Motorhome

The current existential crisis continues with yet another day filled with doubt and pessimism. My total commute time to town was about two hours. During the leg of the trip on the bus, I once again contemplated the option of going homeless. I am paying rent to reside in a place that I only sleep, do laundry chores, shave, clean my teeth, and recharge my technology gadgets. I may spend an hour or so on the Net. Showering and other necessary functions are performed at the gym or public venues. So, I am physically in Waimanalo no more than eleven hours per day.

Commuting now comprises a huge chunk of time during the day. Total commute time has been calculated to be four hours and forty minutes per day minimum. On average, five hours is the best estimate. Thus, not much can be dutifully accomplished. Will homelessness solve the problem? I really don't know. Of course, I am approaching homelessness from the standpoint of acquiring a utility vehicle that is suitable to be converted to a makeshift motorhome. The only real obstacle is locating a safe place to park the motorhome without raising any suspicion from outsiders.

Why has it come to this? Obviously, I cannot remain in Waimanalo indefinitely. The location is too inconvenient for my retired monastic life-style. Unfortunately, rental housing in Honolulu proper is outrageously expensive. I really cannot bring myself to rent a small room (i.e., 200 square-feet average) for $1,000+ per month and be required to share a bathroom (and common areas) with other tenants. As insane as that sounds, many people simply "bite the bullet" and pay that much money to live in such total squalor. Living conditions with other tenants, of course, is often intolerable. Lots of stupidity. I have lived through my fair share of that "bullshit." I have "paid my dues" already.

I have discussed the many issues of money in the "blog" over the years. My financial situation is not optimum. In fact, I cannot ascertain when my financial resources will be depleted. However, I do not wish to spend money carelessly or foolishly. I have to postpone official retirement for another six years in order to not jeopardize my health insurance entitlement. So, I won't have any outside income until then. I must juggle my finances in order to maintain "balance." The whole situation is a "can of worms," not due to bad planning but the inability to foresee the devolved global economic farce that is now permanently in place. I can safely state that each passing day increases the temptation to "go homicidal."

Over the course of the day, I attempted to envision myself as a homeless guy in a variety of scenarios. The most plausible one found me living out of a luxury minivan. Who am I kidding? Would I even be able to survive longer than a few days before longing for even a coffin-like rental unit? Homelessness is not for the weak or the pampered. The life-style is rough and often fraught with danger. So, what's left? I have run out of options.

Another day in pseudo-paradise. I followed the usual agenda and itinerary, stopping short of fulfilling the usual evening outing in Kahala. Instead, I shuttled myself around Hawai'i Kai and Aina Haina by bus. I was just not in the mood to go to Kahala. The whole rental housing situation has made me ill. I really need to pull myself together and prepare for homelessness. Sheesh!

Crises

Usual Hawai'i Kai visit. Moms is doing fine. The common cold rages on. The usual agenda and itinerary were followed. The evening outing was the same as usual. There were several grubby homeless guys at the fast food joint in Kahala, most of whom I have never seen before. Homelessness is really picking up, if you know what I mean.

My days, since moving to Waimanalo, have become extremely taxing. It is as if the change in environment has exposed my life to be a complete farce. I have been living a lie. Or, I have been wasting my precious time for the last seven years. I really don't know.

Everything that I do during the course of each day is meaningless. a completely hollow shell of an existence. I have experienced existential crises before. There's no doubt about that. Somehow, I either recovered, came to my senses, or went deeper into denial. Again, I really don't know.

My new self-discovery seems to coincide with less time spent on the Net. I must spend more time commuting, so I have less time to leisurely occupy myself with the Net. So, my exposure to the already pared down list of Web sites has been pared down even further. During the day, I rely upon free wireless Net "hotspots" to primarily compose the "blog." When I return to Waimanalo, I have only about an hour or so before going to sleep. So, I mainly watch the news that is streamed on the [deleted] site. I also recharge the batteries of my technology gadgets.

