Airport Lockout

I ran into my homeless buddy at the fast food joint in town this morning. He disclosed that the homeless can no longer camp at the airport. The lockout apparently went into effect several days ago. Of course, there were myriad problems prior to the lockout. Theft, loitering, and unsanitary practices are some of issues caused by the homeless campers. My homeless buddy attributes the latter issues to the homeless migrants, mostly elderly, from the mainland empire.

So, where is my homeless buddy sleeping at night? Apparently, my homeless buddy and his clan are now officially part of the street homeless population. They seem to have found a good location at the makai end of South Street in town.

My homeless buddy will spend another week on the streets before departing for his six-month vacation in Vietnam. When he returns to Hawai'i, he has vowed to purchase a homeless motorhome (read: minivan). Since he cannot obtain a driver's license, he can only purchase the vehicle by proxy. A friend of his has offered to purchase and insure the vehicle in his own name for my homeless buddy. The vehicle can be dilapidated, my homeless buddy told me, as long as it can be driven to a designated parking lot for a permanent stay.

On a related note, I now believe that I know why there has been an influx of elderly and geriatric homeless people from the mainland empire. They are fleeing from locales that no longer provide healthcare entitlements. They specifically come here for the "free" health insurance, since most of them are sickly, frail, and require myriad prescription drugs.

Geriatrics

Ever since I espied the prematurely aging Les a few weeks ago, I have been spooked. Although younger than I am, Les looked to be more like 75 years old. To be honest, I don't know what I would do if I looked like Les right now. I have also noticed a couple of other guys suffering from the same syndrome as Les. Quite appalling.

There is no shortage of senior citizens no matter where I find myself. From my observations, "quality of life" is exponentially impaired beyond 70 years of age. What's there to look forward to? Musculoskeletal deformities, organ failure, senility, dementia, defunct Vienna Sausage, chronic ailments ... the list is endless. Frankly, I don't know if I would like to survive beyond 75 years.

Medical expenses tops the list of reasons that individuals file for bankruptcy. I surmise that the majority are senior citizens. Heck, even the senior citizen medical entitlement program of empire mandates a 10-year "lookback" for "asset recovery." And, senior citizens are only allowed to have $2,000 in assets at any time. My advice to everyone is to spend every penny of savings and rely only on pensions and entitlements for survival, that is, after hiding a portion of the aforementioned assets. Then, become a "ward of the state."

Automobile

A day has passed since my purchase of the somewhat hideous Nissan® Cube. Although, I might add that the landlord really likes it. Moms had no criticism either. The automobile is small, more like a stereotypical babe's vehicle. Guys prefer big-ass pickup trucks. Well, I can't complain. It is peppy, doesn't guzzle petrol, and fits in all of the downsized parking spaces in Honolulu proper.

I am not complaining about the dinero that I had to dole out, by the way. My former Nissan® Frontier truck was about to cost me over $3,000 in expenses. There's the registration fee of $367 that would have been due next month. Lots of postponed maintenance was also in the queue ... oil change, tire rotation, radiator flush, transmission flush, and brake fluid flush. Repairs were also upcoming, including the power steering pump, disintegrating weatherstripping, and rear differential. For ten years, all I basically did was the oil change routine. It was a great truck, though.

So, I avoided paying out the $3,000 or so. In addition, the automobile dealership included a really nice set of perks. Free oil changes, free car washes, and free annual safety checks for as long as I own the vehicle. That's at least a value of $370 per year. And, I will significantly reduce the consumption of petrol and its associated expense.

All that to say ... I really like the Nissan® Cube. It's fun to drive and has some advanced technology incorporated within its unattractive shell. And, in searching for possible rental housing, I will be able to drive the vehicle to the various locations that were prohibitive with the truck. I can also choose to reside in more remote locations and commute to the nearest mass transit hub. Oh, my Cube looks exactly like the photograph featured in the "blog" of yesterday.

So, although the homeless decision has been postponed, I have determined that the best homeless motorhome is a cargo minivan. They are smaller and narrower than the passenger minivans. Unfortunately, the are no windows in rear half of the vehicle, so a roof vent must be installed. Could the Nissan® Cube be retrofited as a homeless motorhome? Yes, but it would be a tight squeeze.

Postponed, Not Mummified

My intention this morning was to acquire the homeless motorhome (read: luxury minivan). However, after nearly four hours at the automobile dealership in Kane'ohe, I ended up with a budget automobile ... the unattractive, albeit discontinued, Nissan® Cube. As with ten years ago, I had to play along with the cheesy sales theatrics. There was a lot of "hand waving," with the claim that I received $9,500 for the Nissan® Frontier truck, but I easily calculated that it was much lower than that. Total cost was $13,500 out the door.

Nissan® Cube

The Nissan® Cube is a 2014 model, the last year of production. It is a "demo" unit, so it is not exactly new. That's fine, though. I won't be so worried about it being vandalized or keeping it clean. As ugly as it is, the vehicle is fun to drive and quite peppy. It also gets really good mileage per gallon of petrol. The scary part is that it is so small. I feel quite vulnerable inside its tiny cabin. And, it will not suffice as a homeless motorhome.

