Harsh Reality

Moms called early this morning to revise our itinerary for today. Instead of the usual routine, moms wanted to visit Uncle Tosh (moms' brother) in the Ka Punawai Ola rehabilitation facility in Kapolei. Uncle Tosh had fallen and broken his hip a couple of months ago. After hip surgery, he was admitted into Ka Punawai Ola for therapy. Unfortunately, the therapy is not doing much good. Uncle Tosh has essentially been bed-ridden since the surgery. In the last year, he also had surgery for kidney cancer. I stopped to put some petrol in my truck. Whoa! The price of petrol has gone up 14 cents per gallon since last week. Low grade petrol is now at $3.28 per gallon. I also purchased a cup of coffee to go at the Starbucks® in Koko Marina. Moms purchased some sushi at Kozo Sushi to give to Aunty Maria.

The drive to Kapolei was fairly quick. Moms visited with Uncle Tosh and Aunty Maria while I waited outside in the courtyard. Aunty Maria spend pretty much all day at the facility. Frankly, Uncle Tosh belongs in a care home. He no longer can take care of himself, and the staff at Ka Punawai Ola is not equipped to deal with a chronic care patient. I watched through the glass windows along the periphery of the lobby. I observed the endless line of senior citizens accompanied by nursing aides. All of the senior citizens either had walkers or were in wheelchairs. Several family members came by to visit some of the patients. A few of them wheeled their loved ones out into the courtyard. There, they were able to sit and observe the tacky fountain or to look out toward the Cali-like strip mall across the street. An old guy being wheeled around by his wife in the lobby grabbed a hold of one of the handrails against the wall. I watched as his arm quaked violently perhaps because of Parkinson's disease. All of the senior citizens looked so old and frail.

Tears welled up in my eyes. The sight of all of the fragile senior citizens exposed the superficial nature of our culture. We have "disappeared" the old folks into facilities such as Ka Punawai Ola in order to maintain the myth of eternal youth. One hour in Ka Punawai Ola is enough to make anyone understand the ravages of mortality. Little wonder why our lives are meaningless. It was then that I understood why I have been both steadfast and obstinate about spending time with moms. The precious time gives me meaning.

I did not go in to visit Uncle Tosh in his ward for a variety of reasons, one being the dismal nature of the place. After my experience of seeing pops in his last days at the hospital, I have had little desire to see any relatives in a state of decline up close. Also, moms had a chance to chat with Aunty Maria, something that she has not done in a long time. Ever since Uncle Tosh became chronically ill, he has not wanted any visitors. I walked across the street to the Cali-like strip mall and discovered that there was a Safeway® store there. I purchased a couple of energy bars because I was hungry. When I walked back, I could see moms and Aunty Maria standing at the entrance to Ka Punawai Ola. After saying our good-byes, moms and I were on our way. Moms mentioned that Uncle Tosh did not look good. I suspect that he does not have much time left.

We stopped off at Kahala Mall to eat lunch at Pearl's Korean Barbeque. It was already past noon, so we did not stay any longer. Moms served up coffee ice cream for dessert when we arrived in Hawai'i Kai. I left shortly afterward. After parking my truck on the side street near Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I rode the bus to town. I did my usual gym workout. Then, I rode the bus back to Slob Manor. I was not very hungry since the plate lunch from Pearl's was extremely filling. I piddled around until 6:45pm. Then, I rode the bus to Kahala Mall. I purchased a smoothie at Jamba Juice®, calling it dinner. Then, I sat on one of the convenient benches and ruminated about my day. Naturally, I had to seek out my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®. The rest of the evening? You know the drill. Sheesh!

The truth finally comes out about the defunct "condotel" scam in Hawai'i. According to an article in the Advertiser:

Often touted as a relatively inexpensive way to invest in the state's tourism industry and own a piece of paradise, condotels represent another segment of Hawai'i's once-soaring real estate market that has landed — though for condotels the landing looks somewhat harder than the generally soft letdown seen in home resales.

