The last resort...

2023.08.14

Song of the day:

The Last Resort by The Eagles

There’s no video today because I couldn’t find one - except by people who were most definitely NOT The Eagles. But this song has been in my head since I first heard about the fires and devastation in Maui, as it specifically mentions Lahaina. It’s always been one of my favorites, but it definitely feels different right now.

You can leave it all behind
And sail to Lahaina

I’ve never been to Hawai’i but know many people who visit regularly, people who used to live there, people whose families are there. What’s happening is truly heartbreaking and life changing. Thousands of structures gone, the death toll inching toward 100, and destruction everywhere you look. If you have been wondering how to help, there are a number of organizations you can support…here are a few:

• The Maui Mutual Aid Fund, which is accepting donations to support Maui families, elderly residents, people with disabilities and those with limited or no insurance. 

• Aloha United Way, a Honolulu-based nonprofit organization, has created the Maui Relief Fund that will go directly toward efforts supporting victims of the fires, it said.

• Maui Food Bank is also providing meals for thousands of displaced residents.

• The Council of Native Hawaiian Advancement, CNHA, is partnering with Kamehameha Schools, Alakaʻina Foundation Family of Companies and Kākoʻo Haleakalā to match up to $1,000,000 in community donations for ʻohana impacted by the devastating wildfires on Maui. 

• Hawaiʻi People's Fund created "The Peopleʻs Response," dedicated to moving crucial financial support to those directly impacted by the wildfires on Maui Island, such as Nā ʻAikāne o Maui, providing a safe and trusted conduit to move kōkua quickly.

I’m sure there are other organizations as well. Please help if you can.

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It’s hard to think about normal things when such devastation is happening in Hawai’i and elsewhere around the country and world, but I find that if I don’t maintain some semblance of normal, I can get stuck in a spiral of sadness and fear, and that’s not at all good.

I hope you had a good weekend. It continues to be in the upper 80s/low 90s in Northern California, which means staying inside an air conditioning space most of the time. I did sit outside at lunch today but was so hot by the time I finished that I just wanted to lay down in front of the cool air from the AC and sleep. Instead I went shoe shopping and bought three new pairs of shoes!

I saw a great movie in the theatre Saturday night - another place that normally cools me off when it’s hot, but that theatre was so hot that night that I was relieved to come back outside into the 80 degree air. That aside, I saw Gran Turismo (it doesn’t officially come out for a couple of weeks, this was one of those sneak preview deals), and it was great! It’s a fascinating story that you might want to look up before seeing the movie, as they do take a few liberties here and there (ah, Hollywood). There was drama and humor and emotion and a whole lot of fast driving. I really came out wanting to buy the video game and get the whole gaming setup. Or buy a race car. One of those. See it on a big screen if you can. It’s worth it. I already got a ticket to see it again in one of those theaters where the seats move with the action. Seems like that could be fun with this movie.

I also watched a fun rom-com on Prime Video, Red, White and Royal Blue. This book came out a while ago, but for some reason I never read it. I absolutely adored the movie though. If you’re not familiar with the story, it’s about the son of the US President falling for the Prince of England (the spare, not the heir to the throne), and it’s truly lovely. It’s sweet and funny and everything a rom-com is supposed to be.

And of course I watched the latest Hallmark movie, A Safari Romance, and it was okay. It was weird at first because the female lead was a supporting actor in another safari-related Hallmark movie, and I was struggling to separate the two characters. But the thing that bothered me the most was that they called her a doctor in the same breath as saying she was working on her PhD. Yeah, that’s not how that works. You don’t get to be a doctor until you have the degree. She also kept saying she had to defend her thesis. Uh, no. You write a thesis to detail your research (you also write one for your master’s degree), but as far as I know, you defend your dissertation. If I’m wrong on that, pleases let me know. But I did google it when I questioned my own knowledge and that seems to be correct. Anyway…the boy met the girl and fell for the girl and there was drama and then there wasn’t and then all was right with the world. Without question the best parts were anytime the animals strolled by - lions, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs and white lions! It was worth it for all of that.

I think that’s about it from here. Hope your week ahead is a good one.

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Video of the day:

Disclosure: I don’t know anything about the organization that posted this video, and quite frankly it seems a little sketchy (if anyone has more information about it, please let me know), but this hula and the music are beautiful.