Category Archives: commentary

Things are Happening Here

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Things are Happening

I may have been MIA the past 2 weeks but that’s not to say things aren’t happening here. Where should I begin? Maybe with the excuses on why I haven’t posted lately. 

The Annual HOA Meeting

The first miss was 2 Saturdays ago. I had planned to write something after the HOA meeting. I hate these meetings but go because I think owners need to be aware of what their board is doing. We just had an assessment for new decks but nothing has been done so far and I wanted an update. I never dreamed that before the meeting was over that the police would be called when a 40ish unit owner provoked a fight with our 70 year old property manager. Basically we have two loud mouth bullies that hijacked the meeting. They yelled over everyone else and were disrespectful of our board. Our 1 hour meeting lasted 4 hours! In the end the new owners were intimated into voting most of the old board off the island. I am sick over it. If I could sell my unit and move I would.

So what about Sunday

2021 Equinox

Well I could have taken time for a post on Sunday but I had an appointment at the car dealership. I guess there is a big demand for used cars so the dealership called me to see if I’d like to upgrade to a 2021 vehicle. I agreed to take a look at what they had available on the lot. My last 2 cars had been a dark gray and a black but I’ve always loved white cars. Sure enough, they had 1 white Equinox left. I couldn’t say no. So after about 4 hours of doing paperwork and a short test drive we moved my personal belongings from my black 2019 Equinox to my new 2021 White Equinox. It always amazes me that I can just drive right off the lot with the new car. Of course I’ll need to go back on a weekday to get my inspection sticker but other than that, I’m good to go. 

Basking Shark

Meanwhile off Cape Cod

Captain John’s Boats are posting lots of Whale pictures. One research boat spotted a Basking Shark! Very rare in Cape waters but the big news was the lobster fisherman who tried to imitate Jonah. Yup Unbelievable. He actually got “eaten” by a humpback whale.  The whales feed by opening their mouths and lunging though schools of fish scooping up anything in front of them. He was in the wrong place at  the wrong time. Luckily he was spit back out with only some bumps and bruises. Now he’s telling his story on the late night talk shows.  

So you see, in spite of my silence, things are happening here!

Humpback Whale feeding

Still NO TP

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The TP Shortage Continues

We’re now 3-4 weeks into the quarantine. You’d think the hoarders would have stocked up but toilet paper, facial tissues and other paper products continue to be in short supply. Bottled water is also in high demand. We can add banking to one of the new aggravations. I needed quarters to do my laundry. I always go to the bank on Saturday morning to get two rolls. When I arrived at the bank this Saturday only the ATM was open. The Lobby was closed and dark.  Cars were lined up at the drive through but you can’t get coins in the drive through. The weight will damage the money drawer.

Social Distancing taken a step too far?

While I pondered my options two young women drove up. They arrived in the same car and attempted to go to the ATM together. A bank employee rushed out to tell them only 1 person could be at the ATM at a time. The argument that they came and in the same car and that they were sisters fell on deaf ears. I know we’re all a bit paranoid these day but come on! If one sister had it the other would have been exposed in the car.  What happened to common sense? Anyway as the sister that was booted out complained to me I vented my frustration about the coins. My new friend perked up. Her sister had change and she couldn’t deposit it either. Maybe we could help each other out?

 

Looks Like  Drug Deal Going Down

About then her sister came out of the bank. We explained the situation and she said she had a ton of quarters. She immediately started counting out quarters. She had a baggie in the car so she dropped the change in that. In no time at all I had $20.00 in quarters in a plastic baggie. We all got a good laugh as we exchanged the money for the baggie. We looked like a drug deal going down in front of the bank! With lots of laughing and waving we parted ways. The day suddenly seemed brighter somehow. I guess we’ll all get through this somehow. We just need to keep a sense of humor.

Resolutions Anyone?

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Resolutions or no?

Are you big on making New Years Resolutions or do you just say no? Personally I don’t think I pay much attention to an annual To Do List that I’m probably going to blow off in the first 2 weeks anyway.  Doesn’t everyone plan to lose weight? How many times is that going to be on your list? But I do think taking stock of your life and where its going is a good idea. Seems to me quarterly would be better than annually but maybe I just need to do it more often to stay on track.  Here’s a few of the things I am working on for 2020. I’m not sure of they are resolutions , goals or just wishful thinking.

Work Resolutions

Work is a big part of my life so I’m starting there. Work has been pretty scary in 2019 so I am anxious to take more control. There have been a lot of changes and more to come in the near future. Like I said, scary. Will my boss be the same? Will I need to change roles or apply for another position? Will I end up working for someone I don’t respect or trust? With all the reorganization anything is possible. So to combat my feelings about all this upheaval I  want to be better organized. I want to be pro-active. If I am aware of a problem then I want to take steps to correct it. I want to develop a training program, not just wing it. I want to standardize procedure so everyone knows what to do. I want to lead a strong and united team. 

