I’m writing this kind of late Monday night, having a late dinner of rice, scrambled eggs, and Vienna sausage. Not healthy and not especially yummy, but quick. And I’ve had one can left for a few months of the case bought a year ago as part of my lockdown survival rations. Also, the eggs pretty much had to be cooked today or they were going in the bin, which is going to the curb before I hit the bed for pickup Tuesday.
The weekend was pretty good, if every so sliiiiiightly unsatisfying.
Friday evening I had a few errands. Dropped some stuff off on campus, in the office space where I used to work, for my coworkers there. Then I hit Target.
I’d last been to this Target in the early pandemic days, but before the official lockdown, and it was kind of scary. The only other trip to a department store this past year was to the Salt Lake Target half an hour before closing, back in early fall. I had to pick up that dorm fridge I’ve been surviving with ever since.
I’ll spare the details, but despite my being nearly a month past my second shot, it was still kind of terrifying. I figure this anxiety will be with me a while, as it’s been soooooo long since I’ve truly mingled with the throng.
I dropped a serious wad of cash, too.
Saturday I got up early but not as early as my Saturday usual, to pick up a late breakfast-slash-lunch but not the usual Saturday breakfast-slash-lunch. Dropped a few things in the mail and went to Rew’s Chicken, this new spot inside the HMart in Kalihi. This is the smaller, more Kalihi-like HMart, the one that’s been around for a few years before they opened that HMart megastore in Kakaako, which I haven’t been to yet because it opened during the lockdown!
My little neighborhood HMart has a house-made kimchi I prefer over the house-made kimchis at the other Korean markets (exception: the kimchi at 88 Mart, near the office, which is pretty close to my Platonic ideal), and I was running low. Good chance to pick up some wings and picked cabbage in one stop.
I actually didn’t OD on wings. Ate my fill and put the rest in a storage contanier for later. Moderation, baby!
Did the usual Saturday things and went back to bed. Took care of a few chores and you know what was next: A sunset walk at Keehi Lagoon with my Kindle. This time I stayed away from where the tent city is so the cops wouldn’t shoo me out, just walked out behind the canoe shelter along the water’s edge and back, then out and back again, then back and forth in the parking lot because it was too dark for roaming around a park by myself.
I’m reading a book about the history of NBA Jam, the arcade video game. It’s called NBA Jam and is part of a series of similar video game books. Unless you have the deep connection to the game (and accompanying fond memories) people like me have, I can’t recommend it. But if there was a time when you knew where all the machines were within half an hour of your house and were intimately familiar with each machine’s quirks, you’ll probably really enjoy it, as I do.
It really was a special game, and now I know why.
I was in the area, so I did my second brave thing of the weekend. I went to a bar in Mapunapuna.
Asked for a Blue Moon, which they didn’t have, so settled on a couple of Coronas, an order of potato skins, a couple of Diet Cokes, and my book. It actually felt safer than Target. I was in one spot; everyone else was in his or her own spot, and if any of us got up to move around, we wore masks. I was so pleased to have time alone in a space like this for the first time in more than a year I dropped a nine dollar tip on a thirty dollar check.
I’ve tipped generously all year even in situation that didn’t traditionally call for it. These people kept showing up for work while I locked myself away except when I couldn’t resist a burrito’s siren song. I’m hoping we’ve all been as grateful.
Sunday I went to the folks’ early, so I could catch the entire Oscars broadcast. More on that in a separate post, maybe later this week.
The only real problem this weekend was my not giving myself enough catchup sleep. I have got to be more disciplined about this or I’m just more of a mess than I usually am.
I finished Mythic Quest and it was excellent. Seriously, go watch it. Season 2 drops the week after next.
I’ll write about my other media consumption and foodventures later this week.