SHARING IS GOOD FOR HEALTH

Don't tell Scrooge - but people who are tight with their money are more likely to suffer stress than those who are generous.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2813369/Emotional-cost-stingy-People-don-t-splash-cash-likely-suffer-stress-anxiety.html#ixzz3Hd7bS5L7
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ROY DOES JUMBLE WELL

 Thanks to me good friend Laura, I was able to secure a snap of Roy to put with this story of yet another colourful character met in me walk through life.

The old geezer met Roy some 25 years ago.  We were both living and working in Waikiki and seemed to know lots of the same people.  At the time I was running a flower shoppe with a dear friend and Roy was doing make-up and design work in a small shoppe in the same shopping district.

Roy was very different.  He had long hair and dressed like an artiste on a 'diet'.  Came to learn that Roy had had a brilliant past as a most clever design person.  Being more interested in 'art' than cash, Roy was always a little short of cash but very big on ideas.

The best time ever had in fancy dress was due in large part to Roy and his talents.  I had purchased a 'devil' costume and Roy convinced MOI to allow him to do me up proper.  Roy painted me face and neck and hands bright RED, to match the costume and put this black colour, along with a goo, in me hair to make me more devil like.  It worked, I was a huge hit in fancy dress, just wish Roy had told that I would be red-faced for weeks.........

 Time marches on and these days Roy has set himself up in another clever scheme to make a little cash.  Roy has a small Jumble in the heart of Waikiki.

There is always a crush of folks at the Jumble.  Like the old geezer, folks who are 'au fait' with Roy, know that you never know what might be got at his shoppe, the inventory is constantly changing.

What Roy gets from folks leaving the islands is very strange.  Some days there will be massive amount of clothing that no longer is needed.  Folks bring winter clothing from mainland and then toss.  Some items are almost new, tossed due to a gain in weight or just not the right thing to wear.  This old geezer loves a bargain and can tell true that there have been many a 'find' found at Roy's.

There are been furniture, paintings, glasses, dishes and even a real piece of collectible.

Once a week in Waikiki these is opportunity for folks to place items on the road to get rid of.  Roy will work the roads like a mad man, searching out treasures.  I would tease Roy and ask what 'road kill' he had found during the night.  Gobsmacked I am at some of the items he brings back to the shoppe.

Many is the time I have sat with Roy at his jumble and watched to locals and tourists pick through the piles.  Can not tell how many times it was heard mentioned that the jumble brought back memories of a time long ago.  When Waikiki was less commercial.

There is something magic about the little outdoor shoppe.  When the sun set and the lamps that Roy has placed round the treasures come on, it almost is as if the shoppe becomes a smart elegant upscale salon.  Everything in the shoppe glitters under the lights and sort of sways with the gentle breeze blowing through.

One thing is quite sure, Roy is one of a kind.  Another of the more colourful folks blessed to know.

WAIKIKI GARAGE SALE - DIVA STYLE

This weekend,Saturday and Sunday,  Ron, AKA "The Diva", will be holding another of his fab garage sales.  Mind, 'garage sale' is a wee bit mis-leading, as Ron places tables round the car park and loads them to breaking point with all sort of treasures collected since he last did a sale.

Having an apartment complex in Waikiki is the perfect way to gather many items for sale.  Folks move to Hawaii, thinking that life will be more perfect than when they came from, tire of all of the sun and living in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and give up their collections to Ron, rather than pack up to ship back to the mainland.  Truth be told, it can be rather dear to ship home things.

Ron is a fixture in Waikiki, and all during the week folks drop by and leave things they no longer want or need.  There also are people who 'find' treasures and leave with Ron.  One is constantly gobsmacked at the amount of things that pile up, waiting for another sale.

Some twenty years ago, if not longer, MOI had set up a flat down the road from Ron. Not having any furniture, the old geezer made a beeline to Ron's, and in short order had a complete one bedroom fitted out quite nicely.  So good were the furnishings that when MOI made another of his moves back to the mainland, the items purchased from Ron some years back, brought a small profit...

There are 'garage sales' and there are "Garage Sales".  Never fails that as the date nears for the sale, the car park fills up with a most interesting collection.  There are 'rare' pictures, tellies, cameras, computer parts, furniture, records, dishes, cutlery, pots and pans, clothing and linen.  You might well find the kitchen sink there as well.

As usual, Ron will be joined at his sales by a good mate.  Roy has a shop in Chinatown, sells art and the like, makes jewelry and been known to paint a lovely picture or two.  Roy has been round Waikiki almost as long as Ron and between the two, there will be in-fighting, to see who runs up the most sales.  There will be other local colourful characters at the sale, meaning that chins will wag all the day long.

Truth be told, MOI is of the opinion that Ron gets more out of the meeting folks from all over the world, then he does from the money generated from the sale.  Ron has been known to meet a new resident to Hawaii, like them and gift them with all sort of things to furnish their flats.  Not rubbish but rather useful items.  There might be a chair, rattan of course, with lovely cushions, just perfect for the person to love being in Hawaii.  Or there might be a set of curtains.  Dishes and glasses and all sort of items for the kitchen.

Being that MOI is here before the sale starts, he got to look over some of the items.  MOI loves to travel light, and clothing was sorely needed.  To my delight,  several pairs of shorts (Tommy Bahama) revealed self.  There were shirts as well,  Ralph Lauren, Harley Davidson, Greg Norman, to name but a few.  Not worn out items of clothing but items ever so slightly used and in some cases not even used.  For less than a 'fiver' me wardrobe has increased big time.  Having gone through the shops in Waikiki, know full well that some of the items are $40.00 plus retail. Am over the moon at all of the cash saved.

The sale will last all day long, rain or shine.  If past is any clue, come late Sunday, the tables will be quite empty.

Am quite looking forward to the crowds that will gather to lock up real bargains.  Curious I am to see if all goes...

FORGET EASYJET

The next time the old geezer goes on holiday it will be with a booking on the airline featured in the snap.

What is not to love about an airline that tells up-front that it is out to screw you?  Can you imagine?  The drinks are probably watered down, food is bad, the seats more than like do not work other than in the prone position and all aboard are more than like charter members of the MILE HIGH CLUB.

Do you think they print out the boarding passes on condom packets???

BLEEDEN COLD IN RENO

My dears, the old geezer knows it is April, me diary says so.  Point of face, in but a few days it will be May.  The old geezer had been warned by folks who have lived in Reno since they planted dirt, that April could be COLD.  Too right...

This morn, whilst having a cuppa with me house mate, I commented on how cold the house seemed.  Paul checked the fancy temperature gauge in the living room and told it was 33 degrees outside and but 65 degrees inside.

Pardon my French, but that is bleeden cold.  So cold is the old geezer that he sits at machine wrapped in a blanket, with a jumper on AND a vest on top of that.  Me fingers feel numb.  Or is MOI having a stroke?

Back in February, when Alan arrived from Chicago, he commented on the temperature in the house.  MOI told that one must do one's bit and keep the fuel bill down.  The furnace is set very low and one can always put a jumper on if cold.  That was then and this is now.

The weather has been quite lovely of late, and the rumour is that the cold front is moving on and the weather for the week-end is to be lovely again.  One can hardly wait.

Truth be told, the old geezer has always found it hard to waste cash on heating.  Why should the electric company or fuel company get rich on me dime? 

Reminds MOI of living in Hilo and sailing forth in the wee hours of the mrn to have a cuppa in only a t-shirt and shorts.  Having folks tell how cold they were, and the temperature was well past 60.

If only I make it through the day...