Day 81 of the Lower Puna Eruption, and nothing has changed, lava keeps flowing. Here is a 19-minute clip summarizing what is happening.
The Star Advertiser this morning suggested that Madame Pele has helped Governor David Ige in his Democratic primary against Representative Colleen Hanabusa. Their first poll in March had Hanabusa over Ige 47% to 27%. Their recent July poll had Ige over Hanabusa 44% to 40%.
The Lower Puna Eruption apparently changed the election dynamics. The Kauai flood also helped Ige. Ed Sniffen, deputy director of the transportation also was given credit, shown here with the Governor. 
I recall David when he was an electrical engineering student at the University of Hawaii. Click on that to see what they have to take. His early career parallels mine: Ige played on the Pearl City High School tennis team, was vice-president and got into MIT. However, he went to the UH and became governor. I chose Stanford and became an engineering professor.
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Did nothing particularly monumental this weekend, but in Purgatory, a lot happens anyway. While I was looking forward to jury duty for the first time this coming week, I called for the details, and my case was settled. Actually a relief, for now I can go golfing on Monday and continue to whittle down my weight.
The Photo Club at 15 Craigside went to visit the same at Pohai Nani. We have a van that took us there and back. I did not realize PN was close to the Bayview Golf Course.
As people get old, most will be cared for by their family. Here is my quick analysis of three types of seniors communities (very approximate, as I did not do much research, and there are numerous variations to the following):
- Kahala Nui: you pay a million dollars or so to move into a rather spacious apartment. Then you have a monthly charge of around $4000 or so, and the meal arrangement is flexible. There is a dress code. I presume they clean the apartment once/week. They promise lifetime care. After you pass away, your family gets reimbursed for a good part of the initial investment.
- Arcadia and 15 Craigside are sister properties: you pay $400,000 to move in and $4500/person or $6500/couple. You get 3 meals/day, whether you eat in or not, and they clean your apartment once/week, changing the bed sheets and towels. Lifetime care is provided, even if you run out of money. However, they won't accept you unless you have sufficient funds to cover yourself forever. Our second floor is a hospital area and costs $10,000/month and more. 15 Craigside doesn't have a dress code. If you die, the $400,000 is kept by the management. The operation is run by the United Church of Christ.
- I gather that Pohai Nani and the various Plaza sites have no major entrance fee. They are like rentals with a food plan, sort of like going back to college with a better dormitory room. A single person at Pohai Nani pays $5000/month for essentially the same services as 15 Craigside. If you get seriously ill or contract Alzheimer's, you'll need to find other accommodations.
The planning for Pohai Nani began in 1953 when John Midkiff and the Action Group for the Aging gained Reverand Harry Komuro's assistance and found Pacific Homes, a mainland retirement/care corporation. They selected a beautiful 16-acre site in Kaneohe, where kumu hula Mary Kawena Pukui suggested Pohai Nani, for surrounded by beauty. This was Hawaii's first retirement community. My only reservation is that it is located close to nothing, but for some, that would be a desirable factor.
A dozen residents moved in in 1964, but Pacific Homes went into bankruptcy in 1980, leading to purchase by the South Dakota-based Evangelican Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. You've seen ads with Michael W. Perry (KSSK radio), for his parents once lived here. Here he is with City Councilman Ikaika Anderson, PN executive director Patricia Camero and Kelika Ishol.
Some photos I took:
That's their dining room on the second floor.
I took a closer look, and was told that you sit on the same table for every meal. Note the indicated name plates. Some other interesting info:
Their meal periods last 90 minutes, save for Sunday brunch. We get four hours for dinner, which I've been trying to cut in half for some time to save staffing time and electricity. Gave up. For exercising:
Oh, one option PN residents have is to take a breakfast tray back to their apartment. Somehow, I don't think they would allow this at 15 Craigside. Their biggest worry would be accidents on the way back. But people at PN are of similar old age, and it works. Maybe something like that walker could be recommended.
The following list of birthdays this month probably is a good representation of ethnic diversity at Pohai Nani:
15 Craigside must have 80% Japanese, 10% Chinese and 10% everything else. Great if you are more comfortable with Oriental people. My home village in Kakaako had all Japanese. And when I went to Stanford I had zero Japanese friends in my class. This trained me well for my next two professional phases, where the supervisory ranks in the sugar industry and the faculty/administration at the University of Hawaii were mostly Caucasian. So now I'm back to my roots.
Paul of PN and Irene of 15C arranged the tour.
He ran Instructional Services at the University of Hawaii, which I occasionally used. I recognized Duane Preble, who was a noted professor at the UH. He taught art to 30,000-40,000 students at Manoa. He retired in 1991. He mentioned that he had a digital printer that can produce photos up to 16"x20". I wonder if 15 Craigside would like to get a similar device? After all, the Photo Club does most of the artsy exhibitions, and expanding the size of the photos can dramatically enhance a display.
Anyway, to the left is one of the books Duane and his wife Sarah (who is also in the Pohai Nani Zone XII Photo Club--too complicated to explain) published, with Patrick Frank. The e-textbook is only $134 through Amazon.com.
He gave me a book, I've Decided to Live 120 Years, by Ilchi Lee: The Ancient Secret to Longevity, Vitality and Life Transformation. I wonder how Duane knew that I recently began to plan my death. Hmmm....should I instead focus on how better to live for the next 43 years? That's more like what I think I am. After I read the book I'll post on whether it changed my attitude.
They have 250 residents and ten photo club members, while we have 200 living at 15 Craigside and at least a dozen in photography. I'm glad I was able to see Pohai Nani and learn more about them.
After we returned to 15 Craigside, I caught the bus to Iolani Palace, where I watched the Prince Lot Hula Festival:
I remember accompanying my Oxnard brother and his family to at least one Prince Lot Hula Festival when it was held at Moanalua Garden. They are into halaus, ukuleles, and entertainment (son and daughter are professional entertainers), but I mostly agonized. An hour might have already been too much, but all day? I never returned, until yesterday.
I left this one after about half an hour, and noticed the Hawaii State Library next door. This was my hangout growing up in Kakaako, but the last time I went inside was more than 60 years ago.
Still looks the same, but I don't remember the inner courtyard. As expected, no one was in the stacks. All the activity was at the computers. Books are nostalgic, but obsolete.
I ended my day with a vegetarian meal on my lanai, largely provided by 15 Craigside:
Well, actually, there was salmon caviar with Castello Blue Cheese:
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All of a sudden, there are five ocean storms in the West Pacific. I'll later report if there are any potentially dangerous ones:
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