Here's the punchline:

Investors, many of them speculators who didn't understand the true expenses and income for owning a hotel room, largely fed the conversion boom.

The bottom line is that the "condotel" market in collapsing in Hawai'i. I am stuck with the albatross with only two options: either pay off the mortgage in cash, or default and walk off. There is absolutely no chance that the unit will sell. By January, I expect almost the entire upper half of the Aloha Surf Hotel to be listed for sale.

Incidentally, I have finally come to realize why the Fed cannot raise interest rates as in the days when Paul Volcker was chairman. The US is way too deep in debt and, therefore, could not afford to pay the interest payments to foreign nations who hold US debt instruments if interest rates were any higher. In my ignorance, I believed that the Fed would take such measures and force an early recession. The necessary "correction" would transpire and the economy would recover. Instead, the Fed has chosen to inflate away our debts. However, an inflationary policy will slowly bring us to our demise, much like the maladies that are inflicting a slow and painful end for Uncle Tosh.

More of the Same

I suffered through more of the same insanity today. I found myself in town at 11am after an uneventful ride on the bus this morning. I procured my brunch items at Safeway®. Then, I loitered around the catacombs of Kukui Plaza. I tried to force myself to walk to the Capitol district. However, I was just not in the mood. Finally, at 1pm, I made my way to the gym. As I descended the steps into the pit of the gym, I saw the hottie gym trainer. Baby was working with a gym member. Baby is such a hottie! I felt a sudden burst of energy, no doubt because of a testosterone surge. I was able to complete my workout with vigor. Alas, the Vienna Sausage is still operational.

I ended up back at Safeway® again after I left the gym. I purchased three Tina's® frozen burritos for dinner. I rode an extremely crowded bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Bus ridership is increasing because there are more and more po' folk like the ol' lavahead. I could detail the idiocy of the bus ride, but that's just not necessary. I was extremely delighted to alight the bus. After a brief intermission for dinner, I was off to Kahala Mall. All the stores were closed except for Longs® and my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®. I spent about an hour looking around at nothing before returning to Slob Manor. The rest of the evening? Same ol' shit.

Insanity

There was some kind of party in Slob Manor last night. When I woke up this morning, there was a strange guy asleep on the wooden futon frame in the second floor common area. He had his notebook computer lying on the floor. I packed my gym bag and departed at 10am. As I was leaving, I noticed another stranger sleeping on the couch on the first floor. The bus arrived on time. I alighted at Kahala Mall. I walked to my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®. I purchased a large cup of coffee in the café and sat there for an hour.

I rode the bus to town and commenced the usual homeless guy routine. The library, however, was closed and will remain closed until Tuesday because of the holiday. When I alighted the bus in town, I saw the old local homeless guy sitting in the bus stop shelter. I purchased my brunch items at Safeway® and loitered around the catacombs of Kukui Plaza. At 12:45pm, I walked leisurely to the gym. I did my cardio workout. After my lukewarm shower, I exited the gym and headed straight for the bus stop. The bus arrived right as I got there. So, I was on my way back to Slob Manor without any stopovers.

I was too mentally fatigued to do much else, so I spent the rest of the day and evening in my squalid little room. There were moments that I just wanted to flee. Where would I have gone? To calm my nerves, I attended to rudimentary tasks such as personal hygiene, sorting through important paperwork, and looking for more crap to divest. Perhaps I am simply going insane.

Tangerine Dream

I was awakened at 7am this morning by a vividly bad dream in progress. In the dream, moms was moving to a care home on another island. All moms' things had already been moved. I was frantically trying to put a stop to the whole charade. Half-conscious, I bolted from my bed and checked my cell phone voicemail. Strangely, moms had indeed left a message. Fortunately, nothing was wrong. Moms invited me over for lunch at noon. Moms had a doctor's appointment early in the morning. Then, moms planned to stop off at Times Market in Kaimuki to do some shopping. I drove my truck to Kahala Mall and arrived there at 9am. I spent an hour in the Barnes & Noble® Café with a cup of coffee to keep me company.

