8 Ok 13 K’ayab

The situation with personal finances is troublesome. Dividends from the investment accounts and the meager retirement stipend exceed all expenses. Currently, “all expenses” is defined as rent for the “old folks home” in Waikiki and food. Other expenses are somewhat minuscule in comparison. So, obviously, the aggregate amount of “savings” is increasing much more than anticipated.

There are no “big ticket” purchases in the queue. All of the electronic “toys” are fairly new, and none will be replaced in the 2025 year. In all honesty, most of the clothes and other sundries will remain viable for several years, if not the remainder of this lifetime. Replacement costs are minimal. So, what to do?

Currently, the only increase in spending has been on food. Since no cooking is done in the mausoleum, food purchases only include ready-to-eat fare. That alone is costly. Nonetheless, personal restraint must be lifted. Discounts will still be a priority, but better quality and healthier food options must be pursued.

Salads (with 20% expiry discount) have been purchased from the ABC Store for dinner from Saturday to Tuesday this week. The salads are actually quite delicious. Sometimes, salads are procured at the Waikiki Market, which are also pretty good and reasonably priced. Unfortunately, salads are not very filling. Within an hour, there is a desire for more food. Thus, other prepared food products must be purchased, which add to daily expenses. Obviously, the latter is a trivial concern at this point in time.

Sleep quality continues to be poor. So, late afternoon outings to the International Marketplace has been limited to about 6pm. The primary purpose is the daily shopping at Target® for fruit and Chobani® Greek yogurt (for dessert). There’s not much to do after returning to the mausoleum. However, staying out later only increases the fatigue.

Of course, poor quality of sleep and fatigue go “hand-in-hand.” Yet, the root cause may be old age. The body is signaling that it can no longer keep up with the same regimen, particularly the gym workouts. The latter is a melancholic and sobering realization.

There have been no additions to the vast hurdy-gurdy video library (HGVL), only occasional subtractions. The HGVL is essentially deprecated. Incidentally, the LaCie® SSD has increased in price to $149 (up $40 from last year). Inflation? Yeah, that’s ridiculous.

After a long hiatus, the on-line personal health directive on the MyDirectives® site is receiving some attention. The process is tedious, mainly because the substance deals with the final exodus. Being an old codger is a real burden. Oh, the agony!

Miscellany: After serious deliberation, the most valuable technology “toy” in possession has been identified. Yes, the Panasonic® nose hair trimmer is the clear winner!