Last fall the government told us we could travel ourselves silly, so my friend Marie and I booked a trip to Hawaii.  Two months later all non-essential travel was being discouraged, however our trip is non-refundable, so we decided we’re damn well going to Hawaii.  It’s currently 30 degrees C there, and about that in Fahrenheit here.

The whole thing could come to a screeching halt on Thursday morning when we go for the Covid tests which are required within 24 hours of leaving for Hawaii.  Then the WestJet website advises one needs to be at the airport at least two hours prior to a domestic flight, so we’re planning to be at the airport at 11:00 AM, with carry-on and boarding passes, for a flight to Vancouver which leaves at 1:00.

Covid certainly makes for a long day of travel.  However I’m not complaining and am just praying and hoping we do actually get onto the plane.  I won’t believe it until we land in Kona, and then the fun really begins as we’re due to arrive at 10:30 PM. Our hotel has no staff after midnight and the woman Marie spoke to said the lock box is “very complicated.”  Doesn’t that instill confidence?

There’s a really nice video of the hotel’s grounds on their website at http://www.konaislanderinnhotel.com, and when Marie saw it she said if we end up sleeping by the pool it’s fine and she’s right.  Check it out as it’s a really great location in Kona, though we’re just there for one night, and then off to Waikoloa Village for nine nights at a condo.

My friend Donna had given me a gift certificate for a pedicure at a local aesthetics salon for my birthday and so I finally got to use it the other day.  She’d emailed me “don’t forget to take your thongs” and I replied they’re now referred to as flip flops.

The kids had disabused me of using the word ‘thong’ to describe flip flops long ago, when they were in their teens.  As we were heading outside one day I said I needed to find my thongs, to which they both heartily replied “ewwww.”  In those days we would all delight in screaming “ewww” at Denis when we caught a glimpse of him naked or lightly clothed, to which he’d always reply “ew yourself.”

The Crones and I had an interesting experience at the new Hyatt Place on Enterprise as we decided to go for Happy Hour.  We arrived at 3:00 and then had to wait a bit for the bartender to show up, and then the drinking began.  The cocktails were fine and after an hour or so we ordered food.  I ordered a burger and fries, as did Sharon and Petra had ordered sweet chili chicken wings. 

When I bit into my burger, I noted it was raw in the middle, so sent it back and Petra said the wings were buffalo, IE hot, and so the wrong ones, and so sent those back.  As a result I had two free cocktails, and I think Petra had one free, so we left feeling pretty good about it all. My second burger, and her sweet chili wings, were all good the second time.

Things have settled down in Osoyoos as mom now has her house back and Luke and Jan are in theirs, so at least I can go on my trip not worried sick about the fighting down there, and instead can worry myself sick about the world of travel during Covid.