Since Kahala Mall is a short distance away from Kaimuki, I decided to drive there. I parked my truck and, just as I was making a dash to Times Market, I saw moms walking from the direction of the bus stop. Moms mentioned that she fell again while descending the steps at the side of the building. I became quite concerned. After moms completed her grocery shopping, we were on our way to Hawai'i Kai.

As promised, moms served up leftover Beef Stew for lunch, with a side of Kim Chee. Then, coffee ice cream for dessert. I chatted with moms for a while. Then, I was on my way at 12:30pm. I parked my truck on the side street near Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I waited at the bus stop for a few minutes before hopping back in my truck. I drove to Kahala Mall, parked the truck, and rode the bus to town from there. Once in town, I walked to the library by way of the grove of banyan trees. I sat in the inner courtyard for an hour. However, my mind was preoccupied. I became extremely worried about moms. Then, I began to grasp the "big picture." The construct of "life" as sold to us by media agents of the moneychangers and the powers-that-be is a mockery. There are very few aspects of the material world that can provide proper meaning for the human experience. Our spiritual connection to our parents is foremost, yet it is downplayed as expendable in our culture. The family unit is deemed to be archaic and "dysfunctional." I believe that the family unit is the cornerstone of meaning. There can be no greater bond than between parents and their children, and vice versa.

I did my usual workout at the gym. No hottie gym trainer. Boohoo. After my workout and shower, I rode the bus back to Slob Manor. The long ride gave me ample time to ruminate even further about the "big picture." I piddled around in my squalid room before leaving for Kahala Mall at 6:45pm. I meandered around the mall again. As usual, I ended up at my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®. The Asian hottie "bookseller" from several years ago is still working there. I remember seeing baby way back when. She is still a hottie, by the way. With that, I had to purchase a Coffee Frappacino from the café. I stayed on until 9:20pm. Then, my truck and I made the journey back to Slob Manor. Alas, the dump was noisy as Pete, one of the housemates, had his babe and his buddies over for a computer-synthesized jam session. Fortunately, I am on the second floor with the Indian guy. We are essentially isolated from the guys downstairs. As for me, I have my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer.

Resistance is Futile

My tanning hike had to be canceled, not because of weather conditions, but because I had left my shoes in the back of my Nissan® truck during the recent rainstorm. In fact, I had the shoes in a plastic shopping bag. The water leaked into the bag and saturated the shoes. Since I did not inspect the shoes until two days later, the smell of the foetid water had become unbearable. The shoes, of course, were already falling apart. However, I have no replacement pair for hiking.

Nonetheless, I made the trip out to Hawai'i Kai anyway. I first drove out of my way to Kahala Mall in order to indulge in a cup of coffee at the Barnes & Noble® Café. Instead of my tanning hike, I washed my truck and drove it to Koko Head park to wax it in the shade. I quickly remembered how much I despise the task. Why did I purchase a brand new truck? Why not an old jalopy? I finished just before noon. I met up with moms. We drove to Koko Marina so that moms could do some shopping. Zippy's® take-out plate lunches was on the menu today. And, coffee ice cream for dessert. Yum!

I drove back to Kahala Mall and parked my truck there. My plan was to avoid all of the buses filled with the punk school kids. Naturally, I was thwarted. I waited as three completely filled buses passed by. I finally boarded a semi-empty bus. The ride to town was excrutiatingly slow. When I disembarked, I walked directly to the gym. I did my usual workout. I left the gym at 4:30pm. No sign of the hottie gym trainer. I rode the bus to Kahala Mall. I had to transfer to another bus to continue on to Slob Manor. I decided to leave my truck in Kahala Mall and retrieve it later in the evening.

