T minus 7 days (or T minus 1 day, depending how you look at it)

Today I feel like I am caught in an avalanche!

At 7:30 am I am shopping at Keauhou shopping centre.




At 9 am I have booked a ticket to Germany for next Monday after consulting with Grandma. I am going to attend the funeral of my spare mom.













At 10 am I come back from a smoke break and see Grandma quickly closing my laptop when she sees me.  The first two thoughts hitting my brain in a split second are:  Good thing I have password protection and Some things NEVER EVER change (she used to steam open my mother's letters).

Snoopy Lady on the right is NOT my picture.

At 11 am I have booked a hotel close to Frankfurt Airport (~ 4 km from the airport for ~$75/night).

1pm - 2pm: In the afternoon I take the bike on a hunt for a particular Christmas present that I have seen 2 days ago but unfortunately did not buy.  The crafts fair, where I saw it, will not re-open while I am here, so I head to the Kona International Mall again, in the hope that yesterday's wood carving Czech man knows where I will be able to find what I'm looking for.

Of course, that entails a journey into Kona's Industrial Area or Big-Box-Stores shopping nightmare:  

 Shops shops shops until the planet drops

No luck at my first stop so subsequently I cycle all over town trying to find one of those carved Balsa-wood turtle Christmas ornaments.  It was meant to be a Christmas present for and old friend and purveyor of mine. No Luck, unfortunately ;-(

At 3 pm I have booked a hotel in Cologne for the night before the funeral.  I doubt that the weather will be in any way similar to when I was last there in late July.  The weather forecast for Wednesday calls for mostly cloudy skies with a high of 2 Celsius and a low of -1. Brrrr!

Cologne in July

After all that consumerism it's time to go down to the water again. For me the ocean balances it all out.  Brings to mind what is important and what is not.

 Yet another fish sees me and raaaaces to a hiding spot.  I used to have that effect on little children when I was 15 years old!  This fish is quite big though (about the same as a size 12 shoe) and it looks familiar. It's another box fish!

As soon as the next wave crests the surrounds of his tidal pool, Mr. Box rides the rapids to get himself to the safety of the open ocean, out of my reach.  How does he know that I like to eat fish?  

After sunset I am restless and I finally think I've figured out what it is.  I have a Thai curry craving ;-)  I feel like I'm on my way to an Opium Den, when I first stop at a bank machine and then head to Bangkok House under the cover of darkness.  Tonight I am increasing my dose!  Tonight I am ordering Thai HOT !