I may have mixed feelings about the "blog," but I sure devote a lot of time to it. The "blog" is not just about my life, it is my life. Technically, if I mummified the "blog," I would really have no need for technology gadgets like a tablet computer or a "smartphone." Sure, I would miss the live news stream on RT. However, I could simply loiter at the fruit-based computer store in the den of consumerism (read: shopping mall) in Kahala and peruse all of my favorite alternative news Web sites. Then, too, if the "blog" were mummified, I would have absolutely nothing to do. Terrifying, isn't it?

The real question is ... why have I wasted most of my life on the Net? Why do any of us waste so much time on the Net? Has everyday life in empire degenerated to such a pathetic low point that there just isn't any alternative aside from playing video games or watching the tube? Is it really that bad, or is it just me?

Groggy

The common cold continues to ravage the oversized cranium. Post-nasal drip is the crux of the problem. When will I not be illin'? Two weeks have elapsed, and there has been no improvement. Senior citizens are always susceptible to prolonged illnesses. And, the fragility only increases with age. Illness, of course, does little to promote good spirits. And, let's not forget the grogginess. Decisions cannot be trusted in such a state. So, I have postponed matters that require thought. For the time being, I am essentially a zombie of empire.

The iPad® tablet computer has been giving grief for a while. Lots of problems, most of them documented on the Net. The latest problem for me was intermittent wireless Net connectivity. I went through the process of clearing all of the settings. From what I can ascertain, the latter procedure should be done regularly. So far, the iPad® appears to be functioning fine. Oddly, I have had no problems with the cheap "smartphone."

Driving my Nissan® Frontier truck to and from Waimanalo has been costly, even with cheaper petrol prices. About a tankful of petrol will be required weekly for the commute. That's probably about $60 or more per week. However, even with that expenditure tacked onto to my rental housing expense, the amount is still less than what the monthly rental alone would be in town for just a tiny room. The money situation at this point in time is beyond ludicrous. There's almost no reason to fanatically attempt to cut costs. The outflow of money will continue to increase no matter what.

In any case, I will need to cut down on expenses, no matter what was stated previously. The primary consideration is cost versus utility or derived pleasure. Is the expensive cup of coffee purchased at the snobbish coffee shop in town worth the price? Is the snobbish customer base of the coffee shop conducive to a pleasurable experience? Is the cheap "smartphone" worth paying $35 per month for service when it is barely used? Is a new vehicle really going to produce any additional benefit after all costs are figured in? Or, will a new vehicle equate to renewed enslavement to rampant materialism? Is an expensive dinner at Panda Express® much better than the greasy "value menu" items at the fast food joint? Well, I can respond immediately to the last question in the affirmative. Just the fortune cookie is worth the price. My latest fortune was, "Elegant surroundings will soon be yours." Priceless! Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

I was able to sit and enjoy my Panda Express® dinner in the center court of the den of consumerism (read: shopping mall) in Kahala this evening. The large table also afforded me the opportunity to compose the "blog" since I was in close proximity to the free wireless Net "hotspot" of the coffee shop. And, speaking of the "blog," the new time constraints have made it difficult for me to meet the daily posting deadline. The "blog" will most likely be scaled back in both content and postings unless the problem can be solved. And, of course, the necessity to include pictures of young hotties is ridiculous.

My new daily routine, by the way, is frenetic. The culprit is the bus. My transit times have increased significantly because I am establishing a daytime "home base" in Hawai'i Kai. So, I am traveling back and forth to Hawai'i Kai by bus. Missed or late buses require that I become creative instantaneously. I try to convince myself that the bus ride is relaxation time or a chance to nap, but I am fooling myself in reality. There is nothing relaxing about the bus ride. And, a nap is only possible in a state of inebriation.