During the last leg of my journey, a heavy rain commenced. I became agitated because I could have driven my truck had I known that the weather would change so abruptly. Then, I realized that I was upset for no reason. I am, after all, a loser. Bad things always happen to losers. I rode the bus back to Kahala Mall at 6:45pm. Fortunately, the rain had abated by then. Once there, I feasted on a smoothie for dinner from Jamba Juice®. I meandered around the mall and observed that there are quite a few Apple® notebook computer users hanging out at the mall's wireless hotspots. In fact, I have noticed hella more Apple® computers lately. I was in the minority when I owned one. Now, I am in the minority with Windows® Vista. I am a true contrarian. Sheesh!

As usual, I ended up at my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®. The day is just not complete unless I wander aimlessly through the aisles to scan all of the books. Good books. Bad books. Dumb books. Classics. I feel as though I am in a Borg¹-like mind collective, the sum of which is greater than the whole. In some respect, we, the rank-and-file peons, are already living a Borg-like existence. I was rather fatigued, so I drove back to Slob Manor at 9pm. The rest of the evening? Same ol' shit.

On a lighter note, I discovered yet another flavor of Linux called Sabayon Linux, which is based upon Gentoo Linux. Why is Sabayon Linux of particular concern? Apparently, the Sabayon distro is huge and ships as a DVD. It includes everything including proprietary drivers. From what I am to understand, it is the most laptop-friendly of all the Linux distributions. Could Sabayon be slated for my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer?

¹Borg, a race of monotonous cyborgs in the fictional Star Trek universe. Every rank-and-file Borg repeats the same mantra: "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

Waiting for the Shepherd

I drove my truck to Ala Moana Center fairly early this morning. By 9am, I was standing in line at the Starbucks® to purchase a large cup of coffee. Moms had her final dental appointment for a lower bridge that was fitted. I met up with moms at 11am. We ate bento lunch at Shirokiya. After lunch, moms did a little shopping at Longs®. Then, I gave moms a ride back to Hawai'i Kai. Moms served up coffee ice cream for dessert. I left immediately afterward. I dropped my truck off at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) and rode the bus to town.

I did my usual workout at the gym. Unfortunately, I did not see the hottie gym trainer. I then rode the bus back to Slob Manor. I was still full from lunch, so I piddled around for a while. At 7pm, I was on my way to Kahala Mall. I meandered around again. Mostly, I do a lot of ruminating. I continue to ponder my plight as well as my future. I often consider elaborating my thoughts in the "blog," but seldom do. With only three readers, why bother? I will just stick to brief synopses. I returned to Slob Manor at 9:30pm. For my late dinner, I ate the leftover Beef Stew that moms had given me earlier. Delicious! The rest of the night will be ... the same ol' shit.

The Fed announced that more interest rate cuts are in the works. Guaranteed. Am I surprised? No, I already predicted that the interest rates are going to be going down to near-zero percent by the middle of next year. The incursion into Iran will commence when interest rates cross below the two-percent threshold. The dollar is on a downhill slide. If it gains enough momentum, the devaluation will accelerate exponentially.

The Fed's future rate cuts will most likely invoke hyperinflation conditions and add to the dollar's downward momentum. In effect, wealth is disappearing for the rank-and-file peons. When all other prices except for real estate goes up in the next six months, there will be hell to pay. They have lost wealth as real estate prices have collapsed. Now they will suffer a pay decrease because the dollar is not worth as much. If they have any savings, its real real value is shrinking. The beauty of the crime is that it is a silent transfer of wealth from the rank-and-file peons to the elite class. The peons will never know what hit them, so they have no one to blame but themselves. Thus, there will be no revolution. More and more of the rank-and-file peons become either poor or homeless and simply disappear.

Lessons in Futility

Upon hearing two successive thuds emanating from behind the wall next to my bed, I immediately rummaged through my myriad plastic shopping bags that I used for luggage during my move to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I found the last new pair of earplugs. I was able to sleep soundly after that. No, I have not unpacked my new sleeping bag yet.

