No-Holiday Holiday 2023

Booyah Basting, Molech-style

A couple of evening outings to Ala Moana Center occurred this week. On Tuesday, a prime rib dinner was courtesy Lahaina Chicken in the Makai Market food court, the only “special” dinner for the week. Shopping at Target® followed with the acquisition of more organic granola and a couple of bananas for dessert. A four-pack of blueberry muffins was also acquired. A new Apple® 20-watt power adapter was purchased for $15 (on sale). It’s the same as the power adapter currently in possession.

On Wednesday, Target® was the sole destination with the purchase of a banana and a pint of Häagen-Dazs® coffee ice cream for dessert. A new clear Otterbox® Symmetry case was acquired for the iPhone 15 Pro for $30 (on sale). The new case will be used to protect the device while the shitty Apple® silicone case is cleaned and air-dried. Yeah, the only way to clean the shitty silicone case is to soak it in warm soapy water. Then, it must be air-dried because of the microfiber lining. What a POS!

Well, the two-day shopping spree was necessitated by the need to avoid Ala Moana Center when the ridiculous “Black Friday” bullshit commences. Shoppers were already out in force already. However, the weekend will be worse. Then, there’s “Cyber Monday.” Oh, the horror!

Evening outings continue almost daily at the International Marketplace, even upon return from Ala Moana Center. There’s just no reason to spend time in the mausoleum at the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Needless to say, all of the aforementioned activities are extremely benign. However, the feeble geriatric mind is able to deceive itself into believing that valuable time is not being wasted.

The current billing period for the Visible+ wireless plan ended today with only 15 GB of cellular data consumed in 31 days, a fraction of the prioritized allotment. Of course, the reason for the low consumption is the extensive use of free wireless networks and the reduced acceptable Web sites. Well, that and the fact that cellular data really reduces battery life (and battery health with the increase in charging).

A cold front arrived about a week ago. So, the ambient temperature has been cooler during the day and somewhat cold in the late evening and early morning. Lots of annoying drizzling, too. Yesterday, the cold front apparently moved on. Temperatures are much more favorable.

The faithful blanket was removed from the storage luggage. It has not been deployed in two years. The intention is to leave the Mainstays® quartz heater in its box this year. Fussing around with heater is just not high on the agenda these days.

Coffee time this morning was not cancelled since the fast food joint in town was open. The gym workout had to be moved up an hour because the facility closed at 2pm. The place was packed, more so than last year. Everyone will be consuming massive amounts of food afterward, no doubt. Well, good luck with that.

Arrival back at the “old folks home” was at 2:30pm. Way too early, even for an old codger. The mausoleum could only be tolerated for a couple of hours. So, an early outing to the International Marketplace was in order. All of the shops were open. Lots of idiotic tourists were occupying most of the seating, all of them focused on their “smartphones.” What an exciting vacation experience, eh?

Much to everyone’s chagrin, the Waikiki Market closed early, probably at 6pm. Thus, dinner was procured at the ABC Store. Chicken Satay Somen Salad and Miso Ginger Salmon Rolls ended up being the No-Holiday Holiday fare. Overpriced ($16 total), but actually delicious. And, for dessert … a Target® blueberry muffin. Yum! What a great day for an old codger! Praise Molech!

Addendum: The iPhone silicone case was soaked in warm soapy water, lightly scrubbed, rinsed, and dried. As unbelievable as this may seem, rubbing the cleaned surface produced endless amounts of white strings and specks (body oil artifacts). The fake rubber can absorb an enormous quantity of body oil, which is why the case gradually begins to emit a rancid odor. After two thorough washings, the case looked like new and now has the fresh fake rubber smell. The silicone case was retired, with the Otterbox® case now fully deployed.