Health Resolutions

My hip replacement was a 100% success. My doctor has given me 2 thumbs up but now I need to worry about my knee.  X-rays show that the pain I have going up and down stairs is real, not a figment of my imagination. It shows degeneration to the point of bone on bone.  You guessed it, I need a complete knee replacement. Pretty soon I’ll be the bionic woman. My doctor says we may be able to delay the surgery with cortisone shots and exercise. He suggested PT again. But tops on his list before he’ll do the surgery is weight loss. I’m trying. I’ve been working diligently on that since July but it’s 2 lbs off 1.5 lbs back on. Not much progress. I guess I’ll have to make more of an effort in 2020.

Fun & Hobby Resolutions

I haven’t been a very fun person in 2019. I got quite lazy during my hip recovery. I put travel on the back burner and did absolutely no weekend adventures. As a result I didn’t take many pictures and didn’t have much to say here. So aroundustyroads suffered and so did my companion blogs, dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com and dustyroadsphotos.com . I will try to make a better effort in 2020. More adventures= more posts. 

Friends  & Family Resolutions

As any member of my family and many of my friends will tell you, I’m not a warm fuzzy sort. I forget birthdays and anniversaries. I didn’t send my Christmas cards last year or this year. I don’t go visit anyone. I’m always busy, busy , busy. But I hope they know that I love them all and worry behind the scenes about the trials they face. I should show them more often that I do care what’s going on in their life and if I can help at all I want to.  There have been so many losses both in my family and in my friend’s that we …I….need to cherish those that are still with with us. Life is too short not to. 

So What about you?

So now that I’ve shared my thoughts, fears and aspirations for 2020 what about you? Will you take time for any self reflection?

Happy 2019

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Welcome 2019

Hi folks. I know I’ve been MIA but I have to say that the tail end of 2017 and most of 2018 were tough times for me and my family. We lost our Mom. The family is having challenges with the Big C and my hip finally hit end of life. I had a total hip replacement in December. We also added to the family with the birth of a new nephew so it wasn’t all bad. But it did put a damper on my posts. It was hard to write cheery. upbeat entries when everything seemed to be going wrong. I have even been considering giving up my time share and hanging up my traveling shoes. which brings me to my thought for today

outrigger canoes

Time to Channel my Inner Josh Gates

I may have mentioned before that my travel inspiration is Josh Gates, host of Destination Truth, Destination Unknown and Legendary Destinations. He’s always getting into “iffy” situations but he does it with humor and aplomb! When I had issues on the Road to Hana in Maui I held onto my composure by asking “What would Josh do?” Josh’s hero is Indiana Jones. I like that character too but since he’s fictional I’ll stick with Josh as my trail blazer.

Destination Truth, Memoirs of a Monster Hunter

I’m reading a book by Josh (Destination Truth, Memoirs of a Monster Hunter) and I was hit by a comment he made. He talks about how the more you travel the more you want, even need, to travel. That’s what I felt while I was jetting around the US but then my hip slowed me down. Follow that up with a DVT after a flight to Hawaii and I felt like I’d been grounded. At first I had withdrawal. I was so depressed that I couldn’t just take off and go but  the longer I had to put travel on hold the less I wanted to get back into that craziness again. I just wanted to curl up at home with a good book.

Re-thinking the Future

Reading Josh’s book made me realize the travel bug is still there. It’s just hibernating. It’s waiting for my body to recover enough to be able to enjoy my trips again. I’m still in recovery mode from my hip surgery but as soon as I’m cleared to snorkel with Manta Rays again or swim with sea turtles I’ll be back on the plane to adventure. Even the Bears of Katmai National Park are calling!

3 bears out for a stroll

Summer Is flying by but where have I been?

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Missing Summer

The summer is passing quickly and I’ve had nothing to share! This is so unusual. What is going on?

 

It’s not noteworthy

Life is still going on around me but my back and hip issues continue to worsen so my usual activities are severely curtailed. It’s enough to get through the work week. The weekends seem to be grocery shopping, laundry and resting. Throw in a weekly visit to the chiropractor and there isn’t much time left for adventures. I’m trying to get my body ready for another Hawaii trip. This one will include a trip on a Lava Boat tour. 

Lava Flows into ocean

Stock photo

Lava Boat Trip

Speaking of the Lava Boat Tour did you hear about the one that got too close to the lava and got hit by a lava bomb? One passenger broke her leg and 22 people were injured. Witnesses say the captain violated the Coast Guard’s 200 meter safety limit. Because of that incident the safety zone is now 300 meters (328 yards). At least they didn’t suspend them. Scientists say that Kilauea could continue erupting for another 2 years but I don’t want to take a chance of missing this. It’s a once in a lifetime event.

Accidents Happen

Speaking of accidents, I had the misfortune to be in one. A young lady ran a stop sign and blinking red light to run her SUV into the side of mine. My car was tied up for exactly 30 days while the body shop waited for parts. Eventually I did get me car back  good as new on the exact day that my rental allowance ran out! The police officers were super and even  gave me a ride from the accident scene to my work. 

What to do about my hip?

The hip problem is what is interfering with my posts. I just haven’t had the mobility to get out and do anything.  I may be a “senior citizen” but I’m not ready to throw in the towel. More information should be coming as I have an appointment with a knee and hip surgeon. we”ll see what he has to say and go from there.