Prior to going beddie-bye, I spent most of the evening on the Net with my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. I made my $195 payment for six months of automobile insurance at Geico®. The premium has increased by $6 and some change. Later this month, I will have to add more minutes (about $10) to my T-Mobile® prepaid cell phone account which will extend my service for another year. I must also renew my Post Office mailbox (now $28 for six months).

I departed for town on the bus this morning at 10am. Needless to say, I followed the homeless guy itinerary beginning at Safeway®. The old local homeless guy was clinging onto a utility pole across the street from Kamali'i Park. I surmised that he has slept under the bus shelter during the past few days of heavy rain. The weather was overcast and humid. However, the reprieve from the rain was appreciated. The air was particularly crisp through the grove of banyan trees. I took several deep breaths.

The inner courtyard of the library once again proved to be the worthy sanctuary that it is. The usual cast of homeless were stationed in their usual spots, an indication that they are at the door first thing in the morning when the library opens.

I contemplated my financial plight, which immediately made me despondent. I have essentially lost control of my finances. Although I am not spending money uncontrollably on useless crap, I have been making decisions which are marginally prudent. I have also lost all desire to cut my expenses, especially with "nickel 'n dime" stuff. There is almost no point in capital preservation if that capital is denominated in dollars. With low interest rates and a devalued dollar, wealth is simply vanishing. We are also past the point of no return. The empire is hollowed out shell. "Privatization" and liquidation have left nothing to build upon. The empire's resources have been distributed to its outer edges in order to fuel its sole purpose for being ... to increase its breadth. The resources have been drained from the core. Thus, it must collapse. Knowing the latter leaves little hope for remedy.

I casually walked to the gym at 2:30pm. I did my usual workout, which is the only activity to break up the monotony of my days. I left the gym at 4:15pm. There was no sign of the hottie gym trainer. As I walked down Fort Street Mall, I immediately recognized the hottie gym trainer. Baby was on her way to the gym. She was wearing that sexy green top again. I went into testosterone shock, which, at my age, seems like a stroke. Anyway, baby was looking so hot. As I was dreaming about the hottie gym trainer while I waited at the bus stop, a bird took a dump on my gym bag. I boarded the first East-bound bus that came by. I had to transfer to another bus in Kaimuki. The slow trek back to Slob Manor is an unpleasant reminder of the reality of my impoverished life-style. Woe is me!

Once back in my squalid little room in Slob Manor, I found that I had to kick aside all of the plastic shopping bags that are sufficing as my luggage just to find something that I needed. Oh, the horror! I could not stand being in the dump much longer. I rode the bus to Kahala Mall. I walked around aimlessly. Then, for dessert, I purchased a smoothie from Jamba Juice®. And, I had to visit my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®, for an hour. I felt much better. I was able to return to Slob Manor and sit in my squalid room for the rest of the evening.

I continue to refrain from commenting on current affairs. I still read the progressive media journals, although most of the coverage is repetitive with some new supporting material. The building blocks are already in place, both politically and financially, for the secular Apocalypse to play itself out. And, as I have mentioned previously, both elements are intimately intertwined. The empire itself will eventually decline. With just five percent of the world's population, it consumes 25 percent of the world's resources. Its military consumes more petroleum resources than entire nations. If total global consumer spending was measured in dollars, the empire's satanic gargoyles spend one out of every five of those dollars (or 20 percent). This idiocy has gone on since the end of WWII because the empire essentially rewrote the rules of finance since then. However, left unchecked, greed overcame sensibility.

We are at the crossroads, the crisis point. The moneychangers and powers-that-be are doing as much occult handwaving as possible to prop up the "system." The sinister kahuna is god and father of insatiable desires. It requires infinite tribute from its disciples with which it draws its power. If the disciples cannot meet the increasing requirements of tribute, they and their brethren will be destroyed. The empire must now pillage the rest of the world to sustain the tribute. That is when it will fall. I, myself, no longer have any ideas or contingencies to avoid being sucked in by the destruction. My guess is that learning to survive, much as the homeless do, will be essential.

