Nice Day Redux

Waikiki Beach

A pleasant encounter at the bus stop in Waikiki with a tourist ensued this morning. The vacation was planned two years ago, but he was finally able to visit after the “super-duper corona” restrictions here were lifted. The unreliable PCR tests cost him $300 (for two). So, he was thankful that he could ride the bus for a little over a dollar as a senior citizen.

“I’m getting up there in years,” he said. “I’m sixty-nine now.” Frankly, he looked older. To be polite, he was also somewhat “chubby.” There was some internal shock. After all, he is just a little over two years older.

The tourist buddy is from Louisiana. “Face masks aren’t required there, he added. There was a bit of guidance provided concerning which bus route would pass by the Aloha Stadium. Then, he was bid farewell.

A small minority of tourists are actually genuinely nice. Others follow the typical “American” tourist stereotype, even the affluent Asians. Of course, as “Western civilization” and “Westernized” nations are barreling toward social collapse, there is little surprise. The rot always starts from the core.

The day, itself, was beautiful. An additional cup of coffee was procured at the fast food joint in town. Standing outside along Fort Street Mall with the coffee is always interesting. Lots of dereliction and clinical insanity are on display. For some, the social collapse has already arrived.

On a side note, the copayment billing statement for the laboratory blood tests arrived after some three months of time. The copayment for the fecal occult test was not listed yet on the on-line payment portal. No wonder the healthcare system is in shambles.

Miscellany: The one and only blanket was finally stored in one of the gym bags until next year. The other (new) blanket was left on the donations table in the common area of the “old folks home” in Waikiki. The new Mainstays® quartz space heater is being deployed for the remaining chilly nights.