WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

Day 65 of the Lower Puna Eruption, and the only headline I could find on this disaster is a comparison of real estate prices between Kauai and Big Island:

• Prices on both islands have gone up compared to a year ago.
• Single family residences on Kauai sold for a median of $742,500.
• Big Island?  $384,000, a jump of 9%.  What eruption?  What natural air pollution?
• Puna was the surprise.  You know, the place where that eruption is occurring?  The median price of homes escalated from $200,000 to $269,000 this year, an increase of 34.5%.
• Here, something about Puna published 12 years ago:

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Yesterday was a momentous day for me.  I'll skip the details here (go to HOW YOU CAN ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR LIFE), but for nearly a month my mind wavered between worrying about being released into the cruel world at the age of 77 and given the opportunity to start a new and more exciting final phase of my life.  

I went so far as to find a real estate agent from Coldwell-Banker and discussed with Ward Village about finding a tiny apartment where I could catch an elevator down to the movie complex or to the new Whole Foods.  I would also be two blocks from where I grew up in Kakaako.

Interesting that they were close to having a lottery for 20% of their announced Aalii building, and there were at least five times more demand than availability.  If I had to now purchase something, it would have cost more than $500,000 for 325 square feet.

Well, it now looks like I'll be staying at 15 Craigside for as long as I want.  Last night I got my first truly sound 8-hours of sleep since this tormentous period began.  My blood pressure is lower and I feel in peace with Planet Earth and Humanity.  

Rather than torture my body by walking 18 holes, I'll instead today catch The Bus into town and have some Shanghai Soup Dumplings.  Then I'll walk home, perhaps after a haircut.  These simple pleasures and burdens will not match the buzz of total freedom in what could have been my new Kakaako, but the peace of mind is almost transcendent.

I will still develop a plan for the end of my life, for the last thing I'll want is to live in pain, discomfort and boredom on our hospital floor for a very long time.  Switzerland might still be in my future.  Before then, maybe my fantasy around the world cruise has regained a sense of reality, currently still scheduled for January of 2020.  Long ago I could only dream about living into that visionary year.  What a wonderful world, here better described by Satchmo and Iz.

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Hurricane Fabio is weakening and will not get close to Hawaii.  However, there are two new ocean storms showing particular potency.  In the Atlantic, Hurricane Beryl will strengthen and head for Puerto Rico.  However, all signs show a weakening before making landfall.

However, Super Typhoon Maria at 155 MPH is headed for Okinawa and will eventually make landfall over China:

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