Drawing the Line

I neglected to mention that all of the wireless networks in the area suddenly went dead at 1am the other morning. I have no idea why, although the storm must have had something to do with it. However, I later invoked a hard reset (i.e., pulling the power supply cord out). One of the cheesy little wireless routers became functional. I have no idea where the other routers are located.

Lightning flashed through the dark sky all night long. Occasionally, the rumble of thunder could be heard as well. The rain continued on through the night with intermittent downpours saturating the the air with moisture. I decided to call it a night at 11pm.

At one o' clock in the morning, a series of dull, sporadic thuds awakened me. The sound was coming from behind the wall next to my bed. Slob Manor (read: rental housing) has two attached studio apartments, the tenants of which share nothing but a common wall with us in the house. One of the idiotic tenants was engaged in a slammin' soirée, if you can believe it. Will I ever escape from these lunatics? The benign activity continued non-stop until 5am. Then, all was silent. I was extremely groggy when I finally got out of bed at 8am.

I drove my truck to Kahala Mall. I could hardly wait to take my first sip of coffee at the Barnes & Noble® Café. After my jolt of cafeine, I met up with moms. We ate lunch at the Panda Express®. After lunch, I gave moms a ride back to Hawai'i Kai. We stopped off at Foodland so that moms could do some grocery shopping. My bro had apparently returned from work early because the job site was rained out. Although his truck was parked out front, he was not at home. Moms served up some coffee ice cream for dessert. I departed shortly afterward.

I drove back to Slob Manor and dropped off my truck. My gym bag and I were on our way to town on the bus. The weather looked as though it cleared up. However, I carried my umbrella anyway. I ended up in the inner courtyard of the library for an hour. Frankly, I was too fatigued to enjoy the surroundings. When I finally decided to walk to the gym, a light rain began to fall. Within a block of the gym, I had my umbrella up and open. Rain was coming down hard. I did my usual workout. The rain was still going strong when I walked out of the gym. Fortunately, I was able to immediately board an East-bound bus. The rain cleared up in the vicinity of the McCully district. I was certain that the sky would be clear before I had to disembark.

Boy, was I ever wrong! The rain turned into a huge downpour just after Kahala Mall. I did not alight at my usual stop. The rain was coming down so hard that I figured that it was better for me to stay on the bus and get off on the other side of Kalani'ana'ole Highway on its return trip. Once again, my plans were foiled. The bus driver announced that the bus was going out of service in Hawai'i Kai. I had to disembark at Koko Marina. There was, thankfully, only a slight drizzle at the time. I crossed the street to wait at the bus stop. A gorgeous young hottie in a short jeans skirt was standing there. Within a few minutes, the Route 58 bus arrived. I was on my way to Slob Manor.

Once in Slob Manor, I dropped off my gym bag and haphazardly washed my gym clothes. After hanging the clothes up to dry, I drove my truck to the Sports Authority® in Kaka'ako. I purchased a cheap $15 sleeping bag (made in China). The reason? Whenever the slammin' soirée starts up, I am taking the sleeping bag out into the upstairs common area to sleep in it. As a matter of fact, I am giving all of the bedding back to moms, including the bedding that I had purchased for use in my old prison cell (read: little shoebox) in Quagmire Prison (read: hotel). The sleeping bag will effectively be my bed from now on, just as it was during my tenure in the Roach Motel back in Convalescent City. I then drove to CompUSA® to browse the aisles. The place was packed with shoppers who were spending money like there's no tomorrow. I perused the selection of sleeve-type cases for notebook computers. The price was way too high for my budget. I also noticed that I was the only person who was not approached by any salesperson. I guess I must really look homeless. Frankly, I did not want to be bothered by any of the fools.