Perhaps the common cold is affecting my senses. Lack of sleep due to the annoying post-nasal drip has made me extremely irritable and groggy. Sleep deprivation may be causing me to post more psychotic thoughts to the "blog." I could very well be hallucinating. Really, though, the crux of the crisis is that my savior, a certain fitness and training hottie, has let me down. Baby did not come around. Now, I am in the purgatory known as Waimanalo. Sheesh!

Escape

Life has returned to a state of "normal," relatively speaking, although my cost of living has increased drastically. However, I am now left with just three interconnected decisions. Should I keep the cheap "smartphone" and it's service plan? Should I sell my aging Nissan® Frontier truck? And, will I be actively increasing my search for alternative rental housing? Having access to a dedicated communication device will aid in expediting both the sale of the vehicle and the search for rental housing, but it is not entirely necessary. The sale of a petrol-guzzling vehicle during times of artificially low oil prices is ideal. Purchasing another vehicle or keeping the old one would also depend on location of residence. Moving back into town removes the imperative nature of the sale. The decisions are forthcoming.

I have been reviewing the various rental housing listings. In Honolulu proper, the average rate to rent a room (with shared bathroom and common areas) is about $800 per month. A private bathroom raises the average room rate to about $1,000 per month. Studio apartments are averaging about $1,100 per month. Note that "average" usually equates to moderate dump. A fairly nice place is much more expensive than the average. We are experiencing a housing crisis that has been created by the "buy to leave" phenomenon exacted by the affluent class. Housing is being scooped up by wealthy absentee owners, which in turn creates a housing shortage. Therefore, all housing goes up in price, including rentals. Supply and demand data then make the implication that the luxury housing market is wide open for exploitation. New luxury housing construction and conversions subsequently exacerbate the housing crisis. Yeah, it's that bad.

Speaking of cheap oil, the low oil prices have caused quite a bit of havoc on global economies, eh? The original conspiratorial plan was to dump excess oil reserves on the commodities market in order to precipitate the collapse of the economy of the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, the low oil prices were swept into the deflationary vortex that has been created by endless "quantitative easing" (QE) programs invoked by the global central banks. The velocity of the price decrease may undershoot into the negative profit region before normalizing at the absolute bottom. At that point, we can expect the global central banks to resume QE on a grand scale in order to stimulate inflationary pressure. The effect will be short term until the deflationary vortex returns with a vengeance.

It is my belief that the powers-that-be, not necessarily the money changers, of empire are actively provoking a global conflagration that would erupt into global "limited thermonuclear warfare." The empire is crumbling, primarily because of the fraud and corruption of the moneychangers. All governments are now so totally in debt because of lavish and wasteful spending in a zero interest rate environment. No government debt can be repaid, and service on just the interest payments alone will become untenable. "limited thermonuclear war," in theory, is the "great equalizer." It is the equivalent to the return of the Messiah for religious fanatics. There have always been numerous theories about how previous failing empires engaged in destructive and reckless behavior. I don't believe that the same reasons apply in the now. "Limited thermonuclear warfare" is going to force the "balance the accounts" for the victors. The spoils of war will be new, albeit destroyed, "emerging" markets. "Limited thermonuclear warfare" will also invoke a crude kind of population control by eugenics. It's an "all in one" solution to all of our problems.

The powers-that-be are comprised of mental midgets suffering from megalomania, schooled in human disciplines designed by humans for the sole purpose of human domination. They know nothing about quantum physics, biology, or any of the sciences. Too ignorant to know better, they are extremely dangerous to all life on the planet and themselves as well.

Another Waimanalo kind-of-day. Well, actually, I am hardly there. The morning commenced with another chat with the landlord. Then, I was off for more of the same. Frankly, I am beginning to question my daily routine and my evening outings, too. I don't feel free. Instead, I feel extremely trapped in a prison with no escape.

