Monday, March 13, 2023

... And then it got worse

 The internet had conked out for a few hours last night and I called Ken to make sure he'd paid the bill. He had, "It's on 'auto'" so I said I'll save freaking out until tomorrow and just found something else to do. 

Something else to do was going through a big box of cables and power cords and putting most of them out for the bums, and taking a big alpha scintillator and putting it in a box that's not falling apart and labeling it on all sides. I kind of petered out there, but now I just have to move two things where the box was and I have a whole 'nother shelf to put things on. 

The internet actually came back and I packed 2-3 more things to go out. 

I practiced and not only worked on good old Nori No Miyama but started in on Shinran Sama, just reading it off the notes and it's a pretty nice tune. I need to find  that temple in Minnesota that plays all these tunes and listen to their rendition of it a bit, but I'm pretty sure I've got it about right. 

My long tones are getting longer too. There's nothing like regular practice. 

I woke up at 5 because I wanted to get lots of sleep, and while preparing my tea as aspirin and having a breakfast Yakult and so on, I checked my email. Our rent has still not arrived at the landlord's. Oops. I called Ken right away. "Yeah?" "The internet's back but this is worse - our rent's still not paid". "Oh! I'd better call them, wait, it's 5:20 it's probably too late". "Maybe not, there still might be a chance". "OK". "I'll get off the phone now". "Bye!". 

I took off a bit before 6 with the day's packages. Post office first, then went to 99 Ranch. I got two tea eggs and a Mr. Brown black coffee, and ate out front on the curb because there were no tables and chairs out. Seems the boba places are closed on Monday (as a kid in Hawaii, it was a thing that Mormons took Mondays off so I always think of it as the business being "Mormon"). 

I went back in to see if they sold the same boxes of frozen prawns that Dai Thanh does, but they don't. Oh, well, I got some sliced lamb for soup, a cucumber and a small toilet brush that might make a pretty good back-scrubbing brush. 

I then rode to H Mart and locked the bike up, took the FedEx package to FedEx and bought some paper - it was $10 this time, whew! I went back into H Mart to check the prawn situation, and those rotters, they're not even pretending they're not getting them by the box, thawing some and selling them as "fresh" and then having some in packages of three, frozen. All at insane prices compared to just going to Dai Thanh and getting a box. 

I stopped by Tom's on the way back because the place next door to him almost always throws out big black trash bags full of packing stuff on Mondays. Sure enough there was a nice big one but not so big that I'd need to come back with the trailer. And I picked up some plywood boards I have a use for. 

I knocked on the door and Tom and I talked for a bit. He'd not gotten any further in cutting that stuff that he wrecked his $50 saw blade on, and I said he needs to set up a gallon jug with a piece of tubing, so his pal can put the water right on where the saw is cutting the material. 

I honestly don't know why Tom piddles around with stupid shit like that, surplus wood and nasty countertop material and so on. He makes so little money on it. He could do great just finding chairs and desks and file cabinets and things like that. I've tried to get him into busking and that's never going to happen. Oh well his choice. 

Tom said after a short time that he was sick and had to lie down. I asked if he'd gotten covid, and he said, No, it was too much beer. "Too much beer for Tom Price?" I asked. So we said Bye and I rode home, one-handed, with packages hanging off the bike in all directions and the big black trash bag in one hand. Made it fine too. 

I got back here, put things away, and went back out with the step stool and checked the medical place. I found some odds and ends and some packing foam so it was worth it. 

I got back here for the final time and checked my email and the landlord's representative had given me her cell phone number so I called Ken and gave him her name and the number and we discussed what might have gone wrong with the check (lost, etc) and how to handle it. If anyone hand-delivers a new check it will be Ken so I won't have to worry about that. It's not like we don't have the money, it's just very annoying and I think there are late charges we owe now too. 

At least if I decide to start a small business in Hawaii I'll be fairly familiar with the various hassles. 


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