I contemplated the idea of stopping off at Ala Moana Center for old times' sake. The time was only 7pm, which I knew would only guarantee a huge crowd of idiotic shoppers. I opted to stop off at Kahala Mall instead. Once there, I was too fatigued and too hungry to stay much longer than an hour. I even visited my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®, again. On the way back to Slob Manor, I made a quick stop at Foodland to purchase food items for dinner. Alas, once I set foot in Slob Manor, I was in for the night.

I enjoyed my visit with moms today. I noticed that, wherever we go, moms always knows someone in the vicinity. That's why moms does not want to leave Hawai'i Kai. That's home for moms. I believe that moms and even some of her friends know that I am not actively seeking a return to wage slavery because the latter would interfere with my visitation times with moms. Yes, my semi-retirement is now costing me dearly. However, I should be able to return to some kind of peon job and regain my solvency. My time with moms, though, is not replaceable.

Tough Choices

About an hour after I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), a huge downpour commenced. The rain continued non-stop throughout the night. By morning, the rain had not abated. I had two choices. I could drive my Nissan® Frontier truck to Hawai'i Kai, procure my brunch items at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai, and do my workout at the gym in Koko Marina. Or, I could drive downtown, pay $3 for parking, procure my brunch items at Safeway®, do my workout at gym, and catch a glimpse of the hottie gym trainer. Tough choices, eh? So, I was on my way to town.

The rain actually subsided the closer I approached town. In fact, the sky was starting to clear up just as I pulled into the Kukui Plaza parking structure. Was it worth the trip? Well, when I walked into the gym, I saw the hottie gym trainer working with a gym member. As I walked past her, I could not help but notice how gorgeous she is. I went into testosterone shock. I had intrusive thoughts about baby during my workout. As a matter of fact, I have added a bicep/tricep routine to my Sunday workout. Thus, I am able to stay longer in the gym. After my workout, I walked back toward Kukui Plaza. I wanted to drop off my gym bag in the truck. If I am paying for parking, I might as well spend the whole afternoon in town, I reasoned. Along the way, I ran into Pseudo-professor Mike. He was attempting to load a large box and a handtruck on the top of his car. When I saw how the latter and former were perched precariously on the roof, I suggested that he just wheel the box back to his place with the handtruck. He invited me to stop by later.

I dropped off my gym bag, and ended up looking around Longs® and Ross® for no particular reason. At 4pm, I met up with pseudo-professor Mike at the entrance to his place. What was supposed to be a brief visit ending up being much longer. Pseudo-professor Mike whipped together a delicious Beef Stroganoff dish. Along with a tossed salad and wine, all the food groups were represented at the meal. The meal was fit for a king. We ended up chatting about a variety of topics. However, at 7pm, there was a sudden downpour. I looked out the window and could barely see the adjacent buildings. The streets below were flooding. I waited a few minutes until the rain subsided a little. Then, I bid farewell to Pseudo-professor Mike.

Water was flowing everywhere as I walked back to Kukui Plaza. The heavy rain started up again just as I entered the building. The drive back to Slob Manor was hampered by some flooding on the surface streets and the H-1 freeway. I arrived safe and sound, even though I had consumed a few glasses of wine. Because of the rain and the late hour, I had no choice but to spend the rest of the evening at Slob Manor. Fortunately, I had my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer to keep me company. Too bad the hottie gym trainer doesn't want to come around, eh?

Law of Diminishing Returns

Last night, I was able to procure an electric fan that was sitting around downstairs in Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I placed the fan in my squalid little room. Within about 30 minutes of deployment, the sweltering temperature subsided. This is only temporary housing, I keep telling myself, which is true. I am on a month-to-month lease. And, I can be out of the dump by the end of December if necessary. Then again, where would I go?

My first attempt to follow the full homeless guy itinerary with Slob Manor as a starting point was a lesson in frustration. Once again, I had to wait at the bus stop with no shelter. Fortunately, the sky was overcast. I did not have to deal with the sun's excessive photon emissions. I had no choice but to observe the horrendous traffic in both directions along Kalani'ana'ole Highway. I surmised that the Saturnalia shopping season has officially commenced.

