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Friday, November 05, 1999

Mauitian Pastimes, Eric Nid, the Sleeping Phone Rep, and Sudbury

Laila dragged us to see a visitting mystic. Apparently this is what Mauitians do. In San Fransisco or New York you go to plays or concerts. Here you go see whatever mystic happens to be in town. I won't bore you (or me) with the details--it was a room full of people listenning earnestly to someone spout nonsense. The three of us left in the middle and caused somewhat of a stir.

I called the bank late last night with a couple of questions and got the usual please-hold message followed by a click and some sort of odd white noise in a four or five second cycle. It sounded kind of like breath, so I said "Hello?". No answer. Hmm. It sure does sound like breath. "Hello?" No answer. Hmm. You don't suppose.... So I wistled one really loud, short burst, and heard a quick breath in and "Hello, may I help you?". I tried to hold a meaningful conversation with him, but I think he was still sleeping, so I intentionally brought up a really tough question and said "Is there someone I could talk to about that?" and he promptly transferred me to someone awake.

There's a spider that lives here, behind the headrest of the kitchen bench. Garrett* named him Eric. From his size, I guessed "Eric the Viking", but no, it's "Eric Nid". (I'm trying to train Garrett* not to pun, but I've had no luck yet.) He looks like a face-hugger from Alien, but only about three inches in diameter, and he moves as fast as any bug I've ever seen.

I found a slightly smaller spider, still larger than anything I've seen in California short of a terantula, crawling along the floor today. When I tried to usher it out, it went straight into one of my shoes by the door. [Note to self: shake out shoes before use.]

After a couple day's break due to low winds, we returned to windsurfing today. Garrett* bought himself his own rig and sail, so now we have two full setups. I managed to get it into a good plane a few times, enough to get me way out to sea, and spent most of the day trying to waterstart in deep water with one to two foot swells. Garrett*'s sail is much lighter than mine, despite being larger. I think perhaps I should get a better sail.

We checked a bulliten board in Makawao on a lark for any new places to rent, and found a great sounding ad: A two-bedroom, two-bath place on 10 acres for $700/mo. But it had the caption "singles only". Huh?

We called to learn it is housing in the middle of a brand new Sudbury Valley school! Do a web search if you don't know what that is. What an intriguing idea-- I have long had an interest in starting a school on similar principles myself; to be able to live in the midst of one would be fascinating.

We have been scheduled to view the place along with the mob of other rental-seekers monday at 4:30. Time to turn on the charm and get ourselves a special showing ahead of the pack.... Done! Garrett* secured us a 2:30 visit. :)

My girlfriend just called to tell me she is going back to Costa Rica for spring break. :(

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