Ego's Journal

[Slevin]

I ended up with a Sonoma County Library card. I used my house sitter’s address .

So you're the one putting holds on all the Libby books I want to read!

Also, Sonoma has great random perks at the library. Can borrow kill-a-watt's, a county parks pass (Sonoma County is an ultra heavy hitter for gorgeous county parks and beaches), state Park pass, laptops, tons of tickets and stuff to SF things like Ego mentioned. Its all quite lovely.

[Ego]

Last Friday, one of the used food vendors showed up with a car overflowing with groceries. She was having trouble unloading as some of the boxes were very heavy, so I gave her a hand. As I unloaded the boxes, I took out the things I wanted and piled them by her car. One of the items was a case of kale and other greens. She also had institutional sized bags of brown pears, gala apples, yellow onions, carrots, cherry tomatoes, lentils, beets and piles of other things. When she tallied my total she gave me the case of kale for free as thanks for helping. I spent $10 and had to make three trips to the car. When I got home, I Vita-mixed the greens into 2 1/2 gallons of green smoothies.

New local regulations do not allow stores to discard soon-to-expire foods. It seems more vendors are showing up with used food and the swap meets are ignoring the requirement for food vendors to hold grocery licenses. Good stuff. I will help her again tomorrow and remember to take photos.

[guitarplayer]

Your posts make me want to make my way to California off the back of my newest career in data analytics or that of DW in cybersecurity and then ditch these as quickly as possible to enjoy eternal sun and bounty of discarded goods in abundance of time.

[Ego]

You two would be welcome additions!

[theanimal]

Today I received a massive supply of food from Azure Standard. I expect this to be our last expensive stock-up before we leave in the fall.

What are you two planning? Are you taking off for a year again?

[Ego]

What are you two planning? Are you taking off for a year again?

Yes, we are overdue. But I have no idea where.

------

Somewhat related. Years ago we spent some time on Rapa Nui, learned some interesting lessons and now are very interested in rapamycin.
https://radiolab.org/podcast/dirty-drug ... -cream-tub

[chenda]

Somewhat related. Years ago we spent some time on Rapa Nui,

I would be very interested in hearing more about this trip Ego, and anywhere else in Polynesia you may have been.

[Ego]

Back in 2001 were in Chile and discovered that flights from Santiago were really inexpensive (they still are, at $300 USD RT) so we jumped at the chance to go. On the plane we met a Chilean mother and daughter who did not drive, but wanted to rent a jeep to explore the island. They paid for the jeep. Mrs. Ego and I were the driver/navigator. We had a great time.



Not long after we returned, Jarod Diamond's book Collapse came out. He told the story of the descent of the Easter Island / Rapa Nui culture. The story goes... they cut down all of their trees to support the building of the massive moai statues, which caused the disintegration of the civilization. Those statues represented the pinnacle of the culture, but their creation is responsible for its decline.

If you listen to the last nine minutes of that podcast on Rapa Nui / Rapamycin, it tells a very different story about the Rapa Nuian civilization.

Every so often, I need a reminder of lessons like that, because our current situation is very comfortable. It is a good reminder that it is possible to be too comfortable.

[guitarplayer]

Inspiring as always @Ego! Nothing to add other that I am always happy to see an update here

[chenda]

Thank you @Ego. This documentary on Easter Island looks very good. I've not watched it yet but others he has made are excellent.

https://youtu.be/7j08gxUcBgc?si=Dv__O8kFE-evpwO4

Polynesia has fascinated me since I was a child.

[Ego]

As you may have noticed, Mrs. Ego and I are unusual. That strangeness can be challenging for its lack of templates. No well worn paths to follow.

Every so often, we hear stories of others who are similar in some respects. One such couple we heard about for years is the brother of a good friend. This guy and his spouse are exactly our age. They live in a mountain community and semi-retired at about the same time we did. They use their freedom to pursue an unusually winter sport that keeps them extremely fit and engaged in the world.

We had the good fortune to meet them at a party about six years ago and we fell into conversation like long lost friends. Finishing each other's sentences. No need to try to explain the unexplainable parts. Since then, we continued to get updates of their adventures through my friend. While we had not seen one another since that encounter, we had a kinship that we communicated back and forth between the friend.

A few weeks ago, they were out leading a group on a weeklong remote mountain adventure when her heart stopped beating. InReach got the Life Flight there in thirty-five minutes. By the time it arrived, she was gone.

Messages were communicated back and forth.

Message received.

The time for big change has arrived.

[OutOfTheBlue]

Any inkling on what this change looks like?

[Jin+Guice]

Just finished reading your very excellent journal, not sure how I've missed such a gem thus far.

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I'm a bit surprised it inspires you to make a big change? What will that change be and why are you so inspired?

I'm very inspired by your journal!

Also, very late, but congrats on your anniversary. Personally I find 35 months to be challenging.

[Ego]

A sudden, strange confluence of incredibly positive events, combined with the negative news about our friends, caused us to accelerate. Details will follow as they congeal.

For those who enjoy plans*
https://impossible.substack.com/p/stockholm-syndrome

*this is not us, but the sentiment fits us.

[Ego]

Serendipity. I found this backpack at the swap meet for $75. The guy had purchased it new and never got around to using it. I recognized it because @theanimal has the same one. Keeper. Some hikes on the horizon.

[theanimal]

That's a serious score! I got mine from someone with the same circumstances at $270 and I thought that was a deal. I like the pack a lot, I think you'll get good use out of it.

[Ego]

It was definitely right-place, right-time. I love the fact that it can roll down small enough to carry-on a flight and then expand up to 70 liters.