The bus arrived on time. The trip to town took about an hour. I also had to transfer to another bus in town to avoid an additional two-block walk. Once I alighted, I made my way to Safeway® via Kamali'i Park. While I ate my usual brunch in the concrete catacombs of Kukui Plaza, I realized that I forgot to pack my toothbrush in my gym bag. I became agitated. I have no dental plan. I don't have the luxury of neglecting my teeth.

I did not see the old local homeless guy until I was on my way to the Capitol district. He was apparently passed out on the sidewalk by the dividing wall. The old building that housed Detox, Shirley's old watering hole, was being demolished. I watched the action for a few minutes. Did I mention that the downtown Taco Bell® is no more? I consumed my share of Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos there.

I was barely cognizant of the beauty of the gardens and the grove of banyan trees. I simply glided through the greenery in a comatose state. Not until I was sitting in the inner courtyard of the library did I realize the missed opportunity to enjoy the beauty of nature. Why do we take the Creation for granted?

The library was packed with the homeless, more than usual. The restrooms were backlogged as a result. I also came to the realization that I cannot commute back and forth to town as I when I was incarcerated at Quagmire Prison (read: hotel) in Waikiki. Hence, I am now even closer to the homeless life-style. I must carry everything that I need for a full day in my small gym bag.

There are other sad aspects concerning my move to Slob Manor. Aside from being completely filthy, the whole place has an odd odor. The offensive smell permeates everything, be it clothes, hair, skin. I could still smell the sickening odor while I sat in the courtyard. In contrast, the smell of the manure compost was refreshing. On the other hand, I have slept much more soundly, no longer requiring the use of ear plugs.

I sat at a table next to one occupied by a recently homeless haole guy. He is in his fifties. He is cleanly dressed and his luggage is fairly new. The first time that I saw him in the library was sometime last week. Sadly, as I sat there, I noticed that he began talking to himself about 30 minutes later.

I decided to stay in town as long as possible, so I did my cardio workout at the gym a little later than usual. In fact, I am contemplating a shift in overall gym schedule to a later time as well. The bus ride home was a little frustrating. I was able to board a bus heading to Kahala Mall fairly quickly, but I waited a long time for the connecting bus. Alas, I arrived back at Slob Manor at 5pm.

Everything that I own is lying on the fake laminate floors. There are a few pieces of decrepit furniture. I use the desk for my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer, but that's about it. The is a twin-size mattress and box spring lying on the floor as well. I actually sleep on that thing. Moms gave me sheets and a mattress pad to fit the small bed. I will give moms my Queen-size set. I really have no desire to clean up the mess. Frankly, I am ready to dump the whole mess into the trash can.

The ambiance of Slob Manor is both demoralizing and depressing. I have taken a huge drop in my standard-of-living. However, I should know better. I am previewing my future. This is just a stepping stone into the abyss of poverty. And, isn't poverty what all monks desire? With that, I popped open a can of beans to eat with a few slices of bread. I'm used to the prison food after my long incarceration. With nothing else better to do, I rode the bus to Kahala Mall for a carbon copy of last night's adventure. Barnes & Noble® extended its hours, most likely for the Saturnalia shopping season. I can honestly say that I enjoyed my evening at Barnes & Noble®. I returned to Slob Manor at 10pm and noted how dismal the place was. Only the new guy who moved in yesterday was sitting downstairs and watching the tube. There is no obligation for any of us to be friends or to hang out with each other, which pleases me. Aside from polite conversation, I have done nothing else to socialize. I will, in fact, increase my social distance from the other boarders. That's why I have my notebook computer. Sheesh!

As I suspected, none of the lower end "condotel" units are moving. In fact, there has been little activity at all. Units already in the escrow pipeline are the only ones disappearing from the listings. I have definitely missed the window of opportunity to sell the place. I will be stuck with the albatross for a long time. Worst yet, as the Fed continues to lower short-term interest rates, my ability to sustain the mortgage payments will diminish.