Celebrate

A few transit facts are worthy of mention. The drive from Waimanalo to Koko Marina in Hawai'i Kai takes about 17 minutes. The drive from Chaos Manor to Hawai'i Kai usually took 20 minutes, sometimes more, mainly because of traffic. The last bus that passes through Hawai'i Kai, and makes the connection with a bus going through Waimanalo, departs Kahala at 6:30pm. The only route serving Waimanalo after that time runs through downtown. From Kahala, two connecting bus routes must be taken, with an optimistic trip duration of 80 minutes. For the time being, commuting by bus will only be practical within the city boundaries.

This morning, the landlord invited me in the main house for a cup of coffee and to let the four resident canines become acquainted with me. Of course, we ended up chatting for a while. I requested only a half-cup of coffee because of the long journey ahead of me that is devoid of restrooms. We discussed Alan of Chaos Manor (read: rental housing) fame. The rest of discussion pertained to the landlord's family and other pedestrian topics. Actually, the discussion was quite interesting. As the time was getting late, I politely ended the discussion.

The journey from Waimanalo to Hawai'i Kai was nice. Very little traffic and no stupidity. I have been listening to the psychotic classical pieces on public radio along the way. The traffic stupidity commences once I enter Hawai'i Kai proper. The real benefit of driving my Nissan® Frontier truck to Hawai'i Kai is that I can park in the small parking structure which affords shade from the damaging effects of the sun. Of course, the vehicle is fairly dilapidated now. So, any benefit is minimal. The wear-and-tear of daily driving will also negate any benefits.

I arrived in Hawai'i Kai with just seconds to spare before the arrival of the bus. The ride to town was the same as usual. I felt as if my whole routine was back to "normal," if such a state actually exits. Once in town, I retrieved my mail from the rented mailbox. I was pleasantly surprised to see an envelope from the moneygrubbing Chinks of the property management firm that oversees the Chinatown dormitory. Inside were two checks, one for the security deposit refund and the other for the "prorated" rent refund. The thieves ultimately stole $212 from me, but I will not pursue the matter any further. In fact, I had yet to file the paperwork for Small Claims Court. When the moneygrubbing Chinks are lying in pain on their deathbeds, they will have plenty of time to ruminate upon their previous transgressions. The "soul" cannot redeem itself when death looms. Case closed.

To celebrate the closure with the moneygrubbing Chinks, I ordered an overpriced muffin to accompany my expensive cup of coffee at the coffee shop in town. Then, I performed another leisurely workout at the gym. There were a lot of new faces. The gym was actually quite crowded. No doubt, most of them are of the "New Year's Resolution" demographic. No doubt, many of them will disappear after a few weeks.

Afterwards, I rode the bus back to Hawai'i Kai. I had enough time to drop off my gym bag in my vehicle. I then grabbed my sackpack and walked back to the bus stop. I reflected on my new routine. Strangely, it seems quite like the routine of a homeless guy. My vehicle is like a motorhome. And, the only time that I can sit down and unwind is when I am riding the bus. Otherwise, I am simply loitering in one place or another.

Once I arrived in Kahala, I continued the celebration by going on a shopping spree at the Ross® store in the den of consumerism (read: shopping mall). I purchased another sackpack, boardshorts, and one of those ridiculous "camo" shorts for $27 total (with the senior citizen discount). Wheee! The remainder of the evening was the same as usual, thank Molech.

Drive

The drive to Waimanalo was long and laborious yesterday afternoon. When I arrived at the approximate location, I called the landlord on the cheap "smartphone." The landlord guided me onto the property, which actually is quite a spread out in the middle of nowhere. There are two houses and ample land for the nursery. However, the nursery really doesn't make any money. It's more like a hobby for the landlord. I was shown the small attached studio, my temporary home until I find something else.

