More Lamentations 2023

Lamentations

After another night of sleep deprivation, the day was destined to be horrific. However, that was not the outcome, thank Molech. The fast food joint in town shut down its free wireless network, which should have been irksome. Just “water off a duck’s back.” Instead, a great haircut was acquired at the Institute of Hair Design.

After the usual workout at the gym, despondency somehow came to the forefront. The thought of dining at Panda Express® again was just not appealing. The eatery has gone downhill in the last few weeks. So, already being on the Waikiki bus, the trip was made back to the cheesy tourist trap.

The decision was made to engage in an early evening outing to Ala Moana Center. The bus ride with all of the tourists and Filipino laborers was actually tolerable. Upon arrival at the mall, a walking tour of the Makai Market food court ensued. Obviously, no new surprises … marginal food at exorbitant prices. So, there was only one choice … prime rib from Lahaina Chicken. Unlike last week, the prime rib was excellent, true restaurant quality. The meal was delicious.

After dinner, a mild shopping spree was in order at Target® and Longs®. Of course, all discounts were exploited. More dental products were procured using the Healthy Benefits+® card. So, total expenditures didn’t amount to much. There was some temptation to purchase another pint of ice cream for dessert, but that was quickly abandoned. Instead, two bananas and a bar of dark chocolate candy sufficed. Unfortunately, a couple of packs of generic organic granola were procured since the new favorite was out of stock. Yeah, the granola was extremely substandard.

Overall, a nice evening outing. Even the bus ride back to Waikiki was okay. The goal is to ease in more evening outings. Misanthropy has, of course, been at the heart of the problem. Being in proximity and unwittingly interacting with essentially stupid people is just not conducive to personal mental health. However, with so little time left (i.e., mortality), no rationale can justify sequestration in the mausoleum at the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Only increased exposure to the “elements” can effectively suppress the “inner monk,” even if the latter is just an evening outing to the International Marketplace.

By the same token, only those same evening outings are going to gradually suppress the “inner miser.” Resistance to impulse purchases (sans superfluous “stuff”) must be suppressed within reason. As stated previously in Notes, the life savings must be spent.

Addendum: The evening outings currently end before 8pm, unlike the “good ol’ days before the “super-duper corona” plan-demic. Back then, the “witching hour” was 10pm at the earliest.