Kauai, day 10

Still getting work done this day, but more and more distracted by headlines both financial- and public-health-related.  Emails and news pieces coming in every few hours from companies outlining their approaches to cleaning (Avis, Budget, Delta…) and expecting a note about rescheduling without penalties to come in any day now.  Undoubtedly our currently planned three week trip to Ireland (abbreviated from 3 months) will soon be rendered impossible.

The past few days also noting that things back home are also clearly effected by this pandemic.  I don’t believe there are cases in eastern NC just yet, but ECU is clearly on the brink of following the lead of many other schools in eliminating face-to-face events.  Already feeling the impact re the NewMusic Initiative, as UCSD’s travel restrictions are making impossible Lei’s ability to come to campus next week to coach and prepare the premiere of his commission.  Cancellations happen, of course, and require rescheduling, coordination with lots of other parties, etc., but it never really gets easier.  In this case, of course, I’m in the back seat and Travis is ably handling all of this.  But I certainly hate that he’s having to deal with this.

After a morning of getting some work done, we took the short drive towards where we’ll dive Wednesday and Thursday.  We stopped in for a drink at Mahiko Lounge in Gaylord’s, and were happy to make friends with a couple from Vancouver Island.  We ended up having dinner with them, hearing lots of stories about their travels adventures, their consideration of life after retirement—and he’s only 54!—and about the many islands right near them on Vancouver Island.