Waimanalo has grown quite a bit. I am acquainted with Waimanalo because I had to drive through it with my Nissan® Frontier truck for the usual Hawai'i Kai visit when I resided in Kane'ohe. Waimanalo is still a "one-horse town" or what the locals call "country." I chatted with the landlord and the landlord's husband for a while, long enough to delay my evening outing. I unpacked as quickly as possible, and headed to Hawai'i Kai. I thought that I would be able to ride the bus to the den of consumerism (read: shopping mall) in Kahala, but there really wasn't enough time. So, I ended up at the fast food joint in Hawai'i Kai. There's several fast food joints in Waimanalo, but I just didn't want to be there. Town is where I belong. In fact, I sort of miss Chaos Manor (read: rental housing).

Incidentally, I am thankful that the landlord has offered me temporary lodging at the same rent as Chaos Manor. The room is small, but detached from the main house. There are three small windows, which makes it seem more like a dungeon. It has a small bathroom with a shower. Utilities, laundry facilities, and a few other amenities are included. And, it's furnished. I will also have Net access. I cannot complain. However, I will need to commence my search for a place in town. I doubt that I can rely upon Alan. So, I'm on my own.

The common cold prevented me from sleeping well. Otherwise, there really wasn't much in the way of noise except a few roosters crowing in the distance. Occasionally, a dog was heard barking. Quite a drastic change from Chaos Manor. I was up at 7:30am. Just as I was ready to depart for Hawai'i Kai, I espied the landlord walking around the expansive property. We ended up chatting for a while. So, my departure was delayed. The drive to Hawai'i Kai, although much longer than I prefer, was very nice. Very little traffic, scenic with little in the way of city driving stupidity.

Usual Hawai'i Kai visit. Moms is doing fine, relatively speaking. I will probably discuss family matters in a future "blog" post. Nothing pressing or out of the ordinary, though. I performed my usual workout at the gym, going at a leisurely pace. Afterwards, I placed all of my gym gear into my vehicle. I donned my evening outing pack and waited for the next bus.

The bus ride to the den of consumerism in Kahala took 35 minutes, although I arrived much earlier than usual. The whole process has been a rehearsal for what may become my regular routine. Tentatively, I have decided to drive my vehicle to Hawai'i Kai every morning. I will park in the Koko Marina parking structure (except on Monday and Friday visits). Then, I will ride the bus to town. The standard agenda and itinerary will remain unchanged. In the late afternoon, I will return to Hawai'i Kai to drop off my gym gear. Then, I will initiate the evening outing from there, just as I did this evening.

Overall, I have outlined the most practical procedure to circumvent my residence in the middle of nowhere. I could ride the bus to and from Waimanalo, but returning there in the afternoon to drop off my gym gear would be impractical time-wise. Given that I will be motoring around more, I must consider the purchase of a smaller, fuel-efficient vehicle. Sometimes, I really don't know.

Waimanalo

Although the common cold is still tormenting the oversized cranium, I was up fairly early this morning at Chaos Manor (read: rental housing) to complete the last of the laundry chores and pack everything for the move to Waimanalo. The usual itinerary was followed, which meant another day at the gym.

I returned to Chaos Manor at 3pm. I completed the final packing. The "blog" was updated early, just in case. I may not have Net access for the rest of the day. My plan is to call the landlord and make final arrangements for my departure. I should be in Waimanalo before dark.

Over the past few days, I have been pondering the fate of my evening outings to Kahala. From Chaos Manor to Kahala, the bus ride is about ten minutes. From Waimanalo, the bus ride is much longer and requires one transfer. There are two possible routes, both of which are fairly long. The shortest of the two routes goes through Hawai'i Kai. Unfortunately, the last bus to service the connecting bus to Waimanalo ends its service at 8pm. If I missed that bus, I would have to go to town to make a connection with a different bus that would get me to Waimanalo via a longer route through Kailua (home to a certain fitness and training hottie). An alternative would be for me to drive my vehicle to Hawai'i Kai, park it there, and ride the bus to and from Kahala. That's an expensive alternative, by the way.

