Hawaii, Days 1-2

Department of Medicine, Hawaii 5-Oh style: THB is again feeling flush and punk. A short google search reveals a possible source: to control his CK count, THB went back on Methotrexate after postponing the Rituximab infusions in November.

Methotrexate is often listed as causing sun sensitivity. However, methotrexate is not, in fact, a sun sensitizing drug, but rather produces a reaction called radiation recall. Areas where patients have had sunburns in the past may react again after starting methotrexate.

Everyone growing up in West LA in the 50s and 60s got sunburned, it was a well known side effect of going to the beach and sun-tan lotion that protected against the sun had not been invented yet (good thing or THB suspects that tropical fish would have been wiped out by now). Now THB adds another ailment to he ever-growing list: radiation recall. Soon we'll be walking around with 80 year-old Geiger counters with good memories.

Hawaii, Day 1

THB is back in the warm and windy climate of Hawaii, this time on Maui with DB, KB and the twins, in a condo we stayed in a few years ago. LB and friend are also here, much further south. The flight over from Oak-town is smooth, twins have i-pads to occupy them, and we are spread over 3 rows.

THB tweaked his back a few weeks ago, seemed to get better and is now recurring, rendering THB almost useless. Very unusual as THB has way more internal issues than physical. Isn't getting old fun and enlightening?

Stop on the way from Maui airport to the condo in Kapalua for food: sandwiches and then groceries, and up to the 5th floor. It's overcast, in the 70s, and the twins try out the small "owners" pool (where they floated as 1 year-olds), then the beach and finally the big hotel pool. Brief sprinkles.

Dinner on the deck: steak, potatoes and salad for the adults, twins get a smattering of apples, potatoes, carrot and are too full from late afternoon snacks to eat much. 

We have gained 3 hours on the flight over, so all of us go to sleep as soon as it is dark, closer to 7pm. 

Hawaii, Day 2

THB takes a strong muscle relaxant and then sleeps through the night, about 9+ hours. Today, the back is better. On other hand, the sprinkles have turned to heavy showers amidst intermittent sun and overcast. The twins get individual 1/2 hour swim lessons from Nia. Both seem to do well and afterwards C is ready to try swimming underwater. She'll have to wait.

No rain in afternoon, twins go to local pool and the beach and have ice cream for mid-afternoon snack, plus the table shares hummus and potato chips. Around 5 a steady rain keeps up for well over 2 hours. 

In the airport

In the condo

In the ocean

In the pool with Nia, swim teacher

On the move with grandpa

After learning a finger trick from grandma

Let's go surfin' now
Everybody's learning how
Come on and safari with me

In the midst of dreams?

In the rented mini-van on travel car seats

In the middle of the hula lesson

In the middle of learning the regs in case of an airplane emergency

At huntington and malibu
They're shooting the pier
At rincon they're walking the nose
We're going on safari to the islands this year
So if you're coming get ready to go

Book Review: Better To Have Gone; Love, Death, and the Quest for Utopia in Auroville, Akash Kapur (hardback): Kapur and his wife grew up in the Auroville utopian community, based in the Tamil region of India. As teens, they knew each, then ended up staying in touch as they both went their separate ways outside the community, ultimately marrying and having children and moving back. Kapur spends ten years investigating the Auroville history, with a focus on his wife's mother, Diane, and partner, John, both deceased. And, the community continued to grow and today still exists and now has on-going support from India's government and has become a tourist destination. Recommended