Thank You for Asking

       More Letters From Paradise
         Thank You For Asking
      How do we occupy our time while living here in Hawaii?   There are a great many things we have to take up our time, and it isn't spending it on the beach either.
      First, it's appointments with our doctors.    It is often said here that if you didn't have dates with your doctor, you would not have any social life.   I have three, four if I count the dentist. Tonto has three also, plus the dentist.   One doctor said that you should take a pill for every decade of your life.  I take six.  I still have one more to go. ( I am 77 ears old.)
      And, there are prescriptions to pick-up. Both of these events are most often at very inconvenient times.
       More of the have to do,'s are buying food and all the other stuff that life requires.  We shop at Cosco, Sam's Club,  Wal-Mart. and Don Quxiote.  The first three are familiar, but the last one is part of a Japanese chain of stores. Why Don Quxiote? and why is their mascot logo a penguin?  Who knows? We sure don't.   A very interesting store with the store divided in half, more or less, with Asian food on one side and haole food on the other.  The two sides  meet, though, in the dairy, meat, fish, and booze sections. There are often food and sake offerings.   "Here, have a couple of cups of sake."  Sake is sometimes served in square wood boxes about 3x4 inches.  I was given two.  I could go on and on about this store but there are other things to occupy our time.
      The hotels in our neighborhood have cheap pupu's and live music.   It is nice to spend an evening by the ocean with our friends, Connie, Ray, Paul, Pete, and Ann sitting on chairs we brought, in the sand, listening to the music, and drinking booze we brought with us. Total cost zero. We also have church and the Elks Lodge.
      If we feel that we want some culture, there are the museums, opera in season, the symphony, hula shows etc. And when we have guests, we make sure that they get the full treatment; seeing Hawaii through the eyes of residents. There is more I could add, but what about here at home?
      Tonto and I exercise in the morning, read two newspapers, and she consults her computer.  She is in charge of our library on Thursday each week.   I am on the Board of Directors,  and am up for re- election.   I fix breakfast, clean up and go the the exercise room and ride the bike for 3 or 4 miles.  It's while I am on the bike and others are all plugged into whatever, that I think about what to write next.
We often attend movies, I write for my blog, and practice my ukulele.  And we read a lot.
Tonto is a member of the "Daughters of Hawaii," and a monthly "Birthday Club." As for me, I belong to a Friday breakfast group called "Romeos." (Retired Old Men Eating Out.)
      We have a tightly-knit group of friends which we call the "Tribe."  In order to gain entry, you must answer the invitation question correctly,  "What is your favorite vegetable?"  If the answer is"green beans." You are accepted into the tribe.  Coaching is allowed.  As a tribal member you agree to  help each other at all times. Members of the tribe were at my hospital bedside for a long time. There are also airport trips, both in and out. Also, there are meetings where food and beverages are served.  And so, that's how we spend our time.  Thanks for asking.

             Aloha
             Grant