August 13, 2004
Sailing Away into the Hamakua Sunset
Sailing into the Hamakua Sunset
I shot this yesterday as the NCL "Norweigen Wind" was pulling out of Hilo Bay. It was a pretty sunset, and I was very glad to get the photos. Today has been a dismal day of rain. Perfect for the the gold medal round of the paddling championships... Well this is Hilo, land of the rainy day. The odd thing is how cold and ugly it is, sort of like it is when it rains on the mainland. Sloppy and messy
You would think that with all of the extra people here we'd have more sales, but it has been deader than dead in here. I have a few things to do but Ive not done them I am guilty of the sin of sloth. We have so many things that are going wrong or just to the dogs and I cant cope.
WE have had a lot of trouble with banks and banking this week. My 401k check was put on a long hold by the bank and I was notified by letter so I didnt know that I was writing bad checks to everyone...I think I got it all fixed and people are graciously waving fees and stuff. Hopefully the phone wont get turned off.
Then Woody came home from Kona, a bit surly, and I wasnt sure why. Well it turns out that his ATM card was rejected and so he came home on fumes in the gas tank, and the card for the business account is showing expired, and he thought that I played games with him by not giving him a new card...which I hadnt. I just havent gotten new cards as we changed PO Boxes and notified the bank too late to stop the cards from going to the old box which they didnt forward, so they are in limbo land. Woody's account card was rejected cause the hotel took out his room charges twice. We are overdrawn at present again. Its a never ending night mare with the finances so tight.
Banks are a breed apart and here in Hawaii they have taken things like the holds on checks to a fine ripoff art. They use the same system at the Federal REserve that we did in California so a check can be run through on out of state funds in a day or two. Its all automated. Well they stick to the thrity year old custom of placing extended holds on the funds ostensible to find out if the check is "good" or not. They get the float or the intrest they earn on this money and I cant use it. Its a rip off and this was eliminated in California a number of years ago. This will take a lawsuit to fix Im sure.
Woodys situation will be fixed, The bank (different from mine)is working on it. We are catching up, but the deep rift and mistrust between us is evident as we struggle to communicate. Words get said that really shouldnt be said and we both know that we are trying to get through all of this one day at a time. I want things to be different but they are not and I think cannot be for it was never ment to be this way. There is so little glue sticking us together, we hold together out of sheer force of will and sometimes I wonder about it.
We are very fortunate. Woody has his job, I have the store and its doing fine all in all. We have a beautiful home and plenty of food to eat and a phone and lights... kitties to purr at us when were blue and Hawaii to surround us with green beauty. We are the most fortunate of beings.
My friend Kathy took me out to lunch today and we had a great time. I really needed that!
I found myself longing to be aboard the Wind last night heading out to sea and to new places. I am longing for a change and perhaps it will come
