Fool’s Paradise 2023

Fool’s Paradise

Upon arrival back in Waikiki yesterday afternoon, a quick jaunt was made to the Waikiki Market. A real blueberry muffin was purchased. The cost was a mere $1.29 and more than one blueberry was visible in the muffin. In actuality, the muffin is the only reasonably priced food product in the whole place. Another muffin was purchased today.

The tax refund was finally electronically deposited in the local bank. The tax return was apparently corrected, so the actual refund ($2667) was about $350 more than previously calculated. Obviously, the Hawai’i tax return would also be in error, which means that there was an overpayment. At this time, there are no plans to file an amended State tax return.

As can be imagined, ruminations about the miserly ways have reached a fever pitch. Thoughts about purchasing decent furniture for the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki were quickly dismissed. Heck, the 15-year-old gym bag has still not been replaced with the newly acquired one. The same bed sheets, courtesy the Sand Island homeless shelter, are still being deployed. And, the decrepit Oakley® shades are still being worn. Even if a spending spree was embarked upon, only about $2,000 would be expended. This is the essence of a personal fool’s paradise. Sheesh!

Addendum: Sleep deprivation has now become a primary issue. There seems to no feasible mitigation.

Miscellany: The AirPods Pro 2 earbuds are now rarely used. However, the latter must be recharged every couple of weeks. The various firmware updates are also automatically installed during charging and connected to iPhone via Bluetooth®.

Postscript: Larry Johnson commented about (and endorsed) the Simplicius “blog” in his recent article. Full agreement here.