Ja, UND?

We moved from Hilo to Kona today, after spending a couple days exploring waterfalls and botanical gardens on the "wet side" of the island. I think that, like Goldilocks, we've found the "just right" spot.

This is the Kona Tiki Hotel, and I think we'll be very happy to finish our porridge right here.

Tomorrow is a deep sea fishing day--Daisycat will fish, I will come along for the ride. The next three days after that are snorkeling and south island exploring days.
 

I visited her at her home today, in the crater at Kilauea.  She was gracious enough to gift me with a small cluster of olivine crystals embedded in a lava rock.  She intended me to gift it to Daisycat, but Daisycat was afraid to receive it as a gift at this time.  Perhaps in the future. Edit: I should note that you don't just go around picking up and keeping rocks in Hawaii, particularly recent volcanic rock, lest you bring down curses on yourself. I was specifically given this particular rock and no others. I won't go into the details.

Here is one of the locations she is currently active at--the crater Halema'uma':

There is a molten lava lake below the rim of the fuming sulfurous crater.

Jungle bird song at Kilauea Iki crater:

Vibrant life surrounds the goddess's creative and destructive power.

Ominously... Nationalized Spanish Bank Plummets On News Of Bank Run | ZeroHedge

There's the sound of the can kicking down the road just a little way further...

It's Official: Greece To Pay May 15 Bond Maturity | ZeroHedge

Newsweek names Obama 'The First Gay President'

We took Mom out to eat on Saturday to avoid the Mother's Day rush. Daisycat spent the day Saturday, then skeedaddled early Sunday, as is her usual habit. The woman only comes out here to visit a few times a year, and can't even stay the weekend when she does. Mom would have liked to have had her visit longer.

Since I've been on cleaning lately, I just extended my cleaning efforts to the workshop this weekend. I can actually see my workshop floor again, and I can actually use it, rather than it being an obstacle course wherein I search for whatever tool or supply I need for working elsewhere.

I started my scooter up in the process of rearranging stuff for cleaning. It started and ran fine, but I discovered a problem in the drivetrain--a loose bolt on the clutch assembly caused a hole to be punched in the crankcase cover. I will need to disassemble, inspect the mechanism, and tighten that bolt, plus buy and replace the crankcase cover before I can ride it again. So maybe that nice clean shop area will host my scooter repair soon.

Friday I installed an electric fuel pump in Mitzi, in further efforts to narrow down the problem. The problem recurred once on the way back to town, but then it ran fine the rest of the way. I am suspending judgement for the moment, but I suspect I will still be looking elsewhere for a final resolution.

I'm back in town early this evening, doing some last minute packing.

Big time.

JPM Crashing After It Convenes Emergency Call To Advise Of "Significant Mark-To-Market" Losses In Bruno Iksil/CIO Group | ZeroHedge

Muahaha!

Brace yersselfs kids!  I don't know if this is the trigger event.  I've seen too many potential trigger events come and go.  But this one has some potential.  IF JPM goes over the cliff from this, the entire world financial system is chained to them...

For a while anyway.

I just came back from having two cavities drilled out and composite fillings installed. I'm trying to shake the cobwebs from my head from the nitrous and overcome the floppy lip syndrome from the novocaine so I can talk to people and go back to work. I'm still healing from the impacted wisdom teeth removal, but that didn't create any problems during this procedure.

The entire upper left quadrant of my face is still completely without feeling. The dentist said he hit every nerve path leading into that area. Yet it took three tries with more novocaine each time, and the pain was *still* breaking through.

My body is just giving me a visceral "enough of this!" message.