bus. The traffic on Date Street near Rob's place was heavy. Everyone was in a rush to get to work. Less than four months ago, I was also scurrying around like a roach. I had no time to do anything. I spent between one to two hours on the bus each day. I don't ever want to return to that kind of life-style ever again.

When I walked to the escrow office, I pondered the fact that the check in my hand was more than many people have in their life savings. There I was, a homeless and semi-employed guy, dropping off the check at the escrow service. I am playing the poor man's version of the game that the rich play. I am purchasing a minuscule piece of property in world famous Waikiki. I'll be living in the place that many can only dream of visiting. Never mind that I'll be living in a 37-year-old budget hotel. Nonetheless, I may have gotten a good deal by Waikiki standards. The closest comparable "condotel" units are at least $16,000 more. Is this the beginning of the good life? Heck if I know. This will have to do for now until another option surfaces.

My pathetic life is quite tame compared with the many unfortunate victims caught in the quagmire of war. They are victims of wars created by evil demagogues. Sometimes I wonder if my inability to accept any part of my life-style stems from guilt. Guilt, that is, in knowing that so many others are suffering around the world. My actions and the actions of the cattle around me have contributed to the malaise basically through our consumption patterns. It is as if I can feel the pain and I can hear the cries. Yet, the closest we get is a few lame jokes on late night talk shows on the tube. Says it all, doesn't it? The only thing that we can do as individuals is to live responsibly, honorably, civilly, modestly, and morally.

After the gym, I ended up in the faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill again. I pondered what I was going to do about dinner. Safeway® again? I am really not sure how much longer I can patronize Safeway®. After reading about the massacre at the distribution center, I had to wonder. I will most likely walk to Taco Bell®. When I move to Waikiki, I'll be able to take a bus to Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu every now and then. The ride is only about ten minutes. As for this evening, it will be a repeat of last night. Only two more days, I keep telling myself. Only two more days.

Groundhog Day (Again and Again)

Yesterday, my dinner consisted of two Taco Bell® bean burritos with the green sauce. No red sauce. I ate my sumptuous meal in the faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill by myself. Just as I was about to leave, I received a call from Ralph, Dean at HCC. I gave him an update about my homeless situation. I mentioned that he had left his glasses here on the day of the last Art Walk. Ralph asked if I wanted a ride back to Kapahulu. That way, he could also retrieve his glasses. It turns out that he was on his way to Waikiki to meet up with his wife, Cathy, and the kids.

Ralph picked me up near the Diploma Mill shuttle stop. Along the way, he asked if I knew someone named Scott who once worked at the Asylum. After he gave me a description, I realized that he was talking about Roach. The punk-ass is now working as some kind of director at HCC. If you've read the journal, you know the machinations of my slimeball buddy, Roach. I should have punched out the fool when I had the chance. Remember how he betrayed me when I had Toad, the stalker, arrested after it violated the restraining order? Remember how he tried to set me up on trumped-up charges of "fraternization" with a few babe students? I also wondered about what happened to Bug, his faithful sidekick.

Ralph wanted to get something to eat before going to Waikiki. I wasn't hungry, but I also wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere. So, I joined Ralph at the world famous Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu. Ralph ordered extra food so that I could sample some. I also was able to experience the popular Slush Float. Afterward, Ralph dropped me off at Rob's place.

Rob was home when I arrived. It looked like he went on a shopping spree earlier. He bought a few computer peripherals and whole mess of snack food. Sadly, he was smelling even more ripe than yesterday. I did a load of laundry. He threw in a couple of his jeans. I added extra detergent. Internet Jon and Pam came by briefly. They had completed the task of obtaining signatures from neighbors of the Kalihi property. They will present this to the buyers, which will hopefully resolve the problem that is delaying the closing. Rob spent the rest of the evening in front of the tube. He sat in the broken camping chair. I went for a brief jaunt through the 'hood. I explored the small park near the Ala Wai. Later, I read whatever material I could find. Needless to say, I am still very concerned about Rob. However, what can I do?

The weather turned bad around midnight. The rain came down heavy until early this morning. By the way, surf conditions have been very good on the South shore, not that it matters. I woke up early this morning. Rob was awake shortly after me. He powered up the tube immediately. I waited until 7:50am before I departed for town.

I ended up in the faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill. Where else do I have to go? I reviewed my investment accounts and was surprised to see that the wire transfer had already been processed. My total account balance is now down to $453,000 and some change. I also reviewed my local bank account. The money has been credited to the account.

I never made it to the bank, so I did not obtain the check for escrow. Later, I discovered that the seller's paperwork has yet to arrive. We are now looking at Friday for closing. After my brief stint in wage slavery, I went to the gym. It was crowded that I could not complete my weight workout, nor did I complete my cardio workout. I walked to Safeway® to purchase a sandwich for dinner. The rest of the evening will be a repeat of last night. If Rob did not take a shower, he will be smelling pretty ripe tonight. I'm beginning to feel like Bill Murray in the movie, "Groundhog Day." Sheesh!

Ralph had mentioned to me yesterday that he is looking forward to working out at the gym again. Ever since he assumed the Dean's position at HCC, he has been too busy. Both he and wife work full-time jobs, and they must also care for the kids. This is an example of the kind of rat race we all engaged in. Rather, it's more like the moronic stationary wheel inside those pathetic guinea pig cages. I often become despondent when I realize my own participation in these games. Wage slavery has us locked into an elusive life-style. We must use the fruits of our labor (read: money) to buy gadgets and services that will allow us more convenience. However, those gadgets and services cost money. Thus, more time in wage slavery is required. It's a vicious circle that eventually finds us deprived of the real necessities. We live marginal lives in which both our health and sanity are taxed.

In my own life, I see that I am thwarted at every turn. There is no way to circumvent the "system." For example, I try to save money, do my part to not pollute the environment, and save precious resources by not driving very often. However, the latter decision puts me at a real disadvantage regarding time. Our lives and schedules are completely dependent on an infrastructure developed around the automobile. The automobile, being one of the most costly individual expenditures, pushes us further into wage slavery and debt. In the end, it becomes obvious that there is no escape, at least by conventional means.