Why is the evening outing so important? And, why must is occur in Kahala? Why not not Waimanalo? How about Kailua? Or Kane'ohe? Well, Waimanalo is a "one-horse town." Enough said. Kailua does not have a den of consumerism (read: shopping mall). Kane'ohe, where my former townhouse is located, has a nice den of consumerism, but it is also quite a distance away. In any case, I have become quite familiar with the den of consumerism in Kahala. And, I am a familiar face at several eateries. So, I am treated well.

Other decisions, currently pending, will be finalized. Will I keep the cheap "smartphone" and its service plan? Will I divest my vehicle? Will I remain in Waimanalo? I should know the answers in a few days time. The bottom line is that I really don't want to move to Waimanalo.

On a side note, this morning, Alan was still in the process of moving out and cleaning up his trash. The professional movers cost him over $700 for services rendered. Upon payment, he discovered that he did not have enough money left to pay for accommodations at the hostel in town. Instead, he will staying at his friend's house in Kapolei. There are already six people residing in the four-bedroom house, two adults and four offspring of varying ages. His friend is allocating a private room for Alan.

Lastly, I ran into my formerly-homeless buddy this morning as I was about to enter the coffee shop In town. He told me that he had been in the hospital for a heart transplant. He showed me the long incision that ran vertically along the center of his torso. Long story short, he collapsed while waiting at a bus stop about three weeks ago. When he was conscious again, he had already been through the operation. So, he doesn't remember anything. My formerly-homeless buddy is still planning an extended visit to Vietnam next month. Frankly, I am wondering if that's going to be his final trip, if you know what I mean.

Indulgence

Last night, I ended up at the fast food joint in Kahala to enjoy one greasy "value menu" item for dinner and to exploit the free wireless Net "hotspot" with my cheap "smartphone." During the course of my time there, I noticed a group of about ten teenagers, all guys, loitering and having a good time. As I was exiting the eatery, I happened to glance over and see all of them playing with their Apple® "smartphones." And, young and old, the "smartphone" of choice is the Apple® iPhone®. People seem to have lots of money to indulge in luxuries such as premium contract "smartphones." I cannot even imagine paying those high monthly service fees.

When I returned to Chaos Manor (read: rental housing), I discovered that the Sonicare® air flosser has developed a culture of black mold in its tiny water reservoir. I have only owned the expensive gadget for a couple of months. Time for divestiture, you think? Then, I was privy to about 20 minutes of Net access. The prevailing gusty winds caused a brief power outage of about five seconds. That seemed to be enough to cause the cable network neighborhood hub to shut down. I was not able to adequately entertain myself, which is really a sad state of affairs. I finally decided to go to sleep at 10:30pm. Of course, the common cold had other plans for me.

Essentially, another sleepless night was to be enjoyed by my weary body. I was up at "the crack of dawn." Fortunately, Net access was restored. The agenda and itinerary for the day ... same ol' shit. Oh, how I love that phrase! Unfortunately, when I move to Waimanalo, the itinerary will change drastically. Waimanalo is literally in the middle of nowhere. I will have to ride a different bus route to town in the day. As for my evening outings to Kahala, I have no idea. I may have to drive my Nissan® Frontier truck to Hawai'i Kai every night and commute to and from Kahala by bus. Obviously, petrol expenses and wear-and-tear on the vehicle will increase.

Anyway, astute readers of the old "blog" may recall that I had once seriously entertained the idea of finding a detached studio in Waimanalo in the quest to find peace and monastic solitude. Well, now my dream has come true. And, I am not liking it one bit. Well, I was much younger and more foolish at the time. Change is never welcomed by old codgers. Senior citizens desire stability in a time when life expectancy is so unpredictable. Sheesh!

I departed for town on the bus at the usual time this morning. Alan was already busy packing his "stuff." Once in town, the usual agenda was followed, but with a leisurely theme. I was sportin' a really bad headache caused by excessive coughing. There's only one cure. Yes, a hot cup of coffee from the coffee shop in town. Naturally, I did not dress for the cold weather. Neither was I expecting rain. Lots of rain. Another mediocre workout at the gym followed my coffee break. Afterwards, I went on a failed shopping mission at two discount stores in the immediate vicinity. I have been looking for a new pair of boardshorts, but the only ones available in my size were hideous. Old codgers cannot be seen in such hideous garb.

