Friday 5 for December 30: Forward

From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog comes the last entry for 2016.

1. What are you looking forward to in your personal life in 2017?

Increasing my income, a new job, strengthening and maintaining my friendships, definitely maintaining my health and perhaps traveling.

2. What's something you're planning ahead for?

If I have enough money, travel to the mainland in August 2017 to view the total eclipse of the sun.

3. How intense is your to-do list for the last days of the year?

Not very. Do the laundry. Pay bills. Clean. Routine stuff.

4. What's something you'd like to jump past, between now and the end of the year?

Bills.

5. How will you ring in the new year?

Usually very quietly on New Year's Eve. I avoid any and all parties. I am not a wild celebratory type of person. I prefer to stay at home, observe the insane firecracker noise from the safety of my own place. I try not to drive on New Year's eve. Gotta avoid collisions with the drunk drivers.

Early the next morning as I have done for several years now, I go out and take a picture of the first sunrise of the new year.... rain or shine. If it is raining I take a picture of where the sun should come up and show the rain. I publish the photos to my Flickr photostream and other social media sites.

I will more than likely take my first walk of the new year by pushing it 3 miles that day.

After that I sometimes go to Don Quijote Store and watch them burst the fireworks and have the Chinese dragon people come over and make a lot of noise. Asians make a big deal of ringing in the New Year.

That's about it. Hope you all have a Happy New Year.

New Year's Day @ Don Quijote Store - 2013. For 2017 it is the Year of the Rooster.

Friday 5 for December 23: Something’s Afoot

1. What’s the nicest pair of shoes you’ve owned?

Some nice brown dress shoes I had several years ago. They were around for a very long time. Was nice. Worn off and on through the years. Recently disposed.

2. What’s likely to be your next shoe purchase?

Either new work shoes for office use when the time comes or more than likely replacement for my daily walker. 

3. Where’s your favorite place to get shoes?

WalMart or any other discount shoe retailer. I’m not a stickler about fashion and usually buy what is comfortable and cheap.  Low prices matters a lot when it comes to any purchase I make.

4. When did you last swap out the insoles or laces on a pair of shoes?

Never did.  Shoes go bad just buy new ones. The ones I own tend to be cheap from the get-go.

5. What were the last shoes you got rid of like?

Bad.

September 2015 - Kawaihae, Big Island of Hawaii - Puukohola National Historic Site....

I took a short walk around 2:00 pm in the afternoon - hot sun, hot day - before I knew it as I walked along the hot cement trail, the bottom of my shoes began to melt. After several minutes the sole on one side dislodged (see photos below). 

It is a drag to walk around in shoes where the soles are just barely hanging on. My sister and I both got a huge laugh out of this... hahaha. Needless to say, the shoes were disposed of later that day. They were about 10 years old originally bought from WalMart.

Can you say these shoes are ready for the dumpster?

Right foot almost dislodged, left foot melting under.

 The cement trail. Top photo is of Pu'ukohola Heiau in Hawaii.

Last mile for these rubber soled shoes. Never thought I'd be posting these photos to something more than a year later.

Scrivener's Friday 5

Friday 5 for December 16 - Back in the Highlights Again

1. What was your highlight in dining for 2016?

Not eating out as often as I did in previous years due to my health condition.

2. What was your highlight in relationships for 2016?

Trying to keep my relationships with various people stable.

3. What was your highlight in entertainment for 2016?

Ringo Starr and His All Star Band at Blaisdell Center. The Beatles are an endangered species with only 2 alive. It was good to see one of them live after being a fan for many decades.

4. What was your highlight in self-improvement for 2016?

Losing 30 lbs. since end of 2015 due to my heart surgery and healthier diet.

5. What was your highlight in completing something for 2016?

Starting a daily walking regimen and trying to keep to it as well as keeping and perhaps increasing the distance.

Map My Walk - on Android.... I walk about 2 miles a day. Not much but it is better than last year.

Top photo: Ringo Starr in concert... yes, I sneaked my camera in. More photos on Flickr.

Questions from Scrivener's Friday 5.

Friday 5 for December 2: Celluloid Heroes

I hardly watch recent movies until most have made it to home video or streaming. That said.....

1. What movie most recently impressed you with its score or soundtrack?

From last year.... Star Wars 7: The Force Awakens. - John Williams always refreshes the Star Wars themes. He is able to deliver us familiar fanfares with new music made for whatever the latest story is. Been very consistent now for 4 decades. A Star Wars score is like comfort food.

2. What movie most recently impressed you with its costumes or makeup?

Can't think of any recently viewed movies with impressive costumes.... maybe The Martian from last year which is sci-fi but the look is grounded in reality... or The Revenant which I just saw. Most of its characters were scruffy frontiersmen in this 1820s period yarn of outback survival.

