Oh, it felt good to be back in my own bed in Honolulu last night, but it will be a short visit. I have approximately 36 hours in Honolulu before getting on the plane (again) and flying to London. I arrived last night about 7 pm and will be taking the 7 am flight to London tomorrow morning.

First and foremost is to unpack my suitcase, do my laundry and repack. I have to confess that it was c-o-l-d in Berkeley and I should have packed warmer clothes. In checking the weather in London, it’s quite a bit cooler than Berkeley so I’m taking a heavier jacket and more long-sleeved tops.

I’m trying to stay on California time to lessen the jet lag, and had no trouble getting up at 3:30 am Hawaii Standard Time, which is 6:30 am on the West Coast.

First thing this morning is an appointment with my retina specialist for my monthly eye injection for wet macular degeneration. I know my doctor has recommended waiting a week to fly on an airplane after the injection, but “it is what it is,” a phrase I learned from George Emblom.

I also need to shop for omiyage, gifts to bring for people I meet along the way—meaning macadamia nut shortbread cookies and chocolate macadamia nuts. Who knows whether I’ll see any of the stars of the Doc Martin television show when we visit Port Isaac next weekend?! Perhaps we might get lucky and be able to take a selfie with one of the stars and I could give them something from Hawaii! (This is wishful thinking on my part.)

It would also be good for me to practice the organ since I’ll be playing for the next Oahu Choral Society concert on April 26th (all Bach), about two weeks after I return home. With the trip I took to California plus the London trip, it will mean about three weeks on the road and away from a keyboard to practice. I figure three weeks without practicing is just about my limit for avoiding “jelly fingers” when I get back to the organ. Of course, I can’t count the time I spent on the Letourneau organ at the Cathedral of the Christ of Light!

The next time I post will be from London—woo hoo!