When I returned to Chaos Manor, the professional movers were on the scene. Alan has paid them a handsome sum to pack the remainder of his "stuff" and transport all the crates, boxes, furniture, and plastic storage containers to his new storage unit (at a cost of $220 per month). He will be checking into the hostel this evening, if all goes as planned. I commenced packing my meager possessions as well, although there really isn't much to pack. By tomorrow afternoon, I should have only eight items (including one piece of luggage, my gym bag, and the house vacuum cleaner) to take with me. That's it. Alan and the professional movers finally departed at 6pm.

Finding an eatery to procure dinner was once again the focal point of the evening outing to Kahala. I ended up purchasing a bowl of soup at the sandwich shop and redeemed my accumulated rewards for a free sandwich. I then purchased a greasy "value menu" item at the fast food joint and ate my meal there in order to exploit the free wireless Net "hotspot." When I return to Chaos Manor, I will do my laundry chores in order to pack my luggage tonight. Alan is supposed to return to clean up the huge pile of trash in his former squalid room. The sad legacy of Chaos Manor is nearly over.

Fear

Last night, I returned to the den of consumerism (read: shopping mall) in Kahala. I knew that I would end up at the fast food joint for dinner. Premonition? Bad omen? No, that's the only cheap eatery that was open. There were several teenagers loitering in the dining area. As I observed them, I was overpowered by the stark realization that my time has really come and gone. I am an "old fart," just like Alan of Chaos Manor (read: rental housing) fame. I am not young anymore. Yeah, I seem to be repeating myself over and over again, just as a senile old fool would. Well, that's the point. I just cannot seem to accept the fact that I am a senior citizen.

What is most perturbing about my geriatric denial is that I keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. I am not a young punk. I don't have the luxury of time to repeat adolescent mistakes. Nor do I have time to engage in frivolities. Yet, sometimes I really don't know what to do. I am essentially lost, thereby navigating senior citizenship blindly. I am very afraid, very fearful, of the uncharted territory ahead. Scared "shitless" is more like it.

Unlike Alan, who is hoarding decades of "stuff" (his legacy) to subliminally gain immortality, I have erased my legacy by divesting myself of nearly everything. After all, no legacy is eternal youth. Unfortunately, we are both fools in a fool's paradise. There is no immortality or eternal youth. All that to say ... I want some peace of mind, damn it! I am sick and tired of dealing with immortal morons, especially considering that my time is so limited. Can I get a witness? Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Usual Hawai'i Kai visit, But we knew that already. Moms is doing fine. The weather has been fairly cold, relatively speaking. So, the common cold is still raging and causing me tremendous difficulties. Another mediocre workout at the gym. No surprise. When I returned to Chaos Manor this afternoon, both the landlord and Alan were there. I was expecting a clash between the two, but nothing serious transpired. Alan was obviously behind schedule. So, he won't be moving his "stuff" out until tomorrow afternoon. Alan has secured a room at the hostel in town. That's going to cost him about $1,200 per month plus another $150 per month for vehicle parking. We have tentatively agreed to continue the search for alternative rental housing. Perhaps Alan will take the situation a little more seriously next time.

My situation seems to change by the day. However, after a couple of conversations with the landlord this afternoon, I was able to discover that work on the first-floor common area could commence on Monday. So far, the landlord has been about a week behind schedule for everything. Anyway, to be safe, the landlord suggested that I move to Waimanalo on Sunday afternoon. So, that will be my last day at Chaos Manor. Seems like a lifetime, eh?

So, come Sunday, everything will be up in the air, so to speak. All decisions about the superfluous issues that I have been discussing in the "blog" will be up for final consideration. I can make final decisions and attain closure. There will be new issues, of course. I will deal with them then. As for the "blog," we will have wait and see. I may have to return to a more sporadic schedule of posting.