3. What movie most recently impressed you with its scenic backdrops?

I was impressed with all of the sweeping, wide scenic shots of The Revenant. Looks very good on the HDTV and I am sure it looked great in the movies. Just saw that movie this week.

4. What movie most recently impressed you with its originality?

This is not recent at all, but I find Quinten Tarentino's Pulp Fiction to be very original with its psychotic, violent, sideways and flashback story telling.

5. What movie most recently impressed you with its dialogue?

Can't really nail this one, but I think I liked the memorable dialogue in A Christmas Story (1983), Planet of the Apes (1968), and Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) to name a diverse few.... I dunno. I don't really notice it unless it is bad or not in English.

Questions from Scrivener's Friday 5 page.

Image from 20th Century Fox's The Revenant.

Friday 5 for November 25: You, Too

1. What are you too short to do?

Reaching high places.

2. What are you too smart to do?

(Revised answer) - See fears #3 and add any stupid daredevil tricks or anything that makes me look foolish. I also don't drive and text. I don't drink or smoke either.

3. What are you too fearful to do?

Skydiving, Bungee Jumping, Mountain / Cliff climbing, Cliff diving, contact sports. Many other things.

4. What are you too lazy to do?

There are things that I don't want to do - does it mean I am lazy? I put off doing a lot of things that I probably should do.

5. What are you too young to do?

Turn 100 years of age.

The questions taken from Scrivener's Friday 5 site.

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Here are my answers for last week's Friday 5:

November 18 Friday 5: Fair Use

1. What was the last thing you put in the freezer not to freeze, but just to chill?

Butter that partially melted at room temperature.

2. What’s a non-food item you’re storing in a zippered, plastic bag?

Accessory cables and gadgets for cameras and computers.

3. What’s the most unusual item you’ve used as a bookmark?

Voter registration confirmation card.

4. What’s something unusual for which you’ve used a kitchen utensil?

Butter knife to open locked door or unscrew something when a screwdriver can't be found.

5. How many different kinds of balls do you have in your house?

I found a small glass ball more than 35 years ago at Clissold's Beach on the North Shore. Counting this one I probably have about 3.... the others being a tin foil ball, and a ball bearing... do marbles count?

Friday 5 for November 11: Sights Seen

1. What’s the tourist attraction nearest you that most people from other places are aware of?

Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach. I live in Honolulu and these are less than 3 miles away!

2. What’s a tourist attraction you’ve visited that was better than you expected?

Most recently the Pacific Aviation Museum which I have visited at least 3 times, though I am always wowed by Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National Park.



3. What’s a tourist attraction you’ve visited that was disappointing?

The White House in Washington DC. I waited in a very long line and we were just rushed through it in like about 15 minutes. Not worth the time standing in line. Better to just get a quick snapshot from outside and then, spend your time at the Smithsonian instead.

Cape Kennedy Space Center was kind of a disappointment too..... just mostly a widespread flat of unused rocket launching facilities and some junk lying around. At the time I saw it at the end of the Apollo era and the Space Shuttle was years away from flight. Perhaps it has changed a lot now.

4. What’s a tourist attraction you’re still hoping to visit?

There are many... here's a quick list:

* Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
* Other Aviation Museums
* Aircraft Graveyard at Mojave Desert, CA
* Rock n Roll Hall of Fame
* Museum of Broadcasting and TV
* Yellowstone National Park
* Haleakala National Park (again)
* Kalaupapa, Molokai - in fact the whole island
* National Parks in general are all interesting (so many).
* Cat Sanctuary on Lanai - Lanai island
* Alaska
* New Zealand
* Any place else where I can take plenty of pictures

Too bad I don't have enough money to travel these days.

5. Excluding restaurants, what tourist attraction you’ve visited had the best food and the best gift shop?

I generally avoid those because food and gifts at tourist attractions are usually outrageously expensive.

Questions pulled from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.

Friday 5 for October 14: Be of Good Cheer

Questions from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.....



1. What’s something non-political you’re rooting for nowadays?

- Chromebooks that support Android apps
- Removable batteries in cell phones and other connected devices

2. What were the circumstances–and who was the recipient–the last time you were part of a standing ovation?



When my friend and I attended the Diamond Head Theatre's performance of "Mamma Mia" featuring music from the 1970s Swedish pop group, ABBA - we gave the performance a standing ovation. It was fun and of course made better because I got free tickets!

3. What’s a cheer you remember from high school or college?

"Yum yum eat em up oofa, oofa!" - It's a stupid one but you asked -- Honokaa High School from many decades ago. (pronounced "oo-fa")

4. What inanimate object in your residence deserves applause for its outstanding role in your life this past week?

- As usual any of the cameras I used to take photos this week.
- My 2 MacBook Pros
- My Chromebook
- lastly my recently acquired Samsung Galaxy J7 smart phone with a removable battery

5. When was the last time a group of people clapped for you?

- A very long time ago... can't even remember. Maybe it was when I was in high school band.... I'm not one that seeks the spotlight.