So what about the homeless motorhome? Even the lowest base model was way too luxurious for my tastes. In addition, it was as large as my former pickup truck and slightly heavier. A homeless motorhome should not look that nice. So, the homeless decision has been postponed, not mummified, for a few months.

On a side note, I was taken quite aback by the circumstances of the deliberate downing of the Germanwings airliner in the Swiss Alps. I cannot even imagine the horror that swept through passenger cabin in the last few minutes of the ill-fated flight.

Pending

Terse mode continues unless a delineated discussion is necessary. Latest terse tidbits:

• Homeless decision? Still pending.
• Preparations for homelessness continue. Consumables are being depleted and useless possessions divested.
• Motor vehicle divestiture could occur as early as tomorrow morning. What will replace it? An economy automobile or a homeless motorhome (read: luxury minivan)? The choice depends upon my tenure in Waimanalo, which was previously discussed in the "blog."
• Room rental rates in shared quarters are increasing. There are large numbers of rooms renting for $1,000+ per month available in Honolulu proper, with several listings topping out at $2,000 per month.

Terse mode ... love it, or lose it!

Terse Mode

Here is a sample of the new terse mode for the "blog":

• My homeless buddy is now suffering from some kind of bladder problem. He also provided me with another lead insofar as overnight parking for the possible future homeless motorhome (read: luxury minivan).
• Homeless decision? Pending.

End terse mode.

Waste of Time

About three hours of work on the post that was supposed to appear today has disappeared. Composing the "blog" on the cheap "smartphone" has been tenuous at best. I am not going to waste more time attempting to reconstruct what disappeared. I may just mummify the "blog" right here and now. The "blog" is just a waste of time.

Mummification Mini-Update®
After further consideration, the "blog" will not be mummified yet. However, very little time will be invested in it. And, no more embedded pictures of hotties. Content in the "blog" will revert to terse mode.

Comic Relief

The days are passing quickly. I have gone through all of the logistics and contingencies associated with homelessness. In no scenario have I envisioned an ideal homeless situation. The homeless life-style is extremely difficult. The need for continuous adaptation is demanding. Yet, here I am, edging ever closer to homelessness. I have perused the on-line rental housing listings sporadically and mostly for comic relief. Yes, very comical stuff.

Well, all that's left is to purchase a homeless motorhome (read: luxury minivan). I am only holding off while I contemplate the feasibility of remaining in Waimanalo. Then, there's the issue of my current motor vehicle. Anyway, I am repeating myself yet again. The issues have been delineated upon in the "blog" previously.

Edgy

With the divestiture of the iPad® tablet computer on Saturday, I am now down to the bare minimum of possessions. Nothing except my motor vehicle is worth more than $50 or so. I am truly on-track toward homelessness. Is that a proud accomplishment, or what? To celebrate, I set up one of the cheap "smartphones" to stream my favorite house music channel on the Net.

By the way, I neglected to mention that my homeless buddy has taken a few "selfie" pictures at the airport with his homeless clan. However, he did not have his "smartphone" with him when I saw him last. He has promised to show me the pictures soon. My homeless buddy is probably the only person who seems to enjoy homelessness.

As I continue to edge toward homelessness, I have become extremely edgy. Who, except my homeless buddy, truly enjoys homelessness? Yet, there is no benefit for me to remain sheltered in expensive rental housing. I am an old codger. I could keel over at any time, and no one would even care. There is no difference between me and a typical homeless guy.

Tenure

I ran into both Maka and my homeless buddy at the gym yesterday. Maka is reconsidering the homeless motorhome (read: luxury minivan) option upon realizing that affordable rental housing is non-existent. My homeless buddy provided me with more parking options for the homeless motorhome. My main concern is the A'ala Park area, which probably has the highest crime rate on the island. My homeless buddy assured me that the criminal elements remain confined to the park itself. There are also street parking options nearby, but the legality is questionable.

The crux of the homeless decision, of course, is whether I could accept remaining in Waimanalo for several years. My perusal of the rental housing listings have proven to be disappointing. There's nothing affordable. And, shared quarters will most likely prove intolerable, much like Chaos Manor (read: rental housing). I certainly cannot fathom the idea of searching for new rental accommodations every few months because of constant incompatibility problems. As for Waimanalo, I believe that I am at the end of my residential tenure there. I have previously discussed the relevant issues in the "blog."

Speaking of Waimanalo, I have observed an increasing number of automobiles that are suspiciously parked in an open field along the back road to the landlord's farm. Homeless motorhomes? You bet! Actually, there are a lot of homeless people camping at Waimanalo beach, too.

Incidentally, I am pretty much finished with the Net. I have whittled down my list of acceptable Web sites to a handful at best. Aside from that, I only engage in monthly on-line financial transactions. The "blog" is the only demanding on-line task, nothing that the cheap "smartphones" can't handle. If I embark on a homeless journey, I will have even less access to the Net. No loss. I have wasted far too much time with the benign activity.

The daily routine remains the same. No evening outings to Kahala, though. Commuting by bus is really beginning to take its toll on the oversized cranium. Usual visits to Hawai'i Kai still continue. Moms is doing fine.

Ol' Lavahead Mini-Update®
The iPad® tablet computer has been divested at a significant loss. There will be no replacement of any technology gadgets from this point forward, unless the replacement is of the "budget" class. No more high-end luxury items for the ol' lavahead.