Nightmare

New Year's Eve ... just another evening outing at the nearly empty den of consumerism (read: shopping mall) in Kahala. A most enjoyable evening, I must add. Few eateries were open, though. I opted for Panda Express® instead of the other fast food choice. Then, I loitered in the center court with cheap "smartphone" in hand. Hard as it may be to believe, I have come to rely on the cheap "smartphone" more and more, at least to access the Net using wireless "hotspots." Even at Chaos Manor (read: rental housing), I often use the cheap "smartphone" to view [deleted] programs. Why? It is small and easy to deploy. Mind you, the decision to keep the cheap "smartphone" will not be reliant on its convenience.

I'm still illin' with the common cold. One week now, and I am not improving. The grogginess is the worst part. My attention span, reflexes, and cognitive ability have all been affected. Even driving my vehicle to the den of consumerism in Kahala this morning was difficult. Of course, in my later senior citizen years, those symptoms will become a permanent part of my geriatric life-style. Anyway, I didn't feel well at all. The coffee that I procured at the coffee shop (at higher a higher price than the equivalent in town) did not taste good. My granola could have easily been substituted with ground-up cardboard. The post-nasal drip was like a waterfall in my sinuses, causing me to cough and choke sporadically. Old man noises were involuntarily emanating from my vocal chords. I could have been easily mistaken for any number of generic old codgers. Sheesh!

I should mention that, before I departed from Chaos Manor this morning, I attempted to quickly assess Alan's progress in packing for his move. All of the plastic containers were still laying on the floor of the common area. Each container was partly filled with what looked like rubbish. There were lots of scrap paper with scribblings amongst essentially useless junk. Frankly, I believe that he's overwhelmed by his collection of crap. Yet, he just cannot part with any of it. I am certain that what I saw was only a fraction of the stuff in his squalid room. He also has several kitchen cupboards full of food and small cooking appliances as well as months worth of food in the refrigerator and freezer. From what I could ascertain, he's planning to put all of that non-food junk in another storage unit. He's already paying $265 per month on a storage unit that is completely full of, I would assume, more junk and trash. Every time that I actually see Alan, he is asleep on the filthy couch. He is so completely inundated by his crap that he now flees the problem by sleeping. In the meantime, the landlord expects Alan to be completely moved out by Saturday afternoon.

Alan is, from all evidence, suffering from obsession and control issues. He obviously needs to seek professional help. From what I can ascertain, his condition is only going to worsen with age. We already know from previous accounts in the "blog" that Alan is a peculiar individual. He has firm beliefs in the occult and the afterlife. He has extremely poor personal hygiene. He only wears dress clothes (i.e., long-sleeve shirt and slacks) made of synthetic fabric and dress shoes no matter what time of day and under all weather conditions (even hot and humid days). Of course, Alan cannot be helped unless he so desires it. Not going to happen.

I had a terrible time navigating around the den of consumerism This morning. I lost the keys to my vehicle, and I unknowingly dropped various things as I meandered about in a stupor. I nearly missed the bus to town because I had to backtrack and locate my lost crap. My gym workout was mediocre at best, just as it has been for nearly a week. I just didn't feel good. When I returned to the den of consumerism this afternoon, I meandered around for an hour for no particular reason. I kept inadvertently dropping "stuff" again. After backtracking yet again to find everything, I just gave up and drove back to Chaos Manor.

When I arrived back at Chaos Manor, I was very surprised to see Alan laboring away at packing his "stuff." He said that the movers were coming tomorrow to haul all of it off to a new storage unit. Judging from what I saw, including what's left in his squalid room, he will require a fairly large storage unit. Alan has not secures a room at the hostel yet, so he's probably going to end up at a friend's place. As for me, I don't really care one way or the other. I am just relieved tha the nightmare of Chaos Manor is finally over. Good riddance to all!